Nine Sharing

There sounded a knock.

Shamus shrugged into his pale yellow shirt as he made his way to the door of his room. "Just a second." He fumbled with the first button and then stopped to open the door. He blinked, ears instantly flushing. "G-Good morning, Nina." He cleared his throat and looked down at the front of his shirt to try and hurry his progress with his buttons. It never worked that way.

"Good morning, Shamus." She stepped close and gently urged his hands out of the way. "Here. Let me help."

After a second and just as unsuccessful clearing of his throat, Shamus did his best to swallow the rippers, flutters, and bunches of other things at her presence outside his bedroom dressed in different shades of blue and looking very lovely...

"There you go." She smoothed the front of his shirt with gentle strokes before looking up with a troubled smile. "Can we write that letter to Momo and Ryu now?"

"Oh. Sure."

Nina passed by him into his room before he could stop her, heading straight for his writing desk. Rubbing at the back of his neck, Shamus looked at the door of his room-- He propped it wide and then stepped toward her. Nina almost seemed to clutch the back of his desk chair as she stood behind it.

Shamus stood beside her and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention. "Are you okay, princess?"

She sent him a tremulous smile. "I'll be all right."

He didn't like seeing Nina troubled; it made her look frightened and small... His hand lowered from her shoulder to take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. Then he released it and moved to sit in the chair, Nina still behind him. "So, what did you want me to say in the letter?"

Nina stepped closer as Shamus gathered pencil and paper. Then she rested a hand on each of his shoulders and released a deep sigh. Her breath tickled his neck and pinked his ears, but he liked it and the soft pressure of her hands.

"I'm not certain," she sighed. "I want to apologize, but the apology they deserve shouldn't be drafted in a letter. I want to invite them to visit, but I want them to know that I am sincerely sorry for my choice and decision so that they will come." Nina sighed again, and her hands momentarily increased their slight pressure. "Shay, I... I don't know what to do."

He heard the tension of tears in her voice and reached up to enfold a hand in his, drawing her around to stand beside him. Sure enough, her blue eyes glistened like gems of sorrow. It hurt to see her like that. Taking a gentle hold of her other hand, he stood. "Princess, why don't you write the letter? I think it'll help you feel better." He smiled and gave her hands a succession of squeezes before stepping away from the chair and offering it to her.

Nina hesitantly sat. "B-But... What should I say? How should I address them? What would be--"

"Nina..." Shamus went down on one knee beside her. She slowly met his gaze. His smile softened even further as he rested one hand on the desk and one on the back of her chair. "Princess, it's alright. Just write what you feel. They're your friends. They know you." He caressed her cheek. "You'll do okay."

She smiled, and the glisten of her eyes changed to a glitter as she leaned forward to embrace him. Shamus felt a bit of surprise, but he settled into the embrace and the warmth within with a smile as he enfolded her into his arms.

"Stay here as I write it, Shay," she whispered. "Please?"

He pressed his lips to the softness of her hair. "Sure."

Nina sniffed and pulled back, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she changed her focus back to the letter. "All right." She slowly lifted the pen and dated the letter, this time allowing Shamus to stand. He rested a hand gently on her shoulder. "'Dear Momo (and Ryu if present),'" Nina dictated as she wrote. "'I sincerely hope this letter finds you well, as I have missed your company and the adventures of laughter and heroic rescue we once shared.'" Nina sighed and lowered the pen to look over her shoulder to Shamus. "Shay... Shay, it doesn't sound..." Her lips tilted downward as she refocused on the letter.

"Keep going, Nina. Just work up to it," he urged gently.

Nina took up the pen again while softly biting her lower lip. "I... I don't know what to say."

"Then write that down." He crossed his arms, resting them along the back of the chair to bring his face beside hers. "It's okay, princess," he whispered. "You're doing good. Keep going."

Nina sighed. "'Momo, I missed your presence at my wedding so few days past and hoped you and Ryu would come for a visit. Shamus has mentioned a misbehaving clock in his office and a desire to go fishing, but I sincerely wished to see your faces and talk.'" Nina's voice broke. "'Please come.' Signed 'Your friend, Nina.'" She lowered the pen with a sniff and hugged herself as she stared at the paper.

