Summary: heehee, I'm not telling....
Spoilers: Nothing specific.
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, no matter how much I wish they
were. < sigh > They belong to Joss Whedon and the WB I have to
live with borrowing them for my stories.
Rating: You watch the show, this is fine.
by: Amy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She's asleep on her pillow as I watch in silence. I don't think she knows that I stay awake long after she falls into her dreams. I don't think she knows that I do it to simply watch her breathing, assure myself she's alive and mine, treasure the soft smile that's on her face. She almost always smiles in her sleep. I don't think she knows that either.
Her bare shoulders wiggle suddenly, and I pull the blanket up over them, eliciting a sigh from her. Her face is peaceful, as it rarely is allowed to be. Her fingers twitch a little, indicating that she's dreaming. In the dark of the room I grin, hoping that she's dreaming of me and that it's a good dream.
I rub my eyes tiredly and slip down further under the covers, pulling her close. Her leg wraps around one of mine comfortably and her arms snake around my waist. Again, she smiles, and though it's filled with the gentleness of sleep and untold illusions, it reminds me of her waking smile. That irrepressibly sunny smile that made me fall in love with her.
For the longest time, I couldn't tell her that. There was either no opportunity or I was just nervous and afraid. But then, one day, she told me. My life changed after that. It changed in a million ways, small ways that filled my life with something I had never thought possible. Love is such a worthy emotion.
My eyes focus on her mouth that is currently pouting over something someone she imagined told her. She turns over onto her stomach, letting go of me and resting her hands on the pillow. My eyes fall on the bit of gold that's on her finger, and my heart thumps. I am sure I'm the luckiest man on Earth.
I remember our wedding day as a haze. Everyone so busy, running around while I had a minor heart attack of nervousness. Strange and unimaginable questions had flown through my head. What if she changed her mind? What if she no longer wanted me? What if I was destined to live my life without her?
But no, she came down the aisle, smiling gently that smile that seemed to calm me. Her shining red hair full of small white flowers and her small body encased in a flowing white dress, she was every vision and dream I had ever had. She was beauty personified.
Our eyes met through the gauze of her veil, and I wasn't nervous anymore. She wasn't going to run away. This woman loved me. This was my perfect other half. The years of waiting seemed like nothing but a minor inconvenience and a great help in that moment, for I knew that without them, we wouldn't have been given time to fall in love so deeply, want each other so much.
She had been given away and our hands touched as the minister had us speak the vows that would make us one forever. Her voice was strong and unwavering, and I was hit with the sudden shock that *she* wasn't anxious at all. She was only hopeful for our future together. She had known that I would be at the end of the aisle waiting for her. She had known how much I loved her.
The ring I had slipped on her finger had been simple, elegant, exuding the grace that she did. The ring that symbolized eternity with its everlasting band. The ring that would speak to others that we were in love and together and would be for all time. I love that ring. It shows how much I love her, and I'm glad that she has something that shows my adoration every day.
She murmurs in her sleep and I'm brought out of my reverie. Her face is angelic, sweet, innocent as it lies on the pillow. Her hair is an inky blood color in the moonlight. I stroke it softly, reveling in the silky feel of it.
Moving closer to her on the bed, I place one arm around her and put my head on the pillow. Willow lifts up her head and faces me, opening her eyes a little.
"Rupert?" she asks sleepily.
"Yes, love?"
"I love you. Remind me to tell you about the dream I had in the morning, okay?" Her head falls back on the pillow, flushed and warm. I nod and kiss her sleep-softened mouth gently and can feel her smile against my lips.
And then I go to sleep, to see her in my dreams.
The End
Feedback is what we live on...send Amy some.
I've got more books to check out
Get me out of here before they realize I haven't paid my overdue book fines