Love and the Undead (gxg)

Chapter 10

Let me tell you, making a hammock is easier said than done. It has now been an hour and a half, the sun is down far enough that I can barely see, and the damn thing still isn't up.

From her place a few feet away, where she is sitting facing the other direction, Iris jokes "You know this would probably be done by now if you didn't insist on being stubborn."

I don't answer, because I know that she's probably right but I also know that I don't care. I have her sitting over there because I want this to be for her, so I don't want to have her doing any of the work, I just want her to be able to relax in it when I'm done. Here's the problem though: I've got the rope tied over the lowest branches of both trees, the ends hanging down a few feet so that I can attach them to the tarp, therefore making a hammock. Except I don't know how to connect them. I didn't think through the fact that the tarp is literally just a rectangle of cloth, with no hold or handles to tie rope to. So now I'm standing here, under this stupid tree, staring at this stupid tarp next to this stupid lake and all I want to do is give Iris this opportunity that no one else gave her. It might not seem like that big of a deal, I mean I'm sure she'd live without it, but want to do this for her. Lost in my thoughts, I don't notice Iris until she touches my shoulder. I jump a little and turn my head to look at her.

"Iris! You're supposed to be-"

"Shhhh," she interrupts me, putting one finger over my lips.

I'm too shocked by the feeling of her finger on my lips to do anything but stare. She looks into my eyes, pleading, and I think she says something but my mind is reeling. She's looking at me expectantly now and so I just nod, trying to cover up the fact that one touch of hers just basically paralyzed me.

She grins wide and pulls her finger back, then lets out a "Yes!"

I snap out of it, pulling my eyebrows together in confusion.

"What?"

She smirks.

"You just gave me permission to help."

I roll my eyes and sigh, very dramatically. Well, she got me. She walks over to the tree and examines the ropes, and then the tarp separately.

"So, now all we have to do is tie the ropes to the tarp right?" She asks.

I walk over and stand next to her, studying the tarp myself.

"Well yes, but that's easier said than done. There's no handle or anything, see? Nothing to tie it to."

Suddenly she starts laughing. I glance at her, incredulous. Is she laughing at me?

"Raine." She says, "is this what's been stopping you this whole time?"

"Well... Yeah I mean.."

I'm starting to feel a little embarrassed now, and I frown as she continues laughing at me. She must see it, because she stops.

"Oh, Raine." she coos "What would you do without me?"

"Get laughed at a lot less, that's one."

"Awe, come on, don't be a poopy pants." She replies, sticking her tongue out at me. "Watch."

I stare, my jaw dropping in realization as she begins to tie a big knot in the end of the tarp that I was going to tie to the rope. After the knot is secure and large enough to hold, she takes the rope and ties it around the tarp, below the knot so that it will stay.

"Oh my godddd." I groan, insanely embarrassed now. "How did I not think of that??"

She just giggles at me and then kisses my cheek sweetly. Determined to be some help, and to distract me from what was probably just a friendly cheek kiss anyway, I go to the other side and complete the process over there. And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have what we have been waiting for.

"To-daaa" I say, gesturing dramatically at the hammock we've created.

She glances at me and smiles, and then looks back at the hammock. Its nothing special, but she's looking at it like its the best thing she's ever seen. Her eyes are shining, she's got a wide grin on her lips, and her blonde hair has dried just as messy as it was when she first got out of the lake. I adore it, all of it. She turns to look at me again, still smiling, and then she runs a couple of steps and hops onto it. I try to warn her, but she did it so suddenly that there's nothing I can do to stop her from immediately flipping the thing, causing herself to fall straight out of it and onto the ground. I can't help it, I start laughing but I immediately move to help her up as I do so. She takes my hand and allows me to pull her up, and by now she's laughing as well. I like that about her, the fact that she can laugh at herself and doesn't get all uptight about teasing. Once we settle down, I explain to her.

"You can't just jump around in these things, they're not too stable. Here, let me get in first so I can try to keep it balanced for you."

I walk over and carefully lower myself into the hammock, trying to keep my balance. Once I'm laying in it completely its a lot more stable.

"Okay, come on over here."

I hold my hand out and she takes it, gingerly climbing in beside me. It starts to tip and so I quickly just pull her in the rest of the way so that we're both in the middle and it's more stable. Its a tight fit but I'm not complaining. Not one bit. She lands halfway on top of me, and she scowls playfully.

"Hey, careful with the merchandise, man."

I grin at her as she maneuvers herself so that she's not on me anymore, but next to me. She sighs, squirming around and trying to get comfortable. After a few seconds of that she says,

"Okay, let me just- ah, there we go."

She has lifted my arm and placed it under her head so that she's laying on my shoulder. I lay stock still, not wanting to make a move and ruin the moment. I'm now laying with my right hand under my head and my left arm under hers, and I have never been more comfortable in my life. She sighs again, contentedly this time.

"You know," I say quietly, "I don't remember the sky ever having this many stars."

She nods in response, her gaze on the stars, and we lay there for a long while in the silence, just soaking in the night. Of course, after that, Erebus decided to jump in. We both screeched- I mean, what, I don't screech- as we fell from the hammock. It took a good 30 minutes, but eventually we managed to get the three of us in it without tipping. It wasnt easy, but with us laying side by side the same way we were earlier and him curled up on our feet, we made it work. I knew my leg would hurt in the morning but I didn't care. I slept so well, I don't even remember falling asleep.

- Next chapter soon -
  Love,
  Me