It's Alex, Norma. I wa— I-I wa-was shot. Though you-you, you gotta be very careful. You could be in a lot of danger, so call me. Call me.
Norma's breath hitches the moment she hears Alex's unexpected voicemail. She looks out the window of her brand new Mustang and spots room 202; her escape for the night.
After ditching that asshole at the bar, Norma drove back to the motel she had booked on her way to Portland. There's no way she's spending the night with Dylan and Norman. Not after what they told her. Not after what they want her to do. She was away from home. Away from everything and she didn't feel as bad for it.
Norma listens to the automatic message asking her to press 1 to repeat the voice mail or 9 to delete it. Norma decides to listen to it again, not letting go of the steering wheel.
It's Alex, Norma. I wa— I-I wa-was shot. Though you-you, you gotta be very careful. You could be in a lot of danger, so call me. Call me.
It's her fault. Alex got shot because of her. Because she doesn't know when to stop. When to put an end to things she can't handle. She always has to drag him into her mess, and she hates herself for it.
But something inside her changes. A sudden cold spark roaming through her veins at the mere thought of losing him. Of getting him killed because she was selfish and stubborn. Her breath picks up, and she feels a distinct contract feeling in her chest.
Norma starts the engine and gets back on the road, speeding her way to White Pine Bay making sure that no one is following her. None of Bob Paris' narcissistic jerks. Alex said so himself—she could be in a lot of danger.
He got shot. It's only a matter of time until Bob finds her and tries to kill her, too. But she doesn't care. She's getting more and more anxious by the minute and hates that she's not closer to home and that she can't get to him sooner.
Her fingers shake as she dials his number and she struggles to keep her eyes on the road. She's shaking and afraid. Like she doesn't have enough going on right now? Who has her voodoo doll and why are they holding her rag doll by her neck?
That's what it feels like because she suddenly can't breathe. Alex is not answering the phone. Is he dead? Did he die? Why is he doing this to her? He can't die. She couldn't bare it.
Norma detaches the phone from her ear, pressing the red button and ending the call. She dials again. And again. And again. She'll keep calling until he answers. She's not giving up now.
"Norma! Are you okay?" Alex concerned voice echoes through the other end of the line, and Norma closes her eyes in relief. He tries to sit up and fails. The discomfort in his chest prohibiting the task.
"Oh, my God, you're alive," she pronounces, mostly to herself.
"Yes, I'm alive. Are you okay? Are you safe?"
"I'm fine, Alex. I'm okay."
"Why haven't you answered any of my calls? I thought you were dead," he tells her in a desperate voice. The same tone she just realized she's using with him.
"I'm sorry," her voice breaks. How could she be so selfish? Abandon her kids at home and expose Alex by dragging her into her mess. "Are you okay?"
Alex senses her distress even through the phone. He wishes he was there to prove that she was all right. "I'm-I'm alive. I think I'll make it."
The hand holding the steering wheel slightly shakes with discomfort. "I'm so sorry, Alex. This is all my fault. Everything is always my fault."
"This is not your fault, okay?" he tells her comfortingly. "This is all Bob."
"I'm driving back home from Portland," she tells him. "Where are you?"
"P-Portland?" he questions in a mere whisper. The chest pain increasing its strength. "What were you—"
"Where are you?" she cuts him off, needing to know his location with urgency. "Central hospital?"
"Yes," he sighs and closes his eyes in dismay, leaning his head back against his pillow. "Norma, you can't come. It's not safe."
"What room do they have you in?" she ignores him. He's out of his mind if he thinks that he can stop her.
Alex sighs. "Norma-Norma, listen to me—"
"What room do they have you in?" she asks again.
"Please," he begs in surrender. "I'm sure they're expecting you to come. They might be waiting for you-I-I don't know."
"I don't care, Alex," she spits. "I'm coming to find you."
He places his left hand on his forehead, feeling extremely hot for a second. Is he sweating? He doesn't feel good.
"Norma," he whispers, begging her to stay safe.
"I need to make sure you're okay," her voice trembling after every word. "What if you're not telling me the truth and-and you're dying or something?"
Alex closes his eyes again, but this time his pain is forgotten. Norma's worried about him. She sounds desperate—too desperate, even. His heart overfills with a known joy, making him feel warm and almost too happy at her desperate state.
"I'm not-I'm not dying, okay?" he tells her, his tone calmer than before. "I'm fine. I'm okay and for now, safe. I just need you to stay in Portland, Norma. Please."
"I'm fine, Alex. I'm not being followed, I'm fine."
"Okay so stay there," he tells her. "Drive back to Portland, Norma. It's not safe for you here, and I can't protect you. I'm tied to a bed."
"They tied you to a bed?" she asks in disgust. What type of treatment is he receiving? He's the Sheriff, for God's sake.
"Not literally," he whimpers, feeling hot again. He tries to find a comfortable position but fails. "I'm stuck here, and I cannot leave this room. So, please. Please, Norma."
"You're wasting your time," she says in a thick voice. "I'm coming to you."
As perfect as it sounds, he wishes the situation was different and that her life wasn't in danger. That he wouldn't be hospitalized so that he could keep an eye on her.
"If you get hurt I'm going to kill you."
Norma smiles at his tough threat. "I'll be fine, Alex. I promise."
His voice low and sorrowful. "You don't know that. They're out there. It's not safe."
"I don't care what I have to do," she mutters. "I'm coming to you, Alex. If-if I see something out of the ordinary, I'll call you, okay?"
Alex takes a deep breath in annoyance. She's so hardheaded. So stubborn. "Norma!"
"See you soon, Alex."
Before he has time to answer, Norma hangs up. Alex groans in annoyance. It's absurd to try and make her come to her senses. To tell her what to do. Deep down Alex knew that it'd be this difficult to try and make her understand.
He covers his face with his huge hands, not liking the tingling sensation throughout his body. He doesn't feel well. The pain medication he was given a while ago is failing. He's not feeling better, and he needs more of it. Now.
Alex is caught in a range of unknown feelings, not deciphering right away the importance of his condition. Is he sweating? All of a sudden he feels hot and uncomfortable. His throat is closing, and he can't breathe.
His eyes roll immediately to the back of his head—his body convulsing. Machines start to go crazy, beeping loudly, alerting the nurses and doctors in the area. His futile hand still holds the phone captive in his hand.
Nurses roll in, dragging with them carts with rare machinery. Speaking amongst each other a dialect that only they understood. Dr. Khan walks in, the nurses making room for him immediately.
"It's okay, Sheriff," Dr. Khan says in a genuine voice as his hands hold Alex's shaken head. "It'll be over soon."
"His body is on fire, doctor," the nurse standing by him states.
"Medication reaction," he tells her with his eyes focused on Alex. He takes a thin flashlight out of his pocket, shining its light into Alex's orbs with no remorse. "Perhaps bacterial. We'll see."
