9 - Another Room
A/N: As odalys-ortiz noted in a thread, 'Who wouldn't want to share a bed with John?', which inspired this 2018 drabble:
"They've got another room." Joss announced as she entered their hotel room.
"Oh." Reese said. Avoiding her eyes, he watched her brush by him.
"I mean, it's not much – even smaller than this one, but it's available…" her voice trailed off.
"If one of us…" Reese finally turned to look at her, "wants it."
"Yeah," she nodded slowly, "if one of us wants it."
Last night, frustrated, exhausted and a little drunk, they had stumbled back into their hotel room.
It was Reese's turn to take his shower first.
He watched her big brown eyes run up and down his body as he emerged dressed in only his sleep pants.
Without a word, Joss jumped up and hurried into the bathroom.
Reese imagined the water running down her smooth brown skin, skin that he knew instinctively, would be the softest he'd ever touch.
His eyes were hooded as he watched her emerge from the bathroom in her modest nightgown that highlighted rather than hid her luscious curves.
Her fingers, usually so precise and sure, trembled as she tried and failed to put her head scarf on.
She nodded her thanks when he fixed it for her.
Finally, those big brown eyes met his again. "Don't sleep on the floor tonight, John."
Reese shook his head. "Carter…"
"You're exhausted. And I'm," she mustered a weak smile, "exhausted worrying about stepping on you in the middle of the night if I need to hit the head." Joss pulled the threadbare coverlet down. "You'll be on top – of the covers," she added hastily, "and I'll be…underneath them. Please, John. You need to rest."
Their eyes met and held.
Slowly Reese nodded.
He crossed the few steps to the bed and laid down beside her.
They lay there for a long time, not saying a word.
Finally, Reese rolled over and looked at her. "Joss…" he whispered.
She nodded.
He loosened her head scarf and watched those thick raven locks spill over her shoulders, then Reese pulled Joss into his arms.
Their bodies melted into each other.
Several hours later, they finally fell asleep with their arms around each other.
But when Reese awoke this morning, Joss was gone.
He finally found her in a dingy little diner, hunched over a cup of what he knew was a cup of now ice cold coffee, her face set and closed off.
Reese didn't go in.
"John?"
He put his hand on the doorknob. "I'll…take it."
Now she avoided his eyes. "Okay."
Reese stood there, then he let his hand drop away from the doorknob. "Joss?"
She slowly raised her head and looked up at him.
"I don't regret anything that happened." He reached out and touched her cheek. "At all."
Reese saw something shift in her eyes.
Joss nodded. "Stay."
A/N: The next drabble, Best Seller, will be posted on March 6th.