"Do a little canoeing..." He whispered seductively to her, before closing his lips onto hers once again.
She laughed "a little canoeing?"
He smiled into their kiss, knowing exactly what he was doing. "Yeah we probably wont canoe." his smile edged into a laugh, causing her to do the same. "How does that sound?"
She didn't even have to think about the situation, she knew she wanted to be alone with him, and the cabin was their happy place. She hadn't been there in 14 years, ever since she rocked up on the porch to tell him she was pregnant with his baby, but as she looked in the window all she could see was him trashing the place, bottle of beer in his hand, stumbling around. She wondered how it would feel going back up there, if it would just bring back all the bad memories, or if the cool crisp open air and the sober happy Deacon would bring her new memories of joy. "That sounds so good." she smiled at him, her hands linked around the back of his neck. Something they both always found comforting.
He smiled back at her, his heart always skipped a beat at her beautiful smile. "So...is that a yes?" he kissed her once again, relishing the taste of her lips on his. "You wanna come canoeing with me?"
"I wanna come canoeing with you." she laughed, tangling her fingers through his soft wild hair. The feel of his hair around her fingers always drove her crazy, ever since the first time she did it back when she was 16.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him, placing his lips on her neck. He kissed her, feeling her smile into his own neck. The intimacy between them, their closeness had never ever been a problem and never would be, the only issue that kept flashing through Rayna's mind was his demons, their history, and her huge secret that Maddie was in fact his child, not Teddy's. It was always weighing on her mind and always had been ever since the day she was born. Not a day went by when she didn't look into Maddie's eyes and see Deacon, the resemblance between daddy and daughter. The hair, the eyes, the nose.. it was all coming from him and it was a struggle for her not to completely lose it every single time she looked at her daughter or him.
"Hey they'll be needing me out there." she laughed into his neck, feeling his soft kisses trailing along her jawline. She knew what he was doing but she couldn't. Not in here and certainly not right now. Her and Deacon when they were young, after a show, would always sneak into an abandoned closet and peel away each others clothes like their lives depended on it. She was now older, with kids, and with Bucky and her team waiting for her down in the studio. Wasn't gonna happen.
"Come on, baby. You got a couple more minutes." he trailed kisses up onto her lips. She was getting more tempted by the second. "The crew can wait longer, surely?" he whispered against her ear, her breath staggering.
"Babe no, come on." she laughed, grabbing hold of his hand and dragging him towards the door. "We can save this for 'canoeing' at your cabin."
He gave in and straightened his jacket and licked his lips, getting rid of any remnants of her lipstick that may have been smeared across him. "Fine." he groaned with a smirk. "But are we really gonna walk out of here together?" he asked as she put her hand on the handle of the closet door.
She remembered for a minute that wasn't possible. She forgot for a tiny second that they weren't together in the public eye yet and no way was she having the papers talking about her again. It's all they seemed to be doing lately, especially with the divorce, and then her daddy's heart attack. "No ill go first, and you come out in a couple minutes...okay?" she gave him a quick kiss, smiling into it. He nodded against her, savouring her touch.
She pulled away and turned the handle. He leaned up against the wall. watching her. "Hey." he spoke, getting her attention before she left. "I really am gonna take you canoeing, you know." and in that moment she laughed before turning away and leaving.
He stood against the wall, leaning his head back and letting his mind wander to what they could get up to over the next few days at the cabin. Their cabin is how he saw it. Having Rayna back in his life is the best thing to ever happen to him. Its all hes ever wanted for the last 14 years and now he finally has her. He wanted to make the next few days special for the both of them, to show her that all encompassing love that he did so well.
It was a day later and she'd just played a killer show once again. She was sweaty and she needed a shower desperately but it was already getting late and they were heading up to the cabin for their little getaway. She made her way to her dressing room, where Deacon had been waiting for her. She quickly grabbed what she needed, changing out of her sweat soaked outfit before they made their way out to Deacon's old beaten up truck.
"See you tomorrow, guys." Bucky came up beside Rayna, his hand gently falling to her shoulder before heading off to his car.
"See you tomorrow, Bucky." they both said in unison. Rayna hadn't told Bucky about her and Deacon, but she had a feeling he suspected something was happening with the two of them. Truth be told, something was and always had been happening with them. they hopped into Deacon's truck, Rayna winding down her window to let the humid Nashville summer night air brush across her skin. She was sticky and she felt a little gross, but so did he.
