Forever For You 🌷

24th March 2014

Izzy and Alex were lying side by side, completely still, silent but comfortable in it, sharing a blanket which they'd laid out on the tiny scrap of grass that her landlord had the audacity to call a garden. It had been light when they'd first looked up at the sky, but now, above their heads, everything was deep midnight blue, clear and moonless but spotted with white, glowing dots as far as they could see, a sparkling canopy to explore and never bore of. It reminded Izzy of the glow in the dark stars she'd stuck to her ceiling as a child and she smiled, wondering if Alex had done the same. She counted the stars of Orion's belt as he floated to her right as Alex studied Ursa Major, trying to find the bear shape as he connected the dots.

Time had slowed so drastically that they couldn't be sure how long they'd been lying there, the minutes dragging out for hours, only the awareness of the other's even breath and the beat of their hearts beneath the layers they'd wrapped up in keeping them from closing their eyes to dream, because life in that moment was dreamy enough as it was.

The later they stayed under the sky, the colder the night drew and despite the cosy jumper and pyjama bottoms he was wearing, his socks which had come straight from the dryer had now caught the chill and Alex's toes, nose and ears felt numb. He pouted and slowly shifted closer to Izzy's side, now seeking the warmth of her body, the comfort of her sweet perfume. His fingers found her wrist and she flinched minimally then sunk into his touch, obviously soothed again when he brushed his fingertips beneath the sleeve of her own jumper, stroking her skin. "Are yeh cold, darlin'?" he drawled, though he was the one shivering and knew she could probably feel it.

The richness of his voice caught her off guard. "A little," she whispered thuthfully, her eyelids feeling heavy.

He hummed quietly to himself when her fingers moved to link with his reassuringly and she tugged him closer, surprised by the warmth in his palms despite the slight cold he held everywhere else. She closed her eyes to the sensation of his free hand coming down on her stomach as he rolled onto his side and tilted his body towards her.

As he looked down at her, he tried to focus his gaze in the dark, watched her watching the sky, but the night's shadow drew away so much of the detail he adored. He could barely see her freckles, the natural deep pink shade of her lips and the golden glow of her skin was muted drastically. He lifted his hand from her stomach only to lift tiny springy curls from her vision, smoothing them back gently so not to disturb her concentration, then placed his hand flat on her abdomen again, stroking his fingers over the jumper she was wearing, hoping she knew exactly how he felt.

After all this time, he still couldn't believe he was this close, that he was this lucky and as he looked at her in mesmerisation, lips parted, breath substantially shorter, a subconscious voice reminded him of the thing he wanted most.

"Alex..." she whispered shakily, squeezing his hand as she continued to stare upward. "You're missing the stars..."

"Yeh're pretteher..." he mumbled, the corners of his lips twitching.

"Alex-"

"Would yeh like teh beh me girlfriend, Isabella?"

Izzy turned her head slowly to look at him, weak for the intensity and honesty in his expression, the compelling warmth in his eyes even in the darkness. He raised his eyebrows impatiently.

"Mmm?" he mumbled, smoothing another curl from her face as an excuse to gently touch her cheek with his knuckle. "Does tha' sound like sumfin' yeh'd beh interested in?"

Izzy beamed, then tried to hide her instant happiness before she'd given an answer, clearing her throat and fighting the way her heart was pounding as she shifted instinctively closer to him.

Alex wasted no time in pulling her close when she moved, tangling his legs with hers on top of the blanket, wrapping his arms around her, one hand crawling beneath her jumper, pressing to her back to keep her close.

"What does it entail?" she giggled, melting into the way he held her, the intoxicating familiarity of his cologne.

"Well..." he chuckled softly, pressing a delicate kiss to her cheek, then one on the bridge of her nose, watching her eyelashes flutter. "I can promise yeh maneh fings, darlin'. As mooch affection as yeh request... maneh nights drinkin' tequila joost you 'n' meh, as maneh records as yeh can get yehr fookin' 'ands on... coffee dates, picnics, constant support 'n' fookin' kisses whenever yeh want 'em..." He punctuated his offer with a delicate brush of his mouth against hers, tasting the cherry lip balm she was wearing, both of them smiling and giggling uncontrollably into the kiss until she drew away to whole-heartedly accept.

"I think that sounds perfect," she nodded, settling her head against his chest and pressing a kiss just above the collar of the jumper he was wearing. "I'd love to be your girlfriend."

Alex let Izzy comfort herself against him, feeling, despite the cold of night, warmer than he ever had and he tightened his embrace around her, smiled fondly up at the sky as she clung to him, his nose buried into her curls, inhaling the cocoa shampoo, beyond pleased and satisfied with her answer. "Couldn't beh 'appier wif yeh, Izz."