AN: This is a snippet about life in London a few months after Daniel moves there. Daniel is taking an educational course. One shot. Enjoy!
They sat across the table from each other, for the third night this week. This was becoming a habit he could get used to. Tonight she picked the restaurant, a quaint little pub, that served the closest thing to American food they could find this side of the Atlantic. He quickly learned she only chose this place when she was feeling a little homesick. It reminded her of a sandwich shop in Queens. The dinner topic was light, as they discussed his coursework and professor, and the antics of her newest assistant. She smiled and laughed, but he knew she would be up well after midnight skyping Hilda before bed.
After dinner they walk back to her flat and curled up on the couch. He studies for his next class, she works on magazine layouts and her editor's letter for a couple of hours. He leans in and lets his lips just brush her cheek, then her temple and whispers in her ear, "Ready for bed?" He didn't like to go without her.
Tonight, it seems he startled her awake as she glanced over at him with wide eyes and a half open mouth. As she gets her bearings, she smiles at him, "Maybe, I've still got a lot to do." she smirks at him anticipating his response.
So tonight she was going to need some convincing. Well he is most definitely up to the challenge. He picked up her left hand in his and gently kissed the top of it, then slowly worked his way across each knuckle. He turned her palm face up and began running his fingers along the lines there, tickling her. She rolls her eyes and smiles at him as she tried to pull her palm away, but his grip was solid. His eyes carefully watched her response as he lowered his lips to her palm. She bit her bottom lip and held her breath as he moved his lips to her wrist and laid them right over her pulse. He smiled against her skin as he felt the thunderous beat he found there.
"So, bed?" she asked a bit huskily and sighed contentedly as he stood and pulled her up by their still joined hands. And suddenly she was a little less homesick. Thank God for her best friend.