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[mnt_mike]

It's morning, and the bed is warmer, and more comfortable, than it should be. He knows someone's there, and by the feel of that someone pressing against him, he knows its her.

Like many a morning before, he remains motionless, feigning sleep. He's waiting for her to get up and leave.

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[slayer_fray]

For the first time in a few days, Mel hasn't been dreaming about Harth, or Loo, or anything from back home. She's just come through sleep and out the other side.

She's dimly aware now, that it's morning, and she should be waking up, but she has a half-asleep memory of the waking world being a painful place, one that she doesn't want to be in just yet, because where she is is warm, comfortable and safe. So she resists the temptation to wake up and start thinking for as long as possible.

[mnt_mike]

He longs to build a blanket fort. One that he can hide in forever, and never have to leave. It'll be safe there. Things won't change. They won't ever get awkward or strange.

He's been trying to work through that first visceral reaction to Andrew's comment. How his belly seemed to bottom right out. It doesn't make sense. Not at all. Not logically anyway. He knows that his current relationship with Mel is temporary. She wants to go home. He'll return to his normal shape...and go home. That'll be that.

But why...why does this bother him so. No matter how much thinking he does, he can't get rid of the feeling.

She feels so good next to him.

[slayer_fray]

No, no, she doesn't want to wake up yet, she wants to stay asleep, warm, safe.

She can feel him now, feel his warmth and smell him. Still half asleep, she moves to get as close to him as possible.

She's dimly aware that the sheets under her face are wet.

[mnt_mike]

She's not moving. Well, not moving to leave, at any rate. There's really no point in not facing this head on...is there?

Arms wrap around her. Cling to her.

[slayer_fray]

That movement jerks her just a little bit further into wakefulness. But she doesn't open her eyes. Can't. She doesn't want to see how much she hurt him, doesn't want to admit she could hurt him that much.

She buries her face in his chest, and wraps an arm around him.

He's not leaving. This is good. If she can help it, he won't leave.

[mnt_mike]

He just comes right out and says it.
Thinking her still asleep, he whispers softly before kissing her forehead.
"I'm sorry I freaked out yesterday."

[slayer_fray]

She shifts, and squeezes him softly.

She was crying when she went to sleep, and when she opens her mouth for the first time since waking up, it's with a tiny gasp as if for air after drowning.

She lets the breath out slowly.

"But why?"

[mnt_mike]

"i guess i was just afraid you'd like him more than me?"

Wow that sounds even more lame out of his mouth, than in his head. He wasn't expecting that.

[slayer_fray]

That's so far away from what Mel was expecting to hear that she pulls away to look up at him through wet lashes. But not far enough to let go of him.

"Who?"

[mnt_mike]

"Andrew."

His head tilts in confusion.

"Why are you crying?"

[slayer_fray]

Blink.

"Because I couldn't find you. Raph said you threw Apple and Indy said I'd upset you and I didn't know why...

"...because I kissed him?"

[mnt_mike]

"Well that's silly, I didn't want to be found. I was acting like a retard and it only would have upset you anway. Guess that plan went to the crapper, huh?

...

and it wasn't because you two kissed...it's because you liked it."

He's almost ashamed of himself. Almost.

[slayer_fray]

"But it upset me more that you didn't want to be found...

"You left me. You left me and I didn't know why and I missed you..."

It's different, that they haven't seen each other for so long. They knew where to find each other.

"I... " she can't answer that. Because 'he was nothing compared to you' is lame. So is 'I couldn't stop thinking about you.'

"Not more than you."

[mnt_mike]

A gentle thumb wipes away her tears.

"I didn't mean to leave you. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just...wanted to be stupid by myself. I never want to make you cry. I'm sorry Melaka. i'm so sorry."

[slayer_fray]

Most of the tears are drying, although there's always the threat of them returning.

"No. I made you go. I made you go and I didn't even think about how I might be upseting you.

"Don't ever be stupid without telling me. I have to know. I don't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry. I didn't know I was hurting you."

[mnt_mike]

"but...you didn't hurt me. if anyone hurt me, it was me.
...
You really want me to tell you before I do anything stupid? That's a lot of telling, you're aware of this, right?"

[slayer_fray]

"Tell me," she repeats. "Tell me before, after. Tell me everytime.

"I wouldn't have, you know that, right? If I thought you'd...

"I didn't know."

[mnt_mike]

"i didn't either. and i shouldn't either. it's not...it goes against everything so far. and don't want to change the rules, but i don't like the way the change made me...makes me feel."

[slayer_fray]

"No rules." Mel says. "Never rules.

"I didn't mean to. Make you feel this way. I'm so sorry, I...

"Me too. And it scares me."

[mnt_mike]

Mike shakes his head.

"No Mel. Rules. We need them, for both our sakes."

He holds her close.

"much as i want this to stay and not change, it will. it has to. we got this chance to do what we can when we can do it.

and i'm being selfish to keep you from anything you want. i want you to have anything you want. anyone you want."

[slayer_fray]

Shit.

"I want...

"I want you. And I don't want to go back. And I have to go back, because they need me."

[mnt_mike]

He manages a small smile.

"well who can blame them?"

[slayer_fray]

She can't smile. Can't laugh. Though she appreciates the effort to make her laugh, she didn't even know she was thinking what she'd just said until she'd said it.

"What do we do now?"

[mnt_mike]

"i don't know."

After a silence that seems to last forever.

"what ever makes you happy."

[slayer_fray]

"What about you?"

Don't make me make the decisions. Don't make me be the one that hurts you.

[mnt_mike]

"i just want to see you smile."

He cups her face with his hand, a careful thumb strokes the laugh lines around her mouth.

"anything else is gravy."

[slayer_fray]

"Not true," she points out. "You left without even checking if I was smiling or not.

"If we... when I leave, I don't want to hurt you. But I have to leave. When she lets me."

[mnt_mike]

Mike shakes his head.

"i left under the assumption someone else was keeping you in smiles. And when you leave, i'll know it's because of something important. and then i'll be too proud of you to be sad."

[slayer_fray]

"You made a stupid assumption.

"Different smiles. No one makes me smile like you do. Ever." she buries her face back into his chest.

"You promise? You wouldn't say that just to make me smile?"

[mnt_mike]

Mike smiles. It's a small smile, but it's the first honest one in a long time.

"and don't you forget it."

He sighs contentedly, and rubs her back with long lazy strokes.

"I promise. That doesn't mean I won't miss you, because I will. It's just that saving the world is very important, and I've already done it at least three times now. It's about time you picked up some slack."

[slayer_fray]

"I'm not supposed to..." Mel says. "Bad things happen when Slayers fall..."

But this is different, right? Milliways isn't the Real World. Rules are different.

She smiles faintly herself and shifts up the bed to kiss his mouth.

"Can we pull this off?"

[mnt_mike]

"I have no idea."

Then he gets that look in his eye. The same one responsible for pages three, five and seven.

[slayer_fray]

Oh, he'd better be genuine. He's better at hiding than Mel is at reading him, no matter how much practice she gets.

I can't believe I'm doing this.

"We're going to try though, aren't we?"

[mnt_mike]

"I think we are."

[slayer_fray]

Well, that's that then. What more needs to be said?

Rules...

Mel kisses him deeply and thoroughly.