Chapter 28
Sheridan watched Luis hustle around the tiny cabin putting things in order with a smile on her face. "Luis," she laughed as he lifted an old stack of forgotten books, and a plume of dust rose up. Making him sneeze. "Stop wasting our time together cleaning. You don't have to try to make things LOOK perfect. They already are." Well.almost, she thought to herself. Father was still an enormous obstacle in the path to their happiness. But not for long. At least not if she had anything to say about. Especially after all she learned while she was away. All that had changed. She had so much to tell Luis. If she weren't so nervous AND cold, she'd be bursting at the seams.
"Sherry," Luis spoke softly. His back turned to the crackling fire that now burned in the tiny fireplace. "Are you okay? You look." "I'm fine," she rushed to reassure him. "I just.," she faltered. Fidgeting under his intense gaze uncomfortably as he studied her. A few steps, and she was in his arms. And he was holding her so tight.she almost couldn't breathe. "I know," he whispered in her ear. "Are you cold?" he asked. Brown eyes immediately searching for more blankets when she trembled in his arms. She rolled her blue eyes at him. "Guys can be so dense sometimes. But I AM a little cold," she finished when he arched a black brow at her.
"Hold me," she whispered with a hand on his arm. Stopping him before he could ransack the cabin for more blankets or put more logs on the fire. "I can do that," he grinned. Grabbing a blanket from the bed and wrapping it around them both. She cuddled close. Laying her head on his shoulder as they took a seat directly in front of the fire. "Thank God you took off that thing," Luis breathed a sigh of relief as he combed his fingers through her blond curls. "Luigi," she pretended to be offended. "Are you telling me you didn't like my wig?" "It was.I didn't say.no," he finally smirked. "It wasn't you," he told her. Smiling into her eyes. "I like this you," he said. Tucking her hair behind her ear. "Much better."
"Luis," she murmured later from the cradle of his arms. "You haven't even asked." she trailed off as she turned around to face him. "I figured you'd tell me in your own time," he said quietly. A smile flitted across her features, but a second later she grew more serious. More subdued as she drew her bottom lip between her teeth. She wanted to tell him. She just didn't know how. "A penny for your thoughts," he teased. Tapping her nose with his index finger and making her smile briefly in return. "While I was away." "You know you can tell me anything, don't you, Princess?" he encouraged when the words died in her throat again. She clasped and unclasped her hands in her lap and rose to her feet.
"Sherry," he asked. Concern flooding through him as he stood up. Facing her. "I met someone while I was away from Harmony," she revealed in a rush, and Luis felt disoriented. Dizzy. Suddenly his heart wasn't in his chest anymore. It was in his throat. Making it difficult to breathe. And a single word escaped his lips in a squeak, "What?" Sheridan turned her back. Oblivious to Luis's discomfort in the face of her own nervousness. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard if she didn't have to face him. "I met someone, Luis. Someone who became very important to me." She was met with silence. Complete and utter silence, and when she turned around, Luis was seated on the edge of the bed. Still. Expressionless. "Luis.you aren't saying anything," she whispered uncertainly. "Luis," she repeated. "Talk to me," she urged when still he said nothing.
She hugged her arms around her waist as she stepped closer to him. Reaching a hesitant hand out to touch him. Gasping when he grabbed her wrist suddenly and pulled her toward him. His dark eyes were darker than usual. Black even. "You met somebody?" he asked in a low voice. And she nodded her head. Just barely. Confused when he dropped her wrist. A pained expression on his face. "Luis," she whispered. Wanting to reach out to him. Touch him. But unsure how he'd react. "What's wrong with you?" He laughed at her then. The feelings swirling inside him were hardly funny, though. Months. Months he'd put his life on hold for her. And. "You met somebody?"
"Yes," she said softly. "He really helped me, Luis. He was a good friend," she babbled. "Like the father I never had." She raised bewildered blue eyes to him when he laughed. He was laughing? What did he find funny about this painfully awkward conversation? "Luis?" she asked. The words sticking in her too-tight throat. "What's so funny?" "Nothing, Princess," he shook his head. "Nothing," he repeated with a sudden grin. She pouted at him. Until it dawned on her. "You thought.oh my God. Luis. I wouldn't do that to you," she said in a choked voice. Tears suddenly threatening to spill forth. "You really believe I would."