They had driven for an hour already and only had a half hour to go. The windows still down, his hand in her lap, while some soft country radio plays through the speakers. This was their life. This is what they only dreamed of doing for years and now it was happening. Rayna felt a trickle of liquid drip down her forehead, her hand quickly making its way to swipe at it. "Good lord i'm sweating so bad." she laughed as she tied her hair up into a messy bun above her head, hoping it would cool her off a little. "I think ill be a puddle in this seat any minute." she added, turning to Deacon to see beads of sweat running off his cheeks. A throaty wild laugh let slip from Rayna's mouth as she watched him trying to fan himself.
"Ugh speaking of puddles i can feel one between my legs." he groaned. Rayna's eyes shot across at him, before smacking him on the arm.
"Deacon! Ew!" she laughed. He burst into a fit of laughter after realising what he just said, not intending for it to sound so dirty.
"Oh my god, no Ray! I meant as in, i'm sweaty down there, not...never mind!" he shook his head smiling, focusing on the road not even daring to look at Rayna's face, knowing the teasing look she would be giving him. "You're a woman, you wouldn't understand."
She knew that wasn't true, hell, she'd sweated down there more times than she could ever count. The Nashville summers were a killer for that, that's for sure. "Hey, i'll have you know, us woman get sweaty down there too, it ain't just men, babe." she took a sip of her water.
"Oh really? I bet you are." he responded, a playful tone in his voice. Rayna looked at him and shook her head, their minds now having dirty thoughts swirling around.
"You know what i meant."
He gave her a slight nudge with his elbow before seeing the sign to turn left. They were now only five minutes before they pulled up at the cabin. Their home. Rayna was excited to be heading back to the place that she was happiest at, although she wondered if it was still the same as it used to be. She watched as they passed rows of trees, the pale moonlight illuminating the tips of them, the gravel road beneath their wheels was oddly a comfort for Rayna. Just ahead she saw a little white wooden cabin, with the big porch, just like it used to be. Her heart swelled at the sight remembering all those younger years they would be laying in until midday, wrapped in nothing but their sheets, the smell of her favourite pancakes floating through the kitchen, the rustle of the trees when the wind picked up, the picnics Deacon would set up by the lake...the memories were mainly good and she relished in the thought of them. Her brain completely switching off from the negativity.
"We're here." Deacon exclaimed as he parked his truck beside the deck, jumping out and grabbing both his and Rayna's bags. Hers obviously being heavier than his seeing as she felt like she needed to bring half her closet with her. they walked up the porch stairs together and he placed the key in the lock, turning it and sliding open the glass doors. He chucked the bags down on the wooden floor and turned on the lights. Rayna was starstruck. It was the exact same, besides a few added photos and guitars. The feel of the place was still the same, if not better. This was theirs, nobody else knew about it besides them - and Tandy. She noticed a photograph on the wall of her and Deacon at their first ever tour show. He had his forehead leaning against hers and they looked like nothing besides completely and utterly in love. No change there then she thought. She turned to see Deacon carrying their bags to their room, she followed closely behind.
"Oh wow, its the same!" Rayna gasped as she walked in, taking in the surroundings. The same duvet she had bought him back in the 1990's when they'd walked into a furniture store, was still spread on the bed. She wondered if it had been there all these years of if he had purposely come up here over the last few days to change things to make it theirs again. She guessed he probably kept it there all these years. "Oh look, there's that picture of us playing that music festival in what? 94?" she questioned excitedly. He smiled at her, watching as she took in how it was all the same. All the memories filling her brain.
"Sure is baby. Then we made out behind the port-a-loos. I'll never forget that horrible smell." he laughed. Her joining him. "Although, at least the flushing of the toilets muffled out your moans."
Rayna laughed, her brain wracking back to that memory. It was one of her favourites from back on their first tour all those years ago. They were only just getting into a proper relationship and they couldn't keep their hands off each other. The port-a-loos were a great spot to hide from everyone, as they backed into a fence with plenty of privacy, or so they thought. She remembers the moment that his hand slipped down into her underwear, working his way into her, too desperate to wait until they were back on the bus and able to have a comfy bed. she couldn't keep her noises at bay, and a female guard who happened to be standing nearby told them to give it a rest. In her words 'get your hands out of her pants, sir, and get outta here! Go on!' and she shooed them away, as he zipped Rayna's jeans back up and led her away, sniggering to themselves. She should have felt embarrassed but instead just found the whole thing funny. Sneaking around and being caught getting up to god knows what was always favourite part of tour with Deacon.