The crew is able to stabilize Alex in a matter of seconds. The crazy beeping of the machines suddenly disappears, automatically changing the aura inside the hospital room.
After taking the blood samples required, and adding a strong dose of antibiotics for Alex's high fever, they marched out of his room, leaving him there to rest. A nurse would come to check on him every fifteen minutes, writing down on her clipboard his most recent state.
An hour and a half later, that same nurse is questioned at the reception's help desk. A particular blonde wearing a red shirt, black pants and boots bolted in demanding to see Alexander Romero and to be taken to his room.
"I'm sorry, are you related to Mr. Romero?" the thin nurse questions with a speck of judgment in her voice.
Norma had to think quick. She's not family. They won't let her see him if she's not immediate family. She finds herself thinking about it for too long until she finally snaps out of it.
With known confidence, she mutters. "I'm his girlfriend."
The nurse looks down on her computer, handing Norma a visitors form and requiring for her to hand in her driver's license for security purposes only, of course.
"Name?" she asks subtly, impatiently waiting for Norma to fill out her paperwork and asking for the information herself.
"Norma Bates," she says as she scribbles away.
"Date of birth?"
Norma peers back at her. "You have my driver's license right in front of you."
"Confirm it, please," she says in a monotone voice.
After giving the nurse her information and acquiring her name tag with her black and white photo printed on it, gluing it to the front of her blouse and clutching tightly to her purse. As they walked to Alex's room, Norma bombarded the nurse with numerous questions.
"He had a high and complicated fever," she explains to Norma as she walks next to her. "He's okay now."
"A fever?"
"The convulsions have stopped, and his fever is gone," she explains gently, still walking her down the hall. "His body neglected the medication he was given."
Norma stops dead in her tracks. Convulsions? When? He was fine when they talked over the phone. "Is-is he okay?"
The nurse looks back at her with slight pity, taking in Norma's troubled expression. "The worst has passed. Mr. Romero was given a different type of medication, and he's reacted very well on it. We've been monitoring him ever since."
Norma remains silent as she plays nervously with her fingers. The nurse notices her state and proceeds to guide her towards his room.
"He's okay," she assures Norma. "Right this way."
The pair starts walking again, and Norma feels likes her heart might come out of her chest. This is all her fault. She'll never forgive herself for this.
They reach his room, and before turning on the knob, the nurse asks Norma is she's ready. Norma gives her a weak nod; her eyebrows furrowed in concern. Her watery eyes lost and distant.
Everything else around Norma started revolving in slow motion. It was as if she was looking at Alex from a different body, a different persona. And maybe she was. This night has been anything but ordinary, and somehow she feels like she's not entitled to this. To be standing right in front of him and for Alex to be the one suffering the consequences of her actions.
Her blue eyes land immediately on Alex. Her breath hitching at the sight of him. Norma covers her mouth with both hands the moment she spots the location of the bandage. They've missed his heart by a speck. It was almost impossible to believe that she was seeing.
His chest is exposed, and it's covered in different colored wires. Each with its own meaning. His skin was a strange color, and he seemed different.
"We were able to remove the bullet," she tells Norma as if she had asked. "He's very lucky."
Norma looks back at her and drops her hands, leaving them across her chest. The nurse gives Norma an apologetic look and excused herself from the room, leaving the two alone in what felt like an isolated world.
But seeing him there stirred something inside her. It hit a nerve. She sobs softly as she marches to him, shaking lightly at the sight of him. He looks vulnerable and weak. She's never seen him like this before. He's always been her rock; her superhero. Alexander Romero wasn't weak. He wasn't afraid of anything—but then again, right this second, it seems like he's ready to give up and Norma cannot bare it.
"I'm so sorry," she cries softly, leaning her upper body against his cold hospital bed. She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes roaming around his appearance and torso, spotting yet again the spot where the bullet had ripped his skin in, so so close to his heart.
"I'm really sorry," she says again, her hand running through his dark hair. Her face imminent to his, wanting to feel him close. To feel him near. "Please, forgive me."
Norma rests her forehead on his good shoulder, his body slightly shaking due to her cries. "I'm sorry," she keeps saying over and over again between sobs. He's not responding and is sound asleep.
She raises her head from his shoulder, her tears streaming down his skin. She gets closer as if hoping that way he'll be able to hear her. To wake up.
"Alex?" she whispers, the back of her right hand coming up to rub against her nose. "Wake up."
Norma nudges him very very thoroughly, scared that he might break. "Open your eyes. Tell me that you're going to be okay. Please. Wake up."
But Alex remains unresponsive. Her heartbreaking for him. Aching for some type of movement. Her left-hand remains glued to his right shoulder and her right one brushes his hair back, caressing his scalp smoothly.
"I never wanted any of this to happen," she tells him, her tone low and shaky. "I didn't think this would happen. Not to you. To me maybe, but not to you."
She means it. Going to Alex for every little problem she came across wasn't because she'd eventually expected him to get hurt because of her. It's never been her intention. She solely feels secured under his armor and frankly, never imagined that her protector wasn't immortal. She'd always looked up to him. Always thought that he had the answer to everything and could solve almost anything.
In her head, he could never get hurt. He didn't flinch when it came to defending himself. He didn't think twice about protecting her, and that fact was bothering her to a degree. The man that fears no man is fighting for his life. Even his body is rejecting the medication he was given, and she doesn't know if she should take it as a sign that he's giving up or worse—that he's giving up on her.
"I need you to wake up," she orders persistently. "Just open your eyes and tell me that you're going to be okay. Tell me that you feel fine. That we'll walk out of here and that-that we're going to look for Bob Paris and make him pay for what he did."
Her tears keep on streaming down her cheeks, like deep waterfalls. Her hands won't stop stroking his silky hair. His soft hair. Norma waits submissively for him to wake up to no avail.
Seeing as he's still yet to respond, she drifts back and glances around the room. For the first time familiarizing herself with her surroundings. She locates a cushioned chair imminent to the window and a small table with brochures on top.
She hauls it freely towards his side of the bed. Norma settles in it quickly, getting ahold of his hand, the one reposing composedly right in front of her.
Norma bends her body onward, holding his hand tightly. She relaxes her head on top of their tangled hands, her left one holding him right below his wrist. She'd sense any type of movement. She'll feel the moment he wakes up, and for her, that's enough.
"I'll make better choices, I promise," she tells him as if he's for sure listening to her. As if he's torturing her on purpose and refuses to wake up just that he could teach her a lesson. "I won't risk your life anymore. But you have to wake up. You have to tell me that you're going to be okay. That I have nothing to worry about."
