Infatuation

I walked towards the exit of the airport, checking the time because my
flight had been delayed for an hour or so. I sighed, annoyed for the delay
but on the other hand very grateful I survived the flight to Heathrow.
I was lucky enough to find a cab as soon as I got out of the airport and gave
the driver an address I had gotten through a text message.

‘On my way! See you in a bit.’
I texted Henry so he knew I was on my way.

After a few minutes I got a text back from him which brought a smile
to my face.
‘Finally. I’ve missed your face.

I was a little nervous to see him because it had been a while.
When he was in LA we hung out all the time and he had been
home in the UK, for a while. We texted and called almost on a daily basis.
I had missed hugging him very much though, so I was looking forward
to that. He was quite a bit taller than me so when he hugged me
I always felt very safe.

The drive went by without any fuss and before I knew it,
I was at Henry’s house. I thanked the driver, paid him and then
grabbed my suitcase to knock on the door.

Before I could, however, the door opened and in the doorway
was a smiling Henry.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the man of steel himself.”
I said with a chuckle.

“Why yes, it is I. Now come in here and give me a hug.”
he said as he closed the distance between us and wrapped his
arms around me.

I happily obliged.

“You look good, Cavill.”
I mumbled, inhaling his lovely scent.

“So do you, Myles. It’s very good to see you.”
he said as he kissed the top of my head.
“Now come in, we wouldn’t want you to get cold.”

He released me and I stepped inside to be met with Kal.

“Kaaaalllll! Hey sweetie, how have you been? Has he been taking
good care of you? Yeah? Aww I’ve missed you too, yes I have!”
I said as I sat down on the floor and gave Kal some love.

Henry stood there, watching as I showered Kal with hugs and kisses
before picking up my suitcase.

“If you tell me where to put it, I could carry it myself you know.
Just because you happen to be Superman, doesn’t mean
I can’t carry my own stuff.”
I said as I tried to wrap my hands around his ankle but he dodged me.

“Just because I’m Superman doesn’t mean anything, I just don’t
want you to carry these up the stairs. Follow me, I’ll show you where you’ll
be staying these few weeks.”
he said before trudging up the stairs with my suitcase.

In all honesty, it didn’t look like he had any trouble with my suitcase.
At all.

I followed Henry up the stairs and he led me to a lovely room with a
King size bed in it.

“It’s not much..”
he said with a slight shrug.

“Oh come on, it’s lovely. And much better than any hotel I would’ve
ended up in, otherwise. It’s perfect.”
I responded and nudged his shoulder.
“Besides, the company here is pretty good, too.”

“Why thank you.”
he said with a smile.

“I was actually talking about Kal. But you’re nice, too.
I guess.”
I said with a shrug as I walked out of the room and
down the stairs as he followed me, laughing.

“Did you hear that Kal? Once again I am second best.
Thanks buddy.”
He affectionately scratched Kal behind his ears before
sighing.
“I don’t really care what you say, Mara. I’ve missed your face
quite much these past few months. I’m glad you’re here.”

I smiled and felt a slight blush on my cheeks.
“I have missed your face quite much, too. Although I do have movies
I could watch and you have nothing of me so I guess you’ve had a more
difficult time than I have. Well, difficult isn’t the right word but you
get my point.”

“I do get the point.”
he said as he gave me a smile.
“Are you hungry? I know you’ve had a long flight so would
you like something to eat? To drink? Please help yourself to anything you
want and don’t ask. For the next two weeks, this is your home, too.”

I nodded.
“I could eat. I could drink. Hell, I could sleep. What time is it?”

“It’s about 10 in the morning.”
Henry responded.
“The time difference takes some time to get used to.”

“I think I should maybe take a nap? But then again, I’d rather stay up until
I should go to bed here so I can hopefully get used as quick as I can.
Maybe I shouldn’t have slept on the plane.”
I mumbled to myself as I walked over to the fridge and looked at what
he had to drink. I found some lemonade and I chuckled.
“Did you buy this just for me or are you drinking lemonade now, too?”

“I like it, too. But I got it because I knew you were coming and I know how
much you love it.”
he admitted as he walked over to the living room.

“Thank you, that’s very sweet.”
I responded as I followed him.
“So, do you have anything you need to do today or are you free?”

“I am absolutely free today. I’ve taken some time off now you’re here.
I go to the gym but that’s pretty much it. Oh and horseback riding.
I need to keep up with that because season 2 will start production soon.”
he sat down and put away the book he was reading.

“Oh, I’m excited. Like, really excited. You were so good as Geralt.
I must admit that I haven’t read the books or played the videogame but
that hair? Luscious.”
I took a sip of my lemonade and watched Henry as he chuckled.

“I know, right? It’s definitely a look. I’m just glad that people seem to
like it.”
his eyes lit up as he talked about the character.

“Those pants, too! They were tight my friend. How on earth did you fight in those?”
I asked.

We talked about everything and nothing that day. We had nowhere to
be and we had missed each other a great deal. It was crazy how comfortable
I felt, the minute I’d stepped into his house.

As the day went on, we took Kal out for a walk and had dinner.
When dinner was done, I was getting so tired that I gave Henry a hug
and went upstairs. The minute my head felt the soft pillow, my eyes
closed and I dozed off in a peaceful slumber.

---------

It had been a few days since I’d arrived at Henry’s place and I
was feeling at home. Henry had been busy with his horseback riding,
some videocalls and working out so I’d had some time to myself.
I went shopping and I also went sightseeing in Kensington. I could see
why Henry liked it here. It was a very nice place to be. When I found some
Superman socks and underwear, I couldn’t help but chuckle and I bought
them as a joke for Henry. He laughed the minute I gave it to him but
he appreciated the thought.

I’d woken up on day four, with a yawn and stretched my limbs.
I felt rested and at ease; a feeling I hadn’t had for a long time.
The fact that I had no one who counted on me to be on time
or do something for them was so liberating.
Henry didn’t leave me alone as much as he gave me my own space
which was a nice change for once.

