Homecoming

[notarrowette]

[RP with mrsarcastic003, a few hours after this]

Cissie woke up for the second time Thursday morning when her alarm went off. She rolled over to her side of the bed and switched it off, bypassing the snooze button entirely. She thought briefly about getting up and going for her morning run, then grabbed her cell phone. No missed calls. No voice mails. No text messages. Ringer on high and obnoxious. Just like an hour ago. And a day ago. And every day since--and including--Saturday. She dropped the phone back on the nightstand and looked up at the ceiling for a few minutes. She should get up. Probably. But she was tired--she hadn't been sleeping well--and she didn't have anywhere she needed to be. So she rolled back over to Tim's side of the bed, huddled under the covers once more and hugged his pillow to her. She buried her face in it and drifted back to sleep for a few more hours.

Comments

[mrsarcastic003]

Tim came into the apartment quietly, setting his bag down near the door. He'd unpack later, but... it had been a frustrating few days, and right now, he just wanted to see Cissie. Seeing her always put him in a better mood, and--he had missed her.

There wasn't any sound of movement in the apartment, so he headed toward their bedroom. Maybe she was still asleep. When he opened the door, he smiled. She was in bed, with the blankets pulled up around her chin, wrapped around his pillow. He lay down next to her, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close and pressing his nose into her hair. He took a deep breath, feeling some of the tension start to ease out of him.

"I love you," he whispered.

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Cissie was used to Tim climbing into bed with her like this--like he did when she fell asleep before he made it to bed, which was most nights. So she didn't wake up in a panic, but settled back against him with a sigh, half asleep. "Tim?" she murmured. She reached up and rubbed at her eyes, then twisted to look at him. "You're here?"

[mrsarcastic003]

"Yeah," he said, smoothing her hair out of her eyes. "I'm here. Sleep well?"

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

She blinked at him, then reached up to touch his face. "You are here." She smiled, and wrapped her arms around him. "Hi. I missed you."

[mrsarcastic003]

"Missed you too," he murmured, kissing her forehead. He ran his hands lightly over her back, then pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm glad to be home."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Cissie held onto him tightly, pressing close and taking a few deep breaths. He was home, and in one piece--as far as she could tell. She hid her face against his shoulder and took a moment before speaking. "I'm glad you're home too. I--" She stopped, because she didn't want to say she'd been worried, even if he would probably know that's what she wasn't saying. Instead, she asked, "How did it go?"

[mrsarcastic003]

He let out a frustrated sigh, and started stroking her hair down her back. "Not very well," he admitted. "The trip... was pretty much a complete waste, as far as finding Bruce went. I rescued a kidnapped girl, though, so--that was something." He wrapped his arms tighter around her.

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Cissie curled closer and pressed her lips against his neck in a kiss. "That is definitely something," she said softly. She exhaled slowly, letting go of some of the tension she'd been carrying, and rubbed her hand over his back gently. "I'm sorry it wasn't what you hoped, though. You didn't have any luck?"

[mrsarcastic003]

He shook his head, sighing again. "No, not really. There... might be something in France, but--it's a big country. I'd like to narrow things down before I actually head out there." He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. "How was your weekend--and your week?"

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

France. Which meant another trip overseas. Possibly soon. Unconsciously, Cissie tightened her hold on Tim and was quiet for a moment, collecting herself and her thoughts. "That's a good idea." She jerked a shoulder in a small, awkward shrug. "It was--fine. Pretty quiet. Kon came over a few times. He has presents for you."

[mrsarcastic003]

He shifted her a little so that she could lie more comfortably against him. "Yeah, he mentioned that. I'm glad he came to see you, though. Must have been pretty quiet around here."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

She curled against him and settled her head against his chest so she could hear his heart beating under her ear. She let out a soft exhale, really relaxing for the first time since he'd left. "It was, yeah. Grayson's not much of a talker, but he's not bad company. He missed you too."

[mrsarcastic003]

Tim stroked her hair, pushing it away from her face, and tucking the long strands behind her ear. "I'm sorry. Where is the little monster, anyway?"

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Cissie hummed a little, happily, at the feel of his fingers in her hair. "He's around--he was here when I fell asleep. He might be up in the Secret Lair. He likes it up there."

[mrsarcastic003]

"My cat has good taste." He kissed the top of her head and ran his fingertips down her back from her hair and then back up again. "So what do you think the chances are of us getting to stay in bed for the whole rest of the day?"

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"Hmm, he does. He likes it up there because it's your space. He likes to sleep in your computer chair." Cissie turned her head and rubbed her nose against his chest. "I think the chances are excellent, provided no one else knows you're back yet. Everyone will want to see you."

She lifted her head to prop her chin against his chest and better look at him. "I really missed you," she said quietly. "I'm sorry it didn't go well--but I'm so glad you're home."

[mrsarcastic003]

"I missed you too," he murmured, brushing the backs of his fingers over her cheek. "It was a long few days." He bent a little to kiss her

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"Hmm, it was." She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes to just savor the fact that he was there. Then he was kissing her, and she couldn't help smiling into the kiss and pulling him closer. When they broke apart, she rubbed noses with him and teased, "How much did you miss me? Did you pine for me?"

I pined for you she nearly said--but didn't, because it was almost too close to being the truth.

[mrsarcastic003]

"I pined," he said solemnly, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone. "I missed you the entire time, and I came back as soon as I exhausted my leads in Madrid. I missed you every night, when you weren't in bed for me to cuddle with, and every morning, when I didn't wake up beside you."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

Cissie smiled, relieved and happy. She turned her head to kiss the palm of his hand. "I've been spoiled, since we moved here. I've gotten used to seeing you all the time, whenever I want." She leaned in to kiss him and whispered, "This bed's awfully big for one person. And your cat."

[mrsarcastic003]

"I don't know," Tim said, smiling a little. "Grayson tends to take up a lot of space when he has the chance to spread out. He must have loved all the extra room on the bed." He pushed his fingers into her hair and turned her face up toward his. "But I missed seeing you, too. It's hard being gone, after all this time together."

[cisskabob.livejournal.com]

"With all that space, you'd think he would sleep somewhere other than on my head," she said wryly, but smiled at him. "It's hard having you gone," she admitted. "But I'm really glad you're home now, at least for a little while." She bit her lip. "You don't have to leave right away, do you?"