An Evening Cuddle

10:07 PM

Sarah lies on the couch under a fleece blanket, eyes dozing, half focused on the television.  Justin lounges on the love seat.  The movie ends and Justin turns the TV off.  Sarah stretches.  Justin rises from the love seat.

"Wait..." Sarah says.  "What are you doing?"

"I'm coming to snuggle with you."

"But I was just about to go get a bedtime snack -- don't...I mean, I don't want to..."

Couch cushions are tossed aside.  Justin wedges himself behind her and steals half of her blanket, wrapping one arm around her torso.

"Aw, come on!  I'm falling off now!  Sarah fidgets and sighs.  "Fine, but I don't want to snuggle long.  I'm hungry."

"Why do you hate to snuggle?  It's so warm and nice."

"I don't hate it, I just like to have my own space.  And I told you: I'm hungry.  And tired.  And if I fall asleep here, I won't remember to wake up so I can feed Landon before bed."

"Just a few minutes, then."  Justin sighs and gathers her closer.  "You know what I like to imagine sometimes when we're cuddled up like this?  I pretend we're wedged into the cliffside of a high mountaintop.  There's a precipitous drop right here, and we have to hold tight to stay safe.  And it's cold, with the wind whipping around the rocks, so we have to be close." 

Sarah laughs and wiggles closer; Justin's imagination is halfway romantic.  She threads her fingers into his.  "How did we get stuck on the side of a mountain, anyway?"

"We climbed up here, of course.  And it was nightfall, and we had to find shelter, and this little cutout provided itself.  Just enough room for two people.  The sky is filled with stars for miles, and it's quiet -- except for the wind."

Sarah tucks her feet around Justin's calves and smiles.  She closes her eyes and soaks up his heat.  His hand scratches hieroglyphs onto her ribcage.  Their breathing begins to slow in tandem.

"Well as long as we have to be stuck on a mountainside, I guess I'm glad you're holding me so close.  But why are we up here?"  Sarah can almost see the diamond stars glittering behind her eyelids and feel the gusty wind on her face...

"We're hiding from the zombies."  And Justin starts to snore.