This feeling is new, and she doesn't know how to manage it. It's oddly comforting but scary at the same time. She has no reason to be this attached to him. Or so she thinks. Why is she terrified of losing him? Why is she crying as she clings to him as if he was the love of her life? Why does she care? Why is she afraid for him? Why?
Norma shuts her eyes in misery, trying to come up with answers to her infinite enigmas. But perhaps she's playing hard to get; she's only fooling herself. The moment she heard his voicemail, her world suddenly stopped turning. It was as if someone had stricken her straight in the stomach with no shame.
She's sure she sped the entire way from Portland to White Pine Bay. Desperately needing to get to him. But why? Why is Alex so important to her?
While her mind runs wild, Norma drifts off to a place much safer and reserved. She couldn't hear the hospital implements where she was; in profound slumber. Away from all the turmoil and distress.
However, although far in mind but near in presence, her hands are still clutching to Alex protectively. Her cheek comes in contact with his hand. Her right hand holding his with much serenity and delight.
But she's exhausted. Physically and mentally. The entire night had taken a toll on her, and before drifting away, she could feel a headache coming in. Her eyes hurt from crying and her head was starting to pound aggressively. She needs a break.
It wasn't until much later that a slight movement wakes her up from her deep sleep. She feels it again. A light tug. She moves a little, furrowing her eyebrows in annoyance at whoever is waking her up. She needs to sleep.
Norma feels that same tug again, maybe harder than expected and she opens her eyes carefully. As if she was dreaming. She slow blinks a few times, feeling her eyes heavier than ever before. She knows they're swollen. She can feel it.
Her eyes roam around for a split second, before closing again. That same tug brings her back, and she's sure now, if she wasn't before, that there is one human being on this earth, only one, that would pick on her and bother her to no avail at a time like this.
Raising her head from his comfortable hand, her eyes land on him immediately. She sits up and sees him staring right back at her. He's awake.
Norma smiles widely before launching herself to him. She stands up, her body stirring the chair back with an unknown force. She comes close but not too much. He's still fragile, and she's afraid that he might react differently because of the medicine or pain.
"Hi," she grins, whispering her greeting as if they weren't allowed to speak in the room. Her right hand has found its way to the back of his head again, caressing his dark hair.
Alex closes his eyes at the feeling. She's so close. She looks so perfect, her hair a mess and her face free of makeup. Norma Bates looks perfect.
"Hi," he says with difficulty, closing his eyes as he tries to pass saliva and fails. His throat is dry, and he's in need of water pronto.
"You're awake," she murmurs. Alex could see tears forming in her eyes. Why is she crying? He's okay.
"Don't cry," he tells her through heavy lids. He seems tired and pale. Not a good combination. "Are you okay?"
Norma half-chuckles as she finds it absurd that he's worried about her when he's the one hospitalized and the one that had a bullet in his chest.
"I'm fine," she promises, getting closer to him.
Alex takes a moment to scrutinize her face. Her appearance. He shifts his head and looks down at her body, looking for some type of wound or broken bone. Norma notices his worried glance and knows exactly what he's doing.
"Hey, look at me," she places two fingers under his chin, making him face her immediately. "I'm okay. Nothing happened to me. I'm completely fine."
Alex's hand rests passively on the back of her neck. "You can't be here. It's not safe, Norma. You have to get out of here. Now."
Norma shakes her head. "I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving you here, Alex. I don't care how dangerous it is. I'm not leaving."
His eyes are tired but full of worry. "They might come back to make sure that I'm really dead."
"So, let them. You're here because of me," she says in a broken voice. "This is happening because of me, and I'm not leaving you alone now. If they barge in here and try to kill you for sure this time, they'll have to kill me, too."
He squeezes her neck. Maybe in annoyance or comfort. "Norma..."
"Don't ask me to leave again because you're out of your mind if you actually think that I will," her hand caresses his exposed wrist, her head kind of leaning into his touch.
"Why are you so stubborn?" he sighs, his eyes never leaving her blue spheres. "Why do you have to make this even more complicated? I cannot protect you. I need you to be safe."
"As long as you're with me, I'm protected."
Alex closes his eyes and brings her closer. Their foreheads touching. His hand still clutching her by her neck.
"I've killed for you," he mutters hotly, his warm breath caressing her face. "I've lied to protect you. I've taken a bullet... But I'm not losing you... I'm not."
Norma pulls back a bit, enough to catch his amorous glare. Something stirred inside of her. Again.
She's seen this look before. Many times. But something feels different. More personal and meaningful. Mysterious in a perfect way.
Her eyes roam around his face, taking a bit of a detour to his lips and back again to his gorgeous eyes. They're full of surprises. Full of unspoken words that somehow she's able to hear perfectly without prudence and interruptions.
"I can take a bullet any day. I'd kill every human being that disturbs your peace but..." his voice low and tender. His hand had found its way to her cheek. Caressing her soft skin delightfully. "If something happens to you... if they hurt you..."
Norma gasps for air. His desperation evident in his tone of voice; on his face. He wants to protect her and he currently can't. He hates it. He detests it.
"Alex," she sighs, her eyes scanning his demeanor tenderly. She can't leave him here.
"Please," he begs, reaching for her hand that rested passively on his chest.
Norma shakes her head. Her tears coming back. "I'm not leaving you here. I'm not leaving."
"You're so hardheaded," he whispers as he brushes her tears away. "So stubborn."
Norma half-smiles but doesn't utter a word. He's right. She is. Even more when it involves someone she genuinely cares about. Her eyes shift to his wound, paying particular attention to it now. Alex notices the look on her face, and his heart breaks for her.
"Don't look at it," although his left arm is strapped to his body, his right one is still proficient of doing its function. He grabs her chin gently, making her face him. "It's nothing, and I'll be fine."
"It's-it's so close to—"
"I know," he acknowledges, catching the sorrow in her eyes. That sparkle that's always present all of a sudden gone. "But I'm here."
Norma looks at him for a split second and deposits her head on his bare and exposed chest. She listens carefully to the loud thumping of his heart. He's still here. And he's not going anywhere.
Alex closes his eyes in consternation, somehow sensing the bond between them. Their closeness. Their concern for one another. His fingers tangle comfortably in her blonde curls, his fingertips gradually massaging her scalp. Her eyes close immediately to the touch. She feels safe here. She's unmistakably shielded in his arms.
"I'm staying here tonight," she tells him, her tone letting him know that it's not opened for discussion. But he doesn't argue with her this time.
"Okay," he merely says, keeping his fingers in her hair.
Norma raises her head and gives him a perplexed glance. "You're done fighting with me?"
Alex has to smile at that. She was waiting for him to argue back, to try and make her leave.
"I wasn't fighting," he tells her, his hot breath burning her skin. She was extremely close.
"Yes you were," she hisses. "You always argue with me."
"Not always."