Rayna shook back into reality "Ugh that smell was vile!" she laughed. "Anyway, i smell vile right about now...i need to have a shower."
"Oh is that right?" he asked, taking a few steps closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, placing a kiss upon her lips. "You need a shower..."
"Deacon, what are you doing?" she asked, clearly confused at what he was up to. He kissed her neck, trailing his lips down to her collarbone which was visible from the tank top she was wearing. "Hey, Deacon seriously i need a shower!" she laughed as his lips tickled her.
"And a shower is what you'll get!" he picked her up and chucked her over his shoulder, running out of the room, out of the cabin, down the porch steps and down the grass mound which led to the secluded spot of the lake which was all theirs. Rayna realised exactly what he was doing and was smacking him on the back, begging for him to put her down. As he reached the side of the lake he let her down onto the ground.
"Seriously Deacon i swear to god if you had chucked me in there..." she smiled, trying to be assertive but failing as she saw the huge playful smirk cross his face.
"You would have what?"
"I wouldn't talk to you for the rest of this trip." she folded her arms in front of her, pretending to lay down the law.
"Oh, and from what i gathered, talking ain't really on our agenda tonight, baby." he smirked. He wouldn't actually just throw her in, and she knew that. Well, not by herself anyway. Especially in the dark like it was.
"You wouldn't of been getting any of me if you'd have thrown me in there!" she laughed. She watched as he moved closer to her before he placed a soft slow kiss upon her lips, locking eyes with her and as she reached in for another, he put his arms around her waist, lifting her up. Her legs found their way around the base of his back and she looked at him, her eyes level. "Yuck you're all sticky." she screwed her face up.
He thought for a moment and she could see his brain ticking, before he suddenly ran as fast as he could with her clinging off him, into the cool waters of the lake. He made it out far enough that they were completely submerged up to their necks. She screamed as the cold water splashed up over her, him laughing at her and the look of shear shock on her face. "We ain't sticky no more." he smiled, his arms still around her waist, her still clinging to him like her life depended on it.
"Deacon, you're so dead!" she said, letting her grip on him go and swimming towards the shore, but before she even got herself completely unlatched from him, he pulled her back towards him by her foot. "Deacon!" she squealed.
He was now behind her, his arms around her stomach and his chin resting on her shoulder. He was standing up with the water up to his shoulders and the cool water was a relief to him - her too. He placed a kiss against her neck, watching as she tried to hide her smile. "We used to do this all the time..." he whispered against her neck. "You love it."
Rayna tried once more to get out of his grip, playing the pissed off girlfriend, but he wasn't having any of it. "Deacon my clothes are all wet..." she groaned, trying to release herself from him. "You're mean."
"Baby, they were soaked with sweat anyway, at least now we're both clean, and so are our clothes." he smiled, trying to make her see that this ain't that bad.
She finally gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a kiss. A slow, passionate one with the moonlight casting a shine over them. "Hey, remember that thing we used to do...you'd drag me under water..." she said, waiting to see if he remembered.
"Oh, like this?" he said, grabbing her by the hands, and slowly pulling her underwater, latching his lips to hers, the water completely encasing both their bodies. Her eyes were closed, and so were his as they felt their way through each others mouths under the water, just like they used to do all those years ago when they snuck up here to get some privacy. He slowly pulled her back up, their lips still connected before pulling away and looking into her eyes. "Like that?"
"Yeah..." she looked into his eyes, her own filled with nothing but love "like that." she ran her hand through his dripping wet hair and he did the same to her, untying her messy, matted bun from above her head and letting her hair fall around her shoulders. It was dark out, but he could see the moon illuminating parts of her mane of red hair.
"You wanna go have a real shower now?" he asked, running his hand across her cheek, resting on her chin. "Get outta this murky water?"
She pulled her body closer to his, so there was no space between them. "I wanna stay here a little longer." her lips locking with his, the sparks shooting through both of them was like bolts of electricity and even though they were out in the middle of no where, in the dark, fully clothed in a lake, there was no where else they would rather be.
They were sat on the couch, snuggled up in each others arms, drinking a cup of tea Deacon had made for the both of them. She was in her underwear and one of her long shirts and he was in his jeans with no shirt. Her notepad and his guitar were positioned on the coffee table, all set to get into into one of their favourite things - song writing. This was their favourite way to create songs, in their own haven, tucked away from the rest of the world, half naked. sometimes fully naked, but right now they just wanted to lay together, without the temptation of being completely distracted. Although, her bare legs and his bare chest were already making them blush whenever they looked at one another.
