Roman looked through his wash kit twice. He tipped it out on the surface near the sink and groaned. He must have been extra excited about the trip, he thought with a sardonic grin.
"What's up?" Ella called from beside the shower, she'd been testing the temperature to make sure it was ok before climbing. She had to admit to having a few extra aches this morning she thought with a grin.
He turned round to look at her.
"I forgot my razor." He admitted. "You'll have to put up with me growing a beard." He told her.
She swore causing him to lift his eyebrows in surprise.
"No way." She told him. She walked over to the vanity unit next to him and opened the cupboard door pulling out a new bright pink razor and handing it to him.
He laughed.
"That is a girls razor." He said gingerly taking hold of it.
"Yes and it copes with a lot more than just a beard!" she informed him. "Would you prefer it if I had a man's razor stashed away?" she asked him.
His eyebrows shot up again.
"No!" he said without thinking about it.
She laughed at the expression on his face.
"I can't cope if you grow a beard!" she told him.
"Why?" he asked puzzled.
"Oh that would be because these are getting sensitive." She gestured to a part of her anatomy. His eyes travelled downwards and he noticed the red marks for the first time.
"Perhaps I should kiss it better?" he suggested.
"Certainly, once you've had a shave!" she told him pulling away and heading for the shower.
He caught hold of her hand.
He handed her the razor and used his other hand to lather up his face.
"You do it!" he told her.
"No way!" she protested.
"El come on."
She clicked the top off the razor and lifted it toward his face noting that her hand was shaking.
"The sooner you get it done the sooner I can join you in that shower." He told her.
"Hey!" she said. "Who said you were invited?" she grouched.
He laughed and caught hold of the hand with the razor in. He guided it to his face and she began shaving him slowly. He looked in the mirror after she was done and smiled at her. Peeling the towel from his body he guided her into the shower and began soaping them both.
He kissed her slowly and held her slippery body against his.
She lifted her hands to his face and stroked his cheeks.
"Checking you haven't missed anything?" he asked grinning.
"Yes." She said honestly.
"And?" he questioned.
"Pretty smooth." She confirmed kissing him. "But this won't get us to the market and if you want me to cook for you we need to go."
"Uh huh." He murmured. "You going to leave me in this condition?" he asked.
She moved against him and moaned softly.
"You are going for the record aren't you?" she asked.
"Maybe, now you reminded me of it!" he confessed.
"That would explain why you woke me up twice." She said softly.
He chuckled.
"That's funny because we actually made love three times during the night. Are you saying you were asleep during the third time?" he asked.
She didn't answer just climbed out of the shower and pulled a towel round her.
"El?" he questioned.
She walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom without answering hearing the shower shut off it was moments before he joined her. He pushed her down on the bed.
"Now answer the question." He said kissing her.
"This is so funny because I can't remember that having a naked man questioning me was part of the army basic training I thought I was just doing that for fun!" she murmured softly.
He found himself roaring her name and rolled over.
"You so did not." He groaned.
"Jealous much?" she asked laughing.
"Yes. And I hate being jealous." He said.
She reached out and ran a finger down his profile.
"Tough cookies. We both have a past. I deal with yours everyday in Summer Bay." She told him.
"I think I need your post it note." He told her seriously.
"Great I'll just go get you a phone book." She replied.
"El I'm serious." He looked at her.
"Roman." She sighed his name. "You are an experienced man and in one respect I am grateful." She grinned as a slow blush spread on his face. "But seriously we both have a past and if you get jealous of everyone I'm with then you are going to waste an awful lot of time on negativity." She told him.
"Have you brought me here to do marriage counselling?" he asked with a quick grin.
"No I just wanted to spend time with you. But if we talk about stuff and work out kinks then so be it." she said to him. "You are the only man I have brought here. The only man who has lain with me in this bed. The only man I want to wake up with tomorrow." She paused. "Although if George Clooney is available I may have to reconsider that last one."
