Quiet Afternoon (Michael and Anna)

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle walked with Michael down to the spot he'd shown her. "So do I get to see any of your drawings?" She looked up at him with expecting eyes.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael grinned at her, "Perhaps, or maybe I'll hold them ransom for a passage of that book," he said, eyes glinting in amusement as he nodded towards the book in her hands. He sat down, his back against a tree and flipped open his sketchpad and pulled out a pencil.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle grinned, picked a tree across from him so she could see him without turning, and settled into the soft grass. She opened the book to the second chapter where her bookmark lay, and began reading. "The smell of timeless evergreens permeated Amber's cottage. Candles flickered in holders above the bed. They cast a shivering golden light over the man with no name. A man sho lay captive in a sleep that had no dreams.
Amber was certain he wasn't dreaming, for she had spent the past two days rubbing precious oils and warmth into his body. During that time she had sensed nothing new. Nor had the pleasure that caome with touching him changed. It was as keen now as it had been the first time."

Annabelle lowered the book and bit her lip. "Now can I see them?" She was glad she wasn't to any of the really interesting parts yet, or she'd never have read a passage.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael grinned and handed over the sketchpad. It was a newer pad, not one of his old ones full pictures of Dru. The pages were full of landscapes, a few pictures of Annabelle were mixed in as well. "So is that what you always read?" he asked, eyes sparkling.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle shook her head as she took the pad, excited to see what her boyfriend had created. "I read just about all types of muggle fiction, but lately I'm into mystery-romances. I've always loved..." Annabelle had been flipping through the pages of landscapes, admiring his skill, when she'd come upon one of her. She amazed at the details and how beautifully she had been portrayed.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Always loved what?" he prompted, watching her. He wondered what she had come upon in his pad to make her stop. There had been people to commend him for his skill, but never a reaction quite like that, trailing off in the middle of a sentence.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle looked up at his words. She'd been so caught up in the drawing she'd forgotten about everything else. Color brushed her cheeks as she tried to remember what she'd been saying. "Oh, just reading." She put the topic aside as she turned the drawing towards him momentarily. "This is so beautiful. But, when?" She asked, not remembering any times that he could have drawn her.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"One night when I couldn't sleep, I have a good memory to draw from." Michael had momentarily thought of saying some cheesy line about how it was only beautiful because of the subject matter, but chose against it. "I enjoy drawing you," he said, smiling. There was something therapeutic about it, whereas drawing Dru had been nothing but confusion and doubt.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"It's amazing." Annabelle turned back to the picture with a more defined blush. She'd never had anyone draw her before, and to have him do it from memory was even more astonishing. It wasn't so much the accuracy that she was taken with, but with how well he portrayed her. She felt like she could feel the emotions shown in the drawing's face, like she was about to come to life with a story to tell. "How long did this take?"

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael shrugged, "I don't know, I lose track of time when I draw. It took a little longer than a usual drawing though, kept getting distracted." He grinned at her, every so often during the process of drawing it he had zoned out, just sitting there thinking about her.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"By what?" She asked with a smile, seeing the look in his eyes. She closed the sketchpad and handed it back to him. A wave of excitement passed through her as their hands brushed each other. She was surprised that he could still affect her with such a simple caress.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael smiled as he took the pad back from her, letting his fingers linger on hers when they touched. "By the subject of the drawing, of course. She's enough to make anyone stop what they're doing." That comment was one he couldn't resist making as he set the pad down in the grass beside him.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

She laughed lightly at his comment, and shook her head. "Only you I think." She smiled, wondering how she thought a book could compete for her attention with him so close.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"Perhaps, but perhaps there's a huge underground 'we love Anna' cult," he said, laughter in his eyes. He didn't doubt that there could be many more people that had her in their thoughts if they knew her.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle picked up a handfull of grass and tossed it toward him, the pieces uneffectively floating to the ground. "And are you the ringleader?"