25.
~ The new rank suited him. The ribbons on his chest were more plentiful. The gold leafs on his lapels caught the light as he carried her breakfast tray in to her.
He looked dashing in his dress uniform as Trixie scurried past him.
"Major." She said with a little curtsey and fled the privet recovery room, closing the door after her. Leaving them alone.
Ariadne felt herself gulping. Almost afraid of this intimidating man that had taken the shape of her Captain.
"How do you feel?" Arthur asked as he set her tray down over her lap. The smell of eggs and oatmeal hitting her and her stomach growled.
"Hungry." She admitted as she couldn't wait for politeness to start eating.
He chuckled as he pulled up a small chair next to her bed. The eggs melted in her mouth as she tried to remember to eat slowly. She hadn't eaten in days and she didn't want to make herself sick. She was still hungry as she finished the last of her oatmeal.
Arthur watching her steadily as she wished she had more to eat.
"Trixie told me about your promotion." Ariadne said as she nibbled on her toast with mouse like bites. Wanting to make it last. "I'm sorry I slept through it."
"You had a good excuse." Arthur said with a faint smile.
"Did they tell you that I'll be in this cast for a while?" She said filled with self pity.
"Doctor Kikie said you won't be dancing anytime soon." Her Major said sadly. "But he was certain you would live. I wouldn't have left you if I thought you weren't going to make it."
"You went back for those men." Ariadne said.
He nodded.
"That was dangerous." She told him.
He nodded again and didn't look at her.
"I was careful." He told her.
"What if you had died?" She whispered.
"I didn't." He said simply.
"You could have. Where would that have left me?" She asked thinking of herself all alone again.
"About the same as I would be if that bomb had killed you instead of just broken you leg." He said effectively ending the discussion.
She bit her lip and didn't dare say anything more. He wasn't mad at her for going to the front. Her injury was enough to break that out of him. Likewise, she couldn't be mad at him for going back to save those men they had to leave behind.
"I guess, with my leg, I'll be going back to London." She said sadly. "Means I'm out of this war."
It felt like Christmas had been canceled. She wanted to cry but couldn't summon the strength to do it. The career she had worked so hard for would be put on hold until she was better.
She felt Arthur's calloused hand graze over her own. Felt his finger's entwine with hers.
"My leg hurts." She said childishly.
"I'll get your nurse." He said standing to leave her.
"Arthur?" She called out just as he was at the door.
He turned back to her. He looked so impossibly handsome just then, she wanted to run into his arms.
"Thank you." Was all she said.
"For what?" He asked.
"For not saying 'I told you so'." She answered as tears fell out of her eyes.
His handkerchief was out again. Dabbing at her eyes.
"I'll be back tonight." He promised.
~ He was back later that evening. He brought her dinner tray with him, and a surprise.
"Chocolate cake!" She exclaimed.
"Well, for the lady who braved the front and came back injured, how can I do less?" He said with a smile.
"I haven't had cake since before the war." She sang out feeling happy for the first time that day. "Can I eat it first?" She asked him with wide eyes. Half of her afraid he might say no.
"Well, I would tell you what you can and can't do, but we both know that wont work." He teased.
He helped her to sit up straighter. She winced at the pain that shot through her leg as the heavy cast was too much for her to move on her own.
She shoved a fork full of cake in her mouth and her eyes fluttered as the taste hit her. Perhaps it was so long without, but it was the best cake she had ever eaten. Like the chocolate bar at their picnic, her brain was magically satiated by the confection.
"All I keep hearing from the other nurses is how heroic and handsome you are." She finally told him as she made sure not a crumb was left of her cake. "Better then Rhett Butler."
"Did you tell them I was taken?" He asked mildly amused.
She felt her lips tug into a smile as she tried to look indifferent.
"Why ruin their dreams?" She said as she gazed over her dinner. She breathed in the heavenly smell of pork and mashed potatoes.
"I've never been so hungry in my life." She said as she sopped up the last remnants of her meal with a roll.
"Well, you were asleep for a long time." Arthur said pleased to see her appetite was healthy.
"You were there when the Doctor was setting my leg." She told him. "I kept screaming." She said feeling embarrassed.
She looked at Arthur. Her Major was lost in his own thoughts.
"I was the one who put you in the truck. I thought you were dead. Laying there in the mud like that." He said. A sharpness to his voice as his eyes suddenly looked angry.
She was filled with a real sense of guilt. Arthur had already lost so much in this war. His brothers and countless men under his command. She felt so selfish for going to the front and putting herself in danger like she had.
Arthur shook his head.
"Let's not talk about it anymore." He said. Releasing her of any guilt.
~ The sun set and night reclaimed the sky, if only for a few hours. The couple had talked late into the evening.
"The Doctor wants to ship you out next week to London." He told her.
"You'll be staying in Paris then?" She asked. He nodded.
She looked down at her hands.
