Ruby Redfort: Embers of Memories( A Bradley Baker/LB fan fiction)

Lazy Saturday Mornings

~ An insight to the often forgotten domestic life of LBaker. I wrote this on an inspired whim. As for the book title, I've just always imagined that Bradley had a fascination for history. I have no real basis for that headcanon so feel free to substitute it for a book on whichever hobby you find to be more appropriate. 

Enjoy, Katherine 

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I see him comfortably reclined on the corner of the sofa, legs crossed loosely and the book balanced carefully on his knee. 'The Hundred Years War on Palestine' by Rashid Khalidi. From the studious expression on his face it would have been impossible to tell if he was fascinated or indifferent- but I know him better. Each word will be meticulously taken in, mulled over and eventually sewn into the tapestry of historical knowledge he's acquired over the years.

My heart beats a little faster even just being in the same room. I hold my cup of tea close to my chest and feel its warmth radiating through my hands. If he were to look up then he'd see me leaning against the doorway, head slightly tilted to the side and a smile on my face. Its nice to catch him like this sometimes- I'm given a rare and precious insight into the way he is when he is alone, no need for pretences, no expectations. 

Not every day is a mission. There isn't always a mystery to solve, or a bad guy to fight. Our love life is not only a series of flirting in near death experiences, although that does make up a scarily large percentage. We are defined by the moments we have on the edge of a cliff, and on the middle of a sofa on a rainy Saturday morning.  

'So, how many years are we up to at the moment?' I ask cheerily, before taking a sip of my tea. He turns over another page and replies 'Seventy Seven right at the moment you walked in' then looks up to me from beyond his glasses. He pulls that little beam that he greets me with when I walk into a room. If I were an artist I'd paint that impression and immortalise it so I could carry that expression of love and warmth with me always.

I make my way to the sofa and sit down right next to him. Simultaneously he puts his book down on the coffee table and turns to be parallel to me. An arm stretches out over the cushion of the sofa so it rests just above my back. Once I make contact with the sofa, it finds its way around me.

'Seventy Seven – Impressive. It does impress me all you manage to accomplish when I'm asleep' I say and take a sip of my tea then place it back on the table. He lights up into a small chuckle and his fingers start to gently stroke the top of my forearm. 'Well darling, that's because it's the only time you're not distracting me'. His nose moves down to the corner between my neck and my shoulder. There's some truth to that alright. It's very mutual however and so I feel that placing the blame solely on me is rather unjustified.

'So you're the one who puts your book down when I walk into the room and starts nuzzling my neck, but somehow I'm the distracting one?' I ask with the trademark dubious expression on my face. I resist the temptation to flick my hair.

'Why yes, yes you are' he says with a small pause. Our eyes meet and a quick non verbal conversation occurs between us. You're impossible- you love me anyway- I do. There's no doubt in that matter. Then we break the gap as our lips softly meet together. I bring my hand up to his face and hold his cheek in my palm. It's a fleeting but beautiful kiss, a few seconds at most and ending with our faces resting against each other. We both sigh with newfound smiles. He turns back into the corner of the sofa and I slot in beside, just resting next to him, under his arm. He finds his book again and passes me mine from the bookshelves behind us. Intertwined, we sit and take in our separate chapters. Two books, two people but very much at one. 

The raindrops drizzle at the windowpane. Outside this bubble of us the world keeps turning,  there's crimes to be prevented, codes to be cracked and missions to be taken. But for now all that is distant. In this moment I am Loveday and he is Bradley. That is all that matters