They saw each other several more times over the passing weeks, and spoke extensively on the phone on the days they didn't. It was almost like old times again, and the awkwardness of their month apart had nearly dissipated. Bill looked forward to when Mia would be staying at his house again like she used to, when he could see her more often. He hadn't forgotten that she implied she might someday move in with him, when she asked to keep the aquarium stand he built for her there. The very thought of her living with him in his house was something he had always dreamed about.
However, he knew some of his dreams were further off, although it was nice to think about from time to time. Especially now that they were back together, and the possibilities were more realistic again.
It was New Year's Eve, and the two of them were invited along with the rest of the neighbors to the Gribbles' house for a countdown party. Bill was delighted that Mia was coming, and that she had made no prior plans for this holiday. That evening she arrived at his house, looking stunning in a sparkling black dress and heels, her hair falling in soft, romantic curls. Bill felt rather underdressed in his usual T shirt and jeans.
"Wow, you look… great!" he said as he looked at her in awe.
"Thank you," she smiled, "So do you."
She held his hand and tugged him gently towards her, where she reached up and kissed him softly. His head felt fuzzy, his breath catching in his chest, he wanted more of her, he wanted her closer...
"I have your Christmas present finally."
It was then he noticed she had a decorative bag in her other hand.
"Oh! You didn't have to."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Well, I did. It's nothing like what you made for me, of course, so don't get your hopes up."
They sat beside each other on the couch and she sat the gift bag on his lap. She drew back nervously, waiting for the reaction to come.
Bill reached into the bag and pulled out the gift, the tissue paper stuffed inside falling to the floor. It was a framed painting, watercolored by hand, of Bill, Hank, Dale, and Boomhauer standing alongside the fence in the alley, each of them holding a can of Alamo beer. The detail, the colors, and the shading were well done, each of the four figures accurate to their real life counterparts. He gazed down at it, at the work she created just for him, at the colors and shapes fluidly combining into a beautiful snapshot of his life.
"You know how Leah and I would sit out in the backyard, drawing or painting while you guys were in the alley? I started this a while ago, working on it every time we would sit out there and watch you. I began working on it again, um, after Hank and Peggy's Christmas party…"
"Mia, this is amazing. You're so talented."
"I wish I could have done more. After the cabinet you made...I can't compete with that."
"You don't have to compete. I could never paint anything. I can barely write my name." He continued poring over the painting, stunned by each new detail he would notice. "This is so incredible...I love it. Just like the picture you made me for my birthday. I couldn't ask for better gifts."
Mia smiled and leaned her shoulder against him. "I'm glad you like it."
He wrapped his arm around her. "So where do you want your fish tank to go?" he asked.
"Would it be too bothersome to have right in that corner? It would be nice to have it right out where everyone can see it."
"I was thinking that, too."
"Great! I can't wait to get it set up. I have the layout all planned out…" She proceeded to enthusiastically describe what substrate, live plants, and decor she was going to use. She spoke about it with an eager passion. He liked when she shared her interests with him, and how excited she became when she really got into it.
He didn't want to leave for Dale's party. He wanted to stay here with Mia, while she sat close to him and told him anything that was on her mind. It was with much reluctance that he admitted it was time for them to head over. She got happily to her feet and held his forearm as they crossed the street together. A few neighbors were there already, and they cheered when Mia and Bill entered.
"Mia! Hola! I'm so happy to see you!" Peggy said.
"We're so glad you're back to dilute this pool of rednecks," nodded Kahn.
"Thanks for coming, Sug. Dale just loves that little knife you got for him," Nancy welcomed.
"He does love that knife...he keeps shotgunning beers in the alley just so he has a reason to stab something with it," Hank told her with a sigh.
Nancy asked, "Want a drink?" and ushered her to the kitchen to get her some type of refreshment. Bill stayed in the living room with Hank and Kahn after grabbing a beer for himself.
"So your girlfriend forgave you for smashing her heart into a million tiny pieces, eh?" Kahn asked with a smirk.
"Yep. I'm a lucky man."
"It was karma for breaking my mother's heart."
"What? She and I ended things amicably." Sorta.
"No matter," Kahn waved it away, "She has a new boyfriend now. A very rich and successful businessman from Corpus Christi. Full head of hair, too."
Bill was going to just ignore it either way, but conveniently Dale came upstairs from the basement which diverted everyone's attention.