Norma raises her eyebrow, asserting her point. Alex chuckles at her grumpy but cute expression and winces immediately at the abrupt discomfort laughter causes on his injury. He places his right hand on his wound mildly, his face contorted in pain.
"Don't laugh!" she demands, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.
His frown turns into a smile again. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts like hell."
"I didn't say anything," she defends herself with her grumpy expression still present. "I seriously didn't say a word."
"You didn't have to. Your cute face said it all."
Norma rolls her eyes in a mix of annoyance and glee. As much as she tries to, she knows she can't resist his charm. His delicate glance and his beautiful smile.
"How are you feeling?" she asks as she drags the covers halfway to his torso.
"Better," he answers, reaching for her hand.
His adoration for her hands is inexplicable. Something out of a fairytale or a modern and straightforward book. He scrutinizes her hand with courtesy. The same way he's done it a million times before. As if he had all the time of the world.
A knock on the door breaks their ideal and carefree silence. The same nurse from earlier peeks her head in, asking if she could come in.
"Of course," Alex says, his hand still seizing Norma's.
"I just want to check in," she says, taking her digital thermometer out of her front pocket. "See how you're doing. How are you feeling?"
"Much better," he states with a smile. The nurse reads the thermometer after placing it on his forehead. 97.1
"I can see that," she smiles. "I think you just needed a little bit of attention and love from your lady, huh?"
Alex looks back at Norma, whose face is already colored in shame. She catches his surprised glare and bites her lip apprehensively, wishing that the nurse wasn't much of a tattered tale after all.
The sweet way he's looking at her is burning her skull. As if he's able to look right through her. As if he's reading her mind right now and discovering all her secrets.
"Yes, ma'am," Alex says with his eyes fixed on Norma, playing along. "I think that's all I needed."
Norma breaks eye contact and tries really hard to repress her smile. Alex stiffens the grip on her hand, and she feels the moment her heart skips a beat.
"Well, Mr. Romero, I think you're acclimating well to this new medication. How bad is your pain?" she motions towards his wound.
"Um, like a seven? It comes and goes."
"That's normal," she scribbles something down on her clipboard and looks back at him. "I'll be coming back in an hour to change the bandage, okay?"
"No problem," he says smoothly. His eyes dart back to Norma, whose blue orbs are glued to whatever the nurse is arranging. Anything to keep her from his burning glare.
"Don't hesitate to let us know if you need anything," she tells him. "I'll leave you two love birds alone."
The nurse dismisses herself with a grand smirk, motioning towards the couple as she does. They both smile at her as she exits the room.
At this moment, Norma wishes that the earth would swallow her whole. As soon as the door closes behind her, she peers back at Alex immediately.
"I had to tell her I was your girlfriend," she says casually. "She asked if I was a close relative and I didn't want to risk it. I knew they wouldn't let me see you if I wasn't."
"I see," he says in a low tone which causes Norma to think that he's upset about her little white lie.
She scrunches her eyes. "Are you mad?"
Alex looks back at her. "No. Flattered. You think I'm handsome."
It wasn't a question, it was a fact. Norma broadens her eyes in astonishment and can't help but laugh at him.
"Oh, really!? Says who!?" she exalts through beaming teeth.
"You!" he smirks.
"Okay, Sheriff," she rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say."
Alex tries to look pitiful, but his grin shows otherwise. "You'd have to think I'm handsome to be dating me, don't you think?"
"Oh, like that's your only quality?"
He shrugs. "That's my best quality."
Norma smiles and looks away, letting go of his hand and moving away from him. Something between them shifted in that instant.
"We're both beautiful, that's why she bought it," Alex says playfully after a long and contented silence, trying hard to stifle his smile.
Norma looks back at him and tilts her head at his words. "I'm sure," she adds scornfully, grinning like a kid.
A trillion butterflies explode inside her stomach. She is sure she forgot how to breathe. Alex catches her smile before it fades away. He finds himself smiling, too. They know what they mean to each other. They know what they want. Even if they're too afraid to own it.
"I don't think that's why," she adds coolly, still trying to cope with the amazing aura that just ran through them.
"Come here," he susurrates. Norma shakes her head but with a sparse smirk on her face.
Alex smiles. "Please?"
Norma grins broadly this time, keeping her stance and refusing to go to him.
"No," she titters like a shallow teenager.
"Come here," he says again, his hand reaching out for her.
"No!" she shrieks in laughter, her face too angelic for him not to adore. "I'm fine right here."
Alex smirks and raises his eyebrows. "Oh, really? Are you going to make me go get you?"
"Don't you dare get up from that bed!" she commands, still smiling.
"Well, come here," he says gently, resting back snugly in his bed, waiting for her.
Norma doesn't know why, but her heart wants to come out of her chest at the perception of him wanting her near. Are they flirting? Why does it feel so normal yet nerve-racking? His smile is melting her from the inside out.
She moves imminent to him, her unexpected nerves corrupting her. Norma comes to stand right before him, looking down at his extended hand. She takes it happily, intwining their fingers together. Like they've always belonged that way. Together.
Alex gazes at her the way she's come to find out she adores. He's not saying anything, just cherishing her.
"What?" she whispers, a hint of a smile wanting to show.
"Nothing," he murmurs. "I just want to have you close."
"In case the nurse comes back?" she teases, raising her eyebrows at him. Her heart doing that thing again.
He smirks. "Yes. We can't blow our cover."
"You're right," she says and peers back at the chair that's still adjacent to the bed. She hauls it with her free hand and sits down. She assembles herself comfortably on it and focuses back on Alex, who's innocently staring back at her.
"Why were you in Portland?" he inquires, his voice submissive and pacified.
Norma takes a deep breath and shrugs. "I don't know. I needed an escape."
"From what?"
It's so easy to talk to him. To vent. Norma knows that she can't lie to him, not after everything.
"From my perfect life," she chuckles half-heartedly and rolls her eyes in embarrassment. "From this mess. From everything."
"We're you planning of never coming back?" he asks in a faint and troubled tone. The thought of losing her forever was frightening and disturbed.
Norma thinks about it for a second. "I don't know," she replies. "I really don't know what I was trying to prove."
Alex stops himself from asking any more questions. It feels out of place somehow, and he doesn't want her to think that he's just meddling in her business solely because he wants to or thinks that he can.
He gives her hand a tiny tug, smoothly dragging her to him. Alex plants a tender kiss on her opened palm. He senses the moment she holds her breath; he's going to be the death of her.
"Alex..." she mutters when he continues to kiss her hand. She's weak and finding it remarkably challenging to breathe.
"I just want you to be okay, Norma," he looks back at her. "To be safe."
"And I am," she reassures him. "As long as I'm with you, I know I'm safe."
He goes back to scrutinizing her delicate but powerful hand.
