Title: Interlude
Rating:
PG
Pairing: Nathan & Kristin
Archive: tayryn’s tower
Disclaimer:
Nathan and Kristin belong to Amblin Entertainment, Universal and their
creators. I am simply borrowing them
for a short romp. They will be returned
unharmed.
Summary:
A Saturday afternoon interlude
Notes:
Old Time Rock and Roll sung by Bob Seger
Nathan
sighed quietly as he propped against the doorframe and stared at his ladylove.
Kristin
sat at the dining room table surrounded by stacks of books and papers. Not an inch of the table’s surface could be
seen. Her hair was tied back into a
severe ponytail and her reading glasses were perched on the end of her nose. She scribbled endlessly on a yellow legal
pad, looking up occasionally to glance at one reference or another.
When
Kristin dropped her head to rest on her hand, her pen falling to the table
Nathan pushed away from the door and stepped toward her.
“Come
on, babe. You need a break. You’ve been at this for three days with only
a few hours sleep.” His hands fell to
her shoulders, his fingers gently massaging the tense muscles there.
A
low moan escaped Kristin’s lips as her head fell back against Nathan’s
stomach. “Oh God, that feels so good.”
“Lucas
left a few hours ago to go to a ballgame with Tim and Miguel. I told him he could stay overnight so we
have the whole house to ourselves. Why
don’t you go lie down on the bed and I’ll give you a proper massage?”
Kristin
snorted. “I wish that I could but this
damned funding proposal has to be in first thing Monday morning.”
“I
read your original proposal. It was
great.”
“Great
isn’t good enough. If I’m to finish
this project I must get this grant. My
experiments have shown such promise…”
“But
they aren’t worth your health, sweetheart.
You need some rest or you will fall apart during your presentation.”
“I
don’t have that much more to do. I’m
almost finished with the rewrites.
Another day and…”
“Another
day and you will collapse from exhaustion.
You are obsessed with this, Kristin.
You’ve done nothing for over a week but work on this proposal, night and
day.”
“Because
it is important to me. Dammit,
Nathan! I try to be understanding about
your work! Can’t you show me the same
courtesy?”
Nathan’s
hands flew up and he stepped back from the angry woman. He realized quickly that Kristin wasn’t in a
mood to be reasoned with.
“I’ll
leave you to your work.” He told her
stiltedly then left the room without looking back.
Kristin
scowled after him for a moment then hit her fist against the table in
frustration.
~sQ~
Nathan
tugged his sneakers off and crept silently past the dining room, intent on not
disturbing Kristin. He absently noted
that her head was lowered in her hands as he went but he didn’t realize she was
crying until he was out of sight and heard her sobs.
‘Oh
babe. You are so burned out on all of
this. What can I do to help you?’ Nathan leaned against the wall, his sock
covered feet sliding absently over the polished wood floor as he listened to
Kristin cry.
He
stared down absently at his foot as he thought, gradually coming to focus on
the thick cotton sock moving easily over the surface beneath. ‘That might…’ he thought, his mind pulling
back a memory from his youth. ‘If
nothing else she’s sure to get a laugh out of it…’ He moved resolutely toward
the back of the house to gather the items he needed to implement his plan.
~sQ~
Kristin
scribbled one last line on the notepad and threw the pencil down. Nathan’s words had been playing over and
over in her mind, finally convincing her that he was right. Her preoccupation with this presentation was
driving her crazy and detracting precious time from a weekend alone with
Nathan. It was time to go find her
lover and try to salvage the rest of the evening.
At
that instant music rang through the house, one long chord… ‘bum bum ba da da
dum’… then nothing. Kristin’s eyes grew
wide as the sound was followed by an instant of silence then the same chord
repeating. Her mouth fell open as she
stared at the scene before her.
With
the onset of the second chorus Nathan slid into view, his back to Kristin and
his white socks gliding effortlessly on the polished wood flooring. His long-sleeve blue button up shirt hung
open, the collar turned up around his neck. One hand held a two foot black
rod. A spongy red ball that Kristin
instantly recognized as a clown nose that Lucas liked to goof off with covered
the end of the rod closest to Nathan’s face.
But
what surprised Kristin most was that Nathan’s legs were completely bare, the
tail of his shirt covering his bottom and the top of his thighs. At that instant the song started again.
Just take those old
records off the shelf
I’ll sit and listen to ’em by myself
Today’s music ain ’t got the same soul
I like that old time rock ’n’ roll
Nathan’s knees began to lift and the bottom beneath the shirt began to shake as he danced to the music and whirled around to face Kristin. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes and the crisp white cotton of his undershirt covered his chest beneath the blue. His tight briefs were visible beneath. He lifted the red nose to his mouth and continued to sing at the top of his lungs.