"Mia! You're here!" Dale whooped. "Honey, I can cut the hors d'oeuvres," he said to Nancy, shunting her off to the side and brandished the turtle shell knife out of his boot.
"No, Sug, it's fine, you-" she scowled when Dale started chopping things up anyway. "Nevermind."
"Sorry, Nancy," Mia giggled, "I'll get him a book or something next time."
"It's fine. I like seeing him enjoying things. I have other food for us, things that haven't been cut by knives that were sweating in boots all day."
Dale sheathed his knife and grabbed a beer before he joined the guys in the living room. As he was sitting down next to Bill, Boomhauer and Leah entered through the front door.
Leah's belly was certainly growing, and she carried it well. She said hello cheerfully to everybody while Boomhauer followed her, his arm around her waist. He grabbed a beer and joined his friends, leaving Leah to talk in the kitchen.
"You're carrying rather high," Nancy noted as she eyed Leah's swelling belly, "That means boy."
"But she had awful morning sickness...that means girl!" Minh chimed in. "Trust me...I didn't stop puking until Connie came out of me."
"I find out officially on Thursday. But I can really feel it's a boy."
They continued to chatter together about babies and pregnancy. Bill was excited for Boomhauer, especially since Boomhauer was looking forward to being a father now.
"If it's a boy, is he going to be a Fourth?" Bill asked. Boomhauer was a Third, named of course after his father and grandfather.
"I'm not sure. I know my dad would be disappointed if I didn't keep it going. But in a way I want the baby to have his own identity, you know?"
Bill nodded. He had a good point.
Everyone was talking and laughing and having a great time. Nancy poured together a big pitcher of a festive sangria which Mia really liked. Leah had lemon and mint water instead.
"Come on, Mia, let's go sit." Leah pulled Mia away with her to the living room.
Mia squeezed in next to Bill and held his hand.
"So, how have you been, Mia?" Peggy asked her after joining Hank.
"Um…" aside from being too depressed to get out of bed half the time "Pretty good. Enjoying the holidays."
"Well, it's so great to see you and Bill back together! If he dumps you again I will personally smack him for you."
"Thank you, Peggy." Mia gave Bill an amused look.
"No question about it, I will kick his ass. We all will. Collectively." Hank looked firmly at Bill. Everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Alright, it's not going to happen, okay? I've learned my lesson...really."
Mia squeezed Bill's hand in reassurance, which made him smile a little.
"Luanne couldn't make it?" Leah asked Peggy.
"They're having a party of their own with, well, Lucky's crowd."
Nancy suddenly cried out, "NOT on my counters!" as she leapt to her feet and charged into the kitchen. Dale had pulled out his boot knife and was about to play Five Finger Fillet.
"Fine, fine…" Dale sighed, and the weapon was sheathed again.
Nancy shooed him out into the living room so she could keep a better eye on him.
"The countdown is starting soon!" Peggy announced to the room. The TV was on, displaying a program with lots of celebrities and performances to celebrate New Year's Eve.
"I'm usually pretty drunk by now," Bill mentioned. He felt a little buzzed but still in control of himself.
"You're usually blackout drunk by now," Dale pointed out.
"Come to think of it, I haven't been blackout drunk on a holiday in a while." Bill realized he remembered every holiday over the past several months. He didn't feel the need to drink his feelings once he had Mia.
"What about Halloween?" Mia said with a sly grin. She hooked her finger around one of his belt loops and tugged a little.
"Oh, yeah...Halloween was pretty great." The memory of that night coursed hot through his bloodstream, and Mia tugging near his waistband wasn't helping matters. She then lightly kissed his jaw which made him feel drunker than any alcohol he had that night. He wondered why she was being especially touchy-feely tonight, but he certainly wasn't complaining. Bill wondered if Mia would go home tonight, or if maybe she might decide to stay with him instead… She kept pressing against him, kept touching him, kept flirting with him, and she did it all in her fitted little dress that showed the tops of her thighs and down into her cleavage, and Bill was only human.
When the countdown was ready to start, they all gathered in the living room, standing around the TV to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Bill and Mia stood together, their arms around each other's waists, as they watched the last minute of the year tick by. Bill was excited to start the new year with Mia, and to have the entire new year to spend with her, unmarred by the time she wasn't in his life. It would only get better from here, he was sure of that.
