A/N: Short term unbetaed version (will have the polished one up soon!). I just didn't want to wait...since I had people demanding more and all. :) I love that I'm not the only one addicted to this! It definitely it makes it even more fun to write! And I will try to keep up with the brisk updating pace I foolishly set for myself. :) But the next few weeks are looking busier for me...so if it takes a few extra days between postings, please don't hate me! I'll work my best to make it worth the wait. :)
It was nearly one o'clock in the morning when Katie watched Sara and Connor leave the bar. She leaned against Murphy, starting to get tired but not wanting to move. He kept his arm around her and took another drag of his cigarette as they both watched the people around them.
Smecker slid into seat across from them, grinning from ear to ear. Katie could tell that he was nearing drunk and she smiled back. He looked between the two of them and shook his head. "You two are fucking boring. You're young, you're supposed to be having fun, not falling fricken asleep."
"Find me a chandelier and I'm fucking swing from it, Paul." She offered and he just kept smiling at her.
She felt Murphy laugh. "Maybe we just aren't as fuckin' lightweight as you are, Smecker."
"Doesn't matter. Come join us at the bar." He got up again, stumbling slightly and held out his hand. Katie just grinned and took it, allowing him to drag her out of the booth and up to a stool at the bar. Da looked up as she got there and just shook his head.
"The man's no fuckin' Irishman, that's fer sure." He held a cigar in his hand, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger.
"Aye, if he were fuckin' Irish, he'd be only half plastered by now." Murphy took the stool on the other side of Katie and smiled at Da.
"Where'd ye brother go?"
"Took Sara home."
"The lass have ta work tomorrow?"
"Yeah, poor Sara." Katie laughed as Doc set a screwdriver in front of without her needing to ask. "Thanks, Doc." He smiled back and she noticed that he was fairly intoxicated himself. She exchanged an amused look with Murphy.
"Ten ta one he won't be back til the fuckin' mornin'." He leaned close and grinned at Katie. She pressed her lips together and shook her head.
"Nope, he'll be back tonight. Maybe even in time to walk with us home from the bar." She stuck her hand out and they shook on it. "Wait, what are we even betting with?"
Murphy narrowed his eyes, thinking. "If I win, I get ta decide what we're doin' tomorrow night."
"Ouch, tough bet there, Murph." She teased him. He just smiled slowly.
"Ye have no idea what I could be fuckin' plannin'."
"Fine, deal. If I win, I get to decide."
They shook hands again and he kept his grip on her hand, lacing their fingers together. "If I win, I get ta do whatever I want with ye."
Katie tried to hold back a laugh but couldn't, ignoring the slight shiver that went down her spine. "Give it up, Murph. You're just not intimidating to me."
"Fuck, I'm not even tryin'." He smiled fully before kissing the back of her hand gently.
She reached up and patted the left side of his face. "Keep that for the bad guys, Murphy. You can have me without the effort."
"And that is why I love ye. Ye let me be lazy about it." He leaned in and kissed her softly. They just smiled at each other, ignoring the drunken talking and laughter around them.
Connor watched Sara's profile as she slid her key into the deadbolt, unlocking the door. She'd relaxed at the bar and been nearly normal, but he knew beneath the surface something was bothering her. Something new.
He walked into the apartment behind her, his eyes roaming the tastefully decorated rooms as they always did. Her apartment had a style to it, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. But it felt homey and warm. Like a place he could stay for a long while.
Smiling, he continued looking around. She would make their home look really nice someday. His eyes widened slightly and he stood up straight again. Where the fuck did that come from? Christ.
Connor felt a hand touch his arm and he turned to see Sara watching him with a raised eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
He shook his head. "Ah….no. Nothin' is wrong."
She rested her arms around his neck, leaned closing to him. His hands spread across the small of her back, bringing her even closer. Their lips met and he felt his blood start to hum as he backed her up against the door.
Pulling away, she laughed softly and laid her head on his chest. "I'm tired, Conn."
"Then maybe we should get ye ta bed." He ran his hand down her hair lightly.
"Worst line I ever heard." She pulled back and kissed him softly. He moved his lips to her temple.
"Ye know what I mean." His eyes met hers and they exchanged a long look. "Wanna tell what this project is that's botherin' ye so much?"
Shaking her head slowly, she dropped her eyes away from his. "It's just work. Just something I have to take care of."
