Partner (Micah Bell)

37. It's Weird

Ashley never believed in love at first sight, it always seemed like nonsense to her. How could you fall in love with someone just by looking at them? You know nothing about them. No, Ashley knew that was just lust. Yes, lust at first sight. She had experienced that a few times but so has everyone else. She never believed in love at first sight and she still didn't. Ashley believed that you couldn't love somebody until you got to know them, until you knew about their dark sides and you knew them as somebody more than a fleeting face in town. However, she did believe that you can realise that you love someone in one moment or it could be a string of different memories that reminded you just how much you cared about someone.

Micah never believed in love at all, not really anyway. He believed that you could care about someone, that you could have feelings for someone and that you could want to protect someone. But he never believed that you could love somebody to an extent that you cared about them more than yourself, that you missed them when they weren't around. He never believed it because he had never felt that way, never knew anyone who had felt that way. At least as far as he knew. However, Ashley came closest to being that person for Micah. But love? No, he still didn't believe there was really such a thing. Not the way those poets describe it with their fancy words. That just wasn't reality.

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Ashley and Micah had been on separate jobs all day, Ashley had been out with Arthur while Micah was out with Bill. They preferred to do jobs together but of course they stilled worked with other people. Ashley and Arthur had gotten back to camp earlier than the other two and Ashley had already gone to bed.

Ashley was asleep when Micah and Bill returned to camp. Micah lounged around camp for a short time before decided to turn in for the night. He had a feeling that Ashley was in her tent so he headed straight there. He ducked into the tent, letting the canvas fall shut behind him. He chuckled fondly to himself when he saw her sleeping on her cot with the sheets draped over her figure.

Micah quietly undressed before approaching the cot. He shook Ashley's shoulder gently, needing her to move over so that he could lie down. Ashley groaned as she slowly woke up, her eyes opening to see Micah staring down at her.

"Ash, move your ass" he demanded quietly, not wanting to wake her up too much. He smiled softly when she laughed at his words.

Ashley nodded before lifting herself up and moving over, Micah nodded back as if to thank her as he slipped under the sheets and lay down side her. "How did the job go?" Ashley asked with a small yawn as she shifted closer to the man beside her and lay her head on his shoulder, letting him wrap his arm around her.

"Same as always, nothing interesting. You and Cowpoke do anything worth talking about?" Micah asked as he made himself comfortable, shifting a little closer to her.

"Nah, nothing special" Ashley shook her head gently, mumbling into Micah's shoulder.

"Get some sleep" Micah chuckled, it was obvious that she was barely keeping her eyes open. Ashley just nodded and closed her eyes, smiling to herself when she felt Micah press a lingering kiss to her forehead and hold her a little tighter.

Ashley slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head to look up at the man laying wit her, his head was tilted towards her and his eyes were closed. He must've been tired too. She couldn't help but smile at him.

Ashley believed that there could be one moment were you realised how deep your feeling for somebody actually ran. She believed that this was that moment for her. Seeing Micah so calm and relaxed as he slept, the way he spoke to her like she actually meant something to him. A way that he never talked to anyone else. The way that his embrace made her feel safe. She smiled softly before laying her head back down on his shoulder, resting her hand on his chest as she fell asleep with him.