He laughed.
"Fine I get the message. I will not be jealous." Roman said to her.
He looked over at her and pulled her to him, kissing her softly.
"I love you." She told him. "I always will."
She laughed.
"What?" he asked.
"Or Russell Crowe. Seriously. Ouh, maybe Christian Bale." She said.
"Fine give me a complex." He muttered.
"Arnold Schwartznegger." She said. "Nice muscles."
"Right that's it. The only name I want on your lips is mine." He kissed her and let his hand remove her towel. He caressed her slowly then more urgently.

"That was not funny." He repeated for the fifth time.
"I thought it was hilarious." She smiled.
"Asking my name?" he looked at her. "At that particular moment?" he looked away and folded his arms over his chest refusing to hold her hand.
She laughed at him.
"We're here." She announced. She'd made them walk the four blocks to the market. "Are you going to keep sulking?" she asked him.
"I am not sulking. I am merely keeping my hands to myself until you can get my name right." He said and almost spoiled it by laughing at the pathetic excuse. He turned his head away so she wouldn't see his lips twist with amusement.
"Liz!" he heard called.
She turned around and walked over to the stall holder who had called her name.
"Franco!" she greeted and leaned over to kiss the older man on both cheeks. "Let me introduce someone to you. This is my husband Roman." She pulled Roman over and watched them shake hands.
"Congratulations Roman, I take it you know what a cutie you've got here" Franco grinned.
"Yes I do!" Roman told the other man and threw her a look.
She laughed.
"Right down to business. I need potatoes and vegetables to cook a meal tonight!" she told him handing over a cloth bag.
Franco picked out the vegetables and put them into the bag. He turned and grabbed an apple and tossed it to her.
She laughed and bit into it.
"Lovely." She grinned.
"I'll have your bag ready for when you leave Princess!" Franco said to her.
Ella turned round and looked at Roman. She saw that he was smiling and she just held out her hand to him. He took it and pulled her toward him kissing her gently on the lips.
"Nice." He murmured.
She held up the apple and he took a bite.
She tugged on his hand and walked further into the market. She stopped by one of the other stalls that sold material and looked at some of the ethnic prints. When she looked over at him he was looking at a cot blanket in pale yellow on a nearby stall. She smiled and shook her head at him. He held up a baby sized leather motorcycle jacket and she grinned at him.
She finished her apple and threw the core in a nearby bin before looking more closely at some of the material.
She was holding some up when she felt him stand next to her.
"Hey." She said to him.
He smiled at her and picked up the corner of a bolt of cloth.
"I like this." He told her.
"I was just looking at that." She leaned over his arm and ran her hand over the cloth.
"Can I get 3 meters please?" she asked and watched at the stall holder cut the cloth and place it in a bag for her. She handed over the money and they moved on.
"What exactly do you plan to do with that?" he asked placing an arm around her shoulders.
"A bed cover for our room." She told him. "I'm nesting."
He laughed and placed his hand on the still slight curve of her belly.
"So you are." He commented. "Maybe I should…" he began.
"No you are so not buying baby stuff." She told him.
"But that jacket was seriously cute." He said imitating Nicole.
She laughed and led him through the market. He found himself picking out a glass candle holder, while she added church candles to the pile.
"Stay here!" he instructed.
She waited until he came back he had a bag in his hand and refused to tell her what was in it.
"Now then. Give me the heaviest bags. " He instructed.
She smiled up at him and handed over all the bags.
"It's a good job I love you!" he said trying to hold a stern expression on his face.
She laughed up at him and standing on tiptoe she kissed the corner of his mouth.
"Come on, we need to see Franco and then I will take you for a cup of the best coffee in Australia. When you tell Miles how good it is he'll be so jealous!" she promised.
