Tonight { aka I Can't Give You My Heart But I Can Give You Tonight }

Summary: They had met at a small hole in the wall gig late one night and exchanged numbers, after all there was chemistry there but it wasn't anything but carnal. Clumsy drunken fumbles in the parking lot and leaving before the morning light from each other's apartments were what they agreed on, nothing more. Just something to blow off steam. But oh it was something profound - and they didn't even realize it.

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/highlandfling22/playlist/4fov47MmYXKLSN5U6SLwXE

Tagline: "Don't ask me to stay and I won't tell you to go."

**A/N ** This came from an amalgam of feelings I've had lately. Revisiting old memories I never had any business revisiting in the first place and thinking of people that are long gone from my life and how they ended things. ( these memories were used for Maddy's background ) My Netflix queue and of course Spotify and the feels for a certain British actor ( the not Gary one }. Mix them together and this is pretty much what you get, ha. I hope you enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing. Credit for the title and tag lines 1 and 2 are goes to the lovely recording artist Karliene. **
 

                                                                                                       



**A/N #2 : This is a work of fiction, pure and simple and nothing more. Both characters are well over the age of consent but if you happen to be reading this and you are underage please, turn back now. Any likeness to persons alive or deceased is merely coincidental and not meant to infringe upon them or their likeness. I do not know nor do I have any contact whatsoever with the individuals whom I have used as face claims for the characters. **

Theme: ( in case it didn't make it into the playlist )




The Eden Club

The overpowering scents of sweet cheap drugstore perfume, sweat, and free flowing heady booze blends and beer formed an odd but soothing cocoon in the tiny packed club in Detroit’s Rivertown district. The wind outside howled but inside the party raged on. Swells of dark  slightly distorted instrumental electronica wove themselves around her body and made her head swim ever so slightly. This momentary euphoric effect was helped along by the cream sherry cocktail she’d been nursing most of the evening. The singer’s clear voice sounded over the speakers and the pounding bass and backbeat made her want to move - she had to. So she drifted along on long limber legs - one graceful slender hand held above her head wrist twisting to the beat, eyes closed she swayed. Her slender alabaster neck tilted one way then the other as she moved not caring who was watching. Most of the other dancers were too drunk or stoned to care so her inhabitants were lowered momentarily.

Meet me in the red sky
And dance with me

The house lights dimmed and flickered for a moment before changing to a deep cool indigo in one corner and a warm crimson in the other. Overhead glow in the dark stars illuminated themselves and gave the tiny hole in the wall of a club a much roomier appearance. Not that she cared much, her light green eyes were still lidded as she swayed and swirled, her long red hair falling free of it’s pins and curtaining her face momentarily as she moved. The silk material of the maxi dress she wore moved like water around her. She had needed this, to just be in the moment and not care who or what watched her. She’d been caged for far too long and now her days as well as her nights were her own once more.

Let the valley change you
And the night set you free

She felt another body slide up against hers, the musky sweet scent of cedar and vanilla mingled with the the jasmine and patchouli of her perfume. She turned toward him, dwarfed by his lean tall frame. Meeting his cool cerulean gaze she gave him a small smile before inching closer to him. He hovered over for a moment as the world was drowned out around them nothing left but the thrumming heavy beat and the warmth of the room. Reached out she touched one lightly stubbled cheek. Their shared gaze was unwavering as they moved together ever so slightly.

It’s dusk in desert
It’s heaven at the gates

They were mere inches away from one another and still they stared, almost unblinking. His was a face was like one she had never seen, straight romanesque nose, high fine cheek bones and a smooth finely sculpted brow and jawline. Dark hair fell about his pale face giving him an almost vampiric quality. Since her break up she’d come to the Eden Club a few nights a week after work with her friends - she’d seen him usually sitting alone at the bar sipping on a glass of scotch or the occasional bottle of beer if they had something he enjoyed. She never dared go up and speak to him because from a a distance he looked a bit intimidating. She’d been out of the game for far too long and this man seemed like a wonderful place to start. It seemed that he had the ability to read her mind or perhaps it was the lust filled look that radiated from her in waves. Whiskey tinged lips fell upon hers just as her knees went weak and the room started to spin a bit faster and wobble on it’s axis. Heat pooled in her belly and she was his.

You are my desire
You are my escape
Deepening the kiss a bit further she felt him nip gently at her swollen bottom lip.

“My place is a block away.”

