Painting
For someone like Anne there was always things to do to pass one’s time. Whether it be business, studying or going around the estate – Anne Lister was never idle. It was one of the perks of being her, and it came with having the responsibility of being a Landlady. However, as Anne went about her day doing all the things needed doing – Ann and Marian were left to try and find things to fill their days with. Which normally wasn’t that hard a task, because there were always things to do around Shibden. But at the moment they were a bit snowed in. Not that they couldn’t get out and about, but the snow made it rather difficult to move about and it was below freezing temperatures throughout the day, so it wasn’t desirable.
“So, I’m off to meet with Mr. Washington, will you be alright?” Anne wondered, squeezing Ann’s hand gently, touching her knee with hers. Ann beamed at her, squeezing her hand back,
“Yes! Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re bottled up with Marian all day.” Anne said it, opening her arms in a way to suggest that it was pretty obvious why she was asking. Ann rolled her eyes and swatted her lightly over the head,
“Watch your tongue, Anne! Or I’ll only give you coal for Christmas.”
Anne rubbed the spot on her head merely to guilt Ann a bit for hitting her, glaring at her,
“I’m just saying that I would understand if you felt a bit…”
“Well I don’t.” Ann interrupted her with a smirk and Anne looked glum,
“Oh. Maybe you prefer her company to mine.”
Ann laughed at her folly, and grabbed her by the chin, pulling her down for a kiss, Anne didn’t refuse her, but she still looked the part of a sulky child.
“I don’t, Anne. But you’re out and about so I have to make do, don’t I?” Ann said amused by her wife’s sometimes jealous disposition.
“Mm.” Anne mumbled, and Ann kissed her hard again, lingering for a moment longer.
“Don’t look so glum, Pony… it doesn’t suit you! And you needn’t be jealous – least of all of your sister!” Ann smirked and Anne pouted slightly and was granted another peck on her lips, before Ann pulled away, stroking her cheek affectionately,
“Now go or you’ll be late!”
“I can walk anywhere in twenty-five minutes.” Anne told her with a brash smile and Ann grinned, running her fingers down her chin, over her neck, settling them on her shoulder.
“I’m sure you can! But you always seem to lose that ability as soon as night comes, because you’re always late for dinner.”
“I’m not.” Anne persisted, laying her own hand over Ann’s,
“I tell you what, if you’re on time tonight I might do that thing you like.” Ann batted her eyes innocently and Anne chuckled with a bit of nervous excitement,
“Really?”
“Mm, but if you are a second late then you will finally get to sleep in-front of the fire with Argus.” Ann crossed her arms, looking rather pleased with herself and Anne’s eyes widened,
“I’ll be home on time, don’t worry!”
Ann stopped Anne who tried to hurry out, by pulling her back for one last kiss,
“I’ll miss you.”
“Oh, trust me when I say I’ll miss you more!” Anne threw her a killer smile, kissing her briefly again but then Marian came inside the room and they sprung apart. Marian rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment on it, she didn’t know what the fuss was. She knew and they knew she did – more or less anyways.
“What are you going to do?” Anne asked looking between her wife and sister, and Marian held up her sketchpad,
“We’re going to have a bit of a drawing competition.”
“Oh, good luck with that.” Anne mocked, throwing Ann an amused look, making Marian annoyed with her, as she was well aware from the sounds of her sister dropping her things on the sofa.
“What do you mean? I could win!”
“I’m off!” Anne gave her a sardonic smile before hurrying outside leaving Marian no time to complain anymore about Anne’s sayings or opinions.
When the dark did fall, as it did quite early in December, Anne was on her way home. She reckoned she hadn’t been this early in years. But she daren’t take Ann up on what she had said. She had no doubts that the blonde would kick her out of bed if she was late when she had promised not to be. Anne’s heart was beating hard, as she had almost run half of the way, not leaving anything to chance - it paid off, and she rushed into the sitting room wearing a satisfied smile,
“I’m on time!”
