Loving Him Was Red

Michael smiled, Belle was shorter than him, so her cheek came to rest between his shoulders.

Reaching for her hands, Michael lifted her left hand and kissed her wedding band.

"Your father's off, and chores are finished for the day, want to go for a walk?"

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Not even her vivid daydreams had been a fraction as spectacular as her reality is. Michael Carter is everything Belle's ever desired and more. His eyes always bore the vivacious promise of adventure, his witty nature and aptitude with reading people never ceased to amaze. He is every bit as remarkable as all the heroes she's deigned to read about. And the greatest part, the wildest part, is that she gets to love him for all of eternity.

Belle presses a doting, affectionate kiss to his shoulder blades. With her arms, she squeezes him a little tighter to herself. She'd be content to hold him here, as her captive, as long as he will allow. "Have I told you, how much I love you, mon cher trésor?"

He still has the power to encourage a blush into the breadths of her cheeks with ease. And he does it by pressing a kiss over the ring he gave her. It's still the most beautiful gift she'd ever been given, after him.

"I thought we could just go for a walk through the meadow." Michael said, stepping out of Belle's arms and holding out his hand to her. When he'd first woken up he couldn't imagine living this life, the war was over, and he had married the most beautiful and kind hearted woman he'd ever met.

you should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.

you are my dearest one. my reason for life.

until my last day, i'll be loving you.

kiss me. kiss me as if it were the last time.

love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs.

i was swallowed up in an abyss of love in an instant.

you are my heart, my life, my one and only thought.

you are sunlight through a window, which i stand in, warmed.

you are beautiful without knowing it.

anyone who has seen your smile has known perfection.

every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own.

i became fascinated by your goodness. i was drawn in by it.

all i want is to deserve you. tell me what to do. i’ll do anything you say.

i will return. i will find you. love you. marry you. and live without shame.

it has made me better loving you.

i see you only with my heart.

i would love to say that you make me weak in the knees, but to be quite upfront and completely truthful, you make my body forget it has knees at all.

i've fallen in love. i didn't think such violent things could happen to ordinary people.

we loved with a love that was more than love.

i find myself choosing you, more and more every day.

i can’t sleep, i can’t eat, i can’t do anything but think about you.

we are asleep until we fall in love.

you want the moon? just say the word, and i'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.

i cannot let you burn me up, nor can i resist you.

i believe in you completely.

a hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you.

love is never a waste of time.

when i am gone, my love, do not look for me in the places we used to go together. look for me in the places we always planned to go together.

i’ve hungered for your touch.

you must allow me to tell you how ardently i admire and love you.

when you fall in love, it is a temporary madness.

i’ve tried so many times to think of a new way to say it, and it’s still i love you.

my soul and your soul are forever tangled.

in all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. in all the world, there is no love for you like mine.

the first time ever i saw your face, i thought the sun rose in your eyes.

i wish i had done everything on earth with you.

if you remember me, then i don’t care if everyone else forgets.

you are, and always have been, my dream.

i love that you are the last person i want to talk to before i go to sleep at night.

come near now, and kiss me.

when will i hold you again?

it’s always better when we’re together.

you were the only thing in my life that was real.

in your smile i see something more beautiful than the stars.

when i saw you i fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.

you complete me.

i wanted it to be you. i wanted it to be you so badly.

i think i’d miss you even if we never met.

love is a friendship set to music.

i never want to stop making memories with you.

every time i see you, i fall in love all over again.

do i love you? my god, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.

we kiss like we invented it.

i can’t smile without you.

now you're my whole life. now you're my whole world.

you're every minute of my every day.

maybe it's our imperfections that make us so perfect for one another.

George Seferis, tr. by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard, from The Collected Poems 1924-1955

[ lean ] sender rests their head on receiver's shoulder

[ shop ] sender and receiver go to the grocery store together

[ brush ] sender brushes receiver's hair

[ tie ] sender helps receiver with their tie, either by putting it on or adjusting it

[ necklace ] sender helps receiver with the clasp of their necklace from behind

[ zip up ] sender assists receiver with zipping up a piece of clothing

[ unzip ] sender assists receiver with unzipping a piece of clothing

[ shoelaces ] sender bends down to tie receiver's shoelaces

[ swipe ] sender notices a smudge of something on receiver's face and gently wipes it off

[ braid ] sender braids receiver's hair

[ jacket ] sender takes their jacket off and hangs it on receiver's shoulders

[ puddle ] sender hurries to stop receiver from stepping into a puddle

[ drinks ] sender brings receiver a drink from a bar/their kitchen

[ feed ] sender feeds receiver's pet/s for them

[ cook ] sender and receiver cook a meal together

[ feed ] sender allows receiver to try a bite of their dish, holding their fork out for receiver to taste

[ teach ] sender, an expert at something, takes time to teach receiver how it works and how they can get better at it, too

