(disclaimer and notes in 1st chapter; line filched from "The Princess Bride")
~~~~~~~~
"Shutters," Elizabeth mumbled, her lips tickling the inside of his elbow, "are my very best friends in all the world."
Norrington smiled and adjusted his arms around her. "Oh?"
"Yah," she said. "They're splendid. Shut out all the light."
"They do that," he agreed, lifting her hair away from the back of her neck and dropping kisses on the exposed skin. She arched her back like a cat.
"And then it's exactly like night," she reasoned dreamily, as if she had just discovered the secret meaning of life. "Because what is night except the dark? If there's no light, it's dark, and if it's dark, it's not morning."
"Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."
"Doesn't it just drive you wild with passion?" With a groan she turned towards him, squinting. "On second thought I pray that it doesn't, because I'm far too exhausted to indulge you."
"You're not alone in that respect." Her eyes closed again as she snuggled contentedly up to him. It was exactly the sort of reception he'd been longing for, but it was morning, despite her blessing the shutters for making it night. "I have to get up," he told the ceiling. It didn't reply, though Elizabeth grumbled at him. "I really do."
She sighed. "I know you do, James. So go. Shoo." Shoving at him, she turned over and curled up once more.
"I have to work," he said.
"Yes, that's very true."
"People depend on me."
"Of course they do. We all know Port Royal will crumble into the sea if Commodore James Norrington doesn't make an appearance every bloody day of the week. Can't have that, can we?"
"Don't move," he whispered into her ear. Vaulting out of bed and into a dressing gown, he tracked down a maid in the hallway just outside the door.
"Have a message sent to the fort," he said, loudly enough to be sure Elizabeth could hear him. "I will be spending the day abed with my wife." The young woman nodded, giving him a strange look as she no doubt wondered why he was shouting at her.
Triumphantly he returned to Elizabeth's side, only to find that she was no longer there.
"Elizabeth?" He had an irrational flashback to the day she'd fallen off the fort and he checked the window. It was open. "Elizabeth," he repeated in a much fainter voice as all the breath left his body.
Just then she launched herself at him from her hiding place behind the armoire, knocking him onto the bed.
"That," he said through gritted teeth, "was *not* amusing."
"Oh, it was from my perspective," she chirped, straddling his hips and wiggling in a most distracting manner. He stifled a gasp and she grinned wickedly. "Hmmm," she purred. "It seems as though you aren't so exhausted as we thought."
"Elizabeth –" he began, intending to scold her further for frightening him half out of his wits, but she caught his mouth with hers and silenced him.
When they broke apart for breath, she murmured, kissing a path down his chest, "You brought this on yourself, you know."
"All this activity," he said as she got her hands inside his robe, "cannot possibly be good for the baby."
"There's no way it could see anything. And it's much too soon for you to start coddling me," she told him firmly before sucking a nipple in between her teeth.
He was in no state to argue. And she had a point; he had brought this problem on himself, and it was up to him to take care of it. He proceeded to do just that, all morning long and well into the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~
The pilfered line was "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect," in case you missed it, and it belongs to William Goldman/Rob Reiner/Cary Elwes/etc. I hate doing stuff like that, but it was too perfect to pass up.
~~~~~~~~
"Shutters," Elizabeth mumbled, her lips tickling the inside of his elbow, "are my very best friends in all the world."
Norrington smiled and adjusted his arms around her. "Oh?"
"Yah," she said. "They're splendid. Shut out all the light."
"They do that," he agreed, lifting her hair away from the back of her neck and dropping kisses on the exposed skin. She arched her back like a cat.
"And then it's exactly like night," she reasoned dreamily, as if she had just discovered the secret meaning of life. "Because what is night except the dark? If there's no light, it's dark, and if it's dark, it's not morning."
"Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."
"Doesn't it just drive you wild with passion?" With a groan she turned towards him, squinting. "On second thought I pray that it doesn't, because I'm far too exhausted to indulge you."
"You're not alone in that respect." Her eyes closed again as she snuggled contentedly up to him. It was exactly the sort of reception he'd been longing for, but it was morning, despite her blessing the shutters for making it night. "I have to get up," he told the ceiling. It didn't reply, though Elizabeth grumbled at him. "I really do."
She sighed. "I know you do, James. So go. Shoo." Shoving at him, she turned over and curled up once more.
"I have to work," he said.
"Yes, that's very true."
"People depend on me."
"Of course they do. We all know Port Royal will crumble into the sea if Commodore James Norrington doesn't make an appearance every bloody day of the week. Can't have that, can we?"
"Don't move," he whispered into her ear. Vaulting out of bed and into a dressing gown, he tracked down a maid in the hallway just outside the door.
"Have a message sent to the fort," he said, loudly enough to be sure Elizabeth could hear him. "I will be spending the day abed with my wife." The young woman nodded, giving him a strange look as she no doubt wondered why he was shouting at her.
Triumphantly he returned to Elizabeth's side, only to find that she was no longer there.
"Elizabeth?" He had an irrational flashback to the day she'd fallen off the fort and he checked the window. It was open. "Elizabeth," he repeated in a much fainter voice as all the breath left his body.
Just then she launched herself at him from her hiding place behind the armoire, knocking him onto the bed.
"That," he said through gritted teeth, "was *not* amusing."
"Oh, it was from my perspective," she chirped, straddling his hips and wiggling in a most distracting manner. He stifled a gasp and she grinned wickedly. "Hmmm," she purred. "It seems as though you aren't so exhausted as we thought."
"Elizabeth –" he began, intending to scold her further for frightening him half out of his wits, but she caught his mouth with hers and silenced him.
When they broke apart for breath, she murmured, kissing a path down his chest, "You brought this on yourself, you know."
"All this activity," he said as she got her hands inside his robe, "cannot possibly be good for the baby."
"There's no way it could see anything. And it's much too soon for you to start coddling me," she told him firmly before sucking a nipple in between her teeth.
He was in no state to argue. And she had a point; he had brought this problem on himself, and it was up to him to take care of it. He proceeded to do just that, all morning long and well into the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~
The pilfered line was "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect," in case you missed it, and it belongs to William Goldman/Rob Reiner/Cary Elwes/etc. I hate doing stuff like that, but it was too perfect to pass up.