Don’t try to take me to a disco
You’ll never even get me out on the floor
In ten minutes I’ll be late for the door
I like that old time rock’n’ roll
Kristin couldn’t hold back the laughter that bubbled up
from deep in the pit of her stomach as she watched Nathan twirl and dance
toward the table. Her hands clapped
together in time with the music as she beamed at Nathan.
Still like that old time rock’n’ roll
That kind of music just soothes the soul
I reminisce about the days of old
With that old time rock ’n’ roll
Won’t go to hear them play a tango
I’d rather hear some blues or funky old soul
There’s only sure way to get me to go
Start playing old time rock ’n’ roll
As
the words of the chorus finished, Nathan executed a particularly stunning spin
then fell to his knees, twisting the rod around until it swung sideways so that
he was now playing air guitar in time with the music. By this time tears were rolling down Kristin’s cheeks as she
continued to laugh.
Call me a relic, call me what you will
Say I’m old-fashioned, say I’m over the hill
Today’ music ain’t got the same soul
I like that old time rock ’n’ roll
Nathan
had the music turned up to maximum volume so that the sound filled the house to
the exclusion of everything else. Had
it been a bit lower one of them might have noticed the door slamming. As it was, neither Nathan nor Kristin
realized that they were no longer alone in the house until a very stunned
seventeen-year-old boy appeared in the entryway; his eyes round with surprise.
Still like that old
time rock’n’ roll
That kind of music just soo…
Nathan’s
voice trailed off as the song lyrics continued to blare. The dark glasses slid down his nose as he
peered at his stunned ward over the top of the lenses, a sheepish smile on his
face.
Lucas
held up his hands and shook his head.
“I don’t wanna know… I SO don’t wanna know. I’m gonna grab my tunes and disappear.” The boy turned and fled.
The
shades slid a bit further as Nathan turned back to stare at Kristin. She returned the stare in kind, her lips
twitching frantically as she struggled to hold back her mirth.
“Don’t
do it!” Nathan held up his hand, one finger pointed at Kristin in warning. It was her undoing. She burst out laughing again.
Nathan
stood slowly and turned to leave the dining room. Kristin was on her feet in an instant, running to his side. As she rounded the table she remembered that
she had kicked her shoes off but it was too late. Her momentum carried her forward as the cotton slid across the
floor.
“Nath…!”
She called the instant before she crashed into him. Nathan turned his torso in time to receive the full impact of
Kristin’s blow and they both tumbled to the floor in a heap.
“I’m
sorry I laughed. Please don’t be
angry!” Kristin begged as she struggled to untangle her limbs from Nathan’s.
Nathan
grinned as he rolled Kristin to her back beneath him. “I’m not angry. I was
just going to turn the music down. The
whole point of this exercise was to make you laugh. You’ve been entirely too serious this past week.”
“And
you and Lucas have been angels for putting up with me. Not two seconds before you slid in here I
had decided to quit working on the damned proposal today and go with what I
already have.”
The
brilliance of Nathan’s smile was reward enough for Kristin but then he lowered
his face to hers, lips brushing lips gently in thank you.
“Why
don’t you go take a nice long nap? You
need some rest. I’ll run out to the
market and prepare dinner for us tonight.” Nathan murmured against Kristin’s
ear as he nuzzled her auburn locks.
“Why
don’t you join me for that nap instead?” Kristin’s hands slid down Nathan’s
back to cup his bottom suggestively.
“Because
I doubt you would get any of the sleep that you need.” Nathan replied but didn’t protest when
Kristin turned her face into his, her mouth seeking his.
Their
second kiss was anything but chaste, their legs entangling while their tongues
did the same.
“OH
GEEZ!”
Nathan
and Kristin broke apart, their heads turning in unison to see Lucas feeling his
way across the opening with one hand.
The other hand was locked firmly over his eyes.
“Lucas…”
Nathan started.
“I’m
sorry. I’m leaving. I didn’t mean to interrupt you. Don’t stop on my account. I’m sure that I won’t be scarred for life. Maybe for a few years but… Perhaps someday
I’ll be able to eat in this room without remembering… SHIT!” Lucas stopped speaking as he ran into the
doorframe. “No… don’t get up… I’m all
right…” His hand groping the wall, Lucas disappeared again. “Have a nice weekend!” He yelled out as he
closed the front door loudly behind him.
Nathan
rolled to his back beside Kristin, both of their bodies shaking with laughter
as the final chords of the song sounded and the repeat button started it
again.
“That
boy… I’m going to have to have a talk with him…” Nathan gasped between chuckles
as he slowly rocked to his feet then stood, holding his hand out to Kristin.
She
took hold and let him pull her to her feet then moved smoothly into his
arms. Nathan gave her a wink then
grasped her hand as he spun her body away from him.
“You
are a nut, Nathan Bridger,” Kristin told him on her return spin. “But I love you more than I have ever loved
anyone in my entire life.”
“The
feeling is entirely mutual, Babe.” Nathan answered with a smile as he danced
her around the room and down the hallway.
The
End