'Morning.' Lily whispered, rolling on to her side and with guilt, instantly noticing the purple rings etched under his eyes. 'Oh, Iain.'

He wriggled, uncomfortable with her sympathy. 'Let's just get up.'

'Did you manage to sleep?' She asked, almost clinically.

'What does that matter? You did - eventually.' He sighed, sounding more irritable than he meant to.

'I'll go home after my shift.' She said.

'Why?' He asked, roughly stripping the sheets.

'So you can sleep, obviously.' She muttered, eyes dropping to the floor.

'Hardly fair.' He sighed, noticing her puzzled expression. 'Well, I've no chance in sleeping if I think you'll be alone like that, have I?'

'It's not fair if you have to wake up with me either.' She replied, standing on.

'Lily, I don't care-'

'I do.' She replied, forehead creasing. She stepped towards him, gently tracing under his eyes with a thumb as if to smooth the shadows away. 'I promise I'll call.'

'But you won't, will you?' His sigh carried round the four walls of the room.

'I said I will, I will. I don't break promises, and not to you.' She said.

'You'd sooner break a promise than ask for help.'

'It might not happen anyway. They tend to happen every few nights. We can't spend every moment together just in case, it isn't practical!'

'Everything's by the book, isn't it, my darling?' The flutter of his lips on her forehead caused her eyes to squeeze closed.

'It's logical, there's nothing wrong with logic. It helps us to get by.'

He turned back to the bed, shaking the duvet vigorously. 'Don't be alone tonight out of the belief you're preserving me in any way, that's all I'm saying.' She nodded quietly in response to his words. 'I get it, if it's because you want the space.' His eyes locked with hers. Even though he could see straight through her, there was nothing he could do - she was too stubborn for her own good.

Ten past eight. Time had run away with itself and they were both late, acting as if they were early with time to spare. He leisurely spooned in cornflakes, watching as she got ready.

'Do not slurp.' Lily muttered, not even glancing upwards, continuing to dust powder over her face with a sponge.

'Sorry mother.' He replied, wiping the dribble of milk from under his lip.

'How do I look?' Lily asked, pulling the zip on her skirt.

'Yeah, good. As gorgeous as always.'

'Seriously?' She poked at her eyelashes dubiously in the weak reflection that the microwave screen offered.

'Yes, seriously. Can we go now?' He gave a small shake of the head.

'Hm. You're biased.'

He scoffed. 'Biased? And why would that be?'

'Don't make me say it!' She wagged a finger in his direction. He pretended to cup his ear with a grin. 'No, seriously. I'll blush.'

'Do you mean because I'm in love with you?' His smile widened, eyes unmoving as he watched her react.

'Stop!' She giggled, zipping up her makeup bag.

He chuckled back, checking his watch again. 'Is madam finally ready? Or her lift may well just take off without her.'

'Patience wouldn't hurt.' She scowled, fixing her hair.

He laughed again, tipping the remainders of the milk down the sink and leaving the bowl there. 'Let's go, come on. We're already fifteen minutes late and we've not even set off.' He urged.

'And I'm by the book.' She smiled smugly and lifted her bag over her shoulder.

He rolled his eyes. 'Go on, out, out-' He ushered her out of the door, stepping on her heels in the process.

'Iain!'

'Well, you should've been quicker then!' He retorted, exasperated.

'Ugh!' She shook her head, perfect curls bouncing about her shoulders. He smirked, watching as she made her way to the car. 'To unlock it would be helpful!' She glared.

'Give me chance, woman, good God...'

'You've just been bleating on at me about being late, that is all.'

'I do not bleat.'

He shook his head, face like thunder. It was her turn to giggle then, and he smiled slightly to himself as he heard. It was comical how every interaction was a big song and dance, and how it was acutely intensified by the pressure of something else - often like running late.

'I hope you've got everything, we're not going back.' The wheel did several revolutions under Iain's loose grip.

'Iain, slow down!'

'Are you driving, or...?'

'There's schoolchildren-'

'I'm barely at the speed limit and we're late, unless you have a better suggestion, that is.'

She was silenced yet anxious. The breaks screeched as he pulled them down, inches away from a rather big pigeon that was refusing to budge off the concrete.

'Bloody, stupid bird!' Iain slammed on the horn, furious.

'Calm down.' Lily hissed. 'Don't lose your cool over some animal, can't you see how it looks to pedestrians?' She brought his attention to the people walking down either side of the pavement. Children gawped, while mothers gave dirty looks in the direction of the vehicle. 'Nice one.'

'Why are you so image-conscious? I could've killed that bird, seeing its remains splattered all over the road would've been much more traumatic for them kids than seeing a driver get a bit cross.' He begun to drive again.

'A bit cross?! Road rage, over a bird!' She exclaimed.

'Well it shouldn't have been sat in the middle of the road, should it?' He replied.

The car swerved suddenly as noises of car horns screamed.

'Do you have a death wish today? Watch the road!'

'I'm doing my best! That couldn't have been helped!'

'It could if you were focusing properly.' She retorted.

'You were distracting me!' He exclaimed.

'Tune out the distraction then!'

He gave a sigh and indicated, turning the corner. The hospital soon came into view.

'Right...' He breathed, pulling into the car park. 'I'll see you at some point then. As for later, you're to call me the very second

you get upset. Or even a text, just a letter, and I'll be straight round.'

'I will.' She nodded. At the same time, they both leaned in and their lips crashed a little too clumsily for a goodbye.

Lily pulled away first and his hand flew to his head, scratching, clearly uncomfortable. She giggled slightly.

'Lipstick again.'

With a groan, he pulled down the mirror and tried to scrub it off with a knuckle.

'Lady Danger... 18. Good taste.' With a cheeky nod of approval, she was gone.