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

[no_andy_taylor]

He really liked that sigh.

Keeping up his actions, he tilted his head at her quizzically.

"Train me for what?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Train you?" she repeated a little blankly. "No, me! What do you think I do out in the backyard and out on my runs?!"

[no_andy_taylor]

He laughed.

"Oh, alright. I was gonna say, I'm already housebroken y'know."

Laughing again, he fingers loose strands of her hair.

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, housebroken, yes, but can you throw knives?" she teased. "See what you want to do once i get you running..." Mmmm, later though. Maybe not today at all.

[no_andy_taylor]

"Is knife throwin' gonna come up a lot in this relationship? Might be better I learn how t'duck first, if it is."

He leaned his head back against the chair, and breathed a quiet, lazy laugh.

"An' I know you're only teasin' 'bout the runnin' bit." Because she wouldn't do that to him, would she?

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, knife throwing is and important life skill," she pointed out. "And why would I throw them at you?!" Why would he need to duck? Why?! Didn't he trust her?!

"Well, running alone can get a little lonely. I can always drag one of your young deputies off and run him ragged or something..."

[no_andy_taylor]

"If you're a mountain man or magician, maybe." And since he was neither, it clearly wasn't a necessary skill.

"An' I dunno, isn't gettin' knives chucked at you part of the trainin'?" It made sense to him. At least, as much sense as knife training in the first place did.

To her suggestion, his hand stopped and an eyebrow arched.

"One of my 'young deputies'? As opposed t'the 'old sheriff', huh? I c'n run circles around any of them, make no mistake, darlin'."

[noteasytobepink]

"I'm neither and I need knife skills!" Clarice laughed. "No magic at all, and...not much time in the mountains or male. Definitely not male." So there. Knife skills were applicable elsewhere!

"And no, that's part of learning to dodge." Naturally.

"Well...I was just seeing a bit of reluctance on part of the sheriff to go running. I figure the young ones are more puppy like and will jump at the chance to run until they drop over asleep!"

[no_andy_taylor]

"Definitely not," he agreed with a leer.

"So knife throwin' is just chuckin' 'em around?" He could do that.

Probably without hurting himself.

He continued to eye her over the running comments.

"I'm only reluctant because of you leavin' so early, an' goin' so far when sleepin' seems like the better thing to be doin'. Not because I can't." Just so they were clear. (even though at this point he probably couldn't)

[noteasytobepink]

"Yes, knife throwing is just knife throwing lover. Or you can learn general throwing of sharp objects and such? But it's all about developing wrist strength, arm follow-through , and aim." She kissed his knee and grinned.

"I seem to manage just fine on the sleep I get," she pointed out. "And I'm technically an invalid. Plus isn't it a good idea for the Sheriff to know every bit of the land he protects?"

[no_andy_taylor]

"Well I already got all that." With a football, anyways.

"You think I don't know my own hometown backward an' forward?" he scoffed, a little insulted.

"I happen t'know this place from mainstreet t'the back fields an' pastures."

[noteasytobepink]

"Yeah, but can you make the right end hit things right on target?" she laughed back, because, really, why not?

"I think you haven'[t walked every inch of it recently," she kissed his knee again in an attempt to sooth. "And there may be things you don't know about. in those back fields now! Wanna go see?"

[no_andy_taylor]

"Maybe." Probably not.

"I still get around." Granted, he did most of it from his cruiser, but still. "But I might. Right now?"

Right now wasn't the best time, what with him being naked and all.

[noteasytobepink]

"Yeah, but did you know the ditch behind the red house at the edge of town has a bunny nest in it?" she grinned and licked her lips slowly. Mmmm, bunny!

"And no, not right now! We have other plans today."

[no_andy_taylor]

"You want me t'go runnin' at the crack of dawn to see bunnies?"

He eyed her, and that look, and realized this was even more sinister than he thought.

