Hold Me

“Darling…,” He whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to hs chest. She willingly fell into him, pressing her cheek to his bare skin. She could hear his soft, calm breathing and the low, steady beat of his head. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and his steady hands on her back as he held her. She loved being here. She loved hearing him call her fond names like “darling” and “Carebear”. She loved making him happy, making him smile and laugh and call her those fond names. She loved him, and he loved her, and that’s all she really cared about. She felt his lips against her forehead. “What’re you thinking about?” She shifted and looked up at his tired face. He was smiling, despite the exhaustion, and he lifted a hand to stroke her blonde hair. She smiled.

“You,” She whispered, and stole a soft kiss from his warm lips.

“Oh?” He chuckled lightly, kissing her back when she came again to his lips for more. “What about me?”

“Just how amazing you are… How sweet and kind and loving you are… How well you treat me even though I know I’m a burden sometimes…” He kissed her then, long and loving, and tightened his hug almost defensively.

“You are not a burden, Carebear. You never have been,” He said after he broke the kiss, and smiled.

“I know… But I’m just worried you’ll start thinking that I’m taking more than I’m giving back.” She gazed up into his soft eyes, finding herself lost in them yet again for the millionth time since she’d come to know the older man. “Like you say…,” She started softly, “This is a relationship now. A partnership. We both need to work together to make this work…” She paused for a moment. “… I love you so much… I want us to work…”

“So do I, sweetheart. More than anything. I’ve waited four years to be with you, and even longer to just find a girl like you.” He nuzzled into her neck and kissed the soft skin. “Twenty five long years I’ve waited, Laura… You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” She pressed close to him and he nearly crushed her to his body and buried his face into the mane of thick hair. “I love you. A whole bunch…” He kissed her head. “Bunches and bunches…”

“Lots of bunches,” She giggled softly into his chest, and after a comfortable silence stretched between them in the room he closed his eyes, emitting a low, pleasured growl into the silent air as she kissed his neck and chest lovingly. He hugged her all the tighter.

“God dammit, Laura, I love you so much…,” He whispered. “More than anything…”

“Really?” She pulled away from him and looked up at his face with questioning, worried eyes. “More than anything?”

He seemed to stare at her for a long time after that, silent, just holding her attention with his dark gaze from beneath his dark bangs. She was so spell bound by him, and had been since the day he’d come across her in that dark bamboo forest four years ago. She would do anything to see him happy, and he would do anything to see her happy, and as he lifted his hand to caress her cheek lightly tears welled in her eyes. Without speaking he had answered her question. Without speaking he had quieted the fears that had gone to seed in her heart from the years she had so brutally been hurt by the people she loved.

He had, and always had, held the one place in every person’s heart meant for the one person who would always be their true mate. Their soul mate.

“Hold me…,” She whimpered happily.

“As my lady wishes,” He said softly, and, after wiping a sparkling tear from her face, he pulled her close to him once more.