Title: Picture Perfect
Author:Sabrinasmom3
Rating:PG
Disclaimer:I don't own Joan of Arcadia or the actors, blah, blah blah.
Summary:Luke and Grace do normal, everyday things together that end up meaning much more and that someone else sees as picture perfect.
Chapter 10
Friday was superintendent's day or some such crap, so Grace was looking forward to sleeping in and not going to school. Unfortunately, Geek Boy apparently had other plans. Grace heard him come in the room and walk over to the bed. She pretended to still be asleep (which she would be if the door didn't squeak). She could feel him watching her, but tried to ignore it. Finally, she opened her eyes just enough to look past him at the clock. "Dude, what are you doing waking me up at 7 on a day I don't have to get up?" She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped he would take it as a rhetorical question and let her go back to sleep. Typically, she'd be happy to spend extra time with Luke, but they had been together all week and Grace had never been much of a morning person.
He leaned in until she could feel his breath on her face and whispered, "My dad's gone to work and my mom had to go in for meetings with the superintendent today."
"And that has exactly what to do with the fact that I am up before the sun?"
"Well, I thought that since my parents are gone, we could sleep together."
Before he finished the last word, there was a flash of activity as Grace, suddenly wide awake, simultaneously shot open her eyes, sat straight up and yelled, "What!"
Luke stood and put his hands up in defense. He quickly started moving backwards and stuttering as he tried to explain himself. "No, no, I mean sleep together, sleep together, as in nap, doze, slumber, snooze…" When he saw that she wasn't physically coming after him, he stopped backing up and waited. Disappointed with himself for making a mess of what should have been a very enjoyable morning, he wondered why it seemed like he could never say what he meant.
Grace wondered if people ever really were "scared to death". That was the last thing she had expected to hear this morning. She sat there absorbing what he had said until her heart stopped pounding and she could speak again. She took a deep breath and looked across the room at Luke. He looked terrified. He said what he said the way he said it because sex hadn't even been on his mind at that particular moment. Sometimes he could be so innocent. She smiled at him and watched him relax, just a little. "One condition. What happens here today will never…EVER…be referred to as 'cuddling'. Understood?"
"Perfectly."
Grace moved over so he could climb into the bed. He walked over a little tentatively. "Don't worry, Geek, I won't bite you. I'll save that for when we actually do have sex." She smirked when she saw him freeze for a second. She rolled over so that her back was to him so he couldn't see the flush in her face or the smile that was still threatening to crack. He put his arm around her and moved close so that his front was fit perfectly against her back. With a smirk of his own, he leaned in so that his lips were next to her ear and whispered, "Besides, this is really more like snuggling."
Because Luke was expecting Grace's violent reaction, he held her tight with the arm that was around her. Although her arms were pinned and she couldn't get much leverage, Grace was able to fight her way around so that she was facing him. She looked up at him and saw the lopsided smile and mischievous look in his eyes. How could she stay mad at that? Rather than start a rant or attempt to cause any physical harm, which she had totally planned on doing, Grace gave up and simply nuzzled her head up under his chin. She knew that his face was now showing a look of smug satisfaction, but she didn't care. It was early and she was tired and there was no place she'd rather be. She lay there with her head against him, listening to his heartbeat until it lulled her back to sleep.
