For @astrangegirlsmind and @may85
Words: 464
Warnings: FLUFF
Deaf came inside to the smell of baking apples and cinnamon. He paused just inside the door and leaned against the frame, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath of the scent. As he stood savoring the sweet and spicy air, a hand touched his chest, ran slowly up to his shoulder and around the back of his neck, gently pulling him down to soft, waiting lips. Deaf smiled and reached to pull his wife to him as he kissed her. “Apple pie,” he murmured. “My favorite.”
Joanna grinned and waited with her chin on his chest until he had opened his eyes again. “There are three. One’s for your parents, one’s for church, and one’s for us.” Deaf brushed his lips slowly across her forehead, smiling. “One’s almost cool. If you want a piece.”
“Of course.” Deaf kicked off his boots while Joanna went to get the knife to cut the pie. As he was shrugging out of his shirt to change into something less dusty, he peeked at her over his shoulder and grinned when he saw that she was starting to round out in the belly. They had been trying for children for a while now and this was the first time one had stuck this long. The miscarriages had been hard on both of them. “How are you feeling?” he asked. He returned to the table as Joanna was putting a plate of pie at his seat with a fork.
“Stiff and sore,” she admitted but she smiled. “And about ready to put my feet up for a while.”
Deaf nodded and jabbed his fork into the pie, taking his time about bringing it up to his nose, then tasting it: a crumbly crust perfectly baked, apples mingled with spices and sugar…and something else. Blinked and looked at Joanna, eyebrows arched in surprise. She grinned at him, obviously watching his face for his reaction. “Where did you get honey?”
“That’s why one’s for church,” she beamed. “Danny Greene brought me some. He said the bees had been all over our apple trees all spring, so it only seemed right.”
With a slow nod, Deaf savored the bite, then finished chewing and swallowed. “You make the best pie,” he sighed as he pushed the plate in a circle to take another bite. “Never thought anyone’d beat my grandma’s apple pie, but I think you did.”
“It’s her recipe,” chuckled Joanna. “I just added a few odds and ends.”
“Like honey,” Deaf grinned, “and cloves.”
“You tasted them!”
Deaf nodded with his fork in his mouth. “You think I’d forget? You’re the only one I know who puts cloves in with the cinnamon. It’s incredibly, my love. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Joanna smiled and stood to kiss his forehead tenderly.
ofdreamsanddragons 