Marian didn’t even look up, she merely raised an eyebrow,
“Congratulations.”
Ann however, patted the empty space beside her with a huge smile playing her lips, and Anne happily sat down.
“You’re a bit warm.” Ann murmured quietly, amused and Anne smirked back at her,
“Well, I needed to be on time.”
“Did you run through all that snow?” Ann looked well on the way to laughter, imagining in her head Anne skipping through the fields leading to Shibden in fear of not getting to share a bed with her wife that night. It was rather adorable and to think that Anne wanted home to her – now that warmed her heart.
“I did.” Anne grinned wide, and Ann wanted to grab her face and smother it with kisses but resisted the urge thinking Marian might not appreciate it.
“Now how did it go?” Anne asked she was almost jumping in her seat, seeming to be bursting with energy at the moment.
“What?”
“The painting.” Anne nodded towards their abandoned sketchpads lying on the side-table, both Marian and Ann followed her movement and Marian’s face fell and she huffed, turning slightly away from Anne.
“Can I see them?”
Ann twisted a bit in her seat, eying Marian worriedly but eventually nodded, picking up her own sketchpad to show Anne her drawing. Anne sat herself better, letting her arm rest behind Ann on the sofa, sitting far too close for propriety. Ann opened it up to show her the watercolour painting she’d made, and Anne gasped, tracing the outlines of the drawing with her fingers, enthralled, and a bit stunned blurted out,
“That’s a terrifyingly accurate drawing of us.”
“I know! – It’s almost like I’m good at what I do!” Ann cried mock-shocked,
“You know I think you’re excellent.” Anne pressed eying her seriously, and Ann’s eyes fluttered upwards as she sighed,
“Yes… I was just mocking your patronising tone.”
“I wasn’t being patronising.” Anne shrugged back offended, and Ann shook her head at her, leaning forwards almost as if to place a silencing kiss on her lips but remembering herself and leaning back in her seat once more. Anne’s eyes displayed all the disappointment and sadness at that, but such were life – they couldn’t be so affectionate with each other in company.
“Ready to prove me wrong, Marian?” Anne mocked her sister and Marian’s expression became darker and she seemed even more tense than before. When she didn’t answer her, Anne took matters in her own hands, leaning forwards to take the sketchpad from the table before Marian had time to snatch it back herself. Anne opened the pad to the drawing and her mouth twitched upwards and Marian groaned,
“Oh shut up you!”
“I hate to tell you that I told you so but-“
“Oh you be damned, Anne! It’s your favourite phrase.” Marian barked and Anne lifted her hand up, shrugging her shoulder,
“What can I say? You do a lot of things despite me warning you off.”
“Oh, you are so… you are- Oh God damn you Anne! You always ruin everything.” Marian rose from her seat, snatching the sketchpad from Anne’s hands managing to cut Anne’s ring finger with the sharp paper before storming out of the room like a whirlwind. Anne stared after her before turning to Ann,
“What was it I said?”
“Sometimes Anne, a bit of praise and appreciation goes a long way.” Ann tried carefully and Anne frowned,
“Why, yes!? But it wasn’t worth any.”
“She did her best, and practice makes perfect. You shouldn’t have laughed at her drawing, Anne!” Ann told her sternly and Anne exhaled loudly,
“I’ll apologise to her… later. Because now we’re alone, might we not head upstairs?”
Ann frowned, looking about the room, leaning forwards to whisper,
“We haven’t had dinner yet?”
“Oh, come on, you had lunch – surely you’ll be all right?” Anne seemed intent to get her way and put her hand on Ann’s knee, stroking it with her fingers,
“You know, sometimes I understand why some people find you slightly apathetic…” Ann mused, and Anne bit her lip, looking pleadingly at her,
“But you’ll come?”
“Obviously.” Ann muttered rolling her eyes at the woman beside her, “If only because it’s Christmas and thus the time of giving.”