Starcrossed

Ben moved a curl from her forehead with featherlike touch in pure wonderment. His hand lifted off her skin but his finger softly continued tracing the outline of her cheek. This sweet action had been repeated for the last half hour. The evening was still young but he couldn't bring himself to wake her, not yet. He was far too deep in beautiful thought to stop now. If there had ever been a moment he had accepted life without her, he couldn't remember when or why. She was all he wanted, all he ever needed. If ever a day came that he didn't love her, that would be the day he had lost himself. He had always wondered what she would look like in this situation the way she had always longed to know about the man hidden inside the actor.

Yes, he had been more than surprised of how good she was. The young vixen had done a few things he never would have thought to do with her, to her. But he wasn't thinking of that aspect. For years Ben had longed for the next time he laid naked beside the woman he loved with all his soul. He'd been looking forward to watching her sleep after making love- whoever she would be. There were no words to describe how honored he was that it was a woman like Makenzie. She was definitely a bit younger than he imagined and never did he guess it would be an English teacher, something he had tried himself, far from the searching eyes of the media. Oh how they would all love to know he was in another, hopefully his last, relationship. Such precious and hopeful thoughts had filled his mind since she had fallen asleep on his chest.

The sleeping angel made a soft noise before her breathing changed. It wouldn't be long until those bright blue eyes opened. He adored her when she was perfectly between asleep and awake. This wouldn't be like the previous occasions she woke at his side. There would be no fighting or rushing around to be somewhere. It would just be them. Alone with her. In her bed. In her room. In her house.

Ben stared, absolutely amazed, in these last seconds before she came to life. Her naked arm twitched as she took a deep inhale. It was impossible not to touch her. The victorious lover placed a tender kiss on the girl's shoulder, something that immediately brought a small grin to her lips. Then it happened. Their eyes met with the resolution he had been hoping for. Her sparkling eyes confirmed their being official.

A beautiful blush filled her cheeks as her wide grin was bashfully thrown into her pillow. Ben's own smile brightened as a soft low chuckle escaped from his lips. Before another moment was wasted, he nuzzled her neck until her face was accessible once more. This kiss made them both feel as if they were experiencing "the morning after" in some romantic comedy. Their realities had just become better than the dreams they had separately shared for all those months. Kenzie ended the intimate moment before things heated up again.

"Well, that answers my first question," she giggled, still half asleep but radiant.

"And what question was that?" Ben smiled. There was no way she could be more beautiful than she was right now.

"If this afternoon was all a dream." He gave her another chaste kiss while she carefully planned her next words. "I wished for you to walk through my classroom door more days than not. And I always imagined what would come after. And I only allowed my dreams to go so far before-"

"I love you," he interrupted with that certain look in his eyes, determined to keep her with him forever and promising that she was all he wanted.

"I love you."

They cuddled together in bliss for a while in silence. With her on his chest, drawing circles against his skin, Ben felt as if he could take on the world. Makenzie took in every detail of the experience: the softness of his chest hair, the distinctive musky smell of his skin she had longed for, the way his intense eyes loving bore into hers, and the way their pulses had somehow synced in the last few minutes.

"If that was the first question what was the second?" Ben finally asked.

"You miss nothing," Kenzie smiled, amazed that she was this brilliant man's first pick.

"I missed you," he teased.

"What time is it?"

"Oh," he sang in that wonderful baritone, "it's almost seven."

"Do you have anything you need to do or anywhere you need to be?" The woman stayed calm despite her fear of him having to leave soon.

"I need to be here with you. All weekend."

"All weekend? You have that much time?"

"I made time. I couldn't stay away another day," he admitted with a romantic sort of confidence- just like in the films.

She saw her reflection in his eyes, thinking it quite symbolic- a term she had taught her students earlier in the day. Her smile lasted longer than he anticipated- a good sign. The room was pleasantly silent for a while before she gave him a flirty smirk.

"What brunette character are you this month?"

"You miss nothing," he grinned with loving admiration, reusing her compliment.

He caught her up on his latest work and was surprised at how much she already knew. In her own silent way, she had been keeping up with him. This pleased the actor for many reasons. He only wished he would have known that she still cared; knowing that she was watching his interviews or reading his articles would have given him some sort of joy which had been lacking in his busy, and recently lonely, life. Snuggled close together, and occasionally kissing, they chatted for nearly an hour before he asked the question a second time.

