12–cold shoulder

Theo's healthy color had returned to her face, he firstly noticed, but only a bit as the slight paleness that still colored her face something close to bloodless and he reckoned her natural shade helped as her face was far less pale than he could get. The only reason he had caught on fast was that there was barely a thing he didn't catch about his wife–she was the center of absolutely everything.

He stood there getting rid of the last of his clothing and feeling as if he was drowning slowly within her warm whiskey-tinged brown eyes and it was far from being unpleasant. He needed more as it settled inside his chest carefully, reeling him as it clogged his thoughts, drawing to his face a softly lopsided smile tugging at the corner of his long mouth. He trailed his deeply blackened eyes to where hers came to halt, with her head of dreadlocks, which fell around her face loosely, cocked to the side as probably lost herself in the detail of him.

He shut the world out, eagerly, it was easy for him whenever they were enclosed in the familiar warmth of their bedroom and he wasn't very sure just whose idea it was to try and sleep in the nude but there he was actually without any piece of clothing and pleased as he slid under their duvet. Theo welcomed him with a smile that made her face so lovely, some parts of him quite aware of it, especially as her hand came to lie against his chest and her eyes found him through her sooty eyelashes. He rolled himself to the side at the sight of her and his hand barely could as it settled along the back of her almost fragile neck quite carefully, cupping her close as the tips of his fingers slight met her soft skin and left her no choice but to lean into him as his thumb caressed her soft neck, slightly traveling close to being under her chin, as he was unwilling to surrender the feverishly tempting moment for words. They tended to spoil and curse anything perfect, they were to rot this one. Fern chose to let his hands communicate what words always neglected to convey and before long he was on her mouth, her warm body surrendering beneath his. Fern lost himself in the softness of her as the appetite built inside of him with an intensity that forced his shoulders to stiffen, his hands careful as they intertwined with hers–his fingers practically against her hands as he pinned them above her head. Every ugly and bagging thing melted away into insignificance or melted as he met her lips with more of what was beating about his chest to thump so hard, his elegant back effortlessly arching as he forgot everything, shoving it far from where she was, and meeting her body knowingly as he found the most pleasure in her soft moans as she too lost herself in him. He of course strayed from anything further action or at least what his head only said he needed, instead he parted his fingers from in between hers. Fern only teased Theo with the slight dipping of his hips, urging himself close but keeping himself from the actual desire to give her what her hips bucked for. Fern only did that many times, aware that she was of course close to begging him as she held on to him and even attempted to lower him close by forcing her hands against his shoulders.

He had already decided to lower his hand right between them when she parted her swollen and already so plumpy lips. “I wish you'd tell me what's bothering you, baby.”

Theo's soft and slightly chubby hand which had felt so pleasant against his chest felt so heavy as she laid just a bit close, slightly perking up as she halted him from any further movement leaving him no choice but to retreat. Fern tried his utmost best to remove himself from between her legs without alarming her or hurting her feelings but he doubted he succeeded as he ended up sitting up quite stiffly, his back practically shoved into the cool headboard as if he were nailed against it–bubble having burst.

The softness that had been between them dried and it was nonexistent as he felt his enjoyment had fed within himself. Fern only felt something close to abandoned within himself at this degree, he felt caged in by these words and ones that chiming in that brain of his, forcing him to shut his eyes. Perhaps she wasn't that aware of it and perhaps she couldn't see it quite as plainly as it was in his eyes, maybe she couldn't see just how deep this ran or how brutal her question had just been.

“About the story, we're on? That would be–”

“I'm not a child,” she cut in, her voice dug into the fluffy pillow and her slightly plump cheek mashed against her palm, lying on her side as she stared up at him with a frown that looked deeply woven against her soft face, “even if you like treating me like one.”

He draped the duvet over his thigh, covering his naked body and arousal, his heart thumping strongly against his chest as he bit his bottom lip and tried to hide its slight tremor. Fern followed her, with the help of the light coming from the lamp beside him illuminating the room softly, as she threw the duvet off her body and got out of bed just as fast as she found something to throw over her naked body, unaware of the glint that coated his eyes as her back was to him, her locks trembling down her back.

“Where are you going?” Fern caught himself letting out, his voice unfamiliar to his ears as his heart clenched so tightly inside his chest, just as his fist clenched the sheet tightly.

Theo shot piercing daggers at him as she threw her watery eyes over her shoulder. “Why?”

“What’s wrong?” Fern frowned.

The purple baggy teeshirt hung over her body as her hand to her hip, cocking her head to the side. “What's wrong? You're asking me that?”

Fern sat up straight to his strain, wrinkling his nose just and he felt the pressure of what was dying between his legs and still quite stifled as he attempted to not feel so embarrassed over its persistence, but the tinge of his cheeks quickly betrayed him. He sighed as he covered himself with the duvet completely, starting at anywhere but at her.

“I don't know what you want me to say,” Fern admitted, arms wrapped around himself. “I'm bloody stressed out? It isn't that fucking deep, baby.”

Theo stifled. “You don't have to use that tone with me, Chaichana.”

“I'm not usin’ a tone,” Fern shrugged.

“What are you doing then? I'm not forcing you to tell me anything, just don't. . .” she trailed off, pressing her fingers against her forehead.

“Want me to bloody what then? I'm fine and we were fine before you brought this nonsense up,” Fern said, burying his face into his hands, his sterling ring cool as it rested close to his closed left eye.

“I'm not bringing anything up!” Theo threw her hands in the air.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. “Could we not scream at each other?”

Her jaw tightened as she clenched her fists tightly. “You mean could I should shut up, right?”

“You just want to fight, isn't it?” Fern sighed.

“I'm not fighting with you,” Theo said, wiping the corner of her eye.

Fern moistened his long lips and at this point his throbbing need having long since gone as he had softened miserably, leaving him feeling quite cold and relatively empty as he stared at his hands. “What do you want me to say then? Really?”

“You. . .nothing.” Theo gave up, letting out a heavy sigh. “I'll leave it.”

“We should sleep, you–”

“I'm not sleeping here tonight,” Theo cut in before he finished, backing away slightly. “You should get some rest.”

Fern grimaced. “You hate sleeping by yourself.”

“I hate you lying to me more,” Theo started, coldly.

“I'm not–”

“I'm done,” Theo cut in.

Fern gulped as his voice wavered terribly. “I-I love you. . .still.”

“I haven't stopped loving you either, baby,” Theo said, her back already to him as she walked off leaving him to sigh heavily, slumping as he buried his face into his palms.

Why couldn't he get it right?