Nightingale (Sequel to Solider Boy)

Eighteen

Melody ran her hand through James's damp hair. Though his face was still scruffy (he hadn't shaved yet) he had taken a shower and now smelled clean and his hair was no longer knotted and tangled. He looked more at ease than he had been during their argument, but even with his eyes closed and his breathing steady, Melody knew better. The events from the lab where still weighing on his mind.

She let her fingers leave his hair and allowed them to run a lazy path down over his cheek.  Her fingers ran over the sharp edge of his cheekbone and she smiled to herself. Much like his muscles, James did have a very pleasing bone structure as well. Zygomatic, maxilla, mandible. She named each bone as her fingers touched them smiling even wider. 

 "What are you doing?" James asked, his eyes were still closed, but he was smiling now too.

"Reviewing my anatomy."

He opened one eye and smirked at her. "What?"

"Well I have to keep studying don't I? I sort of need to know my anatomy. But I wish I'd had this option in med school, it's much more...effective." Melody grinned, letting her fingers walk down his jawline slowly. She would've kept going but James's hand gripped hers before she could move.

Now it was her turn to ask questions. "What?"

"I can't."

"I don't understand."

James twisted her wrist and brushed a kiss across the back of her head. The gesture sent sparks across Melody's skin. It's not fair that you can do this to me. She thought as her pulse began to race as she caught James's eye. One look from him and all her caution went out the window.

"Be honest," James said giving her a wry smile. Melody's chest hurt seeing it.  This one was one of her favorites, that little, small grin that told her he knew everything without her having to say anything."Were you going to start undressing me?"

"It crossed my mind," she admitted, feeling her face warm. "And then you stopped me."

James sighed. "Yeah," he shut his eyes. "I can't do that. Not now."

"I get it. It's been a rough few days. You must be tired."

"I am." James didn't say it aloud, but Melody knew by the dark circles under his eyes that he was afraid to sleep. It had been a common fear he'd dealt with two years ago and now, he had new material for his mind to warp into nightmares.

Melody shifted closer to him and laid her head on his chest. Almost instantly, his arm curled around her, the position familiar and comfortable. That close, she could hear the steady pulse of his heart. She shut her eyes for a moment, the world going dark leaving only the sound-and she loved it. 

 She didn't know but she knew exactly what was keeping him awake tonight.  "James?" Melody whispered, resting one hand on his chest to get a little more comfortable.

"Yeah?"

"Any requests?"

"Do you think you can do that? Your throat-."

"Feels fine," Melody insisted. It was still a bit sore, but she was well enough to sing, at least for him. 

James was quiet for a moment, as though trying to decide if she was lying to spare him the knowledge that she was in pain. "Then just sing," he said at last. "Please." His arm tightened around her, the gesture sent a fluttering warmth across Melody's skin. This wasn't desire, which was an all-consuming inferno. This was contentment. This was no weight on her chest, this was being free of that crushing sensation on her rib cage that made it hard to breathe. The feeling she'd carried around for so long, Melody hadn't even noticed it was there until James lifted it from her and set her free.

"I can't sleep tonight/wide awake and so confused/everything's in line/but I'm bruised. I need a voice to echo/I need a light to take me home..." This was a newer song, one she hadn't sung to James before, but rather had heard on the radio during a request hour. Upon hearing it, she'd bought the song on iTunes and listened to it every day for a month. The reason why, Melody knew would be quiet obvious to James the moment he heard the chorus. "Can you be my nightingale?" 

He didn't disappoint. Rather than lay silent as he'd done every time before James opened his eyes and gasped. "'Nightingale'?" he repeated and Melody stopped singing. 

"'Nightingale',' she confirmed, smiling at him. "I heard it on the radio one day after work and it made me think of you." And it hadn't been just for the name, it had been for the chorus, as it reminded Melody of all their nights together. Of James's heartbeat and breathing lulling her into sleep. His understanding as her dark past came to light- a peace she'd never known. 

"I'd think so," he whispered, "unless someone else calls you 'nightingale'?"

Melody shook her head a little. No one called her that and even if someone had tried, she never would have let them. That was something only James was allowed to do. 

"No, they don't but that wasn't the only reason."

"No?"

In explanation, Melody began to sing again. It took a few more bars, but then the lyrics came that had really made her think of James. "Cause baby you're/my sanity/you bring me peace/sing me to sleep." And truly, that was exactly what he did for her time and again. James didn't interrupt her again and she finished the song, letting the last note fade out. 

"That's a really pretty song. I don't know who sang it first, but whoever they were, they have nothing on you." His soft lips pressed to the top of her head and another warm flutter traveled through her from the point of contact. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Melody said, closing her eyes as well and savoring the feeling of James holding her. She'd taken it for granted when they'd been together last and she promised not to do it again. To not waste one moment she had in his arms. The clock was still working against them and in a matter of days, a little less than two weeks, she wouldn't have this anymore. Just thinking about that made her bones feel like lead as the smothering weight flashed over her, not to stay, but more as a grim reminder that it was there and waiting to takes it's place the moment the clock ran out.

How? Melody wondered as James drifted off beside her. How can I say goodbye to this again? She knew that she would have to, there was no way around that but still, Melody knew this time would be different, more painful than the other two times they'd said goodbye. She wasn't sure how she would handle it when it came. 

**************************

Thanks for reading! :)