"Okay come on, lets get this thing started." he placed a hand on her bare leg, patting it as he stood up to put his tea down on the table and grab his guitar, passing her her notebook in the process. He dropped himself back down and placed his old worn out Gibson across his lap, strumming some chords to fill the air. Soon, the songwriting process took over and they were both deep in strewn paper, wrong guitar chords and stolen kisses.
The rivers between us are deep
And dark as the secrets we keep
We stand on the shores
Time runnin' by at our feet
Oh, the rivers between us are deep
Our love is like the moon
Rising too fast, fading too soon
This night will soon be gone
Help me hold on...
As the next couple hours rolled by, they finally finished the song, Deacon strumming the final chord on his guitar, locking eyes with Rayna's as he leaned in for a kiss. "We have it." he smiled, proud of their achievements. This was a very regular thing to be doing for them, but not for many years. Her marriage to Teddy, and the history with Deacon just didn't allow for that to happen. It wouldn't end well, and they both knew it. Now that they are back together, they've slipped back into those patterns with such ease they couldn't quite believe it.
"Its a good one too." Rayna beamed. "The rivers between us, huh?"
Deacon looked at her. "The rivers between us." he repeated. He watched as she put down her notepad and her stomach grumbled. It then dawned on the both of them that they'd forgotten about dinner. They were so caught up in writing and making out that it just slipped their mind.
"Do you even have anything to eat here?" Rayna giggled as she made her way into the kitchen. The sight of her walking round in her underwear with her long Ryman t shirt reaching just below her arse was something he had craved for years. It was what he could only ever dream of while she was playing happy families with Teddy. Now, he didn't have to worry about Teddy, he had her all to himself. He got up and followed her into the little kitchen against the wall. He squeezed her arse with his hands, a gasp exiting her lips in surprise. "You still eating out of cans, babe?" she asked, pointing to four cans of spaghetti in the cupboard.
"I'll have you know, i've slowly started to cook my own meals." he smiled, grabbing her by the waist and tickling her, her hands quickly trying to fend him off, laughing as he pulled her into him. "but i kinda forgot to buy stuff."
Rayna rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm lightly. "Are you telling me for dinner we are having spaghetti from a can?"
He looked at her, a hint of guilt in his eyes. "Um..." he released her from his grasp and searched the cupboard for anything else that might be available. "Ugh, i''m sorry baby. I didnt even think about food." he placed his hands on the counter top, bowing his head in frustration.
She started laughing and he turned to her, wondering what the hell was so funny. she went over to him and ran her hands across his shoulders to reassure him its fine. "Babe, it doesn't matter. I bought us some bags of junk food to pig out on anyway, who needs proper food!"
She ran into the bedroom and quickly came back with a large bag full of goodies. They had chocolate, bags of chips, dips, even a slice of mud cake for them to share. She placed them all out on the coffee table, and puffed up some pillows, grabbing the blanket off the couch before chucking it down on the floor. They'd have a little picnic on the floor in front of the lightly flickering fire place that had been lit after the summer Nashville air soon dropped in temperature rapidly. "This is our kinda meal." she smiled.
He went and lay down on the floor next to her, both of them propped up on cushions. The flame of the fire casting an orange glow over Rayna's bare legs. She tucked into the chips and dip and Deacon could tell she could eat a whole damn house she was that hungry. "Could you eat any faster?" he joked, watching her feeling amused.
"I'm starving."
Soon the bags were empty, the dip remnants had been licked clean by Rayna, the chocolate half eaten and the pair of them laying wrapped up in a blanket, side by side facing each other. they were so close they could feel each others breath on their skin, sending tingles through both their bodies. Deacon was tracing circles with his fingers on her bare thigh under the blanket, her gently playing with his stubble on his chin. Something she always had done. At the soothing feeling of the way they were currently positioned, Rayna's mind wandered back to the 90's where she was laying here in the cabin, on the floor in the exact same spot. He was on top, moving gently above her, with the fire flickering next to them. Their limbs entwined in the same exact blanket that was wrapped around them now, a black and red checkered thing that smelt of them.
Her heart just burst thinking about it. The pure love they'd always, always shared no matter where they were at their lives. The feeling of Deacon right now though, holding her in his arms, tracing circles on her thigh, was something she ached for, every single moment of the past 14 years. The soft, intimate moments were what she loved, the moments where it felt like they were the only two people in the world. This was one of those moments.
