Polo and Dreameh's short RP (Mature Content) - Continued (Part 2).

((Haha! Leon, challenge accepted *makes mental note* ))

I clutched protectively to the towel around my shoulders, feeling surprisingly self-conscious with my bruised body, and allowed him to undress me, keeping an eye on his hands. He knew what would happen if he got too carried away...
But Leon was still Leon. He could be a gentleman when he wanted to be, and it seemed this was one of those times.
I allowed him to take off my knickers and I unwrapped the bandage under my towel and then tightened it around my chest, wincing slightly at the dull aching around my ribs, then turned round to face him with an amused smile.
"I think my hair'll be fine." I giggled, winked at him and continued. "But I may need a hand washing my feet." I said it so seriously, I could have actually meant it. But then I added, "And a few other places." Raising an eyebrow suggestively, then pushed him backwards playfully. "Go on, get yourself ready. I'm going cold, over here."

Leon laughed at Abby's reply, shaking his head, and looked up at her with a smirk.
When she mentioned 'a few other places', a dull expression crossed his face, and he stared at her stupidly. Luckily, Abby had the good sense to shove him, which snapped him back to his senses.
"Go on, get yourself ready. I'm going cold, over here."
"Eh?" He grunted stupidly, "Me...?"
He stared blankly at Abby for a moment, distractedly thoughtful, as though he hadn't really registered that he would also have to undress.
But at last he obeyed - and though his cheeks reddened slightly when he stepped out of his boxers, he pretended not to be shy. He had no excuse, after all... It wasn't as if this was the first time.
"Go on, then." He said to Abby, shoving her gently between the shoulder blades. "Let's get all clean and shiny."

I smiled shyly when he began undressing and looked away, partly out of respect and partly because I didn't trust my eyes all that much, even after everything that we'd done.
"Shiny!" I squeaked in a blonde fashion, allowing him to guide me to the bathroom with my back to him. Once we were in, I turned on the shower - stiffly, as reaching up still caused my ribs to hurt - and waited for it to warm up. Once I was satisfied I dropped the towel onto the closed toilet seat, selfconsciously covering my self up, which ended up being a pethetic attempt anyway, and stepped into the shower.
How did I survive in the hot tub? In the bed in Rome? That night that put me in hospital really had knocked my confidence.
The hot water hammered and burned the freshly healed cuts on my back and moistened the grazes all over my body. I let in a hiss of pain as it trickled over one of my swollen ribs, cuddling it protectively. It hurt to touch.
I had my back to Leon, and I was glad. My eyes became red with invisible tears.
I felt vulnerable.
With coming back home I'd hoped it would make me forget what had happened in Rome, but it was stupid to think that. I'd never forget what happened. Never forget the feeling of the blade lingering threateningly over my throat, the horrible stench of the stranger's breath wafting over my face. The feeling of inferiority when I was curled up on the cobbles with the two figures hovering over my body, stabbing me with their boots and fists.
I hugged myself, stood naked in the shower, slumped my shoulders and cried.

Leon stepped into the shower after Abby, and drew the curtain closed behind him.
Funny - he'd joked about them showering together, but he honestly hadn't expected it to happen... Now, he felt he was in a little over his head. The heat in his cheeks hinted that this was beyond his comfort zone, and he was feeling somewhat intimidated... But the fear was a good one. A happy thrill, per say...

At Abby's involuntary hiss of pain, he totally forgot the awkwardness of the situation, and stepped forward with a concerned frown - laying his hands reassuringly on her shoulders.
They stood thus a moment, then Abby's shoulders began shaking beneath Leon's touch, and he could hear tears in her voice.

In a flash, he had his arms around her, placed carefully around her shoulders and collarbone, and no lower.
He pulled her close to him, feeling her wet skin warm against his, and held her firmly into his embrace.
His arms shielded her like a protective barrier, locking her away from all the evils of the world.
Gradually, Leon began to lower his head, until his chin was resting lightly on Abby's shoulder. His heart contracted for her, looking so utterly vulnerable... But at the same time, he didn't think he'd ever experienced a more intimate moment with her, and it touched him deeply.
Unsure of how or why, Leon became aware of tears mingling with the hot water streaming down his face. He had never felt so connected to Abby... It was as though he could honestly feel her pain... He believed he could, anyway.

