Her eyes fluttered open, her brain fluttering in its own way, trying to power back on and orient itself. It was 4:08 AM on Wednesday morning. And she was thirsty.
Somehow on the trip from the bedroom to the kitchen, she began to slowly wake up. Several mouthfuls of cold water did nothing to the contrary. Realizing an effort to fall back asleep would be futile, she quietly snuck back into the bedroom, being careful not to wake her sleeping husband. She snatched up a sweater, pulling it on as she made her way to the deck. The night air that greeted her was slightly cooler than inside, as she had expected. She plopped down sideways on the bench, her feet up and her back against what was normally the armrest. With a deep inhale of the crisp air, she scanned the city before her, noting her surroundings. It was a clear night, and the almost-full moon was nestled amongst the few scattered stars strong enough to shine even with the all of the city's lights. A slight breeze periodically disturbed the air, dropping the temperature slightly each time it blew. The city was mostly quiet, save for a lights still on and people out late driving in their cars.
It felt good just to sit there awhile. She found the outside air refreshing and the peacefulness of the night relaxing. Her thoughts slowly had her drifting to her own world, her focus on reality becoming more and more faint. Consequently, she was mostly oblivious to the sound of the door sliding opening and closing, and soft footsteps approaching directly behind her. She finally tuned it to hear the footsteps at the last possible instant. She would have turned around, but she did not have enough time to react. Immediately, she recognized the strong arms that gently wrapped around her. Simultaneously, she heard the voice she had become most familiar with half-whispering in her ear.
"I knew I'd find you out here," he said with a smile that she turned to see. She smiled in return. All it took was the slightest shadow of his magically beautiful smile to conjure up her own. "What are you up to so early?"
"I got up to get some water and didn't feel like I'd go back to sleep any time soon, so I decided to get some fresh air for a few minutes," she replied.
"Well then, may I join you?"
"Absolutely," she smiled as she adjusted her position to accomodate his presence. He sat down next to her, holding her as closely as possible. She rested her head against his chest, his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest calming her like nothing she had ever known. She closed her eyes, traces of a smile inevitably present on her face.
"It's such a beautiful night," he remarked. "But I would still have to say that you're way more beautiful."
"Well, you definitely have it beat out by a long shot, too," she looked up at him, a light giggle in her voice and a growing smile on her face. Their eyes locked for a few moments, communicating with their gaze the things that could never be confined in words.
Content in being together, they sat in silence for another few minutes until a frigid gust assaulted the serenity. He did his best to shield her from the cold, though he himself stiffened with the unexpected drop of temperature. "I think it's time to go back in, don't you?" he suggested.
"I'm getting a little sleepy again, anyway," she replied with a nod. He kept one arm around her as they walked, opening the door for her as they entered the warm room. She shed her extra sweater and began to climb back into the bed. He was already sitting there waiting for her, and before she had a chance to do anything about it, he caught her up in his arms, pulling her into him once more. She let out a faint, playful laugh as she moved a little closer to him. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, and braced the opposite side of her face with his free hand as he let his forehead come to rest near her temple. His fingers caressed one cheek, and his nose would occasionally brush up against the other side.
This continued in silence for a little while as he sat captivated by her beauty and she sat mesmerized by his touch. Moving his head no more than a couple of inches, he lightly brushed her cheek with a kiss. "You're so beautiful...so, so beautiful. I don't know how I could ever tell you..." She stole his gaze once more, turning towards him. She did not reply, instead she wrapped her arms his neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. Once they had separated, he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I love you..."
"I love you, too," she whispered back, her eyes glowing.
After sharing one more kiss, they finally decided to go back to sleep, each steadily growing more and more drowsy. He kept an arm around her as they settled down into the bed, unwilling to let her go even for a moment. She snuggled up to him like a helpless baby would to its mother. She felt safe, loved, cherished, protected, adored, cared for, sheltered, treasured, and a million more things that cannot be described. There was no place she wanted to be than with him. There was no better place to fall asleep than in his loving arms. She closed her eyes, thinking of what morning would bring for them.
