The morning after

[noteasytobepink]

Clarice was a heavy sleeper, when she wasn't having nightmares. It came of never knowing when she'd get a good night's sleep again. Still, she was not a still sleeper. That meant she rolled and twisted some in the night; her frozen peas slipping down between herself and Bill some time around three in the morining.

And well, she shifted where her head was resting too. Next to his on the pillow, his shoulde,r his chest. It was probably past dawn when she settled with her head on his belly, still asleep.

Comments

[noteasytobepink]

She was very much a 'You know, have fun while you can' kind of girl. Tomorrow she might slide out of this reality, or there might come a giant space monster to eat the earth again.

Have fun now. Not twenty years from now.

"Yep, moving." Totally moving.

Slwoly.

In that achey, groany kind of way!

[no_andy_taylor]

He was starting to take it for granted that she would be there, so here was hoping reality and space monsters behaved awhile longer.

He unwound his arms from around her, and helped her as best he could to get up without hurting her.

Getting up in the same groany manner, his back popped and he grunted.

"So... I only remember some bits an' pieces of that fight, but did I really get pitched through the air?"

[noteasytobepink]

"I think so? I may have seen that," she admitted after she stretched up onto her toes until her back popped as well. It made her yip too, a short, sharp sound.

"I was on the bar until I saw you, so..." Yeah. It had been a little wild.

"Caught a chair in the ribs after that I think."

[no_andy_taylor]

"Ouch. Next time we'll have t'plan for a quieter date, like bull ridin' or somethin'."

It would probably be safer.

[noteasytobepink]

"Awww, but where's the fun in that?"she drawled, leaning on him on the way to the bathroom. "Besides, we made the money we needed so no compaints really!"

[no_andy_taylor]

"I ain't complainin'. My body is, but I had a good time."

Stepping into the bathroom, he hesitated a moment before nodding towards the sink.

"You uh, wanna get the water started an' I'll get my teeth brushed?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, I am more worried about you than your body. Only slightly though." She smiled softly at him and gave him a gently hug before slipping over to the edge of the tub.

Easy to get the water running right?

So easy in fact that she ended up leaning on the edge of the tub and watching him!

[no_andy_taylor]

He could feel her eyes on him, and a glance at the mirror showed her there.

Not letting his nerves get up again, he gave her a smile and offered, "Wanna borrow my toothbrush?"

Which, with a mouth full of toothpaste sounded like, "'Anna 'orrow I 'oof'rush?"

Since she was just standing there and all!

[noteasytobepink]

"I do have my own," sh enoted with a chuckle. "When I can stand at the sink without getting your way I'll brush, I promise! You're just nice to watch!" He was attractive, ergo, easy on the eyes!

[no_andy_taylor]

That raised a chuckle, and an amused head shake, and then he set about finishing up.

Wiping his mouth on a towel, he smiled at her.

"Nice t'watch, even when I look rabid?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Babe...my standard for 'rabid' is Mr. Creed and it'd take more than the actual disease to match up to him I"m afraid!" She giggled and stood up with another groan so she could get her teeth brushed. He didn't mind her slipping an arm around his waist and leaning right?

"You're the kind of good looking that just makes me smile when I see you Bill."

[no_andy_taylor]

He didn't mind at all. Nor did he mind the ego stroke from her comment.

Squeezing her hip, he leans in to press a kiss to her temple, which might put him in the way of her toothbrushing, but oh well.

"Y'ain't so bad lookin' yourself, you know."

She's caught him staring more than a couple times, so she probably knows.

[noteasytobepink]

Eh, she was an honest girl! She just tended to say what was on her mind which in his case resulted in observations of his appeal! No intentional ego stroking, honest! That could spoil him!

...

...okay, maybe a little intentional.

