BEEP BEEP BEEP
"Argh what the fuck?" I suddenly bolt up at the strange noise sounding through our house. I turn to Portia who has also woken up at the noise.
"It's so loud" she mumbles sleepily.
"Tell me about it." I say throwing back the covers and switching on the bedside lamp nearest to me. I put my head into my hands to shield myself from the bright light. Once my eyes are adjusted I stand up and head out of the bedroom followed by Portia. I walk to where I think the sound is coming from and look around.
"Hey Ell I think one of the batteries has gone in these" she says pointing towards the smoke detector on the ceiling.
"Yeah me too but which one they're all flashing!"
"Let's try this one it sounds like it's coming from this one anyway." I walk over to where she is standing looking around for something to stand on.
"Can you get me a chair or something?"
"Sure" she says walking off into the kitchen and returning with a chair. I stand onto the chair reaching up towards the detector. "Be careful babe."
"I will don't worry." I respond feeling her hands holding onto my legs as I release the wall to unscrew the top off. When I finally get to the battery and take it out the noise continues. "Can't be this one the noise is still going."
"It sounds like it's coming from over there now" she says letting go of one of my legs to point.
"Woah" I say swaying on the chair.
"Sorry" she says replacing her hand back on my leg as I screw the top back on before getting down from the chair. We spend what feels like the next hour unscrewing several detectors in our open plan downstairs area.
"Why did we have to get a house with open plan? We'd have found this one hours ago."
"You wanted the house Ell." Portia says cheekily.
"And so did you if I remember."
"Fair enough" she giggles before reaching a hand out to help me onto the chair. I reach up unscrewing the detector and taking out the battery. To our relief the noise stops. Before I rescrew the lid back on I decide to play Portia up a little by pretending to fall of the chair. I sway making it look like I am falling before regaining my balance. I look down to Portia who has a worried look on her face.
"ELLEN. Stop doing that I thought you were going to fall." she scolds me. I start laughing uncontrollably as I screw the lid back on.
"Oh but babe you're face was a picture."
"Hmm." she says beginning to walk off as I get down from the chair but before she has chance to go too far I place my hands on her hips pulling us both over the arm of the sofa. "ELLEN." she screams.
"I couldn't let you go to bed mad." I say laughing as she turns around on the sofa to face me.
"What's to say I'm not mad still?"
"Oh you might be but you won't be in a minute" I say closing the gap between us. I feel the adrenaline rush through my heart as her lips meet mine. I feel her lips part slightly allowing herself to get lost in the kiss. I take advantage of this slowly sliding my tongue through the gap. I taste Portia's toothpaste on my tongue as it explores her mouth. I feel Portia pulling me closer as the kiss deepens. Eventually though we have to pull away as we struggle for air. Embarrassingly I can feel myself panting and try to cover it up but Portia giggles knowing exactly what I am trying to do.
"Bed?" she whispers to me.
"Oh so you're not angry anymore then?"
"Definitely not."
"Well bed sounds fantastic then." I laugh giving her a wink before standing from the sofa and helping her up.