Shamus rested his chin on his arm as he reread it. "It'll do good, princess. Just wait. They'll come."

"I hope so," she whispered. Nina tilted her head to the side and touched his. "I hope so."

Smiling, he gave her head a gentle nudge with his. "Come on. Let's give it to the messenger and go have some breakfast. Then we can go walk around in the garden and you can talk to me about the fishing hole." Shamus had no idea how he sounded so unconcerned.

He straightened and gave her shoulders a couple fond rubs as she took up the letter and folded it, sealing it into an envelop which she labeled 'Momo at Repsol's Tower, Eastern Wyndia. Ryu, guest of same.' Then she stood and stared down at it a moment before looking to Shamus. He smiled and reached out a hand. Nina looked again to the letter before placing it deliberately into his hand.

Shamus offered his other. "Come on, Nina," he coaxed. "Don't worry."

Slipping her hand into his, Nina followed beside him out of the room and downstairs. "I just feel as if I didn't say enough."

"You can say it when they get here," he reminded. He caught the attention of a passing young man on his way outside. "Richard, can you take this to Syd and have him deliver it as soon as possible?"

"Sure thing, boss." The young man 'Richard' took the letter, nodded to Nina with a smile and a greeting of "Princess," before stepping again toward the outside.

"Syd's the best messenger I've got. He'll get it there in no time. Knows every shortcut." Shamus tucked her hand around his arm and led her to the dining hall.

"Shamus, wait."

He halted and looked down at her, still smiling. "Sure."

She met his gaze with a soft expression. "Can we talk first?"

"Sure. I haven't given Rufus his morning run yet. You mind?"

Nina shook her head. "Is he in back?"

Nodding, Shamus led Nina toward the back of the front hall. "I usually throw a stick around and wrestle with him first thing. I slept in this morning. Just couldn't get up." Shamus felt his ears go red, mostly because he'd spent most of the morning reliving their last few days together.

"Neither could I. Same as yesterday."

Shamus remembered all-too-well what had preoccupied her then. A lack of passion and the request of a kiss. He opened the door for her and ushered her past to the dog-run beyond. Rufus barked a greeting and bounded toward them, tongue lolling out of his mouth as his tail wagged a furious and ecstatic welcome.

"Hey, Rufus. Did you miss me?" Shamus asked. He released Nina's hand to kneel and scrub the dog behind his ears. "Good morning, big fella. Hope you don't mind me spending so much time with princess. Been helping her get settled in."

Rufus grumbled and groaned, but only because Shamus had found the spot behind his ears. Nina giggled and knelt beside them. "I believe as long as you keep scratching that spot, Rufus won't care a bit."

"Yeah, you like that dontcha. Right there." Shamus laughed and then pushed Rufus back. "Where's your toy, Ruf? Huh? Go get your stick! Go on!"

Rufus turned and bounded back to the boundary of his dog-run, sniffing and searching for the requested item. Shamus gave a shake of his head as he moved to sit on the grass. He watched Nina do the same, wrapping her arms around her legs as she drew them close. He grinned at her. Sammy boy, I do believe you've lost your mind, he informed as he leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Great morning, huh? I love it when it's like this. Kinda chilly but still shining and pretty. Kinda makes you believe everything's perfect in the world."

Nina continued to watch his expression, smiling the same as he. Though he was certain his smile was a lot less... refined. He just couldn't stop, even with all the negative possibilities that tried to steal his blissful ignorance. So bring up the subject. Might as well, since you're smiling like a loon. "So... What did you need to talk about?"

Before she could speak, however, Rufus bounded over and into Shamus with such exuberance at finding his toy that he knocked him completely over.

Nina giggled.

"Rufus!" Shamus complained, laughing as the dog licked and slobbered all over his face. "Rufus, you big ox, I was trying to have a deep conversation with my wife. Get off!" Shamus tossed away the dog's toy and Rufus charged after it, barking the entire way.

Nina moved to lay on her stomach beside Shamus, propped up on her crossed arms as she smiled down into his face.