Luis groaned at her hurt expression. "Sherry." Dammit, he swore inwardly when she backed away from him. Shaking her head. "I'd never, Luis," she cried. Tears glistening as the orange flames danced across her features. Diamonds at her throat sparkling. "Shh. Shh. Don't cry," he soothed as he pulled her unyielding body into his arms. "Don't," he pleaded. Brushing his lips against her fevered temple. "I'm an idiot," he whispered as she calmed in his arms. "A total ass. Forgive me?" Tears still shone in her blue orbs as she pushed at his chest. "It's just.it's been so long. Months. You're beautiful, Sheridan. Smart. So many things. It's not." "Why?" she said. Jabbing him in the chest. Anger taking over the sadness. "Why would I do something.something so stupid.if I loved you?" She didn't see the stunned expression on his face. She was already walking out the door. "You forgot jerk!" she shouted. Slamming the door behind her. "Good one, Lo-Fitz," he muttered under his breath.
He didn't have time to go after her before the door was yanked back open. And she was standing before him. Blue eyes blazing. But her chin quivered. Just the slightest bit. "Sherry," he sighed. Brushing her tears away gently with the pads of his fingers. His breath catching when she threw her arms around his neck. "I don't want to fight. Or be mad at you." "I don't want you to be mad at me," he mumbled against the cool skin of her neck. "Stop saying such stupid things then," she answered. When he pulled away to look into her eyes, they were twinkling. Laughing. He couldn't help the smirk on his lips. "So." he began. "You love me, huh?" Sheridan responded by slowly snaking her arms around his neck and smiling brilliantly at him. "I love you," she laughed. "Even though you can be a total moron somet." She laughed against his lips as he backed them toward the warmth of the fire once more.
Her laughter faded little by little with each kiss. Each touch. Luis's fingers worked at the ties at the back of her dress. And her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. Finally working enough free so she could feel his warm skin beneath her palms. She bit her lip nervously as she slid her hands downward. To the belt at his waist. She gasped at the rush of cool air that met her bare back as Luis's hands parted the material, and it drooped forward on her shoulders. Luis threaded his fingers with the fingers of one of her hands. Raising it to his lips to place a sweet kiss on the inside of her wrist, then letting it fall to her side as he leaned forward to capture lips with his. She sighed. Surrendering to him fully as he kissed her hungrily. Luis's shirt hung open on each side, and she pushed at the material. Pulling it from his shoulders and clutching at his shoulders as he crushed her to him and tangled his fingers in her short blond curls. Finally easing the ache of the past few months spent apart.
Sheridan watched Luis hustle around the tiny cabin putting things in order with a smile on her face. "Luis," she laughed as he lifted an old stack of forgotten books, and a plume of dust rose up. Making him sneeze. "Stop wasting our time together cleaning. You don't have to try to make things LOOK perfect. They already are." Well.almost, she thought to herself. Father was still an enormous obstacle in the path to their happiness. But not for long. At least not if she had anything to say about. Especially after all she learned while she was away. All that had changed. She had so much to tell Luis. If she weren't so nervous AND cold, she'd be bursting at the seams.
"Sherry," Luis spoke softly. His back turned to the crackling fire that now burned in the tiny fireplace. "Are you okay? You look." "I'm fine," she rushed to reassure him. "I just.," she faltered. Fidgeting under his intense gaze uncomfortably as he studied her. A few steps, and she was in his arms. And he was holding her so tight.she almost couldn't breathe. "I know," he whispered in her ear. "Are you cold?" he asked. Brown eyes immediately searching for more blankets when she trembled in his arms. She rolled her blue eyes at him. "Guys can be so dense sometimes. But I AM a little cold," she finished when he arched a black brow at her.
"Hold me," she whispered with a hand on his arm. Stopping him before he could ransack the cabin for more blankets or put more logs on the fire. "I can do that," he grinned. Grabbing a blanket from the bed and wrapping it around them both. She cuddled close. Laying her head on his shoulder as they took a seat directly in front of the fire. "Thank God you took off that thing," Luis breathed a sigh of relief as he combed his fingers through her blond curls. "Luigi," she pretended to be offended. "Are you telling me you didn't like my wig?" "It was.I didn't say.no," he finally smirked. "It wasn't you," he told her. Smiling into her eyes. "I like this you," he said. Tucking her hair behind her ear. "Much better."
"Luis," she murmured later from the cradle of his arms. "You haven't even asked." she trailed off as she turned around to face him. "I figured you'd tell me in your own time," he said quietly. A smile flitted across her features, but a second later she grew more serious. More subdued as she drew her bottom lip between her teeth. She wanted to tell him. She just didn't know how. "A penny for your thoughts," he teased. Tapping her nose with his index finger and making her smile briefly in return. "While I was away." "You know you can tell me anything, don't you, Princess?" he encouraged when the words died in her throat again. She clasped and unclasped her hands in her lap and rose to her feet.
