Aubrey (Revolving With Axis)

114: Aubrey

114: A

He wrapped me and my blanket in his arms and kissed me again, this time with more feeling. I started to push away, even though I was trapped in his lap and the blanket. He deepened the kiss and then, not getting the whole hearted twining tongue response he was waiting for he discontinued that, and murmured as he pressed his hand against my stomach. "I am sorry for something."

"For what?" His lips were still touching mine, but, honestly, eliciting no real response. I was confused, somewhat annoyed.

His hand rose to cup my breast and I pulled away instantly. But he was insistent, and pulled up the shirt.

"Don't." I said firmly.

"I am sorry for taking advantage." I knew what he'd done.

"Yeah. That's going to be a trust thing. How can I sleep on that bunk with you anymore, knowing that while I sleep---."

He put his fingers to my lips, shaking his head. "It's not going to happen again. Okay? I promise."

I slowly looked back out to the waves. I was ready for this conversation to be over. He could see that.

"I saw a basketball court." He said softly. "There's no one out there yet."

"No one to see me." I said bitterly for once and Rafe backed up, biting his lips.

"Aubrey? Are you being bitchy?"

"Shut up." I was weary of correcting the cuss words. My last nerve was about to be frayed.

I wasn't sure how he'd handle that one. I think he wasn't either. He stared at me for just a minute. Then he smoothed back my hair, cradled me against him, and finally lowered his lips once more to mine. I actually wanted to get up. I did not want another kiss. I did not want to be close. This wasn't helping anything.

His arms tightened. He pressed me back into the sand and stretched out beside me. It was cold and uncomfortable. He lay as close to on top of me as he could without squishing me. And then he looked into my eyes.

"This cannot come between us." He said it the way he'd said it before--- when we'd been arguing about porn. Well, this was on a par with that, wasn't it?

"It already is." I said the way I had that other time.

He rose up to look at me. "No. It's not. These things are--- trivial. They are not core pieces of who we are together. These things cannot come between us, they are so—fringe. They are --- not real."

"I think they are real."

"They don't matter. They don't change us. We are still who we are."

"They change you in my eyes."

"Well, stop judging."

"I can't. We are told to judge!"

"Aubrey---- this is so unreal that--- that, I tell you what--- we'll play hoops. Free throws? Whoever gets the most--- in--- a certain amount of time--- their opinion rules."

I smiled at his logic. "I'm a really good shot from the free-throw line."

"So. Am. I." He pulled me up and smacked my backside through the blanket. "Get some shorts. Let's duke this out where it matters."

As I changed I thought to myself. I don't know how serious these issues are in a marriage. I'd been warned a gazillion times as a youth about them--- warned piercingly, stridently, and confidently that they were deal breakers. But--- now, confronted with them first hand. I thought about being married to a famous pop star, it would mean changing my life and career significantly. I thought about his affiliation with the LGBT community and the temple issues---- those seemed far weightier than these other things right now. Maybe he was right. It was better to duke it out on the court, let off some steam, and agree that whoever wins, their opinion is the one we adopt--- unless---

I caught him outside; I was dressed in my basketball shoes, shorts and a loose t-shirt, hair up. I caught his arm as he bounced the ball he'd found somewhere. "Until the next time it comes up, and we'll have to discuss it as long as we can stand, and if we still can't agree, then we'll duke it out on the court and whoever wins--- their opinion will be adopted until the next time. Agreed."

He clasped my hand bro style. He locked arms. "Yes." He stated firmly.

We started out across the sand, and then turned in at the hotel, a courtyard between buildings. True to his word, there were basketball courts and tennis courts. There were actually some people out playing tennis already. But the basketball courts were free.

I took a lap. There was a ball bag out on the court already, so I grabbed a ball and started dribbling as I ran, feeling the heat of the day warm me, and sweat started almost instantly. I wished for a headband. Rafe was shooting, dribbling, moving around the free throw line, shooting again.

I ran one more lap.

"How about some one on one first?" He suggested, looking very college pro ball player, the way he handled it. I tossed my ball to the bag, and moved into the block position. He had started to gain position and then saw me squat, and had to stand back and laugh.

"Don't laugh." I said. "Picture Muggsy Bogues."

"Muggsy!"

"Played for the Charlotte Hornets, fastest man on the court, had a 44 inch vertical leap and more steals and assists than all the others. Won a world champ gold medal in an NBA---."

"I hear you. I know who Muggsy Bogues is."

"Just look down from your dazzling height of what--- six foot?"

"Six one."

"And picture Muggsy."

He must have done it, because his eyes got serious, and he started dribbling again. I watched him, watched his eyes carefully and then, used my signature move--- the one that got my MVP in high school. He never even saw me coming. I stole that ball, and was to the lay-up, before he could even turn around. The basketball sizzled into the hoop and Rafe caught it, his eyes having changed from indulgent jesting to respect. I cocked a brow at him, as he returned to his spot.

"Don't go easy on me." I said.

"I won't."

******