She made her slow way into the bathroom. The shower. Reached around him to start the hot water. And then, still in
his arms, she soaped up her hands and started to wash him. Gentle and slow. In no hurry. Taking her time so that her
fingers slipped and kneaded and soothed. Tender as she simply enjoyed the chance to show him without words how
precious and wonderful he was in her eyes.
He could watch her face forever, he decided. It was expressive, and he liked what it was expressing. He took the soap
from her and lathered his hands behind her back and started cleansing her of the ocean and its salt. Hair, well, he
was a hopeless cause on that, but that could wait.
This was more intimate than love making, and more telling than any of their talks, really, as her hands slid down his
skin, over the scars, and the parts not scarred, as he smoothed the soap over her own much softer smoother skin.
It was a slow exploration. An extension of the one they'd begun so many nights ago in his bedroom. But there were no
boundaries this time, no limits to how they could touch. The soap made its slow way from hand to hand as those
hands shifted and caressed and touched. Exploring every inch of skin. Memorizing the feel and the slide. Intimate and
tender.
The water started to cool, adding the new sensation of warmer skin moving against the cooler and still there was no
talking. Just... just the touch. They moved out of the shower before the water could get cold enough to distract them
from each other. Still touching. They were out of towels but there were still clean sheets and a blanket in the closet.
Andi leaned in when they paused there. Pressed her lips under the curve of Hector's jaw line. Parted them so she
could taste. Skin and heat and - Hector...
Hers..
Hector could barely remember what it was like to get out of the shower when the water was still warm. He didn't mind,
he liked that lapse in memory. Still, absolutely no talking, as if they were beyond words right now.
And with the popular consensus being that Hector wasn't much for real talking, it was almost like a natural progression
of things, really. He grabbed the blanket from behind them and wrapped it around her shoulders before she caught a
chill, and smoothed her wet hair back away from her face. And just smiled.
She turned her face and shut her eyes with a sigh that came straight from the center of her soul as his hands brushed
against the wet strands of her hair. Fingers moving against her cheek and temple. He had such impossibly large
hands and she always felt so safe under their touch. She pressed a light kiss to the heel of his hand and opened her
eyes to look up at him. Seeing that smile and her own spread in answer to it. He was such an amazing man and it was
amazing that he was hers. That she got to be his. That they had this. Such a miracle to her...
Tender she reached up. Slipped her fingers down his cheek, along his jaw, against his lower lip. Such a wonderful
man... Meeting his eyes, not moving away from him she started to back up again, drawing him with her. Finally
managed to reach the bed and shifted onto it so that the blanket was under them and she could draw him down with
her. Raising her face as he joined her to slip a kiss against his jaw line, his throat, a shoulder as he moved.
The bed was a mess, from earlier, and from stripping it to go to the beach. Normally, these two normally highly
organized people would have made it, probably so a quarter could be bounced off it, before even going near it. This
wasn't normally. It was a testament to how utterly they were wrapped up in and absorbed in with the other.
He was incredibly lucky, he knew that. She didn't run from the darkness within him, and he knew it was there. Even his
family hadn't gotten her on a plane straight back to Africa. If anything, it was nearly like she tried to protect him the
best she could, which was strange. Most everyone hid behind him when things started happening, his family did, he
knew that. Hid behind Hector and let him battle it out with the old man so they wouldn't have to.
That was infinitely precious, even as he did his best to protect her along the way.
She tucked close to him. Skin alive and humming contently under his touch. Fingers still reaching, touching. They
hadn't dried off, not really, and his wet curling hair randomly lost droplets of water that fell onto her own skin and slide
paths across it. She reached up and gently combed it back from his face with the light drag of her nails. Not to avoid
the drops that made her shiver but so she could see his eyes. His wonderful, warm, swallowing eyes. And the way they
looked at her. Gentle, she smoothed her thumbs across the bones of his cheeks, her own face and smile soft and just
for him. Full to overflow with the way she loved him. And by the way it felt to be loved by him in return.
When they were listing their 'faults' earlier, he should have included his hair, he thought belatedly as she smoothed it
back. Curled where and when it wanted to, pretty wild if it got to a certain length. Which was why he usually kept it
away from that certain length.
He traced one of the droplets that fell off his hair onto her collarbone, following its path down across her skin to the
blanket, the wet path it left in its wake, and gently kissed the start of that path.
Her eyes fell shut and her smile spread softly in reaction to the touch of his lips. So tender. He was so tender with her.
As if she were the most precious, delicate creation. Rare and precious to him. It slowly melted her heart even as his
touch slowly melted her bones. Filled her to full and then to overflowing with the love they shared. Her fingers shifted
against him, caressive through the thick, wet hair as the back of his head. Tracing gently over his shoulders, his
wonderful shoulders. And she finally broke their silence to sigh out a whisper. His name.