"Thanks for bringing all that food." Deacon smiled, placing his hand on her cheek. "I should have picked us up some proper stuff." she knew by the look in his eyes that he feels like he'd ruined their night. She knew him so well.
She rolled him slightly over onto his back, her resting her body into his chest, looking into his eyes gently scraping her thumb over his stubble. "Tonight was perfect. Seriously. I loved every second and honestly, we get real proper food every other night, tonight we let loose." she gave him a long loving kiss to the lips.
He smiled back at her, his big cheesy grin she would die for. "You're right, this is us all over anyway, isn't it. Plus, canned food ain't half bad." he gave her a wink, sliding his hands under the covers and reaching for the hem of her Ryman shirt, lifting it gently over her head. She relaxed into his chest and let him take over her for the rest of the night.
Morning had rolled around and the smell of her favourite pancakes filled her nostrils. She sleepily opened her eyes and rubbed them - adjusting to her surroundings. She was in bed, with the blankets all up around her. She barely even remembers coming to bed last night, after Deacon had very much put her in a sex daze. Her legs ached this morning but she smiled to herself, considering shes out here in the cabin, alone with Deacon, doing everything they were always meant to be doing. She slowly rose from the bed, pulling on one of Deacons flannels as her hair fell softly around her shoulders. She made her way into the kitchen where she saw him cooking up a storm. They had no food she thought.
"Whats all this?" she spoke, as he turned around at the sound of her voice.
"Your fave, pancakes!" he waved the spatula in the air, before placing it down on the stove top, and making his way over to where Rayna was standing. "I see you've found one of my shirts."
She smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Old habits." she ran her hands over his chest which just so happened to be bare. He always cooked with no shirt on when it was just them. "anyway, i thought you had no food?" she crossed her arms in front of her, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, you see..." he smiled. "While you were snoring your little ass off in there, i made the long journey into town to grab all this."
Her eyes twinkled at the thought of him doing all this for her. For them. It didn't surprise her though, because this was how Deacon was. He was caring, thoughtful, romantic and always doing small things to let you know he loves you. "Wow..." she nodded. "Thankyou, babe." she met his lips with hers and placed a soft kiss upon them.
He placed his hands on her waist and laughed slightly at the thought of what he was about to say. "Hows the legs this morning?"
"Bloody sore, Deacon." she laughed. "Luckily i wont be walking around much today." she sat down on one of the dining chairs and fiddled with one of the apples that was placed in the fruit bowl.
He watched her walk over to the chairs and he could see the difference in her walk. She was limping the tiniest bit and he smiled at the fact it was because of his handy work last night that shes in this position. "You love it." he smirked over at her. She nodded in agreement. Running her hands through her hair "as bad as it is this morning, i do." she laughed.
He brang the warm plate of pancakes over to the table, perching down next to her. He watched as she delved in to the berries and chocolate sauce and all the toppings he had laid out for her. She was starving and so was he.
They ate in silence most of breakfast, but a comfortable one. Rayna chucked the final blueberry on her plate into her mouth and sat back in her chair, letting out a deep breath. "I really wont be able to move for the rest of the day now, Deacon. Thanks." she joked before getting up and placing her dishes in the sink, giving them a rinse.
Before she could even turn around, he was behind her. He was wrapping his arms around her stomach and placing soft kisses into her hair. "Well then..." he smiled into his kisses, before turning her around and lifting her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. "That means we can lounge around in bed all damn day."
He carried Rayna through to the room, laying her down on the bed, before climbing above her, smiling down at her sleepy face. She was so tired and he could see it without even having to look hard. "Sleep." he kissed the tip of her nose, taking Rayna by surprise. She thought he'd want round two after last night, but like usual, he was caring and loving. "I'm tired too."
They lay in each others arms under the covers for a good five hours fast asleep. Rayna was asleep the whole time, Deacon only managing four. He lay peacefully amongst the sheets, watching her next to him, her face peaking out from under the blankets she had like usual, stolen. Her long red hair was over her face, the only part visible was her nose and her closed eyes. He smiled at the sight of her, at how peaceful she looked tucked under there in a little cocoon, without any worries in the world. He let her sleep, holding her in his arms, not wanting to ever let go. Never in a million years. He took the opportunity to pick up his phone and flick Bucky a quick text, explaining that Rayna wasn't feeling very well.
To: Bucky D
- Hey Bucky, Rayna ain't feeling that great today, the girls are with Teddy so thought id go over and look after her for a bit. Don't think she'll make it for rehearsal tonight. Lets hope shes all good by tomorrow, probably just over worked herself with the last few sold out shows.
