When Henry awoke, Chlodomer the cat was in bed with him but Mavis was not. He looked around for her, his eyes groggy from sleep. He slept so soundly last night. He had hoped to wake up with Mavis still in bed with him and wondered at what point she had gotten out.
He stretched in bed before sitting up. Then he braced himself for the usual morning pain as he stood. His leg throbbed and he reached for his crutch to help support himself. Quickly he threw a shirt on, not worrying about all the buttons.
His only concern was finding Mavis. He wanted to make sure they were okay, that she wasn't going to start pushing him away again just because they cuddled last night; A memory he was all too happy to recall. It had been nice, having her close to him, her head resting on his bare chest.
When he opened the bedroom door into the kitchen he found Mavis cooking breakfast. She smiled when she saw him, a blush quickly rushing to her cheeks. "Good morning," she murmured as she scrambled the eggs.
He set his crutch to the side and made his way over to her. She could sense him approaching from behind but made no effort to stop him. He stood behind her, watching as she worked on the eggs, waiting for them to heat up. Moving a fraction of an inch closer to her made his body warm and tingly. He peered over her right shoulder, as if examining her work.
She turned her chin ever so slightly and smiled shyly. "Can I help you with something?"
He eyed her lips, tempted to help himself. Instead he took a step back, distancing himself from temptation. He cleared his throat. "Did you sleep okay?"
She turned and eyed him, as if she knew what he was really asking. Did you stay in bed or leave?
"I left after a couple of hours, I didn't want Wilkin to wake up and find me missing. Who, by the way, is outside getting more eggs and will be back any minute. So...stop looking at me like that."
Henry laughed. "I apologize. I will stop looking," he covered his eyes. She laughed.
"None of this flirting stuff either," she warned. "I don't want Wilkin to think we're getting attached."
"Aren't we?" he asked, his voice hopeful. She stared at him, then turned back to the eggs.
"We shouldn't be," was all she said. Henry couldn't help the disappointment those words brought him. He wanted to be close to her, wanted to say more things that would make her blush. He wanted more and more from her as time went on. Part of him thought she might be using Wilkin as a crutch of her own, letting him unknowingly take the blame for keeping their relationship from growing too fast. If she was scared, that was one thing. But he didn't want her blaming Wilkin.
Speaking of which, the young boy came trotting inside with a basket full of eggs. "We should have plenty for the week," he announced cheerfully. He smiled at Henry, "Good morning Henry!"
"Good morning," he replied, moving over to the small table to take a seat.
When breakfast was ready they ate together and then cleaned the kitchen. Despite the cold weather, they all bundled up and moved outside to begin their chores. It was still early morning, the sun barely out, so the air was bitter cold. Henry tried to keep warm by moving around, but the more he moved the more his leg ached. He wished it would stop hurting him all the time. There were so many things he wanted to do. He wanted to go riding with Mavis, to show Wilkin how well he could really sword fight, and help Chlodomer chase the chickens around the coop for fun.
It was another long day of hard work, but Henry enjoyed every minute of it. He grit his teeth through the pains in his leg and the occasional sharp twinge in his abdomen. He wanted to be as helpful as possible to make up for all he had cost this family.
Harvesting was a group effort. They needed to take advantage of the "nice" weather as Mavis termed it. Nice weather for Niebla was a brutal day for Lyra. It was so foggy here, so dim most of the days it was a wonder any crops grew.
After dinner that evening they kept to the fireside as was the new growing custom. Henry was falling into place here, learning the daily routines. Mavis was knitting in her chair again. Wilkin was reading a book aloud to them, using the fire as his light source.
Unable to stay away from her any longer, Henry discreetly moved his rocking chair closer to Mavis. Her head remained forward but her eyes watched him as he moved the chair until it was as close as it could be to hers. She sucked her cheeks in to keep from smiling, and remained dutifully engrossed in her needlework.
Henry got comfortable in his chair, listening to Wilkin as he read the story. He was getting better, even in the short time Henry had been with them. Wilkin was a fast learner and Henry admired his dedication to improving in various aspects of his life. He was a curious boy, always asking questions and making Henry think hard.
