Morning Fun

Reaching over to her side table, she picked up the flower that he had given her the night before. Holding it to her nose, inhaling the sweet fragrance, she brushed his hair back off his face. Nothing. She ran her hand through his dark locks, something she loved to do when she got the chance. Still nothing. Taking the flower, she ran it across his face and under his nose. He twitched. Smiling, she ran it under his nose again, more slowly this time. He twitched again, swatting at the annoyance. After she ran the flower under his nose a third time, he swatted at it again, mumbled incoherently, and rolled onto his back, his modesty protected by the sheet bunched at his waist. But he still did not wake.

Giggling softly, she sat up, holding the sheet up to cover her. This shifted the sheet covering John even lower, exposing his navel and the trail of hair that lead southwards. Using the soft petals of the flower, she gently stroked his bare chest in ever-growing cirlces, inching lower, watching closely as he twitched and shivered, but didn't waken.

Then, just as the flower reached the edge of the sheet, and she was about to pull it down to expose him, a hand clamped firmly down on her wrist. She lifted her eyes to meet his hazel ones.

"Having fun there?" he asked, his voice husky.

"Hello," she replied, affecting innocence. "I was wondering how long it would take to wake you up."

"Were you now?" Keeping his hand on hers, though his hold was now more gentle, he reached for her other hand, gently taking the flower. "Well, I can tell you now, your methods were very effective."

Something in his tone made her narrow her eyes at him. "How long have you been awake?"

"Oh... well..." he hedged, but he was helpless under her relentless stare, and he gave in. "Since you ran the flower under my nose."

"Oh you!" Elizabeth lauched herself at him.

"Hey, careful, you'll squish your flower." Placing the flower carefully back on the side table, John rolled her beneath him.

"This means war, you know," she continued as he bent his head to kiss her.

"Mmm? What kind of war?" he murmured against her lips before moving to kiss behind her ear.

"A civil war will suffice."

He pulled back to look at her. "You know, I've always thought that 'civil war' was an oxymoron."

"You mean a contradiction in terms."