New York

"Oh come on Danai, he's crazy about you!" Norman smiled over his cup of coffee "you forget Andy can't keep anything to himself...he won't shut up about you. It's annoying actually." He teased.

Danai had met Norman for a coffee while they were both back in New York, she loved spending time with him. Often misunderstood due to his loud, brash persona, he was actually a sweetheart and Danai found him easy to talk to. "I don't know" she countered as she stared into her latte "I mean, we did have a moment before we left Atlanta..." he knew this, of course he did he'd damn near caught them at it! But he didn't dwell on it, instead he threw his hands in the air "see, what'd I tell you!"

"Hmm...we'll see" Danai was non-comittal, she was wary of divulging her feelings too easily. Since they'd had their conversation and kiss in Andy's trailer her head had been full of "what if"s..."what if he has changed his mind?" "What if he thinks it was a mistake?" "What if we ruin our friendship?" And the biggest of all "what if we hurt one-another?" Danai was no stranger to heartbreak, guys she'd thought were "the one" had ended up cheating, guys who were into but whom she felt nothing towards her she'd had to break up with and see the hurt in their face. She would hate that with Andy.

She felt suddenly claustrophobic, as though everyone in the coffee shop could not only hear their conversation but could read her mind. She changed the subject "anyway, how's Mingus?"

"Yeah, he's great..." Norman continued talking animatedly about his boy, Danai tried to pay attention but her mind drifted elsewhere...to another place...and another person...

...

London

She took a deep breath and knocked on the hotel room door, after what seemed like an eternity it opened. And there he was; Andrew James Clutterbuck in all his glory. She couldn't believe how good he looked, he had shaved and cut his hair. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him without a beard and it was crazy how much younger he looked. He was wearing his favourite black jeans and brown boots, and a denim shirt she had seen him in a hundred times but never failed to be amazed at how it showed off his toned arms and chest.

He sucked in his cheeks, a tic so ingrained in Andy that it was now a part of Rick Grimes too. She loved when he did it, it showed off his cheekbones perfectly. His eyes darted from her head to her toes and back up again "wow" he was smiling "you look incredible." She had tried to go low-key, but had still wanted to dress to impress. She had gone for a form-fitting long sleeve black dress with ankle boots. And by the massive smile on Andy's face she assumed it had done the trick.

"Thanks" she said coyly "you too!"

"Nooo" he brushed off her compliment as he always did. "Come in! Come in!" He stepped aside to let her pass, "how are you?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek and a massive hug. All her nerves melted away.

"I'm good...we had press allll day so I'm sooo tired and 100% bored of talking about myself."

"Urgh...hell" Andy hated doing press, he was more about the work not the promotion. "Sit down" he beckoned her to the couch "I promise I won't keep you out late tonight, do you want a drink?" He was now at the minibar.

"Umm...white wine?"

He poured her drink and delivered it to her on the couch, he grabbed himself a Diet Coke.

"So what do you want to do tonight? I know a load of good places for dinner? If you're hungry that is, or we could have a drink somewhere?" As he was speaking Danai stiffled a yawn, the hectic day coupled with the jet lag meant she was exhausted. "Or..." He said, quietly "if you're tired we can just hang out here? We can watch a movie I can order in some food?"

"I like the sound of the last option" she tried not to sound too keen, but time alone with Andy and no distractions sounded too good to be true.

"Ok that's settled then. It seems a shame though, you all dressed up with no where to go..."

"Well I came here so it's not wasted."

"Mmm..." Whatever he was about to say seemed to catch in his throat and he took a deep breath. Danai couldn't work out what was going through his mind, she was so used to him being open with his thoughts and feelings she wasn't sure how to react. "Come here, I want to show you something." He opened the doors to his balcony.

The view was breathtaking - she hadn't realised when she drove up in the cab, but the hotel was right on the river and from here she could see so much of London. "Wow" she exclaimed "this is amazing! I love this city"

There was a chill in the air, and the sun was practically gone from the sky. But the way the city was illuminated meant that they didn't miss out on any of the view. Though they could hear the city below them, it seemed so quiet on the balcony in their little bubble.

"Here look" he said, placing his hand at the bottom of her back and guiding her to the far corner of the balcony "you can see Big Ben see?" He hadn't removed his hand.

"Oh yeah! You know I've never seen it up close." She tried to remain calm, how could him just placing his hand on her back cause her to feel those butterflies again?

"Really? He grinned, his hand was stroking her lower back. "Well maybe if you're lucky enough and you can fit me in I can take you for a walk down by there. You can see it all, Houses of Parliament...London Eye..." He knew what he was doing to her surely, as he drew her closer to him, rubbing her arm "you cold?"

"A bit, yeah."

"Ok let's go back inside, I just wanted to show you that view. It's pretty good huh?"

"It's amazing!"

"My views better though." He was looking her square in the eyes, his smile was wide.

"Stop! That's so cheesy." She laughed it off, hoping that in the evening light he could not see her blush.

He chucked "sorry. I'll try harder next time. You want another drink?"

"Just a coke, or I will fall asleep."

"I wouldn't mind." He was pouring her coke "now, I get to choose the food ok? Because I know the BEST pizza place."

"No argument here! I get to pick the movie though!"

"Ok."

He phoned through their order. "How does he look so good just standing there?" Danai thought to herself, just talking on the phone to the restaurant he exuded an effortless charm. She busied herself with choosing a movie from the hotels lacklustre selection. She settled on 'Back to the Future'.

"An excellent choice!" Andy said as he got off the phone "the food will be here soon. I'm starving. You must be shattered, take your shoes off, make yourself at home. And tell me every exciting thing you've been up to..."

She talked for what seemed like forever about her trips to Brazil and Zimbabwe, about how she made a short pit stop back to New York before heading to London. Andy listened intently to her, smiling when she mentioned meeting up with Norm. She talked and talked right through dinner and pretty much the entire movie.

"Jesus...Talk about me me me! What have you been up to?"

"Well nothing as exciting as that! I've mostly been here" he gestured around his hotel room. "My new home from home, do you like it?"

"I do!" She looked around and saw he had actually made it very homely, his pictures from his trailer were posted about the room. For the first time she noticed one of him, her, Norman and Lennie. "I didn't realise you had this picture printed?"

"Yeah I liked it" he smiled, shyly. "Liked one particular aspect more than anything though."

"Hmm yeah I agree, Lennie is very handsome! But he's taken Andy."

"Damn!" He joked "now...We have a decision to make...Can I interest you...In...Back to the future part 2?"

"You can." She was tired, but no way did she want to leave this soon. She knew he was going back home tomorrow for a week to be with his kids, and she wasn't sure she would see him before she flew back home due to her hectic schedule. "I'm so full after that meal though I gotta lie down."

"Be my guest" he gestured towards his bed. She kicked her shoes off and lay down "damn this is comfortable" she giggled.

"Mmm hmm. A little too comfortable." Andy now looked as tired as she felt as he lay down next to her. There was a gap in between them that she desperately wanted to close. She wanted to be close to him, wanted him to hold her, but for some reason she felt too shy to make the first move.

As if he read her mind, Andy extended his arm for her to come closer to him. "Thank you for coming to see me." He said, his voice sleepy.

"Thanks for having me."

They were barely 5 minutes into the film before they had both fallen asleep.