"Hector."
He smiled a bit as he finished tracing the path of a single droplet of water, then perched his head on his hand as he
looked at her. She was infinitely precious and rare to him. There was no one else in the world like her, thank god. And
it had taken him so long to find her, only to have her pop up in the place least expected, turning a run of the mill hard
assignment posting into nearly a reward and a comfort to his very inner soul.
Like she was the other, better half of him that he hadn't known was exactly missing.
Her eyes opened again, warm, and found his. Languid, she reached up and gently slipped her fingers through the
dark hair that was already curling against his forehead. Giving him the soft smile that only he ever saw. He looked
so... at peace. So content and happy. She ran a single light finger down the bridge of his nose. Rested it against his
lips. Sighed out peacefully.
"Love you." She whispered. "Always."
"Always?" He repeated. Always was a long time, a lot of darkness to go through....but if she offered always, he'd take
always. He'd hold her to that as long as she let him. Then he nodded. "Always." He agreed. As long as she let him,
and probably beyond, quietly.
She saw the look in his eyes. Shadowing across his face. She was starting to recognize that look... and because she
was - she saw the determined glint in the back of his dark eyes too.
And it gave her courage.
She slipped her hands up to cup his face. Draw him down. Her lips brushed his.
"Just don't forget..." She whispered softly.
He kissed her, and stole another kiss before answering. "Never." He promised. They'd decided that already. But it was
always nice to have reminders, sometimes it was just good to hear the words, especially when previously you'd heard
them so in frequently, or they had strings you weren't willing to tie.
"Good." Her lips smiled under his and she raised her hands again to slip them up the back of his neck before burying
them in his dark hair. Raising her face for his kiss again.
Forever. It was such a much longer time than most people realized. Eternity was as real to her as the air she was
breathing and she didn't promise it lightly. Or pointlessly. She knew what she was promising when she gave her
'forever' away. When she accepted it from him... Her fingers tangled gently and she managed to somehow fit herself
closer as her lips found his again. Heaven... forever... here... now...
Her Hector...
Everything she'd ever wanted in less than the space of a blanket. A part of her eternity had started when he'd found
her. And she would never be the same without it again.
He kissed her for a few more minutes, before settling back on his side, head on his hand as he simply looked at her
with a sigh.
"We should talk a bit." He said with a smile. "Not a bad one. But you should know right from the get go I have every
intention of properly asking you to marry me. It's coming. I just have...stuff....to figure out."
His job, his family, things that needed to be settled before any of that.
"Yeah?" The smile was a soft glow as she shifted over to face him better, tucking her own head under her folded up
arm. She reached out with her other hand, resting it against his chest. Over the beat of his heart. She looked up at
him.
"Then you should know I have every intention of properly telling you 'yes'." She traced a light pattern against his skin.
"What 'stuff'?" She asked curiously.
"You know, the whole debacle with my family...that alone should be enough 'stuff' right?" He said, reaching with one of
his hands to stroke her drying hair with his fingers. "I don't know, my job. I mean, I'm gone to parts unknown for eleven
months of the year on average."
She closed her eyes at his touch. Just for a moment. A part of her was still feeling warm and fluttery over the thought
that he wanted to marry her. It wasn't that she hadn't thought so - it was just - hearing it did something wonderful
inside her. And hearing him say it as if it had never not been a thought... that did something wonderful too. It was silly
but a part of her was still simply savoring the feel of all that. She gave multi-tasking her best shot however.
Mentally she sorted things into levels of importance. His family came second. Because they were just going to have to
learn...
She opened her eyes. Found his and rested her hand, fingers spread, against his chest.
"So what are our options? For how long you'll be gone?" She asked gently. She didn't know how the military outside of
Britain worked and even Britain was vague. She knew most soldiers were based out of somewhere and went on their
missions from there. Missions - she thought they went on until they were completed but what about where you went
when they were finished? "How do other couples do this?"
"Ah, one I know lives on base. Base life isn't that much fun though, really...contained." He said, figuring that was the
best word. everything in one place, not to mention guards at the gate. Gave the idea of 'gated community' a whole
knew meaning. "most of my bases are like the one in Africa." Converted warehouse, temporary, no where to move a
family in, and it wasn't even an option anyway.
"Then of course I have paperwork, making sure you're not using me for a green card and all." He teased. But since
she wasn't an American citizen...well, it was the rules and all.
She laughed softly at the last bit.
