paper rings (l.h.)

65

Mary closed her eyes tightly as the front door creaked shut, her feet making the floorboards sing even louder than they do during daylight hours. "Please, please," she begged the door, Luke watching as she flipped the lock and kicked her shoes off and to the side.

Luke held his hand out for her to take, since he knew that he couldn't take credit for all her limping this morning. She shot him an appreciative smile, her cold hands holding his firm. "Thanks," she whispered, leaning onto him with every step.

Calum laid on the couch still, the blanket Mary had draped over him now tucked into his whole body. His head to the side, and an arm hanging off the side of the couch, Luke didn't think Calum even noticed they had left.

In the kitchen, Luke poured Mary a glass of water. She sat opposite of him, bringing the liquid to her lips before glancing over to Calum and his foot hanging off the edge of the sofa. The picture of perfect comfort, it was as if Calum found himself asleep in his own Grandma's house.

The house itself was asleep, just like all its inhabitants. Still, dark, the only sound coming from the grandfather clock and the cracked windows. The birds were beginning to chirp outside of these four walls although the sun was still not yet at the horizon. Luke couldn't help but remember all those nights before Mary, before moving back, listening to the birds that only signaled another sleepless night. Another night too coked out to even think about laying his head down. Now, he wishes he'd appreciate them more.

As Mary held the cup of water to her lips, letting the water soothe her raw throat from the evening the spent being rather loud, she smiled across the kitchen island at him. At the way he glanced out the kitchen window. As if it wasn't dark, as if they didn't just come inside after a night under the stars.

He felt her stare a heartbeat later, his gaze sliding to hers. He stared back, just for a second, pressing his tongue in his cheek to distract from the pink glow across his cheeks. He didn't know what came into him either, something neither of them had seen in each other yet. He couldn't get enough of her, and all he wanted was to spend his time with her. He wanted to take her everywhere he went, and he wanted to follow beside her everywhere she went. He didn't want to spend one more moment separated from her.

He tried not to remember the fact that he agreed to volunteer with her mother in just a couple of hours.

"What's that look for?" She asked, tilting her head to the side and setting her glass down on the granite countertop. As if she didn't know. As if she, herself, wasn't wondering what came over her tonight either. Whatever it was, it made Luke beg for her the third round. And he wasn't too prideful to admit he'd rather enjoyed the fact that she made him beg. "What's going through your mind?"

He walks over to her. Slow, exaggerated steps until both of his hands are on the island. Leaning forward, until his lips are mere centimeters from hers, she felt his breath as he whispered, "I'm trying to decide how long we have before someone wakes up."

She grinned, inching closer but not exactly allowing their skin to meet. "Half an hour, maybe."

He moved to stand directly in front of her, grabbing her by the hips and lifting her onto the island as if she weighed nothing. She had seen hints of his strength — carrying two of his guitars at once, pulling her out of the truck with one arm, glimpses of his strength training sessions back in LA, the way he lifted her just now... she couldn't help but run her hands across his shoulders, his arms that aren't as soft but just as comfortable. His hands remained on her hips as she continued to explore his body, his gaze focused on her every movement. She pushed herself towards the edge of her chair and into him, their bodies once again colliding while her head leaned back.