"So, I might not see you again." She said sadly.
"What did I say before I went to the front?" He asked growing angry. "I told you we won't lose each other." he said.
His voice was so stern, so commanding, that she couldn't help but nod.
Arthur looked at his watch.
"It's almost midnight. I had better let you get some rest." He said standing up.
"No, Arthur." She said garbing his hand. Her arms still felt weak from her long sleep. "Please, don't go. Stay with me tonight."
Arthur looked from her, to the door. It was closed, but there were no locks on any of the patient doors.
"Ariadne." He said in a soft groan.
"Please, just stay a little while. Please?" She asked.
He looked longingly at her. She could tell he was weakening to the idea. That he wanted to stay.
"I need to get back. I have..." He looked over her as he lost his train of thought.
"Please, Arthur." She said knowing she was winning the war. "Just stay in the bed with me for a little while. Nothing will happen. I promise." She said trying to move her body to give him room.
He stayed rooted to the ground. His eyes darting to the door.
Finally, his hands moved to his dress jacket and he pulled it off him. He hung it neatly over his chair and he stepped out of his shoes.
She lifted the covers for him to slid in next to her. Her bed was too small for the both of them, but he rested on his side close to her. A wonderful delight stole through her body as she delighted in the joyful, forbidden closeness of him. His body was curled next to hers. His lips kissing her cheek, her chin, before finding her lips.
"Ariadne." he breathed her name like he was saying a prayer. His hands not knowing where to rest on her broken, yet chaste flesh. She wanted his hands on her. Wanted his touch on her.
She rested her own small hands over his. Pulling them over her, pulling them under her night gown to touch her skin underneath.
The electric sensation of foreign skin on her, lit her senses up. Arthur's hand was caressing her belly, as his arm was wrapped around her shoulders. Bringing her face closer to his.
He wanted to move his hand up. That much she was sure of. He wanted desperately to feel the softness of her breasts. To touch that forbidden fruit that was so easily within his grasp.
She placed her hand over his again. His gentlemanly response was to retreat from his fondling. Only, her hands bravely guided him upward. His fingers touching the tender bud of her nipple. His war callused fingers felt rough and exciting on the delicate skin.
"Oh!" She moaned at the feel of it. Delighted that it felt so wonderful.
"Shh." Arthur hissed. Kissing her tenderly on the lips. "We have to be quite."
She realized she was breathing hard as her Major gently fondled her tender nipples. Her body reacting strongly to his touch. Little shivers of pleasure rocking her body as she gasped out.
"Tell me if you want me to stop." He said ducking his head under her night gown. She could feel his warm breath on her nipples then. His lips suckling her to a near frenzy.
"Oh, Arthur." She whispered. "Please." She begged as her soft cries seemed to egg him on. His hand found her neglected breast and his strong fingers teased and tormented her other nipple into a fine hard point. She found her hips swaying slightly as his mouth ravished her breasts.
She had never given much thought to her beasts proving her with so much pleasure before. Yet, in Arthur's hands, her breasts bloomed into a magical thing that made her back arch and lips part. Wanting to scream. Wanting to tell him to stop and at the same time beg him never to stop.
"Arthur!" She panted helplessly as she could feel his hands wander down her body. Not daring yet to touch her between her legs. She wore no panties as she was still convalescing. His hand hovering dangerously close to her unopened woman.
"I love you." He breathed as he kissed her stomach.
"I love you to." She whispered back. She allowed her nightgown to rest high upon her chest. Baring her breasts to the night air.
"I want you for my wife." He said as his lips traveled up her body again.
She was nodding helplessly. She would promise him anything as long as he wouldn't stop his wonderful torture.
"Say yes." he commanded.
"Yes." She croaked. "Yes, I'll marry you."
She felt his hands roam over her excited sex. She moved her uninjured leg to grant him better access. His large hands covering her small gem easily as he tentatively ran a finger up the slit of her opening.
"Ouch!" She screamed as a sharp pain went off in her injured leg. The broken bone having had too much excitement for one day.
Arthur jumped back as if bitten. She sat up and smoothed her night gown over her naked body. Her gasping coming from pain now, not pleasure.
"My leg." She said feebly.
"I'm sorry." He said looking embarrassed as he pulled the covers over her. A man's attempt to help the situation.
"No, it's alright." She said as the throbbing pain eased up a bit. "Stupid leg." She said hating the bombs, hating the war, and hating the cast the most of all.
"Do you need me to get the nurse?" He asked looking worriedly over her.
"No!" She said flushing a deep red. "No, please. They should do rounds in a while. You had better go." She said trying in vain to rub away the pain on her cast and failing miserably.
"Alright." he said. "But don't forget." he said shrugging on his jacket. Once more her composed officer.
"Forget what?" She asked not following.
He opened the door and turned to her.
"You did say 'Yes'." He said with a devilish smile before vanishing.