Six Days, Sixteen Hours
beds
A clatter of keys and some muffled giggles (thought appropriate for the late hour) and Erin and Frank stumbled into her apartment. The semi-darkness made them stumble over stray boxes still to be unpacked, thus making them giggle more. Frank pushed the door shut with a sharp click, and felt for Erin's hand blindly. Her fingers found his first and with more caution they proceeded through the room.
"Have you got no lightswitches?" He asked, following her lead.
"Course. But it wouldn't be as fun as this."
He huffed. "But you could like stumble and fall or something.."
"Ssh. Don't bring me bad luck!"
"I'm just trying to be-"
With a slight push he fell back onto cold sheets and a hard mattress. "..This thing is like a rock." he commented.
"Yeah, I like sleeping on my boulder."
"You're a lizard."
She laughed and fell on the bed beside him. "It'll get better, it just needs to be used a bit.."
Frank lay mute in unspoken thoughts, which forced Erin to specify, "No Frank, I mean mainly sleeping."
"Well, I was thinking of something a bit more fun.."
"Yes, I know wha-"
"Bouncing, climbing inside duvets, pillow whacking,building forts...My mind isn't completely perverted, you know."
She laughed again, "Ok, I stand corrected. But remember I am over 4 months preggers, so don't expect much bed bouncing from me."
"Fine, we'll go for duvet snuggling. Get up for a sec.." She did, and with a bit of fumbling he managed to find the bottom of the quilt and tug it open. With a bit of encouragement Erin crawled inside it after him, and they sat in it, like an odd,warm tent.
"I used to do this when I was tiny," She admitted. "haven't done it since.."
"Neither have I.." He admitted. "urm..I think we are both just a little too big to fit in here much longer."
"Both size and age wise," she grinned, "But just two more minuites.." she leaned forwards and found his lips. They slipped into one another's arms in the tights space that the duvet case offered, and soon found themselves slipping to one side. She tried to stifle a laugh, but ended up snorting as they slided slowly off the mattress.
"Urgh, couldn't you just have-"
"Frank watch where you're-"
"Ow! I think you just broke my toe-"
"Baby's fault."
"Yeah right. My four month old son just kneeled on my right foot, did he?"
"Less of the bickering, more of the getting up and getting us out of this thing!" With a slight scramble they managed to extricate themselves from the quilt, and still giggling and dressed, decided that the safest way was simply to lie beneath it. After several adjustments they lulled into a tired silence, which Erin broke with a quiet voice:
"Frank, how long are you staying?"
"Until I have to."
"Don't use the word 'have'..remember I'm not making you stay."
"Okay, need to,then."
"Until he's born?"
"Even longer. I'm not keen to get back to Jersey,anyway."
She paused a moment. "So..are you guys like, going to stay in a hotel 'til then?.."
"We haven't really talked about it yet..I imagine they'll probably go back. Gee might stay.."
"Stay with me."
"Of course I will." He leaned in to kiss her forehead.
"No,no, I mean, stay in the house with me, live here.." She hesitated for a reaction, and decided to add to it, "I mean, not necessarily live,just to stay, instead of staying a hotel..it would make more sense,wouldn't it?"
"Umm,yeah, but is there enough space?"
"'course there is, plenty, can't you see?"
"Well actually no.." he looked around the dark room, "..but I'm sure I will by day."
She grinned, and then yawned enourmously. "I'm sleepy.."
"Then sleep.."
"Hang on.." she fumbled a bit under the covers, and threw a bundle onto the floor. She then curled up by his side, and with another yawn and a 'goodnight', she was asleep.
***
Morning came (even too soon, as it often does) and it brought a chocolate-curly-haired girl with it, with pale skin and soft brown eyes. She nudged Erin, and eyed the Frank lieying next to her.
"erinnn.." she whispered urgently. WIth several grunts and more whispers, Erin was finally awake.
"My God, Vic, what the hell?" she mumbled sleepily.
"what the hell you?!" she whispered ferociously back, "who the hell is this? I can't believe you're still picking random guys, being pregnant and all that."
Erin sat up and rubbed her eyes, leaing on her elbow she looked down at the gaping, crumpled, sleeping figure that was Frank, lying next to her.
"Oh, I wondered who you were talking about just then."
"Bloody hell, how drunk were you?! you are never going out again, without my permission."
Frank stirred, and frowning mumbled, "who..drunk?"
Victoria rolled her eyes. "Thick, too. Great Erin, fucking A."
"Oh shut it, it's Frank, you muppet."
Victoria frowned for a moment and then her eyes widened in realisation. "The Frank?"
"Yayy, I'm famous.." he slurred, still half asleep.
"Yes hun, whatever, " said Erin, turning to her friend, "what are you doing here,anyway?"
"Me? I brought breakfast, " she held up a plastic carrier bag, "'cos afterwards I thought we could do some shopping. I need something to wear!"
"Date?" grinned Erin.
And as Victoria and Erin babbled on about the stuff Frank couldn't care less about, he found himself drifting off to sleep again.
He didn't wake until a while later, to sun streaming across the stripy sheets of the big bedroom. He blinked a few times, bringing objects into focus, and realised suddenly that he was alone in the room. He sat up immedaitely, and then vaguely remember another girl, with curly hair...he looked around for clues, and saw a folded sheet of paper next to him. Sitting up a bit straighter he unfolded it, and read:
Gone shopping, no big thing -
sleepsleepsleep! I'll be back 'bout noon.