"I'm quite content with the two citizenships I already have." She teased gently. Touching the tip of his nose. Though - it
was a point. Visitor's visas only lasted so long. If the day came when she moved here... She wondered with a blink
whether they'd run security checks on her. And, more curiously, if they'd find anything interesting. But the point was...
She rested her hand on his chest again, fingers shifting slightly against the warmth and comforting beat of his heart.
Eleven months out of the year... She didn't want to be away from him that long. Not even spaced out over a year.
Her needing to be in Africa didn't exactly help with the flexibility of where he could ask for a transfer to either...
She supposed being an army wife was hard enough but belonging to a Delta - they could send him anywhere in the
world, at anytime, as often as they needed to, and she'd never even know he'd left the country.
One month a year...
"Paper work we can deal with." She organized things mentally with a nod. "What are our options for time together?"
"Well, when I'm on vacation, or leave, or whatever, as long as I'm not selling secrets to the enemy, my time is mine."
He said. "They don't keep me on that tight and short a leash. Don't worry, you have time to think of a nice and
graceful way to say no."
He was always leaving that option open for her, the last thing he wanted to do was trap her in any way, or have her
feeling some sense of obligation toward him.
Her brows came down and then she propped herself up as well on an elbow. So they were eye level.
"Stop that." She told him softly. Slim eyebrows still down. "I'm not going anywhere. My forever carries just as much
weight as yours." She rested her fingertips against his cheek and met his eyes with her own. "I love you. That doesn't
change because things get a bit hard." She rested her forehead lightly against his. "And if I wanted to tell you 'no',
about anything, I won't be stalling trying to find a graceful way to do it. I just would and it might involve a sharp jab or
two with a bony finger." The edge of her lips twisted upward as she drew back but her eyes had changed as she lay
back down and looked up at him. Fingers still against his cheek. "I want to belong to you." She stated, voice quieter.
"With the ring and the name and the paperwork and everything else. I want to hear you call me your wife." Her eyes
found his. Uncertain and searching. Softer she asked: "Were you hoping I didn't?"
He shook his head. "No." He said. "I really don't think I want my family there, though. They have a habit of ruining
things, just because they can. To prove they can I don't know." He shook his head again. "Better off doing it in Africa I
think."
She nodded but she was watching his face more closely now. Mind refusing to move past the first point to talk about
his family.
He didn't have to marry her. She would stay with him whether he did or never did. And she would always love him.
Some men had an aversion to marriage, thinking it would ruin everything. She had told him she couldn't have children.
Or maybe couldn't. And he came from such a large family. And there was that whole horribly unflattering comparison
about cows and free milk. Maybe he'd just mentioned marriage because he thought she expected it or he felt
obligated to at least pretend. Or worse, he simply felt obligated to marry her in the first place because he thought that
was what she wanted and what her parents expected.
And - it was what she wanted. But it wasn't the most important thing she wanted...
"Come back." She touched the side of his chin, slim eyebrows still down. Looking up at him. Soft she asked: "Why do
you want to marry me? I mean, do you? Want to marry me? Honestly?"
Honestly? If anything happened to him, the military would take care of her when he couldn't. If her land became a war
zone, she'd have the right to be airlifted out, being a wife of a military soldier.
If her land became too bad, he'd have the trump card to force her to be airlifted out.
"Well, crap." He said with a grin. "We've already basically promised all that marital vows are, why not actually have the
whole she-bang?"
His grin. His impossible to resist grin. Equal parts little boy and adult mischief and freedom. He couldn't have fit
dishonesty into that particular smile of his if he'd wanted to. But the point of that grin was that he never did. It called up
her own smile in answer and her face relaxed. Then softened.
"I think I like 'shebags' then." She stated. Slipping her fingers along his cheek. "But, oh my love, you've never been to
a tribal wedding with my people before. It’s going to last quite a few days." The smile again and then softer she asked:
"Because you want to? Not because you have to."
He shook his head. "Please." He said. "I am a master at avoidance and ignoring. Plus trained to disappear into thin
air. Not sure anyone makes me do anything, come to think about it. If I didn't want to, I wouldn't have even brought it
up."
She hugged him. Laughing. Both at how proud he was that he was stubborn and for simple joy.
"I'll remember that." She teased with a grin. Giving him a bright kiss. Then she drew back to look up at him. "Do you
really want to do this in Africa?" She asked. It would please her parents beyond anything. As if they hadn't loved and
adored him enough already. But she would be content no matter where or with who he wanted. As long as he was
there everything else was secondary.
"Or Vegas...or Louisiana...or the North Pole. Maybe the South Pole if I can swing the transport." He said with a
chuckle. "Doesn't really matter, all that really needs to be there is us, obviously, someone to officiate and some
witnesses. But I know my family will disrupt it to say the least."
