Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures, no copyright is intended
A/N: I tried to write smut, but it just came out fluffy. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. Hope you enjoy!
Connor counted the marks on the wall of the cave – one for every day they had been stuck in the Cretaceous period. 85 days, almost three months. If he had worked things out properly, today was Abby's birthday. He wondered if she had even realised. He glanced over at her, she was still sleeping and looked incredibly peaceful. He would even go as far as saying she looked beautiful.
He crept out into the open, taking care not to disturb her. They were usually both awake at first light and on full alert, they had to be. The sun's rays were just beginning to peep over the horizon, and Connor could hear the sounds of the various inhabitants of the surrounding forest begin to stir. Abby would be awake shortly, so he had to work quickly if he was to surprise her.
Yesterday he'd managed to find an egg whilst he was out looking for wood for the fire. It was an unexpected bonus, and he knew Abby would love it. They'd had one about a month ago, it had taken forever to cook but it had been so worth it. It was the first thing they'd had since they'd been there that tasted anything like what they'd have at home. It seemed fitting he'd found one in time for Abby's birthday. He had gotten the fire going without any trouble, and was beginning to boil the egg inside a wooden bowl. He noted it was looking scorched, and that he'd have to make a new one very soon.
"Morning, Conn. You should have woken me." Abby said, yawning. She was at his side and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
"Thought I'd let you sleep in for a change." He said.
"It's a lovely thought, Connor, but we can't afford to be off guard once daylight comes." She looked sad. Connor took her hand and smiled. "What?" she said.
"Happy Birthday." He said. Abby looked at him questioningly. "I've been working it out, counting the days. If I'm right, today is 22nd April."
Abby couldn't quite believe it. Trust Connor to be keeping track of time like that! She'd given up after a couple of weeks, there didn't seem to be any point. "Thank you. It's really sweet of you to care enough to remember."
"I'm making a special breakfast. I found another one of those eggs yesterday, and it's cooking right now." He gestured towards the fire.
"Really?" Abby was lost for words. "That's …" when she couldn't find the words, she just kissed him on the cheek again. "Thank you."
"S'OK." He said, feeling himself blushing. It had been a while since she'd made him feel like this and that scared him. Maybe it meant that he was beginning to accept that this was their life now, and that he was allowing some of the normalities of his previous life creep in. He shook himself out of it: he did not want to consider this place as home, so he couldn't relax back into his former himself. "If you want to go down to the waterfall whilst I cook, this will take a while yet."
"Good idea." She said. "Won't be long!" she hurried away, down the pathway the pair of them had worn into the dirt towards the waterfall. She liked it here, the sound of the rushing water was comforting. Pausing for a few moments, she watched the cascading waters rushing over the rocks. So, it's my birthday, she thought. She didn't usually bother celebrating, but right now she'd give anything to be opening cards, eating cake and planning an evening out. She stripped off her clothes, and stepped into the waterfall. She stood still, allowing the cool water to refresh her. This little ritual usually made her feel better and set her up for the day. Today it just seemed to drag her further down. She almost wished Connor hadn't mentioned her birthday.
She took a slow walk back to the cave and found Connor trying to crack open the egg's shell. "Is it cooked yet? I'm starving!" she called, trying to raise a smile. Connor was making an effort, she at least owed him to try and look happy.
"To perfection!" he grinned. "Even got a runny yolk!" He began sharing it out onto the two improvised plates he'd set out. "Breakfast is served Ma'am!"
"Thank you, sir!" she laughed, sitting on her log and taking her plate. This actually smelt good. They both ate in silence, it was rare for them to have such a substantial and tasty meal, and they both wanted to savour every moment. Connor patted his jeans pocket, checking that his little gift was there. He was actually nervous. He'd made lots of things before, especially here, but this was different. He usually made things of a practical nature, he'd never made something purely decorative.
"That was delicious, Connor. Thank you again. Won't need to eat for a week now!" Abby said, patting her full stomach. "Let me clear up, you can go down to the waterfall if you like."