I grabbed an oversized t-shirt, put on some socks and walked down the
stairs. I realized Henry was nowhere to be found.
Kal saw me and jumped up to get some morning cuddles.

“Hey Kal. Where’s Henry? Hm? Have you seem him?”
I asked but Kal just stuck his tongue out and enjoyed the cuddles
he got.
“You’re really sweet but you’re not really helping.”
I mumbled in the crook of his neck.

Right then a door opened and in walked Henry. He had a cap on
and a blue tank top, looking sweaty.

“Good morning, love.”
he said, when he saw me on the floor with Kal.
“And good morning, Mara.”

I laughed.
“You’ve been waiting to say that for days, haven’t you?”

“Pretty much. Had a good sleep?”
He asked as he got something to drink.

“Yes, I did. That bed is pure heaven.”
I answered as I stood up.
“Had a good run?”

He nodded as he drank from the bottle.
“Yeah, it started to rain halfway through my run but that was actually
quite refreshing.”

“How about I make pancakes for breakfast while you take a shower?”
I suggested.

“You don’t have to make me breakfast every day, Mara.”
he said with a smile.

I sighed.
“We’ve been over this since the first time I made breakfast.
I don’t mind because I am very thankful I get to stay here
and not in some crappy hotel so I want to make you breakfast
as a thank you. It’s no big deal, really.”

“I know but I don’t want you to feel obligated..”
he said but I walked over to him and placed my hand over his mouth.

“Plain or blueberry?”
I asked and I removed my hand.

He sighed and shook his head with a slight smile.
“Could you make both?”

“Yes, I could. Go. They’ll be ready in about 15 to 20 minutes.”
I shooed him away and watched him go up the stairs before I turned
around and went over to the kitchen.

I was dancing along to some music as I was making the batter with
Kal watching my every move. Which was probably because I had given
him a few blueberries and he wanted more.
I’d tied my long hair back in a messy bun and started the pancakes.

‘But if you like causing trouble up in hotel rooms
And if you like having secret little rendez-vous
If you like to do the things you know that we shouldn’t do,
Baby I’m perfect.
Baby I’m perfect for you”
I sang along and I felt a pair of eyes on me.

I turned around and there was Henry with damp hair,
his arms crossed and leaning against the doorpost.
I smiled and walked up to him, grabbed his hand and started
dancing with him, still singing along.

‘And if you like midnight driving with the windows down
And if you like going places we can’t even pronounce
If you like to do whatever you’ve been dreaming about
Baby, you’re perfect
Baby, you’re perfect
So let’s start right now’

I kissed his cheek as the song ended and grabbed our pancakes.
“I’ve just finished. Had a nice shower?”

“They smell delicious and yes, the shower was just fine.
The performance just now made my day, though. I do suggest
you do this every morning for the remainder of your stay.”
he said as he sat down at the table.

“Sorry, I only do those on Friday, 8AM sharp.
That’s when the performer in me comes out. ”
I said as I took a bite.
“Which is total bullshit, you might see more of where that
came from. I am used to living alone so I don’t really have to
worry about people thinking about how weird I’m being.
I like singing and dancing along to songs as I’m doing things in
the house because it makes things so much more fun.”

“I won’t stop you. You have a nice voice.”
Henry stated and I blushed a bit.

“Thanks. I don’t really sing in front of people like that
but you make me feel at ease.”
I admitted.

He looked a bit surprised.
“I do?”

I nodded.
“From the moment we met, your presence always sort of
makes me calm and very grounded. I don’t know how to explain.
I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long time.”

“I’m glad I can help.”
he said, softly.

I nodded again, a little lost for words.
So instead of talking I grabbed the plates and walked over to the
sink to rinse them.

“How about a lazy day? I’ve taken a run and I don’t really have
to go riding today.”
he suggested.

“Sounds great. Oh, I got my motorcycle license, by the way.
I passed a few weeks ago.”
I said as I turned around and drying my hands.

“Wait, what? You got your license? Since when! And why
didn’t you tell me sooner? Mara!”
he stood up and walked over to me.
“This is stuff you tell me.”

I laughed.
“Sorry, I guess I thought I did? It’s not a big deal, really.”

“Yes, it is. This means that when I come to LA, we can go ride
together, I’m already looking forward to it . Shit, I should
just book a flight right now.”
He mumbled.

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself, Cav?”
I started but he shook his head.

“Nope. I’m serious. I think we’d have so much fun.”

His enthusiasm was contagious so I nodded and smiled.
“Yeah I guess. We should definitely do that. But you shouldn’t
make that decision now. Think about it for a while and if you still
want to, you can book a flight. Maybe you’ll be sick of me in a few
days and then you still have to go on that ride with me. Wouldn’t
want that to happen now, would we?”

“Oh, please. I could never get sick of you. You’re quite good company
to keep, you know.”
he responded with a wave of his hand.

“I know. I’m awesome.”
I said with a fake flip of my hair.

“Indeed you are.”
Henry responded as he swung one arm around my shoulders.
“How about I get us something to drink and you pick
out a movie to watch?”

I nodded.
“Sure. Any genre or can I just pick one?”

“I’m fine with whatever you want to watch.”
he said as he kissed my temple and released me.

I smiled at him and then walked over to the couch and sat down,
ignoring the weird feeling in my stomach. That arm around me, the kiss
on my temple and just his presence were making me feel a little dizzy.
I took a few deep breaths and started to look for a movie.

I settled on Shooter with Mark Wahlberg because I’d only seen part
of it and was curious to see the end of it.
Henry came in, saw my choice and I got a “Shooter. Nice.”
from him so I figured I’d made a good choice.

He sat down next to me and started the movie. Somewhere along the way,
he started playing with my hair, gently moving hands through it.
I felt my entire body relax and sighed in content.

