Leveling 5: When Water Has Overtaken Land: Episode 5: The Road Home (Leveling: Season One)

by H. D. Knightley

  Beckett swept them up in his arms and gave them a sopping wet hug. When Chickadee was released, she brusquely rubbed at his hair with another towel. “You are such a sight for sore eyes, look at you!” She threw her arms around him, and he buried his face in her shoulder. “I can’t believe you’re home.”

  Beckett was led into the laundry room off the kitchen to sponge and towel off and put on warm clean clothes. He emerged a while later in sweat pants and a t-shirt and bare feet. He had missed bare feet. He had begged off on a shower saying he had taken one at Dan’s and, “This is entirely too much wet. No more wet.”

  Luna did disappear to hop in a warm shower and change into dry clothes, so when she returned Beckett was at the kitchen table, leaned on an elbow tiredly chewing a cookie and alternately yawning while Chickadee beamed at him, holding one of his arms saying, “—a new tattoo?”

  Beckett looked down, yawned loudly. “I added a butterfly.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  Luna stopped in the door, the scene was so warm and domestic and happy and perfect — except for Beckett’s yawns — she wanted to memorize it. Beckett was home.

  Dilly busied herself with a cup of tea. “Beckie, I’ve been collecting Thai recipes and have the whole week’s menus planned.”

  “Good, because I’m the kind of hungry that will take about twenty-one meals to fix.”

  Dilly appraised him. “You are very very thin, but we’ll fix you right up.”

  Luna pulled a chair up beside him and leaned back watching him. Beckett extended a hand, entwined his fingers through hers in her lap, and looked back at her with his dimpled smile. Her heart soared. Beckett was home and she was home.

  “Also, not too spicy, my mouth has sores inside.”

  Chickadee dropped her spoon. “Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?”

  Dilly said, “He’s fine, right Beckett? A vitamin deficiency, we’ll get him fixed right up.”

  “Well, I’m calling my senator. He’s in worse shape then when he left. It’s unconscionable.”

  “Chickadee, you had any sinkings while I was gone?”

  “Just one.” Chickadee glanced at Dilly. “Okay two, but the second one was short, Luna helped me.”

  “That’s nice.” Beckett squeezed Luna’s hand and yawned.

  Dilly asked, “Do you need anything else Beckett? I made—”

  But Beckett, without taking his eyes from Luna said, “Nah, I’m good.” He pulled Luna’s arm up under his, and she entwined around his bicep leaning her head on his shoulder.

  Dilly busied herself putting away food, and Chickadee jumped up to make a pot of coffee, and Beckett whispered, his breath hot on Luna’s cheek, “I’m so tired, but I had a whole plan that included making love to you, and now you’re pregnant and—”

  She said, “We still can.”

  “We can? Even though?”

  Luna nodded.

  “Okay then.” Beckett pushed his chair back. “Dilly and Chickadee, thank you, I love you, good night.” He stood, groaned, and pretended to struggle to heave Luna up from her chair.

  Luna giggled. “You’re such a weakling.” She stood up on her chair and climbed on Beckett, wrapping her legs around his waist. He wrapped his hands around her thighs, buried his mouth in her neck, and carried her out of the kitchen.

  Luna looked out over his shoulder at Chickadee, laughing, while Dilly shook her head with a smile.

  Chapter 27

  Beckett carried Luna through the living room toward the door of his bedroom, but Luna flung out a hand, grabbed the door jamb, and pulled them to a stop. He asked, “What?”

  “Let’s go in my room.”

  “Your room? What, the guest room?”

  Luna nodded.

  Beckett opened that door by pushing Luna’s butt against it. The guest room had been a place to store stuff, plus the crafting room, and also the storing of random furniture and knickknacks, but now it had been painted white with a large bed at the end covered in white bedding and pillows. White curtains hung in the window and a small table stood against the wall, spare and clean.

  He looked around his lips still pressed on her neck. “It looks great.”