"Anything I can help with?"
"No…I mean, not really. Just a stressful bit of research for an upcoming project." Her answer sounded too quick, too forced for him and his curiosity peaked. He wanted to keep working the answer out of her, because he knew eventually he'd be able to. But when he looked closely at her again, he could see the fatigue in her face as she stared at her desk.
His eyes followed hers to the desk, but could see nothing out of the ordinary there. Her work was stressing her out. And that desk must be where she worked at home. It seemed reasonable that she'd stare off in that direction.
Lifting his hand to her face again, he rubbed his finger across her cheek. "Ye look exhausted, sweetie."
The endearment slipped out and as her eyes moved up to his, he knew she'd caught it. But she just gave him a small smile and nodded. "I am. I wish I wasn't so that you could stay. But I'm not gonna be worth anything tonight, Conn."
"Ye're worth everything, Sara. I'll just not be cashin' in tonight." He whispered softly, smiling down at her as she grinned.
"And that's another reason I like you so much, Connor. You're corny as hell." She kissed him again before stepping back. "You can come talk to me while I get ready for bed. That is, if you want to."
Nodding slowly, he allowed her to lead him back to her bedroom. He wandered slowly around her bedroom, his eyes taking the familiar pictures and knickknacks in as she changed into her pajamas. They both stayed silent.
Despite their lack of words, he continued to stick close to where she was more than a little intrigued by her bedtime routine. Leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, he watched as she washed her face, brushed her teeth and rubbed something on her face. More than once she glanced up at him and laughed softly, shaking her head.
It was only as she padded softly back to her room that she finally spoke to him. "Did you enjoy the show?" She peeled back the covers of her bed and sat on the edge.
He grinned. "I've just never seem such a fuckin' complicated routine."
He didn't want to admit it, but something about watching her nightly ritual made him feel warm and at ease. It was a part of her that few saw. And she'd invited him to stay with her. Granted, she'd wanted him to talk to her, but the silence had been fulfilling enough for the both of them.
She just smiled and shook her head at him. She looked younger; he realized, with her face still flushed and clean, with a large t-shirt and pair of sweats as her pajamas. And once again he found himself picturing her like this on an early Sunday morning, newspaper spread out in front of her. Only she was wearing his t-shirt, instead of the one she had on.
Christ. He blinked hard and rubbed his hand over his face. When he looked at her again, she was raising an eyebrow at him.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just a bit tired meself." Tired, not really. Fuckin' psychotic, yes. He found that he didn't need to force a smile as she tilted her head and looked at him harder.
"You sure?"
"Aye, I'm sure. Now go ta sleep." Putting on hand on the bed beside her, he cupped her face with the other and kissed her gently. She lay down and covered herself up, smiling back up at him. He pulled the covers up to her chin and pressed his lips to her forehead.
Laughing, she rubbed her hand over his hair before he stood up. "I haven't been tucked in…well, fuck, in ages really."
Pointing his finger at her, he grinned. "No flashlights, no readin' and no talkin'."
"Who am I gonna talk to?"
"Don't know. That's just what Ma used ta say ta us when she tucked us in." He shrugged and chuckled as she just smiled back again. "Good night, Sara."
"Night. Oh, Connor?" She sat up on one elbow as he neared the door. Glancing back, he saw a serious look on her face and waited. "I just…I just wanted you to know I meant what I said earlier."
"What was that?" He kept his voice light as his brain whirled through all the possible things she said.
"That I…that I get to love you."
He smiled slowly at her, feeling his heart speed up a bit as she grinned back. It wasn't the three little words he longed to hear, but it was fucking close. Stepping back to the bed, he crouched down and kissed her quickly. "I love ye too, Sara." With another kiss, he turned and walked to the door. "Now go ta sleep."
"Goodnight, Conn."
"G'night, Sara." Shutting her door most of the way, he wandered slowly back out to the living room. He rubbed his hand over the back of his head slowly. Something had changed. And he didn't know what it was, but he knew he liked it.
He'd never been able to picture a woman in his home or in his life in the future. He had pictured them naked, yes, but not in his old t-shirt at the kitchen table. Squeezing his eyes shut, he worked on forcing the images out of his head. They weren't ready for this. Fuck, she's not ready for this. Maybe I am, though.