“If you keep doing that I might fall asleep, you know.”
I said with a grin and I placed my head on his shoulder.

“Lay down.”
he said as he placed his feet on the coffee table.

I placed my head on his leg and he found my hair again.
I made myself comfortable and found myself completely at ease.
When the movie was halfway through I really had to pee and when I
came back, Henry had gotten a blanket and sat down on the opposite side
of the couch.
“I figured that this would be more comfortable for
your neck, maybe?”
he asked.

“Oh hey, I’m getting spoiled rotten tonight so whatever you want.
If you want to stop, I’m fine too. My whole body is completely Zen.”
I said as I stretched my muscles.

“Well, I don’t mind at all. I didn’t know if you were cold or not so
I got us a blanket, too. And I refilled our drinks.”
He added and I chuckled.

“How long was I actually gone for?”
I took a sip of my lemonade and got comfortable again, my head
on Henry’s other leg.

“Long enough. Shall we continue?”
he asked and I nodded.

We watched the rest of the movie in silence, his hand slowly tracing
patterns on my back. I was very aware of his hand and I had a hard
time focusing on the movie. When it was done, I yawned.
“Well, I’m glad I’ve finally seen it.”

“I still can’t believe you hadn’t.”
he said with his hand still on my back, now.

“I know, I know. I’ve seen almost everything with you in it, though.
I have my priorities straight.”

Henry chuckled and grabbed a strand of hair that had fallen on my cheek
and gently wiped it back.
“Damn right, you do.”

“I feel like I really should get to bed but I’m pretty comfortable here.”
I mumbled and I turned my body so I was facing Henry.

Henry’s hand was on my belly now and he showed no signs of taking
it away. He looked quite relaxed the way we were.

“I probably need some sleep, too. But I know what you mean.”
he seemed to think about something before he asked me;
“You could come with me, we could talk some before we get to
sleep?

“Henry Cavill. Are you inviting me into your bedroom?”
I asked as I tried to keep my voice steady.

“Yes, I am. But if you don’t want to, that’s perfectly fine.”
he said but I shook my head.

“I want to. Let’s go.”

I stood up and grabbed his hand before pulling him with me.
I knew I wasn’t making a difference because he was tall and muscular
and I wasn’t any of those things.
He let me guide the way, though.

When we arrived at his room, he stopped and gently pulled
on my arm.
“I don’t want you to think..”

He started but I shook my head.
“I don’t, Henry. Honestly.”

He nodded with a smile and opened the door.
I ran over to his bed, turned around and let myself fall on it.
“Well, this bed is crazy comfortable.”

I turned around, crawled up to the pillows and lay down.
“What side of the bed are you mostly on?”
I asked as I watched Henry walk over to the other side of the bed.

“This side so you just stay where you are. I’m taking my shirt off
if you don’t mind. I can’t get in the bed with a shirt on, I’ll be too
hot and I hate that.”
he said as he pulled his shirt over his head and his pants off,
too.

“Nah, that’s fine.”
I mumbled as I saw his half naked body and decided that I, too, needed
to shed some clothing and removed my sweatpants.
I decided that my t-shirt would have to go, too before I pulled the sheets
over myself and Henry.
“There. That’s better. If I fall asleep you should just wake me up, okay?
I’ll make the short trip to the guestroom even if I’m half awake.”

Henry chuckled.
“I’m sure you would.”

We talked for a while. About home, I missed LA but not too much with
Henry being around. We talked about his upcoming projects and
about everything and nothing.
What I liked about us was that we had enough things to talk about.
There were hardly any awkward silences and I loved that.

When we were just laying there, not really talking anymore,
I looked to my right and saw that his eyes were closed.

“I should probably let you sleep. Goodnight, Cav.”
I said and gently placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Stay.”
he mumbled as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

“Oh, erm.. Are you sure?”
I asked making sure I heard right.

“Mhm. Please.”
he replied and buried his face in my neck.

Once again, I tried to ignore the dizzy feeling and nodded
before I realized I couldn’t see that.
“Okay. Goodnight.”

“Mhm.”

I chuckled before I placed my arm over his and after a while,
drifted off to sleep as well.

-----

When I woke up the next day, I wasn’t aware of where I was.
It took me a while to recall why I was straddling a leg and
hugging a tall, muscular torso.
I didn’t really know what to do but I did feel very at ease,
waking up next to Henry.

After a few minutes of just lying there, I decided to get up and start
on the breakfast pancakes. As I untangled my leg, I heard Henry
yawn.

“Good morning.”
he mumbled and I smiled at his raspy voice.

“Good morning. How’d you sleep?”
I asked, staying where I was.

He was awake now and he didn’t make any attempt to
move out of the way. I figured I’d make the most of the warmth
he radiated and snuggled a little closer.

“Pretty good, actually. You?”
he asked as he placed his arm over mine.

“Like a baby. A very tired baby.”
I answered and yawned, too.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment.
The fact that he was comfortable as well made it so easy
to stay there.

“I was thinking of breakfast. Do you want pancakes again?
I could make something else if you’d like.”
I said as I absentmindedly drew circles on his torso with my
finger.

“Pancakes sound good. In about 10 minutes.”
he responded.

“Why in 10 minutes?”
I asked as I frowned and looked up at him.

Henry opened one eye to look down at me and said;
“Because I’m not ready for you to leave just yet.”

I was taken by surprise by that and just smiled and lied down
again.
“Then I’ll stay here for as long as you like. But I’ll have to pee
and eat, eventually. You do, too.”

“Mhm. Just not now.”
he mumbled and found my hair again.

“Oh, you play dirty, Cavill.”
I said as I felt my whole body relax.

“I normally don’t.”
He said and I heard the smile in his voice.

“Do whatever you like, play dirty all you want. I don’t
mind at all.”
I said and let out a content sigh.
“I’ve missed you.”

“We’ve never done this before though.”
he replied.

