- You know, eventually we will have to get to the bed. Because I do appreciate... the urgency... but we can do better than this floor and my blanket.

Catherine's head was rested on Vincent's chest. She smiled to herself when she'd heard him chuckle on her comment. It was a happy, easy sound. A bit smug thought...

- I will do my best the next time, my lady. But in the meantime... what are you counting?

She was a bit startled - Catherine didn't realize she was doing it out loud. But then again - with his super sense he might as well has heard her thoughts...

- Um, it's nothing, really... It's silly.

- And that is exactly why I wanna know. Tell me. Pleeeeease...

His voice was pleading and so adorable with his prolonged "pleeeeease"...

- Your heartbeat. I'm counting your heartbeat.

Vincent smiled and kissed the top of her head. Catherine was just too lovely to exist...

- You know, it's customary people count sheep to put themselves to sleep... But if you like my heartbeat better - I'm always happy to serve.

She slapped his chest softly:

- I'm not trying to sleep! I just... I just like the sound of your heartbeat.

Catherine kissed his body and tightened her embrace. His heart swelled with elation... She liked his heartbeat!

- I love you, Catherine.

- I know. I can hear. That is why...

She'd tried to tighten her embrace even more but there was no more space between them - they were practically one living organism with tangled limbs, messed up hair and two heartbeats that sounded so strong... because they were beating in unison now.

- Catherine, isn't you tired? Maybe you should go to sleep... It's 3 a.m. in the morning, about time for you to take some rest.

She raised her head to see his concerned gaze fixed on her.

- What about you? Aren't you just a tiny bit tired?

- No. I'm genetically altered not to get tired... among other things. But that's not your case - you should go to sleep.

She pouted:

- I don't want to... I don't want... this... to end.

There was no need to explain what "this" meant. This night was magical...

Vincent touched his fingertips to her face tracing delicate features of her beauty. She was shining... yet he could see she was tired.

- I promise I will not fade away with a sunrise. I will be here when you wake up.

Catherine yawned and nodded - it was so comforting to realize that he WILL be there when she wakes up... that tiredness flooded her body, making her feel sleepy and comfortable right there on the floor... cocooned in Vincent's warmth and love.

She tried to nest her head to a better position so she wouldn't get a stiffed neck later... and a sudden "ouch!" came out of her mouth.

- Catherine, what's wrong?

- My hair! It's stuck!

She tried to tear it away from him but her hair was glued to his collarbone with some sticky substance.

- Shit! It's sugar! Damn those donuts!

Vincent's voice was mocking:

- Hey, I thought you liked the donuts!

- I did, only now I have to take a shower to get this sugar powder off me! And I hate night showers, they get me all spiked and I can't sleep.

Vincent helped her to get up and pushed her a little bit in the general direction of the bathroom.

- You go. I'll clean up a bit...

The room was a mess. Scattered blankets on the floor, couch cushions everywhere, pieces of something ceramic (Vincent was pretty sure it used to be a vase before... he couldn't remember when exactly did they knock it over... and when they've made it into rubble), empty takeout boxes (they've savaged Catherine's fridge few hours ago - she'd had some takeout leftovers to save them from starvation) and other random items that somehow ended up in a wrong place.

Catherine walked away slowly, her legs wobbly... and not because of her sleepiness. Vincent started arranging furniture back to its original place and heard her murmuring "And he cleans... He's bound to be from a fairy tale..."

And for the first time... for the first time since so long... he didn't think instantly "yeah, I'm the beast in that tale"... this time he'd allowed himself to be a hero of the story... after all, he did get the girl, right?

Water felt nice against her skin... She washed her hair, took a shower gel... but sponge felt so wrong on her body. So alien, so unnatural... Because not so long ago her body was privileged to tenderness and passion and appreciation... Nothing felt natural but his hands on her. Not now... Maybe not ever.

His strong hand circled her waist and pressed her back against his wet body. Catherine thrown back her head and turned it a bit to kiss his jaw. Vincent adjusted a water temperature to somewhat warmer and turned to kiss her. Kiss was lingering and promising, it was building up to so much more...

Water felt so sensual now, it tickled a little where it could find it's way in between their bodies... but there was not so much space left because she was melting into him, dissolving...

- Hi... - his voice was raspy.

- Hi, - hers too, - I thought you'll never come.

- I'll never leave...

It could have been tricky... wet shower cabin floor... hot water streaming down his back... little space and nothing to hold on to... Things like this happen only in the movies.

But he was made out of fantasies. He could do anything.

It was slow. Not torturing slow but gentle slow. Something that felt like they can go on for hours, not crossing the line but still being lost in euphoria... being lost in breathing in, breathing out... licking the water from each other's cleansed skin and still tasting salt of passion.

But that could not go on for hours, not really. Because a need to belong to each other fully was bigger than their will to keep going... So eventually they gave up to that need... And then night took its natural course.

And that's about it. With the smut, I mean. I had three ideas (you know, pinch of salt here, pinch of humor there, some cuteness...) and since I couldn't decide which one would fit better... I used them all =)

But there's a thing with a smut. I don't really know how to write it. I mean, it should be about sex and what is sexy... but I'm a very vocal person and voices are as sexy as it can get for me (and that is why few British guys will be the death of me)... and you can't write down a voice. So... while reading these few last chapters do your best to hear their voices behind the text... it should help to paint a full picture =)

And if you don't like the picture I draw... well, be gentle on me, smut is really not my main forte.