"Come with me to a premiere?"

"Where and when?" she inquired, still wanting proper information before agreeing.

After a quick roll of his eyes, accepting her teasing challenge, he chuckled, "New York. The eleventh of October."

"New York? So soon?" It was all she could do to hide her excitement. "I'd have to miss a day of school." He gave a simple nod, hoping her hesitance was purely an act. Her flirtation attitude returned when she poked him and asked, "Is that what you did at uni? Talked all the pretty girls into skipping class with you, didn't you?"

"Yes- that was it exactly," he answered as fact. "Only without the girls. None of them would skip class to hang out with me." His use of the American phrase made her smile broaden.

"They wouldn't? And why do you think that was?"

"Because I've always liked the smart clever girls. And clever girls fancied class more than they fancied me."

"Impossible," she teased, coming in for a kiss.

"I was a horse-faced nobody, remember?"

"You were never either." Kenzie briefly pressed her lips to his in a fleeting kiss. "I always thought you were somebody… and quite handsome, if you must know." They kissed again but this time he didn't release her so soon.

"So… October?" Her fingers twirled his hair as she killed him with suspense, weighing her options. When it was impossible for his expression to turn any more desperate, she gave a heavy sigh.

"I suppose I shouldn't deprive you of such a cliché memory." His naked beauty acted put off for a few seconds before her playful switch turned on once more.

Ben pulled her into his arms and chuckled, "And what about the interviews? I'm on Graham Norton next week, a few American morning shows that Friday morning, the premiere, then JimmyFallon that night."

Finally revealing her excitement, Kenzie squealed, "Oh, Benedict! I'd love nothing more! Traveling with you and watching you in New York," she happily sighed. "Yes! To all of it, yes."

They hugged and laughed until the room fell silence once more.

"Well now what?" Ben asked because he was completely unsure of what to do next. What did Makenzie Daniels do on a typical Friday night?

Placing herself atop him, in a wonderfully suggestive manner, Makenzie whispered, "I just texted Sophie telling her to stay at her boyfriend's."

"Oh?" His pulse sped along with his rebirthed sexual instincts. "So what does that mean, Ms. Daniels?"

"That means, my dear sweet Benedict, that I get to have you as many times as I want until precisely ten tomorrow morning."

"And if I decline?" he challenged, mirroring her seductive expression and tone.

"You won't." The girl had just enough time to take a breath before he rolled her onto her back and began their next round of love making.

Several hours, and three blissful orgasms later, Kenzie took her favorite pillow-talk position on his chest.

"Would you mind if I remained in the shadows during your New York adventures? I mean, I'll be with you of course, just not where the media can find me?"

"Will you sit with me for the viewing?"

"I'll be waiting for you while you take your photos and do your interviews. And I'll even go to all the greenrooms I'm allowed in. I just don't…" How could she say it without hurting his feelings? Benedict rubbed her cheek with his finger and gave her the reassuring smile she needed.

"I want you to feel as comfortable as possible. If that means lying low for a while, so be it."

"And…" Oh, he was going to hate her. "Could we keep us a secret for a while longer? I'm not prepared to be known as the possible future Mrs. Cumberbatch yet." She worded it as she did partly to watch his reaction and partly to test the possible distant title aloud. To her surprise, he didn't seem the least bit nervous with her hinting at the possibility of being his wife one day- the idea seemed almost too natural to him for her liking, almost.

"Take as much time as you need, my Makenzie. As long as I know you are mine, we are the only ones who have to know. And perhaps your family, if you'd like."

She kissed him with all the thanks she had to offer. Their conversation turned to food and how neither had eaten since lunch. Her bedside alarm now read almost eleven. Ben followed her to the kitchen, Kenzie wearing only his shirt. The genuinely happy man couldn't help laughing as she sang with the radio while making them a full breakfast. They ate, talked, and teased one another for several hours, simply enjoying the other's company, then returned to her bedroom for yet another unbelievable shag.

When they fell asleep, his naked body fit hers like a shell of safety. The day's events had been unexpected but, just before falling into a most restful slumber, Makenzie couldn't stop engraving every last detail to her memory. This had been the perfect night, their perfect beginning as a couple. Though each day had to come to an end, her official relationship with Ben was just the beginning of what she knew to be the second to last chapter of her story.