"In a minute, Abby." Connor said. He had to do this before he got too nervous. He reached into his pocket. "I made you something. It's not much, but I wanted to give you something for your birthday."
Abby looked at him. She hadn't expected this at all, and she could feel her eyes filling with tears. "You… you made something for me?"
He nodded. He handed her a small 'package' wrapped in a large leaf. She sat back down on the log and carefully removed the leaf to find a beautifully woven friendship bracelet. She ran it through her fingers, not knowing what to say. The threads were all different, and she recognised every one of them, a piece from Connor's leather jacket, some wool from her jumper, threads from his red hoody, dried grasses… into the design he'd also woven some tiny pebbles from around the waterfall and what looked like a press stud from inside his jacket. It must have taken him hours, days even. It was so intricate, and every turn revealed something else.
"I'm not great at things like that, but I just wanted to … well, you should have pretty things." Connor was blushing again. He was watching her face, trying to decide if she liked it. She was just staring at it, and then he noticed with dismay that she was starting to cry. "Abby? If you don't like it…"
"Connor, I love it! It's perfect." The tears were streaming down her face. "Help me to put it on." She held out her arm towards him, and handed him the bracelet. He sat beside her and rested her arm on his lap. He tied the bracelet around her wrist, then looked up into her eyes.
"Not too tight?" he said. She shook her head, then began to sob hard, burying her head into Connor's chest. "What's wrong? I didn't want to make you unhappy, I just…"
"You didn't make me unhappy, Connor." She said. "I'm just feeling a bit…"
"Homesick?" Connor asked. "I know what you mean." He pulled her closer into him, wrapping his arms around her. He was fighting his own tears back. He needed to be strong.
"Birthday, egg for breakfast, lovely gifts … it just reminded me of being normal again. I'm fed up of just surviving, Connor. I want to start living again!"
"Isn't that just accepting that we're not going home? We both said we'd never do that."
"No, it's about keeping sane. I can't do this any more, Connor. We've both been so caught up in staying alive, we've forgotten what it means to live." Abby lifted her head to look Connor in the eyes. She saw the old Connor there, the one who looked at her adoringly like a lost puppy. She'd missed him.
"Staying alive is important, Abby. We have to keep our minds focussed, be alert…"
"I know that. But what's the point of being alive if all we do is just exist? I'm not saying we get comfortable here, or that we just give up on finding an anomaly. I just think we should… I don't know … be Connor and Abby again!" She was sobbing hard, her hands gripping Connor's back tightly.
Connor didn't know what to do or say. All he wanted to do was make Abby smile for a little while, and he'd made the opposite happen. He could feel her body shaking and he hated seeing her like this. It was his fault, and he needed to put it right. He stroked her hair and rested his chin on her head. "I'm sorry, Abby." He whispered. "I'm trying really hard here. I just don't know what …"
Abby pulled away and looked Connor in the eyes again. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Connor." She leaned in, and kissed him softly on the lips. At first, she was afraid she'd made the wrong move. She leaned back, questioning with her eyes. Connor looked back at her and she saw confusion, fear and just a hint of hope. She kissed him again, this time with more force. She closed her eyes, and pulled Connor closer to her. She felt him relax and begin to return the kiss.
Connor's heart was racing, he had wanted this for so long. Abby's warmth, her soft lips, the softness of her body against his. He pushed his tongue against her lower lip, begging for entry. When her lips parted and he could taste her, a rush of suppressed emotion swept over him and he began to cry silently.
They finally broke their embrace, and neither spoke for several minutes. Abby gently wiped away the tears staining Connor's cheeks, then just rested her hand there. Abby broke the silence. "Conn? You know that lie-in you were talking about earlier?"
He nodded. "Sounds like a good idea doesn't it?"
Abby stood up and held out her hand. "Let's go back to bed, eh?". Connor stood up and held her hand, squeezing it tightly.
As he followed her slowly back to their cave, Connor decided that living a little wasn't such a bad idea really.