"Thought I'd bring you something," he said kindly. "Make you feel better"
She smiled at him, looked around to make sure Tabby was nowhere in sight,
and kissed his cheek.
"Thankyou," she whispered. And sat up so he could place the tray in her lap.
She scooted over and he took a seat next to her, placing his arm over her
shoulders, massaging her shoulder with his hand.
"Tabby's gone out on an arrond. She won't be back for a few hours," he said when he saw her opening her mouth to object.
"What about after last night?" she asked. Smeagol shook his head.
"She didn't suspect a thing," he reassured her.
"Not after I practically threw myself in your arms?" He chuckled and shook his head.
"She just thought you were scared. She doesn't know." Hope shrugged, still
having her doubts about that, but as long as she wasn't in the house then she
had no problem snuggling up with him. "Oh," he said, interrupting her
thoughts. "This is for you." He pulled out an envelope and handed it to her.
Hope flipped it over looking for a name but only found her own written on
it. Smeagol reached across her and snatched up a piece of bacon as she
opened the envelope.
"Hey, get your own," she muttered, and pulled out the letter. Only it wasn't a letter at all. It was a drawing. The squiggly lines told her it had been done by a child, and she smiled at the stick figure that had been drawn with her name written on it indicating it was supposed to be her. At the bottom of the paper was the name 'Samara' written in capital letters with the 'r' written backwards. Hope smiled and handed it to Smeagol. "So I'll take it she's doing good?" she asked, shoveling some eggs into her mouth.
"She's wonderful," said Smeagol. "In fact, I saw her a few days ago with her
new family. That's the most I've ever seen her smile." Smeagol reached over
to grab another strip of bacon when Hope grabbed him by the wrist to stop
him. He laughed, thinking she was only stopping him from stealing more,
but noticed she was not smiling. She held up his hand and looked at, front
and back. "Hope?"
Hope felt naucious. How could he not see it? There was blood all over his hand. She could see it dripping off him and onto the bed. His entire hand was coated in it.
"Hope?" he asked again and she blinked a few times. Whatever she had seen it was gone and the moment had passed. She released his wrist and looked down at the tray, seeming embarrassed. "What was that all about?"
Images of the dream were still going through her head. She felt his hand squeeze her shoulder to comfort her, but instead it made her shudder thinking the hand that squeezed her shoulder would one day squeeze Deagol's throat until he...
She shook her head and looked up at him, forcing a smile. "Nothing," she said, shaking her head.
"With you it's never nothing," he said, kissing her cheek.
"Hey, you're just jealous because the voices only talk to me," she muttered and took a bite out of her toast. He laughed and reached over, stealing more bacon with success this time. "And for the love of God, get your own!" He laughed with a mouthful of bacon and stood up.
"I have to go," he said softly.
"Where you going?" she asked, not looking up from her tray.
"I have... things I have to do. I'll be back soon." She looked at him suspiciously, but he smiled at her in the way she knew she couldn't argue with. He turned to leave but she cleared her throat.
"Smeagol!" she called and he turned. She tapped her cheek with her finger and he laughed, walking up to her and placing a small kiss on it.
"Now you remind me of my grandmother," he joked.
"As I should!" she said with a nod.
"Unfortunately that's the last thing I want to picture when I'm kissing you"
Hope choked on an egg, sputtered a bit, then laughed. He kissed her lips
then left her there to try and shake out the disturbing images he'd left her
with.
----
Deagol was placing his fishing pole into his boat when he saw Hope walk up, still wearing a pair of pajama pants and a black hooded sweatshirt. Hope was happy that there were no pajama pants there so to everyone they just looked like pants... only that was beginning to take the fun out of it. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail with a few strands hanging lose to cling where they may.
"Where's your beloved Smeagol?" he asked in a joking way. Hope smiled and shook her head.
"Beloved? Never heard of him. You'll have to introduce me sometime." He splashed some water at her and she jumped back, barely missing it.
"Don't play coy," he said with a grin. "But really, where is he?"
"I do not know," she answered with a shrug. "He said he had some stuff to do and then totally abandoned me back there to fend for myself." Deagol chuckled.
"So you're here to cling around me since you have no one to cling to?" Hope shrugged and nodded.
"Could I?"
Smiling he gestured to the boat. "Be my guest." She walked over and
hopped into the boat and he pushed off after loading an extra pole into the
boat.
----
(A/N: I'm sorry! I know I said the chapters would be longer, but with this timer, I don't have the time to make them longer! So I promise to try and update every day... except for possibly next week. I'll be out of town. But bare with me. Cheers!)