"I'm so sorry this happened," she concedes, her body leaning close to his against her will. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess."
Alex shakes his head. "It was my choice, Norma. You didn't make me get involved. I did that myself."
"I know," she whimpers. "But if I hadn't—"
"It's done," he interrupts her. "And I would do it over and over again if that's what it takes. You were going to do it with or without me. There's not stopping you."
Norma sees him smile. He knows she would have done it on her own. It's a known factor.
"Maybe that would have been best, you know?" she murmurs.
"I was going to find out regardless, Norma. You think I wasn't going to get you out of this mess myself? That I would stand back and watch you get hurt and manipulated by Bob?"
She shrugs and breaks eye contact with her protector. "I always screw things up. I always mess everything up."
"Look at me," he implores, letting go of her hand to find her eyes. He seizes her chin mildly, finding himself lost in those lovely and delicate eyes. "You're not screwing anything up, okay? This town is fucked up, and we're just trying to survive in it."
Her eyes water. "Are you going to be okay? Are we going to be okay?"
Alex gets the impression that her last question had a double meaning. We.
"Are we?" he murmurs as he draws her closer. Norma lets him pull her close. She wants him to. She desires it with a common but scary sentiment. He finds himself caressing her cheek and gliding his fingers down to her jaw. "Are we, Norma?"
She's feeling vulnerable but determined. His words are infiltrating her mind, and she wants nothing more than to be with him. To feel him. To have him. Her eyes dart down to his lips, and she's quick to shift them back to his lustful but tranquil stare.
"I think so," she gulps, trying to keep her posture. "We'll be okay."
Kiss me, she thinks. She's dying of thirst, and his lips are her only escape.
As if reading her mind, his mild hand drags her even closer. His eyes devouring her lips the way she'd want him to devour them with his own. She holds her breath and licks her lips. She's a nervous wreck, and she hates it. She's always had the upper hand.
But he persists. Norma senses that he's waiting on her to make the first move, to be sure that she wants this, too. That she wants to be kissed. Although she thinks that their proximity and the way their eyes are devouring each other is simple enough for him to perceive that this is what she wants.
"You can," Norma murmurs. It seems to be the right thing to say because he nods softly in gratitude. He was waiting for approval when the only thing she's been wanting is to be kissed by him and him only.
His steady hand roams to the back of her neck, and Norma braces herself for the burst inside her stomach that's about to come undone. Her breathing had picked up a tad, and although she tried, she couldn't remember what's like to breathe normally in front of him.
"Are you sure?" he mutters through heavy lids.
She licks her lips seductively, causing his insides to spin. "Yes."
And before Alex had a chance to register it, Norma's lips were on his own. It was like a dream, an inestimable and incomparable dream. Their lips rocked to their own harmony, fooling them into thinking that it wasn't the first time they've kissed. It feels like they've done this before. Something so pure and wonderful that they've both been wanting to happen for a long time now.
Norma's never felt anything like it. She's never been kissed with such tenderness and care. A kiss not hurried nor mediocre. She lets out a tiny moan the moment she feels his tongue taking dominance. She smiles a little and determines that she could torment him, too.
She nips his bottom lip with a little more strength than awaited, causing him to chuckle while she still had his lip captive and secured.
They break the kiss and Alex is convinced, certain, that Norma's never looked at him that way before. The known sparkle in her blue spheres was back; Alex was afraid he'd never see it again.
Norma doesn't say a word but runs her thumb across his lower lip. Her eyes hinder on his lips, and Alex never knew that someone could be so pure. The moment their eyes meet, Alex clutches her refined jaw and pulls her in.
She giggles as she lets him kiss her. Kiss her the way she's always dreamed of. Her hands reach up and tangle around his neck. Norma breathes in piercingly and kisses him back delicately, his arm circling her waist and drawing her in, their lips greedy for each other.
Without thinking about it, Norma lets her right arm slide down a bit, causing her elbow to brush against his bandage, hurting him just lightly in the process. Alex winces in consternation, breaking the kiss immediately.
"Oh-oh my God," Norma cringes. "I'm sorry!"
She leans back a bit, glancing down at him as he settles his free hand on his injury.
"It's okay," he's quick to say, fixing his face and looking back at her. "It's a good kind of pain."
Her delicate hands cover her mouth in anguish, her eyes glued to his wound.
"Hey," he murmurs, reaching out for her again. "It's okay, I promise. I'm okay."
But Norma's eyes continue to linger on his wound. She couldn't stop feeling responsible for the whole ordeal. Especially now that he was in pain because of her clumsiness.
"I'm sorry," she cries softly. "I'm really sorry."
"Would you stop apologizing?" he asks in a soothing voice. She wasn't the one to blame, and he's not going to let her continue with this guilt game. "You didn't pull the trigger, Norma."
"I feel like I did," she confesses. "By dragging you into this."
Norma keeps a significant gap between them. Her body leaning away from him as if having contact with him could burn her. Alex wants to get out of bed and hold her; reach for her and try to make her understand. Grab her and kiss her again. Tell her that everything will be okay.
"Come here, baby, please," he begs from his bed. His brown eyes exhibiting nothing but misfortune in them. He was hurting for her.
But Norma is incapable of moving, and her feet persist cemented to the floor. However, her crystal clear eyes spring back to his own. Her heart skipping madly at what he just called her. At the individual and particular way it echoes coming from him.
But her chest starts to throb, and she comes to the understanding that she's never been as helpless and unprotected before. The loud cries of Norma Bates could almost be overheard outside the room, including the reception's help desk. Norma holds her face as she wails uncontrollably in the middle of the room.
It's all too much. The whole mess with Bob investigating her husband's death. Caleb coming back to haunt her and her sons dictating that she should listen to what he has to say. Alex getting shot was the last drop that spilled the cup.
Alex feels powerless at the idea of not being able to hold her like he'd want to. Especially now. His brown eyes remain fixed on her shaken and distraught body. He doesn't know how to help her, how to make her feel better. All he knows is that he needs to hold her.
"Come here," he keeps telling her. His tone fragile and broken, his hand extended for her to grab even though she wasn't paying the inadequate attention to him. "Please, come here."
Norma runs her hands across her face, trying to clear her face from her tears. Her crying hasn't stopped, but her eyes find Alex and she shakes her head no. She doesn't want to go to him. Because she knows what will happen. He has the power to fight away any demon inside her head and she doesn't want him to keep fighting her battles. She wants to do it on her own. But she longs to be in his arms. For him to hold her and tell her that everything is going to be all right. She knows that's what he wants to do, too. That's why he needs her to go to him. She has to go to him.
"I'm sorry," she cries with no prejudice. "I'm sorry for everything."
"Come here," is all he says. He's talking to her like he'd talk to a frightened child. Wanting to gain the kid's trust. "Please."
