yay! finally updating, have been awfully remiss... but i'll make it up to you.
***
Susan woke up restless. She, or rather they, were on the sofa – they'd slept the whole night there – she knew it was morning cause sunlight was dancing on the rug. Mark was still asleep. She could feel his head rising rhythmically under her cheek. Usually she'd be happy to just lie there and doze in and out of sleep until Mark woke and then pretty much continue in the same way except for a little more kissing and active cuddling. But she needed something to occupy her this morning otherwise her restless vibes alone were bound to wake him – not to mention that she'd be hard-pressed to actually sit still. She tentatively unlocked her arm from underneath his and reached over to the coffee table for the remote control. She turned on the TV and pressed mute all in one moment – only the mute button didn't work and Marg Simpson, whining, "Homer!" resounded through the apartment before she hit the right button. Mark didn't wake. Well, not immediately. He woke when the volume was down to 15 and Susan was shaking with laughter. He didn't move, just watched her. She didn't even know he was awake until he whispered,
"It's good to hear you laugh"
She turned her head to see him. There was sleep and tears in his eyes.
"You're easy to please." She kissed his lips though they were almost out of reach.
"Yeah, easy to please, the most amazing, beautiful, did I mention amazing, woman I've ever met, not only loves me, no she didn't stop there, she came home to me, fell in love with me, wonders never cease, she'd even marry me – yah, little broken old me, and then when tragedy strikes she doesn't run a mile she just holds on to me. Then when I begin to doubt she'll smile again she laughs. And I know it wasn't just for me – but it's still going to make my day. Call me a sucker."
She was still laughing, not harshly, just the kind of laughter that bubbles out of someone who was smiling, then they were grinning, then they were almost crying and they run out of options for emotional release. "You're a sucker."
"Meh, price we pay." He shrugged and kissed the top of her head, smiling.
"It's good to see you smile too." She looked at him seriously.
He replied with a silly, fake grin.
She shook her head and sat up so she could look at him without getting a stiff neck. "I'm going to have to make you breakfast to get a genuine smile out of you aren't I?"
"Well, I can't say no to that." He swung his legs off the couch and pulled her escaping figure back onto his lap. She draped her arms around his neck resignedly. "But first things first." He ran one hand from her waist to her face distractingly. Dinner, oh wait, I mean breakfast, suddenly became a lower priority. The hunger in his eyes took her breath away.
"I'm not hungry anymore." She kissed him desperately. It had been too long – they'd been so distracted by the baby and themselves, and in a way the other one, but not in this way. They'd got a glimpse at being a family and as wonderful as the prospect was it was very different. They weren't there yet. They would be eventually. And then it would be different again.
And once again, in hindsight alone, heartbreak was for the best.
*~~~*
Kerry jabbed Mark in the ribs. She's been talking to him for thirty seconds at least, likely more, and he hadn't heard a word of it and the most frustrating thing was that she'd only just noticed.
"Uh, yeah, sorry, what was that?" he fumbled, shamelessly admitting he didn't have a clue what she'd just said.
"I said," she sighed dramatically, but the effect was lost on him, oh, forget it. Just get back to work."
Mark nodded and didn't move. Kerry walked off fuming.
"She'd really love to run this place – makes me question her sanity more than I'd question most people's." Doug sidled up to his friend.
"The only sanity you'd question is that of a woman when you can't get into her pants."
"Well, at least I'll never be with anyone insane. It's good to have you back." His tone changed.
"I only took a few days off." Mark picked up a chart.
"Yeah, but you were gone for longer than that."
Mark didn't quite know what to say.
"I know, I'm rarely this aware of anyone, except myself, and occasionally my date. But hey, people change."
"Now you're scaring me." Mark looked at Doug wryly.
"Be afraid, be VERY afraid." Doug punched his arm playfully and took a chart from the rack.
"So, how are things with Carol?" Mark fell in step beside him en route to curtains.
"Good. You know how it is – we have our moments but who doesn't?" Doug disappeared into Curtain one leaving Mark to think how very different he imagined those 'moments' where than with him and Susan. He missed her, fully aware of how ridiculous that was – seeing that he was in the same city and he'd see her in hours – in fact he could probably figure out the minutes if he thought about it. It's not like she was half-way across the country – in fact, she lived with him. He forced himself to focus on his job, swishing into curtain three as Kerry bellowed behind him,
"You here Mark?"
He poked his head out of the curtain, "Yeah, and I'm trying to do my job." He rolled his eyes and waited for her response.
