#cursivebloodlines

First Time

It had been a wonderful evening. The stars twinkled brightly above their heads as Dougie escorted Meeka back home to Hunt's Point. Their night was one filled with sweet smiles and admiring whispers, leaving them with soft blushes on their cheeks. They'd gone to see a show, fingers entangled the whole way. Dougie had insisted coming on the subway, he wanted to make sure Meeka made it to her front door and wouldn't leave her side until she did.

The door had been opened slightly, as a reminder of her safe place. But Meeka was focused on the man in front of her, how beautiful he looked in the light above her door. How the dimples were set in his cheeks. Or how his eyes lit up as he caught her gaze. Oh it was all too much. She just had to do it. She leaned forward with a tilted head and kissed him. Practised, and gentle, putting her affection into the notion.

2. Good morning/I'm leaving

Meeka always woke up outrageously early for the bakery. By the time that she and Dougie moved in together, she had been doing it for years. Same time every morning, it was ingrained in her body, even on the days she wasn't working. As she woke up without an alarm, she carefully crept out of bed. Only to return once she was ready, clutching her keys carefully so they wouldn't ring and wake Dougie.

He looked so peaceful, and content as he lay there. She pressed her lips to his forehead, and another kiss to his lips before pulling away. "Morning, treasure." She'd whisper before tip toeing out of the room and the apartment.

3. Reassurance

It had been a rough morning. Meeka had woken up in the night from a panic attack. Panting for air as if she couldn't breathe. She had shuffled out from underneath Dougie, waking him from his slumber. Hands scrambling at her clothes, she tried to remove the pressure on her chest. Once he was aware of what was going on, Dougie replaced his sleepiness with worry and concern. Meeka had mentioned such episodes, but they occurred so infrequently, Dougie wasn't as confident as she was in soothing them.

So he acted on what worked for him. Sitting up in bed, he caught Meeka's attention and slowly, loosely, took her hands into his. He talked her through the breathing technique they had practised together, as well as things in the room she could use to ground herself. Over and over, until she was able to breath easy. As she apologised for getting upset, Dougie brought her into his arms, hugging her tightly. He kissed her temple and reassured her she had nothing to apologise for. They stayed like that until Meeka was ready to try to sleep again.

4. Koala

Dougie doubted Meeka's ability to fall asleep during movies, constantly. It was hilarious. It only took ten minutes of her being tucked into his side, head on his shoulders for to drop off the living world entirely. He wondered briefly, why Meeka continued to suggest watching movies or TV shows. It was probably for his benefit.

So he let it run its course. Meeka never seemed to mind missing it and her weight against him was actually rather comfortable. Once the movie was over, he carefully pulled her onto his lap. Once secure, he adjusted the hold he had on her - pulling her legs to link around his hips. She remained mostly asleep, cheek pressed to his shoulder. With a kiss to the top of her head, Dougie carried Meeka to bed and tucked her in nice and tight with AIngeal.

5. Late Night Baking

It had been a devastating emergency call. It had pulled him from picking up his love from a meeting and required his full attention. Drained, and tired, he returned home, expecting to find Meeka cuddled up with a blanket. Instead, she was in the kitchen, where warmth emanated from. He kicked off his shoes, undid the top buttons on his shirt and found his way to her.

She was huddled over a freshly baked tray of flapjacks, spooning out lemon icing. Really, he was lucky that was all she made. But she hadn't been home long. Dougie came up behind her and placed his hands on her hips, making her stand up straight for him to place a kiss to her neck.

"All sorted?" Meeka asked softly, letting him take his comfort as he pressed his chest to her back. He hummed the affirmative but kept his face hidden, taking in the spritz of rose perfume on her neck. She'd make her own assumptions, maybe even 'forget' to ask him about it. "I made you something sweet to eat if you like. We can always save it until the morning and take it in for the nurses."