  She dropped her toes to the floor and pulled his shirt over his shoulders and off over his head. She kissed his chest. “I missed you.” She ran her hands down his shoulders. He was thinner, his muscles sinewy, taut under the skin.

  He shoved her door closed with his foot and in the same moment pulled her shirt off, cupping his hands around her breasts, and moaning. He kissed down her neck to her shoulder and rubbed his hands down her back and into the top of her yoga pants and shoved them down and off her legs. “God, you’re naked.”

  Luna smiled.

  He picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist again, and he dropped her onto the bed. She shoved the top covers down while he took off his pants. He looked down at her, spread eagled across the fluffy white comforter, her body familiar and longed for, different, but so beautiful. He felt dizzy at the thought of her. He clamped his eyes closed and dropped beside her legs and hugged her hips. "I missed you."

  "I missed you too." She looked down at him. His eyes were closed. She wondered if he might fall asleep, there wrapped around her bottom half. But instead he kissed her hip and then her thigh. "I missed these legs. This kneecap."

  "My kneecap missed you too."

  He shifted and wiggled down to her feet. "I missed this ankle bone."

  Luna joked, "You did? Because I didn't think you'd been properly introduced."

  He licked it with a laugh. "There, me and Luna's anklebone are best friends." He climbed up her body, stroking along her legs and talking about how much he missed her small parts, but mentioning especially how much he had missed the soft place between her legs, and playing there, until Luna moaned, “Oh, Beckett," as waves rolled through her body.

  He slowly climbed his way up, stroking and kissing, and jokingly introducing himself to all her soft curves, until he was face to face and then he stilled. His eyes were deep and searching. "I'm so sorry." He kissed her lips.

  She wanted him so much her breath had gone with a gasp. "I know you are, and I've forgiven you." She ran her hands down his back, pulling him closer, pressing against him. "But Beckett if you keep saying it, I'll roll out from under you, and you'll have to start over introducing yourself to ankle again."

  Beckett chuckled. "I'd never be able to start over. I can barely remember my own name."

  "You're Beckett, meet Luna." And then they made love, in a bed for the first time, on land, at home — until Beckett’s breath caught — he groaned into her ear and pulled her closer burying his face into the skin between her shoulder and her throat. He moaned again, kissing there. Luna pressed against him more until finally he fully relaxed away.

  Luna stretched her arms over her head. "That was awesome."

  He dropped his head to the pillow. “In my imagination I made love to you for eight hours straight. I think I just lasted about six minutes.” He gave her a sad smile.

  She grinned. “But those six minutes were epic. Also I lasted for two.”

  She ran her fingers down his cheek, looking at his eyes, his skin, his nose, his lips, memorizing every spot and line. She said, “How can I love you so much but also feel like I’m seeing you for the first time?”

  He smiled. “Because both of those things are true.”

  She ran her hands through the shaggy hair on his head and down his neck, up his shoulder and down his arm. She paused there for a few minutes, tracing the redwood trees tattooed on his arms and whispered, full of awe, “This butterfly is for me?”

  He nodded watching her eyes. “It’s the Monarch, above the trees, carrying our whispers.”

  She held his palm open and traced a finger along the scar. She massaged the callouses and brought the fingers to her lips and kissed them. She placed his hand on her chest just over her heart, and then led his hand down her chest to the bottom of her st
omach and pressed it there, just as the baby squirmed.

  Beckett’s eyes went wide. “That is so amazing.”

  She nodded. “It’s a miracle.” The baby kicked again.

  “I’m stunned.” Beckett slowly shook his head.

  “You’re handing it very well, considering.”

  “I want to joke and say something like, ‘I don’t know if you noticed but while I was away, something took up residence in your pelvis.’ But joking at a time like this seems barbaric. So instead of joking I have questions. A lot of questions. Idiotic questions. And so I’m going to ask again, and I may keep asking — you’re pregnant?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who was pregnant before.”

  “I’ve known two people in my life.”

  “I don’t want to sound like a total monster, but I needed sex so badly I couldn’t think, or talk, and now that’s over I need sleep. I’m having trouble concentrating. You’re pregnant?”