But he knew he couldn't allow himself to create a future world in his mind involving her. They'd have kids, a dog and a cluttered house planned before he knew it and she wasn't even close to ready for it. No, he couldn't do it. He'd probably fucking scare her off with that type of behavior.
His eyes landed on her desk again as he opened them and he stared at it. Glancing behind him quickly, he stepped closer, sweeping the top of it with his gaze. Nothing seemed odd about what lay there. Nothing that would stress her out, tense her up like she'd been all night.
But it was there. He knew it was there. Her eyes had blamed it for being tired, landing on it as she looked away from him. The project had to be in there somewhere. And more than anything, he wanted to clear this stress from her life.
Pausing, he frowned slightly. Her desk was private, full of papers dealing with her work. And he had no right to it. Sighing lightly, he stepped back and headed toward the door. If it was important, he'd just have to trust her to tell him when she was ready. He just hoped it wasn't important and that it would be completed soon without causing her too much grief. Because the last thing they needed right now was to add anything else to the stresses in their lives.
Murphy glanced up from his conversation with an even drunker Smecker to see Katie flashing him a triumphant grin. She tilted her head toward the door of the bar, where Connor stood, shaking the rain from his hair. Giving him two thumbs up, she did a silent victory dance that made him laugh. Christ, she was a fuckin' sore winner.
"Ye just made me lose a fuckin' bet, Conn. Thanks." He clapped his brother on the shoulder as he sat down on the stool next to him. Connor just smiled at him.
"What the fuck did ye bet on?"
"That ye wouldn't make it home til mornin'. Everything okay with Sara?" Murphy leaned his elbow on the counter and turned to face Connor, who simply shrugged.
"She's exhausted and won't tell me what's fuckin' botherin' her." He took a drink of the beer Doc had slapped down in front of him.
"Typical fuckin' woman, Conn. What the fuck have we got ourselves in ta here?" Speaking it aloud, Murphy couldn't help but grin. Connor laughed softly.
"We're fucked, Murph. We let 'em in and now they think they've got the fuckin' control."
"Aye, but they don't. Do they?" Murphy shot him an unsure glance before his eyes landed on Katie, who was laughing at Da several stools down.
"Like I said, we're fucked."
They drank their beer in silence and Murphy realized this was the first time in a while that he'd just talked to his brother. They'd spent so much time together before Katie entered their lives, and now that Sara was there to, they rarely had time for just them. Pulling out his cigarettes, he lit two and passed one over to Connor without a word.
Connor took a long drag and exhaled before turning back to him. "So, what'd I make ye lose?"
"Just the fuckin' right ta plan what we do tomorrow night." Murphy grinned as he stared down at the lit end of his cigarette. "She'll probably have me fuckin' ice skatin' or some shite. It's all yer fuckin' fault, too."
"Maybe she'll fuckin' surprise ye. Katie doesn't seem much like the ice skatin' type. Maybe ye'll end up doing fuckin' yoga instead." Leaning away, he laughed as Murphy moved a hand to smack him.
They both took another drag and Connor picked slowly at the label on his bottle. "So, what the fuck did happen with Tommy?" His eyes landed on the dark haired bartender, who was wiping down the counter with a scowl.
Murphy's eyes followed his and he felt the flash of anger rise again. "He was pickin' a fuckin' fight with her. I don't fuckin' understand why, though."
"That's what Da said. He saw the whole fuckin' thing. Said Tommy was lookin' fer her ta fuckin' hit him. What the fuck would he gain from that?" Connor rolled the cigarette between his fingertips, tapping it lightly to make the ashes fall to the counter.
"Let's ask him."
"Murph." Connor gave him a low warning, but Murphy slid off his stool anyway. He knew Connor would come to back him up, or to stop him from doing anything stupid. Feeling Katie glance up at them as they moved past her and Da, Murphy kept his eye to the floor. She didn't need to know what he was doing.
Tommy glanced up as they approached, narrowing his eyes at them. "I'm not serving down here."
"We don't need ta be served. Just wanted ta talk to ye." Murphy leaned causally on the counter, not wanting to tip Tommy off. But the bartender still tensed as Connor stepped up beside him.
"What about?"
"Katie. And why ye feel the need ta bother her."
"We had a conversation. That's all."
"A conversation ye won't be havin' again." Murphy took another drag of his cigarette before grinding it into the ashtray in front of him with more force than necessary. "Leave her alone, Tommy. That's all I'm tellin' ye."