He purred in a slightly clipped accented tone into her ear as she looked at him partially awestruck and dazed. Giving a curt nod as her face flushed she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the table she had shared with her girlfriends and grabbed the tiny beaded back she’d brought with her. Scrawling a note on one of the cocktail napkins she let him lead her away into the inky black moonless winter’s night without so much as a backward glance. Nips and bites were exchanged - no words were spoken as they ducked down one of the many winding alley ways that separated most of the long deserted buildings along the Riverfront. Uneven cobblestone walkways, frozen dirty slush, and crumbling brick made the trek back toward his rambling victorian a tiny bit treacherous but she didn’t care it only stirred the ever growing fire that had been awakened deep inside her. Halfway up the rickety staircase toward his bedroom her heart skipped a beat and that tiny voice in the back of her mind - the one that sounded so much like her mother urged her to flee. The voice was soon silenced by the crush of his lips on hers once again. A heated exchange of mumbled words and introductions were made as clothes were stripped off and thrown about the room. She was sure she’d kicked a shoe somewhere near one of the many guitars that were on display around the room. She cast a worried glance back toward where she’d heard it make contact.

“Oh my..I’m sorry I hope I..”

“Don’t worry about it.”
He soothed as he tugged at his own shirt before pulling her closer and easing her down on the rumpled mattress. In the past she had been hard pressed to find herself properly excited but with him it was different. Different was good, right? It had to be because it was so far from the normal she’d been living with for the past six years. No hum drum lay for her, no sir. The metallic jangle of his belt buckle opening and his fly being pulled down gave her shivers she never knew she could get purely by sound alone. She figured she would save him a bit of  time and aggravation by opening the clasps of her brassiere but was soon surprised when he told her leave it.

“I like a bit of a challenge.”
He offered with a sweet little grin as he shifted on top of her ever so careful not to crush her in the process. The moment his lips met her collar bone she felt sparks - white hot heat pooled in her belly as he worked his way further down her body. He gave a little surprised growl when he spied her garter belt and lacy panties.

“How attached are you to these stockings?”

“No very, why?”

“I’m having a bit of trouble unclasping them.”

“I thought you enjoyed a challenge.”

“Not this much my dear.”

Playfully swatting his hands way she deftly took off the offending garment that was giving him so much grief and gave him a triumphant little smile.

“Now that thats done you’re wearing entirely too many clothes.”
She murmured before capturing his mouth with her own and turning the tables on him momentarily easing herself on top of him and trailing kisses down his chest in the same fashion as he had done to her only stopping to nip gently at his chest before running her hands over the rather prominent bulge down the front of his jeans.

“Especially in the pants department.”

A throaty growl sounded deep in his chest and up into the back of his throat as she worked his pants off but soon found herself pinned down on her back once again.

“You treat your guests rather rough, don’t you?”
She enquired as he fiddled a bit with the clasps of her bra before finally getting it off and tossing it over his shoulder toward the end of the bed.

“Actually, you’re the first guest I’ve had in here in a very very long time. Forgive me if my hospitality skills are a bit..rusty.”

Just as she was about to answer his hand found it’s way past the frilly bit of silk and lace and stoked the embers of the fire that had waned slightly, reigniting the fires once again. Calloused fingers caressed her sex making her body sing. She bit her lip to try and stifle the moan that threatened to escape as he worked his fingers into her. Thoughts flicked about in her brain in rapid fire succession.

Oh god I don’t even know his name. How could I come back to his place and not even know his name? Oh God. Oh God. How did he reach there? I’ve got toys at home that can’t even find that spot. Did my eyes just roll back into my head…It really has been a long dry spell hasn’t it?

Just as the fuzzy humming cleared from her mind she heard the the distinct crinkle of a foil wrapped packet and found that was was no longer hovering over her. Lip jutted slightly out and more aroused than ever she moved toward the left side of the bed.

“Change your mind already?”
He asked with a note of huffy bitterness that told her he’d been down the same road she had in the bedroom department.

“No. Why would I?”

“Women are fickle.”

“Not as fickle as you think.”

Easing herself around his side and gently taking the foil packet from his slightly shaking hands she eased his boxers down smoothly and took hold of him, eliciting a moan to slip past his lips as she rolled the condom down.

“It’s been a bit of a dry spell.”

“Sounds familiar.”

“Are you sure you still want to do this?”

Blue eyes met green as she nodded before gently turning his face towards hers and placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

“Yes. Now, tell me your name.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Slipping one hand over him and gently stroking she sighed, her tone gentle.

