And now we are back to Danny's POV. Either way, I claim no nor have any ownership of this series. If I did, you'd know.

TapTap

I stand by one of the windows in the plane, watching sunny skies. I am unable to see anything but a blue sky, overwashed with warm, pleasant sunlight, but I enjoy it anyway.

I remember Alex's tired, almost groggy movements. He had tried to remove the mask earlier, maybe the sensation was frightening. It would be, especially after being locked inside that thing before.

I shudder at the thought. I will always be grateful that I decided to return a book in the middle of the night for no particular reason other than that I wanted to see him. I suppose that makes me needy. But as long as that means I am needy with a boyfriend who's still alive, I honestly don't care.

I close my eyes and let the sunlight drown my face, thinking back to the slow movements of Alex's hands and how he rested against me. It had been surprisingly easy to get him to settle down. Maybe he was just as relieved to be here with me as I was to be with him. Maybe he wasn't quite as far gone as I thought.

I start as there's suddenly the sound of footsteps just behind me, but then there's arms around my waist, and I do not need to turn around to recognise his touch. I lean backwards just a fraction into Alex's embrace, feeling him rest his head against mine and just hold me.

We watch the brilliant sunlight together for I do not know how long, and neither one of us speaks. We just stand there, and I can feel him breathe behind me. He's not wearing that mask anymore, but his breathing is steady and deep, and I see no reason to argue about it.

We have a lot to say to each other. Obviously. There's a lot I need to know, and so much that we need to discuss; but not now. He obviously feels the same, and we just rest there together, watching the sunny skies, neither of us feeling any need to talk.

As the minutes pass, I can feel Alex's body growing heavy, and I know that he must be getting tired. I take his hand and lead him to the closest couch, stretching out on it and - grabbing a convenient blanket - I pull him down onto it with me. He willingly complies, and moments later we are kissing feverishly.

I cradle his head with my hands and feel him entwine his fingers into my hair like he so likes to do. We have so much to talk about, but not just yet. There's time. We have time.