Yes

“So we have to wrap this scene up real’ quick, and then we’ll head down to Lawrence. Okay, people?” Troy sounded out over the big group of people while holding the plan in his hands.

This movie was getting done quickly; they hadn’t got much time for each scene, so between takes we would have to work fast. And today we were going to shoot probably the most important scene for me.

Today was the day where Connor and Murphy MacManus were going to die; and they were going to heaven, so to speak, where all their late friends; Rocco, Da, Greenly and now also Smecker, Bloom and Duffy, would be there to greet them. And I was going to be there too, welcoming them home. But first we would have to shoot a scene where me and Norm were going to play a little game of chasing each other.

He would follow me around an empty building, unaware of the fact that I was leading him to his brother, and then I would disappear just as he turned a corner to see Connor.

I was sitting on a stool, my feet rocking from side to side with a smoke in my hand. I was wearing my usual bath rope over the beautiful satin see-through dress and I was looking at the fake prayer-tattoo that still snaked its way up my thigh.

It was so beautiful.

When I read it like this, I would hear both Norman and Sean’s voices in my head, silently whispering the prayer for the soul of another of their victims. Or redeemed ones; whatever you want to call it.

“Aoirí*,” I whispered to myself with a smile spreading across my lips.

This was my first scene with Norman and I couldn’t wait to get started. I was nervous as hell, but I also really looked forward to working with him. Seeing him as Murphy MacManus… Wow.

“Everybody on their fucking marks!” Troy yelled out, making me yank my body upwards in surprise, a yelp escaping my lips.

I could hear a chuckle from behind me and I turned around to see that dude with the handheld camera. Was he following me or something?

“Dude! You delete that right now!” I grinned at him, blushing lightly.

He laughed and hurriedly ran behind a big monitor to his left just as I felt two arms sneak their way around me from behind.

“You ready, babe?”

I swallowed, feeling butterflies flapping around in my stomach as the scent of coffee and cigarettes waved up my nostrils.

“I think so,” I managed to croak out as I felt his lips stroke the skin of my neck.

Pictures from the night a couple of days ago at the five-starred hotel in upper Toronto flashed through my mind, making me feel like I glowed with love.

“Come,” he spoke out in his raspy voice as he took my hand on led my through the crowd of camera men.

My blood started pumping faster. Here we go again…

........................................................................................

“Who ar’ye?!” Murphy MacManus yelled after me as I turned around another staircase with my dress waving after me, a surreptitious smile on my lips.

He was trying to get to me, to reach me, but I was faster than him.

“Leanúint liom, aoire…*” I sang out in my breathy soft voice, as I swiftly ran up the stairs.

“But…” he sounded but was interrupted by a loud crashing noise that had my heart skip a beat.

“Cut!” someone yelled.

What happened?

I ran down the stairs again, trying to see what had caused that loud noise. Someone started laughing out loudly.

“Aw, fuck!” I heard Norm exclaim just as I turned another staircase to see him lying on his back, his arms stretched out to the sides.

A chuckle was building up inside of me but I tried to hold it together.

“What happened, are you okay?” I asked while striding down the last pair of steps between us.

A smile was spreading across my face as I heard more laughter from the crew in front of us.

“Fucking hurt my back,” Norm said, his voice strained with pain and his eyes closed.

“Is it serious? You want me to call an ambulance or something?” I asked, laughter still coming off the people watching us.

“No, fuck, no!” he said as he tried sitting up again, “I’m not that weak, I can take a hit or two.”

He gently let his arms sway from side to side, making his back turn in a swift movement.

A loud voice sounded down from the crew: “Ye copin’ old man? Be careful, ye don’ want’o sprain somet’in, do ye now?”

Flanery…

I shook my head but now I couldn’t hold back the laughter anymore; a chuckle roared through me and I sat down, hands covering my mouth as I laughed. A guy came running towards us, a phone in his hand and a concerned look on his face.

“Reedus, you alright?!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, just gotta… Can I have, like, five minutes?”

When we finally wrapped the scene, Norman wasn’t in a good mood.

His back still hurt; we had a doctor look at it, and he’d told us that he had to keep it from moving too much. Something about him having pulled some muscles or something, I didn’t really get it. But I could see he was hurting; and he hated it.

“Reedus, we’ll shoot the heaven-scene tomorrow, don’t worry about it. We’ll just do some of the scenes with Smecker, Bloom and the detectives now,” Troy said with concerned eyes, “Just, go home, take your girl with you.”

He nodded in my direction and soon his eyes met mine.

“You make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, take him home and tie him to the bed or something…”

I nodded firmly and almost dragged Norman out of the studio. He hated being the reason for any delay.

“I can do the scene, come on, it’s not like I’m…”

“Not like you’re what? Anyone could have hurt their back, it just happened to be you today.”