“It matters to me.”

His eyes flicked toward hers and his gaze was steady. She had an open, kind yet animated face that at the moment was slightly flushed giving her a downright irresistible glow. Her lips, normally painted a deep crimson now held only the tiniest bit of added color beckoned him for a kiss. He had seen her at the club with her gaggle of girlfriends, always there to offer a sympathetic shoulder and wise advice. Despite his inner voice screaming at him not to do it he did, halting the rest of the questions that were no doubt firing around that pretty little head of hers. He turned toward her - his right hand trailed down her body once more and found her apex, deliciously wet and welcoming and he couldn’t help but smile as he deepened the kiss and listened to her breathy little moans once more.

Chances are she’s going through the same thing you are.
The little voice in his head said as he worked a rhythm with his fingers playing her as if she were one of the finest instruments in his collection. The raging hardness shifted as he eased her a bit further into the middle of the bed and she yelped in protest as his ministrations ceased momentarily as he hovered over her once more.

“Adam.”

Green eyes that reminded him of new leaves in the spring looked back him, and the corners crinkled slightly as she gave him that small shy smile like she had back at the Eden Club. He'd seen that same smile the last few nights pointed in his direction and he'd done his best to reel himself in. How could someone like her be interested in a guy like him? They'd never spoken but he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame for some reason.

“Madeleine.”

With one fluid stroke he pushed forward and brought the sweetest sounds from her mouth as their union was established. He was never one to pray but he called upon God that night as he thrust forward and her hips bucked to meet him. Never in his life had he felt something so sweet. Before his breakup he had ended up in all sorts of predicaments in the bedroom but with Madeleine it seemed that she was just as eager to give into the simple carnal side of it as he was. Sweat mingled and cooled as the sheets were ripped free from the corners of the bed and only sounds that were heard were the contented cries of passion and rhythmic thumping of the headboard against the bedroom wall - alternating between agonizingly slow and measured to rapid and brutal, surely scuffing away the ancient dusky red paint that had been on the walls when he’d moved in years ago. He heard her give one last throaty moan before calling his name and that was all it took for the delicious tension that had built up within him to uncoil and the sparks to fly behind his now closed eyes. A breathy sigh of content as he cried her name, guttural and raw until his voice was hoarse and his body spent. Dazed for a moment slowly slipping into the dreamlike haze he laid down by her side and drew her close before burying his face in her flaming red hair. The scent of jasmine vanilla and rose tickled his nose - so unlike what he had been expecting - or what he was used to. Gone was the scent of gardenias, something which he always found rather cloying and cigarette smoke, yet another habit of hers he never could stand. He felt her shift slightly and shiver as she looked up at him for a moment through her bangs. Reaching over to cover them, more so for her warmth than his own she moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest and whispered a sleepily.

“Thank you, Adam.”
Before resting her free arm over his side and falling asleep. Adam’s heart skipped a beat, as he pulled a bit closer and smoothed her hair away from her face before giving her a soft kiss on her smooth fair forehead. Just before he let sleep claim him he whispered his own thanks to her.

Bookmarking this so I can go right back and read it over whenever I want to. I've never been able to write effectively on this subject, ever and this really is so well written. I mean, you know you've done a damn good job when one of your readers is almost stripping by the end of it absolutely brilliant !!

Aha! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Bookmark away my dear, I'll be adding to this one intermittently - the muses are still here and still giving off a few smutty ideas so we'll have to see where they lead me. I chalk it up to the muses and the music. Oh, and the resolution to go outside of my comfort zone this year. Hopefully I can keep this up. But I'm so so glad you enjoyed it and without you to read it I wouldn't push myself to keep writing. So I owe you so so much! I've gone back and re-read it myself and I dare say that I needed to open the bedroom window a bit...and my glasses steamed up.

Somewhere there was a bothersome buzzing but she could barely bring herself to open her eyes to the waking world. Her body felt used, stretched, sore but in all the right ways - if that made any sense. She had never felt like this when she was with her ex, it was much more about his satisfaction than hers and she was left wanting. With Adam she wanted for absolutely nothing but now in the harsh light of morning their actions replayed in her head once more. She couldn’t help but smile to herself as she tried to untangle herself from him but soon found herself pulled back toward the bed and in his warm embrace. He mumbled something sleepily to her as she reached over to gently stroke his cheek and push the hair away from his eyes. Even half asleep he was still handsome to her. Watch it, you don’t know what his story is. That little voice said as she settled back into the bed next to him once more, the sound of his heartbeat lulling her back to sleep.