Norma continues to cry but earns the courage to start walking back to him. His extended arm looking as robust as ever. Her body is still shaking as her sobs escape her thin and frail body. Norma sees the moment Alex lifts his body off the bed to reach for her. No sign of pain is contorted on his appearance. He doesn't care about his pain because Norma always comes first.
He grabs her arm and pulls her to him. Norma starts crying hysterically again once in his arms. Her body is leaning halfway on his bed. He rolls back and although his left hand is still fastened to his body, he is quick to maneuver his free hand around her waist, tugging on her leg, making her join him in bed.
"Shhh," he rustles as he buries his face in her ocean of messed curls. He scoots over a bit, as much as his injury lets him, and waits for Norma to settle herself next to him. "It's okay, baby. You're safe now. You're safe."
His hand holds her protectively to him as her body shakes in dismay. Her face is buried into his neck and her right arm holds him tightly by his torso and under his left arm; careful not to hurt him in any way.
"You're okay," he keeps telling her. His hand caressing her scalp with such tenderness that he's not sure if that's the reason why her crying had almost fully ceased. He kisses her forehead repeatedly as he promises that everything is going to be okay. Her breathing had returned back to normal and her eyes were tired and heavy. She's exhausted of fighting against everyone and everything. She needs a break. And to her, this was it.
Alex keeps whispering sweet nothings to her as he senses the instant she drifts off to sleep. Her face red and wet from her tears. He wishes he could fix whatever was bothering her. It's obvious that something's going on and he's going to figure out specifically what it is that made her run away to Portland. What's causing her to feel so fearful and uncertain.
"I wish I could protect you from this crazy and fucked up world, Norma," he whispers as he proceeds to rub his fingertips against her scalp. His lips pressed lightly upon her forehead. "I wish I could take your pain away. But I'm going to take care of Bob," he tells her as if she's listening to him. "I don't want you to worry, okay? I will take care of him and nothing bad will happen to you or your sons."
He wishes she could hear him. Because he means those words. He'll fight against everyone for her. He'll do whatever for Norma Bates.
"I want you to trust me, okay? Please trust that I will fix this for you because I will," he kisses her forehead gently and stops massaging her scalp. He closes his eyes as the words come out of his mouth involuntarily. "I'll destroy the world if I have to Norma," he says in a mere buzz, his voice scarcely audible. "Because I love you."
Alex feels as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders after saying those words. Yes, Norma is dreaming away in his arms, but saying them out loud is like he's finally able to breathe. He kisses her forehead again with all the fragility of the world, scared of waking her up. He wishes he could freeze time. That she could stay here, in his arms, like this.
But yet, he doesn't know what this means for them. He has no idea how she's going to react after she wakes up. She's so vulnerable and so scared that he would hate himself if, even for a second, he makes her feel uncomfortable after all this is gone and they have to return to the real world. But he wants to believe that it's been real. She granted him permission to be kissed. He doesn't think that he's forced her to do anything she doesn't want to do. But with her, you never know.
For now, he'll cherish the sight of her in his arms. The way she's keeping him close to her. How easy it was for her to fall asleep once under his armor. How adorable she looks in her sleep. He wants to admire her, smell her, feel her. Although he wishes that the situation was different, he is happy they've found each other tonight. It may sound uncanny but he's somehow glad that things went down the way the did. He wasn't dead and Norma was with him. She's safe. And for him, that's all that matters.
Alex joins Norma in her profound sleep as his mind runs wild and out of his control. But he wakes up startled as someone yanks on his left arm.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Romero. I tried not to wake you," the nurse says in a low tone but with a witty smile.
Alex, seeming confused as ever, observes to find Norma still resting in his arms. He regards the thick duvet that was thrown over them. He glances back at the nurse in bewilderment.
"Wha-what time is it?" he asks groggily, his right arm that's hidden under the duvet snacking slowly around Norma's waist, keeping her close.
"It's almost four o'clock," she grins politely and Alex sees the moment she removes the tape that's keeping the bandage together. "I came in earlier but I didn't want to disturb you. She seemed cold so I brought in an extra blanket for her."
Alex gives her a weak smile and rests his head against Norma's. "She's exhausted. I hope it's okay..."
"Oh, it's fine," she is quick to know what he's referring to. "I completely understand. Besides, it's not like that couch was made for sleeping. It's extremely uncomfortable."
"Thanks," he whispers.
They both kept their voices very low, trying not to wake Norma. She seems unfazed by the sparse conversation between the two and the little to no movement the nurse would make as she changes Alex's dressing. Norma's hand is still holding protectively onto Alex as it remains hidden under the covers. The nurse had only exposed the skin half down his shoulder, enough to change the gauze with no difficulty.
"How are you feeling?" she asks as she cleans his wound. Alex tries to keep his eyes off it by focusing on Norma.
"Right now? Just tired."
"That's normal," she says softly. "You're going to need a lot of rest, though. Once you're discharged. You'll feel tired the first few days."
"Good to know," he tells her quietly. "I'm not going to need an arm sling, am I?"
"You will," she chuckles silently. "Oh, you will."
"Great," he sighs and rests his cheek on top of Norma's head. She really could sleep through anything. He smiles a little at the thought.
"I'm almost done here," she promises as she adds alcohol to her gauze and dabs it on his wound. Alex winces a bit and the nurse is quick to apologize, promising that the sting will only last a few more seconds. Alex nods in agreement and hates that he's being talked to as if he was a child. He takes a deep breath and presses his lips on top of her head. He plants a sparse kiss there, one that doesn't go overlooked by the busy nurse.
"She was really worried," she tells him and Alex is quick to peer back at her.
"Yeah?"
"You should have seen the look on her face when she first saw you. I kept promising her that you were better but I don't think she was convinced."
Alex looks back at Norma and feels the moment his heart melts for her.
"She likes to worry," Alex tells her. His hand comes from under the covers and holds her head in place. He settles another kiss there.
"I mean, you did get shot at," the nurse adds nonchalantly. "I'd be just as worried, Mr. Romero."
"I guess you're right," his voice barely audible.
"She really loves you," the nice nurse dares to say. Her brown eyes are focused on her work. "She's definitely a keeper."
Alex looks back at Norma and is glad that she can't see him blushing. He'd like to tell the nurse the truth. That she was just pretending to be his girlfriend because she's compulsive and decided against speaking the truth. That he wishes that she indeed was his. But he chooses not to spill the beans. Not now when an outsider has seen the affection Alex is yet to discover from Norma. Someone else had seen the desperation in her and the vulnerability at seeing him so defenseless and hurt.
And then it hits him.
She really loves you.
She. Really. Loves. You.
"She is," Alex manages to say.
The sound of tape ripping brings him back to earth. The nurse is done with his bandage and he sees when she brings the covers up, covering his wound from view.