She didn't come up with anything before he returned to his patient.
***
Susan woke up restless. She, or rather they, were on the sofa – they'd slept the whole night there – she knew it was morning cause sunlight was dancing on the rug. Mark was still asleep. She could feel his head rising rhythmically under her cheek. Usually she'd be happy to just lie there and doze in and out of sleep until Mark woke and then pretty much continue in the same way except for a little more kissing and active cuddling. But she needed something to occupy her this morning otherwise her restless vibes alone were bound to wake him – not to mention that she'd be hard-pressed to actually sit still. She tentatively unlocked her arm from underneath his and reached over to the coffee table for the remote control. She turned on the TV and pressed mute all in one moment – only the mute button didn't work and Marg Simpson, whining, "Homer!" resounded through the apartment before she hit the right button. Mark didn't wake. Well, not immediately. He woke when the volume was down to 15 and Susan was shaking with laughter. He didn't move, just watched her. She didn't even know he was awake until he whispered,
"It's good to hear you laugh"
She turned her head to see him. There was sleep and tears in his eyes.
"You're easy to please." She kissed his lips though they were almost out of reach.
"Yeah, easy to please, the most amazing, beautiful, did I mention amazing, woman I've ever met, not only loves me, no she didn't stop there, she came home to me, fell in love with me, wonders never cease, she'd even marry me – yah, little broken old me, and then when tragedy strikes she doesn't run a mile she just holds on to me. Then when I begin to doubt she'll smile again she laughs. And I know it wasn't just for me – but it's still going to make my day. Call me a sucker."
She was still laughing, not harshly, just the kind of laughter that bubbles out of someone who was smiling, then they were grinning, then they were almost crying and they run out of options for emotional release. "You're a sucker."
"Meh, price we pay." He shrugged and kissed the top of her head, smiling.
"It's good to see you smile too." She looked at him seriously.
He replied with a silly, fake grin.
She shook her head and sat up so she could look at him without getting a stiff neck. "I'm going to have to make you breakfast to get a genuine smile out of you aren't I?"
"Well, I can't say no to that." He swung his legs off the couch and pulled her escaping figure back onto his lap. She draped her arms around his neck resignedly. "But first things first." He ran one hand from her waist to her face distractingly. Dinner, oh wait, I mean breakfast, suddenly became a lower priority. The hunger in his eyes took her breath away.
"I'm not hungry anymore." She kissed him desperately. It had been too long – they'd been so distracted by the baby and themselves, and in a way the other one, but not in this way. They'd got a glimpse at being a family and as wonderful as the prospect was it was very different. They weren't there yet. They would be eventually. And then it would be different again.
And once again, in hindsight alone, heartbreak was for the best.
*~~~*
Kerry jabbed Mark in the ribs. She's been talking to him for thirty seconds at least, likely more, and he hadn't heard a word of it and the most frustrating thing was that she'd only just noticed.
"Uh, yeah, sorry, what was that?" he fumbled, shamelessly admitting he didn't have a clue what she'd just said.
"I said," she sighed dramatically, but the effect was lost on him, oh, forget it. Just get back to work."
Mark nodded and didn't move. Kerry walked off fuming.
"She'd really love to run this place – makes me question her sanity more than I'd question most people's." Doug sidled up to his friend.
"The only sanity you'd question is that of a woman when you can't get into her pants."
"Well, at least I'll never be with anyone insane. It's good to have you back." His tone changed.
"I only took a few days off." Mark picked up a chart.
"Yeah, but you were gone for longer than that."
Mark didn't quite know what to say.
"I know, I'm rarely this aware of anyone, except myself, and occasionally my date. But hey, people change."
"Now you're scaring me." Mark looked at Doug wryly.
"Be afraid, be VERY afraid." Doug punched his arm playfully and took a chart from the rack.
"So, how are things with Carol?" Mark fell in step beside him en route to curtains.
"Good. You know how it is – we have our moments but who doesn't?" Doug disappeared into Curtain one leaving Mark to think how very different he imagined those 'moments' where than with him and Susan. He missed her, fully aware of how ridiculous that was – seeing that he was in the same city and he'd see her in hours – in fact he could probably figure out the minutes if he thought about it. It's not like she was half-way across the country – in fact, she lived with him. He forced himself to focus on his job, swishing into curtain three as Kerry bellowed behind him,
"You here Mark?"
He poked his head out of the curtain, "Yeah, and I'm trying to do my job." He rolled his eyes and waited for her response.
She didn't come up with anything before he returned to his patient.