Swearing
Sweeping the remnants of soot, the stained rag did little to clean the black smears across his face. The beads of sweat on his brow helped somewhat, smudging a line across his forehead. On all fours, Bert tucked the rag into the front pocket of his jacket, sitting up once he'd done. The top of his head hit against the fireplace with a terrible smack.
His hand flew up to rest against the spot he'd hit, no doubt a bruise forming. "Blast my gizzard, that hurt."
"Is that how you usually speak in the presence of a lady?"
He spun around with an apologetic grimace. "Sorry, Mar'. I hit my head a little harder than I wanted, that's all."
She was collecting the white sheets from around the room, bundling them in her arms. "It seems you've been spending too much time with Admiral Boom. That's what I think."
"You might be right, love," he grinned sheepishly.
Bert stopped every morning to have a chat with the Admiral and if he was in a hurry, he would wait until the evening when he was walking home. He enjoyed their conversations. Hearing about all the places the Admiral had been, the knowledge he'd obtained. Bert was envious, to say the least. Knowing that other people had travelled the world and seen its wonders. Mary found that difficult to understand when she had also travelled far and wide.
Stepping behind him, Mary bent down, one hand resting on his shoulder. "Would you like a kiss to make it better?"
"Tha' would be nice, wouldn't it?" he beamed.
She returned the smile, leaving a softly pressed kiss to his bruised head. Hand brushing through his hair as she went on her way, Bert felt his grin getting wider. She was right- as always. He did feel better.