It wasn't the first time he'd found himself in her bed, nor would it be the last. It seemed like every time there had been a close call, they'd found themselves together, seeking comfort and assurance from the other. But this time, something had changed. Instead of merely sleeping, he'd found her clothes slowly disappearing beneath kisses he hadn't intended to give. He found his body responding in ways so powerful he was sure he would be broken afterwards.
But as he lay there beside her, propped up on elbow, watching her sleeping form as the moon spilled across the expanse of her naked back, he felt as though he never wanted to leave. He reached across with his free hand and traced a hazy line from the base of her spine up and across her shoulders, sliding the layer of hair from her back. He lowered his head and placed a soft kiss between her shoulder blades. He smiled as she sighed and closed his eyes, revelling in the feeling.
He found his fingers tracing words across her back that he knew he couldn't say right then because it wasn't right yet. When he'd finished tracing the last 'u', she turned her head to him and smiled sleepily at him. He loved the mussed look of her hair, the glazed look of her eyes and he stroked her soft, warm cheek.
"Really?" She murmured groggily and John nodded, finding the word stuck in his throat. She smiled again and nuzzled closer to his chest.
"Yeah," he managed on a breath.
He could feel her soft kiss on his chest and he stroked her hair.
"Yeah..." she replied, warming his heart, before she drifted off to sleep.
He waited a few moments, stroking his fingers through her hair before leaning down close to her ear, murmuring;
"I love you."
She didn't reply but he didn't need her to.
Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, content in the knowledge he'd managed to eventually say the words.