Decades

Two More Days

Years later, she'd wonder how she'd survived these last two days. They'd been some of the most agonizing of her entire life. Singing on stage with Lindsey when she was crushed under the weight of losing him was almost more than she could withstand. As difficult as being on stage with him was, it was nothing compared to their real life.

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When Lindsey opened his eyes, it was afternoon. Stevie was sound asleep in his arms. The sun was streaming into the room through the transom window. Lindsey was sickened when he noticed the blue imprint of his fingers on her breasts and another bruise where his thumb had pressed too hard into her forearm. He felt guilty about marking her body the way he had. Lindsey's stomach did a flip when he imagined her leaving him in two days, and the only thing she had to take with her was bite marks and bruises.

Injured and scarred. Yet again, he felt the tears gather, and he didn't even fight them back. He tried to focus on her collarbone. It peeped out from under the covers and he hadn't left her marked there. Last night, she'd been fiery and unpredictable in her anger. Now, she seemed weak and vulnerable with the bruises he'd left on her tiny body.

How is it that he's always wanted to protect her, but that he's also the one who damages her? Why is he the one who wants to possess her, yet in the process chases her away? He wondered why couldn't be content to just be with her. Why was he so possessive?

The two of them needed to get up and pack. They had one more stop before the tour was over and needed to make their way to the airport. He hated to wake her. He wanted to keep her beside him, warm and safe in his bed.

Two more days. 

He wiped the tears away and pulled her body closer to his, kissing her head and gently stroking her shoulder. He didn't think she'd be bruised or sore, but after touching her so roughly the night before, he was far more gentle than was necessary. He wanted nothing more than to repair everything that had happened between them.

Stevie began to stir and rolled over on top of Lindsey, placing a kiss on his chest. She opened her eyes and shut them back tightly upon seeing the claw and bite marks on his body. She pressed her lips to the scratches on his chest and climbed up his body to kiss his neck where she'd attacked him. Without bothering to assess her own battle scars, she touched her fingers and lips to his.

He watched her curiously, lifting her chin so that he could see her eyes. She muttered an apology as her eyes filled with tears, her reaction to his wounds the same as his to hers. "I thought maybe we had finally outgrown this," Stevie told him.

He sadly traced his finger against the bruises on her breasts. Her eyes followed to see herself marked by him. "I'm sorry," he told her, seeking her eyes. "Me too," she said, pressing another kiss to his wounds.

"Way back when we used to do this to each other, I never minded seeing the evidence that you were here the next day," she gestured to her body and then to her heart, "We'd go on our angry way, having relieved the tension for a time, and I'd have proof that you had been with me. Even if it kind of felt like you'd only touched me because you hated me, you'd still touched me. And I'd hang onto that." Stevie's tears were streaking down her cheeks. "I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I hated to see the 'love bites' fade," she laughed sadly. "You became less real to me then. So, don't apologize. I'll be sorry to see these fade too," she told him. Her lower lip quivered just a little, and his heart caught in his throat.

"Same, Stevie, it was the same for me," he ran his fingers through her hair. "I remember looking at the scratch marks on my shoulders with a mirror in the bathroom sometimes, and I'd imagine how you looked when you were putting them there. Fiery and passionate. And I'd wonder how I could make you mad enough to do it again." Lindsey shook his head at the absurdity of the whole thing.