Tealeaves and Thorns

Rachel Weisz attends Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences' 10th Annual Governors Awards

Lizy’s Ultimate Shipper Challenge: “Like An Old Married Couple” Ships [4/4] Marion Ravenwood and Indiana Jones

Horatio Caine - CSI: Miami (Season 4 Episode 4: 48 Hours to Life.)

Bonus:

“All that matters to me is you. I love you, ‘Ria. I love you so much and I’m not going to hold back. I’m so fuckin’ lucky that I get to be with you. That you love me, too. Me.” He said, sometimes still in disbelief that she fell in love with him in return, that he got to be with the most amazing girl not just in their school, but in the world. “I’m going to kiss you in public, I’m going to hold your hand, I’m going to make sure the world knows, and that you know, that you mean everything to me. Everything.” He said, nuzzling his nose against hers and kissing her again, this time softer. If people wanted to talk, let them. If people wanted to think they were overly affectionate, he’d let them. Who cares if they were? It was their relationship. Not anyone else's. All that mattered to him, was Maria. All that mattered was the two of them. Maria deserved to be and feel loved, she deserved to be and feel cherished and he was going to do exactly that. Every day.

He chuckled at her Alien comment, surprised she even brought that up considering how much she hated that movie. Between the two of them, he was the one that enjoyed horror movies, but he especially liked watching them with her because of how she always held onto him. Though, now she didn't need a reason to do so. He wondered if she'd come watch Evil Dead 2 with him when it came out next year... but that was a question for another day. Right now, he was focused on breakfast.

And his eyebrows when up when she mentioned him having his fill of one thing and he knew exactly what she meant. God, he was really enjoying how bold she had become. There was something undeniably sexy about it and he couldn't help but let out a low growl as he turned his head to start kissing at her neck. "Bold of you to assume that I've had my fill." He muttered against her neck. "I don't think I could ever truly have my fill of you, sweetheart." His words came out in a low growl, lips and teeth nipping at her neck, and he'd been about to bite down when his stomach growled again, eliciting a groan of frustration from him. Then it growled again when she mentioned what she had in the kitchen.

It was the pride in his voice though when he said about holding her, about kissing her, about holding her hand for everyone to see. It made Maria so happy, it made her so emotional. "You know you mean everything to me right." Maria said lips breaking from the soft kiss for just a moment. "For someone who reads so much sometimes I don't think I can get the words out quite like you can. You're exceptionally good at it." She let out a soft laugh then and kissed him again. "You're everything to me Horatio. I love you so much, I can't believe I get to call you mine."

Maria squealed when he started kissing at her neck with the growl, before it turned into a groan. "Horatio-" Maria breathed out as he nipped at her. He was going to be insatiable from now on wasn't he, then again Maria felt like she might give him a run for his money. Even now, being naked in bed with him, she was starting to get revved up again and she needed to calm herself down or they would never get breakfast.

"No pizza." Maria said, wrinkling her nose, although if Horatio really wanted pizza for his breakfast, she was going to be hard-pressed to stop him. "Let me go first, I don't think I need a shower but I can clean up and get... somewhat dressed whilst you're sorting yourself out." She said disappearing into the bathroom. She grabbed a washcloth and cleaned herself up a little, before heading back out and looking for something to wear. She didn't know if they were even going to leave the house today so she settled again on some sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt that had actually been Horatio's at one point before they were together. He'd given it her after a strap on her dress had broken at school, tying it up wasn't cutting it. It was a spare in his locker for after practice. She'd just never given it back to him.

He was prepared for all of it. A little nervous only because he wanted to make sure she was as comfortable and pain-free, as possible. Including stress-free, but so far… it hadn’t started out that way because of everything with Adam. Because of the injuries she sustained and the trauma inflicted on Maddie, also because of Adam. He was always going to have that voice, that thought, in the back of his head, telling him that he shouldn’t have left. That he should have stayed home. That if he’d just stayed, then they wouldn’t be here in this car driving home from the hospital. Maria wouldn’t be injured, wouldn’t have almost died. Maddie wouldn’t have — Horatio sighed, stopping those thoughts once again before they could spiral too much. Like Maria said, Adam could have struck a different day. They had no way of knowing. There was no changing it. There was no going back.

There was only moving forward. Moving forward together, as a family, with the addition of their baby. He smiled again, that warmth spreading throughout his chest. They were having a baby.

When they pulled up outside the house she ate a little faster because she knew if Maddie saw them outside she'd be running out. It was odd coming back to her old house like this. Their home was Horatio's house. They only ever came back here if her dad was staying, if Harvey and Alicia and the kids were staying or if it was storming and they needed to be further in land.

Maria finished up feeling a little better and a little less hangry. She imagined the food would also start to help the painkillers to work.

"Alright, let's go." Maria said, reaching across to unclip her seatbelt but relenting when she hissed because of the pain. She sighed because for a second, just a single second when she'd been eating she'd felt normal.

