Status: NEW

So Fragile Yet So Devious

Just Sleep.

After Mick dropped his sister and his friend off, they stood outside of her apartment complex in silence. So much had changed in the time that they'd known each other. Hell, a lot had changed in the past few hours. He loved her and, judging by the way she'd kissed him, she loved him too. As he stared at her, his crystalline eyes took in every detail. Her long, dark hair. Her bright emerald colored eyes. She noticed him looking her over and quickly moved her eyes down to stare at her feet. He could help but let his lips rise in a dimpled smile. She'd always been nervous and shy around him. Quite frankly, he was the same way around her.

"So," she began as she took her bottom lip between her teeth. "I've had an interesting birthday."

"Yeah," he rubbed his neck a little. "Sorry about all that."

She closed the gap between them and stood on her tiptoes and let her fingertips graze his bruised cheek. "You wanna come in and get some ice for that?"

"Do I have to come just for the ice?" He smirked at her and raised an eyebrow.

Her head shook from side to side, "I was just trying to give you an excuse to stay a while."

He bent down to kiss her forehead, "You're the only excuse I need."

"Come on." She laced her fingers in his and lead him up to her apartment.

He sat down on her couch and kicked his feet up onto the coffee table as she rummaged through her freezer trying to find an ice pack. When she didn't find one, she tossed him a bag of frozen peas which he held against his face.

"Thanks Dolly." He smiled letting his free arm wrap around her shoulder pulling her close to him.

"Hey." She said suddenly and moved to look him in the eye. "I love you, too." His eyes narrowed a little as she smiled at him sweetly. "I kind of forgot to say it back earlier. I was worried you might think that I didn't. I freaked out a little actually when I was with Mick....He said you probably inferred it....but I just wasn't sure...and I figured that I should tell you and then maybe you'd-"

"Stop. Rambling. Now." He chuckled and let his lips press against hers. "I love you. And I'm really glad you bailed me out of jail. And I'm even more glad that the fuckface you were dating is still in there."

She groaned, "There's another problem."

"What?"

"All my tattoo equipment is at HIS shop. I'll never get it all back."

"Oh, we'll get it back."

"Somehow I don't picture him giving all my stuff back nicely."

"Let's not worry about that now. Got it?" He said tossing the now thawed bag of peas on the table. "Can we just go to bed? I wanna sleep with you. Just you and me. Under the covers with your head on my chest and my arms around you. Just sleeping and happy. Can we do that?"

"Well, when you put it like that." She stood up and extended her hand, "Let's go."