Hours ticked by but neither cared, only ever stirring when the other dared to move. Adam awoke first - his dark seemingly standing on end as he swiped one hand across his face and tried to adjust to the bright wintery mid morning light. He cursed himself for not buying proper curtains for the old windows. They’d atlas keep some of the light and the draft out.  A check of the bedside clock told him it was just after ten. He was startled for a moment when he spotted a shock of red hair peeking out from underneath the worn washed out duvet. A tangle of milky white limbs all akimbo about the side of the bed he never slept on were quite a change. Should I wake her up? He thought as he reached down to grab his long discarded jeans. No, I’ll let her sleep, she looks like she needs it…besides she looks peaceful. He thought as he yanked on his pants ever so careful not to stumble and wake her. As he passed the ancient chest of drawers with the attached mirror he spotted her handy work, long red scratches marked their way down his back and quite possibly over his buttocks, he’d find out when he sat down or attempted to shower later on. Little minx. He thought as he padded softly out of the bedroom and down the cramped hallway. Past the guest room that doubled as his art/recording studio. Down the to right he rounded into the bathroom and turned the taps on full blast, waiting a moment or two for the clanging of ancient pipes to start. A solid thud then a series of pings sounded as the water came up through the pipes. Right on cue. he thought to himself as the bathroom filled with steam. Stripping off the pants he’d just pulled himself into was far easier than putting them on it seemed, especially when he realized how many muscles he’d pulled from the previous evening’s exertions. Hissing as he stepped into the shower’s stream of hot water he let the pictures in his mind replay. Those stretch marks truly covered him all the way down. He smiled to himself as she grabbed the bar of soap and a wash cloth. She’s quite a limber one, loud too. Very giving. The little voice in his head said as he scrubbed himself.  Of all the clubs in Detroit she had to wander into that one, I wonder why? Shampoo was up next, he’d decided that de desperately needed to wash the previous night’s bar smell from him.


But then you won’t smell like her anymore. The little voice was back, almost snickering at him.

“Oh sod it.”
He muttered as he quickly gave his hair a scrub with the bar and rinsed it. He barely knew anything about her and here he was standing in his shower in his own home obsessing about her. She was only two doors down and most likely still naked. Probably still smiling in her sleep too, her cheeks still glowing and dewy, lips still swollen and red as summer berries with her hair all tangled. Admit it you have feelings for someone you’ve just met. The voice taunted.

“Fuck!”
He snarled as he gave the tiles a sound smack before turning off the taps, the water had already run out as he stood there thinking about his house guest. As he reached for the towel that was almost always on the rack just outside the shower he found that it wasn't there.

“Shit!”
He exclaimed as he moved his soaking wet hair out of the way. Of all the days to have to bare ass it through the house back to my bedroom. He thought as he wrenched open the bathroom door and was greeted with a chilly blast of air. He was sure he looked a fool running around the landing then remembering his guest and doubling back to lay out a towel and wash cloth for her then running back down the hall his pale behind on display as his hair whipped behind him.  It seemed that the heat was either down or hadn’t quite kicked in as it should have. Did he even remember to pay the bill? Yes, he had. What else could happen on today of all days? It couldn’t get much worse then streaking through one’s own home when you’re dripping wet from a shower, could it? Just as he made through the doorway he saw that his guest was stirring. Fumbling and trying not to disturb her he rifled through his dresser drawers and came up with another pair of jeans and a shirt he hadn’t worn in ages. His chosen clothes were clean but much like his duvet, washed and partially a non color at this point. More of a dull blackish grey.

“Oh my God…look what I did to your back.”
Came a sleepy exclaim of dismay as his guest joined the waking world. He turned toward her voice just as he pulled up his jeans and gave her what he was sure was a look of surprise. It sure felt like it.

“Oh..yeah, it’s not that bad really. I think the shower scaled them closed. At least I know that you enjoyed yourself as much as I did.”
He offered with the same small grin he’d offered the night before, something he offered very very few people in his world. His heart skipped a beat when she smiled back at him beneath her curtain of sleep tousled locks. If he didn’t know any better he could have sworn he caught a glimpse of a predatory gleam in her eye. There was something deeply appealing about her wrapped in his bed sheets all sleepy eyed and content, very much like the cat that ate the canary.