"It's okay." He whispered at last, squeezing her tighter, and pressing his cheek gently against hers - eyes tight shut. "It's all over..." Rubbing her shoulder reassuringly, he went on, "I'm right here, Abbs... And I promise... I won't ever let anything hurt you."
The utter passion in his whisper left no doubt to the truth of his words. And if that wasn't evidence enough of his sincerity, then his embrace certainly was. He wrapped himself around Abby like armour.
"Everything's fine...
You're with me."

I cried for a long time, but with Leon's arms around me I felt far less vulnerable than before. The shower water disguised most of my tears, but the quiet hiccups which led to heart-felt sobs simply overpowered the tears themselves. There was no hiding it.
I soon found myself turning slightly and curling up in his arms, my temple resting on my shoulder withh my arms folded up against his chest.
Funny, when we first met I seemed more bold and stronger than Leon. I wasn't afraid of kicking him in his crotch or screaming in his face. I wasn't afraid of anyone, really, besides the odd person - and that small group of jocks that had tried on me. I barely cried. If I needed to let out my feelings I'd play the piano or sing. Or both. Until I met Leon, I didn't need anyone.
Look at me now.
Perhaps having someone to lean on had weakened me, or just lowered my guard more. I was still very much the same person, but I no longer had anything to hide about myself.
Having my life threatened had scared me. Terrified me. There was no denying it now.
Still, I managed to calm listening to Leon's whispers in my ear, shushing me, telling me that everything was fine. And at that moment, although he couldn't have been more wrong - and in a short amount of time I would feel this hurt again when he died - I could actually believe him. At that moment, we had each other, literally stripped to the core, in all we could be. And even though the tears still followed the shower water as it trickled down my face, I had nothing to worry about.
It was bliss.
I looked up at him with tearful eyes, but I was smiling. I noticed the redness in his own, raised my hands and cupped his face gently. "What're you crying about, eh?" I asked with a quiet giggle, sniffing away my own tears.
He looked so earnestly beautiful with his dark, wet hair and that serious look on his face. I was extremely lucky to have him.
I took a tiny step closer, brushing my chest lightly against his and resting my hands on his stomach. It was harder than I expected, to be honest. Even when he was as thin as he was he still had muscles worth putting in a magazine.
I grinned tearfully and prodded his belly button gently. "Geez... I swear your muscles must be superior, or something. Unless you've been working out whilst I was sleeping."
Had to be said.
I rested my head against his chest again, concentrating on the steady heartbeat drumming against my ear.

"I'm not crying." He objected, but his smile betrayed the lie. "And I don't know why." He added with a whispered laugh, "You just get to me, somehow."
He placed a hand on top of her head, and ruffled her wet hair playfully - a warm smile creeping over his face.
But then Abby stepped closer, and a thrill like an electric shock jolted through him.
To say that he was actually listening to her would be a complete lie. To say that his thoughts remained on a purely innocent track would be an even bigger one.
As a teenage boy with hormones gone wild, naked with his girlf-... with his fiance - there was really only one thing on his mind.
It was with extreme difficulty that he managed to distract himself from becoming too turned on.

He sighed, muscles slackening in relief when she laid her head against his chest, and folded his arms around her.
"I love you." He murmured, because he could think of nothing else to day.
His fingers tangled absentmindedly in her hair, and his eyes travelled slowly down her back.
He could see the cuts and bruises on her side... And suddenly, his arms tightened around her.
"I'm sorry." He muttered in a small voice, sounding pathetically near tears - considering the courage in his voice a moment before. "If I hadn't upset you that night, then-"
He broke off, swallowing and biting his lip.
He kept his hand cupper firmly around Abby's head, because he didn't want to see her face just then. He didn't want her telling him it wasn't his fault... No matter what she said, he would blame himself.
He had let this happen to her...
When he thought about it, it was no wonder he was crying.