…3...2...1...
"Happy New Year!" everyone cheered.
Mia pulled Bill down and kissed him. What a way to start the year…
Later on, after everyone began shuffling back home in the coolness night, Bill found himself leading Mia back across the street towards his house.
"That was fun," she said quietly, as she wrapped around his arm and leaned her head against him.
"I'm glad you could come."
He hesitated slightly when they were next to her car parked in his driveway, but she didn't seem to make any indication she wanted to leave. He internally breathed a small sigh of relief.
The house was dark and quiet. When Bill shut the door behind them, Mia unexpectedly pounced on him, kissing him deeply as she slid her hands over his body. He was surprised by the suddenness, but it was not at all unwelcome. Mia pulled back, breathless, and gazed up at him with half lidded eyes. His head was buzzing, his pulse fluttering, and it was on a subconscious level he moved to lead her to his bedroom.
The moonlight coming through the window was low, but still offered enough light for them to see each other. Already Mia was pulling down her dress, which pooled on the floor around her ankles, and the soft, dim light of the moon shined against her exposed skin. Bill had thought about this scenario many times since he and Mia had parted for those dark and lonely weeks. He longed to hold her against him, both of them bare and vulnerable, and he wanted to feel every part of her and express his love for her in all ways possible. And now it was coming true, it was really happening, she was really here…
And she was really tugging him by the front of his jeans, impatiently fumbling at his belt buckle. Her refusal to wait was especially arousing to him, and who was he to deny her anything she wanted? While he took over undressing himself, she slid off her bra and underwear and waited on the bed.
Mia didn't expect their first time after getting together again would be so...to the point. But she missed him, and after sitting with him all night, after a long month of loneliness, and perhaps nudged by the influence of Nancy's sangria, she felt especially turned on and especially needed him immediately.
Bill climbed next to her on his bed, and took his time to explore her body. It felt so electrifying to her, to feel his rough hands sliding and grabbing every inch of her. He kissed and licked her neck which always made her sigh, and slowly his hand slid further down until two fingers slid into her.
"Fuck," he murmured, astonished at how wet she was. He did that to her, she was like that because of him…
Mia whined and pawed at him, needing more, needing everything. In a way, he liked to make her beg a little, but he was too hard, too urgent at this point, he himself could hardly stand to hold back any more. He rolled over on top of her, positioned between her legs, and she looked dazedly up at him with starry eyes.
They moaned together as he slid himself in, Mia's nails even clenching reflexively into his back. He moved with a slower pace at first, trying to prolong it, trying to feel every inch of her. He distantly thought about how he hadn't had sex with her in over a month. Then he had to distantly remind himself he actually had sex with Lenore just a few weeks ago, which followed with a pang of guilt and disgust. It was difficult to dwell on any thought for long, though, not when Mia was sighing underneath him and clutching him wherever her hands smoothed over.
He could sense when she was close, when her breathing hitched, when her movements became less logical. He was close too, as he always was close with her, and after their while spent apart he felt especially pent-up. She kept running her hands over him, or holding the back of his neck and pulling him closer, sighing and eventually gasping his name more urgently. It was getting too difficult for him to maintain himself now, so he sat himself up to reach his hand between her thighs better. Her nails dug into his arm at his touch, and quickly she came, crying out his name almost simultaneously to his final stuttering groan.
They laid together, in the quiet of the night, skin against skin. They felt whole again, like two pieces of a puzzle fitted back together. Their time apart had made their reunion more intense than they were before.
Mia felt sleepy. The last waves of the remaining bliss felt warm and soft, and she was next to Bill again, which always made sleep come easily and peacefully. Her mind was clear, however, and her thoughts were unimpaired by drowsiness. She knew what she wanted to say was true, and that she meant it with complete certainty. She always knew.
"I love you."
It was quiet and soft.
Bill was also being pulled away to sleep, somewhere between consciousness and dreaming. He wasn't sure if he heard what he thought he did...or if it was a murmur from a dream like it always was.
"Really?"
She nodded, her eyes locked on his, conveying her sincerity.
He suddenly felt a rush of energy, no longer half asleep, feeling now like he could do absolutely anything at all.
He brushed her hair away from the side of her face, her beautiful face, and tried stifling what felt like a ridiculous grin.
"I love you, too."