“I know. But I’ve just missed being around you.”
I admitted and he kissed the top of my head.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

--

After an hour or so, my phone went off and I saw it was
my best friend, Michelle.
I answered it before thinking about the position I was in.

“I’m taking a quick shower. See you in a bit.”
Henry said and I nodded.

“I’m sorry, I thought you said you were still in bed?
Was he there with you? Mara Myles. What is going on?”
Michelle asked and I watched Henry collect some clothes
before giving me a small smile and going in the shower.

“Yes, he was there. We fell asleep together.”
I said as I heard the shower being turned on.

“You just fell asleep? Are you sure?”'
he asked again and I chuckled.

“I was there so yeah, I’m pretty sure it was just that.”

She, of course, wanted to know everything in detail and when
I told her about the weird dizziness and feelings in my
stomach, she squealed and declared it love.

I laughed it off because this was Henry we were talking
about and I had no such feelings for him.
She was convinced that it was definitely a crush and that I had
to find out if it could work but at that moment Henry walked out
and I cut the conversation short.

“Pancakes?”
I asked and Henry nodded, his hair still damp and curly.
He had his hair fairly short but when it was wet, the curls were there.

“Pancakes.”
he replied and I got out of bed, threw on my clothes and we walked
downstairs to make us some pancakes.

He insisted on helping so I let him make the batter and I sliced
up some fruit. I wanted to do the rest so I shooed him out of the
kitchen but not before he wrapped his arms around me from behind
and kissed my temple.

“I’m gonna take Kal for a short walk. I’ll be right back.”
He mumbled against my hair before releasing me.

I nodded.
“Sure. I’ll just start in about 10 minute or so, take your time.”
I answered and I felt my heart skip a beat at the close proximity.

I had some time to collect myself while he was with Kal
and I’d decided on some music. I was bobbing my head and
singing along under my breath when I heard the front door open.

I focused on the pancakes as they walked in.
“Hey buddy, had a nice walk?”
I asked Kal as I felt his nose pressed against my leg.

He stuck out his tongue and blinked once.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Do you want some blueberries?”

“That’s why he’s always around when you make pancakes?
You bribe him?”
Henry asked with a smile and I chuckled.
“Maybe. That’s a secret between Kal and me.”

I scratched behind his ears and gave him a kiss on his
head. Then I gave him some blueberries and then started
to work on our pancakes.

The day went by rather uneventful. Henry went off
gaming somewhere during the day and if I hadn’t gotten him
for dinner than he would’ve forgotten all about it.

The days after that went by pretty much the same.
I was just relaxing, helping out in the house, making
breakfast like I’d started on day one and keeping Kal company.
The nights were mostly spent together, talking and then falling
asleep almost mid-sentence.

When I wanted to go out, I went alone, mostly because of
paparazzi that might be around somewhere. Not that we hadn’t been
photographed in LA but I figured he didn’t want to, here.
This was his home and he had every right to not be bombarded
with questions about me and why I was with him.

So I kept on the down low and I was fine with it. He had a nice garden,
a nice house and there was enough to do to keep me busy.

When I had 2 days left, I felt sad. I could’ve stayed for a while
and be completely content with life. Henry was so easy to be
around and he was just an awesome person in general.

I was sat outside on the grass in his backyard, looking
at the stars. I was looking for answers even though I knew
I’d never find them there.

The stay at Henry’s was really nice but it also brought me some
confusion. For some reason, my stomach would do flips when I
woke up next to him. When he was close to me physically I was
dizzy because I could hardly breathe. Whenever he smiled at me,
I felt my cheeks flush and my heart skip a beat.

I had all the signs of being in love or having a crush on him but
I’d never felt like that before, about him. I was just thinking
about what had changed when I heard the door open and close.

I was first greeted by Kal who almost pushed me over before
Henry sat down next to me. I laughed as Kal wanted to shower
me with kisses.

“Get off me, you weird dog. I love you but you’re drooling.”
I said as I kissed his nose.
“Go get some squirrels.”

He barked before running around and I shook my head.
“They say that dogs look like their humans, you know.
Just saying.”

“So you say I’m a pushover and I drool too?”
he asked and I laughed as I saw his frown.

I nodded.
“Definitely.”

He laughed as well and looked at Kal, running around and
having fun.
“What are you doing out here?”

“Just watching the stars. They’re really bright tonight.”

“You sound a bit sad.”
Henry said then, looking at me.
“Are you okay?”

I sighed.
“Yeah I’m okay but you know. I’m almost going home and I’m
really not ready to leave yet. I like it here.”

“You could stay longer if you’d like. I don’t mind having
you here at all. And I’ve been sleeping much better since
you’ve decided to hog all the blankets.”
He replied with a slight nudge against my shoulder.

“I do not hog blankets.”
I sighed.
“And I can’t stay any longer because of work. I only took
2,5 weeks off. I can’t just call them and be like ‘oh hey,
just kidding, I’m staying away longer, good luck with that!’
I’d totally lose my job and I kind of need it.”

“That would be a pretty badass think to do, though.”
He said and grinned at me.

“Yeah well, I’m not that much of a badass when it comes to
the job.”
I lied down on my back and stared up at the sky.
“It’s so infinite. It’s kind of scary but it’s so beautiful.”

Henry did the same and we just stayed there for what seemed
like hours. We didn’t talk much because we didn’t really need to.
Kal came around, too and found a comfortable place next
to Henry. He immediately placed his hand on Kal, petting him.

“Well..”
I said as I yawned and sat up.
“I think it’s time for me to go to bed. I’m almost falling
asleep here.”

“I’ll come with.”
Henry said as he sat up, too.

He turned his body towards Kal and before I knew it,
I had my arms wrapped around his middle and my head
was rested between his shoulder blades.

I felt him take a deep breath before placing his hands on mine.
“I’m gonna miss you so.”
I mumbled as I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent.

“Gonna miss you, too.”
He said as he grabbed my hand and kissed it.
“I really meant that I like having you here.”

