"So, what are these plans that you have for me?"
Zoe asked, trailing after Max as he led her into the sitting room, his hand about hers, his palm warm, the very touch of him making her feel safe.
"Sit."
He said simply, and he offered out his hand that held her own, gesturing for her to sit down on the sofa, and when she obliged, he sat next to her, drawing her in against him, closing his eyes against the sweet clean scent of her hair.
She smiled against him, interlinking their fingers, tying to ignore how thin the skin across the back of his hand seemed as she ran her thumb back and forth across it.
"I was going to cook you dinner, but I think I might order a takeaway."
He murmured, his breath tickling her ear and she grinned, twisting against him slightly so that she could look up at him. How happy that simple sentence had made her...how it had made her think of how it used to be, when he would promise her dinner and they would end up ordering in because he couldn't bare to be apart from her long enough to cook...
Was it crazy, she wondered, to be as grateful as she felt now, for moments like this, in a world that had atomic bombs in it? People were still tearing each other into pieces. There was still murder, starvation, unrest, in Iraq—and God knows where else. Britain itself was sliding into bankruptcy and decay. Was it a kind of idiocy or selfishness, to want to be able to give yourself over to the trifles - the secret closeness of your lover, knowing that despite the cancer that rots within him, he's still here? Or were those trifles all she had? She drew in a breath and tilted her chin to kiss his lips, feeling for a moment as though she hadn't kissed him in far too long.
He smiled against her lips, and he kissed her back – an open mouthed kiss that took her somewhat by surprise. His kiss see-sawed between passion and grief, and she could feel his love all over again, as though it were bright, shining and brand new. His love was so fierce that if she stopped to think, it would frighten her.
Instead of shying away she kissed him back until her face was flushed and she felt him begin to relax. She pulled back, her lips swollen, her breath uneven, shaken by what she felt deep inside.
"I love you..."
She whispered, before she had even known she was going to speak.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and chewed on the flesh of his bottom lip.
"I love you too."
He said quietly, after a moments pause.
"So..."
He spoke again, and Zoe tuned back around in his arms so that he could cuddle her from behind, keeping her safe, making sure she was comfortable.
"Indian? Chinese? That Malaysian place with the delivery woman that looks like Danny DeVito?"
She laughed silently as he spoke and made a low murmured hum in the back of her throat as she pondered the decision.
"You choose."
She whispered, enjoying the feel of him against her.
He thought for a moment, and then he smoothed the palm of his right hand from her shoulder down to her wrist, where she held her hand against her stomach.
"I think we should wait until we're really hungry..."
He murmured, and there was something in his voice, something familiar that she couldn't quite place.
"I know I said upstairs that this wasn't part of the plan, but..."
"Max..."
She cut him off. She knew it now, the subtle change in his voice, the movement of his fingers as the very tips of them stroked the back of her hand, making her shiver.
She twisted against him again and looked up at him, her eyes wide and dark, glittering in the lamp light.
"You're not supposed to over excerpt yourself."
She raised an eyebrow. Part of her wanted him, the part of her that always did, and always had, but part of her, this new part of her was worried, she didn't want to hurt him, she didn't want to risk it...
He placed a soft kiss against he forehead, pausing as he pulled away to run his lips across her frown.
"We wouldn't even have to move..."
He whispered, feeling the dim flicker of his old self again.
"We could do it here, I could undress you...slowly, I could love you...slowly..."
He cocked his head to one side, he could see the thought process within her eyes and he smiled slowly, that smile that never failed to win her over, it made her giddy, it made her blush. It was like liquor, it made her drunk and giddy, and when his breath came on her mouth it was hot and damp, and he kissed her gently, cautiously, before pulling away.
"Let me?"
He murmured, and she swallowed, raising a hand to touch at her lips, her mouth was wet from his, and she drew In a breath, steadying herself, before giving an ever so slight nod of her head.
-.-
More very soon, I hope this was ok! My letter 'R' keeps sticking so I apologise if I'm missing a few... Reviews and requests welcome as always :) xxx
