Chapter Text
You came out from the kitchen, wiping your hands dry with a dishtowel after cleaning up the lunch dishes. Your husband, John, was in the living room sprawled in his favourite armchair – legs spread, face relaxed, and eyes calm. He was home savouring his weekend down time after a quick mission that had lasted only a few days, reading a history book you had finished last week which you knew he would like too.
The house was currently calm and a bit too peaceful you thought impishly, crossing the room towards your husband. It was time.
“We can’t pay the mortgage this month.”
His finger which had been reaching to flip for the next page of the book slowed as he glanced up at you standing over his chair. “We can’t pay the mortgage this month?” he murmured back, repeating your words slowly like he hadn’t heard you clearly the first time.
“I’m so sorry,” you told him injecting a worried tone into your voice and wringing the dishtowel for extra drama. “I thought we had enough in the chequing account to cover it and with this being the last payment and all...” you trailed off, sighing dejectedly, tilting your chin down.
You could feel his eyes flick over your face searching your expression as he picked up his bookmark and lowered his arm to place the book on the side table. “We don’t have a mortgage anymore, darling.”
“We paid off the mortgage? Already?” you replied quizzically, feigning confusion quite well if you did say so yourself.
This was a lie, of course, as you had not forgotten finally paying off the mortgage last month. You had both indulged with a lovely evening out a few weeks ago in celebration of being released from the shackles of the bank which had ended with you on top of John displaying to your husband your enthusiastic appreciation for all of his hard work.
“That’s why we went out to dinner at that posh place you wanted to try,” John replied using his voice that said he was trying to keep his amusement contained. “What are you playing at this time?”
“Oh, I thought we went out that night because you wanted to show me off. Silly me,” you countered flippantly.
He quickly swiped the dishtowel from your hand as he rose from the chair and snapped it playfully towards you. You started backing away slowly with your hands raised in mock surrender, could feel your heart rate picking up and your cheeks start to flush at the look in his eyes and the small growing smirk on his lips. With a tiny noise that definitely wasn’t a squeak of excitement you turned to dart out of the living room but was only able to make it a few steps before John was on you. His strong arms pulled you to him so you could feel his hard chest at your shoulders and down your back. “I think a reenactment of that night is in order then,” he said gruffly leaning down to rub his face against the top of your head, his beard rasping against your skin. “Seems you’re having some memory issues. Gotta make sure it sticks this time.”
He reached down and lifted you into his arms pulling you bridal style against him as you gasped slightly in surprise somehow always caught off guard by your husband’s casual strength. You looked up at him and smiled feeling anticipation grow in your chest and arousal heat low in your belly as he began making his way to the bedroom upstairs. You hadn’t expected an afternoon delight to be his reaction to your small prank but you weren’t complaining in the least.