the_lioness | (no subject)

(no subject)

*Alanna has been staring at Thom's door for the last five minutes. Someone laughs loudly in the bar below, and the sound jars her to attention. Embarrassed, she looks up and down the hall to make sure no one saw her standing there like an idiot, then sighs and knocks.*

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

*Thom looks rather less sick than he did the last time she saw him when he opens the door but it doesn't last.*

Oh.

Are. I.

Come in.

Thank you.

*Head held high, she enters and looks around. She does not sit, mostly because she has so many layers on that she isn't entirely certain she would be able to get up again.*

It's just me, as you can see. Are you busy?

No. I'm not.

Good. *She smiles hesitantly.* I was wondering if perhaps you would like to take a walk.

. . . sure.

You'll need more clothes.

*Clearing her throat, she marches (waddles) over and grabs his hands.*

I'm not-

Adam checked. Somehow. There's no child, Thom. We're okay.

*The color comes back into Thom's face as he holds tight to her hands.*

That's good.

*He steers her towards the door* I'll make do.

Are you sure? It's quite cold out there.

*She lets him steer her for a moment, but just before they reach the door, she turns and hugs him tightly.*

Goddess, the thought of childbirth...

*His arms go around her just as fiercely and he says* I know.

I know you do.

*As her face is mostly buried in his shoulder and neck, the words are muffled. Sniffing, she decides that it probably wouldn't be wise to let on that the actual process of giving birth had been what worried her the most about the entire scenario. Avoiding his gaze, she pulls back and wraps her hand around his.*

Okay. I just wanted you to know. Let's go.

*Thom looks at her softly and tousles her hair.*

All right.

*hand firmly twined with hers, the pair go out, down and out again*

*As soon as they are outside, Alanna wonders what possessed her to suggest a walk. It's freezing. She holds her gloved hand over her nose and shivers.*

Mithros, why couldn't they set Milliways in the desert.

They probably had you in mind personally.

Point taken.

*Walking hip to hip with him, she gradually herds him toward a group of trees.*

On occasion, it reminds me of home. Trebond.

Does it?

I suppose it was cold there too.

You suppose? Don't you remember, Thom? *Halting, she turns to face him.* The Grimhold Mountains in Winter...

I do.

*Thom glances away, back at Alanna, snow in his hair.*

I didn't mind quite so much then.

Neither did I. Perhaps we still had our baby fat.

*Alanna knows she needs to ask him about Todd, but she continues to put it off, crouching down to pack snow in a tight ball.*

*He smiles and stands back*

That must have been it.

*Foolish Thom. Standing back does absolutely no good when the person throwing the snowball has exceptional aim.

Which is to say that he is now covered in snow.

Alanna giggles.*

*Thom sputters, dripping* Oh -- you --

THIS MEANS WAR.

*and ducks for a snowball of his own*

*Alanna scrambles upright and races behind a tree, hands furiously forming another snowball. This one has a rock in it.

NO, she doesn't throw it at Thom.

She does, however, throw it at the snow laden tree limb over Thom's head.*

You think to beat me, Brother?

*He yelps and covers his head just before the snow showers down on him.

And it keeps coming . . . and coming . . .

Eventually* You bastard.

If I am, then so are you!

*Snickering, she stands and moves out in the open. Thom deserves a clean shot.

She's not worried.*

*Predictably, he misses.*