"And what right do you have to tell me that?"
"Are ye fuckin' stupid?" He moved forward, gripping the edge of the bar and felt Connor lean in beside him.
"So, what'd ye say ta her, Tommy?" He made it sound almost conversational, but Murphy could hear the edge to his voice.
"None of your fuckin' business. It was a conversation between me and her. She's an adult, Murphy. If she wants to talk to other guys, deal with it."
Connor reached out and held his arm across Murphy's chest, keeping him from doing anything stupid. "Listen ta me, ye stupid fuck. Ye have two choices. Leave her alone or face us. Got it?"
With that, Murphy felt himself being forced away from the bar and he had to work hard not to pound Tommy's smirking face into the bar. Connor muttered for him to keep going, and it was only as he turned that Murphy realized just how much of an audience they had. His eyes met Katie's and he forced himself to look away quickly, hoping she couldn't read him.
Grabbing his coat from the booth, he walked through the front door of the bar. The air held a mild chill, but Murphy still breathed in deeply. Calm down. Calm the fuck down. Why did Tommy feel the need to fuck with Katie? What did he gain by it?
It was that that bothered Murphy the most. That he knew he wasn't seeing the whole picture. Something more was going on here. Leaning against the brick of the building, he shuffled through his pockets for his pack of cigarettes.
Lighting one, he heard the door open beside him. Without having to look, he knew it was Katie. He could just feel her there. She sighed heavily and put her back to the wall beside him, pulling the cigarette out of his hand.
"What's going on, Murph?" Her voice was soft but he kept his eyes on the quiet street in front of them.
"Nothin'."
"Murph."
"Fuck, Katie. It's nothin'. I just needed some fuckin' air."
"And talking to Tommy just happened to be on your way to get air?" She turned to him and he could feel her eyes on him. Fuck. He didn't want to do this anymore. He was tired of the fighting and he knew his reaction would lead to one.
"It was somethin' I had ta deal with."
"It was something you had to deal with. Murphy, why push it further? It was done, over with." The red glow of the cigarette caught his eye as she took another drag. "I could've handled it."
"Aye, but I took care o' it."
"That's not the fucking point, Murphy." She sighed and he finally looked over at her. His eyes wandered her profile and she glared at the brick building opposite of him. "I can fight my own battles. I've been doing it-"
"Long enough. Ye've been doin' it long enough, Katie." He pulled the cigarette from her and took a long drag before handing it back to her. "He ever bother ye before now?"
Shaking her head, she faced him, leaning her temple against the brick and closing her eyes. "I would've told you if he had. He's barely spoken to me until recently. And besides asking about you the other night, he's never said anything about you guys."
"Askin' about us how?" Murphy saw her shiver and pulled her coat around her tighter. He slid his arms around her and she leaned her head against his chest, her eyes still closed.
"Just wanted to know if you'd gotten to New York okay. He was fucking loud about it, but nothing too big of deal." Her voice was muffled and he could hear that she was beyond tired.
"How'd he find out?"
"Said Doc told him. Seemed likely to me." She tilted her chin up to look at him, opening her eyes. He stared down at her and nodded. But she continued to just look up at him and he found himself studying her eyes again. They were a beautiful mixture of blue, green and brown rings around an ink black pupil. The skin beside her eyes crinkled as she smiled up at him. "Trying to read your fortunes?"
"What?" He blinked.
"You're just staring, Murph. Thought maybe my eyes had turned into gazing balls or something." Rubbing her fingers over her face, she stepped back away from him as the door opened again behind them. Connor stepped out, leading Da and a stumbling Smecker.
Connor looked at him for a long moment, reading him without a problem. Murphy nodded unnecessarily. Aye, I'm fuckin' fine. And yes, we'll talk about it later. His brother smiled slightly and nodded back.
"We're gonna get the fuckin' drunken agent home. We'll meet ye back at the apartment." Connor's eyes widened as he realized the Smecker had managed to hail a cab by waving his arms above his head. Sighing heavily, he shrugged and followed Da into the cab.
Murphy watched it take off without speaking, only looking at Katie again once it disappeared. Her eyes were half shut and he couldn't help but smile. Putting his arms around her, he kissed her temple. "Ye gonna make it home?"
"Mmmm…yeah. Walk fast. It'll wake me up."
