The Sea Noose

The Sea Noose


The mirror was still steamed up from the steaming hot water of the bath when Cian and I left the bathroom after our bath. I was wearing a fresh pair of underwear and cotton shorts, a sports bra as my top. Cian had his towel wrapped around his waist as I pointed him to the correct drawer where I kept my lacy underwear. While we were in the bath tub we had both shaved our legs, this time with Cian accepting my help and I was proud to tell him that with my help he didn't cut himself. He merely grumbled at me as we dried off.

I sat down on the bed and started brushing my hair, watching in amusement as Cian took out many different pairs of lacy underwear, trying to decide which one he wanted to wear. I shook my head and focused on getting all of the tangles out of my hair that didn't seem like it would be cooperating with me any time soon.

Cian lied on the bed next to me, stretching out on the comforter, wearing a pair of black nearly see-through lacy underwear. I smiled at him and I continued to wrestle with my hair. He placed his hand against my back, rubbing the slightly tense muscles gently in small circles. I smiled at him softly, the brush now starting to glide through my hair easily. I brushed through my hair once more and set the brush on the bedside table and ran my fingers through my hair a few times before turning and snuggling up against Cian.

He wrapped and arm around my shoulder, his hand gently playing with my wet hair. I rested my head on his chest, my fingers stroking the patch of skin above the waist back of the lacy underwear. I kissed my forehead gently and moved his other hand down to where mine was on his stomach. I smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his chest, closing my eyes as I let out a deep breath. His thumb stroked the back of my hand gently.

“I love you, Kassy.” I smiled and nuzzled his chest.

“I love you, too, Cian.” I lifted my head for a moment and opened my eyes, looking into his. “And I always will love you, Cian.” he smiled and brought up his hand to stroke my cheek with his fingers. I smiled, turning my head and kissed the palm of his hand. I lied my head back down on his chest, closing my eyes again, smiling.

“I'm so happy that I have you, Kassy.” I snuggled down further into his side, one of my legs slightly hooking over his leg.

“I'm even more happier than you are, because I have you.” he chuckled lightly.

“You may be, but I'm so... thankful to what ever deity that let me have you for myself.” I nodded and yawned softly.

“Me too.” he ran his hand through my hair gently.

“Why don't you go to sleep, Kassy.” I yawned again and curled around his side.

“Ok, Cian...” my eyelids felt as heavy as lead and they were already closed. My breathing slowed and deepened, the rhythmic feeling of Cian's hand combing through my hair lulling me to the slumbering land of dreams.


I yawned first before I opened my eyes. I rubbed them groggily, banishing any sleep that had built up through the night. I sat up, stretching my arms over my head and looked around me. I didn't see Cian, but the bathroom door was closed and I could hear the soft hum of running water. I turned my upper body around, popping my back nicely before twisting in the other direction. I cracked my knuckles, shivering slightly as the sound of my knuckles cracking filled the near silent room, sounding eerie on it's own.

I slid from the bed, straightening out my cotton shorts and I softly padded to the door, pushing it open silently. I stopped abruptly when I noticed that the hidden door was ajar. I cocked my head to the side, my eyes squinting slightly. I looked back into the bedroom, my eyes finding the bathroom door and my ears registering the sound of the running water. I turned back to the door in front of me and pushed it completely open.

The door didn't even make a small whisper of a sound as he swung open. I looked back to the bedroom once more before I slowly started up the stairs, taking each step slowly. I pressed my hand against the wall as I continued up, looking behind me every few steps to see if Cian had come out of the bathroom and decided to look for me. When I reached the top I stepped into the open space easily.

I looked around, seeing nothing out of place. The papers on the desk were strewn everywhere like I had left them, the balcony door closed and locked as it should be. I walked over to the desk, knelt down, and opened two the bottom drawers, seeing empty spaces for the items that were downstairs in the living room. I closed the drawers and stood up, my fingers dancing lightly over the papers that were in disarray on the desk top. The soft sound of footsteps coming up the stairs made me turn around.

Cian appeared through the threshold and he smiled at me. I looked him up and down and was surprised to see him wearing a pair of cotton pajama bottoms hanging from his hips, the sides of the lacy underwear visible over his hips. I smiled as he walked over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He kissed me gently, his lips pressing against mine for only a moment. When he pulled back slightly he looked at me sheepishly.

“I'm sorry I left the door open. When I got up this morning before you did, I went to the kitchen to grab something to eat and on the way back, I noticed the door and curiosity got the best of me.” I kissed his cheek.

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” he smiled warmly at me. “You know, while I was up here, I looked at your papers, I didn't move them in case you had them organized somehow, but I did seem some good stuff.” I snorted softly.

“Oh, please. The day that desk is organized is the day that the fish on the ocean floor come knocking on my door to just have a chat and visit with me.” he chuckled softly, giving me another soft kiss before he pulled away to look through the papers again. He pulled out one paper in particular, the words blurring together when I tried to look at it.

“'The air was sweet, with a bitter after taste. The salt of the sea hung around me like a noose. I walked slowly, my pace measured, down the thick, sandy beach along the shore. I looked out at the rolling waves, watching as they started crashing against the sand harder and harder, sounding like a beating heart speeding up in fear.'” he read from the paper he held in his hands. He looked at me and I looked back, blankly.