Shamus put his hands behind his head. "You were saying...?"

"I will need your help with a few things," she informed, her lips tilted upward in a caress of a smile.

He adjusted his hands behind his head. "Sure. Like what."

"Such as moving my things into your room."

Shamus sat up. "What?"

Nina giggled. "Shamus, be careful. You're going to hurt yourself."

He faced her completely. "Nina, think about this a second--"

"I have. All night and most of this morning." Nina moved to a kneeling position, sitting back on her heels. "I understand that sharing a bedroom is a large step, especially in trust, but I want to keep moving forward. Sharing our bedroom is the next logical one."

Shamus swallowed hard. Is this happening? "Of course, if you want, I just..."

Still smiling, Nina nodded. "I know, and I appreciate that, but--"

Rufus interrupted with a nudge and a lick, fussing and grumbling and yipping for the toy until Shamus tossed it far away. Then he refocused slightly wide eyes on Nina.

"There will still be the two beds, and I hadn't planned on moving anything around – it's still your room – but I wanted to at least take that step forward." Her smile slowly faded to seriousness. "Shay, I don't want to make anything difficult for you. If you'd rather not, I do understand."

Lowering his gaze to the grass, he rubbed at the back of his neck. "It's not that, Nina... well, not really. I mean..." He met her gaze. "Sure you can move your stuff, princess. I just..." He cleared his throat and looked away again. Yeah. How do I say that?

Nina reached out and covered his hand with hers. "I know, Shamus. Really. I do. That was the one hesitation I had all night."

Shamus' ears burned. "I don't want to hurt you, Nina, and I'm afraid... I mean..." He released a deep breath and clasped her hand. "Are you sure?"

"Shay..." Nina gave his hand a squeeze. "I know what might happen, and I thank you for being so concerned, but I had already... accepted that intimate moment as a future. I don't dread it, so neither should you."

"I don't," Shamus said softly, "that's why I wanted to wait." He glanced at her, meeting her reassuring smile. "I'll try my best, princess. Really I will."

Nina's eyes sparkled as she cupped his jaw with her other hand. "You aren't super human, Shamus McNeil, and I don't expect you to be, so don't fight your own feelings. Please?"

Help-- Shamus wordlessly nodded.

Rufus bounded between them, breaking the moment while licking faces and whipping arms and bodies with his tail. The pair giggled and laughed, exchanging glances while giving Rufus the attention he wanted. Sammy boy, you just got the world handed to you. You know that? He helped Nina to her feet and touched her under the chin. She smiled. Yep.

Shamus couldn't help but notice Nina picking at her food that evening after dinner. Her expression thoughtful. Of course, dinner and the time directly after spent in the drawing room had been the first moments they hadn't been busy keeping their mind from the important change happening that evening.

There had been rough-housing with Rufus, picking up breakfast of fresh fruit and buttered bread from Ed on the way to the stables to visit Lady, and then the task of moving and organizing Nina's things within his room. That task had been punctuated with lunch and a visit from Bunyan to wish the newlyweds blessings as well as talk business regarding the grove. Shamus had made doubly sure that Bunyan and Nina both knew and understood she was involved in any decision made regarding McNeil.

Bunyan gone, lunch over, and Nina shifted from one room to the other found them sitting around the dinner table in a rather odd silence. It had only occasionally been broken by a comment that had long since been forgotten.

Now the pair did their best to relax in the drawing room, Shamus every now and again reading certain interesting articles to her – feeling very much the husband – and doing his best to answer her difficult and insightful questions.

After sending what must have been his 100th glance to the wall clock, he lowered his paper. It was an hour before bed. "Nina."

She looked up. "Yes?"

He stood and stepped to where she sat at the piano. He offered her his hand. "Come on. Let's go up and get used to the idea."

Nina smiled and stood as well, accepting his hand. "All right."

The pair left the drawing room and moved for the stairs, Nina ascending ahead of him. Okay Sammy boy, you're both in an awkward spot. Take it easy and slow. They crested the stairs and Nina's step hesitated.

Shamus brought a hand up to her back. "Nina, we don't have to do this," he said softly.