"Why didn't ye just tell me you were fuckin' tired? We could've left earlier."
She shrugged knocking his arm askew. Murphy just set it around her again, pulling her more securely to him. Her arm went around his waist and her head leaned against his shoulder. "I didn't want to leave early. Didn't want to miss anything."
"What would ye have missed? A drunken Smecker?"
"Hey, that was well worth it." She laughed softly.
"And it's a sight ye'll likely fuckin' see again." Murphy just grinned down at her. They'd set a brisk rhythm in their footsteps and he smiled slightly as he saw that they stepped together. Neither of them spoke as they put distance between them and McGinty's, nearing the apartment.
The silence was comfortable and it allowed his mind to wander. Things had been so whirlwind between them that he hadn't been able to stop and wonder. Her eyes hadn't revealed any fortunes to him, but he had seen his future in them. And he knew he wanted to be staring down into those eyes for the rest of his life.
Connor slid into his bed and lay back with a sigh. His bed. Soft, comfortable, familiar. Closing his eyes, he smiled. He loved being back home. But at the same time, there wasn't anything he wouldn't give to be in Sara's bed right now. A different type of home. Lacing his fingers behind his head, his thoughts were interrupted by low voices moving into the room.
The light switched on and he squinted at both Murphy and Katie as they stepped into the room. Murphy sat down on his bed and was untying his boots. But Katie just stood there, seeming unsure of what to do.
"What's goin' on?" He sighed, knowing there was a reason she stood there and not wanting to admit he knew what the reason was.
"Da's back is bothering him." She sighed and looked over at him. "He took my bed."
"Okay." Connor offered slowly, moving his hand in a circle, motioning for someone to go on.
"If it bothers you, I can sleep on the couch." She crossed her arms over her chest and stepped back toward the door. Murphy reached out and grabbed her arm. They exchanged a look before Murphy turned to him.
"Will it bother ye if she sleeps in here tonight? If it does, I'll take the fuckin' couch."
Sighing, Connor laid his head back down and shrugged. "It's fine. Stop acting like I'm gonna fuckin' yell at ye, Katie."
She laughed softly. "I wasn't afraid of that. I just didn't want this to be awkward."
"Then don't make it fuckin' awkward." He offered a smile to her and chuckled softly as she grinned back.
Murphy stripped down to his boxers and slipped into his bed, flipping the light switch. Keeping his eyes mostly closed, Connor peeked out, curious as to what Katie was going to wear to bed. She pulled her sweat pants off and he saw instantly that she had a pair of shorts underneath. Her eyes landed on his and she started laughing.
"What were you expecting?"
"Nothing." He closed his eyes fully, not quite being able to suppress a smile. She kept laughing.
"You are such a fucking guy, Connor."
"What'd he do?" Murphy's voice was muffled and Connor knew that he was already comfortable deep within his blankets.
"Your pervert brother was waiting to see what I'd wear to sleep in." Her voice was teasing.
"Wouldn't he like ta know?" His response was followed by the sound of Katie smacking his arm. She gasped out a giggle and when Connor opened his eyes, she was being held down by Murphy on the bed.
"Okay, rule number one: if I hear anythin' other than fuckin' sleepin' over there, I hit both of ye. Rule number two: go ta fuckin' sleep!"
He pointed his finger at them for a moment before lying back down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them exchange a glance.
"Yes, Da." They chorused and both started laughing. He leaned up on his elbow and raised an eyebrow.
"Christ, one of ye was fuckin' bad enough. Now I got fuckin' Murph and Murphette here."
"Sorry, Conn." Katie grinned at him. "We'll sleep now. I'm tired enough to."
He stared over at her for a moment before smiling. "Goodnight."
"Night, Conn." Murphy called over Katie's shoulder. She shook her head at Connor.
"Goodnight."
He watched her lay down and saw Murphy's arm go around her instantly. A small smile appeared on her face and Connor lay back down on his bed, feeling even happier than he was. They were fucking annoying as a team, but he couldn't help but to be happy that they were together.
Katie's hip hitting the floor is what finally woke her up. Pain shot through her body and she winced as she sat up, feeling disoriented. Why the fuck was she on the floor? A low, terrified moan from the bed above her sent chills down her spine. Hands pulled her up and she found herself looking into Connor's face.
