Summary: [OCxOC; het] We are two pit players trying to survive our horrible, wonderful life together. This is a collection of short stories: small pieces detailing particular events. Which lie in the past and which in the future? That is for us to know. Rated more for safety than descriptive content. This is continually updating. It will finish when our lives do.

A/N: Sometimes when I look back I can't believe what I've written. The height thing is wishful thinking. I'm happy with the way this turned out. I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to, but as I wrote, this is what developed. I like the thought of it happening this way. Perhaps. There are times when I don't like the way I portrayed either of us. Lots of long sentences in this. Welcome to my writing style. What's new? It is what it is. Enjoy. Review if you feel so inclined.

[Vignettes of Him] The Awaited Return, Part II

In which we see what we'll no longer be missing.

This time, when I pulled into my parking spot, the passenger's seat wasn't empty. Wordlessly, I got out and walked to the back of the car. The trunk popped open at the touch of a button on my keys. He must have followed me, because suddenly his hand was reaching for the same handle as mine was. I withdrew; we hadn't touched in so long. I could hear him exhale as he pulled a suitcase (of a simple brown leather, I had been sure to observe) out of the car. His breath seemed close enough to feel.

I removed two remaining suitcases from the trunk, closed it after he removed a fourth, and led him to my building. The stagnant air in the hallway suggested that no one had been in or out since I left. I took my keys out of my pocket as we walked. When we arrived at my door, it took me only seconds to open it. Once I was partially across the carpet, I turned around and motioned him inside.

'So this is where you live?'

The sound of his voice was so beautiful, I dropped the suitcases in my hands. Fortunately, they fell upright, and in a reasonable location. I took the other two from him and set them down beside the first and second while I talked.

'Yeah. Housing was a nightmare freshman year, but they care more about you the longer you stick around.' I laughed coolly, straightening up and moving from where the suitcases were to where he was standing. I put my hand on the bedpost nearest him, running it along the smooth wood. Almost before I knew it, his arm had wound swiftly behind my back and exerted pressure to draw me to him. I gasped a little in surprise, but ended up swallowing it, his lips were upon me so suddenly. When he let up, I pulled back only slightly—just enough to allow me to return my neck to its normal position.

'You've gotten taller,' he noted.

In the past, he had been able to rest his head comfortably on mine when we were both standing. Now, my mouth was about at the level of his chin. I kissed his neck.

'Isn't it nice?' I grabbed hold of his collar and forcefully pulled him forward onto my bed, careful not to allow his head to smack the bottom of the upper bunk. He adjusted to the change quickly, planting a hand on either side of my head and descending toward me. His lips were cold, a product of the temperature outside, but both of us soon warmed up. I snaked one hand down his side and the other up the gap in between his arm and my body so I could run my fingers across the back of his head. I'd forgotten the texture of his hair.

We lay there for a while, until I could feel him start to weaken above me. My hands still in their places, I sat up. He was on his knees for a moment, then he sat back on his calves. Our heads were virtually level. I dropped my top hand down to his chest, and my other one found his waist. I glanced at the clock on my desk—it read a time that somehow struck me as familiar…

'Come on,' I spoke suddenly, moving off the bed. He remained there, looking confused. I began pulling the sheets from the mattress. He got up so I could get the bottom corners, and noticed the navy blue airplane blanket at the foot of my bed.

'That looks familiar.'

I smiled. It had warmed us both on many a chilly band charter bus. I was almost finished with the sheets. He walked over to my desk, where among the clock sat other items. He picked up my class ring.

'You keep this out?'

'I look at the inside of it every night before I go to bed,' I replied, secretly glad that he hadn't encountered the drawer full of tissues for the nights when I cried myself to sleep.

'Help me with this.' I had picked up the mattress and hoisted it under one arm.

'Your roommate isn't home?' He came to help me, grabbing the mattress's other end.

'She's a big field hockey player for the school.' I'd always resented being paired with a sporty student, but now I was kind of happy. 'There's a big championship this weekend. Hurry, we have to get to the roof: sunrise is in four minutes.'

We took our cargo out my door, down the outside hallway, and up three flights of stairs. When we arrived at a door with a placard that read 'ROOF ENTRANCE', I pushed it open and threw the mattress to the ground. He began to laugh.

'Don't make fun,' I chided. 'It was hurting my arm.'

'No,' I could hear the smirk in his voice, 'it's the way you said 'roof' back there.'

A smiled broke across my own face. 'Too much time in the north,' I surmised. We shared a laugh.

I grabbed his arm to look at his watch. He had sensed my urgency and we'd make it up quickly.

'We still have three minutes. Any ideas on what we should do in the meantime?'

He smiled with me at the use of our old expression.

'Actually, I have a few.' He helped me drag the mattress closer to the edge of the building, and lay down on it. I maneuvered on top of him. The city skyline panned out before me. I looked at it for a moment, then pulled the blanket I'd brought along overtop of us. I rested my elbows above his shoulders; my forearms sank into the mattress. I felt his hips press upward and instinctively adjusted mine to complement his movements.

There was a light mist outside, and his hair glistened when I moved my head. I ran a hand over it and set my arm back in place before I lowered my fuller weight onto him and pressed my lips into his. His hands found my back. I could sense the location of each one of his fingers. I opened my eyes in surprise when all of a sudden he put them behind my head and pulled me deeper into the kiss. Just as he was about to slide his tongue into my mouth, I noticed that the sky had changed colour. The first rays of the sun lit up the clouds in brilliant oranges and pinks.

'You're missing it.' His eyes were closed, hips still moving. He reached for my cheekbones. Our faces were so close, I felt his lashes kiss my skin as his eyelids fluttered open.

'There will be other sunrises. But I'm only coming home once.'

'You're right,' I started to say, but he cut me off by pushing his tongue into my mouth. I welcomed it. For the first time in so long, his saliva mixed with mine.

We stayed there until the sun was blazing overhead, and kissed until we were out of breath. During the pauses, we caught each other up on the important things and remembered the good times we'd had in high school. I forgot about the classes I had that day. Lying there on the roof with my soon-to-be-husband, it was almost as if he'd never left.