"Alright, Mr. Romero, I will let you sleep now. You're doing okay so I'll be back first thing in the morning to give you your pain medicine. If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to let me know."
The nurse turns off the light above his bed, leaving them in the dim room secluded and guarded from the outside world. It feels delicious to have her so close. To have her with him. If he could only stop time right now. If only he could.
"Thank you," Alex breathes, snaking his hand under the covers again to place it back where it belongs; around her waist.
Once the nurse is out of the room, he closes his eyes and indulges in the wonderful fragrance of Norma Bates. His nostrils overflow with a particular strawberry scent, the clean smell of her blonde curls. She's breathing heavily and he's glad she's resting for now.
He wants to drift back to sleep but a part of him doesn't. When will be the next time that he has her all to himself? He doesn't want to waste that precious time sleeping it off. He wants to stay awake. He wants to know that she's real and that, even if it's for a day, pretend that they're real, too.
It would be so easy. If she was really his girlfriend. She would wake up with a smile on her face and maybe reach up, demanding a kiss from him. They would talk and laugh at their silliness for falling asleep together in a hospital bed. Maybe Alex would tease her about it and she would make him stop by kissing him some more.
She would blush at they way he'd look at her; as if it was the first time. She'd snuggle closer to him and he'd make sure she's no longer cold. She would tell him she loves him and he would tell her that he loves her, too. She'd ask if the nurse came to change his bandage and he'd tell her that it's all taken care of. She would nod in appreciation and perhaps drift back to sleep.
All these things run through his head as he watches her sleep. As he notices the way her chest rises and falls after every breath the way the waves crash on the shore after a heavy storm. So full of power but yet so calmed.
Alex squeezes her but just slightly. He presses another tender kiss to the crown of her head and brings the duvet up and around her, covering her completely.
He closes his eyes for a bit, wanting to enjoy every second of only her. He doesn't remember the exact moment he drifts off either, not until there's someone caressing his chin. He opens his eyes deliberately, letting them roam around the dark room for a second until they land on her. The nurse had left a side lamp by the entry door slightly dimmed, making it easy for him to spot his surroundings.
He looks down to see her staring sleepily back at him. His hand comes from under the covers to rest on her head again. He smiles the second she lets out a small yawn.
"Hello there, sleepy head," Alex mumbles in a deep and sleepy voice. His eyes close again for a moment, he's come to find out he's also exhausted.
Norma grins and snuggles deeper into him, looking for warmth. "Right back at you."
Alex chuckles as he squeezes her to him, bringing her closer. She squeezes him back and lets out a small moan in appreciation, nothing sexual but still enticing.
"How'd you sleep?" he asks as he tangles his fingers in her hair. Norma rests her head quietly on his chest, shutting her eyes against her will.
"Ugh, I feel like I could sleep for a hundred more hours and still feel tired," she murmurs.
Alex is relieved that she isn't shying away from him. Maybe she feels it, too. Perhaps she feels that something has shifted between them the moment they kissed.
"I feel you," he breathes.
She peers up at him, finding his eyes despise the dimmed room. "According to the scale, how's your pain?"
He smiles. "A four, ma'am."
She looks away with a sparse grin on her face. She figured that he'd get her teasing. Speaking to him as if she was his nurse.
"Not too bad," she says indifferently and Alex chuckles a bit.
"So I've heard," he tells her and Norma looks up at him again. He finds her eyes and laughs the moment he spots her tiny frown.
"The nurse came to change the bandage," he says. "Everything looks good for now and she'll come back in the morning to give me my medicine."
"Good," she sighs as she pulls the duvet up to cover her shoulders.
"Did you know that I'm gonna have to wear an arm sling?"
Norma chuckles at the tone of his voice. He's looking for pity. "Of course you have to, Alex."
"I don't want to," he whines and shoves his head back, almost slamming it onto the pillow. "They're horrible and embarrassing."
Norma suppresses her smile and lifts her upper body to incline on her elbows. Her right arm settles itself on his chest.
"Seriously?!" she exalts through beaming teeth.
But Alex glances away and tries not to smile. He can't keep a straight face with her looking at him like that.
"Everyone will make fun of me," he states simply.
"You're the Sheriff," Norma says in a stoic pitch. "Why would anyone make fun of you?"
The moment Alex discerns her tone, his eyes flash back to her. He shakes his head incredulously, not believing that she wasn't taking it seriously.
"Norma," he scolds. "Have you ever seen a man wearing a sling? It makes us look weak."
Norma raises her eyebrows. "Oh, that's it? Are you scared of an insignificant piece of fabric? Be glad you don't have to carry crutches all around."
He rolls his eyes, making her giggle. In reality, she's sure it'd make her heart leap the moment she sees him wearing the sling. She can't wait to see his grumpy appearance once instructed how to properly put it on.
She grabs his chin, making him face her again. Her eyes are smiling back at him, her simple expression being enough to make him want her even more.
"You'll be fine," she tells him reassuringly. "I promise."
She's still smiling at him. He can't help it anymore and he smiles right back at her. Norma lets out a helpless little giggle and he deposits his hand on the back on her neck.
"Don't make fun of me," he chuckles, bringing her in.
Her heart flutters for him, she can't help but love the image of him looking so vulnerable. So scared of looking weak in front of others.
Norma moves her hand to cup his cheek. She lets out another giggle involuntarily. "You're serious?"
"I am!" he exalts, trying really hard to not fall for her charm. For those eyes. For that smile. But who is he fooling? He's all in.
"You'll be fine," she grins widely. "A simple arm sling won't kill you."
"Exactly. I don't have to wear it. It won't make a difference," he tries to sound convincing. Norma raises her eyebrows in defense.
"You're wearing it," she tells him. "Doctor's orders, Sheriff."
Alex sighs in defeat, knowing that she was right and that wearing the damn sling would be the right thing to do. But he cannot picture himself wearing it in front of others. He doesn't want to look weak in front of her either.
"You got shot and it's part of your recovery," she says in a serious tone now. "You won't have to wear it forever."
Now it seems like he's being talked to as if he was a kid again and he hates it. Especially that the one scolding him is the woman that he loves. She's always right. Always. But he's too stubborn to admit it just now.
"Alright," he sighs, looking away from her. She sucks her teeth the moment she notices that he's being the hardheaded Sheriff she met three years ago.
"Hey," she moves his head again, making him face her. "Don't be a brat. It's for your own good."
Alex hears the obvious concern in her tone and decides to stop acting like a spoiled brat that didn't receive a brand new Nintendo Wii for Christmas. Norma smiles a bit the second his eyes soften.
"Okay," he simply says, looking right through her soul. Making her feel exposed and weak. She leans closer and holds her breath the minute her nose detects his manly and delicious after shave scent.
