(A/N: A second story in less than a day! You lucky readers, you! This one was written for the livejournal challenge, dramione_ldws. The prompt was the quote at the beginning of the story.)
"What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance."
~ Jane Austen ~
He was leaning against the balcony, his not-so-crisp white shirt tossed aside carelessly. And if she hadn't known better, she'd've said that his tousled hair had been styled into that state of perfect inelegance. But no, that was the effect of running one's hands through it. She smiled. She would know.
She caught herself ogling her husband and shook herself out of her reverie.
"Stressful day, love?" she asked him.
He snorted. "As if there's any other kind."
She sighed and walked over to stand next to him at the railing. "I know." She was quiet for a minute, staring out at the fields behind the Manor. "What was the emergency meeting about?" she asked.
He laughed once, bitterly. "I have no idea."
She moved to stand behind him, resting her chin on his bare, sweaty shoulder. "That bad?"
"Yeah. The cooling charms still aren't working. It was so bloody hot, nobody could concentrate."
"Poor baby," she murmured, and began to rub his shoulders.
He sighed happily. Her fingers dug into his back, tugging the stress from his muscles. As her palms drifted up his back, he let his forehead drop to the railing.
"Thanks," he whispered.
She smiled. "You're welcome."
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