She came awake with a start. Realizing she'd fallen asleep sitting up and she only slept sitting up when she was trying
not to sleep and she couldn't sleep because then he'd - she made a quiet sound as she shook her head and ran a
hand across her face. Too tired for the panic to even set in entirely.
"I don't know that I've ever been this tired." She admitted, wrapping her arms around Hector as he stood so that she
would stand as well. "You smell good." She added since her nose was against his throat. She liked the way his skin
smelled. Past the soap and the outside. Just the very basic smell of him.
She followed him off the plane, still blinking against the haze at the edges of her eyes and than stopped once they hit
the airport proper. The noise and the light and the sheer - busyness... all those people... her hand tightened in his.
"Oh God. She whispered, simply staring. It got harder each time she had to do this. Her eyes found Hector's. "How
far?" She asked resigned. And then, with a flicker of returning humor: "Can we run?"
"Not far at all." He said and pointed to the gate header. "that's our stop. And Baton Rouge is much smaller." He
promised her. He planned on paying someone on the plane to use their cellphone and call for a cab, so it would be
waiting. waiting to take them to peace and quiet. He liked the sound of that.
"And we'll see how good I smell after I start the yard work." He said with a chuckle as they waited at boarding for their
passes to be checked. The good thing about having only carry ons was that there was no waiting for luggage. It was
always right above their heads. But yard work was definitely on the agenda, it always was. And it wasn't even an
obligation, he liked yard work, the physical strenuousness of it all. The pressureless physicality of it helped clear his
head more than most things.
She stood facing him, in his arms with her eyes closed and her chin across his shoulder while the stood in line.
Opened her eyes and turned her head to let the flight attendant match her face with her passport photo and then
jerked when the passport was handed back to her before she expected it to be.
She sick of being jumpy and sick of being tired and sick of being scared of nothing and sick of being sick with worry
that she was going to do something embarrassing like hyperventilate in the middle of the ramp to the airplane
because someone had looked at her funny. But the worse thing was - she didn't know how to stop feeling that way.
Hector let her go in front of him and she found their seats and settled awkwardly into the one next to the window, back
stiff as she kept herself out of reach of possible brushes as everyone got seated. Watching him with dark eyes as he
settled their bags overhead and then joined her.
"I don't know that I've ever had a yard that needed work before." She gave him a weak smile. "The goats eat the
grass back home. And Grandda lived in a flat. I don't think sand quite counts if you count the camp." The seatbelt
light came on and she slowly maneuvered herself around in her seat until she was facing forward, wincing as a child
several rows up screamed its protest at having to sit down. Good God. She was either going to pass out from
exhaustion or have another fit. And she knew which option she preferred. Focusing, she asked: "How quickly do the
visiting mothers and their daughters usually come after you've been outside doing yard work?"
"Well, I've got the kid that mows it when I'm gone. But some shingles are always falling off in the wind, and I like to do
it myself when I'm there. For one, its less expensive." He said with a chuckle, noticing how she jumped when her
passport was handed back. How she looked around as if expecting someone to jump out at her own skin.
"He'll probably be the first one we see when we get there." Hector said, just carrying on the conversation as they took
their seats for the last flight. "He's thirteen and wants to get paid. I remember being that age, think I had a paper route
or something."
The plane took off and Hector kept up a nonsensical conversation for the whole trip, just various subjects on the
various neighbors and events that were always happening around the town. Simple, easy things to prepare her and
distract her.
He left the subject of waiting mothers and unwed daughters alone. He'd never taken enough notice to really give her
a good answer.
His voice carried her through the flight. That and the promise that this was the last plane. At least for today. He let the
plane pretty much clear after it finally landed and Andi didn't protest. Just - eternally grateful that she wasn't going to
have to meet his family right now. By the time they reached the luggage carousel their bags were almost the only
ones still going around and she had to admit she was surprised. She really hadn't expected what little she had to
make it all this way without several unforseen side trips in between. Simply changing into one of her t-shirts and a
comfortable pair of shorts for bed sounded like heaven right now. The actual height of paradise if a nice hot shower
came before it.
Sure enough there was a cab waiting when they walked outside and if she hadn't loved Hector before she would have
adored him right now. She gave in and didn't even pretend she was going to help load the trunk, instead simply
sliding into the seat in the back and tucking her legs up close to her. Waiting for Hector to join her so she could curl
up against him and perhaps catch enough sleep on the way wherever they were going to stay awake long enough to
make it into his house.
There wasn't anything to put in the trunk, just their two bags which could ride in the back with them just as easily.
Which they did, because Hector wasn't too keen on making Andi wait for him, not after everything.
So he gave the cab driver the address and he sat in the back with Andi as the cab pulled onto the freeway headed
toward his small little town away from the noisiness and crowdedness of any city near by. Just keeping up an idle
conversation about really nothing at all, that she was free to sleep through on the forty or so minute cab ride until
they pulled up in front of his house.
"Here we go." Hector said, passing money to the cab driver as he opened the car door. "This is it." He said. The
house was white, with green hurricane shutters, more decorative since they weren't near a coast, though this place
got its share of high winds. Basketball hoop on the paved driveway, garage closed up. Tommy had been good on his
word and many of the windows were open to air it out and probably had been for a day or so.
