The Tsar's Wife

Sleeping

A moments after Olive and Alexei's playful human pillow quips, Alexei had fallen asleep. She hadn't even known he was asleep until she peeked up from her book to see him leaning his head the back of the seat, his eyes flickering beneath his eyelids as if he were dreaming. Olive gave a small laugh at his sleeping position,  but wouldn't dare wake him since he looked so peaceful and serene, and had mentioned he didn't get much sleep at all. Olive slowly pit down her book, which had become very disinterest to her, and stroked the hand he had still draped around her shoulders. She felt a small warmth inside her as she watched him sleep, a small smile breaking across her face.

She loved him more than anything else in the entire world, which sounded cliche and cheesy like Emma's old romance novels (she had to read something other than Millard's almanac and dictionary, those got very boring after reading and rereading them twice) but she knew it was true. And if she knew one thing, it was that he loved her back, which was more than she ever could deserve from him after what she had done. Soon however, their love would be official when they announced their engagement and had a public wedding. It scared her, becoming a Tsarina of Russia and ruling and entire country, but once she looked at Alexei sleeping and realized she would give anything for him, she was able to quell her fears about becoming royalty and focus on him.

Somewhere in her lovestruck thoughts however, she drifted off to sleep.

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Alexei woke up with a slight pain in his neck, and tried his best to suppress a groan as he lifted his head and opened his groggy eyes in a feeble attempt to wake himself up. He didn't remember falling asleep, he usually didn't fall asleep easily due to his tight schedule and upcoming Tsar duties. It was hard becoming the next ruler, but he was cut out for it, he always had been. Small moments of time had been preparing him, without him knowing. Whenever Alexei finally managed to open hid eyes after several moments embarrassingly squinting them, he gazed around the room.

He saw Tatiana first, she was working on some sewing project of hers, which was not very unusual. Tatiana looked up from her sewing to glance around the room, and once she caught Alexei's eye she gave her signature governess glare. Alexei tried to to chuckle or mimic her glare, which always seemed to be present of there was someone or something she didn't like staring at her and she didn't know it. Most of the pictures from when she was older, she was glaring at the camera as if she could scold it with her eyes.

Maria and Anastasia were playing backgammon with his father, and by the solemn look on Anastasia's face, she was losing. Maria looked as cheerful as always, smiling and shuffling through her cards while Nicholas had his arms sat in front of with one hand on his chin. He had a cigarette in his mouth, and would occasionally sneak some smokes to Anastasia when he knew Alexandra wasn't looking. Alexei wrinkled his nose as the smell reached him, shaking his head at his own dislike to cigars and cigarettes. Alexei couldn't think of one man in his family that didn't pull out a cigarette out whenever his father would sit with them in the parlor. Alexei would simply sit and watch them all, and politely refuse any smokes the men offered him.

He finally rested his eyes upon the small girl laying on his side, which was of course Olive. She had both arms wrapped around him, laying her head on his shoulder. Her fire red hair was still it its tight regulation bun, but wisps of it had escaped and we're sticking out haphazardly. Alexei couldn't help the smile that was breaking out on his face, she looked even more calm and beautiful when she slept, although he thought no matter what she was doing, she looked beautiful. He reached up and stroked her hair while smoothing down the wisps that had escaped, which he thought were beautiful.  He hadn't recalled ever seeing her with her hair down, given she was living in the palace and all the women usually wore their hair up, except maybe Anastasia and Maria. He realized he really would like to see her with her hair down, and he didn't know how his mind had wandered off so easily.

Olive stirred, and Alexei feared he had accidentally woke her up. She opened her eyes slowly, her sea green ones meeting his and didn't bother to leave his either. He realized there were so many little things he hadn't seen of her yet, like her hair down, her waking up, and once they were married he might get to see all those little things everyday. Olive sat up a bit from his arm, and then arched her back while she stretched and gave a tired yawn. "I thought you said you weren't tired?" Alexei teased, smiling over at her. Olive shook her head, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wake her up he assumed. "I wasn't, but then I was. You didn't seem tired either." Olive said, confirming that he had fallen asleep before her.

Alexei chuckled at her turning of the tables, rubbing her arm affectionately. "That's fair. " He admitted, making Olive smile. Olive leaned her head back on his shoulder, looking up at him. "You look so calm when you sleep, its so peaceful. " She lamented, and they both blushed at her endearment. Alexei cocked his head in mock thought, and turned back to face her. He could almost see her rolling her eyes by sensing his teasing that was going to come. "And may I mention that you look absolutely beautiful sleeping and awake?" He said, reaching forward to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear, making her blush deeper and smile grow wider than before.

"Yes you may, though you have many times before."

CHEESY. Its like my writing skills just flew out the window! I usually can pull off these chapters without making them so cheesy but I don't know what happened. The picture at the top is of Alexei swimming and I feel like a huge Perv because I love it so much. He was such a handsome boy! Thanks for reading!!! Love you all!!!