“I like being here. A lot.”
I admitted as I released him and stood up.
“But you know, that’s kind of hard. With ‘here’ being a different
country and all. Coming with?”

I asked, as I took in his features and felt my stomach flip
again. I didn’t really know if I should tell him so I decided against
it, for now.

“Yeah, of course.”
he said while standing up as well and wrapping an arm around
my shoulder.
“You do know that I can come visit you, right?”

I smiled as I wrapped my arm around his waist.
“I guess. But you know, it’s just stupid that you’re here
and I’m there and that it’s such a long goddamn flight.”

“Fuck that, I’ve done it so many times by now.
It’s like a walk in the park for me.”
he replied as he opened the door.

“Oh, well, sorry mister actor man.”
I said as I rolled my eyes with a grin.

He chuckled before whistling Kal over.
Kal was a little reluctant at first because he obviously loved
being outside but after a few minutes he ran inside, too.

I looked at Henry giving Kal some cuddles and kisses
and smiled at the sight. He was so crazy about that dog and
Kal was so crazy about him.

Henry then looked at me and smiled back.
“You’re staring.”

I shrugged.
“I know. You two are nice to look at.”

He looked at Kal and then back at me, with a little chuckle.
“But Kal is, once again, the better looking one?”

“In this case, no. He isn’t.”
I said as I felt my heartbeat speed up a little.

He looked at Kal and scratched behind his ears.
“D’you hear that Kal? I’m not second best anymore,
how about that?”

“You never really were. I didn’t want to make Kal jealous.
I know he gets jealous.”
I said as I felt my cheeks start to heat up.

Henry stood up after kissing Kal on his head and walked over
to me, stopping about two feet away from me.
“I get jealous, too.”

“There’s no need.”
I replied, immediately.

“Is it the hair?”
he asked.

I chuckled and nodded.
“Yeah, I’m afraid he has too much of it.”

Henry chuckled as well and then just looked at me.
It seemed to last a long, long time and I was just about to
ask what he was looking for when he took another small step
towards me.

I felt the heat on my cheeks again and my heart was starting
to pound. I didn’t know what he was doing and I didn’t know
what to do myself. I took a deep breath to calm myself down but
when he took another small step, leaving little to no room between us,
I couldn’t calm myself anymore.

My heart was beating erratically and my breathing became more
superficial while I closed my eyes to stop the dizziness.

“Are you okay?”
he asked, softly.

I opened my eyes and looked up at him, seeing he was taller than
I was. I nodded.
“Yeah, it’s just.. You’re very close to me.”

“And.. that’s a bad thing?”
he asked, curious.

“No, not exactly.”
I replied, taking another deep breath.

“You’ve fallen asleep next to me most nights in the past
few weeks. Is this different?”
he wanted to know.

“Well, no not really. But on the other hand it is.”
I mumbled clenching my fists.

“I’m not following.”
Henry said as he wiped a stray hair behind my ear.

“I’m not sure, either.”
I admitted.

“Do you want to tell me?”
he asked then and I knew I had to be brave and tell him.

“Lately.. I mean, these last few days. I’ve sort of.. You’re
having this effect on me. And I’m not sure how or what
or why and I’m really trying to figure out what it is.
But I can’t..”
I stopped mid-sentence because I didn’t really know
how to explain everything I was thinking.

“Is it good or bad?”
Henry wanted to know.

“Good. It’s definitely good but it’s also really confusing.
I’ve never had anything like this happen when you were
around and now all of a sudden it’s there.”
I said and looked up at him.

I took a deep breath.
“I think I’m falling for you.”

He stood there for a moment and I waited until I
couldn’t anymore.

“I don’t want things to be awkward between us.
It’ll pass, just give me some time. Maybe it’s just because
of the nice time I’m having here? I don’t know. Please, just..
I don’t want things to change between us.”
I rambled as I took a slight step back.

I wanted to give him his space but he grabbed my hands
in his and looked down at them for a long time.

“Henry, can you please..”
I started but he looked up at me, released my hands
and placed them in my neck.

“Will you shut up for five seconds?”
he mumbled as he looked me in the eyes.

I just nodded as my heart was starting to feel like it
would jump out of my chest.

He gently traced my lips with his thumb before he
leaned in and placed his lips gently on mine.
I held my breath and stood frozen in place.
When he leaned back a bit I let out a shaky breath and
cleared my throat.

“Of all the things I thought would happen, this wasn’t it.”
I said softly and Henry smiled.

“I didn’t know how you felt until just now. I’ve been trying
to figure it out but I couldn’t.”
he replied, his hands still in place.
“I wasn’t sure what to do about it. But when I was back home
I realized I missed you more than I should for being just a friend.
I blamed it on the nice time we had, too. I blamed it on
L.A. But when you asked me if you could come over and stay
here for a little while, I knew that this meant I could figure out
what it all meant. When I saw you, I knew it had nothing to do
with the place. It was all you. And I’ve been trying to get closer
to you but I didn’t want to push anything.”

I was in a state of shock, now realizing that he had felt pretty
much the same even before I did.

“You never told me. “
I said, not knowing what else to say.

He chuckled and nodded.
“I know. And it’s been fucking difficult.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”
I asked, curious.

“I didn’t want to tell you when I wasn’t sure how you felt.
If I was just a friend, fine. I probably could’ve lived with
that, too. I’d rather be a friend than nothing, Mara.
You’re such a good person. With you, I don’t have to
pretend and you see me. Me. Not many people do.”
he replied and I smiled.

“I tease you, though.”
I admitted and he laughed.

“Yes, you do. But I don’t mind. I quite like that.”
he replied.

“Can I..”
I started and then bit my lip.

“Can you…?”
he asked.

I sighed and decided not to ask. I stood on my tiptoes
and gently placed my lips on his. I placed my hands on his chest
and grabbed his shirt in my hands.

