Funky Tonight – John Butler Trio
And if there's something wrong yes you know I'm gunna try and make it right.
Note: This one has as much to do with the rhythm and staccato of the song. It's on youtube if you're interested.
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She dances her thumb across the pad of his foot. Her soft skin meeting the rough callus of his, worn by the wear and tear. She smiles as his ankle twitches slightly, tickled by the movement, his sleep disturbed but not broken.
She runs the tips of her fingers over the top of his foot, grazing the coarse hair in time with the rhythm of her thumb. He twitches again in response. He doesn't move though, just shifts deeper into the lounge cushions, deeper into her hand, unknowing.
"You know you'll wake him right?" Alexis' voice as it carries through the room.
Kate shifts her focus to the teen she didn't hear approach and gives a shrug, continuing her movements as she responds. "I know." She does. Soon there will be a swat of a hand or a huff of disgust as he rolls away from her, liable to wind up on the floor, rudely awakened. But she continues the movements regardless, even if she doesn't catch him she can soften his fall, he's close enough that she can grab his shoulder just in time.
At her voice, or maybe her touch, skirting the gap between his toes he arches his toes, spreading them wide, giving her an easy space to slide her fingers between. Then he curls them around back around her finger, an oddly firm grip.
"How long's he been asleep?" Alexis asks perching on the arm of the couch beside her father's girlfriend, gazing down at his sleeping form beside her.
"Half an hour," Kate answers quietly as he lifts his head, curious, but he doesn't open his eyes, just shifts so he's got a hand under his head.
"Can I wake him up?" Alexis asks softly, hesitant.
"If you wake him up you have to take him to pee," she responds quietly as she glances from the soft sleeping form beside her to Alexis.
"It's worth it," Alexis responds quickly, already moving from the couch to lean over the puppy, swiping her fingers over his face, touching his whiskers and disturbing his sleep. Then he's lifting his head, opening his eyes to seek out the disturbance. "Hey there, little man," she cooes as his eyes find hers.
Kate watches as Alexis eases the puppy off the couch, shifting him into her arms so he can rest his head against her shoulder.
"Hey sleepy-head," she mutters herself as Alexis sits down beside her. "Looks like you won't have to take him after all." She touches his ear as it drapes off Alexis' shoulder. "Someone's not ready to wake-up. You're stuck as a puppy pillow for now," she says softly, giving Alexis a knowing smile. She's fallen victim to that more than once.
"I'm good," she says as she settles into the couch.