A group of friends streams their gaming on Wednesday nights. But not all the action is on the dining room table.

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Chapter 25 -- Bolster

I woke up the next morning warm, comfortable and feeling oddly heavier than normal. I laid there for at least ten minutes, half-asleep and trying to figure out why I seemed to be held in place before my brain began to sort things out.

I was in a king-size bed in a hotel room in Austin, Texas.

I was tucked against the bolster Brian and I had made the night before to give us separate sides of the bed, my back pressed firmly to it.

I couldn't move because, at some point in the night, Brian had wrapped an arm across the bolster and was holding on to me, his hand resting on the baby bump.

Just the morning before, waking up next to Brian had sent me into a panic, not helped by my alcohol-fueled discomfort. With a clearer head and my resolution from the stairwell in mind, I took a deep breath and kept relaxed. As if he sensed my waking, Brian grumbled sleepily, his face pressed into the bolster, and gave the baby bump a gentle pat.

I considered moving his arm but decided against it. Instead, I laid my own arm on top of his, my fingers atop his knuckles, and kept my eyes closed, enjoying the luxurious sheets and the sense of safety I felt.

Why had being so close terrified me the day before but not now? Was the bolster what made the difference? Or just my awareness of the situation?

We'd all had a blast at the Rocky Horror presentation. Sydney had, indeed, managed a half-decent Magenta, but the rest of us had simply gone in our con outfits. Once again, Jonah surprised me by coming along with us, even if he did hang back from the group.

When we'd gotten back to our room, Brian had given me a long look and asked, "Do you want me to sleep on the floor?"

I think I surprised both of us with how quickly I said, "No."

We were both smiling as we rolled up one of the spare blankets out of the closet and slid it under the sheets, and Brian made sure the stuffed pup was on my side of the bed when things were done.

There was a good night hug and a delay after before we let each other go. I don't think I was the only one of us wondering if more would happen... but it didn't.

Brian flexed his fingers, rubbed my baby bump, and mumbled something again. I patted his hand gently, and that seemed to calm him back down.

Had we been curled together like this the day before, before I woke up?

I wish I could remember.

I suppressed a yawn as I finally forced my eyes open, moving as little as possible while I did a visual search of the bedside table until I found the alarm clock.

Nine fifteen.

This time I didn't try to suppress the yawn or the follow-up groan of disappointment as I gently moved Brian's arm off of me and floundered about until I managed to roll myself off the entirely too-large bed.

"Hrmph?" Brian mumbled, seeming to have finally extracted his face from the bolster.

"Go back 'sleep," I grumbled as I stood up.

"H'nkay." I turned around in time to see Brian toss his arm across the bolster again, and the little frown that crinkled the corner of his mouth as he searched for me before he fell asleep again.

"Nine fifteen," I whispered to myself as I opened my bags and started sorting through things.

My itinerary for the day was fairly open until about four that evening. Unlike Maria, I hadn't been asked to speak at any panels during the con, so I was pretty well free to do what I wanted until the group photos and pre-game planning session at four that afternoon. Now that I was awake, though, I could already hear activity in the common room attached to our suite, telling me that either Maria or Aunt Cici -- or both -- were already at work on something or other.

I gave Brian's still-sleeping form a smile, then tossed on one of the terrycloth robes the hotel had left in our room and, quietly as I could, opened the interconnecting door.

Maria was sitting on one of the stools at the small island-cum-bar in one corner of the room, sipping a mug of coffee and looking for all the world like she was ready to crawl right back into bed, down to her lemon-yellow pajamas. Aunt Cici, on the other hand, was already dressed in full boho, her multicolored broomstick skirt and peasant top fluttering about as she went from one garment rack to another, to a toolbox, to a table where she had a sewing machine set up. Both of them stopped what they were doing and turned to watch me as I entered.

"Ah, mija! You're awake! And so cute!" Aunt Cici said, dashing across the room and giving me a big hug. "I'm so sorry I was not here to give you a touch-up yesterday when you got in!"

"It's okay Aunt Cici," I said, chuckling a little as I hugged her back. "It's not like I've never done repairs on my con makeup before."

"Oh, and you were beautiful! Maria sent me pictures!" Aunt Cici crowed, holding me at arms' length and looking me up and down. "Even now, you are adorable, mija."

"And stinky," I countered, stepping away from her but still smiling. "What has you two up so early?"

"Paperwork," Maria moaned, waving at the island that I now noticed was covered in folders and notebooks. "I had an email from ATG when I got back to the room last night asking me if I'd gotten the contracts with our artists for the book taken care of, since their records aren't up to date, so." She picked up a sheaf of papers and rattled it.

"Yeesh."

"You're tellin' me. When Aunt Cici's alarm went off this morning I got up to take care of it. I figure I'll give 'em two hours this morning, and if it runs longer than that, they'll just have to wait 'til we get back."

"You work yourself too hard, pollita. You should be having fun with your friends!" Aunt Cici said, frowning at the papers in front of Maria. "Let the men in suits worry for a day or two. They send you here to advertise for them, you will do a better job with a smile than with a furrowed brow."

"I..." Maria grinned and stacked her paperwork with a sigh. "You're right."

"Of course I am," Aunt Cici said, walking over and wrapping Maria in a hug before turning her attention back to me. "So, miss stinky, you go shower and put on that white lingerie you sent me pictures of, and when you get back, we will get you sewn into your dress for the day."

"Yes ma'-- wait. Sewn?"

"Shoo!" Aunt Cici said, explaining no more as she pushed me back through the adjoining door, though I heard Maria cackling from behind her.

The heavy click of the door closing behind me seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for Brian's own sleep, and he gave me a drowsy one-eyed grin over the bolster as I stood just inside the door.

"Did I hear something about you doing some sewing?"

"No," I said as I went over to my bags again and started putting aside the things I needed. "I guess Cici has to sew me into my dress for today."

"Huh. Kinky."

I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore the grunts from behind me as Brian had his turn to swim across the bed in search of an edge. "Bathroom bathroom," he said.

"Be quick, I need a shower!" I called as he dashed past me.

"Me first," he said, chuckling as he closed the door behind him.

"Brian!"

*CLICK*

I gave the now-locked door my most dangerous glare, but it simply stood there in stalwart silence.

When I heard the sound of water splashing in the toilet bowl, it reminded me that I hadn't gone to the bathroom yet, either.

"Brian!!"

"Ten minutes!"

"Nnngh!"

I looked at the bathroom door, then at the interconnecting door. I needed to pee, but I also didn't want to run the gauntlet of Aunt Cici and Maria -- and their inevitable teasing -- to borrow their bathroom.

And I really did feel stinky.

More petulantly than I would prefer to admit, I flopped down on the bed and picked up my stuffed pup, hugging it to me while I crossed my legs tightly.

"Your daddy is a butt," I told the pup. Realizing what I'd said, I felt a blush rise in my cheeks but didn't try to correct myself since it's not like the pup would hear it anyway.

And Brian was a butt.

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NOTES:

Comments and kudos appreciated.