One of his arms found it’s way around me and he placed his
hand on my back, pulling me closer so there was no more room
between us.

I opened my mouth slightly and ran my tongue over his
lips, asking for entrance. It didn’t take Henry long to grant me access,
his tongue against mine. I couldn’t help myself and let out a soft
moan. He was a great kisser and I internally slapped myself for not
realizing sooner that what I felt was some sort of infatuation.

We kissed for a few minutes until he had to stop for a breath
or two. I was panting as well, not realizing how much it actually
affected me while we were still kissing.

When I felt calm enough, I grabbed his hand and led him towards
the stairs.

“Mara, I don’t want to rush things.”
Henry said as he stopped me.

“We won’t. We’ll just go upstairs, get into bed and maybe
kiss some more because I quite liked it. But we’ll see how it goes,
yeah? One step at a time.”
I responded as I pulled him with me, walking backwards up the stairs.
“And we can agree on a safe word. How about Oklahoma?”

He laughed and I winked at him before turning around again
and leading the way to his bedroom.

I closed the door when he’d walked in and turned around
and saw Henry taking off his shirt.
I felt a slight smile come up as I obviously checked him out.
He stood with his back to me and I walked over to place my
hands on his hips.
I gently placed a kiss between his shoulder blades.

“Is this okay?”
I whispered, as I did it again.
“Because if it’s not. Say Oklahoma.”

He turned around and I saw a look in his eyes that made
me feel things in places that hadn’t been touched in a while.
It was so intense that I couldn’t look away, I was completely
locked in his eyes and I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

He closed the slight distance between us by pressing
his lips against mine again, this time our lips already parted
and tongues colliding in a battle for dominance.
I lost by far, enjoying the feeling of him taking control.

He was a gentle, caring guy and knowing he had this in him, made
me want him so very much.
He walked us over to the bed, not breaking the kiss and then
gently pushed me on it. I lowered myself on the bed slowly as
to not break the kiss. It was heated, it was passionate and it was perfect.

I didn’t know where this was going but I did know that if we
didn’t stop soon, I wouldn’t be able to anymore.
His lips moved to my neck and I let out another moan.

“Henry.”
I said, finding my voice.

He stopped what he was doing and brought his face level with
mine.

“I won’t be able to stop if you keep going.”
I said, a permanent blush on my cheeks.

He smirked.
“Oklahoma?”

I shook my head.
“No. Not for me, at least. If you don’t want to rush things,
though. I just thought I’d give you a heads up. I don’t really
want to stop.”

He seemed so search for something in my eyes and when
he didn’t find it, he kissed me, gently.
“I don’t want to stop, either.”

I bit my lip before placing mine on his again.
He was gentle but dominant when he kissed me and
I was curious to what was coming next.

---

When I woke up I realized that I was hugged from the side
and when I looked to my right, the night before came
flooding back in my memory.

I sighed in content and smiled at what had happened.
When Henry stirred a bit and I heard a shift in his breathing,
I knew he was in the process of waking up.

Waiting for him to open his eyes, I studied his face and
placed my hand on his cheek, softly running my fingers over
the stubble that had formed the last few days.

“Mhm. Good morning.”
he said, as he grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on it.
“How’d you sleep?”

I smiled, even though his eyes were still closed.
“Very good. You?”

He nodded.
“Good. ‘Twas really good.”

“Are you talking about your sleep or something else?”
I asked and I chuckled as I saw the grin form on his face.

“Both. Definitely both.”
he answered before opening his eyes.

“Well, that’s a good thing I suppose.”
I pecked his lips once and he quickly attached his lips
to mine for some more of what we’d experienced last
night. His kiss was amazing, soft and gentle.

I knew, though, that when it came down to it, he was
dominant and raw with his kisses in the heat of the moment.
I couldn’t say that I’d minded that one bit.

I left out a soft moan again and I just felt my whole body
heat up again. I pulled back, which was pretty difficult;
Henry had rolled us over so he was half on top of me,
one arm under my head and the other on my waist.

“Don’t you need food?”
I asked, knowing he was pretty strict about his meals.

“Not today. Today is your last day here and I want to
make the most of it. So, if you don’t mind..”
he said before kissing me again.

---

Sure enough, an hour later, we were out of bed.
We definitely fit well together even though I had an ache
I couldn’t exactly ignore. I hadn’t had sex in a while so it
was a good ache, too. I just wasn’t used to it anymore.

“Pancakes?”
I asked as Henry came into the kitchen in his underwear.
I had pulled one of his shirts on but that was all I was wearing,
too.

“Sure, I’d love some.”
he said as he walked over, wrapped his arms around my waist and
kissed my neck.

I felt my heart speed up again and my whole body reacted to
him once more.
“If you want pancakes you need to stop that, though. You’re
turning me on again.”

Henry chuckled and gently caressed my breasts through the
shirt I was wearing.
“I’m really not sorry.”

I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck before
kissing him. When I broke away I looked him in the eyes and
smiled.
“You still need to let me make pancakes. I’m hungry too.
You kind of wore me out, in a good way.”

He grinned.
“We have to work on your cardio. I don’t mind.
I’m happy to oblige.”

I rolled my eyes and shooed him over to another area of the
kitchen so I could focus on the pancakes.

“Hey, Mara?”
he asked after a while.

“Hmm?”

“What happens when you go home?”
he asked.

I frowned.
“Well, I go to work and start my boring life again.”

“No, I meant what happens with us when you go home?”
he sounded a bit worried.

I turned around after turning of the heat; all the pancakes
were ready.

“What would you like?”
I asked after a few moments of silence.

“I’d like to see if we could make this work. I know it’s
all pretty early, maybe. But I have a really good feeling
about this. About us.”
he replied and I felt my heart swell.