They walked back to the beginning of the market and he watched as Ella picked up the bag. She kissed the other man on the cheek and promised to come back and see him before they left. Roman looked over at her and could only describe her as glowing. She handed him the bag and took some of the lighter ones away from him despite his protest. She hooked her arm through his and steered him towards a café.
She walked confidently through the door.
"Wow!" she was greeted immediately. "Elizabeth!"
"Harry. How are you?" she called.
The other man walked around the counter and enfolded her in a bear hug.
"I'm good. Who is this person you bring to meet me than?" Harry looked over at him.
"Now Harry I want you to be nice to him. This is my husband Roman." She introduced them. Harry reached out and shook Roman's hand. For a second he felt the vicelike grip of the other man was almost painful and looked and saw the twinkle in Ella's expression so he returned the same pressure in his grip and saw the other man smile.
"He gets my approval." Harry told her.
She laughed.
"And he can cook!" she told him.
Roman raised his eyebrow at her.
"That's good because if he were relying on you to feed him he'd starve!" Harry told her.
She laughed.
"That is so not funny." She told Harry. "It's true but not funny!"
She turned to Roman.
"Mike went to Harry and asked him if he could give me cooking lessons." She began.
"Mike?" Harry questioned.
"Little Roman decided he wanted to be called Mike and seriously it saves confusion in the house. Well mostly, I should add that I am now called Ella."
Harry shook his head.
"Don't even bother I will still call you Elizabeth." He told her.
Roman laughed at the look on her face.
"Now Elizabeth, " Harry began, and Roman suspected that he had used her name deliberately. "Make this man of yours a coffee."
Harry led Roman to a table and sat down with him while Ella went behind the counter and wrestled with the mechanics of the coffee maker.
"How did you meet?" Harry said to him.
Roman laughed.
"Long story. We knew each other years ago. And met up again recently." He abridged it.
Harry looked over at him.
"You love her?" he asked straight out.
"Yes." Roman said immediately.
"I thought you did because even though you are over here with me you are still watching her out the corner of your eye. Unless you are used to doing that?" Harry asked him.
Roman did a double take and looked at the other man.
"I am Elizabeth's godfather. I've known her since she was born and I did my training with her father." He explained quickly.
Roman pondered what to say when Ella walked over to the table with the coffee. He took a sip of it and smiled at her as she sat next to him.
"Ok. You can work in the Diner." He told her.
"No fear. I'd have to deal with your other woman. Colleen!" she grinned.
"So." Harry began. "When is the baby due?" he asked.
They looked over at him in shock.
"Elizabeth since when do you not make yourself a coffee?" he asked her pointing out the logic that had made him suspect her condition.
"In 6 months." Ella confirmed and looked over at Roman who was grinning.
"Congratulations." Harry told them.
"You aren't going to shake my hand again are you because I've just got back the use of my fingers." Roman said.
Harry let out a loud bark of laughter.
"I like this man Elizabeth. " Harry told her. "I think your…" he began and she glared at him.
"No." she told him flatly.
"Not even now?" he questioned.
Roman looked at them and listened to their exchange.
"Sorry." She said to both of them. She placed her hand on Roman's knee and he immediately covered it with his own.
"I can't." Ella told Harry.
Roman leaned over and placed his arm around her shoulders not understanding the conversation but feeling that Ella needed his support. She leaned into him.
"Fine. I won't push." Harry told her.
Ella nodded.
"Now why don't you take this man of mine and show him your kitchen and teach how to make Almond fingers Harry style." She suggested. "I'll take a trip to the butchers and I'll see you back here in about 10 minutes." She stood and kissed Roman before she turned and walked out of the café.
Harry sighed.
"She is a stubborn one." He said.
Roman nodded.
"Funny, I have noticed that myself." He told Harry in a soft tone of voice that was much to the other mans amusement.
"Come on Roman. I should at least show you my kitchen or she will know." Harry led the way through the back and into his spotless kitchen.
For the first time in his life Roman felt Kitchen envy. He sighed.