"Ye okay?" His whisper was quiet and hurried. As soon as she nodded, they both turned to Murphy's bed, where Murphy lay in twisted sheets, his face screwed up in fear. Her heart raced as Katie stepped forward, but Connor's arm stopped her. "He can get violent. Let me do it."
Connor sat down on the bed, grabbing Murphy's arms as both fists swung at him. Raising her hand to her mouth, Katie watched frozen. "What's wrong with him?" Her question managed to make it out between her lips.
"It's just a nightmare. He used ta fuckin' have them when he was little. It's been awhile though."
What kind of fucking nightmare is this? She watched as Connor tried to sooth the still struggling, still sleeping Murphy. It didn't seem to be working. After another long few seconds, Connor put his hand flat on Murphy's chest and leaned over him.
"Murph." His voice was firm and loud enough that Katie was sure it would wake him. But Murphy just kept struggling, kept fighting to get away from whatever he dreamt held him down. Connor's hand tapped once and he leaned closer. "Murphy, wake up. Ye're dreamin'. Listen ta Connor, wake UP!"
Katie stepped back further as Murphy suddenly tried to sit up, his eyes wide, and for a moment, unseeing. Connor slid his hand up to cup Murphy's cheek, murmuring in a language she couldn't understand. But it seemed to calm Murphy down as he lay back on the bed, raising a shaking hand to his forehead.
They whispered back and forth in the language and she felt as if she were intruding a private moment. One that they'd had often in their childhood in the wake of Murphy's nightmares.
This was a side of them she hadn't really seen. They were close, obviously, but their affection tended to be portrayed more in teasing and wrestling, with the occasion pat on the back or chest. Those actions made them friends, brothers even. But this, she realized as she fought tears. This is what made them twins. And she wondered briefly, if she would ever be the one that Murphy would trust enough to wake him up from his nightmares.
His eyes found her at that moment and they stared at each other. After a long moment, Murphy dropped his eyes and let his head fall back onto the pillow. Connor stepped off of the bed and looked at Katie with a sigh.
"He'll be okay now." He spoke softly to her. "And he's never had more than one a night."
Nodding, she stayed where she was as Connor moved past her. She couldn't take her eyes off of Murphy, watching him as he struggled to seem indifferent. Her heart went out to him as she realized he was barely winning the battle. His eyes moved to hers again, this time only holding for a brief second.
"Are ye gonna sleep or stand there?" He sounded angry but at what she couldn't tell for sure. Her hip throbbed as she stepped forward, but she worked to keep from wincing.
"Are you okay?" She kept her voice soft and sat down on the bed beside him.
"I'm fine. Are ye gonna sleep here or what?" He kept his eyes straight ahead. Katie pressed her lips together and sighed. She could still feel the adrenaline running through her veins and didn't know if she could lay still yet. Didn't want to keep him up. Didn't know if she wanted to risk getting kicked out of bed again.
"I can sleep out there." She moved to get up but felt him wrap his hand around hers.
"Stay. Please." His eyes were on hers as she turned and he squeezed her hand. Nodding slowly, she laid down next to him.
Katie relaxed a little as Murphy's arm went around her again, pulling her tightly against him. The pain in her hip had subsided a little and she nestled into the curve of his body. His hand spread flat against her stomach. She felt him rest his forehead against the crown of her head and take a deep breath.
It only took her a moment to decide and she lifted his hand, turning over to face him. His fingers caressed the small of her back as she laid her head down next to his and looked into his eyes. The fear was still there, hiding around the edges and Katie couldn't help but to picture him as a boy, frightened in the night by dreams.
He stared down at her and she saw that he was still fighting his emotions. He doesn't want me to know how upset he is. The exhaustion in his face made her heart ache and she raised her hand to touch his cheek. His eyes closed against her touch and she felt the clamminess of his skin beneath her fingertips.
Kissing him lightly, she caught his gaze again and held it. It's okay, Murph. I'm here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. She wished she could speak the words aloud to him. To comfort him as he had her.
Giving her a weak smile, he kissed her forehead lightly and ran his fingers down her cheek, leading her head down to his shoulder. His arms held her to him securely. She felt his heartbeat slow down and his breathing even out as she slipped into sleepiness.
It was only as his hold on her relaxed, that she felt him slip under. His whisper was near her ear. "I love ye." Smiling slightly, she hoped for good dreams.