Snowbound

[livingmyths]

When: Late Monday night as the blizzard starts
Rating: It's Arthur and Rain so probably no more than PG-13.
Characters; Arthur pratful and Rain livingmyths
Summary: Rain and Arthur get snowbound together in her tiny house
Log:

It had been snowing lightly, so Arthur, being Arthur had insisted on walking Rain home to make sure she got there safely. Now that the ghouls were all safely elsewhere she felt safe going back to her little house in the woods.

Of course once he was there she had to show him around - the tiny bedroom tucked off to the right, the bathroom with the huge tub set deep into the floor tucked off to the left, the clear roof and front and her favorite place to curl up in the sun on a nice day.



And there was some talking and a bite to eat made so he wouldn't have to walk home hungry and perhaps parts of a video watched - to make sure Rain was all settled in - and by then...

Comments

[livingmyths]

Rain looked up and out the clear front into the darkness. "Uh oh."

She moved to all but press her nose up against it, staring into the white-out of a full-fledged blizzard.

"Arthur? I don't think you can go home."

[pratful]

He looked up from the VCR movie player, mouth already set in a firm line from trying to puzzle out how Rain had worked it earlier. Truly, he just wanted to put the movie away and maybe linger over coffee and then head on home before night fell --

Oh.

Well that explained a few things.

Dusting his hands and getting back to his feet, he joined Rain at the window. "I probably shouldn't, no." Although Merlin would certainly have a field day with this. It hadn't been snowing that badly when he left the house that afternoon after all.

[livingmyths]

Rain turned and smiled at him. "That's okay. You can stay here with me. There's plenty of room in the bed. Even if you don't want to snuggle."

Oh, the innocence of someone who still didn't associate beds necessarily with sex. (She still went to bed fully clothed after all.) But one who definitely loved cuddling and was very hopeful.

[pratful]

He was distracted by her smile. After that kiss, it truly was easy to get lost in it, the innocence, the sheer joy. It made him want to ki--

Wait.

"Snuggle?" He raised an eyebrow. He may have adapted fairly well to the City, but, on occasion, it still threw him a few lopsided obstacles from time to time. Such as this... snuggles, thing.

[livingmyths]

Her eyes widened. "You don't know what that is? Oh, Arthur!"

If allowed she'd happily pull him over to the couch - be grateful she wasn't attempting to drag him towards the bed - and he could well end up with an armful of warm snuggling Rain.

"But it's the most wonderful thing! Especially on a cold snowy night like this, probably. You just curl up together all nice and warm and you feel happy and content and, oh just everything!"

And very kissable. You feel very kissable.

[pratful]

He laughed as he was pulled because Rain's moods are forever infectious.

"And how would I know? This isn't exactly a thing you do in public." And in fact, he's never quite done it before either. At least not that he could remember. There were rules he was supposed to follow after all and a maiden's honor to protect.

He could ill afford to leave an illegitimate heir running underfoot. Not without begetting an official one first.

But he sat on the couch and watched her demonstrate, gently laying an arm around her shoulders while he kept the other loose at his side. It was warm and comfy and it did make him feel happy. He could get use to this. Really get used to this.

[livingmyths]

"You can do it in public too," Rain assured him. "If you want."

She nestled in, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him with a contented sigh. "See... isn't this nice? You can even sleep this way. It makes you feel all safe and comfortable and happy.""

[pratful]

You mean where Merlin can see? Blasphemous.

"I'll keep that in mind." His lips curl up in a smile as he let her sink into position, letting hands and arms fall where they may. Truly this was comfortable and... "You forgot to mention exceedingly warm. Where do you put all that heat?"

Although she was not so much warm as fragile. Like this, pressed up close to each other, all he wanted was to protect that fragile sense of innocence she showed. She was perfect, in every sense that counted, at least to him.

[livingmyths]

"Arthur?" Rain looked up at him uncertainly and then down again quickly, still snuggled in close. It was easy not to look right at someone when your head was resting om their shoulder.

"I wondered... That day... when you kissed me..."

She was glad she couldn't quite manage to meet his eyes.

"Was it... Did you want to kiss me? Or was it just because of the curse?"

[pratful]

His stomach dropped from underneath him and his face turned hot and red. He was glad she wasn't looking at him because he was certain he'd have pulled away out of sheer mortification. As it was, his entire body tensed under the question, and he shifted, briefly, under both her weight and the weight of her question.

