She didn't know what had woken her up. The clock told her it was almost 4AM, and everything was quiet, save for her breathing and the breathing of the one beside her. She was warm, felt comfortable and sleepy - but she was wide awake. She lay there in the bed, staring at the ceiling for several minutes, then sighed. Carefully untangling herself from her husband's sleeping embrace, she slipped out of bed, donning her robe, and tip-toed downstairs. The house was silent, and no moon shone to lighten the dark night. Creeping into the kitchen, wincing at the feel of the cold wood on her bare feet, she opened the freezer door, blinking at the sudden light. When her vision had cleared, she saw what it was she was looking for - the reason she had woken up. She smiled. Perfect.

"Murrue?" He reached out to find his wife, but his hand hit only empty mattress. He had woken up without knowing why...perhaps knowing that she wasn't there. Sighing, he felt the rumpled sheets, and noted the trace of warmth there - she hadn't been awake long. Climbing out of the bed, he walked downstairs, knowing where he would likely find her. And he was right.

Murrue was sitting on the kitchen table, swinging her legs happily. She wore one of his old shirts in place of pyjamas, the garment so large on her slender frame that the cuffs covered her hands. And in those hands was a plastic tub, the contents of which she was eating with a smile. She looked so happy that all Mwu could do was watch her for a moment, a smile on his own face.

"Cravings again?" he asked mildly, inwardly chuckling as his wife almost jumped off the table in surprise. She looked down at the tub of ice-cream she held, then gave him a rueful smile. "Hi. Did I wake you?"

"Nah," he replied, walking over and leaning against the table. Sticking a finger in the ice-cream, he tasted it. "Strawberry, huh? Well, if you're going to have cravings, I'm glad it's just for ice-cream." He patted Murrue's slightly rounded stomach. "But does this mean that our kid's going to be sneaking down here for midnight feasts too?"

She smiled, eating another spoonful of the frozen treat. "Maybe. But if he does, then he'll be taking after you, won't he?"

Mwu grinned, remembering a couple of times on the Archangel when he had sneaked out in the middle of the night to the cafeteria to grab a leftover plate of pudding, and brought it back to his room to share it with Murrue. They had sat together on the bed, her head on his shoulder as they ate happily. "You know..." she had remarked once, curled up beside him, "that if anyone found out about this, they wouldn't believe it? I mean, the captain should know better, right?"

"Probably", he'd replied, helping himself to another spoonful. "But I was the one who stole it, so why would it be your fault?"

"Because I ate it too. That makes me an accessory, doesn't it?" she'd pointed out, eating some of the dessert herself. Mwu had just laughed, kissing her lightly.

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"You ate the desserts too though, remember?" he asked, stroking her dark hair. They had moved to the sofa in the sitting room, cuddling up together to share the last of the ice-cream. Murrue giggled. "True," she answered, her voice muffled by the spoon stuck in her mouth.

"Next time you fancy a midnight snack, let me know." he told her, stealing the spoon to eat some of the ice-cream himself. "Cause this is fun." She smiled, snuggling up close to him with a tiny yawn. "That sounds nice..." she replied as he offered her the last bit of the treat. Mwu leaned down to kiss his wife gently, tasting the last of the ice-cream. "Tired now, huh?" he asked, noticing her eyes were closed. She murmured something sleepily, and he laughed. "So now the little one's had his midnight snack, he lets his mommy sleep?"

Murrue nodded with a small smile. "I guess.."

The blonde man got to his feet, and lifted her up in his arms, noticing that she was almost asleep. The clock read 5:30 AM, and he shook his head. "And we both have work tomorrow..." She peeked up at him, amber eyes half-open. "Sorry..."

Mwu kissed the end of her nose. "It's okay." He carried her upstairs and settled her back in the bed before crawling in beside her. She stirred slightly as he wrapped his arms around her stomach and kissed her neck. "I'll try not to do this again.." she mumbled.

"Not your fault if the little guy wants ice-cream. Although he sure eats a lot of it.." he mused, tucking the covers snugly around them both.

"He just has an appetite like his daddy, that's all.." she said faintly, before falling asleep, a satisfied smile to her lips.

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( XD. Well, a lot of pregnant women have cravings for weird things, ne? I thought that rather than gherkins, or pickled onions, or something nasty like that (although pickled onions are nice), that a craving for ice-cream could work. Especially if it's Mwu's kid rofl.

Please read and review! )