The thunder rumbled in the distance, as the rain pelted the windowpanes, waking the Medjai chieftain from his uneasy slumber. The bedroom was doused in a grey tone, as the curtains were slightly parted, letting in very little light as possible.

"Hmmmm," the woman next to him moaned, burrowing herself deeper under the heavy blankets.

It was early, as the clock on the nightstand ticked the minutes away. Slowly, Ardeth sat up and gently eased Rose off his chest and onto the pillows. Sliding out from under the blankets, he quickly tucked her back in before getting up. It was their first morning in London, a dreary and wet one at that, and Ardeth was exhausted. While he spent his fair share, sleeping in a bed or two during his stay in Cairo, he was unable to get any sleep the night before.

On the other hand, Rose managed to fall asleep easily, once her head hit the pillow. She all but removed her slippers as she got into bed, while her husband tucked her in. Sleep came easily for his young wife, for she could fall asleep just about anywhere, during any part of the day. Making his way quietly into the bathroom, Ardeth went about the normal morning ritual, before finding himself standing in front of the window.

The rain fell heavily against the lush green yard of the O'Connell mansion, as the sky lit up with lightning. While rain occurred in Egypt, it was scarce. Here in London, from what Ardeth could remember from his first and only trip before hand, it always rained. Too lost in his thoughts, Ardeth didn't hear the bed creak or the sound of footsteps making their way towards him. It was the feeling of a pair of arms wrapping around his waist, which pulled him out of his daydream.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked, her voice thick with sleep. "It's far too early to be up."

"I had to use the…wash room," he said, laying his hand upon hers.

Rose stepped from behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist again, before resting her head against his chest. "What's troubling you," she asked, quietly.

Ardeth wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I couldn't sleep," he admitted. "I think the bed is far too…"

"Soft?" Rose offered, looking up at him. "I'm sorry, love. I should've told Evie to put a firmer mattress down."

"It is not a problem," he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "It will take me some time to grow accustomed to such sleeping arrangements."

She nodded, "Well, since we're up,' she said slowly. "Are you in the mood to partake in taming….carnal pleasure, Mr. Bay?"

He looked down at her, only to be greeted with a shy smile and eyes filled with desire. "I think I could be of some assistance, Mrs. Bay."

…

"Where's Ardeth?" Evelyn asked, as she carried the teapot over to the table. "It's half past ten! He's slept through breakfast!"

Rose giggled as she stirred the sugar cube around in her tea. "He didn't get much sleep last night," she said, as Evelyn set the pot onto the table.

She scoffed, "God," she shook her head, moving back to collect the biscuits and slab of butter from the counter. "You're here for a visit, Rose. Not to tire your husband out with lovemaking, that he won't be able to enjoy the city."

"I will wake him before noon," Rose promised, reaching for a hot biscuit. "Besides, it's still raining! There's nothing much to do when it rains, Evie. And I don't want to catch a cold while on this holiday either!"

"But still," Evelyn shook her head, buttering a biscuit.

Rose set her teacup down, "Will we be able to find something to place under the sheets?" she asked. "I think the bed is too soft for Ardeth. He was up before dawn because of it, which is why I had to resort to using my womanly charms to tire him out."

The woman across from her snorted, nearly choking on the buttery treat. "I-I will call one of the shops," she coughed, picking up her cup to sooth her throat. "I didn't think about the differences between sleeping in a bed, when you both sleep on mats lined with blankets and what not."

"It doesn't bother me," Rose shrugged. "A bed is a bed, honestly. I've always been one to fall asleep no matter where I sit. I did doze off on the lounge chair, before Ardeth got me up and into bed."

"You do look exhausted, Rose," Evelyn said, taking in the pale coloring of her friend. "Are you ill?"

The young woman shook her head, "Just.. tired lately," she admitted. "I eat breakfast and then I'm back in bed, before Ardeth makes his rounds."

Evelyn nodded slowly, watching as Rose drank her tea. "Maybe all that lovemaking is taking its toll," she teased, trying to make light of the situation. "Why don't you go on up and see if your husband would like breakfast? We can put a tray together and you can bring it up to him if he wants to stay upstairs for a while."

"I don't think I've ever seen him eat breakfast in bed," Rose giggled. "Usually it's me eating something, while he dresses for the day."

"Well, there's always a first for everything," Evelyn said, as Rose stood up from the table. "Oh, let him know that Rick managed to obtain the coffee that he drinks. Took us a few weeks and his bargaining to get a six month supply."

….

Rose watched as Ardeth drank his coffee, before setting the cup down on the table before him. "I don't think I've ever seen you so tired before," she said, as he pulled her to his side. "Did I wear you out this morning?"

He shook his head, "I think I've adopted your exhaustion," he said, as she ran her fingers through his hair. "Is this how you feel most of the time when we are home?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But mostly it's exhaustion from the heat or rolling around in bed with you."

"Ah," he nodded, as she giggled. "Then maybe you did tire me out this morning."

Leaning in to kiss him, Rose sat up and pulled the tray closer. "Have you tried these?" she asked, spearing a forkful of hashbrowns. "Some sort of American breakfast dish that Rick is obsessed with."

Bringing the fork closer, Ardeth opened is mouth and allowed Rose to feed him the shredded potatoes. "Hm," he nodded, chewing. "It is…pleasant."

"I could eat platefuls of this," she said, taking a bite of another forkful. "I don't know what's happened to me, but I've been feeling absolutely famished these last few weeks."

"You have been eating more rice," Ardeth said, watching her closely as she ate his breakfast. "Maybe it's a sign?"

Rose frowned, "A sign for what?" she asked, as he studied her closely. "That I won't be fitting in any of my clothes if I keep eating?"

"That marriage agrees with you," he said, despite the one thought that filled his head. "I should probably prepare for the day, before Evelyn comes in and questions our intentions for the day."

She nodded, "I hope she doesn't want to leave the house," she sighed, as Ardeth sat up. "The rain doesn't show any sign of stopping today."

Kissing her forehead, Ardeth stood up from the sofa. "Perhaps young Alex will have a deck of cards," he said, as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I would very much like to play that go fish game again."