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* Jewel and Angel are, for a change, getting to spend a quiet evening at home. Angel sits on the couch, feet up on the low table in front of him as he works his way through the sheaf of paperwork on his lap. Jewel sits curled up on the other end of the couch, reading her trashy novel. * Jewel stretches and puts down her book, sliding to the other end of the couch to snuggle on her husband while he reads through reports. * Jewel leans her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. * Jewel blinks and starts slightly as she catches herself falling asleep against his warmth. <Jewel> ::After the third time her head starts to nod, she smiles and rearranges herself to lay her head in his lap, twitching the tatty blanket off the back of the couch and arranging it over her legs.:: * Jewel drifts off to sleep, her head pillowed in Angel's lap, one hand resting lightly on his knee. * Jewel curls up against him, her breathing slowing and deepening as she falls deeper asleep. * Jewel stirs a little, restlessly. Her foot moves back, tugging the blanket askew. * Angel absently runs one hand through Jewel's hair. * Jewel settles a bit at his touch, tucking her chin down to her chest and quieting. <Jewel> ::after several quiet minutes, she moves again, tossing her head with a faint whimper, a frown printing a faint line between her brows:: <Angel> ::shifts his leg slightly, not enough to wake, but perhaps enough to interrupt a dream:: * Jewel moans softly and shakes her head, one hand reaching out blindly, eyes still closed. <Angel> ::puts his reports on the end table, then takes Jewel's groping hand in his:: My lady? ::he squeezes her fingers:: * Jewel mutters quietly at first, her words slurred by sleep and almost incoherent. Occasionally, recognizable words make it through as she gets louder. "...you can't... ....no, he won't--" She moans again, frowning, eyes squeezed tight. Her fingers are cold in his hand. "Dawn? ...he's gone, don't... ...stop... ...Angel, behind-- NO!" * Jewel sits up suddenly, breathing hard, eyes wide and staring. * Jewel blinks and looks around, one hand clutching the blanket white-knuckled. "Where... Bastian?" She looks around for him, her voice small like a child's. <Angel> ::blinks:: Are you well, my lady? <Jewel> I... ::suddenly sounding tired:: I think I had another nightmare. <Angel> ::concerned:: Again? <Jewel> I... ::scrubs her face with her hand, and then looks at her hand almost as if she expects to see something on it:: I... haven't been sleeping well, since you... were gone. <Angel> I hadn't been exactly unaware... but I thought you would ease. I am home now. ::looks at her:: Is it something more? <Jewel> I... don't know. ::voice shaking a little:: I don't remember much, on waking. ::pulls herself up to a more comfortable sitting position, folding one leg underneath her:: It's almost like... it feels a little like a recurring nightmare, but that could just be the... feeling they leave me with. <Jewel> ::lowering her eyes guiltily:: I'm sorry, love. You needed your sleep, I tried not to disturb you, whenever they woke me. <Angel> ::seriously:: I want to know when something is wrong, my lady. ::he touches her face:: Especially if you wake up like *this*, often. <Jewel> I... I wasn't sure they weren't just... dreams. I'm still not. ::one side of her mouth lifts ruefully:: Shame on me for calling *you* out on it... <Jewel> I thought they would go away, when you came home. There *have* been fewer. Only... ::thinks a moment:: Three... or four, I think? <Angel> That's fairly regular, love. ::tilts her chin up to look into her eyes:: <Jewel> ::sighs and meets his eyes briefly before looking away over his shoulder:: I... I *think* it might just be worry. ::wry look:: It's not been exactly peaceful for us, of late, after all, and I'm rather impressionable that way. But... ::focusing on his shoulder with a faint frown:: They're... strange. Confusing. And... and I can usually remember at least some of my nightmares. <Jewel> ::meeting his eyes again:: That's how we used to get rid of them at school, by telling them over. <Angel> ::shrugs:: I'm not an expert, but... if they bother you much, I can probably get you something