"I can't believe you thought I'd leave you." He said softly, brushing the hair from her face where she lay, flat out on her back, her chest still heaving.
They had only made it as far as the living room, and that had been hours ago, the time between then and now given up to learning each other anew, enjoying the beautiful novelty of being able to say the words they had repressed for so long, taking their time with slow and gentle kisses, with feather light touches and passionate sighs. She'd always heard of the expression, making love, she'd read it a thousand times in hundreds of books, but she'd never really entertained the concept that there was a distinction. But now she knew, she knew exactly what the difference was when she had pulled him down before the fire, the flames warming their skin and he had taken her with an such an exquisite tenderness that she had felt the tears falling from her eyes, looking up at him and feeling such a fierce love that it turned every one of his touches, his kisses into the physical perfection of adoration, of worship and reverence.
"I would have done it though." She told him quietly, eyes glittering in the firelight as she looked up at him. "If you had asked, I wouldn't have stopped you." She could hear the pain in her voice at just saying those words, and she was grateful for the kiss that quieted her.
He sighed softly, reaching out to pull the blanket from the couch, draping it around them both, over her body that shivered despite the fire. "I gave up on that hope so very long ago." He admitted softly.
"So you would never want to go back?" She looked at him, an air of scepticism in her eyes.
"I can't imagine what there is to go back to." He traced the shadows on her skin. "I've been away so long that I fear everything would have changed, people will have forgotten about me."
Meggie held her hand over his, stilling the motion of his fingertips. She didn't have to ask about who he was referring to, it would be a certainty that his wife would have remarried, his children grown up with families of their own. She searched his face for the flash of pain that their memory would cause, but she found him calm and accepting, meeting her eyes with a honesty and openness that spoke volumes. "And besides," He smiled gently, "I have everything I need right here." His hand flattened over her heart, feeling the slow and steady rhythm of a life that beat only for him.
She smiled, one of happiness and peace, lacing her fingers between his and holding on the burning warmth of his hand. "So you'll stay." She stated softly, it wasn't really a question, it hadn't needed to be from the moment she had gone to him, had leaned into his kiss with a contented sigh and let him hold her in his arms.
"I'll stay." The words were breathed quietly, spoken low near her ear as he pressed a light kiss to her cheek.
"And the book?" She asked, tipping back her head so he could easily follow the line of her throat with his lips.
"Keep it." Airy words between soft kisses. "It'll be an interesting story to tell one day."
Meggie sighed, raking her fingers into his hair as those kisses burnt a path lower, drifting out over her shoulder. "Who on earth would we tell." She smiled.
"Well," He breathed, shifting so that he could lean over her, capturing her lips in a soft and sweet kiss, "I'm sure that at some point our children will want to know where their father came from."
He bit back a smile when her eyes flew open, her shock and hope written plainly on her face. "Children?"
"I'm thinking two, maybe three." He grinned, "But we'll have to see how things go." He kissed the corner of her mouth as she smiled, an infectious delight shining up at him. "So you just let me know when you're ready to stop taking those little pills every morning, hmm?" He watched the blush turn her skin crimson, rising up her cheeks and making her eyes darken when she realised he'd known all along.
"I didn't think you knew…." She bit her lip, damning the flush of her cheeks. "I just thought that…"
"It was smart." He reassured her, his gentle smile banishing the guilt she could have felt.
She laughed sharply, a slight grimace on her face as she recalled her trip out towards the state line, the terror that had gripped her heart as she'd held the test, back when she had thought it would have been something that would driven him away. But he lay with her now, his touch warm and reassuring on her body, as though he couldn't get enough of the feel of her. She wondered now what he would have said had it been different. "You would want that, to have children, to have a family, with me?" She asked him, the slight hint of disbelief edging her voice.
"I want everything with you." Such love and wonder in his voice, "Anything you are willing to give me." He caught her hand from where it stroked casually down his arm, holding it gently and pressing small, soft kisses to each of her fingers. "You've become…everything, to me." He smiled at her suddenly, blinding and beautiful, "And I can say it now."
"You can have it all." She smiled up at him, turning her hand to stroke up his face. "All that's mine to give." She traced her thumb over the scars on his cheek. "You already have my heart." She said lowly.
"I can't imagine how." He shook his head, eyes narrow in soft disbelief as turned his face into her hand, kissing her palm and breathing his words against her skin. "But I'll do anything to keep it." He promised.
"Just stay with me." She told him softly, her fingertips following the dancing shadows on his face, tracing over the soft curve of his lips. She felt her eyes growing heavy, the warmth of the fire and of his body leaning over her filling her exhausted limbs with a blissful lassitude, she curled beneath the blanket they shared, resting her head on his thigh so that she could gaze up at him, at the peace and contentedness on his face as he trailed his fingers through her hair. The day had caught up with her, the emotional upheaval, their physical exertion and the feel of him so warm around her making her smile as she closed her eyes, content enough to listen to him breath, to relax into his unhurried touch, only stirred when some time later he picked her up, blanket and all, carrying her to her room where they curled into each other in the confines of her bed, her arm secure around his waist as she realised that she would never feel cold again.