It was two story, with a big wrap around porch with shrubs bordering it, the grass perfectly manicured (with what
Hector was paying the kid, it should be!), and best of all. All the neighbors were at work.
Andi didn't have words right away. Instead the breath just quietly slipped out of her and her whole body seemed to
relax. Home... This was home. For Hector. And because of him for her too. It was - beautiful. Clean and cool and
calm. So much better than the picture. Because it was real. And she might still be tired. But here... it was all right.
Feeling a bit like a little child, she looked up at Hector and asked:
"Can we - can we go in? Really?"
"Absolutely." He said and waved to the driver as he pulled away. He led her up the porch and reached into the
mailbox, pulling away the bottom of it and grabbing a set of keys, unlocking the door and opening it for her. "Okay,
let's see. Kitchen is straight on back. Up the stairs to the left, second door, is the bedroom, bathroom included." he
said, giving her impromptu directions without actually going through the tour. He wasn't sure either had the energy for
it. Or the motivation for that matter.
She gave him a tired smile and kissed the tip of his nose lightly.
"Can't help but notice the order of priorities." She teased softly. Kitchen, bedroom, bathroom. Really it was all she was
interested in at the moment and the second two ranked higher than the kitchen.
"I want to go exploring." She told him before giving a soft laugh. "But I think you'd find me passed out over a chair
somewhere. If I was lucky. Can we - " she slipped her hand into his larger one. Thinking of a hot shower and a soft
bed. And him. "Bedroom? Please?"
She should ask at the least. Where the guest room was. At least pretend she had some kind of propriety. Maybe next
time..
It hadn't even crossed Hector's mind to offer a guest bedroom, though there were a couple. He probably should have,
for 'appearances' or something. But...
Every time they had slept while in the vicinity of each other, they'd always slept right next to each other. He didn't see
any reason to change that, even if he wasn't in a military infirmary, or a Red Cross camp, or an airplane flying across
the ocean.
Even if they weren't 'supervised' and 'chaperoned.'
They were grown people, after all, consenting adults. And he knew her enough that if she was uncomfortable, she'd
either mention it or her body language would scream it.
But it wasn't even like a conversation or any movement toward sex was going to happen that day. The two of them
would be lucky to get their shoes off before passing out, never mind anything along those lines!
So he led her up the stairs to the second door on the left. "Closet." He said, to familiarize her with the set up.
"Bathroom. Bed, dresser, that's about it." He said as he kicked off his shoes. The bed was freshly made, he noticed.
Which meant Tommy had to be dating someone himself, since Tommy didn't do beds. So he pulled the sheets and
blankets back as he stripped down to his boxers. Considering the time in the infirmary, the first night or two he'd been
wearing a sheet and that was it, this shouldn't be a big deal.
"God, it’s great to be back on land again." He said with a tired chuckle.
He was a jaw droppingly good looking man, she thought with a content, tired smile. The room smelled nice. Like fresh
air. And the bed looked like heaven. Clean sheets... She eyed it longingly from where she was standing. But - first
things first.
"I'm going to take a shower. And try not to drown." She wanted the last of the airport off of her or she'd probably
dream she was still onboard a plane. After a day or two of sleep when her mind finally got into the mood to dream
again.
God. Sometimes it was hard to believe she got to sleep next to someone that looked like him. Much less acted like
him.
"How long does the hot water last?" She asked. More than used to having to shower quickly. The time had been
seven and a half minutes at Grandda's flat and she thought if she tried to take any longer right now she might just fall
asleep in the tub.
"It's a new water heater, so I'm hoping as long as you want it to, or they'll be hearing from me in the morning." He said
with a chuckle as he drew the blinds to darken the room. "And please don't drown, then you'd get a tour of our
ambulance service, and I'm betting it's nothing to write home about." He sat on the bed and rolled his neck until it
cracked, emitting a sigh just from that simple movement.
"Let me know if you run into any problems. The Yankees say us Southerners are backwards, but I think the plumbing
is pretty straight forward." He said with a grin.
He was a wonderful man. She moved over and cupped his face in her hands, looking down at him.
"I love you." She told him softly. Leaned down to kiss his forehead before moving over to pick up her bag and head
into the bathroom. "And if I drown," she stifled a yawn, "let me. At least I'll be getting some sleep."
She didn't, quite, drown in the shower. Though when the first wash of hot water hit her skin she did almost pass out
from simple pleasure. Oh God... bless whoever invented hot water, she thought, tipping her head back. The spray
was stronger than she was used to and it felt wonderful against her aching muscles. If she could have slept and stood
under the shower she would have. But instead she quickly washed her hair and scrubbed the last of the 'airport' smell
off of her and brushed her teeth while she was at it. She gave up the shower reluctantly but still managed to keep
everything under ten minutes. She might have gone longer but Hector was in the other room. And she'd forgo hot
water for the chance to be in his arms any day.
There was one point where she thought maybe she had fallen over and hit her head in the shower though.
"Hector?" She called. "Are you sure these are our bags?"