She could feel his eyes boring into her as she went about her work. Although she tried not to let it show it was very distracting and she could feel herself blushing. He of course felt no such thing and continued to watch her intently. She envied how he never cared what the outside world thought of him, it was the same attitude that had convinced her to dance in the street in the middle of their fifth date or to get married after a ridiculously short time despite what her mother thought. She closed the first bottle and opened up next.
"Do you really need all that?" he asked her, fascinated by this ritual.
"After a day like today… yes." She smiled at him through the reflection of the mirror and dotted the moisturiser across her nose before rubbing it in. The cleanse, tone and moisturise ritual had become her mantra as a teenage girl and was a hard habit to shake. And at the end of a long day it made her feel slightly more human.
"That bad huh?" he said with a sly grin on his face. She turned to face him and smiled back.
"Terrorists have nothing on kindergarteners." They both laughed, it was moments like this that Michelle treasured most. Simple moments that most people wouldn't think twice about but they had come so close to losing them that every single one made her grateful beyond words.
She moved across to the bed and sitting on the edge picked up their alarm clock.
"Shall I set it for nine?" She asked him, knowing he would never agree.
"Make it ten." She could here in his voice that he knew she was expecting that reply.
"We have a lot to do tomorrow Tony." She said in a tone that made her sound scarily like her mother, she shook that thought off immediately.
"I need a solid eight hours" he protested, "besides, it's Saturday." Monday to Friday he had to get up and go to work at his run of the mill, nine to five desk job at the local computer firm. Weekends, however, were for sleeping, watching games and spending time with Michelle.
"Nine thirty," she smiled at him, "No arguments."
He held his hands up to show that he agreed, seeing that there was no point arguing. Michelles mother was coming to stay with them and his wife was determined to have the house perfect and the kitchen cupboards stocked to the brim.
She climbed under the covers and switched off the bedside lamp, manoeuvring herself to rest with Tonys arm wrapped firmly around her. She was so tired that she could feel sleep pulling her in within seconds, her job at the nursery was exhausting but incredibly rewarding. It even made her think of soon having one of her own, but that was a conversation that could be saved for another day, maybe when Tony was drunk.
Just as the last thoughts were leaving her mind she felt his hand slip across her stomach. He began to kiss her neck and caress her side. She giggled as she always did when he found the ticklish spot on her neck.
"Solid eight hours huh?" She looked up at him.
"I can live with seven and a half." He smiled back lazily.
"Make it seven and you got yourself a deal," she grinned suggestively. In the darkness she could see Tony nod emphatically before leaning down to kiss her. And the rest of the night was a blur.