Title: Too Little Sleep & Too Much Caffeine
Author: Astrid
Disclaimer: Characters are property of Sorkin et al.
And The Discovery Channel isn't mine, nor are their
shows about ghosts & hauntings.
Rating: PG
Category: L/M, caffeine & sugar induced
Summary: "Margaret, it's nearly 2:30 in the morning,
what are you doing here?"
Spoilers: Uh...I don't think so but I guess that there
might be minor ones through H. Con 172
Archive: You want it, lemme know.
Feedback: I'm hungry.
Note: The other night The Discovery Channel was airing
a few episodes of the World's Most Haunted... It's 2
a.m., I can't sleep (most likely because of the four,
or maybe it was five, cups of coffee), & I see living
people. A muse and her many forms. *sigh*
Oh yeah, so please excuse any grammer mistakes, typos,
misspelled words, & non-coherent...things.
And inspiration was also provided by the country group
Emerson Drive and their song "I Should Be Sleeping,"
which came on about an hour before I wrote this on one
station and then came on again on a different station
just a few minutes ago....Oh goodness, I think I feel a
song-fic of a sequel coming on...
Too Little Sleep and Too Much Caffeine
Sunday, January 13, 2002
-- 2:19 a.m. --
Abrupt knocking rips Leo from an ascent into a
peaceful slumber on his sofa. He glances at his watch
as he makes his way to the door. He pulls the door open
with a growl, "What?"
Margaret's standing on the other side, "Did I
wake you?"
"What d'you think?"
"Maybe I should have called first."
"Margaret, it's nearly 2:30 in the morning, what
are you doing here?"
"I couldn't sleep," she says, running a hand
through her slightly mussed hair.
Leo looks at her. She's wearing her coat over
what looks like a pair of pajamas and a pair of bedroom
slippers. "So you drove to my place in your pajamas?
Get in here before someone sees you," he says, pulling
her in.
She stands by the door. "I was watching The
Discovery Channel and they had on these shows about
haunted hotels and they talked about how most ghosts
hang around because they unfinished business, a lot of
which has to do with love and most of these people died
suddenly and relatively young and in love and you should
live each day to the fullest because you never know
when it's going to be your last. And there's the whole
you should never go to sleep angry with someone, not
having resolved it, because you never know what might
happen before you get the chance to tell them you're
sorry and that you love them and--"
"Margaret--"
"--I'd hate to die suddenly and unexpectantly
having unfinished business just because I never said or
did something that I should have and I love you.
Good-night," she says, turning and reaching for the
doorknob.
Leo grabs her arm and turns her to him, gently,
"Wait a minute, what the hell was that?"
"Good-night?"
"Before that."
"Well, on The Discovery Channel--"
"After that. Between the 'unfinished business'
and 'good-night.'"
"I love you?"
"Yeah, that part."
"I love you."
"I got that. What did you mean?"
"That I love you?"
Leo shakes his head, "You need to get some
sleep, Margaret. We'll talk about this later, when
you're well rested," he says, letting go of her arm.
"Okay," she says, slightly turning back towards
the door before turning back to Leo. "Leo?"
He looks at her, "Yeah?"
She grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him
to her, kissing him on the lips. Her hands flatten
against his chest as she feels him placing his hands on
her arms, not sure if he's going to pull her away or
pull her closer. She pulls away, licks her lips, and
purses them together. "I really need to get some
sleep."
Leo sighs, "You're not the only one."
"Good-night," Margaret says, not moving.
"You said that already. I have a guest room if
you'd like to use it."
"I can sleep here?"
"Well, you can sleep damn near anywhere, but,
yes, you can sleep here. I don't think I trust you
driving anywhere in your condition."
"What condition?"
"I'm gonna say sleep deprivation. And too much
caffeine. I can have my driver take you back to your
apartment."
"Why?"
"That's it, you're not going anywhere but to
bed. C'mon," he says, placing a hand on her arm and
guiding her through his place.
"I kissed you."
"That's how I know you're in desperate need of
sleep and that you have way too much sugar and caffeine
coursing through your body."
"Are you sure this isn't actually a dream?
Because I once had this dream where we were in your
office on the sofa and--"
Leo stops and looks at her, "You had a dream--
nevermind. That's not something I should hear about.
And *this* isn't a dream."
"Are you sure? Because that one was pretty
realistic. It was one of those ones where you can feel
it. Your lips felt exactly the same way they did in
that dream."
"You have no idea how much it disturbs me to
hear you say that. This is it," Leo says, opening the
door to the guest room and switching on the light.
Margaret takes a few steps into the room before
looking back at Leo. She almost giggles, "You kinda
kissed me back." She sighs. "This definitely isn't a
dream?"
"As far as I know, it's not. How many cups of
coffee have you had today?"
"Seven...Eight. I don't remember," she says,
shrugging off her coat and leaving in the floor.
Leo watches her, "I swear to God, Margaret, if
you start unbuttoning your top while I'm standing
here--"
"Like I'd have to force you to watch me undress.
I have a tank top type top on underneath, you dirty
old pervert," she says, sticking her tongue out.
"Put that away unless you're going to use it."
The way Margaret smiles at him makes him more
uncomfortable than he already is. He clears his throat,
"Good-night."
She starts to get in the bed, "I still think
this might be a dream."
"You're a walking zombie. And if this is a
dream, it's got to be the weirdest damn dream I've ever
had," he says, turning to go to his own room.
Margaret yawns, "I love you, Leo."
"Yeah yeah. I love you too." He waits for her
response and peeks into the room. Just like that,
Margaret's out like a lamp. "Good-night, Margaret."
He turns the light off and begins to pull the
door closed. "This is definitely something I can use
against her," he says to himself aloud.
"I heard that," Margaret mumbles loudly in her
sleep.
Leo smiles, in spite of himself, and continues
down the hall before stopping dead in his tracks. He
thinks, 'If she heard that, then that means she heard
him say...'
Leo looks back toward the guest room and
muttters, "Aw hell."
1/15/01 The End??