He sucked in a breath, his gaze wandering over his desk – purposefully ignoring the mess that the rest of the cake was. A few piles of loose papers, thick files, things to put his signature on…nothing that couldn’t wait, really. There weren’t any urgent matters at the moment, thankfully.

[Text to Tesoro] We'll call it even. I'm assuming you still have your second slice because I have mine.

[Text to Tesoro] Six it is. I've got some fish in the fridge for tea.

[Text to Tesoro] You can help me carry these files home.

She finished the text and looked back at the steadily growing pile of files on her desk. She took them to the old copier at the back of the room and started to scan them in. She was trying to get it started but it wasn't working, eventually, Maria located the problem. A stuck piece of paper. The last time she'd used this had been weeks before she was off. She removed the paper and looked at it. Again it was from an old file, from some cases in the 60's. Specifically this was from mission logs.

There really was something going on here.

His gaze shifted to Maria. She was wonderful; not just beautiful on the outside, but also on the inside. To him, she was perfect, in everything she did, everything she put her mind to. To lose that – her – would mean his death. He had lived most of his life without her already, he didn’t want to spend the rest of it without her as well.

"You're definitely in charge of the salt and pepper." Maria said going back to what she was doing.

"Hmm Doggy tea." Maria laughed at the incredulous look on his face as she finished setting the table and then moved to sit down. "I think it's more for the humans. You're having a bbq and you bring out the doggy beer so the dog doesn't feel left out." Maria said and she knew Gareth was exactly the sort of person who wouldn't get sucked into this sort of marketing. Maria on the other hand was the exact sort of person who would get sucked in because of how cute it was. "I can see the tea being good for them, depending what it's for. Then again if it's for joints or something I don't know why you wouldn't just give them the treats."

Maria picked up her knife and started to slice off the top of her egg, she didn't like tapping it. Then she licked the knife clean and started to butter her toast.

As calloused and rough as they were from years of being used in the field, they were capable of incredible tenderness. Made evident in the way he's brushed hair from Maria or Maddie's face, or how gentle and careful he is when lifting Maddie into his arms or holding her tiny hand, or when he cups Maria's cheek or rests his hand over her belly. And even now while rubbing her feet, though there's added pressure to ensure he reaches her sore muscles and ease any and all tension within them. But he’s always attentive to her reactions, making sure it isn’t too much or too painful.

He laughed at her comment about the garbage bag and licked his lips. “If you’re trying to turn me on, sweetheart…” his words trailed off, the look in his eyes conveying the rest. Only teasing of course. But she wasn’t wrong. He doesn’t think that would actually ever happen, her wearing a garbage bag, but if it did, well, it certainly wouldn’t stop him.

He frowned a little when she mentioned Alicia being 7-8 months pregnant when the rib pain started, concern written all over his face. He really hoped that wouldn’t happen to her, not just because of her ribs already having suffered damage but because he just… he didn’t want her in pain like that. She’s already been through so much and plus, the baby being in that position, wasn’t that dangerous for the baby, too? He’d do more reading about it. It would at least help him prepare just in case it did happen. He was going to make himself knowledgable about everything he could regarding pregnancy and how to make her as comfortable as possible. “Is it dangerous for the baby? To be in that position?” He decided to ask, like the concerned man, and father, that he was.

He switched to her left foot and started with her toes and started working his way down. He smiled when she mentioned the size of their baby and how they were learning to yawn and hiccup. “I can’t wait to feel him, or her,” he chuckled, always seeming to say him first. It wasn’t intentional, though. He’d be happy as long as they were healthy, but the thought of a baby boy… he smiled to himself. They had a beautiful little girl and they had already discussed hoping to one day had a little boy. God, he couldn’t wait to find out. But he knew that was still a couple of weeks away. “Mm, I know they develop those early.” He said when she mentioned the fingerprints, grinning. That was something he did learned while on the job, though under different circumstances. “Which I’ve always found interesting with how small they are at the time.”

Maria thought about his question for a minute, about everything she'd read before she answered him.

"I think it might have been when she was turning. When babies need to turn in the womb." She said her hand on her stomach. "They should be head down, butt up, before labour. So it was probably when she was turning or after she'd turned. I don't really remember Maddie turning, but then there was a lot going on. I do remember her kicking me so hard she winded me though and at one point I think she had her elbow on something." Maria told him and then something else came back to her and she was beaming ear to ear.

"You know, god, I remember the first time I saw her press her hand against my stomach and like, press her foot against it. It was really freaky. I'd read about it but I hadn't really seen it, even with Alicia and then I was telling dad in the kitchen and Alicia came in like 'Oh yeah, they do that'. She showed me the twins doing it. I honestly don't know how she coped with them."

Maria watched him with that loving gaze as he talked about wanting to meet them, about knowing about the fingerprints. She loved him so much.

"They should be able to hear you now, too, I mean, they've probably been able to for the last week or so but now they definitely should be able to." Maria closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the cushion on the couch as he moved to her calf. Then her eyes popped open when she remembered the fruit onesies.