“Kassy, this is really good. I think you have the start of something wonderful here.” I rolled my eyes and took the paper from his hands, tossing it back onto the desk.

“It was the start of nothing. A small rambling. Nothing good.” He sighed and pulled up another piece of paper, holding it away from me so I couldn't reach it and put it back.

“Nothing good? What about this, ' My long cotton pants hung from my hips, my bare feet sinking into the sand as it roughly rubbed against my skin, barely soothing the ache on the ball of my foot. I blinked back several tears, my hand wiping at the few that spilt down my cheeks angrily. I silently cursed myself for letting myself cry.' Kassy, that is the beginning of something good, I'm telling you. All you have to do is just sit down and keep at it.” I sighed and nearly ripped the paper out of his hand.

“Cian, I'm flattered that you think this... little nothing, is good, but I'm telling you. Nothing will come of it.” he sighed softly and picked another paper, and read the lines written on it, too.

“'My arms wrapped around my waist tightly, my thin tank top doing nothing to keep the thick breeze from penetrating the fabric. I took one last look at the waves, crashing against the shore faster now in fear. My footsteps never faltered.'” I sighed softly and walked away from the desk, opening the glass door and stepping out into the morning air. I walked to the railing, ignoring the nipping cold that pressed against my skin. I heard Cian sigh softly and come out on the balcony and stand behind me.

“Kassy, I don't want you to get mad at me.”

“I'm not mad at you.” he sighed again and pressed up against my back, his arms wrapping around me from behind. I leaned back against him, my eyes looking over the landscape. My hands moved down to rest on top of his, one of his hands moved down, his fingers skirting over the top of my shorts. I closed my eyes and turned my head to the side, letting it rest against his shoulder.

“Kassy, I know that you're... annoyed with me for reading those papers to you and telling you that you have a good thing started, but I just want you to realize what wonderful things you can do. I want you to realize that if you put your mind to it, you can do more than just painting as a living.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Cian, it's not that I don't want to do more than painting, because I love painting, I think it's wonderful and beautiful... it's just. I don't think I'm capable of doing anything else. I don't think I could do something else. I don't think I know how. I've been doing painting for nearly all my life.” His arms tightened around me, pulling our bodies closer.

“It doesn't matter that you've been painting forever. You can try to do something else. I want you to know that you at least tried. I don't want you to regret not trying to do something else when you're older and you're looking back at your life and what you did and didn't do.” I nodded and sighed softly.

“I know, Cian. I just... I don't want to try and fail miserably at it.” he pressed a gently kiss to my cheek.

“Whether or not you excel at writing, because I seriously think you should try to write, I'll always be here for you, to help you if you fall and help you stand again.” I smiled softly and turned in his arms, my arms moving to wrap around his neck loosely. I looked into his eyes, seeing nothing but warmth and the faith he had for me. I leaned up and kissed him softly, his arms tightening around my back, one of his hands wandering down to grab my ass. I pulled back, my face flushing lightly and smiled at him.

“I love you, Cian. I really, truly do.” he smiled and kissed my cheek.

“I know, Kassy.” I shook my head.

“I know you know that I love you, but... I want you to understand just how much I love you. You deserve to know.” he looking into my eyes deeply.

“Kassy, I know that you love me. I know that you love me deeply. I know... that your feelings... are always deep... meaningful... and your feelings are something not everyone can earn. It takes time for you to love someone, especially as deeply as you love me.”

“Ok, you might have an inkling to how much I love you. But, Cian, I want you to fully understand that I would literally do anything for you. If it meant making you happy, I would go and hurt someone else. I would-” he pressed a finger against my lips.

“Do anything for me. I understand that, Kassy, and right here, right now, I'm promising you that I will never abuse that love you feel for me. I would never be able to forgive myself. I would never make you do something you don't want to do. The most I'd probably ever have you do to make me happy is learn how to cook something properly.” he smiled softly. “I would never have you hurt someone else. And you don't have to worry about doing something with someone else. I would never have you do anything with anyone else, because you're mine and I have no intention of sharing you with anyone. Ever.” I sniffled softly and laughed at myself, bringing my hands down to wipe away the few tears that had decided to fall from my eyes.

“What's with you and always making me cry every time you give a big ol' speech to explain something?” he laughed softly, his hands moving to my back to rub my skin gently.

“I never intend to make you cry, Kassy. I only tell you the truth about what I feel.” I sniffled again and rubbed my face clean of tears.

“Well, if the truth is always making me cry, I don't think I want to keep hearing it.” he laughed out right, his rich voice echoing slightly in the morning air. I wrapped my arms around his neck again and smiled softly.

“Oh, Kassy...” he kissed me softly, soft touch of his lips against mine causing small tingles to run down my back.

“I love you.” he whispered. I closed my eyes and resting my head back on his shoulder, my nose pressing against his neck. His hands wandered from each other, one of them finding its way underneath the back of my sports bra, the other way resting itself on my lower back. I sighed softly, my body relaxing into his, one of my hands gently playing with the hair at the back of his neck.

He rested his cheek against the top of my head, sighing softly and held me close as we stood on the balcony for a while longer, separating only to go back into the house when the cold of the outside became too much.


A/N: Current word count at the end of this chapter...


43,483 words.