I'm one of the lucky ones

A Coffee House Fic inspired by a prompt from awesomegreentie.

We started off with a T rating, but who are we kidding here? It’s me. So, the rating has been moved up to M at Chapter 5.

Chapters in Order:  Introductions - Invitation - Stroll - Alchemy - Dayspring - Distraction - Lost - Firelight - Monday

Or, read it on fanfiction.net here.

Grounded  |  Chapter Nine: Monday  |  by Lynn Saunders

apparently there are rules.  i don’t know them.  don’t come at me.

Since the Olympics are on, which summer olympic sport do you most like to watch? Winter Olympics?:  I love volleyball and beach volleyball, very exciting.  Last SO I happened to watch archery and it was so freakin’ dramatic!!  I know, right?  Archery??  But it was and I was completely sucked into it.  WO doesn’t do much for me… I’ll watch the skiing. 2. What is your favourite season and why?:  Fall, it’s such a beautiful time in Maine. 4. Something you find inspirational?:  Music inspires me, specifically brilliant lyrics about that real kind of love.  Ugh, makes my life.  I don’t do it, but I totally appreciate people who create playlists for their fics.  I so get it. 5. Share something you’re really looking forward to right now:  My husband finishing putting the hoolies to bed so we can spend some time together.  Read that any way you want.  The night is young. 6. Do you prefer coffee or tea? How do you take it?: Coffee, cream… and since it’s summer, iced. 7. Most exciting or memorable trip you’ve taken?:  I went to Israel for a month and that was quite memorable, but I lived in Japan for a few years and absolutely loved it.  Part of my heart is still there. 8. A song (or two) that you’re mildly embarrassed to admit you like?:  I’m embarrassed to admit that I sorta like ‘love yourself’ by justin beiber.   9. Did you ever have any treasured stuffed animals or blankets when you were a child?:  Not really.   11. Describe your favourite meal:  One that I don’t have to cook.  Probably BBQ… 12. If you could live in any era for the rest of your life, what era would it be?:  I’d like to hit up the 40s for a while… 

And now for the more questions: 1. If you could be anywhere at this moment, where would you be?:  Japan.  With my husband.  At an onsen.   2. Do you want kids?:  do i want them to… what?  clean my house?  yes.  i have two pieces of my heart walking around… 3. Introvert or extrovert?:  i don’t know and don’t really care.  i mean, i like to reenergize with alone time a lot.  but i am not the person talking to the cat in the corner at a party. 4. If you could have any accent, what type of accent would it be?:  Umm…British? 5. Nicknames?:  none. 6. Any TV shows or movies that you’ve been meaning to watch but haven’t yet? Outlander.  A good friend is near obsessed and she has been quite tolerant of my DA fangirling so I want to watch it and support her.  I just can’t handle another ship though… can i?   7. Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years?:  I don’t see much about my life changing.  Just still trying to make life work and be happy. 8. Something you didn’t like at first but gradually acquired a taste for (doesn’t have to be food related):  sorry, drawing a blank… 9. Imagine you’re in the Hogwarts library. You open a book that morphs into a full biography for whoever is reading it. Would you be able to resist spoiling it for yourself?:  nope.  not even a little. 10. What was your first fandom?:  Little House on the Prairie when I was a kid.  Then I grew up and the fandom did not.  oh well…  11. What are three things on your bucket list?:  take a writing class.  not just a seminar or a adult ed at the Y class.  hard core real writing class that won’t get cancelled because i’m the only one who signs up damn it.

Now, what I was asked:

2. What is your pet peeve?:  people who mumble or don’t look at me when they talk and still expect me to understand what they said.  ask again tomorrow and it will be different. 

3. Do you think you’re more of an optimist or a pessimist?:  a reformed pessimist.

4. What is a piece of clothing you like?:  jeans

5. A song that you don’t think you’ll ever get tired of?:  All I Ask by Adele for reasons…  6. Describe what your room looks like or what you want it to look like:  i would like it to look like i have a maid that picks up after me. 7. Science or Math?:  Um.  Heh… math.   8. English or History?:  English. 9. Name a character (or 2 if you can’t choose) that most closely resembles you personality-wise.:  oh you know the one… that smart ass sarcastic mom in that show…  10. Why are you on tumblr?:  after reading a thousand fics i finally decided that true fans tumblr.  i’m glad i have my account on the whole but there are days i wonder what freakin’ hell hole i’ve fall into…  11. Favourite movies?:  The Sound of Music, Random Harvest, Now Voyager… my top three.  I am a classic movie freak, love anything black and white and most things musical and have been known to stay up all night because Gary Cooper wouldn’t get off my tv screen.  