  “Yes. Almost seven months.”

  “Pregnancies last for nine months?”

  “Really ten. Because the people who first started counting couldn’t count very well.”

  Beckett sat quietly for a moment counting in his head: days, hours, weeks, months. He had no idea what he would have to accomplish in that time, but he imagined it would take all the strength and courage he could muster, but again his brain was a jumble. So he said, dumbly, “You’re really pregnant?”

  “Yes,” she answered, knowing she was answering a lot more.

  “I don’t know if I mentioned before, but also in my imagination, I’m not leaving bed for about three days.” He pulled the covers to his waist, covering Luna’s rounded stomach. He replaced his hand on the lower part of her belly again, watching and waiting for the movement.

  “We can stay here as long as you want, I think Dilly and Chickadee are planning to feed us in bed for a month, anyway.”

  “How are you getting along with them?”

  “Really great. They are . . .” She paused. “I don’t know how to say it, because great isn’t good enough. They’re perfect. If I had to pick a new family, they would be the ones, you know?”

  “I’m glad. They are great, and I’m happy to share them.” The baby kicked Beckett’s hand again and his eyes widened. He watched her tummy and finally he laid back on the pillow. “Why did you get your own room?”

  Luna turned to her side and looked down at him. “I slept in your room in the beginning. But it’s so full of your things, your memories and trophies and books and photos.”

  He groaned. “I didn’t know you were coming, I — I’m sorry about that.”

  “It’s not a big deal, it just felt weird. I was a guest in someone else’s room — a stranger’s room. The first few nights it didn’t bother me because I was so tired and so relieved to be inside, but then it bothered me. One morning Dilly asked if I was okay, and I couldn’t explain what was wrong. We talked it over and figured out that without you there to explain what things were or meant I was turning you into a stranger.

  That day Dilly cleaned out the guest room and she and I decorated it and turned it into mine. You weren’t a stranger anymore. I could go back to thinking about you, my Beckett, that I love, and you were coming home to me, and I was a part of your family. I know you. The present you. Not the past you.”

  Beckett said simply, “Remind me Dilly deserves an extra hug when I see her next time. Possibly in five days.” He pulled Luna to his chest. “And I like this room better. The window faces west.”

  She traced a circle around and around on his chest. “Maybe while you’re here, you can introduce me to some of your things. So I know a little bit about the past Beckett too.” Her voice caught in her throat.

  He raised her chin to look up at him. “We’re doing this different you and I. We fell in love before we got to know each other. I loved you before I knew your name. You loved me before you knew you would live long enough to tell me. But that doesn’t make it wrong or destined to fail. That just means this is different.”

  “More magical?”

  “Yes, magical.” He kissed the top of her hair and mumbled something about ‘love you’ and then he went quiet. His body stilled and slowly Beckett fell asleep.

  Luna remained awake.

  The rain continued to pour.

  Chapter 28

  Six hours later Beckett woke and looked around. It was minutes before dawn and he needed to sleep more. He glanced to his right and Luna was watching him. “Hi.”

  He said, “You aren’t sleeping?”

  “Nope.” She curled up. “I have to keep checking you’re really here.”

  “Good, because I need a lot more sleep and I’ll do it better if someone is watching.” He grinned. Then he wriggled down, so he was face level to Luna’s belly, nose to belly button. “Remind me again, there’s a baby in there?”

  Luna smiled. “Yep. Baby dances while I’m sleeping.”

  Beckett rested his hand on the side. “It’s so beautiful—” A lump protruded from the side of her rounded stomach knocking his hand. “And weird.” He ran his hand down along her hip.

  “I have stretch marks now.”

  He kissed her stomach. “You’ve always had those, and they’re beautiful, and I don’t remember how you looked before.” Then he said, “Nah, I’m lying. I’ll never forget how you looked that night on the Outpost when you stripped all your clothes off standing over me. That was — but this is amazing too.”

  Luna stroked her fingers through his hair. “I made a big impression that night, huh?”

  “Yep.” He continued to stroke his hands up her thigh and her hip to her belly and back down.

