((Takes place two days after Time Enough.))
"So ....you actually sleep in this thing?" Lena wasn't entirely sure she believed some of Tommy's stories about his life, and despite the fact that there was a bed in his newly overhauled VW van, she couldn't quite imagine him sleeping in it. Pulling all the bedding out and sleeping on the ground, sure, but in the van' Resting her hand against the edge of the open back doors, she leaned inside, far more comfortable after two days of acquaintance to snoop about a bit. Today was the day - Cary had delivered the van back better than new that morning, and it was time to send Tommy back to the morning before last, Laguna Beach, 1975.
Tempting though it was to put off his leaving as long as possible, she wasn't stupid enough to give into that temptation. It would only prolong the time she would be without him, anyway. "How many virgins have you deflowered on those sheets, I wonder?" Yes, she was teasing him, daring to inject a little laughter into what promised to be a sad day for her after he'd left through the portal.
Tommy had repacked his duffel in preparation for the trip back through the Nexus portal and was clad in a worn-out, faded pair of Levis and a colorful shirt that was reminiscent of Hawaii, a pair of leather sandals on his feet. He looked as laid back and easy-going as someone who was going on vacation. There were some who thought his whole life was a vacation, but he had to pay the bills, just like anyone else. He could have made a living surfing, but he had chosen not to follow that route, though she did not yet know why. He tossed the duffel into the back of the van and turned to face her, laughing at her question. "Fewer than you might think," he replied, able to count the girls he'd deflowered on one hand. "Would you like to be added to the list?" he teased, eyes lively, shining brightly.
"Oh, Moonbeam, I'm a long way past deflowered," she laughed back at him, pushing back from the van a couple of steps. Where just a couple of days before, she would have followed that movement by wrapping her arms about herself, trying to make herself small and closed off, today her thumbs hooked into the belt-loops of her own jeans as she smiled at him. "Just you wait ....give it a week, and we might end up christening your workshop when I drop in to collect you."
He laughed again at the thought of that as he closed the back doors of the van and turned to face her again, reaching for those belt loops to pull her close. "We'll have to lock the doors or we might have an audience," he said, that boyishly-playful smile on his face, despite the scruffy blond facial hair. "One week, Midget. Don't be late," he warned, leaning close to brush a kiss against her button nose.
Tugged toward him, her hands smoothed over his sides as he kissed the tip of her nose, her smile deepening at the warm affection that had begun so unexpectedly and after only two days, came so easily to them both. "One week," she promised him again, returning his kiss with one of her own, brushed fondly to his smiling mouth. "In your time, so ....five days for me. I'll be there. You'd better be ready for me."
One week and they'd be together again. Seven short days, and yet it seemed like forever. They'd only known each other for two days, but somehow it felt like a lifetime. His smile faded as her lips touched his, tempted to ask her to come with him now, and not wait the week. What would it matter? If he understood this Nexus thing right, they could leave and come back at any point in time, not missing a beat, but he understood her need to take care of things here, just as he had to take care of things there. "I'll miss you," he whispered, his forehead coming to rest against hers.
Leaning into him, she sighed softly, the parting bittersweet already. "It won't be long," she promised him once again, fervent despite how quiet her voice had become, for his ears only. "And I will come. The last couple of days have been ....amazing. You've taught me so much, shown me so much. I'm not letting go of you, Tommy. Cross my heart."
He had no choice but to believe her, to put his trust in her. If she didn't come for him, he wouldn't be any better or worse off that he'd been before he arrived here, but he knew he'd be far lonelier. He had never missed what he didn't have, but now that he'd had a taste of it, he didn't want to live without it, without her in his life. She had given him a gift he could never repay, and he knew his life would never be the same from this point onward, with or without her. "Lena..." he whispered back, choosing to shorten her name at last; it seemed so much more intimate. He paused a moment as if debating something before pulling away just long enough to unfasten the leather wristlet that never left his arm. He reached for her arm to replace it there on her wrist, something to remember him by, even though he'd be seeing her again in a few days. "So you don't forget me."
She watched as he wrapped the leather about her wrist, soft and quiet in that moment, tracing her fingertip over the flowing tattoo that marked his own wrist, usually hidden beneath the wristlet he'd placed on her. "I won't need it," she whispered to him, another promise on her lips as she looked up to meet his gaze. He was a part of her now, indelibly etched onto her soul, whether she acknowledge it openly or not. "Just be safe, and I'll be with you soon." Her palm curled to his cheek, drawing him close in a kiss that seared deep, soothing and burning at once.
He wasn't really sure why he was going back when this was where he wanted to be, but he had one last responsibility to take care of before he could be truly free. He made no promises, except for the wordless promise of one heart yearning for love and understanding as his lips met hers, burning deeply with feeling, with the first spark of love and longing. "I'll be waiting," he told her quietly before kissing her again softly and tenderly, his fingers smoothing against her hair to cup her face.
She breathed him in as he kissed her, easing her arms about his waist until they stood pressed close together under the autumn sun, trading kisses back and forth that said all that needed to be said. This wasn't goodbye, it was see you soon, and she clung to that. Two days had changed her outlook on life, opened the guarded nature of her heart, and she wasn't going to let that escape her without putting up one hell of a fight. But she couldn't countenance holding him here forever, either. Gently drawing back, she kissed him once, twice more, the tip of her nose nudging his. "You should get in the van," she murmured softly. "I'll open the portal."
