Drabble #44

Renee had taken to using her meeting times with him for sleep. Traine didn't mind, and he suspected that she might do the same thing with some of her other colonel's, Blaine or Blake especially. What he didn't expect was that she used their lap for a pillow. He resisted the urge to touch her, to run his fingers through her hair, stroke her arm, because it might wake her up. He simply sat at the end while she half-curled half-sprawled across the rest of the couch, her head laying on his thigh and her breathing come in the deep and steady rhythm of sleep.

Sleep makes a lot of people look vulnerable, and he supposed that Renee was the same way, but to him she just looked peaceful. No furrowed brow, sharp looks, or a mouth set in a displeased line. The red-head slouched a bit, and she shifted minutely but that was all. He got more comfortable and read over the papers she had given him. They were always a bit more detailed than for the others, but that was so she didn't have to talk to him. The more he could read on his own, the longer she could rest. He had decided to take pride in her trusting him to understand her intentions, for the most part. Sometimes she did lecture, despite all of the details. The hour passed just as fast, regardless, but he missed the silence of times like these where he could finish the report at his leisure and then relax.

He was doing that right now, and starting to fall asleep as the report had only been a page or so long and she had scheduled him there for an hour. He had taken the paper into the adjoining room, settled down, and expected a long talk. What happened instead was Renee slipping off her jacket and dress shirt, leaving her in a spaghetti strapped camisole that could have passed for a shirt if it wasn't autumn, and flicking off her heels. She padded over, sat down, and then leaned back, plopping her head on his thigh, and rolled towards the back of the couch. A slight curl brought her feet up to rest on the arm of the chair, drawing her warmth into a tighter ball, and she was asleep. Well, maybe not asleep, but heading towards it fast.

Traine... was surprised. While she was there and not sleeping yet, he ran his hand through her bangs, looking at her speculatively. What he wanted to do was lean down as kiss her, ask her what was wrong, but instead he retracted his hand and went back to the report. If she wanted to talk, she would. What she needed was his lap, and that's what she got.

Near the end, he heard the door to her office swish open. It brought him out of his half-doze and he blinked, rubbing his eye. The only person with the code wasn't anyone he worried about seeing them like this. Melissa, Renee's secretary, poked her head into the room after realizing the main office was empty. Traine held up a finger for silence, and Melissa took a few seconds to look at the scene in front of her. She gave a hapless little smile and shrugged. Traine felt the knock on his mental wall and replied back.

/Her next meeting at four has been cancelled. Her five o'clock is going to be at least thirty minutes late, if they come at all./

Traine's eyes lowered to look at the woman asleep on his lap. /She's not going to like that./

/That's why you get to tell her,/ Melissa said with a devious smile. /I leave at six, so if they don't call by then, you'll have to man the front desk./

He looked at her with distaste but waved her off with a tiny smile. She disappeared, closing the door behind her, and the whoosh of the door opening and closing was even fainter. He looked at the clock on the wall that said it was fifteen 'til four and closed his eyes again.

When he woke, it was four thirty. Renee had barely stirred and he knew she had been very tired. He brushed the hair from her face, let his fingers trace down her neck. It was so deceptively thin, and her collarbone looked even more fragile. Her eyes flickered open. She lay there a moment, getting her bearings, then slow sat up. She slowly turned herself to face forward and her legs all but flopped over the side of the couch. With a yawn, she stretched, and he watched the arch of her back, the length of her arms as the stretched up over head. Then her body flopped forward and she blinked blearily a few more times before looking up at the clock.

She jumped to her feet, alarmed. "Shit, I'm late!"

Traine grabbed her arm. "No, no, they canceled. You have time." He pulled her around and she faced him, looking grumpy.

"You could have told me that before I had a heart-attack."

He only smiled, drawing her forward until she straddled his lap. "I wouldn't let you be late," Traine tsked at her. "Your five o'clock might not be coming. They said five thirty at the earliest."

Her mouth twisted at that, and his hands ran over her sides. His fingers tips played with the hem of her cami while he leaned back, relaxing. "We have an hour," he said, eyebrow raised.

She lifted her chin, eyes sharp with suspicion. "So that's why you woke me up."

His fingers slid up, taking the thin material with it, exposing her toned stomach. His thumbs ran along either side of the muscle until they touched just under her breast. His hands slid around, fingers splayed over her skin. "If they come, I thought you'd want to prepare."

Renee was still looking at him askance. Her hands were on her thighs, and though she was sitting on him, there was no contact on her part other than that. He sighed, dragging his hands down her torso again. One rested at the crease of her leg and torso. He leaned forward and let his other hand wrap around behind her, sliding over her ass, between the cheeks, and then grabbing her. Her body twitched a bit, and he looked up at her, letting the heat fill them.

( And then it gets squishy )

"Be like this with just me," he said softly, and he fingers ran over her back, pulling her closer.

There was no response. Not a single sound other than breathing, and she didn't tighten up. He looked down at her sleeping face and snorted again. Figures.

There was a soft knock in his head. /Yeah?/

/They called to cancel./

Traine looked up at the clock. It was a quarter after six. /I thought you went home./

There was a pregnant pause before she replied with a formality that was quite impressive, /I thought she could use a little more rest, so I didn't disturb her./

Traine smiled and laughed softly. She had definitely come in to tell them and overheard what they were doing. /Thank you. Drive safe./

/Janitors come at eight,/ she replied, and the connection fizzled.

Stroking Renee's hair, he set his clock to seven and resolved that one day, he would tell her.

Tanjoubi Time~

Happy birthdaaaaaay ane_s_thesia~!

Who will probably not see this.