"Oh. No, Shamus," Nina assured as she faced him. "I didn't hesitate about that. I can't remember where I put my pajamas."

Shamus laughed. Nina giggled, and the action caused a nearly audible tear and break in the tension. He enfolded her hand in his. "Well, let's go on a search. Are they the pretty pink ones you had on yesterday?"

"That's one pair. I also have a pale yellow one, a cornflower blue one, and a pin-striped one of burgundy and ivory." Nina examined his profile. "Did you want me to wear the pink?"

Ears and cheeks red, Shamus cleared his throat. She's asking me what she should wear to bed...? "Whatever you want." That she's coming to bed is fine! He cleared his throat again.

"Isn't your favorite color blue?" she prompted.

Shamus sent her a sheepish smile. "Yes."

"Then I'll wear that one..." She giggled. "If I can remember where I put them."

Opening the door for her, Shamus chuckled and ushered her inside before releasing her hand. "Like I said, I'll help."

"And see my under things? I don't think so, Mayor McNeil."

Shamus laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll change in the bathroom while you look for your p.j.s. How's that?"

"A much better idea." Nina headed toward the dresser set to the right of her bed, the right-most one. She opened one of the drawers just as Shamus reached the door of the bathroom. "Oh. Wait." She turned to face Shamus.

He faced her. "Yeah?"

"Do you wear..." Nina's cheeks flushed an entrancing shade of rose as she kept her expression serious. "I can't believe I'm asking, but I guess I want to know what to expect."

"Oh. Right." Shamus cleared his throat and picked at a suddenly very intriguing splinter in the side of the bathroom door. "I usually wear pajama pants." He cleared his throat again. "Don't like wearing a shirt. Cuts me off at the neck."

"Oh."

Shamus changed his focus to her. She picked at a nail and bit at her lower lip. "Nina, did you need me to wear a shirt? I'm sure I can find a T-shirt that'll work."

"I hate for you to..." Nina tucked some hair behind her ear as she peeked over at him. "I mean... This is still your room, shouldn't you...?"

Shamus smiled. "It's okay. I'll just put on a shirt the first couple nights. I don't mind. Remember, we're still getting used to the idea."

"Will you take it off during the night if it hurts you?"

Shamus nodded.

Nina softly smiled. "All right. Thank you, Shay. I so appreciate it."

"My pleasure, princess." He entered the bathroom and closed the door.

Shamus gripped the doorknob with a release of breath as he pressed his other hand against the door. Is this happening? He heard Nina's absent chatter to herself about the possible location of previously misplaced pajamas and reluctantly smiled, shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation while enjoying the absurdity and tension in a sick, twisted way. Sammy boy, you've lost it. Might as well sell the deed and bankrupt the town, because too much of a good thing can't be healthy. But Shamus felt more alive now than he had a month before.

He was independent.

He was in love.

He was married.

Rubbing at his scalp of curls, Shamus gave another shake of his head and went about changing into his pajamas, finding a loose-fitting T-shirt to wear as the other half, and then finishing certain other duties one had to do before venturing to bed. Then he turned for the door and halted, staring at the doorknob and wondering if he would look and sound ridiculous if he knocked and asked his wife if he could come in... Shamus rubbed at the back of his neck, fist on hip. Hm. This is a puzzle.

Finally, Shamus shrugged, closed his eyes, and leaned out the slightly opened door. "Nina? You decent?"

He heard the pad of bare feet and cautiously opened one eye and then the other. Nina stood in front of him with a somewhat childish smile, eyes brightly shining and set off by the shimmering blue of her pajamas. Shamus straightened and opened the door the remaining way, feeling the coming of his silly smile and hearing his just-as-silly chuckle as he passed her. Nina closed the door behind her, and Shamus rolled his eyes as he threw his hands up into the air. Sammy boy, just relax!

Shamus released a slow breath as he moved over to his bed, the left one, and pulled back the covers. Once down, he sent a glance to Nina's and rubbed the back of his neck. He shrugged and went around to do the same for her, turning down the covers and plumping her pillows with a crooked smile and another shake of his head. Then he went back to his bed and slipped inside, adjusting the covers around him before reaching to the bedside table and taking up the book he tried to read each night. You've got to be kidding. Your first night in your bedroom with your wife and you're going to read? Shamus cleared his throat and deliberately opened the book to the marked page.