He sent it, and hoped Bucky would buy into it. He sure as hell has learnt to text in the last couple months. Once upon a time he would never have written that, let alone sent it. He never texted. She felt Rayna stir next to him, leaning her face closer to his chest and he smiled to himself. She slowly opened her eyes to reveal him looking down at her with nothing but love in his eyes.
"What time is it?" she asked, her voice full of sleep.
"Half 3." he smiled, waiting for her to freak out that they'll be late for rehearsal tonight.
"What?!" she sat up quicker than she possibly ever had. "Deacon, we have rehearsal! You should have woke me!" she looked at him, waiting for him to respond.
"Baby, i texted Bucky and said you weren't feeling that well and i'm looking after you so we wont be making it to rehearsal."
She looked at him confused. Still in her sleepy state. "But i'm feeling fine, Deacon."
"Ray, i know. I just wanted us to have as much time as we possibly could up here and you looked so peaceful sleeping before that i didn't want us to rush off. We don't ever get to do this, let make it last."
Rayna ran a hand through her hair, calming herself down before falling back into the pillows behind her. "Ugh, babe thank you." she smiled, leaning over to place a kiss on his lips. "I don't wanna go back there, not now, not ever." she closed her eyes, falling into Deacons mouth once again, letting herself bask in the glory of having him right here, with her.
He rolled ontop of her, pressing his lower half into her. "You still tired?" he grinned.
She knew exactly what he was doing. "Sort of, but i'm still sore, because of you." she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't know if i can manage another round."
He smiled down at her, before leaning in slowly and latching his lips onto hers softly. This was absolute bliss for him, its all he had ever dreamt of for so many years and he couldn't quite believe the woman hes loved since the moment he saw her was back in his bed and back in his arms. He'd forever have to pinch himself. "Are you really that sore?" he whispered against her lips.
"i am...but i'm willing to see if i can handle anymore." she smiled, feeling his breath against her. "If i cant move tomorrow, you're in for it."
"well, ill be gentle." he promised as he took her lower lip in his mouth and sucked lightly before pulling back the blankets and making his way south on Rayna. He kissed her inner thighs before parting them and placing his mouth on the desired destination.
The last few hours had been peaceful. After their love making session, they had a quick shower, changed into something comfortable which for Rayna only consisted of an oversized flannel of Deacons and her underwear and for Deacon it was a pair of black sweatpants. He had been rummaging through his drawers trying to find his pants when he found a special photo album that he had hid there to keep safe for all those years him and Rayna were apart. He never wanted to lose it, but funnily enough he had forgotten about it. It was full of pictures of their younger years and all the amazing times they had before Deacon fell off the wagon. He wanted to show Rayna, but he would do it tonight.
He walked out into the living room, seeing her sitting on the couch writing down something in her songwriting book. She looked so focused in that moment that he didn't want to bother her, but he would anyway. He perched himself down next to her. "Baby, why are you working? We are supposed to be having a break." he sighed.
"Ah, Deacon, you know how this works. You get an idea, you write it down..." she said without breaking eye contact from her book.
He shrugged his shoulders. "True." He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and crossed his arms behind his head.
"I just feel bad for bailing on Bucky, so i feel like if i write then at least i'm' doing something regarding my music." she confessed as she placed her songwriting book down. "I've never bailed before."
Deacon sat up and laced his fingers with hers. He felt semi guilty considering he was the one who texted Bucky, not her. He did it without even asking how she felt about it. At the end of the day though, he knew she wanted this break away just as much as him. "Baby, you work so incredibly hard every single day. Don't feel bad for taking one rehearsal off, okay? I'm sure Bucky doesn't even mind."
"I know...i know." she smiled down at their entwined hands. "He thinks i'm not feeling well...i've never lied to him before."
"You didn't lie, i did. I sent the text, Ray." he laughed. "Listen, tomorrow we will go back and you can get right back into rehearsal, okay?"
Rayna took a deep breath. "Oh god, babe. I'm sorry, we are up here to relax and here i am getting myself all worked up over this..."
Deacon smiled at her and pulled her into his chest. Both himself and Rayna felt things incredibly deeply, sometimes even the slightest thing can cause heartache for them. He wanted to take her mind off Bucky and the tour - he had the perfect solution. He got up quickly, went into the bedroom, grabbed the photo album and came back out. "Wrap yourself in that blanket, baby. Follow me." he smiled while he grabbed the torch that was sitting by the fireplace.
