He was dizzy and tired. Not to mention that every inch of his body
screamed at him to at least rip out his nerves so that he couldn't feel the
pain.
He couldn't remember any other time that he just wanted to sleep. But he had another job, and that was to make sure that nothing else would go wrong even if they were high up in the dirigible where nobody could reach them.
He had to watch his son to make sure that he would still be there, even if he blinked. He had to watch his wife to make sure that she was even there in the first place.
Both of them laid on the wooden floor, sound asleep and safely covered with a warm blanket. Even his brother-in-law had fallen asleep, still clutching his newly found treasure that had once belonged at the top of the Golden Pyramid.
The damn Golden Pyramid. He was glad it was gone and he was glad that this nightmare was over.
Still, he sat on floor beside them, protecting and watching over his beloved family, and trying his best to stop shaking. Shaking from fear or relief or coldness or pain or exhaustion, he didn't know. All of the above, he thought.
An hour had passed without him noticing, for it was the same way for everyone; breathe in, breathe out, repeat. But, then, his wife took in a deep breath and fluttered her eyes until they were open enough to realize that he was sitting there.
And he watched her still.
"How long have you been up?" She asked him softly.
"Didn't sleep." Came his reply. He didn't even shift positions as he continued to lean against the side of the airship, his face never changing from a blank expression.
She stretched, rubbed her eyes, and sniffled groggily before crawling next to her husband. She sat beside him and rested her tired head on his right shoulder, accidentally causing him to flinch. She was sorry, but she had to admit that it was better than nothing.
Moving his shirt aside to see the scraped, cut, bruised, and beaten skin she softly kissed his chin as a distraction, running her fingers over his warm shoulders and chest. His overly warm shoulders and chest.
Worry and fever no doubt, she thought as she ran a hand through his unruly hair and kissed his chin again. She took the blanket she had been using and put it over him, taking a strand of hair from his face.
"We're not going anywhere. We're both right here in front of you. You should enjoy it if you're going to devote your entire time to keeping it."
She kissed his lips, tasting sweat and blood, and feeling him shiver beneath her. She gripped his shoulders and pulled him until he was laying down.
"Just sleep. We're safe now and we always will be with you around."
He laid his head in his wife's lap, his eyelids drooping, but the rest of his face showing his fight to stay awake. A frustrated whimper escaped his throat at his defeat, making him seem as if he were a child who couldn't quite reach the cookie jar.
"You are strong, I know, but now you don't have to worry anymore. You can rest now."
He finally closed his eyes, letting out a painful sigh before he relaxed his shoulders and fell asleep almost instantly.
She kissed his forehead and stroked his hair as she looked into the star- filled sky, thinking of the strongest force that kept them together still; love.
He couldn't remember any other time that he just wanted to sleep. But he had another job, and that was to make sure that nothing else would go wrong even if they were high up in the dirigible where nobody could reach them.
He had to watch his son to make sure that he would still be there, even if he blinked. He had to watch his wife to make sure that she was even there in the first place.
Both of them laid on the wooden floor, sound asleep and safely covered with a warm blanket. Even his brother-in-law had fallen asleep, still clutching his newly found treasure that had once belonged at the top of the Golden Pyramid.
The damn Golden Pyramid. He was glad it was gone and he was glad that this nightmare was over.
Still, he sat on floor beside them, protecting and watching over his beloved family, and trying his best to stop shaking. Shaking from fear or relief or coldness or pain or exhaustion, he didn't know. All of the above, he thought.
An hour had passed without him noticing, for it was the same way for everyone; breathe in, breathe out, repeat. But, then, his wife took in a deep breath and fluttered her eyes until they were open enough to realize that he was sitting there.
And he watched her still.
"How long have you been up?" She asked him softly.
"Didn't sleep." Came his reply. He didn't even shift positions as he continued to lean against the side of the airship, his face never changing from a blank expression.
She stretched, rubbed her eyes, and sniffled groggily before crawling next to her husband. She sat beside him and rested her tired head on his right shoulder, accidentally causing him to flinch. She was sorry, but she had to admit that it was better than nothing.
Moving his shirt aside to see the scraped, cut, bruised, and beaten skin she softly kissed his chin as a distraction, running her fingers over his warm shoulders and chest. His overly warm shoulders and chest.
Worry and fever no doubt, she thought as she ran a hand through his unruly hair and kissed his chin again. She took the blanket she had been using and put it over him, taking a strand of hair from his face.
"We're not going anywhere. We're both right here in front of you. You should enjoy it if you're going to devote your entire time to keeping it."
She kissed his lips, tasting sweat and blood, and feeling him shiver beneath her. She gripped his shoulders and pulled him until he was laying down.
"Just sleep. We're safe now and we always will be with you around."
He laid his head in his wife's lap, his eyelids drooping, but the rest of his face showing his fight to stay awake. A frustrated whimper escaped his throat at his defeat, making him seem as if he were a child who couldn't quite reach the cookie jar.
"You are strong, I know, but now you don't have to worry anymore. You can rest now."
He finally closed his eyes, letting out a painful sigh before he relaxed his shoulders and fell asleep almost instantly.
She kissed his forehead and stroked his hair as she looked into the star- filled sky, thinking of the strongest force that kept them together still; love.
