Awake

By: Carm

The room was dark, save for the thin sliver of light that pushed through the blinds, silver rays marring the black of night. Ashley sat up slowly, unsure of what had wakened him. He thought he heard singing. Was it in his dream? He couldn’t say for sure. His eyes were only half-focused, partially adjusting to the darkness.

In the middle of the night, I turn on the light, too desperate to breathe... Cause I’ve got this craving. There’s no time to waste, gotta get a taste, satisfy my need... Baby, won’t you save me.. Got this craving for you. Craving for you...

The lyrics were right, but the guitar that accompanied them.. There was something off in the chords. He didn’t think he was dreaming them, and it obviously wasn’t a CD. Not only were the missed chords proof of that, but also the small female voice that sang them.

Slowly, Ashley moved forward, crawling. As his eyes adjusted, he could see blonde hair falling down against pale white skin. The moonlight shone on one long arm, bent around to pull at the strings of the guitar. He moved up behind, wrapping his arms around slender arms, touching the guitar. “You missed a chord,” he whispered against one sensitive earlobe.

Miranda Braun shivered at Ashley’s touch. She hadn’t meant to wake him, as he looked so peaceful, so serene in sleep. She’d woken less than an hour before, unsure why she couldn’t sleep. Her eyes had caught the guitar beside the bed, and before she knew it, the instrument was in her hands and she was strumming out chords that even her untrained ear knew weren’t exactly right.

She leaned back against his bare chest, her hair catching between their bodies. Ashley’s hand came away from the guitar to swoop it to the side. He laid a soft kiss on her shoulder and she shivered again. His arm went back around her. He took her hand in his, placing her fingers on the strings, then took the other and pulled them down. “That’s the one.” His voice was low, almost purring.

“It’s so much prettier when you play,” she whispered. In the darkness, the tranquility, it seemed a sin to speak too loud, as though anything more than a hush would break the peace, and the sun would rise too soon, destroying the quiet shade.

“But you sing it so well.” She giggled, and as Ashley continued helping her strum the guitar, he kissed her cheek and said, “Sing it for me again, Randi.”

“Ashley... you weren’t even supposed to hear that.”

“How could I not? With such an angel craving me, I had to come.”

Her eyes rolled, her lips turned into a grin and her cheeks flushed hot and bright. “Ashley.” She shook her head lightly. “You fancy yourself a poet, huh?”

“Just a singer.” He kissed her back. “Just for you.”

A shaky breath fell from her lips. When she was able to speak again, she whispered his name. Her hands fell away from under his and moved up, reaching behind to touch his cheeks. As Ashley continued to play, Miranda sang softly to him, completing the song that had called him from sleep in the night. At the end, Ashley laid the guitar aside and pulled Miranda back to the bed, sliding both of their bodies beneath the covers. He held her close, his arm loose but firm around her and pressed his lips against her shoulder. She pressed her palm against the back of his hand, holding his arm in place. She murmured slightly at his soft lips, then closed her eyes. The two fell back into sleep with a song on their lips and a craving satisfied.

The End

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