(Okay so I know I haven't updated The Illusion Of Time in a LONG TIME but school is really crazy right now so I don't have time to sit down and write the chapter as nice and thoroughly as I want it to be. It wouldn't be fair to you guys. So I decided to make this little one-shot for several reasons. One, to make up for my lack of writing, two, to try my hand at a songfic, and three, practice my Maltara fluff writing. Enjoy!)
This is a songfic based partly on Maroon 5's song "Sunday Morning" and partly on that quick little flashback Natara had in the Volume 13 Interlude, where it described her reading on the couch with Mal's head resting on her lap. I'm kind of bummed though that I had to take out the lyrics that went with the parts of the story. Rules are rules though.
That May Be All I Need
If you were to ask Natara Williams what her favorite thing to do was, you may get several responses. She may tell you that it's her job, investigating crimes, profiling suspects and hunting down the culprits. She may tell you that it's watching the San Francisco skyline from a rooftop, the breeze blowing through her hair, while eating Chinese food out of a paper box. But as she to begins to think about it more, Natara will start to realize that it's not the activity she's doing that makes it enjoyable, it's who is by her side that makes it her favorite. And on this occasion, she would tell you that her favorite thing to do would be to spend a lazy Sunday with the single most important person in her life, Mal Fallon.
On that particular Sunday morning, it had started especially lazy. A light rain pattering against the windows was making it difficult to want to get out of bed. So Mal and Natara didn't. They lay there for what seemed like an eternity, arms wrapped around each other, talking about nothing, mostly about silly things at work. At other times they didn't talk, and allowed the moving shadows of the clouds outside do it for them. Mal would silently love how Natara's body seemed to fit perfectly into his, and Natara would silently love how she could take most of the covers and Mal wouldn't say anything. Eventually though, the grumbling of their stomachs would force them to abandon the bliss they were in and instead find solace in a simple bowl of Cap'n Crunch cereal.
Natara wasn't normally one to consume a bowl of sugar or one to want to, but ever since Mal had forced her to try it, it had become her favorite quick alternative to breakfast. They had the whole day to themselves, but they were going to enjoy being lazy to the fullest potential. So, they stood on either side of the kitchen counter, munching quietly, while playfully making faces at one another. Soon after finishing their breakfast, Mal and Natara noticed that it was eleven o' clock, and that the whole day was still ahead of them.
Natara had insisted on relaxing and reading a good book, but Mal just scoffed and insisted that he didn't read. She just smirked and replied that he didn't have to. Natara then settled on the couch with her book, The Republic by Plato, and Mal teased her for a solid two minutes while receiving dagger glares from Natara. He apologized and made a comment on how intelligent his girlfriend was, signature grin included, and it worked. She forgave him with a laugh and he found his spot on the couch, his head resting on Natara's lap. He didn't need anything to do. Watching her read was enough.
He had lay there quietly for a while but soon Mal thought it was necessary to run his fingers over Natara's arms and face. It had started as a cute, romantic thing. He would run his finger along her jawline and down her neck and arm. But now he was just trying to annoy her. He would draw invisible pictures on her face or try to find the ticklish spot on her arm and she would have to smack his hand back, which only seemed to encourage him. After a while, he had stopped all together and Natara noticed that his breathing had changed. She broke her attention from her book and looked down to find her boyfriend sleeping peacefully, a tiny content smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile too, and went back to reading.
After a long time, Mal woke up from his nap and immediately went back to messing with Natara, but this time he went for the book. He pestered her about when she was going to be done, and tried to grab the book and Natara managed to get it out of his reach, but not far enough. Mal took hold of the book and they had a brief tug of war with it until he decided to let go of it right when Natara pulled up on it. It flew from her hands and landed on the ground. The book jacket came off to reveal the real book underneath, Fifty Shades of Grey. A moment of silence, and a short glance at each other were shared before they broke it. Mal had never laughed harder and Natara's face had never been more red as she tried to explain herself. He took his statement back about her being smart in between peals of laughter and tears, and all she could do was roll her eyes.
Pretty soon, the Sunday sun had set and the dim reality of life set back in for Natara. Monday brought back chasing killers and putting together pieces of a puzzle that never seemed to want to fit. It meant that they would have to deal with the piling of stress and not to mention, paperwork. But it never lasted long, that hectic feeling which accompanied the weekdays. Because Sunday is always waiting. Waiting to take the past week, and the upcoming week, and tuck it away, just for 24 hours. But those 24 hours were a gift that no one could ever beat and that was because it was 24 hours Natara got to spend with Mal, free of danger and work. And that's enough for her to get by to the weekend. That may be all she ever needs. Mal's company, and a lazy Sunday.
I'm not really pleased with that ending, but whatever. I also wanted to see if I could write this one-shot without any dialogue and I did! Haha