And she paused in brushing to lean into his kiss then leaned away enough to finish brushing without elbowing him! Priorities, priorities..."Pink grew on you?" she quipped with a grin, after rinsing. She was less skilled at talking around a toothbrush than he was! "Glad to hear I'm not so bad, your world could have standards I didn't know about and I'd hate for you to 'settle' for the alien."

[no_andy_taylor]

She was teasing, but the comment still made him frown just a bit.

Smoothing his palm along her side, he pulled back enough to look down at her.

"I'm not settlin', you know."

It was true that not so long ago he was hoping to finally have something with Starla, but he didn't want Clarice to feel like a consolation.

"I really like you, an' I want this chance t'-- t'be with you."

[noteasytobepink]

She was a consolation really. She was someone passing through, she knew that, he knew that...

...she hoped he knew that.

She liked him though.

She liked him a lot.

Honestly she might even love him a little.

"To be me with me in the bath? Of course, done," she chuckled softly, touched.

[no_andy_taylor]

"Well, no... I mean, yeah, but it ain't just that."

He was terrible at this sort of thing, obviously.

Looking at her and her expression, though, he thought maybe she did understand what he was trying to say.

"You're beautiful, an' you're kind, an' I know you could kick my ass easy, so I just wanna make sure you know I'm not playin' you." He gave her a smile to show that while part of that was in fun, he was sincere about it, too.

[noteasytobepink]

She chuckled, soft and warm, before tugging him around to lean him against the sink. That put him in a much better position to be kissed now didn't it? "You know Bill...you could 'play' me and I wouldn't mind in the least. You're too good a man to hurt those you play with." But strong enough to take a little forceful kiss now wasn't he?

[no_andy_taylor]

He wasn't expecting the turn around, and the soft grunt he gave when he hit the sink was out of surprise rather than pain.

Smiling at her actions and her words, he had nothing to say. Everything he wanted to reply with was put into returning the kiss she gave him.

One hand went to her cheek, and his arm tightened around her waist, and yeah, he could take it, and give it, too.

[noteasytobepink]

Well, she had promised him kisses once she got her teeth brushed now hadn't she? She was a woman of her word!

And for a man who'd been pining after a woman for years instead of bedding he he certainly knew how to kiss! She suspected some off the books practicing...

...that or really good instincts.

She finished the kiss by biting his lip gently and grinning. "Now that was a kiss worth a hangover! Tell me sheriff, should I get you undressed for the bath?"

[no_andy_taylor]

It was part instinct and practice. He was a confirmed bachelor, afterall, not celibate.

Of course, it had been awhile, so it might've been part eagerness, too.

Returning the grin, he lowered both hands to her waist and nodded.

"Hm, yeah, that sounds good."

He leaned in to kiss her jaw, and lowered his voice in her ear.

"An' then I can return the favor."

[noteasytobepink]

"Ah, he's a bold one," she chuckled softly and started, naturally, with the buttons on his shirt.

She liked the feel of him whispering in her ear honestly so she wasn't leaning away fro this task. Nope, she was leaning against him and going at the buttons by feel!

[no_andy_taylor]

He chuckled, and since she was staying close his lips pressed to her neck, finding that spot just beneath her ear.

"Bold? I think that's mostly you're influence."

[noteasytobepink]

"Mmmm, she noted. That was about all she could manage coherently for a moment because yeah, just under her ear! "Good influence." Totally good influence.

For her part, well, she got his shirt half unbuttoned and ran her fingers along his chest!

[no_andy_taylor]

He smiled against her skin.

"My vote goes toward 'good influence', too."

His thumb swept over her hip bone, as the trail of her fingers raised heat over his skin.

[noteasytobepink]

"Yes, good." She hummed happily, not entirely sure if she was commenting on her influence or just the situation in general. She could be easily distracted sometimes!

Hmmm, dilemma. If she finished unbuttoning his shirt he'd have to let her go to take it off his arms...but if she didn't they'd never get to the tub. Damn. Well...she could finish unbuttoning and start kissing along his neck toward his collarbone?