\u201cThom?\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned toward the sound of her voice and managed to smile\u2014it didn\u2019t take much trying.\u00a0 \u201cMorning, Mar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got that look,\u201d Marin said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIs it the fact that you\u2019re expecting an attack inside of the next eighteen hours, or is it something else that I should know about?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMore the former than the latter,\u201d he said, abandoning his half-washed breakfast dishes and sliding soapy hands around her waist.\u00a0 She leaned into his chest, closing her eyes for a moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there is<\/i> something else bothering you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne or two things,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not pregnant, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
She stood there in shocked silence, blinking at him for a few moments before she asked, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He ducked his head slightly, looking away as he felt his cheeks get hot.\u00a0 There\u2019s no reason that broaching this particular subject should be so bloody uncomfortable.<\/i><\/p>\n
It momentarily occurred to him that he wasn\u2019t anywhere near ready to be building any cribs or dealing with midnight feedings, though\u2014and neither was anyone else, even with Tala already pregnant, and now Neve, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just\u2014Phelan asked,\u201d Thom said, still unable to meet her gaze.\u00a0 \u201cI said that you weren\u2019t, but I realized that I really didn\u2019t know<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marin frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWhy would he ask that?\u00a0 Wait, don\u2019t answer that.\u201d\u00a0 She pinched the bridge of her nose.\u00a0 \u201cThis has to do with all of that Taliesin and prophecy stuff, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably,\u201d Thom said, then sighed quietly, resting his forehead against hers.\u00a0 \u201cNeve\u2019s pregnant, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marin frowned.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does that have to do with us, Thom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know and I honestly didn\u2019t ask.\u201d\u00a0 He barely managed to suppress a shiver.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think I want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sighed and rested her forehead against his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t blame you.\u201d\u00a0 She straightened after a few moments, looking at him with a faint smile.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, I didn\u2019t come looking for you to get grilled about the consequences of our love life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t actually answer the question, either,\u201d Thom said.\u00a0 She\u2019s being evasive.\u00a0 That can\u2019t be good.<\/i><\/p>\n
There must have been something close to fear in his eyes, because she laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I am, I don\u2019t know it,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cHonestly, with all the stress and insanity, I\u2019d be surprised if it happens anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thom nodded, surprised at the sudden regret that replaced the fear that had coiled in his belly.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s right, though.\u00a0 We can\u2019t handle kids right now.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be lucky to handle what\u2019s already coming.<\/i><\/p>\n
Like Cariocecus tomorrow.\u00a0 The Hecate after that and whatever comes after her.<\/i>\u00a0 He closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease tell me that you\u2019re going to grab some sleep today,\u201d Marin said softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that why you were looking for me?\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m pretty transparent when it comes to that kind of thing, aren\u2019t I?\u201d\u00a0 Her smile faded.\u00a0 \u201cThom, I know for a fact that you barely slept last night and you\u2019re not going to sleep tonight because you\u2019re sure we\u2019re going to get attacked as soon as today becomes tomorrow.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got to get some sleep, though.\u00a0 I don\u2019t care what it takes to get you to do it, but you\u2019re going to do it.\u00a0 You\u2019re no good to anyone if you\u2019re exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s too much to do, Mar,\u201d he said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t sack out now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo hours isn\u2019t going to kill us,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s all I\u2019m asking for.\u00a0 We can handle the prep for two hours without you.\u00a0 It\u2019s not like I\u2019m asking you to pass out for six or eight hours.\u201d\u00a0 Her arms tightened slightly around him.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want you getting ready to face Cariocecus and his army and feeling like you\u2019re ready to drop from exhaustion.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want that.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes slid shut for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re really worried, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re my husband and I love you,\u201d Marin said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cAnd he\u2019s gunning like crazy for the two of us, though I\u2019ll be damned if I know why.\u00a0 We need to be at the top of our games, and if you don\u2019t get some sleep, you\u2019re not going to be.\u00a0 So please, go sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cDo something for me, though.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSnag Rory when you go to walk the wards,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI know you\u2019re going to do it while I\u2019m asleep.\u00a0 Don\u2019t do it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t need a babysitter,\u201d Marin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not,\u201d Thom said.\u00a0 \u201cJust backup.\u00a0 If I\u2019m going to go get some sleep for you, at least do this for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a moment\u2019s hesitation, she nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAll right. I can do that for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d Thom said.\u00a0 He kissed her gently, squeezed her against his chest for a moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you going to go to sleep now?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter I do the dishes,\u201d he said with a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cI promised Tala, and I don\u2019t want to be on the receiving end of our pregnant chef\u2019s temper.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019d take that sword of yours and stick it in you,\u201d Marin said, grinning.\u00a0 \u201cAll right.\u00a0 Do the dishes.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not in bed in twenty minutes, though, you\u2019re going to answer to me for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He almost<\/i> looked forward to getting punished for disobeying, but the weight of her worry stilled his tongue.\u00a0 He\u2019d be in bed in twenty minutes, if only to make her happy.\u00a0 She was right, after all. Exhausted, he wasn\u2019t going to be of any use to anyone\u2014and if they were going to make it through to the day after tomorrow, he was going to need to be at the top of his game.<\/p>\n
Just like everyone else.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cThom?\u201d He turned toward the sound of her voice and managed to smile\u2014it didn\u2019t take much trying.\u00a0 \u201cMorning, Mar.\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ve got that look,\u201d Marin said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cIs it the fact that you\u2019re expecting an attack inside of the next eighteen … Continue reading