Z as Zoom Out

I'd want to start standing in their bedroom, zooming in on their bed, zooming in on their intertwined naked bodies.

It's a warm summer night and they have made love a little moment ago. They are now quietly sleeping, lying on their right sides, his tall body spooning her little one.

No need to have witnessed what had happened just before, no need to intrude into this specific intimacy, no need to have observed their shared gestures of tenderness and passion.

Because all the clues are here in front of our eyes, if you know how to find and read them.

Zoom in on their left hands. His is recovering hers. Their fingers are loosely interlaced. You can guess that before relaxing their hands were tightly squeezed together. Because the weight and the essence of their relationship has crystallized into that simple intimate gesture. Because since they have renewed their shared lives they wouldn't fall asleep without holding hands, each night still amazed that they are reunited forever. If you look even closely and study their positions like a forensic expert, you would conclude that his thumb had been softly rubbing in circles the spot between her thumb and her index finger. That the stubborn and relentless love for her wouldn't let him stop to gently smooth her skin there until oblivion into sleep.

Move along their arms and settle on their heads. You cannot see his face, buried in her disheveled red hair, breathing in her scent. Maybe you could discern a smile formed by the corner of his mouth and you could speculate that he's dreaming of her right now. Then, linger on her face. You can easily read on it the peacefulness, the trust, the bliss. Analyzing the way she has rested her head against his shoulder you conclude that she wouldn't want to be in another place than there, settled in his arms and chest. That he's her shield against the darkness and the sad memories, that he's her home for the rest of their lives together.

Zoom out. They have age spots on their hands and wrinkles on their faces but you're marveling at the beauty of their bodies despite all the scars, at their healthy shapes despite all the past ordeals. You can be sure that their lovemaking was intense and passionate, that they wouldn't give up lust and fire in their intercourses for a lukewarm gentle routine. As long as they would be able to. They have left all the evidence of their crime everywhere in the room. The clothes, the sheets, the secretions, the stains. And the air, so much loaded and intoxicated by their previous sexual ecstasy that you cannot decently stay here much longer.

I stepped back and leave the bedroom. Leave them in their stronghold, leave them in their unfathomable intimacy. Leaving them in this unearthly relationship that I would never have a complete access to, even using thousands of words and imagination.

I move towards the other bedroom. The door is ajar and if you poke your head inside you immediately smell innocence and infancy. You wouldn't risk to step into the room and zoom in on a miracle. Because they obviously possess an internal radar, because you're sure that as soon as you put a foot inside the precious room you are surrounded by two berserk parents pointing guns at your face -if not a much worse scenario for your own safety. And if so you wouldn't blame them for that, you would only admire their team work in play.

What's left to do is climbing down the stairs, then taking in the ground floor of their unremarkable house. Finding proofs of a normal family life, of daily happiness. You would also want to wander into his small office, sending you vivid memories of a famous basement office. Maybe you would be disappointed by the lack of weirdness and madness in the room. Because maturity has made him grow and change. Because since she has settled back in the house he's been keeping his demons at bay. You just wish and can't wait for the book he might be writing, exposing decades of investigation into the spooky fringes of our rational world. You also would be frustrated by her files, reports and articles that you would find, her actual work seemingly so banal, dealing with conventional science and standard medical practice. But don't be fooled. They still have the guts and the minds, ideals and dedication to the truth and justice, and they would be able to fight and resist for the sake of humanity in a sec if and when needed.

I'm going outside underneath a starry sky and appreciate the quietness of the simple place they have chosen to settle down. How could imagine that two romantic super heroes are living here? I know, you know, we know. We want to believe that this place really exists, that they are real and that we could count on them to free us from all the madness and darkness taking hold of the year 2020.

Zoom out. Zoom out.

I'm moving up in the sky and I'm traveling through space and across the Ocean. I'm back home far away, my fingers dancing on the keyboard and I want to keep part of them in my heart. Beyond words, forever.

Notes:

It's been more than one year since I've started to write this story made of independent chapters. When I've begun I had no plan at all, just the idea of browsing through the alphabet. I've started in a kind of limbo not knowing when it might be happening in the lifetime of M&S. Soon I've settled in a vague post Season 11 time, at first not acknowledging the existence of their baby, then finally mentioning lightly this fact.

I hope I've made some progress in my writing since my first chapters. Recall English is not my native language and that most of my work had had no beta reading. I apologize for any ugly errors and terrible twists of the language I could have made.

I'm not sure I'd continue in the path of writing XF fanfic (beyond the Case Files Exchange I'm currently involved in), wanting to leave M&S for a while and turning back to my native language I can so much more tame and control. But I don't know yet if I'd be able to do that. Because I might have turned into an addict. Time will tell.

Thanks for all the people that have read me and leave comments. I appreciate very much and I'm completely grateful for any comment you could send to me.