He sighed out loudly as we got into the car, the driver looking at us like we were crazy people. I couldn’t blame him though: I was wearing my white bath rope and my makeup looked like something from a princess-film. Norman was wearing his Murphy outfit; holed jeans and the black pea coat, and fake theater blood looked to be running down from his temple.

In any other situation we would probably have made a scene out of it; telling him to follow a random cap on the street and yelling at him to go as fast as he could.

But right now, I knew that really wasn’t the time for it. Norman was looking so miserable and his mood was darker than black.

So I kept quiet the whole ride.

........................................................................................

“You’re the best ever, babe,” Norman sounded drowsily as he turned over to lie on his side, his back against me.

I’d just finished giving him a gentle back massage. I screwed the lit of the flask with baby oil back on and laid it on the bed before scooting closer to him and planted a swift kiss on his shoulder blade.

“Anything for you,” I smiled.

Even though I had looked forward to doing the heaven-scene today, I was actually pretty pleased with going home earlier. Norman’s mood had increased a little after his massage and I was now just lying next to him, listening to his strong and steady heartbeat. I buried my face in his neck and he moaned out a pleased sound.

“You know,” I spoke in his ear as I led my fingers sway down his arm, “If you have trouble relaxing, I know just the thing for you…”

I could hear him chuckle.

“Yeah, what’s that?” he asked.

I could feel his skin tremble under the light touch of my fingers. Warm air was lazily entering our room through the open window, and you could hear the sound of traffic from down the street.

“I can show you. But you must promise not to move, doctor’s orders,” I smiled.

Another chuckle sounded from his as I let my hand travel down his side and pushed myself up on my elbow so I was able to look at him from over his broad shoulder.

“Just close your eyes and relax, okay?” I sounded as I unbuttoned his jeans.

“Mh,” he breathed as the sound of a zipper going down was heard.

He lifted his hips off the bed, gently so it wouldn’t hurt his back, to help me push down his pants. I kept my eyes on his face as I let my hand stroke the thin fabric of his boxers. His eyes were closed as I’d told him and his thin lips were parted, a sigh escaping them beautifully. I leaned my body closer to his so he would be able to feel all of me behind him and I teasingly played with the hem of his boxers, letting my fingers stroke the sensitive skin beneath them.

I tried being as gentle as possible, knowing that if I didn’t, he would want to take control himself. And that would go against what the doctor had told him.

So while planting small light kisses on his neck and shoulder, my hand slowly but determinedly found its way down his boxers to grab him.

He was already hard and I couldn’t help but to let out a sigh.

The sound of cars passing by and birds chirping filled our silent room and I let my thumb glide over the soft skinned head of his length before slowly letting my hand stroke down. He breathed out and bucked his hips slightly forward.

“Don’t move,” I ordered, tightening my grip of his dick.

He held still again, a smile parting his beautiful lips. I gradually pulled down his boxers and bit my lip as I looked down to get a look at him; his throbbing length of light pinkish skin, standing out so exquisitely, framed by brown curly hair.

I got an idea and quickly grabbed the bottle of baby oil behind me before soaking my hand in it.

“Babe, what are you…”

“Shh!” I breathed into his ear.

He opened his eyes as he felt my suddenly very moist hand grab him again to stroke him up and down.

“Oh…” he hissed and I felt his thighs tighten.

I pumped his dick slowly, my grip being teasingly loose and gentle.

“Just relax, Norm, close your eyes and enjoy the feeling.”

He did as I said and I felt his muscles unwind under me. I enjoyed listening to his heavy breathing as I worked him, small masculine sounds coming off him when I tightened my grip once in a while.

I kissed the muscles on his arms and felt his warmth spread over my skin, making my heart beat harder.

I tightened my fingers around him at the head and started working faster.

He breathed out heavily.

A ticklish sensation spread down between my legs as I saw him bite down his lower lip, muffling a quiet whimper. The muscles of my arms were burning because of the angle but I continued, not wanting to stop pleasing him like this. Eyes closed, lips parted, heavy breathing; he was so gorgeous.

The muscles of his thighs started tightening again and he groaned out in his raspy voice: “Babe, if you don’t stop, I’m gonna… I’m gonna…”

“Come for me, Norm, please,” I whispered and let my hand work as fast as I could.

I pumped his dick and moaned as I saw the expression spreading across his face. His mouth was open, his breath coming out jaggedly; the lovely sound of groans and whimpers mixed with roughness.

I felt his hand reach behind him to grab at my thigh, squeezing hard as he shuddered into my hand, warm stickiness exploding over it, a deep growl coming from his throat.

I tried to wipe most of it off him and onto my hand before I kissed him on the cheek.

“I love you, now sleep.”

When I came back from the bathroom, he was already asleep. I smiled warmheartedly at the man lying there.

I loved him like…

Like…

No words came to my mind.