A matter of Principle
Disclaimer:- Don't own them just borrowing!
Episode:- None
Pairing:- Jean/James
Rating:- T
Achieve:- http(:/) . /group/rebeccafrontlewisffarchive/
Summary:- Jean and James have an interesting late night discussion about sides of the bed and chivalry.
Author's Note:- In answer to Beth's "sides of the bed" challenge to write a fic where one character gets het up about what side of the bed they sleep on. Enjoy and reviews would be lovely.
"I don't like this." James said quietly running his hand down Jean's side as he felt her tense under his touch. They'd been sharing a home and a bed for six months and been together for a year before that and he'd never once said anything so negative especially not after they'd spent a wonderful evening together topped off by making slow tender love that let her personally ready to sink into a contented sleep.
"I'm not sure I want to know the answer to this but what don't you like?" She asked refusing to turn toward him as he had a moment of realisation and immediately kicked himself for not being clearer.
"Hey don't do that. Don't panic on my, Jean look at me." He said quietly waiting until she sighed softly rolling onto her back and looking up at him the concern in her eyes making his heart ache for a second. "I don't like that you sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door, that's what I meant. I've never liked it but for some reason tonight it's bothering me even more, it must be the movie or something. I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you, I thought you knew it would be something trivial I love you and I love our life together it's just that I would rather sleep closer to the door."
"Don't say things like that without any sort of explanation and completely out of the blue what do you expect me to do of course I'm going to panic!" Jean laughed letting him kiss her reassuringly for a second before gently pushing him away. "And what do you mean you don't like that I've always slept at the side of the bed closest to the door? As you pointed out this is where I've slept for as long as we've been sharing a bed and it hasn't bothered you enough to mention it in the last 18 months."
"It has bothered me, like I said maybe it was the movie tonight, the whole home invasion thing it brought it home to me. I should be on that side of the bed." James explained sighing as she stared back at him and it was obvious her confusion was only increased with his explanation. "Look maybe I'm old fashioned and you'll probably laugh but if something happened and someone was to break into the house tonight and come up here it should be me on the side of the bed closest to the door I should be the first person they see and who sees them. It's part of my job to protect you."
"James you are so sweet something." Jean smiled swallowing the laugh that was trying to escape when she realised he was serious. Something the things he insisted on doing or the things he said reminded her that in spite of the fact he was younger than her he had some very traditional ideas about his role as her partner and about the duty he had because she shared her life with him.
"I'm not being sweet I'm being serious and I'm not be chauvinistic or implying that because you're a woman you couldn't handle any situation as well as I could I'm just saying that the way I was brought up it was the job of the man to be there first if there was any chance of danger and protect his partner no matter what it took. My father always slept on the side of the bed closest to the door and in a fight between my parents and any intruder I'd put my money on my mother every time but it was the principle of the thing." James continued trying to ignore the way she was looking at him like she wasn't sure if she should kiss him or suggest he got psychiatric help.
"Ok I can see where you're coming from but there are two big issues you're forgetting." Jean replied deciding the best way to deal with his new issue was to put forward as logical and reasoned an argument as she could manage at 1am. "Firstly this has always been my side of the bed it's what I'm used to, Richard clearly had never considered the fact he might need to protect me because he was quite happy for me to be between him and any danger for over 20 years."
"Yeah well I'd say that only confirms my opinion of your ex and it's not the point we're not talking about the past we're talking about now and unlike him I'd rather die than let anything happen to you." James interrupted before she got to her second point, the way he instantly liked to remind her that he was different from her ex-husband being both sweet and unnecessary. Everything about their relationship was different to how her marriage had been even in the good times and she would always be grateful for that and never need reminding.
"I know darling but you're forgetting the most important and largest hole in your protection plan." She smiled the way he narrowed his eyes sceptically at her only making her finally let go of the laugh she'd been holding back since the conversation began. "You sleep the sleep of the dead James. I mean I don't think I've ever met anyone in my life who sleeps as deeply as you do. Last night I got up at 3am, went downstairs made a cup of tea, spent two hours listening to the BBC new channel while signing off the case file the Chief was giving me grief about and came back to bed after 5 tripped over the door stop, curse loudly then got back into bed and you were still asleep in exactly the same position I left you."
"Yeah but I wasn't expecting an intruder or any danger otherwise I'd have been more alert." James replied unable to hold back a laugh of his own at the ridiculousness of his own excuse.
"Sorry I didn't realise we were talking about the sort of intruders who call ahead first so you could make sure you were prepared." She laughed finally relenting as he stared back at her clearly not sharing her amusement. "All I'm saying is that there's a lot more chance of me hearing an intruder than there is you. They could walk past you if you were sleeping and murder me in my sleep without waking you so changing sides of the bed is unlikely to prevent anything happening."
"So what you're saying is in a crisis I'd be useless so you'd have to defend yourself anyway? That's no fair you know for you I'd face anything if it meant keeping you safe." James snapped his irritation shaking any further teasing out of her as she shook her head.
"You know that's not what I'm saying. If there was a situation, any situation, where I needed someone to protect me I know you would be there in a heartbeat and I wouldn't want anyone else to be there. What I'm saying is that it isn't about what side of the bed you sleep on. I don't need you to be on one side or the other to feel secure wherever you are I feel safe and protected." She smiled letting her fingers run gently over his chest as she spoke and watching the irritation fade from his eyes. "I like sleeping at this side of the bed it's what I'm used to so how about if we compromise and I promise if I ever hear a noise or think that there's someone in the house I'll wake you to deal with it."
"You promise?" James asked smiling as she nodded. "Ok then I suppose that will do for now. I know you think I'm being stupid but….."
"I don't think you're being stupid." Jean interrupted "I think you're being your usual amazing self and I love you for it. Now that we've established the plan should we be the victims of a home invasion do you think we could get some sleep or we'll both be useless tomorrow."
"Ok." James replied turning off the light and pulling her close as he spooned into her back. Smiling in the darkness as his lips trailed her neck and his hand gently cupped her breast she resisted the urge to remind him they were supposed to be going to sleep. For all their discussion that night she had a feeling they wouldn't be going to sleep any time soon and that lack of sleep would have nothing to do with concerns about intruders.