"Sherry," he asked. Concern flooding through him as he stood up. Facing her. "I met someone while I was away from Harmony," she revealed in a rush, and Luis felt disoriented. Dizzy. Suddenly his heart wasn't in his chest anymore. It was in his throat. Making it difficult to breathe. And a single word escaped his lips in a squeak, "What?" Sheridan turned her back. Oblivious to Luis's discomfort in the face of her own nervousness. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard if she didn't have to face him. "I met someone, Luis. Someone who became very important to me." She was met with silence. Complete and utter silence, and when she turned around, Luis was seated on the edge of the bed. Still. Expressionless. "Luis.you aren't saying anything," she whispered uncertainly. "Luis," she repeated. "Talk to me," she urged when still he said nothing.
She hugged her arms around her waist as she stepped closer to him. Reaching a hesitant hand out to touch him. Gasping when he grabbed her wrist suddenly and pulled her toward him. His dark eyes were darker than usual. Black even. "You met somebody?" he asked in a low voice. And she nodded her head. Just barely. Confused when he dropped her wrist. A pained expression on his face. "Luis," she whispered. Wanting to reach out to him. Touch him. But unsure how he'd react. "What's wrong with you?" He laughed at her then. The feelings swirling inside him were hardly funny, though. Months. Months he'd put his life on hold for her. And. "You met somebody?"
"Yes," she said softly. "He really helped me, Luis. He was a good friend," she babbled. "Like the father I never had." She raised bewildered blue eyes to him when he laughed. He was laughing? What did he find funny about this painfully awkward conversation? "Luis?" she asked. The words sticking in her too-tight throat. "What's so funny?" "Nothing, Princess," he shook his head. "Nothing," he repeated with a sudden grin. She pouted at him. Until it dawned on her. "You thought.oh my God. Luis. I wouldn't do that to you," she said in a choked voice. Tears suddenly threatening to spill forth. "You really believe I would."
Luis groaned at her hurt expression. "Sherry." Dammit, he swore inwardly when she backed away from him. Shaking her head. "I'd never, Luis," she cried. Tears glistening as the orange flames danced across her features. Diamonds at her throat sparkling. "Shh. Shh. Don't cry," he soothed as he pulled her unyielding body into his arms. "Don't," he pleaded. Brushing his lips against her fevered temple. "I'm an idiot," he whispered as she calmed in his arms. "A total ass. Forgive me?" Tears still shone in her blue orbs as she pushed at his chest. "It's just.it's been so long. Months. You're beautiful, Sheridan. Smart. So many things. It's not." "Why?" she said. Jabbing him in the chest. Anger taking over the sadness. "Why would I do something.something so stupid.if I loved you?" She didn't see the stunned expression on his face. She was already walking out the door. "You forgot jerk!" she shouted. Slamming the door behind her. "Good one, Lo-Fitz," he muttered under his breath.
He didn't have time to go after her before the door was yanked back open. And she was standing before him. Blue eyes blazing. But her chin quivered. Just the slightest bit. "Sherry," he sighed. Brushing her tears away gently with the pads of his fingers. His breath catching when she threw her arms around his neck. "I don't want to fight. Or be mad at you." "I don't want you to be mad at me," he mumbled against the cool skin of her neck. "Stop saying such stupid things then," she answered. When he pulled away to look into her eyes, they were twinkling. Laughing. He couldn't help the smirk on his lips. "So." he began. "You love me, huh?" Sheridan responded by slowly snaking her arms around his neck and smiling brilliantly at him. "I love you," she laughed. "Even though you can be a total moron somet." She laughed against his lips as he backed them toward the warmth of the fire once more.
Her laughter faded little by little with each kiss. Each touch. Luis's fingers worked at the ties at the back of her dress. And her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. Finally working enough free so she could feel his warm skin beneath her palms. She bit her lip nervously as she slid her hands downward. To the belt at his waist. She gasped at the rush of cool air that met her bare back as Luis's hands parted the material, and it drooped forward on her shoulders. Luis threaded his fingers with the fingers of one of her hands. Raising it to his lips to place a sweet kiss on the inside of her wrist, then letting it fall to her side as he leaned forward to capture lips with his. She sighed. Surrendering to him fully as he kissed her hungrily. Luis's shirt hung open on each side, and she pushed at the material. Pulling it from his shoulders and clutching at his shoulders as he crushed her to him and tangled his fingers in her short blond curls. Finally easing the ache of the past few months spent apart.