𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗔𝗡 .ᐟ

an  hour  of  privacy  and  decent  sleep  are  hard  to  get  in  this  household    —    even  leaving  the  bed  and  moving  downstairs  to  rest  on  the  sofa  in  the  middle  of  the  night  didn't  get  her  that.    it  didn't  take  dick  long  to  follow  her,  squishing  her  into  the  cushions  and  overheating  her  under  a  blanket  by  wrapping  himself  around  her  like  cling  film.    vinicia  was  certain  his  bicep  might  actually  crush  her  throat  if  she  tried  to  turn  or  pull  away  from  his  unyielding  grasp.    

she  easily  ignores  the  first  kiss  that  he  presses  to  the  back  of  her  shoulder,  unmovingly  pretending  to  stay  in  deep  slumber.    the  second  one  to  the  small  crook  of  her  neck  is  a  bit  harder to not react to    —    his  morning  stubble  scratching  her  skin  sends  a  shiver  down  her  spine,  an  involuntary  wave  of  goosebumps  covers  her  arms even  through  the  heat  between  them.    but  the  third,  when  he  draped  his  heavy  body  over  hers  on  such  a  small  area  of  the  couch  and  peppered  her  face  with  lazy  kisses,  she  could  not  stop  the  smile from  growing.    despite  all  the  irritation  she’s  been  feeling  since  he  ruined  her  beauty  sleep  with  his  clinginess  and  need  to  stay  in  her  personal  bubble.

HER COMPLAINT COMES OUT muffled, pressed into the cushions by the solidity of him. he chuckles quietly. the insult is not especially serious — sounding more put—upon than truly upset; confident of it in the way the widow does not attempt to remove him, though she could. instead, she lies beneath sleep—heavy weight like hostage having accepted the terms of her situation. it is, for that reason, that the man allows himself to snuggle so freely. in truth, dick had only intended to check on her when he had initially become aware of her absence. surfacing from slumber with an unpleasant jolt rather than gradual waking, to the distinct, disorienting sensation that something vital was missing. though her silent removal from shared bed was not necessarily unusual — if vaguely unsettling — old instinctual paranoia had an irritating way of creeping past dark curtain of sleep draped over his mind; of tugging on wounds he often kept a tight lid on ( or tried to, anyway ), until dreams evaded him entirely. dread whispering in his ear && easily overtaking the circular track of his anxiety — was she plotting something? was she leaving again? only way to comfort himself, then, was to seek her out. && what he found upon padding ‘cross the apartment was vinicia simply avoiding him; relief flooding his system had felt like unclenching a fist he hadn’t known he’d been holding. he could have easily turned back, reassured by her unmoving existence stretched beneath a blanket. instead, dick climbed onto the sagging couch beside her && drew her ‘gainst him with the inevitability of a tide.

he lay there now, nesting her within hollow of his chest && legs && whatever room he could produce by folding himself shamelessly ‘round her. he is aware, dimly && with great satisfaction, that he has become a problem. couch emits a sound of protest as he settles more comfortably. or perhaps it is one of warning, for vinicia does much of the same — he wisely chooses to ignore both. “ ‘m not fat. it’s all muscle, baby, ” dick considers flexing thick bicep threaded beneath pillow at her head just to emphasize a point ( that needn’t be made in the first place ). it will probably make her complain again, a prospect that should not appeal to him so. he resists temptation. barely. tender heart beats heavily at the smile blooming on the widow’s face, unable to hide how pleased he is by the way she accepts his stubborn affections, leaning into it in spite of her grouching. “ if that was true, you wouldn’t be talking so much. ” he rolls his eyes humorously, then tucks face into the warm curve of her neck. silky red locks tickle nose && lips as he nuzzles her like an overly affectionate cat, breathing scent of her skin && hair deep into his lungs. when slender fingers find the back of his head, long nails grazing lightly over scalp in an intimate sweep, a low groan rumbles through him && into her. warmth spreads through veins instantly, producing full—body shiver that has broad frame instantly melting into her. corded arm ‘round her waist tightens in a gesture that is both possessive && lazy. he presses a line of kisses to her neck, up to her ear, pretending to consider her request. “ it’s too early to be useful, but i’ll do it if you say please. ”