(no subject)

[bloodyrockgod]

Charlie is in the room when Claire comes up, listening to his iPod and looking through his oldest notebook. He puts both aside when she comes in and smiles. "Hey, stranger."

Comments

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

"Oh, excuse me." She teases when she sees him, making a show of looking at the room number. "I think I have the wrong room. Mine's usually empty."

She smiles at him, one hand rubbing her back as she approaches the bed. She sits gingerly, wincing slightly.

"I'm large." She says, matter-of-factly.

[bloodyrockgod]

"Yes, you are," he says, also matter-of-factly. "Here--lie down and I'll rub your back. Or your feet. Whichever hurts most gets treated first." He makes a show of cracking his knuckles.

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

"Charlie. You don't have to," She says lying back on her back and kicking her slippers off anyway.

"I think people are scared to talk to me because of--" She gestures to her stomach. "Ya know."

[bloodyrockgod]

"I'm offering," he says simply and moves to the foot of the bed so he can take her foot in his hands. He begins rubbing the arch gently with his thumbs.

"Same thing as back on the island, do you think? Scary responsibility?"

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

Her knee jerks as his hands massage her foot. She's the slightest bit ticklish, but thinks that information in Charlie's hands might be dangerous.

"Nobody wants to be the one to have to deliver it." She sighs, but her eyes twinkle. "It has been sort of fun watching people's reactions. Not many people here seem to know much about babies."

[bloodyrockgod]

"Not many babies around to know." He gentles his touch even further, concentrating on her toes. "I thought you said you'd found someone to help you."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yeah, I did. Eska." She wiggles her toes reflexively. "And I've talked to Snow some. She has twins."

Charlie's touch begins to relax her and she hums happily. "Do you think the House of Arch is as safe as Milliways?"

[bloodyrockgod]

"I don't know much about it. I know Tom and Ingress live there, and Tom's engaged to Lady Door who--I guess--owns it, but I don't think I've ever met her. A lot of children seem to live there. They seem to take in whatever strays come 'round." He smiles at her. "Thinking of abandoning this splendor for the House of Arch, then?"

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She shrugs. "I don't know. I definitely don't want to if it's not as safe there. But really I was just wondering about the nursery. If the baby is going to be there while I'm working, it has to be safe." She nods, biting her lip.


"I don't have anything for the baby, Charlie."

[bloodyrockgod]

"I think people can only go into the House of Arch if they've been allowed in by Lady Door." His eyes are very serious when he says, "No one will let anyone hurt the baby, Claire.

"We'll get things when the bar's better. Or ask around if anyone has anything they can donate, or I can have Richard buy some things in New Orleans or someplace. Have you met Richard? He's . . . I'm not sure what the word is, but he can go anywhere if he's got a token to get there." He frowns. "Something like that. No door is closed to him, basically."

He picks up the other foot.

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She looks relieved. "Good. That's very good."

Peering at him almost shyly, she asks, "How have you been the past few days, Charlie?"

[bloodyrockgod]

He starts to shrug noncommitally, then glances at her and says quietly, "Better. Talked to people . . . made up with Liam. We had a bit of a row when I first got back and I said some things I shouldn't've, but I think we're okay now.

"I miss Bartleby a lot but I've been reminded how much love I've got in my life. It's nice. It's . . . incredible."

He says more briskly, "And you, little woman? Looking after yourself?"

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She smiles at him. "I've had the pleasure of telling several people you're alive, and I can say that you are very loved here.

I'm okay. I've been sleeping a lot. He's less active then. Usually."

She frowns slightly, and ducks her head so he won't notice.

[bloodyrockgod]

"That's cool," he murmurs, blushing a bit. "That's . . . yeah."

He glances at her again. "I have no idea if that's a good thing or bad, how active he is. Haven't known many pregnant women aside from you and my sister-in-law."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

Claire shrugs. "I guess he's just telling me he wants out soon. Really, really soon."

She looks at Charlie, watching him rub her feet.

"You do seem to be a bit happier today," she muses.

[bloodyrockgod]

"I don't know about happier. Just--" He exhales. "Accepting."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She nods, letting them sink into quiet for a moment.


"Charlie, can I ask you something?"

[bloodyrockgod]

"Always."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She looks down at her belly nervously, and her toes wiggle.


"Why do you want to take care of us?"


She words the question carefully, hoping to not upset him. It's an honest question.

[bloodyrockgod]

His fingers pause in rubbing her toes, but just for a moment.

He says quietly, "I don't know. I just do."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She nods, swallowing her nervousness. She wants to tell him that she is glad he wants to, but she doesn't.


"Just. . .you know. I know on the island it was different. Here though. . .if you didn't want to. We'd be okay."

She tries to smile at him reassuringly.