He heard the clunk and click of the bathroom door opening, the light being extinguished, and then her soft pat-pat-pat-pat of her bare feet making their way to her bed. Shamus kept his eyes on the book and then frowned. You're not really going to do this, are you? He released a breath, closed the book, and then set it aside. He met Nina's smiling gaze with an easy one of his own as she climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to her waist.

"You found your pajamas," Shamus innocently offered.

Nina giggled.

Shamus' lips twitched with his withheld laugh. He looked away and adjusted the covers around him.

Nina released a deep sigh. "Now what?"

"Don't really know. Never been married before." He looked over at her in time to get a pillow in the face. He laughed and caught the offending plushness before it tumbled to the floor. "Nice shot."

Her eyes twinkled as she crossed her arms. "Thank you."

"You want it back?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Please."

Shamus tossed it over at her, but only so that she could catch it. "There you go. I figure I'll wait on the pillow fight until day three or four. Since you're new here and all."

Giggling, Nina plumped up her pillow again. Then she stuffed it behind her and pressed herself back into them. She twiddled her thumbs, still smiling as she looked around the room at the pictures of family, McNeil, and his father's ranch. Shamus watched her face as she examined each picture in turn. Now what? And he wished he had the answer to the question.

Nina's examination traveled to him and stopped. She snuggled deeper into the pillows as she scooted under the blankets a little more. "Rei used to tell ghost stories when we weren't tired," she informed simply.

Shamus lifted his hands and arms in a shrug. "Sorry. Don't know any."

"Oh that's all right. I never did like them. I just wanted to tell you something about my adventures."

"Oh." Shamus turned onto his side and rested his temple onto his fist. "Me and my brothers used to swap adventure stories. Of course, we had to make them better each time around because we'd already heard them a million times over."

Nina's eyes crinkled at the corners with her smile. "Yes. I often complained to Rei that he retold the same stories with embellishments instead of creating new ones. Garr was always the better source for stories." Nina's expression saddened, and she changed her focus to the ceiling. "I miss him."

Shamus watched her in silence before carefully asking, "What was he like?"

"Garr?" Nina scrutinized the ceiling as if recalling an image from her colorful history. "Garr was the embodiment of... honor and purpose. He was steadfast. Loyal to his beliefs, almost to a fault." Nina lowered her gaze to her hands that clenched and unclenched the blankets. "But he was such a good friend. I don't know what we would have done without him." She sniffed and released a sigh.

"I'm sorry you lost him, Nina," Shamus offered.

Nina nodded and looked over at him. "So am I, but I never regret the time and adventures we shared. I learned so much from him."

Shamus offered her a comforting smile, which she returned. Then he sat up, stretching toward the large lamp between their beds. "We better turn out the light, I guess. Get used to the sounds of each other's breathing and stuff."

Click.

Dark. Silence. Soft breathing... bed sheets moving... satin on sheets... hair on pillow... soft breathing...

Shamus smiled wider. "You lost your pajamas."

Nina giggled and Shamus laughed, ducking when he heard the sound of pillow leaving bed. It thwapped him in the face just the same.

"Good shot."

She giggled again, softer this time, and he heard the sound of her adjusting her position in bed. "Thank you."

Turning onto his side, Shamus stared into the darkness at the general area of her bed. "Want it back?" Though he didn't know if he wanted to give it back. It smelled like her.

"That's all right. I have plenty."

So he pulled one of his pillows out and set it on the floor, shoving it over to her side of the room. "In case you change your mind." He tucked her pillow under his head and closed his eyes.

He heard her take up his pillow and adjust it within her own bedding. Then hair on pillow as she faced him. "Shay, did you ever have such a friend?"

Shamus nodded. "Bunyan."

"Really? I like Bunyan." And Shamus could tell from her tone that Nina's face relaxed to a smile again. "He's a little gruff, but I think that's why I like him. He has a kind heart. A good heart." Pause. "What did he help you with?" Seriousness and curiosity had replaced the smile.