It took longer than I thought it would, sorry for that, but things are getting difficult over here, and my head is not in the right place. For the same reasons, I have this feeling this chapter has lots of mistakes and they are all mine. 

This is not a Rated K fic anymore. Is not an M either, we can go with a T.

Birthdays

Chapter 05

                                                                                               September 2002

“Anna” He was calling for her. Whispering with that sweet but firm voice that only he had. It was so good to hear his voice, feel his body so close to hers. She wasn’t very sure what was happening, but she was glad, oh, that was true, and she wanted to stay right there for the rest of her life.

Anna felt something on her shoulder. It was his lips, always so caring.

“It’s time to wake up, darling.”

No, no, no, no, no, no. She wasn’t going to wake up. Her head had barely hit the pillow. She had been asleep for what, fifteen minutes? Anna pressed herself closer to his body. She could feel him, he was there, it wasn’t a dream, but really, it was a weekend. Why would they have to be wake so early on a weekend morning, especially after a night they had?

He was kissing her shoulder again, making a path all over her neck, leaving sweet kisses on his way, while his hand drawn invisible circles over her bare skin on her hip. Perhaps, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to wake up after all…

“I know you are awake.”

That silly-beggar, how could she be still sleeping with him caressing her like that?

“I’m not getting up.” She answered lazily with her eyes closed firmly.

“It’s Branson’s birthday, love. We are going to be late, it’s almost midday.” His words echoed for a second on her head. Midday meant she wasn’t sleeping for fifteen minutes, but for six hours, even if it didn’t feel like it. And Branson’s birthdays was supposed to be on Sunday. This meant that Sunday had arrived and John would be getting back to Dumfries in a few hours after dinner.

“Now, I’m definitely not getting up.” She answered stubbornly, but soon she regretted when John stopped to massage her skin under the covers.

“Why are you definitely not getting up?” Anna had conscience she was being a little childish, but she didn’t want that moment to be over. Not yet. Not ever. So she kept her eyes closed, even knowing John had all his attention on her.

“Because it’s Sunday. And that means you are leaving, again.”

When John and Anna started to date, about 14 months before, they knew it wouldn’t be easy to deal with the distance.

The little cottage in Dumfries was where John found peace and inspiration to keep working. After a rough time without writing a single word, traveling from country to country, he had found everything he needed and so was finishing his third novel in less than two years - the eighth on his carrer. Anna knew how important that little world was to John, she could never ask him to leave it all just because of their relationship. At the same time, she had never pictured herself liviving anywhere but Downton. Therefore, they decided to take one step at time and work out with what they had.

Anna was cooking some pasta when her doorbell rang on Thrusday. She opened the door to met John with a beautiful smile on his face, a bouquet of flowers, and his backpack. It was all she needed to know he was staying for the weekend.

Now, the weekend was coming to an end. That could be the last tme in God knows how long they would be lying in bed together. She wasn’t ready to let him go.

“What if this was my last leaving?”

Anna’s eyes were opened wildly in a second. Facing his face, Anna furrowed her brown confused.

“What… What do you mean?”

He took away gently a strand of hair that had fallen on her face and smiled shyly.

“I believe it’s time for me to leave Dumfries.”

“What?” Anna sat up with a start, gazing him intensely. Whatever she was expecting to hear it wasn’t that. “You can’t do that, you love that place and…”

“Bu I do love you more.” The tenderness in his voice almost broke Anna’s heart. “You know…” John sat up against the headboard, opening his arms, inviting her on his embrace. Anna laid her head on his chest, cuddling up closer to him while he trial an invisible path down her hair. “Since my mother died and I got the divorce, I’ve been travelling from place to place, looking for something that I didn’t know what it was. I had this feeling inside of me that I couldn’t stay in England, I couldn’t keep writing here, not after… Everything that happened.” Anna knew what he was talkin about, his nightmare of ex-wife, his mother’s disease, his problems with drinking, they were all too painful for him and in John’s mind, England was a reminder of his failure in life. “I visited more countries than I can remember of, and all of that just because I didn’t wan to deal with my reality.”

