Trevor

By the time we got home, it was dinnertime and my girl's stomach was rumbling something fierce. Thankfully Miss Jo had stocked our fridge - with enough food to feed the freaking army. Once Lila was securely propped up on the couch, I went about heating up one of the casserole dishes.

She'd been awfully quiet since those first few moments in the hospital, and I couldn't tell if she was just tired, weary, or both. I set the timer for 20 minutes and went to join her on the couch. She was staring into space with the TV remote in one hand, and the other pressed to her neck while one thumb rubbed continuous circles against her collar bone.

"Darlin'?" I said quietly

She startled for a moment, her body going tense with fear before her eyes focused on me.

"Yeah?" she said with a small smile

"You alright?" I asked, settling down carefully on the couch next to her.

"Yeah." she mumbled quietly and shifted slightly to rest her head against my shoulder, "No."

"I imagine," I chuckled, "Whenever you're ready to talk - about anything - let me know. I'm here."

"I love you," she sniffled burrowing deeper into my side

"I know," I answered, kissing the top of her hair, "And I love you too. More than my own life."

Her hand landed on my chest and I caught a glimpse of her engagement ring. Seeing it on her hand made me want to beat my chest like a caveman. She'd picked me. Not once, but twice now. The fear and adrenaline I'd been running on finally crashed down over me like a wave. She was here with me, in my arms, and she was safe and in one piece.

"I was afraid I'd lost you," I whispered, my voice cracking no matter how I tried to prevent it.

"I know." she murmured, "But it's over now. Let's not think about it - just for tonight."

We sat there in silence, just holding each other until the oven timer went off. I got up, dished some casserole, and set everything up on the coffee table. Lila happily tucked into her food, the noises she made making me unbearably hard. But I knew tonight wasn't the right time to finally cement our physical bond. We had Zagnut bars for dessert to celebrate that we were both still alive and happy.

Once we'd finished I helped her into the master bathroom, setting her down on the counter to start the water and grab a washrag. By the time I turned back around she'd already managed to get most of her clothes off. I nearly swallowed my tongue - but taking care of her always came first. We needed to be careful because of her injuries, which meant she couldn't shower until the stitches came out in a few days. I was going to give her the equivalent of a sponge bath. I helped her finish taking off her clothes before helping her into the shower stall. When I moved to leave she gripped my shirt with her good hand.

"Stay." she plead, and lord knows I could never say no.

I stripped down and got into the shower with her. She quickly wrapped her arms around me, burrowing her face against my chest. I held her tight as I felt her sob against me. I don't know how long we stood there like that, but eventually, the water started to run cold.

I slowly released her and spun her around so I could wash her hair. I gently massaged her scalp with her favorite vanilla-scented shampoo before thoroughly rinsing it out with the showerhead attachment. Then I washed her body carefully with the washrag, mindful of the stitches and deep cuts. Once she was washed I helped her out of the stall and, gently still, toweled her dry before instructing her to go out into the bedroom. Then I took the quickest cold shower of my life.

When I entered the bedroom, with my towel slung low around my waist, I found her perched on the edge of the bed wrapped up in her towel staring at the wall. I didn't say a word to her, I just rounded up some pajamas and quietly dressed her before dressing myself and helping her get situated in bed. I snuggled up behind her, mindful of her injuries, and held her close as we both drifted off to sleep.

Delilah

Morning light filtered into the room through an opening in the curtain, making light dance across my face. I slowly opened my eyes and realized that I was home and safe in Trevor's arms which calmed my racing heart. Trevor began to stir behind me, tightening his grip on me ever so slightly, causing me to whimper.

"Shit." Trevor said quickly releasing me, "I'm sorry love."

I rolled over as quickly as I was able. When our eyes met I was struck by how much love was there. I could only imagine my eyes shone the same by the way his face softened. He leaned in to place a sweet kiss on my forehead.

"Good Morning," he said

"Morning," I said with a small smile

That became our routine for the next two weeks. Trev had taken off from work and club business to spend all of his time with me while I recovered, and Marla was gracious to give me medical leave. Even after I'd gotten my stitches out and most of the bruises were gone, Trevor still treated me like I was made from spun glass. I understood why and while I found it endearing to a point, it was starting to get on my nerves. Lord knew I adored his sweetness I also needed some passion too. That's why when he finally went back to work, I hatched a plan.

That afternoon I waited with bated breath for him to get home and see me. I heard the garage door open and close, my whole body flushing in anticipation.

"Love! I'm home!" Trevor called out

Showtime.