My hands whip down my face as I pull my tired eyes from the screen. The words have started to blend together into an unrecognizable heap. I lean back in my chair and prop my feet up on the desk. A heavy sigh escapes my mouth. I have hit a snag in my work. Nothing seems to fit. It is aggravating. I need to finish this but my brain won't let me. Closing my eyes for a while could help. My body sinks a little more into the chair. What can I do next? How will this paper end? The thoughts slow down until there are none. I begin to come back to consciousness as I feel soft pressure against my lips.
Hmm. A quiet laugh reaches my ears as my eyes slowly open. "Rough night?" Gail asks.
"Yes, until now." I hook my finger under her chin and pull her lips back to mine. Her hands find a place on the armrests as her mouth slowly presses harder into mine. A smile breaks out on her face as she pulls away.
"Glad I could help." Gail slightly rocks the chair back and forth as she looks at me. Despite how much I want to look back at her, my heavy eyelids begin to droop. "Nope. You don't get to sleep out here Lunchbox." She kisses me again. "You are coming to bed with me. I'm not sleeping alone again."
My eyes pull up to her face with a tired smile. "Okay. Lead the way Officer."
"My pleasure." She offers her hand to me. I smile as I clasp it. With only a few bumbling steps, I let her lead me to bed. She pulls me into a warm embrace. "I am proud of the work you are doing and what you have accomplished."
"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm thankful I get to go home to you every night. Well, almost every night." I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her into tenderly press my lips to hers. She pulls me in even closer. Her arms wrap around my back. After a few moments, we separate. One of her hands weaves through my hair. A smile spreads across my face.
"Get ready for bed and I'll be right back." A small pout crosses my face. She just responds with a small chuckle. "I promise I'll be right back." With that, she leaves the room. Drowsiness begins to return. It slowly flows from the top of my head to my feet. An inescapable yawn leaves my mouth as I begin to pull off my shoes, the rest of the task seems just too difficult. I only manage to half strip before the unbearable urge to sleep consumes me.
I crawl across the bed, and collapse into its comfort. I rub the side of my face against a soft pillow. I can't help but hum at the simple pleasure. My body drifts into the sheets, tired of fighting off the inevitable. Not being able to hold out any longer my eyelids close. My breathing starts to deepen and slow as I feel the weight of the bed shift. A familiar weight settles onto my chest then immediately presses against my side. "We should get under the covers." A soft okay manages to mumble through my mouth as we climb under the cotton sheets. Their weight makes me happy almost as happy as the weight of Gail settling against my chest and side. I don't know how I slept peacefully before her.
I force my eyes to open to catch a glimpse of her. Strands of her blonde hair cover her eyes and I can't have that. My fingers push back the silky strands behind her ear. A smile crosses Gail's face at my movements. God that smile. "Where did you go?" My fingers lightly slide across her soft arm.
"Locking up for the night and making sure your work was saved."
I bend my head down and kiss the top of her head. "Thank you babe. You know you're great right?"
"Of course I do." Her hand slowly moves down my side to grasp the sheet. "By the way, I really like your attempt at stripping down for the night. That just means I get to take the rest off." Gail playfully lifts the sheets and tugs on the pocket of my pants. I groan and pull her closer to my body.
"Too tired. No energy. Too much work."
She laughs softly as she places the sheets back down. "It will be something I will look forward to tomorrow. Now lets get some sleep."
"Best words I've heard today."
