Status: Complete
Skull and Dagger
Captain
“You said I could come with you!” Annabelle repeated, eyes flashing dangerously.
“And you are!” Frank insisted just as vehemently.
“By what definition does standing around on the beach waiting for you count as coming with?” she demanded angrily, her cheeks flushed from the heat of their argument…or perhaps from the nearness of their bodies.
Paradoxically, as their minds warred, their bodies curled up together on Frank's mattress, Annabelle's skirts encircling them both, their arms wrapped around each other, and her head resting in the curve of his shoulder. It was a testament to how well matched they were that neither found the seeming contradiction at all troubling. Rather, arguing while holding each other seemed perfectly natural to both of them.
“You don’t actually expect to help burn the place down, do you?” he demanded.
“If that’s what you are doing, then that’s what I am doing,” she retorted.
“What happened to that persistent morality of yours?” he countered. “Arson’s not exactly ladylike.”
“I’ve never been much of a lady.” She batted one hand in the air dismissively. “Besides, you are working for justice, righting a great wrong—”
“Oh yeah, I‘m a fucking hero,” Frank rolled his eyes sarcastically.
Her expression softened as she looked up at him. “You are handling the fate life gave you as best you can.” Her fingers lightly traced the outlines of his strong features. “And, yes, that does make you a sort of hero…”
He sighed. “You think too much of me,” he said wearily, leaning his forehead down to rest against hers.
“I think you a good man and a true gentleman…as well as my love,” she whispered back with a soft smile. “And I am never wrong about these things.”
The edges of his own lips lifted into a shy smile at that. “Have I told you lately that you are amazing?” His accent reverted to its old upper-class patterns for a moment.
“Not recently enough,” she teased.
“You’re amazing,” he accepted her bait with a grin, leaning in to steal a kiss from her soft lips. “I love you,” he murmured against her hair as they broke apart.
“And I, you.” The arm flung about his waist squeezed him more tightly to her.
They lay like that for some time, completely content to just be together in the other’s embrace. It was Frank who reluctantly broke the comfortable silence between them, however.
“I need people to watch the coast,” he began the argument anew. “Make sure nothing blocks our escape route…”
“Gerard can do that,” she insisted, eyes narrowed. “I’m coming with you.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “No, you’re not,” he insisted.
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Am.”
“Not.”
“Am.”
“Not! And I‘m the captain so that’s final!” he commanded.
“And you are!” Frank insisted just as vehemently.
“By what definition does standing around on the beach waiting for you count as coming with?” she demanded angrily, her cheeks flushed from the heat of their argument…or perhaps from the nearness of their bodies.
Paradoxically, as their minds warred, their bodies curled up together on Frank's mattress, Annabelle's skirts encircling them both, their arms wrapped around each other, and her head resting in the curve of his shoulder. It was a testament to how well matched they were that neither found the seeming contradiction at all troubling. Rather, arguing while holding each other seemed perfectly natural to both of them.
“You don’t actually expect to help burn the place down, do you?” he demanded.
“If that’s what you are doing, then that’s what I am doing,” she retorted.
“What happened to that persistent morality of yours?” he countered. “Arson’s not exactly ladylike.”
“I’ve never been much of a lady.” She batted one hand in the air dismissively. “Besides, you are working for justice, righting a great wrong—”
“Oh yeah, I‘m a fucking hero,” Frank rolled his eyes sarcastically.
Her expression softened as she looked up at him. “You are handling the fate life gave you as best you can.” Her fingers lightly traced the outlines of his strong features. “And, yes, that does make you a sort of hero…”
He sighed. “You think too much of me,” he said wearily, leaning his forehead down to rest against hers.
“I think you a good man and a true gentleman…as well as my love,” she whispered back with a soft smile. “And I am never wrong about these things.”
The edges of his own lips lifted into a shy smile at that. “Have I told you lately that you are amazing?” His accent reverted to its old upper-class patterns for a moment.
“Not recently enough,” she teased.
“You’re amazing,” he accepted her bait with a grin, leaning in to steal a kiss from her soft lips. “I love you,” he murmured against her hair as they broke apart.
“And I, you.” The arm flung about his waist squeezed him more tightly to her.
They lay like that for some time, completely content to just be together in the other’s embrace. It was Frank who reluctantly broke the comfortable silence between them, however.
“I need people to watch the coast,” he began the argument anew. “Make sure nothing blocks our escape route…”
“Gerard can do that,” she insisted, eyes narrowed. “I’m coming with you.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “No, you’re not,” he insisted.
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Am.”
“Not.”
“Am.”
“Not! And I‘m the captain so that’s final!” he commanded.
♠ ♠ ♠
Oh reeeaallly?