"What?" Rayna asked, confused. "Why?"
"You'll see. Just follow me."
She did as he said and wrapped herself in the blanket and followed him outside. He led her down the porch steps and across the grass until they reached the little dock with the row boat. It was dark out, and she had no idea what he was doing and why she was outside in her underwear, one of his oversized flannels and the blanket. She watched as he placed what looked like a book down into the row boat, then in he got.
"Okay, come here, ill help you in." he held out his hand for her to take it.
Rayna stood there, her eyes wide. "Wait, are we going out in the boat?" she asked, tightening the blanket around her body.
"Yeah, come on." he smiled. She hesitated. "Ray, whats the matter?"
"Its dark out here Deacon, its freezing, why are we getting in the boat? cant we do whatever this is, inside?"
"No we cant, you'll see why when you get in, baby. Please." he made a puppy dog face, and of course she couldn't refuse that.
"Fine." she rolled her eyes and took his hand to help steady herself as she climbed in. The boat rocked and she fell down, Deacon going with her, luckily taking most of the impact. "Oh for heavens sake." she mumbled as she sat up right, Deacon in fits of laughter next to her.
"Sorry." he smiled, placing a kiss to her lips. He untied the rope from the dock, letting the boat drift out onto the lake. There was no wind, it was just nice and still.
"What the hell are we doing, babe?" she asked, looking back at the cabin as they floated further out into the water.
"Well.." he shifted slightly, helping both of them get comfortable. "I found this earlier and thought we could look through it together."
She had a look at the book he was holding in his hand. It was a photo album of their younger years. "Oh my god, where was this?" she asked. Her eyes lighting up at the memories of them putting it together all those years ago.
"Found it in my drawer. Remember when we spent hours putting it together?"
"I do." she nodded, smiling at the front cover. It read 'Deacon and Rayna - Forever and Ever'. They had spent so long on it that they thought they might never get it finished.
Deacon opened the front cover and came face to face with pictures of them at their first gig together. Watty had taken them and had them developed much to their delight. From that moment on they knew they wanted to continue taking pictures for memories. At that time they weren't even in a relationship, but they both knew deep down they were in love. The pictures showed them up on stage, both on stools, looking into each others eyes. The chemistry and love was there from the very beginning. "Wow, look how young we were." he whispered as he ran his thumb over the pictures. "Our faces are like babies!"
Rayna smiled as tears formed in her eyes. These were the best times of her life. Besides the births of Maddie and Daphne, her younger years with Deacon were her favourite memories.
"Oh look at this one..." Deacon said as he looked at Rayna. "Its that one i took of you when we stopped in the snow that time on tour."
"Oh my god, i remember that. It was freezing and we had been wrapped up in a blanket on the bus for so long an then all of a sudden we were out in the snow. I had bare feet as well...remember you had to rub them for about an hour afterwards because they were so frozen." she laughed as she lent her head against his shoulder. "You give the best foot rubs."
"Why did you even go out in bare feet?" he laughed. "Your feet were honestly like blocks of ice afterwards, Ray."
"I don't know, i guess back then i was fearless. I wanted to live a little, you know. After being so under the thumb with Daddy, it was like a breath of fresh air." she smiled. "You were like a breath of fresh air."
Deacon placed a hand under her chin before latching his lips onto hers. Those memories all those years ago were still as vivid as they were at the moment they happened, and they probably always would be. He would never forget the moment she came back onto the bus, shivering, wrapping her bright red feet in a blanket to try unfreeze them. I think i have hypothermia were her exact words, so he massaged them until they were warm again. As a thank you, she made out with him for a good hour afterwards.
"Oh wow this one, babe!" Rayna suddenly shot up. "That was that little fair we stopped at during tour, and you won me that humongous teddy bear." she ran her fingers over the two pictures on display. One of her with the bear, and one of them together with a massive stick of candyfloss that they shared.
"You were so excited on that day." he smiled. "I remember you begging our bus driver to stop so you could experience your 'first fair'. Oh and also, i think that was the day i felt you up behind the ghost train if i recall." he smiled, giving her a wink.
"Yeah...it was." she shyly smiled. "I tried so hard not to make any noise...you knew what you were doing with those fingers since the very start."