  “And we made a baby.”

  “We did. And I knew it, that night on the Outpost, I knew something big had happened. I didn’t understand it, but here we are.”

  “Curled up in bed together in your mountain house.”

  “Our mountain house.”

  Luna looked down at him. “Oh.”

  “I was thinking—” He wriggled back up to put his head on the pillow and eye to eye. “That we should get married. Or wait — Luna, will you marry me?”

  Luna smiled. “Marry you? You haven't even had a full night's sleep.”

  “I don't need a full night's sleep to know I love you.” Beckett stroked a hand down her cheek. "We should tell the world.”

  Luna looked into his eyes. "You want to tell the whole world? You're definitely full of energy for someone as tired as you are."

  “Okay then, we should get married to pledge it to each other.”

  “Would you love me more? No, because you already love me more than anybody ever in the history of the world loved someone.” Luna put her finger on his lips. “Shh, it’s true and you know it. I know it. That seems like enough.” She grinned.

  “I don’t think this is funny. It is true. I love you. Don’t make light of it. I seriously want to marry you.”

  “I’m sorry. It sounds so complicated. I just need convincing. What would we need to do to get married?”

  “You’d need a dress. We’d plan a party. We have to apply for a license, the taxes. Also we’d need food and music, a guest list, invitations.”

  Luna asked, “So much! You Stiffnecks really like to turn something romantic into a big giant traffic jam. I’m exhausted just thinking about it. We’d do all of this before the baby comes?”

  “Coming from someone who paddles ocean currents. Of course we’d do it before the baby comes, don’t Waterfolk get married?”

  Luna screwed up her face. “Not really, they just sort of pick someone and decide to travel with them.”

  Beckett rolled to his back with a huff. “I guess that is less complicated.”

  Luna curled up under his arm across his chest. “I don’t mean to make it sound too simple, because if someone is choosing you, and you don’t choose them it can shake up an entire family.”

 
; “Luna are you not choosing me?”

  “Oh Beckett, I have chosen you, a million times over.”

  Beckett hugged her closer. “I choose you too. So let’s have a big wedding and tell everyone.”

  Luna sighed dramatically. "Maybe we can talk about it later, when you've had a good sleep and a shower."

  "Yeah, that sounds fair." He rubbed a finger up and down along her shoulder. “So explain it to me, Waterfolk just choose someone?”

  “Yes, you bonk your paddleboard up to someone else’s, and if they like you — it’s simple.”

  “Just a bonk?”

  “Yep. Like this . . .” Luna jumped to standing on the bed. “Hook your arm under your head. And lay back and smile up at me, like that. Now—”

  Standing above him, jumping a little on the bed, Luna pretended to paddle while looking out on the horizon and then she glanced down. “Oh my, look at this hot guy with this nice smile floating here in the ocean. He even has a monarch tattoo on his arm, I think he might be the one I’ll spend my whole life loving.” Luna pretended to paddle closer. “Bonk.”

  “And that’s all it takes—bonk?”

  “That’s all it takes. And then I climb over to your board just like this.” She stepped a leg over him and dropped down onto his lap. “As long as your board is big enough.”

  Beckett laughed. “Oh you’ve seen my board.”

  Luna giggled. She took both of his hands in hers and pinned them up over his head. “You’ve been bonked, my love. Do you return it?”

  Beckett looked up in her eyes. “You know I do.”

  “That’s all we need. It’s enough to go on. I promise.”

  Beckett nodded. “You’re making sense, but also, you’re naked, and you’ll win because I can’t think logically when you’re naked.” He pulled his hand from her grip and pushed the sheet that was between them down and pulled Luna’s hips to his naked body. “Can we talk about it later, please?”

  Luna kissed him sweetly. “Of course.” And then she kissed down his shoulder to his chest and he stroked and caressed her thighs until just the proximity, the right-on-top-of-him, was enough to make him feel desperate. So she positioned herself, and he pulled her close and down and on, and they made love a second time that night in their bed, longer, slower, and taking their time.