"Life." Shamus smiled. "Pretty much everything about it. I was the second youngest of 13--"

"My goodness," Nina breathed.

"Yeah. 10 boys and 3 girls, so I kind of got the brunt of a bunch of bad stuff. Made me a bit of a brat."

Nina gasped. "You? Really?"

Shamus chuckled and turned over onto his back. "Yep. Sweet, innocent little Shamus McNeil." He sent her a look, but all he could make out was her silhouette. "I mouthed off at Bunyan one time, I don't remember why, and he whooped me good. I needed it too, so don't think 'oh you poor boy' or anything."

Nina giggled. "I've heard the same tale from Ryu and Rei both about Bunyan."

Shamus grinned. "Yeah. I bet you did." He looked away. "He took me under his wing, so to speak. Taught me stuff I needed to know, things I didn't think I did, and stuff I never would have thought to ask. I think I was eight... or ten. Can't remember. Been a long time." Shamus looked back over at Nina. She watched his reactions with a soft smile, covers snuggled close about her. She looked too adorable for words. "He's the one that made me see how much I really did like ranching. I just never thought I would because all my brothers were in line ahead of me."

"Why bother if you weren't going to get the ranch?"

Shamus nodded with a slight smile. "Exactly. But Bunyan helped me see that didn't matter. If I cared about the ranch, if I wanted a future for myself and for my family, then I needed to pull my head out of my ass-- Sorry. I needed to quit feeling sorry for myself and get to work. I don't know how he got me to see it, but he did. I worked my butt off that summer, impressed the dickens out of my dad, and then found that he kept giving me more and more responsibilities because of it. Ticked my brothers off, but what could they do? They were going to be married off one by one because they hadn't taken the time to get involved."

"You must have been very surprised at how much fun you had taking care of the ranch. Learning so many new things. Understanding what your father talked about with the other hands. Having an important opinion to offer." He heard a sound of moving bedclothes and supposed that she hugged her blankets closer. "Your little heart was likely about to burst with it."

Contentment lightened his face as he put his hands behind his head. "Yeah. You've got it right there."

"I'm glad you had Bunyan, Shay. I like the Shamus McNeil I've come to know."

Shamus smiled and heard her yawn. "Thanks, princess. I kind of like him, too." He adjusted his hands behind his head. "Did you ever give your folks problems?"

Nina giggled. "Of course. You don't believe they wanted me to go with Ryu and have all those adventures do you?"

Shamus chuckled. "No, I guess they wouldn't." He faced her silhouette. "So how did you get out of the castle?"

"I didn't intend to leave the castle," Nina confessed. "I had only gone down to the dungeon to let Ryu out, he'd been confused with some unsavory characters as their accomplice, you see. Well, they tricked me into letting them out instead, and then proceeded to kidnap me. Ryu broke out of his jail cell and rescued me, even at the danger of his own life. When they left, he and I escaped out of the dungeon by way of the catacomb of tombs beneath the castle. Then, when we stopped at a house just outside Wyndia castle to rest, these same fiends grabbed me and him and took us to the Arena. We were able to escape though, due to the fact that the man set to watch us had a drinking problem."

Shamus chuckled. "Boy. You have had adventure, haven't you?"

Nina giggled after another telltale yawn. "Yes, and these adventures taught me so much about people. I would never have learned that within the walls of Wyndia castle."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't." Shamus stretched, releasing his own yawn, and faced Nina's silhouette again. "Good thing, too. I don't think I would've liked you nearly as much." He gently smiled. "Actually, maybe I would. You're really cute, you know."

Nina giggled again. "Thank you, sir."

Shamus released a deep breath and changed his focus to the ceiling. He yawned again. "Man. All this relaxing's made me sleepy. Maybe we better cut the chatter and try to sleep?"

She was heard to turn over onto her side. "I guess so." It sounded like she said it through a yawn.

Shamus smiled. "Good night, princess," he said softly.

"Good night." Snuggle into covers. "And, Shay?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

He looked over at her silhouette. "For what, princess?"

"For everything."

Shamus breathed deep. "Sure."