“I’d like to see you as soon as you can. I also have a pretty
good feeling about us and I’d like to see where this is going.
You’re pretty amazing, Henry. I’d be stupid if I wouldn’t see
that.”
I said and I walked over to him and hugged him close.
“You’re one of my best friends and last night was amazing.
This morning, too. Hell, the entire stay here was amazing. I’m
pretty glad that it turned out this way.”

I pecked his lips and gave him a smile before grabbing our
pancakes and sat down at the table.
Henry sat down, too and we had a nice breakfast.

We had a very nice last day together with stolen kisses,
sideway glances and touching each other when we could.

Our last night was even more special. We’d had our first night
together and even our second time that morning.
But it was like he knew me for so long, knowing the
right spots on my body to kiss and caress, to touch.
It was really the most amazing night we could’ve had.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?”
Henry asked as I was packing.

“I would love to, you know I would. But I need this job
to provide for myself. Besides, what if we realize that we
aren’t gonna work out?”
I asked.

“You think that will happen?”
he asked, with a frown and he walked over to me.
“I don’t just sleep around with everybody, Mara. I want
this to work.”

I softly pecked his lips.
“I do, too. But there might be a small possibility that
it won’t. And then what?”
I said as I made him face me by placing my hand on his cheek.
“You have no idea how bad I would like to stay.
I like it here. I like Kal. I like you, probably way more than
I should at this stage but I do. You’ve made me so happy
these past few weeks and I hate leaving that all behind
because I have to go home. I don’t want to but I don’t really
have a choice.”

“I know. I know you don’t, I’m sorry.”
he replied.
“I’m just really..”
He started but stopped as he looked down at my necklace.

“You’re just really.. what?”
I wanted to know.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen in love with you.”
he replied as he looked up into my eyes again.
“It’s insane because we’ve only just talked about how
we feel about each other but it’s there.”

I put my lips on his with as much force as I could muster
and I had to put a hold on packing for a while because I was
completely lost in Henry once more and Henry didn’t mind
one bit.

When we were putting on our clothes again, I chuckled.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had sex this many times in 2 days.”

Henry chuckled.
“You have much to learn.”

I gasped.
“You have? Wow, you’re so dirty.”

“I was young once.”
he replied with a shrug.

“And now you’re old. Like a fossil.”
I mimicked shock.

“This fossil hasn’t heard you complain so fuck you
very much.”
he said and I laughed.

“I believe we’ve been there, done that.”
I replied as I grabbed his shoulders, pulling him on the bed and
kissed him, hard.
“I’d do you again, though.”

Henry smiled.
“Well, right back at ya.”

I pecked his lips and then stood up from the bed again to
resume my packing duties.

“My flight leaves in six hours.”
I mumbled as I looked at the time.

“Too soon, love. Way too soon. How can I help?”
Henry asked after kissing my temple.

We packed my suitcase, mostly in silence and I was not looking
forward to goodbye. I never did but this time it was
going to suck even harder.

When Henry carried the suitcase downstairs for me again, I
felt a twist in my stomach. I really didn’t want to go, at all.

“You’re Superman, right? Can’t you slow down time?”
I mumbled and Henry frowned.

“Doctor Strange has the time stone.”
he replied as he put the suitcase down.

“Shit, just my luck. Fallen for the wrong superhero.”
I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried
my face in his shirt.

“I’m strong, have X-ray eyes and can see right through you
though. Way cooler.”
he gently kissed the top of my head and held me close.

“I beg to differ. I could use the time thing right now.
Which I knew belonged to Strange by the way. It was
just a joke.”
I said and softly kissed him.
“I’m gonna miss you, Cav.”

“We’ll see each other soon enough. I promise.”
he said before placing another kiss on my lips.

There was a honk outside and I realized that it was the
cab I’d called.

“Well, thanks for everything. Being here was more than
amazing. Thank you.”

Henry smiled.
“Thank you, too. It really was pretty great, huh?”

I nodded.
“Very much so.”

I sighed and gave him one last kiss before grabbing my
things and walking out the door. I gave him a small wave
and then got into the cab, which drove off to the airport
way too soon.

Checking and flying home seemed to last a lot shorter
than the other way around and it really pissed me off.
I didn’t want to be home, I wanted to be with Henry or at least
in the same country as him.

I’d called him as soon as I’d landed and he sounded a little
gloom but that could’ve been the time difference
as well. He was just getting out of bed and I was in the middle
of getting into it.

“How’d you sleep?”
I asked as I looked around my bedroom.
It was too empty for my liking.

“Like crap. My bed was too cold and too empty.”
Henry replied and I sighed.

“I was just looking at mine and thinking the same thing.
I think I should get into rehab first before trying
this on my own. This will not go down well.”
I replied and Henry chuckled.

“You’ll do just fine. I’m only a phone call away.”
he said as he sighed.
“And an ocean.”

“Yes, there is that. Well, I’m not really tired but I should
Probably try to sleep somewhat. So I guess I’ll talk to you
soon?”
I asked.

“You can call me whenever. If I can I’ll answer.
I hope you sleep well, love.”
Henry said as I felt myself smile without even thinking
about it.

“You, too. You can call me, too. If you’d like. Have a nice day
and give Kal a hug from me.”
I said before we said our final goodbyes.

When I got into bed it took me a while before I got some sleep
but I was determined to stay in bed. I had to get used to
the time zone again so I wanted to adjust as good as I could
before I had to start work again in a few days.

Michelle came over the day after, just as I’d gotten off
the phone with Henry; he’d called me because his day was
pretty much over and he wanted to hear my voice before
he got to bed.

Michelle couldn’t believe her ears when I told her about
the unexpected turn my visit to Henry had taken. She
wanted to know how and why and when and I told her as
much as I could without giving too much away; he was Henry
Cavill after all. And I didn’t know if he wanted me to
be too explicit.

“You really, really like him.”
Michelle said when she’d looked at me for a while
without talking.

I blushed.
“I know, it’s completely crazy. We’ve known each other
for, what, three years now? I never felt this way about him
before. At least, I don’t think so.”