“I can start a pot of coffee if you like or tea if that’s more your thing…”
He stuttered as he watched her get up and stretch her limbs, it was then that he realized that he’d left his own marks on her pale flesh. He cringed as she ran her long fingers over her shoulder and down her neck.

“Tea, would be lovely and a shower if you don’t mind…”
Color rising in her cheeks slightly as she peeked at him through her bangs. Something about her was childlike and refreshing.

“Oh, yeah, sure. It’s the second door on the right.I left you a towel and washcloth out, it’s right by the sink.”

He watched as she gathered up the sheet in a sort of toga style and glided over to him. Winter light from the window behind her gave a lovely back lighting that made her seem like a creature from another realm. He was struck with a bolt of creativity that very rarely ever happened anymore.

“Hold it! Stand right there, just like that and don’t move a muscle. I’ll be right back.”
He bolted off to the guest room and grabbed his camera off the old drafting desk that was pushed up against the wall and surrounded by mixing equipment and bits and bobs for his projects.

No one ever tells you how hard it is to keep still until you absolutely have to.
She thought to herself as tried desperately to will her bladder into submission. She was more than surprised when he came back into the room a bustle of washed out black and flurry of motion. It wasn’t until she heard the click and whir of his camera did she know exactly what he was doing and she turned beet red.

“Oh Adam, no pictures! It’s too early and I look horrible.”

“Nonsense, you look beautiful. Could you tilt your head a bit my way? There we go. Hold it…got it. I like honesty with my beauty thank you very much.”

Madeleine rolled her eyes slightly as she felt her cheeks turn a deeper shade of red.

“My my my, the lady does have a full range of reds in there doesn’t she?”
He taunted sweetly and coaxed a smile from her. She moved a bit closer and pouted slightly.

“You know you didn’t strike me as a photographer.”

“I’m not really, just someone that gets the urge to pick up a camera every once in a great while. When inspiration strikes and you have flooded me with it. I usually just shoot landscapes or cityscapes.”

“What in the world made you want to photograph me of all people?”
Years of taunts and name calling resurfaced and she seemingly shrank inward. All those years of being called ‘Lassie’ or ‘dog girl’ and knobby kneed or horse face came bubbling up. Those words still hurt just as much today as they did back then. She thought she’d gotten herself past it but every now and then it would come back. The very last thing she wanted to do right now was cry in front of someone she’d only just met. The fact that they had slept together so quickly made the wound a little bit deeper. Self confidence, especially after what Mitch had put her through just wasn’t in her cards these days it seemed.

“Because the light’s drawn to you and I think that’s the true meaning of beauty.”
His simple answer left her momentarily shocked. She stood there for what seemed like ages totally unsure if she’d heard him correctly. She’d spent the better part of her life trying to blend and merge with the shadows and she thought she’d done pretty damn good job at being ordinary. Her breath caught in her throat along with her heart and she had to go…somewhere, anywhere. Just for a moment.

“You said the bathroom was the second door on the right, right?”
She hoisted the sheets up and all but ran from the room in a crimson colored flurry before he could snap another photo or say another word.

He doesn’t even know me!
Her mind screamed as she turned on the taps and heard a deafening clang and thud before the hot water cascaded down into the ancient shower. Shedding off the sheet she stepped beneath the spray and tried to scrub away the repressed feelings of inadequacy, shame, and embarrassment. Dog faced girl. Horse face. You’re just too fucking clingy for me.

But did you hear what he said?
That little Mother voice was back again as she scrubbed herself raw.

Because the light’s drawn to you and I think that’s the true meaning of beauty.

Damn him, damn him all to hell for making her feel this way. No one had ever said those words and meant them. They didn’t know one another in the slightest and here he was throwing those kinds of weighty words around.  The inward struggle between her mind and that little Mother Voice began as she hunched down beneath the spray in the furthest corner of the shower.

He doesn’t even known my last name.

Then tell him.

This wasn’t meant to last more than a night.

But maybe it was, ever think of that?



Fuck! You’ve gone and scared her off.
The inner voice snarled at him. She had sprinted past him in such a hurry that he was left reeling for a moment, slightly dazed and very confused. Had he offended her in some way?

Well, you must have since she ran out of the room like the hounds of hell were upon her.