He gave her another kiss, before turning back to the photos. They flicked through many more, some were just them on stage, some were them kissing, but one was incredibly special. It was one Vince took a couple months before he died. They had been out at a secluded lake, just the two of them, Vince and their camera. Vince was sitting on a low lying fold out chair with a beer in hand, and the two of them were lying on a blanket, star gazing. They had been so engrossed in the stars and the formations that they forgot Vince was there. He quietly got up, picked up their camera and snapped a shot of them laying on the blanket pointing up at the sky.
The picture next to that one was a selfie of Vince with Deacon and Rayna laying on the blanket in the background. At the time they had thought it was so funny, and they still do. Except now it has a different meaning, because Vince is gone. It was a moment that no matter how much time passed, would always be engraved in their brains.
Deacon turned to Rayna. "I thought we could stargaze, just like old times." he placed a soft kiss upon her lips. "Its such a clear night."
"Id love too." she smiled as they lay back in the boat in unison with one another. Deacon wrapped his arm around her neck, pulling her as close to him as he possibly could. "You know, when i was with Teddy, i would go outside at night on my own sometimes and just look up at the stars. Id hope in my mind that you were looking at the same star as me. That's how i connected with you on a spiritual level. I never thought we'd be able to do it together again."
He ran his fingers through her hair while continuing to look at the stars. "So did i. I did the exact same thing. Whenever i was at home, i would go outside and just look up and think of you. Id also think of Vince, but i could feel such a connection with you when i did it. It was what kept me stable when i came out pf rehab that fifth time and found you'd married Teddy. That's what i would do."
"Id also sometimes see the moon, and think what would it be like if me and you just escaped earth and went there. Away from everyone and everything. All i needed was you." she laughed. "You're my moon and stars, Deacon. Always have been."
He propped himself up on his elbow so he could look down at her. The moon was casting a pale light over her face and he thought his heart might burst at how beautiful she looked. She was so at peace - so content. "You're mine too, Ray. Forever and Ever." he winked, pointing to the cover of the photo album.
"What do you think Vince would be doing right now if he was here?" she asked, looking back up at the stars, Deacon doing the same.
He sighed as he thought of his best friend and all the good times they used to have. "He would probably be sitting here chugging beer and trying to tip us out of the boat." he laughed. "Probably also talking about the latest girl he's trying to pursue.."
"Classic Vince." Rayna smiled.
"Yeah, classic Vince." he whispered. "This ones for you mate." he looked up at the sky, as if he was talking to him.
"We miss you." she said looking up, rubbing her hand along Deacons arm for comfort. "We'll forever stargaze for you, Vince."
"Yeah, and i would say chug beer, but i'm an alcoholic now." he laughed. Rayna joining him.
If Vince was here right now, they both knew he would be in shock that Deacon was an alcoholic. The pair of them used to drink until the sun came up, day in day out. Things had changed so drastically from back then, but the one constant that had stayed the same throughout the years was Deacons love for Rayna and the music. The only thing that would make it perfect was having their best mate back.
In that moment, both of them snapped out of their thoughts about Vince and their stargazing. They looked each other in the eyes and felt so much love they thought they might explode. Rayna rolled on top of him, the blanket she was wrapped in partly slipping off, revealing her bare butt. Deacon cupped his hands around it, squeezing it slightly. "Babe, thanks for bringing me out here tonight, its been so nice to take a stroll down memory lane." she whispered against his lips.
"You're welcome, baby. The last couple days have been a dream, we really are gonna have to come up here more often aren't we?" he grinned, biting her lower lip softly.
"Yes, we are." she slid the blanket right off her body, letting Deacon slide his hands up under her shirt to massage the bare skin on her back. "Anyway, right now i just want you."
She slid his sweatpants off his legs, watching his eyes intently as she did so, before making her way back to his lips, slipping her tongue into his mouth.
"Hey..." Deacon said, out of breath. "I thought you were too sore?" he smirked.
"Yeah, i don't care. Sore or not, this is happening." she continued kissing him, his hands sliding up and down her back before they made their way to her underwear. They were about to make love for the first time in a boat, but for about the one millionth time underneath the stars. They were cementing the meaning for them being each others moon and stars.
Deacon pulled away, breathless. "I guess we really have gone canoeing." he laughed.
"Rowing, more like." she smiled before going back to his lips for more.
After this boat session, they would take a picture of them laying under the stars, get it printed, and stick it in the album next to their old ones. They never wanted to leave, but tomorrow morning they would be heading back to reality. Tonight though, they had each other, and the moon and stars.
Thankyou for reading! 1x19 was, and forever will be such a special episode. Its many peoples favourite - including mine. Reviews are always appreciated.