When Mavis ran out of yarn, she let her work sit in her lap as she listened to her younger brother read. Henry took his opportunity and slid his hand over until it barely grazed hers. She froze, but didn't pull away. Her gaze remained forward as his fingers lightly traced over her knuckles and fingers, causing the hair on her arms to stand on end. He could tell she was struggling to remain composed. Although she appeared to be listening intently to Wilkin's story, he was sure had he asked her what it was about she would draw a blank.
In fact, it took both of them several minutes before they even realized he had stopped reading, and was instead snoring softly with the book on his face.
"Wilkin," Mavis whispered affectionately as she watched her brother sleeping peacefully. "He always falls asleep when he reads. I should have brought his cot over for him."
Henry stood up and Mavis eyed him curiously as he went over and picked up Wilkin's cot, bringing it over to where Wilkin lay at the fire. It wasn't heavy and he was lifting heavier items each day, challenging himself.
Wilkin was on the floor, so Henry had to squat low to the ground, placing his hands gently underneath of the sleeping child. He was careful not to wake him.
"Henry, don't," Mavis warned, "you shouldn't be lifting."
He ignored her and picked Wilkin up, the boy only shifting slightly underneath him as he transferred him over to the cot. He grabbed some blankets and placed a pillow under his head, rubbing the boy's hair for a brief moment. He was fond of Wilkin, he couldn't deny that. If it came down to it, Henry would gladly give his life for the boy.
He had an impulse to place a peck on the child's forehead, but resisted. Mavis was very strict when it came to her brother. He didn't want to upset her in any way. Instead he stood back up and made his way back over to Mavis.
She was staring at him strangely, and he wondered what she was thinking. She shook his gaze and quickly grabbed more yarn from the basket to her right. She began joining the two strands of yarn, busying herself for distraction.
Henry moved around her, positioning himself directly behind her chair. For a minute he watched her work. Her shoulders were tense and he could tell she was hyperaware of his presence. Waiting for him to do something. To touch her.
For once her hair was down, falling around her shoulders. Gently, Henry gathered her hair to one side and began rubbing her shoulders. They were tense at first, rigid, but relaxed after a moment. She dropped her needlework as he continued, rubbing the knots free from her upper back.
Never before had he given anyone a massage. The desire had never struck him until now. He had been on the receiving end of nearly a thousand massages in his lifetime, so he had an idea of what to do. He knew what felt good and what didn't.
With all her hard work, Mavis deserved to be pampered and doted on. She closed her eyes as he continued. He could feel her relaxing, watched as her breathing slowed down. They didn't say anything to each other, didn't speak. The only sound was the crackling fire and Wilkin's soft breathing.
Henry bent down until his head was close to hers. He leaned in close, breathing her in. She made a soft noise of contentment, her cheeks barely flushing. The urge to scoop her up into his arms and take her into the other room was undeniable. But he wasn't sure what she felt for him yet. He wanted her to decide, wanted to hear her say the words.
He kissed her neck once, then slowly stood back up, still massaging her shoulders. She turned slowly in her chair until she could face him. Her eyes searched his and she stood up. She moved around the chair until she was directly in front of him.
Slowly, she grabbed his hand and carefully placed it on her chest. "My heart is racing," she whispered. Henry leaned in, his hand above her breast, feeling the rapid beat of her heart.
Henry closed his eyes and regret filled him. He was pushing her too fast. He didn't want this for her. He wanted her to want him when she was ready. "I can stop," he offered softly.
Mavis frowned, her brow-line creasing. He was misinterpreting her. She looked like she was about to speak, but instead leaned forward and onto her tiptoes until she was a breath away from his face. She stopped at his lips, making him wait for it, then pressed into him, kissing him deeply. He wrapped his arms around her in response, pulling her even closer. She clung to him too, her hand finding its way into his hair.
They melted into each other blissfully until a loud pop of the fire made them stop. They pulled away, making sure Wilkin didn't stir, then looked back at each other, both smiling widely. Mavis laughed, clamping a hand over her own mouth to keep from waking Wilkin.