"Hey," I felt myself frowning at the heartbreaking sound of his voice. My arms tightened around him. "Hey... Shh."
He couldn't seriously believe what had happened was his fault?
"No..." I tried to lift my head, but this obviously wasn't what he wanted, so I kept it resting against his shoulder. "No, Leon. I overreacted. It was stupid of me to go out so late at night, I sohuld have seen it coming. It's not like you asked for it."
I linked my hands behind his back in a comfortable place, pressing my cheek fo his chest. We stood there in silence for a while,until I'd had enough.
"Besides... As you said, it's over now. We should be enjoying the time we have left, not getting upset over the past." I lifted my head eventually, wriggling just enough away from him to get the bottle of shower gel from the side of the bath, squirted a blob onto my palm and rubbing them together until it began to froth.
"What's done is done. Besides which, you smell." I stuck my tongue out teasingly. "Come here..." I reached out and began covering his upper body with the shower gel. However, when it came to doing his legs, I stopped.
He could do 'that bit' himself.
Frowning thoughtfully, I glanced downwards at his 'shadowed area', and squirted another blob of shower gel onto my palm.
"Did you know..." I added randomly. "That male dogs lick each other's penises when they're bonding?"
It was said with such a serious face, it almost could have been taken seriously. However, in the current situation, such things were pretty much impossible...

((True story... XD My piano teacher's dog did it to the other today, I'm NEVER letting that thing lick my face... Ever again. ))

((SO AWKWARD! XD Dude, I read this in school. I felt like such a pervert. Haha! ))

"That doesn't apply when you're hurt." Leon grumbled stubbornly, but he let it go anyway - though he still looked somewhat upset. It didn't matter what Abby said - he still felt responsible. He always would, because no matter how he looked at it, he had played a major part in the whole ordeal. Perhaps he hadn't beaten her himself, but he felt as bad as if he had.
Abby squirmed in his grip, then, and he released her resignedly, a hollow feeling rising up deep in his chest.

However, before Leon could spend too long moping around, Abby was brandishing a handful of shower gel at him, and teasingly complaining about his smell.
He sighed, shook his head, and finally he allowed a half-hearted smile to ease its way onto his face.
It didn't stay half-hearted for long. The moment Abby assaulted him with the soapy studs, Leon burst out laughing, squirming ticklishly away.
It was the most absurd feeling he'd ever experienced. But he had to admit, he rather enjoyed it...
Finally, Abby left him to catch his breath, and Leon's laughter quietened to a feeble chuckle, then to nothing.
"I could've done that myself, you know." Leon pointed out, grinning, despite the lingering weight of misplaced guilt on his shoulders.
"It's bloody ticklish-"
"Did you know?" Abby cut him off suddenly, clearly not listening to his pointless complaints, "That male dogs lick each other's penises when they're bonding?"
"Eh?" Leon grunted stupidly, staring blankly at Abby. He followed her gaze downward, felt his cheeks begin to heat, and flicked her forehead for free. "Real smooth, love. Very subtle." He rolled his eyes, "Watch where you're looking, would you?"
He stole the shower gel to get his revenge, shifting closer to Abby, and clumsily squeezing a blob onto his hand. He still couldn't see out of his left eye, so he fumbled with the bottle slightly, but after a few moments he had the gel worked into a lather on his hands, and he brandished it threateningly at Abby.
Then he shrugged, and began covering her in the soapy suds, starting with her shoulders.
"Interesting concept, that." He mumbled absentmindedly, "The dogs, I mean. I can totally see the benefit of us guys giving our buddies blowjobs to bond." He chuckled, then stopped, frowning intently as he realised what he'd just said.
"Is it just me, or did that sound extremely gay?"

((I know, right? Perfect timing :3 Not as bad as Danny though
Dude, this is bad... In virtually all my RPs, in the last few posts, there has been something to do with a guy's doo-doo. Except for Rorah's, and even then the guy's pretty horny. In general, I mean XD Bad. Baaaaaaad... ))

"Ow!" I squeaked, rubbing my forehead. However, a massive grin had lit up my face. At least the past was now behind us, and we were finally able to enjoy ourselves again.
My gaze arose to his eyes - it wouldn't have stayed downwards for long, anyway - and I smiled innocently at him. His reply, however, was almost as bad as the fact itself.
I allowed him to wipe on the shower gel, but it was hard when I was laughing so hard. Did he realise what he'd just said?
The frown on his face was toomuch to bare, and soon enough I had to grip my side from laughing so hard. It was brilliant having these moments, allowing ourselves to act like fiances without acting beyond our age. We were still teenagers, therefore we acted accordingly. However, the jokes we shared were priceless.
"Leon Hunter!" I exclaimed, looking mockingly horrified. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts on your sexuality now?!"
I poked his stomach playfully, then wrapped my arms lovingly around his neck, pressing my forehead against his. I was still grinning.
"You won't be having any 'male bonding sessions' under my watch, sir." I said the final word in a mocking American accent, and kissed him once, twice, on the lips.