This was not how he'd planned to spend the evening. And he could hardly blame her for the asking.

After another moment, and a brief clearing of his voice to keep the croak out of his voice, he managed to force out a few words, stalling words. Necessary words.

"I--That's... Does it really matter? You enjoyed it... didn't you?"

But of course it mattered, everything mattered. And her answer made Arthur hold his breath in sheer hope that, maybe, possibly...

[livingmyths]

Rain could feel his discomfort and it made her a little sick to her stomach. She knew she shouldn't have asked. He was a prince and she was just a nobody. She should move away, but she couldn't quite make herself.

"I..." She tried to make herself smile and speak easily as if it didn't matter, but both probably ended up being a little wibbly. "No, I guess... I guess not really..."

"But it was..." Here she couldn't help but smile shyly again, as the memory of the kiss filled her again. "It was, well, the most wonderful thing ever. I was ever so very happy."

If he looked down he'd see just how much her cheeks had flushed from the memory and shyness.

1/2

[pratful]

'not really?'

Oh not fair, not fair at all. That admission is enough to throw his thoughts into turmoil as he relives every second of that kiss. If only he'd done something different, if he could have read her a tiny bit better or...

He wasn't that bad of a kisser, was he?

...

... ...

Oh. No, wait. She spoke on! Self-esteem restored. Arrogance, resume. Mission. ACCOMPLISHED. Erk, moving on, yes? Now where were they...?

[pratful]

Most wonderful thing, eh? [ the grin that blossoms on his face despite the brief spell of self-pity and doubt is practically enough to light up the whole stupid room. ] Well I have to say I rather enjoyed it myself. You're the only girl that whole day that I can honestly say that to.

[livingmyths]

She looked up at him, eyes wide. "Really? You did? I am?"

And there was that shyly happy smile again.

[pratful]

He nodded, slowly and then simply gathered her up a little closer. If he stared too long into that smile, he wasn't so sure he could stop himself from kissing her again.

And that could be dangerous.

"You are. Now just be quiet and rest." He smiled a little lopsidedly into her hair. "It's not as though I can go anywhere." And truth be told, he had no desire to leave. It was a sentiment he'd have to pay better attention to in the morning, but for now, he'd much rather just relax and enjoy the moment.

Here.

With Rain and all the silence that freshly fallen snow can muster.

[livingmyths]

Rain snuggled into him happily. He was warm and he smelled good and she felt ever so very safe when she was with him. She closed her eyes and just was there with him.

But this was Rain, so before long, there was her quiet voice again. "Arthur?"

[pratful]

"Hmmm?" He was half asleep himself, warmed by the fire and warmed by the press of Rain against his side. He may have absentmindedly been running his fingers through her hair too as he sat there and thought, letting his mind wander to all the things he had dreamt of, of all the things he had never dared hope for.

It was nice, remembering how to dream.

[livingmyths]

"You can kiss me again if you want. Whenever you want."

She wasn't pushing anything, wasn't doing anything besides quietly murmuring and letting him play with her hair.

[pratful]

His heart did a tumble at that suggestion, and his laugh comes out more like a wheeze as took a quick glance at Rain's face.

"I can, can I?"

That could open the floodgates, start an avalanche. It was scary and terrifying and wonderful all at once. Could he really go down this road again? Did he want to?

[livingmyths]

She nodded, her face open and trusting and loving.

"Mmmhmmm. You can. I liked it a lot."

He could do anything he wanted to her.

[pratful]

"So you only liked the kissing part?" His tone is amused but there is another part of him that is full if doubt. What if that was all she liked? What if she didn't actually like him? What if she didn't even know what liking truly was?

She was so transient, elusive. He needed more then wind. He needed roots.

[livingmyths]

"Only?" Rain looked up at him and giggled. "Arthur. You're being silly. I like everything about you. All of you and everything you do and being with you and seeing you and holding your hand and snuggling and just everything!"

"I like the kissing because..." and here she bit her lip and got a little shy. "Because, well, it feels really good, of course, and it leads to other wonderful things, but mostly because it lets me be so close to you and to feel like maybe you like me as much as I like you."

"Which is a whole great big of a lot."