Adam backtracked for a moment and as he made his way down the hall he could hear the sound of water hitting the tiles and sobs. His heart sank and then rose up into his throat. Stopping just outside the closed door he could have sworn he’d heard her heart break and the only thing he could think was ‘Who could hurt someone like her so badly?’ He watched his own hand slowly reach for the knob and turn it slightly - only ever hesitating to knock three times before going forward. Her muffled hiccuping reply came and he gently nudged the door open, completely enveloped in steam it took him a moment to adjust. He found her shivering under the shower’s spray now icy cold and shivering, her skin nearly as bright as her hair.

“I’m sorry.”

Large red rimmed green eyes mets his as he offered her his hand. Standing on shaky legs she took it and he soon found her clutching him as words tumbled out of her mouth a mile a minute.

“I’msosorry…I just - w-what you said…
He felt her hiccup and stammer before a soft sob escaped her lips.

“No one’s ever said that before. Especially about me.”

He’d only known this woman maybe the better part of twelve almost thirteen hours and she had bared her soul to him. Very few people did that, especially ones that happened to be stark naked in his bathroom. The only thing he could do was grab the towel from the counter, wrap her up and let her cry it out. His ex had never done anything like this to him in the six and a half years they had been together. Come to think of it she didn’t show very much emotion to begin with and if she had ever been upset during their time together she’d never once let him know it. To say that Adam was flustered and mildly unprepared was an understatement. Should he pat her back? Shush her quietly and tell it was alright as he’d seen a few of his friends do with their crying children? He was flummoxed. Then the rational side of him took over for a moment.

Just shut up and hold her you idiot!
The voice barked at him and that was precisely what he did, for the next ten minutes while she shivered and gripped his shirt like a lifeline.

“Oh god, you must think I’m some sort of loon..”

“No, I’d be more worried if you didn’t show emotions. Actually if you didn’t I think I’d have run screaming. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help…”

She rewarded him with a watery smile as her lips took a slight blue tinge to them, the draft in the bathroom was becoming much more pronounced it seemed.

“Sometimes it’s just nice to know that someone’s got your back, if only for a moment.”

Madeleine hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“You did a hell of a lot more than what Mitch would have done.”

Oh now his interest was peaked, a name for the misery in her life. His had one too, her name was Anne but liked to refer to in a slew of names. Mega Bitch. Bitch on Wheels. She Who Must Not Be Mentioned. The list went on, but for all intents and purposes her Christian was simply Anne. He ventured a guess with himself that ‘Mitch’ was born a Mitchell and lord only knew what his surname was - King of the dicks perhaps?

“He would have told me to just ‘suck it up and quit crying’ or ‘I’ll…give..you…”
He noticed she trailed off and his stomach sank virtually to his knees.

Please don’t let her finish that sentence with what I think she’s going to finish it with. If she does I swear to God I’ll go out there and find that bastard myself and strangle him with my own two hands.
He thought wildly before the little voice perked up once more as Madeleine had started to cry once more. He wished he could take back every single thing her cad of an ex had ever said and done to her. Just so she wouldn’t cry like this, no one deserved this, especially someone as sweet she she was.

My my my, having feelings so soon Mr. Broody?

Did his own mind really give him his very own nick name? Yes, yes it did. He blinked for a moment and was totally taken aback by the fact that they were again back in his bedroom and tucked under the heavy blankets once more. How the hell had that happened? Could that even happen?

Well, looks like it did.

He noticed that he must have given her a spare sweatshirt and pj bottoms to wear. God he must have been on auto pilot or something. As he tried to map out how in the world they had managed to back track the entire way to the bedroom his eyelids grew heavy once more. Somewhere further off in the distance he could hear the steady rumble of a plow truck trying to clear the road of snow. One glance out the window told Adam that his now softly snoring guest might just have to stay another night or two - the snow was coming down quick in fat flakes that stuck to every available surface blanketing all of Detroit in a steady sheet of white. His eye lids grew even heavier as he moved closer to her, trying on a baser level to keep her warm and safe. Down in the basement he heard the furnace come to life as the steady whoosh of hot air came up through the ducts. As the room warmed slightly she nuzzled closer to him, reaching out slightly to make sure he was still there. Stroking his hair softly in her sleep he felt himself finally nod off again Madeleine’s words replaying softly in his head.

‘Sometimes it’s just nice to know that someone’s got your back, if only for a moment.’

Now it was his turn to reach for her as she had done to him the evening before.

“I’ve got, Maddy..if only for a moment…I’ve got you.”

Just as soon as those words were uttered he drifted off, completely content for the first time in over two years.