When Abby burst out laughing, Leon slapped his palm to his forehead, grinning in amusement. "I really need to start thinking before I speak." He complained weakly, lips still twitching upwards with laughter. "And for the record," He went on, putting on a conceited voice, "Chicks dig gay dudes. If I was gay, the entire world's sexy-scale would be thrown off." He flashed a crooked, cowboyish grin.
Before he could brag any more, Abby shut him up by sezing him about the neck, and applying too quick kisses to his lips. He laughed, and reached out to stroke a hand through her hair, then he leaned in to kiss her in return, pressing his forehead affectionately against her like an adoring kitten.
"What is it about you..." He asked absentmindedly, stroking a lock of wet hair away from her face, "That always makes me put my foot in my mouth? I mean - always."
Rolling his eyes, Leon chuckled quietly to himself. He had to acknowledge; it felt good to let everything go and laugh again.
"You're not gonna tell Jesse about this, are you?" He asked with a self-pitying wince. "He'd never let me live it down... Never."

"What is it about you... That always makes me put my foot in my mouth? I mean - always."
I giggled into his face, playing with the lock of hair at the bottom of his neck. It was a rather cute thing to say, I had to admit. Even for a guy that knew every trick on charming girls that there ever was in the world. Then again, the answer was obvious.
"Oh, I don't know... It may be something to do with the three words we exchange, like, five times a day? You know, the ones that start with 'I' and end in 'you'?"
I winked at him.
"And I wasn't going to mention that little comment to Jesse..." I pulled away, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "But now that you mention it... It would be rather amusing."
I grinned again and kissed his lips a final time, then flicked off the shower and turned back to him. "Then again, if you do end up turning gay and having a bonding session with him... I ain't getting involved."
I flicked his nose playfully, then began casually scruffing up his soaking hair, raking it he wrong way, spiking up in random directions. But it didn't matter how badly I messed it up, it still looked ridiculously good on him.
I glared at it. I wondered if it would suit him if I dyed it pink...

"Abby~!" Leon moaned, pulling a face. "I could have done without those mental images!" He pressed a hand dramatically over his eyes, and shuddered.
He let her mess with his hair for a while - but when he tired of it, he snatched her hand away, and brought it briefly to his lips.
"Come on." He ordered, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her around, then pushing her out of the shower ahead of him.
"Brr!" Leon exclaimed as they stepped into the cold air, releasing Abby to rub the goosebumps from his shivering arms.
He snatched a towel from the towel rack, and draped it warmly around Abby's shoulders - giving her a brief hug before he grabbed one for himself.
Damn, but it was cold!

He was quiet for quite some time, then - focusing on dressing as fast as he could so his body temperature couldn't drop any further. He didn't recover from the cold as quickly as he used to, and with his immune system as weak as it was, he couldn't afford to catch a cold.
His fingermails were tinged faintly blue by the time he was dressed, but overall he appeared considerably warmer.
He glanced back at Abby with a subtle smile, waiting to see if she'd need any help dressing.
It was remarkable, even to him, how much he loved that girl.
He'd never been so comfortable with anyone in his life.

"Sorry," I grinned sheepishly, shakily stepping out the shower and accepting the warm, fluffy towel that was draped around my shoulders. I hugged it gratefully and pecked Leon on the nose, before leaving him to grab a towel for himself. I started off with drying my hair - for my benefit, not Leon's - then the rest of my body, and wandered to the main room to get my clothes. It was the same as before: a simple, baggy t-shirt and the pink, pug knickers.
I dressed myself with difficulty, but the shower had calmed my muscles therefore my ribs didn't quite hurt as much.
I walked to the mattress and turned on the heat, ((it's one of those heat-up things... I've decided )) before wandering to the bathroom to see if Leon was dressed.
"I turned the bed on." I said casually. "I don't usually, since it uses electricity, but you look like you've been drowned in the Antarctic ocean, so I figured it was as good a time as any." I smiled tiredly and yawned, taking his hand and pulling him towards the bed. "Come on, Romeo. You need a good sleep for talking to your folks tomorrow, remember?"