to help you sleep. <Jewel> ::bites her lip:: I... I probably shouldn't. ::lightly:: The Guild doesn't have so many psionics, after all, that you can afford to have one muffle-headed. The sleeping draughts tend to do... weird things to us. <Jewel> ::off-handedly:: I was thinking, after this latest business has settled a bit, I might... go see if Lady Quick was back in town yet. It... well, I'd been thinking that it... ::meets his eyes, her own eyes worried:: It might be something new, waking in me. * Jewel lets out a breath, now that she's said it out loud. <Angel> ::raises an eyebrow:: New talents? I didn't know... ::shrugs:: As I said, I'm no expert. <Jewel> ::shakes her head:: Not *completely* new, but... new to me, at least. But it's so confused, I... well, I don't know. It *could* just be nightmares. ::rubs his arm lightly:: * Jewel looks up at him, reaching up a hand to brush a lock of hair back from his cheek. "Love? Does A-Andrial still... try to bespeak you?" <Angel> ::takes her hand and kisses her fingers:: She never did, my lady. I only... felt her. And only when we are close together. <Jewel> ::nods slowly:: W-would you mind if... I did? <Angel> ::hesitates:: Did you... want to? <Jewel> ::bites her lip and nods, slowly and carefully:: <Jewel> But... oh, love, I don't want to hurt you. If... if you don't want me to... I'll... abide. <Angel> ::makes a slight face:: I'm not *that* fragile. <Jewel> ::lowering her eyes, staring at her hand on his arm:: That's not exactly what I meant. I know you don't want me to see what you... went through. <Angel> ::sighs:: Would you? Want me to know something like that? If it happened to you? <Jewel> ::keeping her eyes lowered, her voice soft:: ...no. I... know how it would hurt you. <Angel> You don't... have to look. We could just, you know, talk? * Jewel looks up again, her eyes pleading as she nods almost pitifully eagerly. * Jewel holds her breath as her eyes lose focus, and she reaches out to touch his mind with utmost delicacy. * Angel leans back into the back of the sofa, his hand tightening over her fingers. * Jewel releases her held breath slowly and takes another, strengthening the contact, her free hand going up to touch his temple delicately. {Love.} * Angel inhales sharply, then continues, taking a deep breath before letting it out. {My lady.} <Jewel> ::her hand sliding down to cover his heart, feeling its beat as her consciousness expands within his, her touch gentle:: {Thank all the gods... are you alright? Should I stop?} <Angel> {My lady. I am not afraid *of* you, merely *for* you.} <Jewel> {Oh love... don't be. As long as you still love me, you will never hurt me. I... } ::a moment of disturbed confusion, warring emotions, quickly contained:: {I have no desire to make you relive anything attached to that pain... but... I'm jealous of Andrial, for sharing what I couldn't.} <Angel> ::shakes his head:: {Don't envy her *that.*} ::his mental voice is slightly anguished:: <Jewel> ::leaning forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders at his tone of voice, a mental wave of comfort following after, as if she could protect him from the memory with the shelter of her arms:: {I... I can't help it.} ::with a touch of maternal fierceness:: {Protecting your psyche is *my* job.} <Angel> ::opening his eyes and pressing his lips to her forehead:: {My lady... } <Jewel> ::holding him tighter:: {You're *mine,* dammit. *My* man.} ::almost as an undertone to those words, a faint echo, comes an additional thought:: {I'll kill anyone who tries to take him from me...} <Angel> ::gently running his fingers through her hair:: {No worries, my lady. You've never been far from my heart.} <Jewel> {You've never even left mine. Don't *ever* doubt that.} ::she opens her eyes and kisses him fiercely:: <Angel> ::returning her kiss:: {I don't.} <Jewel> ::with a touch of amusement:: {Well... can't hurt to make certain once in a while.} <Angel> ::pulling her closer, his arms closing around her:: {Oh. Well, we'll just have to be *very* certain, then.} <Jewel> ::faintly, Angel catches the stray worry that Andrial may be eavesdropping, followed quickly by the somewhat nasty-minded hope that she *is.*:: |
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