Kissy Face

Apologies for the delay in posting further stories.

The Mason Alternate Universe as always. This is a completely random drabble, a Mason moment in time and certainly not meant to be taken seriously at all. It was just to get ideas flowing and into a writing habit again after such a lapse in time. Hope you enjoy, have a great end to your week and thank you for all your support.

Aunt Mae has to deal with George getting out of bed in the middle of the night.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I make no money and I write for fun.

Mae Kirby almost jumped out of her skin as she opened the door to the guest room. It was late into the evening and she was not expecting the littlest Mason to be stood outside the door in the semi darkness raising his hand as he was about to knock on said guest bedroom door.

'Oh my darling,' Mae gasped whilst involuntarily putting her hand on her chest in pseudo shock. 'Georgie honey, what on earth are you doing up so late?'

George Mason stood with a scowl on his face.

'Can I come and watch some TV with you Aunt Mae? Puleeeeese.' George put on his most annoying voice whilst simultaneously flashing the Mason dimples. It was a new combination he was trying out to get his own way and who better to try it on than his beloved, visiting Great Aunt Mae.

After a few seconds, Mae took a deep breath and opened the door to allow George access.

'Come on then, but only for a few minutes and absolutely no tv. We will talk instead.' George pondered the offer for a few moments then grinned and ran into the room taking off and landing face down on the soft bed. He scrambled about and flopped against the covers on the made up side of the bed before reaching under himself and snuggling down into the blanket. Mae stood by the door watching him and shaking her head with an indulgent smile on her face.

Mae loved her family it was that simple. Being estranged many years from her now deceased sister, her niece Della was the closest thing to a family she had. Never imagining for one moment when she joined Mae in her late teens on the California coast, strong willed, stubbornly independent Della would ever be the domestic type, the fact that she had remained all of the above and become a loving wife to a man she adored, and who worshipped her back, pleased Mae no end. Added to that, Mae was beside herself with happiness when Della presented her with four beautiful great niece and nephews. They were the grandchildren to her in all but relativity, and she found herself unable to resist spoiling them rotten with the age old argument that it was her prerogative to do so. Della had learnt over the years she would never win a disagreement when Mae defended the children, so no longer tried. Perry had Mae's number from the second the eldest entered the world, so never tried to start a disagreement with her over them in the first place.

Closing the door, Mae padded back across the room and perched on the edge of the bed.

'You haven't explained why you are out of bed this late Honey,' she said gently.

George gave an overly dramatic sigh, 'Mommy and daddy are in the living room playing kissy face again.' He explained. Mae stifled a chuckle.

'Really?' she asked knowing full well it wasn't the first time anyone of the occupants of the house had walked in on Della and Perry engaged in 'kissy face' as George put it. Hopefully it was only that at least and not the other….well Mae shook off that image of the two of them when she walked into the study without knocking from two months ago.

'Uh uh,' George bit his bottom lip. ''It's icky.'

'Icky?'

'Yeah, ugggh.' George made the low sound sticking his tongue out at the same time as making a light retching sound. This time Mae did chuckle out loud. 'They're always doing kissy face. Lily says they're disgusting.' He screwed his face up. 'Aunt Mae, what does disgusting mean? Lily says it to me all the time too and I don't think it's a nice word.'

Mae shuffled onto the bed and George immediately sought the comfort of an embrace. Mae pulled him into a cuddle and kissed his dark curls.

'Well Georgie, it means something someone does that's not nice or upsetting to another person. I imagine Lily says it when you make those stink bombs you love so much, or fill balloons with water and leave them over the place.'

'No she usually says it when I pick my nose, or wipe snot on my hand.' George was very matter of fact about his nose picking prowess making Mae both proud and nauseous at the same time.

'So, why were you up and in the living room at this time of night anyway? You went to bed hours ago.'

'I woke up and wanted some milk.'

'You had milk and cookies earlier. Too much will make you want the bathroom in the middle of the night.'

'They weren't in bed when I went to their room, so I went down the front stairs and I saw the light on from the bottom step. So I just went in. Daddy was kissing Mommy's…' he stopped a scrunched his face up trying to think of the word. Mae froze in horror waiting for him to complete his sentence. 'Neck, that's it. His face was here,' George pointed to his own skin at the base of his neck where it met his shoulder. Mae breathed a sigh of relief. 'But his hand was on her boob.' Mae almost choked on an outright laugh.

'They weren't naked were they?' Mae ventured almost afraid of the answer.

George shook his head vehemently. 'No.' He looked alarmed at the thought.

'Thank goodness for that,' Mae exhaled.

'Why do they do that?' George asked.

'What?'

'Play kissy face all the time?'

'Because they love each other very much.' Mae's voice became soft again, lost in her own happiness that Della had found such a man to love and be loved by. 'I'm afraid it's what they'll always do, and I'm also sure you'll catch them playing 'kissy face' many more times as you grow up sweetie,' she explained.

George groaned. 'Oh no.'

'Oh yes. Did they tell you off?' Mae doubted very much either parent would have snapped at the little one.

'No, I don't think they knew I was there. As soon as mommy's hand went to daddy's pants I ran away.'

Mae was amused. Those times they were so lost in each other, everyone and everything in the world ceased to exist. On at least two occasions she found that out the hard way when they stayed at her home and thought she was out at her book club meeting. The first time they realised she had returned, Perry had fallen from the couch clad only in his boxers and banged his head on the coffee table leaving Della scrambling to cover herself up using Perry's undershirt. After profuse apologies and promised it would never happen again, Mae's initial scepticism was rewarded a few months later when she found her niece with her boss sharing a shower after a late night swim. Closing her ears to what she later described as the groaning symphony coming from her shower room, she went to the kitchen to make possibly the noisiest cup of tea ever. From then on, she made certain to call the telephone and alert them she was returning home.

'Now come on little man, back to bed with you.' Mae looked at the clock. It was almost 1am.

'Can't I stay here with you?'

'Nope.' Mae threw the covers back and stood from her side. 'Come on,' she opened her arms and waggled her fingers inviting him to jump. Geroge began laughing. Stood up bouncing on the bed a few times like a trampoline before launching himself into her arms. Mae staggered slightly knowing at that moment, it wouldn't be long before she could no longer pick him up. He was solidly built and already big for his age. At the rate he was growing, Mae was convinced he was going to be the biggest and tallest of all the Mason brood, dad included. But, she lamented, he was still one of her absolute favourite people ever and could never see herself tiring of his company and his antics.

'George thy name is cheeky,' she mused out loud. Taking him back to his room and unceremoniously dropping him into the gentle , fluffy cowboy themed blankets, she pulled them up to his chin and bent over pressing a kiss to his forehead. Brushing a soft curl from his face she whispered,

'Goodnight Honey.'

George threw his arms about her neck and squeezed. 'Goodnight again Aunt Mae. I love you,' before he turned onto his side and slammed closed his eyes. Mae watched for a few minutes as he slipped into sleep, mouth dropping open and starting a light snore. Satisfied he was now in a place he could not get into more mischief, she snapped off the lamp.

'I love you very much too Honey, ' she murmured to herself. This was the family she could never see herself having. But this was the family she thanked the Lord often for delivering to her.

Fin