(("I turned the bed on" XD Dude, that sounds like something a forever alone guy would say. I've got to get my head out of the gutter. I laughed way too hard at that. O.o ))

"My guardian angel!" Leon exclaimed dramatically, only half joking, when Abby mentioned turning on the electictric blanket. "I thought I was gonna freeze my ass off."
He let her take his hand, and followed her to the bed - smiling in a stupidly content fashion.
He was generally pleased with his lot in life. If Britney could have seen how annoying happy he was, she would have been livid.
"Come on, Romeo. You need a good sleep for talking to your folks tomorrow, remember?"
If anything could have rained on his parade, it was that.
"Abby!" He whined, plonking himself dramatically on the bed, and pouting sulkily, "Don't remind me. It's bad enough you're making me talk to them - don't make me think about it, too!"
He fell back on the bed, miming a faint with the back of his hand to his forehead, like a victorian lady in the 20th century. ((Don't even ask. XD ))
"Come here." He odered then, slapping the pillow beside him. "I need a hug."
((Dude. So clingy. ))

((OMW! XD Funny mental image. Dude, that was sharp ))

"Oh, shut up." I teased, pulling the quilt over us both and snuggling up to him. Although I was perfectly warm, I could sense he wasn't, and so I snuggled up to him and allowed him to hug me as he would a hot water bottle. "You know it has to be done."
I dug my face into his neck and smiled, finding a hand and intertwining my fingers with his.
"Geez, you're like a human icicle." I complained half-heartedly, wincing slightly as my ribs pressed against his chest.
"So..." I whispered with twinkling eyes, simply trying to make conversation. "I guessed you enjoyed that, then?"

When Abby lay down beside him, Leon wrapped his arms around her automatically, and cuddled her as close to him as he could - sharing her body warmth. He felt her find his fingers, and kissed the top of her head in response.
She made some comment about him being a human icicle, but he just moaned in response and brought her closer, if that was even possible, letting his eyes slide blissfully closed as his cold body began rapidly warming up.
They lay together peacefully for a while, until Abby broke the silence.
"So... I guessed you enjoyed that, then?"
Leon uttered a bark of laughter.
"Abby, I'm a guy. And despite the evidence to the contrary; quite straight. Do you even have to ask?"
He chuckled and poked her in the chest, pushing her away just far enough so he could see her eyes.
He had been planning to flirt around - maybe make out a bit - but he never got around to putting his plans into action; because when his eyes met hers, he realised that he needed nothing else.
He was hopelessly lost in her eyes, and so utterly happy that he wasn't sure he could take any more.
"Have I ever told you...?" He mumbled absentmindedly, stroking her cheek, "That you have really pretty eyes?"

"Abby, I'm a guy. And despite the evidence to the contrary; quite straight. Do you even have to ask?"
I giggled at this, because I certainly knew what he meant. He was quite a girl, and he knew he was, and although he tried to act as manly as possible, it barely ever worked. It only made me adore him further. If, after everything, that was even possible.
Although, since all we'd really done in the shower was cry and share awkward jokes, I worried that he may not have enjoyed himself. Showering with your fiance was a natural thing, but wasn't it also supposed to be fun? Yet I'd just created a depressing mood from the start, then killed it with the 'dogs and penises' fact. Not really much of a romantic moment, if you ask me.
But hey, if he enjoyed it that was fine with me.
When he mentioned my pretty eyes, I found myself blushing and giggled nervously. Oddly enough, he'd been the first person ever to notice my eyes. They were a strange form of hazel, with a mix of chestnut brown, green and a small tint of blue. Hell, even I barely noticed them when I looked in the mirror. At a first glance they were boring, but with most eyes, when you looked closer, the detail was clear.
"You haven't," I smiled tiredly. "But thank you."
I tried to think of a compliment to throw back at him, but I was far too tired to think. So I decided with, "You have very blue lips."
Not really a compliment, but it was a start.
I winked. "But hey,I can fix that for you."
I slipped a hand behind his head and pressed my lips to his, the muffled sounds of my giggles and the chorused heavy breathing the only sound left in the room.

"Hey!" He exclaimed indignantly, "Blue lips? Is that the best you-" He broke off before his tangent could run on any further, for at that moment, Abby's lips got in the way of his complaints - and he actually struggled to kiss her, because he couldn't keep the amused grin from his face.
He returned her kiss, then tweaked her nose for good measure when he pulled back.
"You know, I really love you." He laughed, "Even though you've got a bloody useless dictionary of compliments."
He ruffled her hair playfully. "Seriously, I'm surprised my ego has survived since we've been together."
Sticking his tongue out teasingly, he reached out and flipped her damp hair over her eyes.
She couldn't hit him if she couldn't see now, could she?
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head in fond amusement.
Everything was so easy with Abby... This was the dream. If only he'd have time to see it through to the end...

