all things must pass » the beatles, queen and the backstreet boys

22- Kevin Richardson

Laden with the plastic bags that threatened to drop out of my arms and onto the floor, I struggled to wiggle the keys out of my tight pocket. Somehow, without breaking my arm that is, I managed to open the door to our house, before leaving the groceries near the door mat.

As I began to make my way into the living room, I lost my footing over a bulky object that nearly sent me tumbling to the floor. Cursing briefly, I glanced downwards to see a familiar Louis Vuitton suitcase, haphazardly thrown in the middle of the corridor.

"Oh Kevin," I sighed exasperatedly, but with a smile subconsciously growing on my face, making my way to the couch were, indeed as I'd guessed, my husband of just under a year was sleeping, with his feet dangling off the end as he was too tall to fit.

Thinking it would be best to let him nap a bit so he could rest from his Into The Millennium tour, I decided to empty the bags and start up lunch.

So, even though I was heavily tempted to pepper his face with kisses, I started stocking up the fridge and pantries (which had been empty last night, much to my dismay), leaving me with the heavy task of cooking a proper meal---not a half-hearted one as I'd been eating for the past couple of months---in under 2 hours.

***

With the seasoned duck in the oven, the rice already flavored and wafting absolutely mouth-watering smells, and the mushroom soup looking heavenly creamy, all that was left for me was to make us a bowl of salad.

As I began to chop up the cucumber, I heard soft footsteps making their way in here from the corridor. Biting back a smile, I waited a few seconds, before familiar arms wrapped themselves around me, pulling me to his chest as the smell of him invaded my senses.

He smelled like home more than this entire house ever did, and God did I miss that.

"I've missed you," he managed to say, choking up, and it really hit me how much his absence had affected me.

Dropping the knife on the chopping board and pushing it away to the other side of the counter, I turned and flung my arms around him, pulling him as close to my heart as possible.

"God Kevin, I missed your warm hugs," I sniffled as he chuckled, squeezing me a little as he left a sweet kiss on the top of my head.

"How's my lady doing?" he smiled lopsidedly, causing me to swallow a sob, as it hit me how much I'd missed seeing that every morning.

"Perfect, now you're here," I grinned up at his statuesque face, trying to engrave it in my memory, lest he gets up and tours again too soon.

It was in those beautiful green eyes I found love like I'd never witnessed, and looking into them again, I fell for him all over again. My hands found his cheeks, and my thumbs traced over his features as his eyes closed, leaning into my palms. Such a sight filled my aching heart with so much adoration, I thought I might burst.

With his eyes still closed, he leaned in, softly kissing me for the first time in almost a year, and sending chills down my body. The electrifying feeling was all too known yet so foreign now that he'd been away for so long; it overwhelmed me to an extent that I had to cling onto his arms to prevent myself from toppling over.

"Mhmm," he hummed sweetly as his face threatened to break out into a grin, his hands caressing every inch of my body that was on show, leaving my skin burning and flushing with barely-held-back passion.

Leaving a small kiss on my lips one final time, Kevin pulled away, reaching up to ruffle his jet-black hair, looking even more Adonis-like than before---if that was even possible.

"If we keep this up, we'll have no lunch and spend our day in bed," he chuckled, one deft finger under my chin as he lifted it up to leave a loving kiss on my cheek, "And I'd love that, but I'm hungry as hell."

Rolling my eyes, I smacked his arm, "You're always hungry."

"You'd be hungry too, when Nick's been eating your food for 9 months."

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