Because he needed her to know that he would be there to catch her.
Always.
He stood up straight when her door opened. The sight of her in cutoff shorts and a simple t-shirt, her hair up in a ponytail, the blond strands waving around her face, had the same effect on him as she had in bed with her sleep tousled hair.
It was just her.
His heart clenched, and he had to work hard to not let his knees buckle.
“Where are we going?” She was fixing a bracelet around her wrist, her head tilted down. He walked up to her, taking the bracelet from her fingers.
Her breath caught, and her hand trembled as he wrapped the bracelet around her delicate wrist and did the snap. Letting his fingers trace her skin.
The fire that was always simmering inside of him, the fire that she gave him, it filled him up, till his hands were almost shaking and he couldn’t take it anymore.
He was too afraid that he would break, back her up against the wall right then and there, and kiss her.
So he stepped back, her grey eyes watching him, filled with something that he could swear was heat and hunger.
It was the first time that he had seen desire from her. Not tempered with confusion, or fear, but pure desire. The crack in his heart, the one that he carried with him, healed just a bit.
Not much.
But it was like she was healing him, one stich at a time.
“You’re going to need sunscreen little bird.”
***
The waves of the ocean were crashing over each other, the blue turning white as each wave battled with the next. She watched as they continued the cycle over and over, standing with her toes in the cold sand.
The pacific coast wasn’t what she had thought it would be like. When she had seen photos or videos on the TV about the ocean, it was always sandy beaches with the sun shining down, and women out on towels laying out in tiny swimsuits.
This wasn’t like that.
It was rocky cliffs and cold weather. It was the feel of the cold salty water on her face as she hugged her jacket closer to her. Letting her toes dip into the water as the waves slowly worked closer. Mark stood behind her, letting her be, but staying a constant presence like always.
She was starting to realize that he was like the rocks of the cliff surrounding them. Strong and steadfast, willing to take on the force of the waves pummeling against him just to protect her.
She turned looking over her shoulder at him.
He always seemed so put together, but right then, she could see the lighter set to his shoulders as he watched the ocean waves with her.
She wasn’t the only one affected by the peace.
He hid his problems easier than her, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t have them. And if he was going to be there, standing there for her to lean on, supporting her, waiting on her, didn’t he deserve the same?
“Come here, little bird,” he murmured holding his arm out, his blue eyes searing into her, but letting her make the decision.
You will never know unless you try.
So she did it.
She placed her hand in his and let him pull her into him. His arms wrapping around her. He leaned back sitting down in the sand, pulling her with him, so that she sat between his legs.
The peace of the ocean in front of her and the strength of him at her back.
“I’m scared,” she whispered more to herself, but Mark heard.
