Author's Note: I just finished my master's degree today! Enjoy these drabbles. If you feel like leaving me a nice Valentine's Day present, drop me a quick line in my reviews section. That would be awesome. :)
Forgiveness
In the dead of night, somewhere in Elena's subconscious, she feels him stir beside her. It breaks her out of her slumber, and she rolls over to face him. He looks weary and relieved at the same time. He runs a thumb slowly down her face, tucking loose hair behind her ear, then slides his hand down to rest where her neck meets her shoulder
"Forgive me," Nate whispers. "I know I shouldn't ask you to, but please: forgive me."
She moves in close, wrapping her arms around him, and kisses him firmly and thoroughly. "You know I already did."
Losing
It's no secret that Nate doesn't like losing. Sitting here in the living room floor, Elena has just played the word "tostada" for 81 points. All he has is "cop."
Nothing fair about this game, dammit. He pouts, but plays his short, unhelpful word, winning himself 9 points.
Elena looks up, notices the sunken look on his face. She grins. Quickly, she arranges her tiles, finishes "cop" with "copulate."
He looks up at her. His lower lip pouts a teensy bit more, and he gives her puppy-dog eyes.
She rolls her eyes and laughs, but grabs his hand. "Come on."
Ocean
Elena sits barefoot in the pale sand, watching the tide begin to creep closer as the sun steadily lowers its way to the blue at the end of the horizon. She curls her toes, relaxes them again. She hears the Jeep pull up, then the screen door slapping shut, and the barely-there slide of feet in sand coming to her. Without needing to look, she reaches up, and Nathan clasps her hand in his.
"Hey, hon. You said you wanted to talk about something?"
She pats the sand next to her, and he settles down, pulling her close.
"I'm pregnant."
Jealous
He frowns darkly as he lags slightly behind Elena and Jeff. He keeps his eyes on them, searching for any sign that they might be more than just colleagues. Elena has her notebook out, flipping through some notes, walking along. She is seconds away from tripping over a pile of rubble. Nathan begins to say something to warn her, but Jeff has already taken hold of her elbow gently to guide her away.
Damn you, Nate thinks sourly, but to be honest, he is not entirely certain that it's aimed at Jeff as much as it is to himself.
Misery
This is misery. Elena sits in the hotel in a cotton T-shirt, hands resting on her swollen belly. The fan blows on high, but its effects do little but move the hot air around the room. Why did they decide to come to Arizona in August? Some petroglyph in the middle of the desert Nathan wants to inspect. It seemed like a good idea at the time, no risk involved.
The door opens. Nate bursts in with three bags of ice. He kisses her, then kisses her tummy. "The manager says the air should be back on within the hour."