"I'll take that as a compliment." I teased, pecking him on the lips. "But you know, shockingly, I'm not surprised." I puffed away a lock of hair that he'd flicked over my face and watched it hover away from my eyes before falling back into it's previous. With a grumble of annoyance I swiped it away with my hand and glared at Leon playfully, ruffling his own hair.
"You're ego was that big to start with, I've just... Tweaked it a little."
Ha, more like sat an elephant on it.
"I think the words you were looking for are 'thank you'." I giggled, linking my hands around the small of his back and smirking tauntingly at him. It was about time he was the one that had to take the teasing, anyway.

"You don't deserve a thank you." Leon retorted sulkily, flicking Abby in the forehead. "Half of my charm is in my confidence, you know! Without my giant ego, I'm just a regular... Sexy beast." He flashed a crooked grin, and lowered his head so the tip of his nose touched Abby's.
Okay, so maybe Abby hadn't damaged his ego after all...
He chuckled quietly to himself, then shifted toward Abby and pulled her close to him with an arm around her shoulders.
"We should get some sleep." He whispered, pausing to kiss her neck, "It's been a long day."
His fingers found hers, and linked automatically with them.
He couldn't express how relieved he was, to be able to go to sleep next to Abby again... Albeit on a cramped, squeaky mattress. Ironically, it felt like... Home.

"You poor baby." I pouted dramatically, stroking his face as if he were a cute puppy. "But you're my sexy beast, so it's fine." I added with a grin, squeezing his cheeks so that his lips stuck out, making him look adorably funny as ever.
However, I agreed when he mentioned sleep - I had to admit I was growing rather tired myself.
I pulled the warm duvet over both our bodied and snuggled closer to him, brushing my hair over one shoulder so it wouldn't get in either of our faces. I could feel his fingers linked together with mine, and held it closely to my chest. My leg wrapped around his and I bowed my head against his chest, sighing contently.
"Leon?" I whispered quietly. "Live tonight... Please?"
Funny, I didn't feel like crying. But tears still managed to sting at my eyes. I clutched his shirt desperately. "For me..."

((He's a modest one, isn't he? XD ))

A sigh of contentment escaped Leon's lips as he felt Abby shift closer still, until they were nearly knotted together.
To hell with the bed being small - there was more than enough space.
He smiled into the darkness, basking in the warmth of Abby's body so close to his own, and feeling the subtle beating of her heart, just out of time with his.
He kissed the top of her head absentmindedly, and then her whisper reached him.
"Leon? Live tonight... Please? For me..."
He felt his heart skip a beat, startled by this sudden request, just out of the blue.
He had nearly managed to let himself forget that his days were numbered...
"I feel fine." He assured Abby, smiling with a bright confidence he didn't quite feel.
"Relax, Babe. I'm not going anywhere just yet."
He kissed her hair again, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
I hope not, anyway...

I nodded nervously, clinging more desperately to him than ever. I knew he could promise me for certain, that would just be unfair to ask him to do that. But the answer was the best I was going to get.
However, I accepted it gladly, and soon enough I began to calm down. I was too tired to cry properly, anyway. I'd already done enough of it in the shower.
"Okay." I replied, pressing my ear against it's heart. The last time I'd asked it to remain beating for the night it ha almost failed, but I would trust it that night. Simply because I had no other choice.
"I love you." I said finally, and closed my eyes. After a few minutes I had relaxed in his arms, my breathing levelled and I drifted off into a deep, calm sleep.

"I love you, too..." Leon whispered softly in response, as he felt Abby go limp in his arms.
Even then, he clung to her. She was beautiful when she slept - so calm and peaceful...
Despite his tiredness, it took a long time for him to fall asleep with Abby so close beside him.
He couldn't stop looking at her, and thinking of all the strange and wonderful times they'd shared.
How long had it been, now? A month? A year? He couldn't even remember - somewhere along the line, he'd lost all track of time.
He wondered how long they had left... After all, he was past his 'expiration date' already.
With that thought, he finally drifted off to sleep.

As it turned out, he needed the rest more than he'd thought - and the next morning he struggled to wake up. For once he was feeling in perfect health, but he was exhausted, and it showed.
His life was swiftly becoming too much for him to handle...