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It was three o'clock in the morning when Barbara got up again. It had been a good decision to drive home and pick up some takeaway food on the way to silence her roaring stomach. But now, here, in her small flat, in her small bed, alone, she could not sleep any longer and actually did not want to have another weird dream about a strange future with Tommy so she got up, showered once again and drove to Belgravia. It took her a few moments with his keys in her hands hovering in front of the keyhole before her heart beat finally had slowed down again and she could open the door. Inside the house it was silent. For a brief moment she wondered why Tommy had no Butler anymore but that probably had been Helen's influence. She understood that - she would not want to have one around either.

For about ten minutes Barbara sat at the kitchen table where a few hours ago she had talked with Daze. She was blindly staring at the fridge magnet she once had given Tommy after a difficult case they solved. It was a bulldog with a Bobby hat and it was the only magnet on that door. It even held no note or postcard. It was just sticking to it, reminding him of his sergeant every morning. With that thought that put a smile on Barbara's face, she grabbed her overnight bag and quietly climbed the stairs. Without making too many sounds she sneaked into Tommy's room, put on her sleeping shirt and climbed into bed next to him. He did not stir so Barbara could be sure she had not disturbed his sleep. His personal scent, now so very close, surrounded her completely, mixed with the sharp smell of the medical cream on his wound. The latter was drowned out when she moved her nose another bit closer to his neck. Within a minute she was fast asleep.

No dreams disturbed her this time.

A quick glance at the alarm clock on the night table told him it was 5:15 am. The pain was gone for the moment and he had a breathing woman adorably snuggling into his side. It could be worse, he thought.

When Tommy had woken up he had been slightly surprised to see Barbara here. In the night he had had to get up once and he had seen that she was not there anymore. Plus all her clothes had been gone. Half being afraid that she finally regretted their evening he had gone back to bed. To his relief his fears obviously had been completely unnecessary.

Carefully he now turned towards Barbara. Due to his injuries he could only caress her nape with his right arm lying under her head. He would have loved to pull her closer and nuzzle into her hair. Tommy indulged in her scent that was surrounding him. It soothed him and told him she was there. Barbara was there for him physically and mentally, he knew it now for sure, and he quietly whispered a vow into her ear that he would never leave her and that he will love her forever and stay with her as long as she would endure his poncy presence, as long as she would bear his stubbornness and his snobbish manners.

"Hmmm?" Barbara mumbled. "Stubbornish manners?" She yawned.

"Snobbish. Yes. Me. Good morning my love." Soft sleepy lips answered his kiss before she opened her eyes.

"You've worked hard on you lately, Tommy. You're not so excessively snobbish like you used to be. Just that tad less to finally bear it." she tenderly joked and stifled another yawn. "Gosh, what's the time?"

"I didn't want to wake you up. It's five twenty-something. When did you plan on getting up for work?"

"Six." Barbara yawned again and then opened her eyes completely to look at Tommy. He laid there with ruffled hair, stubble on his chin, small tired eyes and a tender, lovestruck smile. Her mind tried to process all that had happened yesterday evening but it really was a bit too much and so happiness overwhelmed her. She had to suppress a sob.

"What's wrong?" Tommy asked truly concerned.

"Nothing." A tear rolled onto the pillow. "Absolutely nothing. I..." Barbara inhaled deeply and looked into his eyes with such a soft and happy expression that he knew exactly what she did not say in words. Softly she placed her hand on his cheek.

"I love you too." he said and they kissed again. Deeper this time and much more promising. "I want to make love with you again." Tommy mumbled and pressed his hip against hers between more kisses. Barbara softly moaned.

"Tommy, we shouldn't. With that bullet wound you only-" His lips silenced her but he could not do what he really wanted with his arm in that bandage so he turned onto his back without pulling her with him.

"I don't care about that stupid wound. I could lie on my back..." With a sultry tone in his voice Tommy whispered what she could do. Barbara blushed but he went on. "We could make love like we did yesterday."

"No." she said husky. "First of all you would be hurt again afterwards and second I... I'm not used to..."

"Hm?"

"I don't know how to... I'm not as skilled as you think. You know I-"

Tommy had turned back onto his side and kissed her. Then he lightly chuckled. "Well, you didn't appear overly unskilled when you've had your way with me yesterday."

Barbara's face burned red hot and she averted her eyes. "I only followed my feelings. I didn't think yesterday."

"That's what it's about, my sweet."

Their following kiss was interrupted by her mobile quietly beeping its alarm for her to get up. Barbara cursed. "See? Third: I have to get up and that's better for my reputation at work and multiple times better for your healing process." The door of the guest bathroom could be heard. "And fourth..." Barbara started to whisper. "your mother is out there."

Ignoring his naughty grin she quickly hopped out of the bed, rummaged in her overnight bag to collect her toiletries and vanished in his en-suite bathroom. She returned after he had heard the flushing of the toilet to tell him he could use it now. His raised eyebrow that said he was amazed how fast she had been was answered with a laughed snort and the reply that she did not want to be disturbed when she was finishing the rest of her morning routine.

"Well, we could share the shower." Tommy suggested when he went past her. Then he stopped, turned and coming back he pulled her into a one-arm hug pressing his body into hers. Barbara gasped. He was still naked and it was obvious what else he had in mind. They shared a passionate kiss but he could ignore the rising pain in his shoulder only for a few moments. Between hot kisses against her throat and neck and shoulder he cursed and whispered "Oh, heavens, when this stupid wound finally has healed I'm going to make love to you like nobody ever has loved you before. For the rest of our life. Here, in the bathroom-"

"Tommy!" Barbara blushed again.

"...in the kitchen..." Now Barbara nervously giggled.

"...on the balcony with the fantastic garden view in front of our eyes..."

"Mmmh..." Now her whole body blushed at that certain thought. Barbara closed her eyes while she did not recognise that he was leaving a love-bite on her shoulder.

"...in the garden of Howenstow and on the cliffs near our manor. And now I have to pee." Leaving her standing there, melted like wax in a volcano and dumbfounded at the sudden break, he just patted her behind and hurried to the loo. Barbara chuckled again and shook her head in disbelief. This romantic, erotic and loving private side of Tommy was so new to her but she could not say that his humorous openness was upsetting her. Quite the opposite. He was refreshingly normal.

His physicality instead was pleasantly unsettling. Tommy had left Barbara standing in the middle of the room with weak knees and a turmoil in her belly that was far from unpleasant. Almost convinced she should share the shower and follow him her thought was disturbed before she could implement it. From behind the bathroom door she heard him calling. "And when you've recovered, darling, you could go down to the kitchen and put on the kettle. We would not want you to be late, would we?"

"You cheeky bloke, you!" she laughed but went down anyway. She knew this relationship, how long it might go on, was definitely not going to be boring.

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