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witticasterOhgod, the second one is horrifically cheesy. I couldn't get anything done on the other ones, so I just started a bunch of new shit. Which at least is finished.
"If you'll gather up the stories, I'll take care of the breakfast dishes," Julius offered.
Kay nodded, pushing her chair back from the table. "All ri--oh." She was halfway to standing when dizziness took hold of her. Gripping the edge of the table, she paused, her eyes shut tight.
The dishes Julius had picked up returned to the table with a clatter. He set one hand on top of hers, his voice a murmur in her ear. "Kay, what's the matter?"
Gritting her teeth, she made herself straighten up and smile at him. "Just a little dizzy. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" he asked, letting go of her to return to clearing the table.
Kay took an experimental step away from the table and immediately wished she hadn't. The carpeting seemed to undulate beneath her feet, the sensation leaving her head suddenly dull and heavy. As much as she wanted to claim good health, the thought of braving the subway in this state made her stomach lurch. "No. I'm not."
Julius was at her side before she could take more than two steps, his arm circling her waist to steady her. "The bed or the settee?"
"Oh, Jules," she answered, groaning. "I can't miss work, it's the first of the month."
"If you don't answer, I'm picking you up and carrying you to bed myself."
"As though you could."
"Oh, ye of little faith," he told her, grinning. "I doubt you'd feel much better if I threw you over one shoulder like a sack of flour."
"Fine, the davenport." Kay sighed when they reached it, lying down with her head pillowed on one of the couch's arms and her legs hanging off the other. The way the world threatened to rock like a sailboat lessened some this way, though not quite enough that she thought she might try standing back up.
Julius crouched next to her. "I'll represent our tastes as best I can this morning and come home as soon as I've claimed a painting, all right?"
"All right," Kay repeated, throwing her arm over her eyes. Everything felt slightly steadier in the dark.
After a moment or two, she felt the brush of his lips against her cheek. "Then I'll make you some toast and tea, and we'll lay about the rest of the day."
"And you can show me what we've got to work with this month." Kay smiled. Much as she hated missing work--today of all days--the idea of writing from something she didn't help pick out was strangely exciting. She'd have something to look forward to this afternoon, at least. "Thanks, Jules."
"Feel better, Kay." One more kiss to her cheek, and he was gone.
-
"You want to..." Julius frowned, glancing down at Kay's stomach, as though it might have grown in the past minute. "Is that considered appropriate, dear?"
"I don't know," she answered, her hands going deftly to the buttons of his vest, "and I don't care. You want to, don't you?"
"Of course," he said, his gaze now fixed entirely on her fingers. His voice came quieter, slower. "I simply don't want to hurt you. Either of you."
Kay smiled at him, slipping the vest off his shoulders before turning to walk back to their bedroom. Over her shoulder, she answered, "Don't worry about me, Jules. Worry about whether you'll be able to keep up."
After a moment, she heard footsteps behind her, swifter than his normally were.
She grinned.
"If you'll gather up the stories, I'll take care of the breakfast dishes," Julius offered.
Kay nodded, pushing her chair back from the table. "All ri--oh." She was halfway to standing when dizziness took hold of her. Gripping the edge of the table, she paused, her eyes shut tight.
The dishes Julius had picked up returned to the table with a clatter. He set one hand on top of hers, his voice a murmur in her ear. "Kay, what's the matter?"
Gritting her teeth, she made herself straighten up and smile at him. "Just a little dizzy. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" he asked, letting go of her to return to clearing the table.
Kay took an experimental step away from the table and immediately wished she hadn't. The carpeting seemed to undulate beneath her feet, the sensation leaving her head suddenly dull and heavy. As much as she wanted to claim good health, the thought of braving the subway in this state made her stomach lurch. "No. I'm not."
Julius was at her side before she could take more than two steps, his arm circling her waist to steady her. "The bed or the settee?"
"Oh, Jules," she answered, groaning. "I can't miss work, it's the first of the month."
"If you don't answer, I'm picking you up and carrying you to bed myself."
"As though you could."
"Oh, ye of little faith," he told her, grinning. "I doubt you'd feel much better if I threw you over one shoulder like a sack of flour."
"Fine, the davenport." Kay sighed when they reached it, lying down with her head pillowed on one of the couch's arms and her legs hanging off the other. The way the world threatened to rock like a sailboat lessened some this way, though not quite enough that she thought she might try standing back up.
Julius crouched next to her. "I'll represent our tastes as best I can this morning and come home as soon as I've claimed a painting, all right?"
"All right," Kay repeated, throwing her arm over her eyes. Everything felt slightly steadier in the dark.
After a moment or two, she felt the brush of his lips against her cheek. "Then I'll make you some toast and tea, and we'll lay about the rest of the day."
"And you can show me what we've got to work with this month." Kay smiled. Much as she hated missing work--today of all days--the idea of writing from something she didn't help pick out was strangely exciting. She'd have something to look forward to this afternoon, at least. "Thanks, Jules."
"Feel better, Kay." One more kiss to her cheek, and he was gone.
-
"You want to..." Julius frowned, glancing down at Kay's stomach, as though it might have grown in the past minute. "Is that considered appropriate, dear?"
"I don't know," she answered, her hands going deftly to the buttons of his vest, "and I don't care. You want to, don't you?"
"Of course," he said, his gaze now fixed entirely on her fingers. His voice came quieter, slower. "I simply don't want to hurt you. Either of you."
Kay smiled at him, slipping the vest off his shoulders before turning to walk back to their bedroom. Over her shoulder, she answered, "Don't worry about me, Jules. Worry about whether you'll be able to keep up."
After a moment, she heard footsteps behind her, swifter than his normally were.
She grinned.