"Hey, now, I'm not goin' out there if you're just gonna eat them!" The poor little things.

Arching his back against the chair in a lazy stretch, he nodded.

"Good. Because I wouldn't want t'cancel those plans." He rather liked their plans.

[noteasytobepink]

"I haven't eaten any bunnies yet now have I?" she snorted. "But bunnies, once they get a little older, are a good test to see if I've managed to stay in shape. Plus they are good eating when you can hunt them properly." So there! She was a hunter and she ate meat just as cheerfully as she did bread and vegetables! If he couldn't deal with that...

And she could help but tease her fingers over his belly as he stretched, grinning. He was fun to watch. And fun to touch. And generally fun all around. "Good, because if you insisted I could lay off..."

[no_andy_taylor]

"No, but you got a hungry look like you wanna," he replied. "An' I know rabbit don't taste bad, but I'd still rather pay the three bucks for a burger than knock off a cute little bunny."

He might be teasing a bit, and just because she wouldn't get him out there hunting, didn't mean he really had any problem with her doing it. As long as he didn't have to see the bunny in its cute state before it was fried up.

Flinching at her touch, he put a hand over his belly protectively and laughed.

"Hey."

Giving her a grin, he shook his head.

"Ain't suggestin' that at all." Let alone insisting.

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, stuff you catch with your hands always tastes better!" she admitted without a hint of remorse. "Besides, too many bunnies in the worlds leads to bad things!" Really it did!

"Cute is for when you're not hungry. And rabbit fur makes a nice lining for boots in winter." She would totally tan a fur and add a layer of warmth to his heavy boots just you wait and see!

She trailed her fingers lazily over that protective hand and grinned. "What are you suggesting then sheriff?" she drawled.

[no_andy_taylor]

Bill made a face, showing clearly they had a disagreement there.

"My steak tastes just fine when I let the butcher do the dirty work."

He might agree with her on the too many bunnies thing, though.

"Rabbits do get up in numbers pretty quick, though."

Watching her fingers, he smirked.

"Hm, I think maybe that's up t'you." He did kind of owe her now.

[noteasytobepink]

"Obviously you've never chased down a bunny." It tasted wonderful after a foot chase so there! And if he didn't want bunny lined boots he best speak up now?

"Awww, everything has been mostly up to me..." she mock-pouted up at him. "I'm taking shameless advantage of you lover."

[no_andy_taylor]

"I've been rabbit huntin'." He never ran one down, though, so maybe that. Was the difference?

And in truth, he would appreciate the bits for those long winter days and nights when the Job had him working outside in the elements.

"Takin' advantage? I think you've been treatin' me pretty well." Which is why he'd made the offer. He wanted to know what she wanted.

"If the decision is comin' t'me, though, I'm votin' for that nap." Naked nap, and maybe they could get up to things in a bed, instead of every where else in the house.

[noteasytobepink]

"On foot? With just your hands?" she offered cheerfully. "Bet you'd love it. And you can always let them go after you catch them." If he was still suckered by the cute.

Yes, rabbit lined boots. Maybe gloves.

"Completely taking advantage of your easy going nature," she laughed and and nipped his knee. "Hmmm, nap sounds good though. It involves moving though doesn't it?"

[no_andy_taylor]

"Do I look like a fox?" Who ran down rabbits on foot? He eyed hertrying to decide if she really could.

Yeah, she actually probably could.

"If movin' is that hard I could carry you," he offered and grinned at her.

[noteasytobepink]

"Yep, totally a fox," she deadpanned. What? He was hot. He should have seen that one coming!

"Ohhh, you'd carry me to bed?" She grinned and held her arms up to him despite the fact that he hadn't stood up yet. "I'd love that."

[no_andy_taylor]

He gave her a look that was both amused and embarrassed, and left it at that.

"'Course I would." And to prove it, he bent over to take her arms, and pulled her up into his lap. What? It was halfway to standing, and then the carrying would come.