Varyx's ideal Sleeper glimpse


The computer screen disappears, only for a moment, as warm, large hands appear and cover her eyes. Avery laughs, tilting her head back to look at the man she knows is standing behind her with that silly grin on his face.

"James," she warns, though there's enough mirth in her voice to entirely drown out even the faux-consternation that she'd been trying to express. She's rewarded with the sound of a masculine chuckle and the fingers parting, thumbs gliding over her cheekbones as hands withdraw from her eyes. The darkness parts to reveal James smiling down at her, his expression impish.

"You work too hard," he accuses gently, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead, the scruff of the facial hair he hadn't bothered to shave this morning brushing warm against her skin.

She rolls her eyes. "I do not. I just love my job, that's all."

His hands go from the sides of her face to her shoulders, fingers massaging gently as a smile appears on his face once again. "I can feel how tense you are. Come on, I'm taking you out for lunch."

Avery's eyes slip shut with a quiet hum of pleasure at the feeling of his fingers expertly working the knots out of her shoulders. Her whole body slumps a little into the computer chair in their home office, and she realizes maybe he's right. "I… Oh, okay." Blue eyes flutter back open to meet his gaze once again, and he helps her to her feet while she totters slightly against the heavy weight of her very pregnant belly. It wouldn't do to abuse her body now, not even in the pursuit of a job she loved. Rest and relaxation. Doctor's orders.

His arms slip around her waist from behind to cradle her and their unborn child. She leans willingly back against him, her gaze fixed on the ocean view outside their window and the waves that crashed against the rocky shore, like the beating of a drum. On and on, a pattern of repetition. Avery really didn't take the time to appreciate such things as much as she should. The sight of a wave crashing hard against the shore, a brilliant spray of diamonds exploding into the sky, would be so much more impressive if it only happened once in a blue moon. But no, it happens once every few seconds, day in and day out, drawing her out of sleep in the morning and lulling her back to sleep at night.

There were people who would kill for a view like the one she had from her desk. Once upon a time, she'd spent most of her day simply staring out the window, wondering how she could have been so lucky. Now, though? It was a part of her life. It was beautiful, still, but it took effort to appreciate something that was always there, crashing against the rocks today, tomorrow, and for the rest of her life. It would always be there. It was so easy to think she could remember the initial wonder tomorrow, or the next day. She had things to do, right now.

There were people who would kill for her life - she had money, a great job, happiness with a wonderful man, and a child on the way. Once upon a time, she would have been unable to see anything else if James had been in the room with her.

Maybe he was right. She needed a break. To slow down, and to remember to appreciate what she had. Because what she had was perfect.