Ramblings Of A Hiddlestoner

Relaxation Techniques

You shut the front door of your house with a sigh, leaning against its wooden frame and closing you eyes for a second. It had been a long day. Dropping your bag to the floor, you peel off your sopping wet coat and take off your shoes. You don't hear any noise as you stand in the downstairs hallway. You assume he's asleep upstairs. Creeping slowly up the stairs, cringing as they creak and groan under your weight, you eventually get to the door that leads into your bedroom. Slowly, so as not to wake him, you push open the door and step inside. The first thing you notice is the dim lighting; caused by the candles scattered around the room that were not there before. Frowning in confusion, you direct your attention to the bed, expecting to see a bump in the duvet, but it is flat. Suddenly a noise catches your attention. You shift your gaze towards the darkest part of the room. That is when you see him. He shifts silently out of the shadows, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. You relax as he approaches you ; the niggling worry that it could have been someone else, drifting away.

"You really know how to creep a person out, don't you." You say, relieved. He chuckles

"I try my best." He replies with a shrug of his shoulders. You turn your head back to the candles and gesture towards them

"What's this for?" You ask curiously. He chuckles.

"Well hello to you too." He says, the infuriatingly cute smile still sat upon his face. You roll your eyes and walk over to him, looking into his eyes with amusement.

"Hello darling. How have you been today? Have you had a good day? I love you...Better?" You ask, smirking and counting on your fingers. He laughs through his nose.

"Better." he says simply. You look at the candles again.

"So are you going to tell me what these are for?" You ask again. He smiles and takes your hand. You follow him without question. He leads you to the middle of the floor where you both sit down, legs crossed, facing each other. You're about to question him again when he stops you; putting his finger to your lips and shushing you gently.

"No questions." He states. You roll your eyes again, going along with it. He continues. "I thought you'd like to do a bit of relaxing. You seemed pretty upset and stressed earlier on the phone" he says gently. Your mind flashes back to earlier that day and the conversation you had had with him. You remember almost being in tears with the amount of work you had piling up. The only comfort you had had was the sound of his voice. You look intently at him.

"How, may I ask, is this relaxing?" you question, unable to understand his intentions. He ignores your question.

"Close your eyes." He orders softly. You eye him uncertainly, knowing he likes to play his tricks.

"Why?" you ask. Now it is his turn to roll his eyes.

"For once in your life, will you just trust me and do as I say?" He asks with a giggle. You raise your eyebrow at his question, knowing full well, why you shouldn't.

"Hmm let me see. Maybe its because last time I trusted you, I ended up with whip cream all over my face, looking like Mrs bloody Santa Claus because somebody wanted to 'play a little game.'" You remind him. He chuckles again, recalling the memory. He takes yours hands in his and thumbs your palms gently, gazing intently.

"Please?" He begs. You stare at him for another minute to see if you can somehow find a way to get out of it. Eventually you let out a sigh and shut your eyes, suddenly feeling very vulnerable to his games. He begins to talk, slowly and gently, instantly soothing you.

"Imagine you're on the beach, the wind whipping at your hair, the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks," He begins. You instantly pipe up.

"How is this supposed to help me re-"

"Shut up and just do it." He tells you. You can hear the smile in his voice. Again you sigh, focussing on creating the images in your mind. He continues to speak softly to you.

"Imagine you are walking up to the water. The sun is setting and there is no one else around. You are completely alone. The waves lap around your toes as you edge closer to the water..." You hear him shift, his movement causing the floorboards to creak. You resist the urge to open your eyes and see what he's up to, instead focusing your mind back to the images of the beach. As much as you would hate to admit it, it was pretty relaxing. You begin to rock slightly from side to side, a sensation that you know relaxes you further. He speak again, this time his voice a whisper.

"You tread deeper into the water, you can feel it coming up to your thy. You expect it to be chilly but it is not. It is warm and comforting. You glide deeper in still, the water now up to your shoulders," He stops speaking and you know he is moving close. You do not object nor make a sound. "You feel the water reach your neck." He is beside your ear now, whispering his words softly, his voice so quiet that you strain to hear it. "Deeper still, it now touches your lips so you can taste the salt on your tongue." He says. You feel his breath moving from your ear, across your face until it reaches your lips. At first your not entirely sure what he intends to do but your doubts are soon answered when you feel his lips pressed against yours. A shocked breath lodges inside your throat. The kiss is gentle, barely a kiss at all. Yet it is so comforting that you feel yourself beginning to tear up for no particular reason. He breaks away from the kiss and rests his forehead against yours, letting out a sigh of content. You now allow yourself to open your eyes. Opening them slowly, you see him staring intently at your face. You give a small smile. He smiles back.

"Thank you," You whisper. He gently wipes the tears away from your eyes with his thumb.

"Any time." He replies. Neither of you move, both content in each others company. You sit there for hours in that dimly lit room where the candle flames dance; where the smell of mint and smoke drift through the air; where the only sound you can hear is the beating of his heart.