They breathed in each other's scent. Alex's hands came to rest lightly on Norma's waist, his left thumb stroking her skin through the soft fabric of her dress. His temple leaned against hers, and after a while neither held any thoughts but those of the sensations of the person holding them.
Alex lifted a hand from her waist, wove his fingers around one of the soft hands still caressing his face, gently pulling it down. Azure eyes met toffee, and he gave a quick nod of his head toward the stairs.
"Thinking I'm gonna head to bed. Care to join me?"
Norma leaned forward to softly press her lips against the short stubble at the corner of his mouth, letting the hand remaining on his face slide down his neck, coming to rest over the cold metal of his name plate. She leaned back, meeting his eyes again, her answer in the small quirk of her lips.
Still holding her fingers securely in his, Alex rose from the piano bench. Norma laced her fingers more tightly with his, falling into step beside her husband. They rose up the stairs together, separating only when they reached the top.
Norma stepped into her bedroom while Alex strode further to the end of the hall where his belongings were kept. The bed in the separate room that was supposed to be his own had as of yet been slept in only once, and he simply used the adjoining bathroom to wash up. He stripped off his uniform, allowing each article of clothing to land in a small heap by the bed. He paused briefly before scooping up the pile, remembering the wicker hamper Norma had designated for his use.
He twisted the knob on the sink, let his hands cup under the stream to splash the cool water on his face. Alex looked up at the mirror, noticing the thick droplets that collected on his eyelashes and ran down his skin. He leaned against the sink, and as he stared at his reflection he couldn't help but smile at the most prevalent thought bubbling to the surface of his mind.
He was happy. Well, happy enough for Alex Romero at least. Here he was, the man who had sworn off marriage for years…a couple decades, even, about to go to bed to a beautiful woman who he…cared for deeply. His wife.
That was the thing; after only three days of marriage ("fake" at that), he was more than happy-content, even-to simply go to bed with Norma. Tonight, though they might not sleep together, Alex found himself with no qualms about merely holding her and falling asleep by her side. He cracked a smile. What a strange hold this woman had on his life.
The house was dark when he left his room, save for a rectangle of soft yellow light beaming from Norma's. He crossed the threshold of her door, and his eyes were immediately met with the sight of the woman herself standing in front of her vanity mirror running a brush through her hair. She smiled at his reflection in the mirror, put down the brush, and moved to turn down the bed. Alex did the same.
She slipped in before Alex, switching off the lamp on the nightstand so that the room was bathed in darkness. He laid himself down beside her.
Norma shifted rather closer to Alex before entwining herself with him. One leg moved to lie between his two, his moved up to her thigh. His arm encircled her shoulders, hand resting atop her hair. Her hands came to rest against his chest, fingers moving in little patterns across the fabric of his shirt. They lay eye to eye, rich brown lost in icy blue. Norma moved her hand from his chest to rest her palm on his jaw, fingers entwined in the short hair above his neck.
"What you said last night, about everything being okay….you still believe that?" Norma murmured, only just loud enough to be heard within the few inches between them.
"What do you mean?" Alex searched her eyes, just visible from the soft glow given by the moon shining through the window.
Norma's eyes shot down to his chin at the unexpected inquiry, prompting him to gently thread his fingers through the silky hair on the back of her head.
"Nothing, nothing. I was just wondering. If things ever got…worse….would you still think the same? That everything will be okay in the end," she finished quietly, still not quite able to meet his eyes.
"Well, I don't know what you're thinking about, but whatever it is you won't have to do it alone. Alright? I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
His eyes found Norma's again, along with a smile playing on her lips. He pulled her closer and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. A peaceful silence permeated the room as the two gently drifted to sleep in each other's arms.