Gary and Libby - Take Two

Chapter Twelve

"What were you playing at eh monster?" Gary tickles Ethans stomach restlessness as he straps him into the back of the car. "I told you to look after mummy! Not die on her!"
Ethan answers with a hysteric squeal, flinging his arms helplessly and waking Gary across his lightly stubbled cheek.
"Daddy stop! Stop Daddy!"
"What did you just say?" Garys eyes widen as his hands come to a stop.
"Daddy stop!" Ethan repeats, looking pleased with himself.
"Hey!" Gary gasps. "Whos a clever boy eh?!"
I gaze back from the passenger seat in amazement. Even after an eleven hour flight and a night spent sleeping in a hospital, bedside chair, he still manages to look absolutely flawless.
"What are you gaping at?" Gary grins as he slips in besides me.
"You.." I shake my head slightly with a content smile.
"Oh." Gary raises an eyebrow as he pulls on his seat belt, before stopping to face me. "I missed you, all forty five hours."
"Oh shut up." I crack a smile as i hit his arm playfully. "You didnt have to come back."
"I did to." Gary grunts, his tongue running slowly over his top lip as he concentrates on reversing out of the parking space.
"I would have been fine." I mutter, resting my head against the window of the car.
"Stop kidding yourself Elizebeth." Gary chuckles, reaching his hand across and patting my thigh gently. I push it off in a petty strop.
"Stop calling me Elizebeth!"
"No."
"Why not?!"
"Its sexy."
"Oh youre the worst." I narrow my wry smile, pulling Garys hand back from his lap and placing it on mine, my fingers twisting with his.
"I know." Gary throws me his lopsided, you-love-it-really, kind of smile and flexes his fingers, squeezing my knee gently as i drop my head back and shut my eyes. Its only two in the afternoon, but after a stressful two days, im utterly exhausted.

                                                                      ***

"Babe...Baby...Lib."
My eyes flutter unwillingly open. Shit! My necks stiff, ouch. Where the hell am i?
"Hey baby." Garys breath is warm against my cheek as he reaches over my body to unfasten my seat belt, placing a hand over my barely noticeable bump as he goes. "We're home, you feeling okay?"
"Yeah." I nod slowly, "Just tired." I sit up suddenly and face the back seats. "Wheres Ethan?"
"In the house, i took him in, hes fine." Gary smiles as he wraps an arm around my shoulders, effectively pulling me to my feet. "Lets get you into bed eh?"
"As long as you come too." I smile weakly against Garys shoulder as he guides me to the front door and up the stairs.
"Let me get Ethan down first, eh?" He purs against my neck. "Then ill join you."
"Promise?" I pout as i drop heavily onto the bed.
"Am i going to bypass an opportunity to watch you sleep?" Gary grins as he turns to the chest of draws and pulls out my favourite of his t-shirts, the burgundy one.
"Youre a pervert." I giggle, dragging one of the cushions from the top of the bed down and throwing it poorly in Garys direction.
"No." He grins at my pathetic attempt as he stands over me. "Youre my wife."
"Youre not suppose to hurt your wife." I pout as Gary lifts my jumper over my head, because i cant think of anything else relevant to counter his point."

Gary just raises his eyebrow i response as his eyes cloud over into a darker green. "I only hurt you when you misbehave." He lowers his lips to my ear as he pulls the burgundy t-shirt over my head, "...And dont pretend you dont enjoy it."
"Wouldn't dream of it." I sigh happily as i flop back onto the bed, leaving Gary to unfasten my black skinny jeans. Chewing gently on the inside of my mouth, i shut my eyes as Garys fingers brush over my hips as his dexterous fingers work on the button. My breath hitches ever so slightly as the tips of his fingers run down my thighs, taking my jeans with them until they drop silently onto the floor.
"Get into bed." Gary stands suddenly, his eyes serious once more. "Ill be in in about fifteen minuets, let me get Ethe down."
I nod silently as i comply and crawl quickly under the covers.

What feels like years later of me straining to stay awake, i hear Gary pad back into the bedroom.
"Youre not asleep yet?" He mutters disapprovingly.
"I wanted to wait until you came." I mutter in reply.
Gary breathes out a laugh as he perches on the end of the bed and pulls off his socks first, then takes his phone from his pocket and silences it, before discarding it on the bedside table and lying back over the top of the covers.
"Arent you sleeping?" I mutter, turning on my side to face him.
"Not tired." Gary shakes his head, his voice a low, soothing whisper as he pushes me gently back onto my back. "You are though, go to sleep."
"Lie with me?" I mutter again, closing my eyes sleepily as Gary pulls my long, blonde hair from beneath me and begins to rhythmically comb his fingers through it.
"Im here.." He breathes, adjusting himself so his front is pressed against my side, his head resting just above my shoulder. I grunt something inaudible in response as i revel in the feeling of Garys fingers in my hair, his breathe slow and steady against my neck.
"Youre so beautiful..." Gary mutters, resting a long fingered hand over my stomach, and somehow in my half-sleep delirium, i hook my hand around the back of Garys neck, pulling him down until his head rests on my chest, my fingers tangled in his slightly over grown hair.
"Keep your hair like this." I sigh, only half conscious as the overwhelming urge to sleep grips me once more.