[bloodyrockgod]

"Why is it different? It's easier for you here, certainly--not having to trek for fresh water and an actual bed to sleep on--

"Oh." He puzzles a moment, tyring to find the words, then goes for simplicity. "Claire. I do love you, you know. Not the same way I love Bartleby, but I do love you. You're my sweet Claire."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She says quietly, and her emotions might be difficult to read, because she's a bit overwhelmed.

[bloodyrockgod]

"Was that the wrong thing? That was the wrong thing, wasn't it. I'm sorry. I just--I mean--you're like a candle on a dark night. If I may be so sentimental. You're like a center.

"I want to take care of you because it feels good to be around you." He looks a little overwhelmed himself, like he's just realized it. Probably because he has.

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She shakes her head throughout his ramble and laughs. "No, it wasn't the wrong thing, Charlie."

She looks down shyly.

--and then back up at him--

[bloodyrockgod]

He smiles with some uncertainty and says, "Would you like me to rub your back now?"

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

That strange, awkward feeling is still there and she smiles, blushing.

"Okay, Charlie." She rolls to her side and then sits up, her bare legs dangling off the bed.


"Thank you." She says simply, peering at him over her shoulder.

[bloodyrockgod]

"Welcome." He sits behind her, legs framing hers, and goes to work on her lower back.

"Ever heard of a fluffy cloud?"

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

"Tell me." She laughs as her sore muscles are kneeded away.

[bloodyrockgod]

"It's kind of a mental massage along with a physical one. Here, lie down on your side--here's a pillow for your tummy--and tell where your favorite place in the world is."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She does as she's told, settling down on the bed awkwardly.

"Um, I always wanted to go to Italy." She says quietly.

[bloodyrockgod]

"Mm, I love Italy. Rome. I love Rome." His hands are gentle and his fingers dexterous as he focuses on the base of her spine. "We recorded an album there a few years ago--the one that flopped, unfortunately--but the city was wonderful. There was a cafe down the street from the building we'd rented for the band, and I used to spend afternoons drinking coffee and watching the world go by." He chuckles. "There's a statue--I don't know if this is a true legend or just a movie thing--where supposedly if you stick your hand in the statue's mouth it'll bite it off if you tell lies. Liam's got a picture of me standing next to it with my hand pulled inside my sleeve so it looks like the statue bit it off. His idea.

"We spent a week touring Tuscany, too--Liam wanted to see it so we ditched the studio for a while--and it was so lovely. Green and purple and golden. Big clear skies, lots of flowers, perfect still lakes . . . sometimes we'd come across ruins, all overgrown with ivy and morning glories."

[ooc: no problem. I'm leaving in two hours for a dr's appointment though, and won't be back for a while.]

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She has her eyes closed, and she can picture his words, can see the places he's describing as he manipulates the tautness out of her back.

"Have you ever been to Venice?"

[bloodyrockgod]

"No . . . missed Venice. Florence, too. Next time.

"All right . . . what I want you to do is imagine you're lying in a meadow in Tuscany. There's lavendar growing in the tall grass, so the air is sweet and mellow. There's a faint breeze stirring the flowers. The sun is soft and warm."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She pictures herself there, in the meadow her bare arms and legs warm in the sun. Safe.

She hums softly at the feeling.

[bloodyrockgod]

He smiles and moves his hands up to her shoulderblades. "Maybe in the distance you can hear church bells ringing, and crickets chirring in the grass. Other than that, it's so quiet you can hear your heart beating, your own breathing. It's peaceful. You're perfectly content."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

"Mm." She smiles, her body pliant in his hands.

In the meadow, a dandelion tickles her knee but she is too lazy to move.

[bloodyrockgod]

"And as you lie there you feel light--not just the warmth of the sun, not just the brightness of the sunshine, but light throughout your body, like it's entering you and bathing you and shining through you. Gentle as fingers in your hair." He demonstrates.

"And it lifts you from the ground and embraces you like a fluffy cloud."

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She does feel light. Not bothered by the cumbersomeness of her belly, or the constant little stresses her body feels since she's been pregnant. She is in the cloud, happy, warm. Waiting.

[bloodyrockgod]

He trails his fingers down her spine. Admittedly, this is usually the part where clothes start coming off, but Claire's not his. So very not his.

He kisses the back of her neck and whispers, "Sleepy?"


[ooc: time for me to run, see ya later :)]

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She shivers slightly and hums again. Easing onto her back carefully, she peers at him through heavy lashes. Sleepy. Yes.

Safe with Charlie.

[bloodyrockgod]

He smiles at her uncertainly and pulls up the duvet to tuck it around her. He kisses her forehead and gets off the bed, to get his sweatpants and t-shirt from the dresser and go into the bathroom to change.

He comes back in a few mintues, turns off the light and crawls into bed beside her. His hand squeezes hers for a moment.

[sendpeanutbtr.livejournal.com]

She is in that hazy place between sleep and waking, but she feels his hand on hers and she smiles.

"G'ni," she murmurs, asleep before she can finish the word.

[bloodyrockgod]

"Good night," he answers quietly and wills himself to sleep.