“Is not like that.” Anna looked up at him. “It was all because of your writing.”

“Still, my writing has always been my way to escape from the real world.” Anna tried to argued, she knewi it was more than that, his writring was a part of him. “You know it’s the truth Anna. I started to write when I thought life, real life, was over for me. I found in the words a consolation, a manner to bare the dull life I was living, the quickest way to ran away from my problems.” John took a deep breath and kissed her head lightly. “But now, now I know I am not looking for anything else. Because I found it right here, with you. I found you, Anna, and I don’t want to run away, not from you.”

Anna couldn’t believe what she had just heard. His words were so genuine, so full of tenderness, but at the same time they were so strong. Those words meant John was willing to give up on his entire life just to be near her.

A whole day could have passed by and she would still be starring at his beautiful hazel eyes, speechless.

“John… are you saying…. you… are you sure?” She was seated now, beside him, the bed sheet tight against her bare skin.

“Am I sure?” John smiled fondly as he took away that stubborn strand of hair that insisted in fall on her face. She knew her hair was a mess, but she couldn’t care less about her appearance. “God, Anna, I’ve never loved anyone or anything the way I love you. And each day that passes by, I love you more. I never thought that could be possible. And between all this love I feel for you, there is no space for doubt. You are my safe-harbour, my entire life.”

She didn’t answer him back. Not with words anyway. Instead she bent over him, and joined their lips in a passionate long kiss.  Her hands playing boldly with the hair on his chest, while his found their way under the bed sheet through her bare skin. His hands were big and gentle, warming up everywhere it touched. Anna was sure she was beginning to lose control of the situation.

However, before she could surrender under his touch, a thought crossed her mind. She broke contact more sharply than she intended.

“Wait.” She said with a small smile on her face.

John groaned feeling a little bit frustrated, but at the same time trying to understand what she was planning.

“What are you doing?” He asked as she took her phone from the bedside table and started typing faster than he has ever seen.

“Texting Sybil.” Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but she could see with her periphery vision his puzzled expression.

“Why are you texting Sybil on a moment like this?” He asked half-teasingly. His hands magically found her left tight and massaged her soft skin there.

“Because…” It was getting harder to focus on her task, but soon she was over with and she put her phone back on its place. She turned to face him, there was a secret glow on his eyes, making him more beautiful in the morning sunlight. “Suddenly I am not feeling very well.”

Though Anna was with a delightfully smirk on his face, John stopped his caresses and propped himself up in one elbow to have a better look at her.

“What? Anna, are you ok?” His voice was worried.

“Well, I just told Sybil I am feeling a little bit under the weather.” Her hand went back to his chest. “And so, I won’t be able to go to Tom’s birthday, you know… I think I will just stay in bed today, is the best choice for my health.”

John chuckled understanding exactly what she meant.

“Oh, I see.” He stroke Anna’s cheek fondly. “What about me, Miss Smith?”

“You?”

“Should I go to Branson’s to represent your absence?” He was now playing with her golden locks in that way he liked so much.

“Oh no, Mr. Bates. My health is far too important.” Anna tried to keep her tone serious, but was impossible not to smile. “Besides, I told Sybil you went back to Scotland last night.”

“Anna Smith, you naughty girl.”

Anna shrugged and gave him a pointed look. “What can I say? I do need you to take care of me today.”

“What the lady wants, the lady shall get.” John was practically above her and was easy to their lips met in another passionate kiss.

They didn’t leave Anna’s bed so soon after that. And in the evening, when John had already be gone - for the last time - and Mary decided to play a visit to her best friend just to see if she was feeling better, Anna had a few problems to explain her health issues.

I want to thank you all, for your kind words every time I need them. And I also want to apologize, because life is a mess and I can’t promise a new chapter any time soon.

But I haven’t forgotten about John and Anna in Littlebeck.