She chuckled.
“You so did. You never wanted to admit to it but you’ve liked
him for much longer than you realize.”

“And you didn’t tell me.. why?”
I asked as I threw a pillow at her.
Softly, of course.

“Because I thought you knew!”
she exclaimed and threw the pillow back.
“If it makes you feel any better, it took him long enough.
He’s been undressing you with his eyes for much longer, too.
So this all just works out perfectly.”

“He has?”
I asked, a little shocked.

“Yeah, but he kind of told you though. So it shouldn’t
be that big of a surprise.”
she shrugged as my phone signaled I had a text.

I grabbed my phone and saw it was Henry.
‘Can’t sleep. Need rehab, too. Thinking of you. X'

I quickly typed a response back before I put my phone
away again and Michelle chuckled.
“You’re two are so cute. Anyway, I should probably go.
Jeremy is coming over so I should make myself pretty.”

“You already are.”
I said with a frown.

“Well, you’re my best friend and you’re biased.
But thanks sweetie.”
she replied and got up to leave.

We said our goodbyes and when I was home alone I
decided that my house needed a clean-up so I put on some
music and cleaned for a few hours. It kept me distracted from
certain things and that was much needed.

The third day of being home, it was my last day off so I
decided to relax. I hadn’t heard from Henry in a while
and he didn’t reply to my last text but I figured he was just
busy. He was a pretty active guy so I didn’t read much
into it. I was just starting the third episode of The Witcher
when there was a knock on my door.

“Ah, man. I can’t catch a fucking break.”
I mumbled under my breath, annoyed that I had to stop
the episode.

I walked over to the door and when I opened it,
my heart skipped a beat and I was in a complete state of
shock.

Henry looked at me with a big smile and wrapped his arms
around me.
“Surprise.”
He mumbled in my hair and I finally got my arms to move
again.

I gently pushed myself away from him and I placed his face
in between my hands. I just stared at him for a while before
pressing my lips against his and wrapping my arms around him,
wanting him closer again.
“How are you here?”

“Well, there are these things called planes and..”
he started as I smacked his shoulder softly.

“You know damn well what I mean. Aren’t you supposed to
be home?”
I asked as I took a step back.

He shrugged.
“I didn’t want to be home. I wanted to be with you.”

I just looked at him and I only realized there was a tear
on my cheek when Henry frowned and gently wiped it
away.

“Are you okay?”
he asked, worried.

I chuckled.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. It’s just that no one’s ever done anything
like this for me before and it’s just.. I’m a little overwhelmed in
a good way. You’re completely crazy, Cav.”

“No, I just missed you.”
he replied.

“So you just decided to get on a place and come here.
You’re nuts. Batshit crazy.”
I said before kissing him.
I had missed him more than I’d realized because
somehow my body felt completely at ease and relaxed
when I was in his arms. Subconsciously I’d been so very
nervous and on edge but all of that was gone now.

“I like batshit crazy when it comes to you, though.”
I asked, after he’d pulled away to catch his breath.

We were still in the hallway with the door open so I
quickly closed it and led him to the living room.
I grabbed us something to drink when I heard him
walk into the kitchen.

“So.. The Witcher?”
he asked with a grin.

“Yeah. I really missed you and this made me feel like
you were less far away. And of course it’s just a really,
really good show. Which also helps heaps.”
I admitted and got a smile from Henry.

“I’ve missed you, too.”
he said, simply.

Then he frowned.
“I know we’ve only started to see where this would go
about a week ago. But I am falling so very hard for you.
It’s kind of scary but it’s a good scared. But if you think
I’m moving too fast or doing something the wrong way
just tell me, okay? I don’t want to lose you because of it.”

I shook my head.
“Henry..”

“I mean it, Mara. I don’t want to screw this up. I get a little
intense sometimes and that’s not always a good thing.
So please, tell me. Okay?”
he said as he walked towards me and grabbed my hands in
his.
“I do not want to lose you.”

His eyes were blazing with sincerity and I felt a familiar
feeling in my stomach and I bit my lip.
“You’re turning me on.”
I replied as I placed my hands on his chest.

“I am?”
he asked with a smirk.

“Yeah. I don’t think you’ll screw this up. Maybe I will, we’ll
never know until we try and talk about it. Being adults and all,
I think we’ll be fine. But the way you looked at me just now?
You can’t do that to me. It makes me want to grab you
and do things to you. Bad things.”
I replied as I saw his pupils dilate. His breathing got more
superficial, too.

I took a step closer and kissed at the soft spot just
beneath his ear.
“How long are you staying?”
I whispered before I kissed the same spot again.

“Fuck, Mara.”
he said as he grabbed my hips and pulled me as close to
him as he could.

“How long are you staying, Henry?”
I asked again and I traced his jaw with kisses.

“For as long as you’ll have me.”
he replied with a tremble in his voice.

“I’ll want you here for a very, very long time.
Think you’re up for that?”
I asked, as I pulled his shirt up a little and ran my hands
along the waistband of his jeans.

“That depends.”
he mumbled as his hands went down and grabbed my
butt and squeezed a little.

“On..? Shooting season 2? Another movie?”
I wanted to know as I gently pecked his lips.
“What?”

“On how long you’re gonna make me wait because if
you don’t kiss me right now, I fucking will.”
he mumbled.

I chuckled.
“Consider it done.”

I attached my lips to his and moaned as I felt his
tongue against mine. His hands were tugging on my shirt
and he pulled it over my head, making us break the kiss.

“If we keep going, I don’t know if I can make it to the bedroom.”
I said, slightly out of breath.

“I don’t need a bed, love.”
he said with a devious grin and he kissed me again.

I was completely lost in him. His eyes, his lips,
his hands, his body. But most of all I was completely lost
about the way he made me feel. I was curious to see
where we would go and I was more than certain about him.
Time would tell if we could make it work but I was going
to try my hardest to keep him.