Vanessa would try to make it the Vanessa show. Beth might try to take over the whole thing. Dee would probably cry
over something like a run in her stockings. And his father...his father would not be invited. Neither would Vanessa for
that matter, which would cause a stink in its own way.
"Mum and Da would be over the moon if they can be wherever it is we decide." Andi offered. And she wanted them to
be there. Wanted it so badly. She just didn't know if it was doable or not. They wouldn't hold it against them if they
couldn't though. Her family was used to making do. Sometimes the love had to be what stretched across the miles
when the body couldn't make it.
She touched Hector's cheek gently. Met his eyes. "We can manage your family." She offered gently. "If you want them
there." She knew how he felt, or a great deal of it, aided by being present for one of his family's gatherings. But he
also did love them. She could share a day that precious to her with anyone if it would make him happy. Because
nothing would change how precious the day was.
"This is really not how I thought the discussion would go." He said with a chuckle. "The whole proposal, had it planned
out a little better in my head, and some how along the way I think I skipped that. Good thing I've already got the ring,"
his grandmothers, made it very handy, "or I'd really be behind schedule."
She smiled up at him, reaching up to gently brush his drying hair back from his face. Getting that warm, silly feeling
again in her chest to think that he already had a ring. It wasn't a surprise, not that Hector was prepared in advance for
something he thought was important. But that didn't do anything to dull the glow. It encouraged it in fact and she
thought she was going to start grinning like an idiot soon if he didn't stop.
It was very hard to concentrate on the practicalities the way he was. But she tried. She truly did.
He wanted to marry her...
"Well," she reminded him, "you haven't exactly asked me yet. So it’s not really a rub." She gave him a smile. "We do
seem to come in the back door on most things, don't we though? Was it a very romantic proposal you had in mind?"
He laughed. "Probably not." He said with a grin. "But a step up from discussing whether the Arctic circle or Antarctica
is a better location at least. Guess you'll just have to wait. Think I just wanted to tell you it was coming."
She laughed as well, reaching up to wind her arms around his shoulders.
"I'm glad." She affirmed. "Now I can go about glowing and smug and still get a proposal later on. But you'd better kiss
me soon or I'm going to start giggling like a loon." She warned it with a bright grin, eyes dancing. It was all right. They
hadn't decided anything but he'd said what he was thinking about and she'd let him know where her thoughts were. He
loved his job and she didn't want him leaving it. They'd work on the seeing each other bit, adjusting as they went. And
his family was welcome to the wedding if that was where he wanted them. And she was all right if he didn't. They were
his family and it was his choice and whatever he decided they could make work. But oh... the thought of having the
wedding in Africa... with her parents... surrounded by her people... and maybe even their friends from the Red Cross
and his unit that were over there...
"If we invite your family, we should have it in the States." She mentioned. "If we don't, Africa would be a good excuse.
The children don't need to go through all the shots you have to get to travel over there." She sobered slightly then
and her brows lowered a bit. Oh, yes... there was that too... Gentle she took one of his hands and rested it over her
stomach as she met his eyes. "What about children, Hector?" She asked it softly. "I want them. But I don't know if I
can."
"If we want after we can come back here and have a party or reception type thing." He commented and then she
moved on to children.
He looked at her with his hand on his stomach. "Okay." He said. "How about this, we'll try. We seem to like that part
anyway. And if not, we'll adopt. Tons of kids out there I'm sure. So see, no big problem. If we can't have them
naturally, then we'll go the adoption route."
Everything about her softened and her smile came as her eyes lit. It was the wise solution on where to have the
marriage. And - he really did want all of her. Even the broken parts of her.
"Oh. I like that." She answered. "Very much." Glowing, she reached up and gently wound fingers in his hair, drawing
him down for a long, slow kiss. "Such a clever man." She murmured against his lips.
"I was actually looking forward to you laughing like a loon..." He said as she interrupted him to kiss him. Which,
truthfully, he wasn't objecting to. Kids had a whole other issue for him. He wouldn't be there as much as he should, it
wasn't fair to them to have a father through letters.
Her lips curved under his and she made a humming laughing sound which did surprisingly little to interfere with the
kiss. Tonight had been - a blessing of a night. All of it. But the most surprising, miraculous part - to her - was this.
Now. This - planning for the future. Something she'd never dared do before because she knew how quickly things
changed and everything went awry. But now, as her lips answered his, a part of her felt as if it was stepping out onto a
very thin branch. And it felt - good. Freeing.
There were certainties in her future suddenly. And she believed in them. Because she believe in Hector.
There was no laughing like a loon that night. Though he tried. He was just easily distracted in some ways, but only by
her.