I love you.
x
Frank reread it, and then placed it back on the pillow. He took in the room a bit, and then decided he'd use her shower.
What a different day it would be, compared to so many past ones of so much longing.
"Have you got no lightswitches?" He asked, following her lead.
"Course. But it wouldn't be as fun as this."
He huffed. "But you could like stumble and fall or something.."
"Ssh. Don't bring me bad luck!"
"I'm just trying to be-"
With a slight push he fell back onto cold sheets and a hard mattress. "..This thing is like a rock." he commented.
"Yeah, I like sleeping on my boulder."
"You're a lizard."
She laughed and fell on the bed beside him. "It'll get better, it just needs to be used a bit.."
Frank lay mute in unspoken thoughts, which forced Erin to specify, "No Frank, I mean mainly sleeping."
"Well, I was thinking of something a bit more fun.."
"Yes, I know wha-"
"Bouncing, climbing inside duvets, pillow whacking,building forts...My mind isn't completely perverted, you know."
She laughed again, "Ok, I stand corrected. But remember I am over 4 months preggers, so don't expect much bed bouncing from me."
"Fine, we'll go for duvet snuggling. Get up for a sec.." She did, and with a bit of fumbling he managed to find the bottom of the quilt and tug it open. With a bit of encouragement Erin crawled inside it after him, and they sat in it, like an odd,warm tent.
"I used to do this when I was tiny," She admitted. "haven't done it since.."
"Neither have I.." He admitted. "urm..I think we are both just a little too big to fit in here much longer."
"Both size and age wise," she grinned, "But just two more minuites.." she leaned forwards and found his lips. They slipped into one another's arms in the tights space that the duvet case offered, and soon found themselves slipping to one side. She tried to stifle a laugh, but ended up snorting as they slided slowly off the mattress.
"Urgh, couldn't you just have-"
"Frank watch where you're-"
"Ow! I think you just broke my toe-"
"Baby's fault."
"Yeah right. My four month old son just kneeled on my right foot, did he?"
"Less of the bickering, more of the getting up and getting us out of this thing!" With a slight scramble they managed to extricate themselves from the quilt, and still giggling and dressed, decided that the safest way was simply to lie beneath it. After several adjustments they lulled into a tired silence, which Erin broke with a quiet voice:
"Frank, how long are you staying?"
"Until I have to."
"Don't use the word 'have'..remember I'm not making you stay."
"Okay, need to,then."
"Until he's born?"
"Even longer. I'm not keen to get back to Jersey,anyway."
She paused a moment. "So..are you guys like, going to stay in a hotel 'til then?.."
"We haven't really talked about it yet..I imagine they'll probably go back. Gee might stay.."
"Stay with me."
"Of course I will." He leaned in to kiss her forehead.
"No,no, I mean, stay in the house with me, live here.." She hesitated for a reaction, and decided to add to it, "I mean, not necessarily live,just to stay, instead of staying a hotel..it would make more sense,wouldn't it?"
"Umm,yeah, but is there enough space?"
"'course there is, plenty, can't you see?"
"Well actually no.." he looked around the dark room, "..but I'm sure I will by day."
She grinned, and then yawned enourmously. "I'm sleepy.."
"Then sleep.."
"Hang on.." she fumbled a bit under the covers, and threw a bundle onto the floor. She then curled up by his side, and with another yawn and a 'goodnight', she was asleep.
***
Morning came (even too soon, as it often does) and it brought a chocolate-curly-haired girl with it, with pale skin and soft brown eyes. She nudged Erin, and eyed the Frank lieying next to her.
"erinnn.." she whispered urgently. WIth several grunts and more whispers, Erin was finally awake.
"My God, Vic, what the hell?" she mumbled sleepily.
"what the hell you?!" she whispered ferociously back, "who the hell is this? I can't believe you're still picking random guys, being pregnant and all that."
Erin sat up and rubbed her eyes, leaing on her elbow she looked down at the gaping, crumpled, sleeping figure that was Frank, lying next to her.
"Oh, I wondered who you were talking about just then."
"Bloody hell, how drunk were you?! you are never going out again, without my permission."
Frank stirred, and frowning mumbled, "who..drunk?"
Victoria rolled her eyes. "Thick, too. Great Erin, fucking A."
"Oh shut it, it's Frank, you muppet."
Victoria frowned for a moment and then her eyes widened in realisation. "The Frank?"
"Yayy, I'm famous.." he slurred, still half asleep.
"Yes hun, whatever, " said Erin, turning to her friend, "what are you doing here,anyway?"
"Me? I brought breakfast, " she held up a plastic carrier bag, "'cos afterwards I thought we could do some shopping. I need something to wear!"
"Date?" grinned Erin.
And as Victoria and Erin babbled on about the stuff Frank couldn't care less about, he found himself drifting off to sleep again.
He didn't wake until a while later, to sun streaming across the stripy sheets of the big bedroom. He blinked a few times, bringing objects into focus, and realised suddenly that he was alone in the room. He sat up immedaitely, and then vaguely remember another girl, with curly hair...he looked around for clues, and saw a folded sheet of paper next to him. Sitting up a bit straighter he unfolded it, and read:
Gone shopping, no big thing -
sleepsleepsleep! I'll be back 'bout noon.
I love you.
x
Frank reread it, and then placed it back on the pillow. He took in the room a bit, and then decided he'd use her shower.
What a different day it would be, compared to so many past ones of so much longing.