A Romantic's Dream

No expectations

*Set at the end of S2 E6 when they're in the taxi after leaving the pub*

Grace rested her head on Stevie's shoulder, their hands clasped together in his lap. She closed her eyes in contentment as she heard Stevie give his address to the taxi driver and felt him rub his thumb across her knuckles. They sat in a comfortable, happy silence until Grace lifted her head to look at Stevie and said "I've never been to your place before."

"Well now you are." He replied with a small smirk on his face. "Hopefully it lives up to expectations."

"I don't have any expectations, as long as you're happy, I'm happy." She smiled back.

"Well, if I'm not getting too ahead of myself here, I'll certainly be happier now that you'll hopefully be spending more time there with me." He raised their joined hands and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Grace was already enjoying the small gestures of affection Stevie had begun to show her.

"I would love to spend more time with you Stevie Neil." Grace turned to look out the window, watching the night sky and lights from the buildings whizz by.

A short while later, the taxi pulled up outside a smart looking semi-detached house, complete with a neat little front garden. Simple but effective. Very Stevie, Grace thought upon first glance. Stevie paid the driver, opened the door and climbed out. He reached out a hand to help her out of the car.

"Ever the gentleman." She commented with a grin.

"Always for you." He grinned back.

Their easy banter and cheesy teasing gave them both a warm feeling inside. They had both been through some awful things in the past and it had taken them a long time to open themselves back up to the possibility of letting someone else into their lives, but whatever this was, it was really beginning to feel just perfect. The pair hadn't even had a chance to have the conversation about what was happening between them but it didn't feel necessary. Grace felt safe in the knowledge that Stevie would never purposefully hurt her and Stevie knew that life was just too short to worry about the possible repercussions of letting her in.

Stevie unlocked the door with one hand, still holding Grace's with his other. He led her into the hallway, shutting the door behind them. They slipped off their jackets and shoes, and proceeded through to the spacious kitchen. Grace glanced around at all the cooking equipment, stored neatly on the counters, waiting to be used for Stevie's next bake or delicious meal he always brought into work with him. It made her smile, thinking about the good food they had shared over the past year, slowly bonding more than they had ever realised.

"What are you smiling about?" Stevie questioned, stepping in front of her closer than he would've at work, and watched her face with a smile of his own.

"Just thinking."

"Thinkin' about what?" He stepped closer again, closing the space between them a little bit more.

"You. Us. This past year." She whispered, slightly breathless at the close proximity.

"What a wild ride it's been eh?" After a beat he continued, "Wouldn't change a thing."

Stevie searched her eyes, almost asking for permission to fully close the gap. In response, Grace moved forward, placing a hand on his stubbly cheek. Their lips met and they began kissing, gently and slowly, like they had all the time in the world to explore each other. Stevie's hand slid up her back and into her hair, holding the back of her neck and cradling her head. Her arms went over his shoulders, pulling him flush against her body. They had waited forever for this moment.

They pulled apart, breathless but smiling like love drunk teenagers.
"What took you so long?" Grace said with a smirk. Stevie tilted his head forward and rested his forehead against hers with a soft laugh that shook his shoulders. They stayed like that until Grace's stomach rumbled loudly in the silent kitchen. The pair turned to look up at each other and burst into a fit of giggles.
"Are you hungry by any chance?" He asked.
"No comment." She replied, hiding her face in his shoulder.
"Sit down, I'll make us a midnight snack." Stevie gestured to the kitchen table and chairs and moved away towards the fridge. "What do you fancy? A toastie?"

After they had eaten, they were back to their comfortable silence sitting across the table from each other.
"You know how we said about no expectations earlier?" Stevie looked over at Grace as she spoke.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Well I meant it for everything. This whole thing, us, not just your house. We don't have to do anything tonight just because you brought me back here. We can take things slow and just enjoy each other's company." She continued.

"Sounds good to me. I don't know about you but I'm completely knackered after today. I wouldn't mind just curling up with you in bed and maybe put the telly on until we drift off." Stevie suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. Lead the way Mr Neil." As they stood up, he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and took her by the hand again. Once in his bedroom, Stevie rooted through a drawer and pulled out a t-shirt and some joggers.
"You can wear these if you would like, just thought it might be a bit comfier to sleep in." She nodded in agreement and watched as he slipped into the en-suite bathroom with his own pyjamas, leaving her to get changed alone.

A few minutes later, he returned to the room and climbed into what was obviously his side of the bed. She slipped under the duvet into the space next to him and scooted over until she could lay her head on his chest. In the background, an episode of Friends played and he began stroking her hair. It wasn't long before they were both in a contented sleep, wrapped in each other's arms and her head still on his chest, comforted by the gentle rise and fall of his breathing.