"So ....you actually sleep in this thing?" Lena wasn't entirely sure she believed some of Tommy's stories about his life, and despite the fact that there was a bed in his newly overhauled VW van, she couldn't quite imagine him sleeping in it. Pulling all the bedding out and sleeping on the ground, sure, but in the van' Resting her hand against the edge of the open back doors, she leaned inside, far more comfortable after two days of acquaintance to snoop about a bit. Today was the day - Cary had delivered the van back better than new that morning, and it was time to send Tommy back to the morning before last, Laguna Beach, 1975.
Tempting though it was to put off his leaving as long as possible, she wasn't stupid enough to give into that temptation. It would only prolong the time she would be without him, anyway. "How many virgins have you deflowered on those sheets, I wonder?" Yes, she was teasing him, daring to inject a little laughter into what promised to be a sad day for her after he'd left through the portal.
Tommy had repacked his duffel in preparation for the trip back through the Nexus portal and was clad in a worn-out, faded pair of Levis and a colorful shirt that was reminiscent of Hawaii, a pair of leather sandals on his feet. He looked as laid back and easy-going as someone who was going on vacation. There were some who thought his whole life was a vacation, but he had to pay the bills, just like anyone else. He could have made a living surfing, but he had chosen not to follow that route, though she did not yet know why. He tossed the duffel into the back of the van and turned to face her, laughing at her question. "Fewer than you might think," he replied, able to count the girls he'd deflowered on one hand. "Would you like to be added to the list?" he teased, eyes lively, shining brightly.
"Oh, Moonbeam, I'm a long way past deflowered," she laughed back at him, pushing back from the van a couple of steps. Where just a couple of days before, she would have followed that movement by wrapping her arms about herself, trying to make herself small and closed off, today her thumbs hooked into the belt-loops of her own jeans as she smiled at him. "Just you wait ....give it a week, and we might end up christening your workshop when I drop in to collect you."
He laughed again at the thought of that as he closed the back doors of the van and turned to face her again, reaching for those belt loops to pull her close. "We'll have to lock the doors or we might have an audience," he said, that boyishly-playful smile on his face, despite the scruffy blond facial hair. "One week, Midget. Don't be late," he warned, leaning close to brush a kiss against her button nose.
Tugged toward him, her hands smoothed over his sides as he kissed the tip of her nose, her smile deepening at the warm affection that had begun so unexpectedly and after only two days, came so easily to them both. "One week," she promised him again, returning his kiss with one of her own, brushed fondly to his smiling mouth. "In your time, so ....five days for me. I'll be there. You'd better be ready for me."
One week and they'd be together again. Seven short days, and yet it seemed like forever. They'd only known each other for two days, but somehow it felt like a lifetime. His smile faded as her lips touched his, tempted to ask her to come with him now, and not wait the week. What would it matter? If he understood this Nexus thing right, they could leave and come back at any point in time, not missing a beat, but he understood her need to take care of things here, just as he had to take care of things there. "I'll miss you," he whispered, his forehead coming to rest against hers.
Leaning into him, she sighed softly, the parting bittersweet already. "It won't be long," she promised him once again, fervent despite how quiet her voice had become, for his ears only. "And I will come. The last couple of days have been ....amazing. You've taught me so much, shown me so much. I'm not letting go of you, Tommy. Cross my heart."
He had no choice but to believe her, to put his trust in her. If she didn't come for him, he wouldn't be any better or worse off that he'd been before he arrived here, but he knew he'd be far lonelier. He had never missed what he didn't have, but now that he'd had a taste of it, he didn't want to live without it, without her in his life. She had given him a gift he could never repay, and he knew his life would never be the same from this point onward, with or without her. "Lena..." he whispered back, choosing to shorten her name at last; it seemed so much more intimate. He paused a moment as if debating something before pulling away just long enough to unfasten the leather wristlet that never left his arm. He reached for her arm to replace it there on her wrist, something to remember him by, even though he'd be seeing her again in a few days. "So you don't forget me."
She watched as he wrapped the leather about her wrist, soft and quiet in that moment, tracing her fingertip over the flowing tattoo that marked his own wrist, usually hidden beneath the wristlet he'd placed on her. "I won't need it," she whispered to him, another promise on her lips as she looked up to meet his gaze. He was a part of her now, indelibly etched onto her soul, whether she acknowledge it openly or not. "Just be safe, and I'll be with you soon." Her palm curled to his cheek, drawing him close in a kiss that seared deep, soothing and burning at once.
He wasn't really sure why he was going back when this was where he wanted to be, but he had one last responsibility to take care of before he could be truly free. He made no promises, except for the wordless promise of one heart yearning for love and understanding as his lips met hers, burning deeply with feeling, with the first spark of love and longing. "I'll be waiting," he told her quietly before kissing her again softly and tenderly, his fingers smoothing against her hair to cup her face.
She breathed him in as he kissed her, easing her arms about his waist until they stood pressed close together under the autumn sun, trading kisses back and forth that said all that needed to be said. This wasn't goodbye, it was see you soon, and she clung to that. Two days had changed her outlook on life, opened the guarded nature of her heart, and she wasn't going to let that escape her without putting up one hell of a fight. But she couldn't countenance holding him here forever, either. Gently drawing back, she kissed him once, twice more, the tip of her nose nudging his. "You should get in the van," she murmured softly. "I'll open the portal."