"Bill, look at me," Laura says while rubbing his solid back. Bill tilts his head towards her and looks into her eyes. "I'm right here. Right here." I'm not dead yet. "We're going to find it."
"Earth?" Bill asks. Or love.
"Together," Laura states with a voice full of finality. As a family.
"I used to think it was such a pipe dream. I used to use it as a carrot for the fleet," Bill says.
"What made you change?" Laura asks with a truly gentle smile, not quite sure if she wants to know the real answer.
"You. You made me believe," Bill says. Laura lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding and for the first time in a long time, she is crying over happiness. She hasn't felt this happy in so long. "I'll forever be grateful to you," Bill continues, "For the hope, and…" Bill looks down at the glass between his clasped hands and then looks back up into her eyes. She has a look in her eyes that is just willing him to continue. He quickly sets down the tumbler and clasps her hand in his in one swift movement, all the while not taking his eyes off hers. "And for falling deeply in love with you." Bill can't seem to look her in her eyes after he says this. He is too afraid of what he might see, love or anger. When he finally has the nerve to look at her, all he sees is love. Tears are streaming down her face, but all he really sees is the smile that is working its way to her eyes.
"I absolutely love you Laura, and I can't do anything about it." He places his hand underneath Laura's chin and their lips come together. They share a tender kiss on the lips just like their first kiss back when she was dying the first time. Her lips are dry and chapped, but soft. They pull back a little bit, but just enough so their foreheads are resting against each other. They can feel each other's breath on their skin.
"You know Bill, you have a bad habit of only kissing women when their dying," she says, trying to sound teasing, but knowing it's coming out more serious. "But I love you anyway," being completely serious.
"I know I should have told you sooner, Laura, but I never felt like there was a perfect moment. I was hoping you would know from the subtle hints that I was giving you, the reading and caring for you. I was hoping you understood," Bill says.
"You came into my thoughts. You filled them. It felt good," Laura says and she sees Bill's expression of surprise. "Yes, I heard you, and I also know that those aren't the words that are written in the book," Laura says with a smirk, "I don't fall asleep that easily, Admiral."
"I don't know, you look pretty tired right now, Madame President," Bill says with a grin.
"Well, I never said that I wasn't tired now," Laura states and punctuates her statement with a yawn.
"Alrighty, enough talking for tonight. Let's get you to bed. It's even getting to be my bedtime." Laura and Bill head towards his more private room. Bill grabs a pair of his official colonial sweats and hands them to Laura. He then puts his uniform away and changes into his boxers and a clean t-shirt. He looks back at Laura and finds her staring at him. "What?" he asks, obvious confusion showing on his face.
"Nothing. Just admiring the view," Laura says with a grin.
Bill gives her an obvious once-over and says, "Well, I could say the same to you. You look nice in my sweats."
"What are you talking about, Bill? I think the old age has finally gotten to your eyesight. This is like, ten sizes to big for me."
"You still look good in it," Bill says as he walks over to her and puts an arm around her. He then kisses her while walking her back towards his rack. She doesn't pull back until the back of her knees hit the edge of the rack. He turns and lies down and then gently pulls her down too. She snuggles up against him, her back against his solid chest. With him this close to her, she smells the scent of her Bill, musky and manly, all around her and it overwhelms her. Bill wraps his arm around her and places his hand just above her heart. He then places a kiss on her neck and says, "Goodnight honey. I love you."
"I love you too."
He keeps his hand on her heart the whole night. She kisses his hand and then gets as close to him as she can. Bill tightens his arms around her and they fall asleep wrapped tightly in each other's arms.
The next morning, Laura wakes up slightly confused as to where she is. She doesn't hear the sounds or see the harsh lighting of the sickbay. She realizes that she is in their quarters, when she smells Bill's scent, and then everything comes flooding back to her from the night before.
Bill can tell that she is awake when he hears a content sigh come from Laura. "Good morning, Sunshine."
"Yes it is," Laura says in her sleepy, just-woke-up voice. "What have I missed while I was out?"
Should I continue this or not? Comments and reviews please! I love them!