Norma drops her voice to a barely there whisper. "I'll look after you. I have to make sure you're following the Doctor's orders. You can be really stubborn sometimes."
"Sometimes?" he whispers, his hand snaking dangerously to the back of her neck again. Norma licks her lips and her eyes drift to his waiting lips. But he's teasing her again and she hates him for that. But she has to admit that she lives for these moments. When they bicker away to no avail.
"All the time," she pronounces. "You're so stubborn. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that, Sheriff."
They look at each other for what seems like forever. Inspecting their features as if they've never seen each other before. His hand is caressing the back of her neck, waiting for her to make her move this time.
"I learned from the best," he says after a while, earning a small frown from her, sucking her teeth again.
He smiles widely, loving how quickly he's able to irritate her. How easy it is to tease her and argue with her over nothing, mostly. To see that she always has something smart to say and that keeping her inner thoughts to herself is an impossible task. That she'll always speak her mind and he loves that about her. It entices him, to say the least.
"What?" he asks sounding as innocent as ever, his eyes widened. "I learned from the best. Who says I'm talking about you?"
Norma raises her eyebrows and that's all he needs to burst into a series of tiny giggles.
"Who are you talking about, then?" she's quick to demand. "Your other girlfriend?"
Alex senses a bit of jealousy and possesiveness on her tone. He can't be right, he thinks. Your other girlfriend. As if she really was his real girlfriend. He suddenly can't breathe but his eyes do not dare to leave her burning glare.
"No way. You're my only girlfriend," he says casually, trying hard to supress his dorky smile.
He spots the moment her eyes soften at his response but sees that she tries hard to keep her serious posture.
"My only girlfriend," he says again, his tone low and dangerous. That seems to be what she wants to hear because he notices the moment her walls crumble right in front of him.
Norma dares to break eye contact with him, focusing her eyes back on his lips. Alex, however, is still admiring her. Seeing the way her eyelids move as she indulges and takes her sweet time to scrutinize his lips. Her tongue darts out and she wets her lips, burning his lips as she speaks the next words.
"I can't stand you," she whispers, feeling hot all of a sudden. Is the heater on? Her eyes dart back to his own, the ones that were staring at her already. Alex smiles grandly, finding that same sparkle in her eyes. "Kiss me, you idiot."
His heart skips a beat and his smile doesn't fade away. He looks down at her lips, too. Her smile makes an appearance and he's glad that she didn't take his teasing the wrong way. That she noticed that he's just playing along although deep down he wishes that they weren't.
Alex can't stop smiling and it makes her heart flutter in pure happiness. This feels wrong. Like they're not supposed to be doing this. Acting so childishly pretending to be something they're not. Even more under the circumstances. But, she can't help it. She can't help feeling drawn to him like a mysterious and almost awful spell. She wants it all with him. It was all or nothing now.
"Kiss me!" she whines almost child-like, dragging her words. Desperate to feel his soft lips on hers again. Allowing her hand to give his neck a light tug, trying to bring him closer, wanting anxiously to taste his lips. But he wasn't budging.
Alex tangles his fingers in her hair very slowly, all while maintaining eye contact. He spots her cute frown and almost loses it and gives in. But he's in cloud nine. Everything seems like out of the ordinary and he wants to enjoy this moment and make it last for as long as he endures.
He's looking at her precisely, like he's never seen anything more beautiful. And perhaps he hasn't. Norma knows what he's doing, though. She smiles the second she connects the dots. And she adores him for that.
"Alex!" she hisses, finally earning a laugh from him. She chuckles quietly, pouting like a helpless kid. "Stop it."
His smile still present. His hand holding her firmly this time but his lips not close enough, driving her crazy. "What am I doing?"
Norma cranes her neck again trying to kiss him, only to watch him push his head back against the pillow, smiling like the stubborn child that he is.
His little game is working and he can see now that this is what she wants. She wasn't demanding him to kiss her just to play a game or to satisfy her needs to just forget about them later. She wants him to kiss her. She wants this. He couldn't feel happier.
"Stop!" she giggles helplessly, her hand tugging him again towards her but failing miserably. The giddiness in her voice imminent, filling his heart with complete joy. He chuckles at her desperation, loving the look on her face and her tiny little frown.
"Stop," she whispers against his lips once he's drawn her closer, her smile still there.
"Okay, okay," he tries to apologize with a waggish smile, feeling her mouth already on his. "I'm s-sorry," he mumbles against her lips, opening his mouth to her, feeling her hand squeezing his neck slightly the moment their lips lock entirely.
They kiss like normal lovers, a simple and known task, as if it's something they both do every single day. But it feels that way, too. Like they've kissed a million times before. It doesn't feel strange or weird. It feels perfect. Like their lips belong together.
The way she's kissing him is revealing everything he wants to know. His hand tangles in her hair and she smiles upon his lips the moment she feels him bringing her closer, if possible. Her hand glides down and around his neck, keeping it secured there.
Alex breaks the kiss slightly, still feeling her hot breath on his lips. She leans her forehead agaisnt his, keeping her eyes closed.
"Norma?" Alex murmurs, kissing her lips again and pulling right back. "Do you want to be my real girlfriend?"
Norma pulls back completely, a perplexed look on her face. Alex is afraid he's stepped over a line that only existed in his head. His heart is pounding and the hairs behind his neck are spiking up relentlessly.
But Norma continues to stare at him and is quick to furrow her eyebrows.
"I thought I already was?" she tells him. Alex holds back a huge grin.
"Oh."
"You don't go around kissing your friends, do you?" she questions in a very low and risky voice.
He narrows his eyes at her, sticking his tongue out and wetting his lips. Norma's eyes drop to his inviting and delicious mouth, wanting intensely to taste his lips once again.
"Not really," he answers casually. "Just the ones that pretend to be my girlfriend for the night."
Norma tries to hold back her enormous smirk but fails. Alex is certain that she's blushing a little, too. Her eyes roam around his face and he does the same. They're staring at each other as if it was the first time.
She moves her hand to hold him firmly by his chin. She finds his eyes. His big, gorgeous and expressive eyes.
"I'd love to," she whispers. "But you have to stop kissing your lady friends. I don't think I'd like that."
"Deal," he tells her, bringing his mouth close to hers. He kisses her and feels her smiling again upon his lips. They both drift away from a world with danger and turmoil to a much secluded and safe place.
And they were fine there.
At least for now.
A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I haven't forgotten about you guys. Really, I haven't. These past couple of months have been rough and crazy for me. Tough, too. I recently lost a close family member and although hard and heartbreaking, writing helps me a lot. So here it is. A long chapter just for you. I haven't forgotten about Chaos Without You; I'm working on that and will be updated next.
Thank you for sticking with me. For waiting for me. Seriously, you guys are the best.
All my love, my sweet babies.