[ readjust ] sender comes up behind receiver and readjusts their stance (maybe holding a gun, holding a golf club, aiming for something, etc.) to help them

[ makeup ] sender fixes receiver's makeup for them

[ bathroom ] sender and receiver go to a public restroom together and have a normal conversation in between the stalls

[ aloud ] sender reads aloud to receiver

[ refill ] sender refills receiver's glass without asking

[ massage ] sender notices receiver looks tense, steps up behind them, and massages their shoulders

[ listen ] sender listens to receiver explain something they're passionate about

[ silence ] sender and receiver comfortably exist in silence together, both of them working or reading or focusing on something different

[ food ] sender brings food over to receiver's house

[ hum ] sender hums along to a song receiver is singing

[ see ] sender sees something that reminds them of receiver and texts them a picture of it

[ admire ] sender stares at receiver across a room, silently admiring and appreciating them from afar

[ win ] sender lets receiver beat them in a game

[ puzzle ] sender helps receiver solve/put together a puzzle

[ carry ] after receiver falls asleep in an inconvenient place, sender carries them to a bed and tucks them in

[ kneel ] sender finds receiver sick in the bathroom ("tossing their cookies"), and kneels beside them, holding their hair back and cleaning their face

[ clean ] sender helps bathe receiver

[ wash ] sender helps receiver wash their hair

[ table ] sender reaches for receiver's hand under the table

[ knowing ] sender has been holding receiver's hand all this time without realizing it and hurries to let go

[ cling ] sender scrambles to grab receiver's hand in a hasty situation

[ tangle ] sender carefully knots their fingers with receiver's

[ thumb ] sender starts gently caressing receiver's knuckles with their thumb

[ squeeze ] sender reassures receiver with a squeeze of their hand

[ aligned ] sender lays their hand flat against receivers, lining up every digit to compare sizes

[ pinky ] sender hooks their pinky finger with receiver's

[ ring ] sender admires a ring on receiver's hand

[ desperate ] sender is in pain and squeezes tightly to receiver's hand to channel the agony elsewhere

[ let go ] after holding onto receiver's hand for a while, sender finally, reluctantly releases their grip

[ swing ] sender holds receiver's hand and starts swinging their hands back and forth in a playful way

[ promise ] sender performs a pinky promise with receiver

[ piano ] sender begins tapping their fingers along receiver's back like they're playing a piano

[ shoulder ] sender sets a hand on receiver's shoulder and leaves it there

[ strand ] sender reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind receiver's ear

[ fix ] sender gently fixes receiver's hair

[ boop ] sender lightly taps the tip of receiver's nose

[ clean ] after eating, sender reaches up to clean something off receiver's face

[ napkin ] sender uses a napkin to tidy receiver's face

[ chin ] sender takes receiver's chin between their fingers and holds it

[ lips ] in the midst of an intimate exchange, sender smooths their thumb back and forth over receiver's lips

[ play ] sender plays with receiver's hair

[ knead ] sender gives receiver a much needed shoulder massage

[ accidental ] sender and receiver reach for the same thing and their fingers brush unintentionally

[ pat ] sender pats the top of receiver's head

[ thigh ] sender begins caressing along the receiver's thigh

[ smooth ] sender strokes up and down across the receiver's arm

[ comfortable ] sender picks the receiver's legs up and drapes them over their lap

[ straddle ] sender guides the receiver over and coaxes them fully onto their lap

[ shirt ] sender slips a hand up the receiver's shirt

[ hem ] sender plays with the hem of receiver's shirt

[ loop ] while standing behind the receiver, the sender hooks a finger in the belt loop of their trousers

[ pocket ] sender slides a hand into receiver's back pocket

[ guide ] sender uses both of their hands to guide the receiver into a kiss

[ push ] in the midst of a dangerous situation, the sender pushes the receiver out of harm's way

[ shield ] the sender drags receiver behind them to keep them safe

[ remind ] sender sets their hands on both sides of receiver's face and tries to get them to look at them directly

[ pressure ] sender sets a hand on the small of receiver's back

[ neck ] sender sets a hand around the base of receiver's neck and gingerly kneads the muscles there

[ braid ] standing behind the receiver, sender starts braiding their hair

[ undo ] sender takes receiver's hair out of their updo/ponytail

[ clasp ] sender helps receiver put on a necklace

[ zip ] sender assists receiver in zipping up or taking off a difficult piece of clothing

[ wave ] sender waves goodbye to receiver for the very last time

[ both ] sender takes both of receiver's hands in their own and guides them close to one another

[ hug ] sender slides both arms around receiver and clings to them

[ handshake ] sender and receiver shake hands and hold on to each other a little longer than intended

[ behind ] sender hugs receiver from behind and tucks against their body

[ sleep ] sender is asleep and reaches for receiver in the middle of the night

[ spoon ] while spooning, sender tangles their hands with receiver

[ tap ] sender appears behind receiver and taps their shoulder to let them know they're standing there

[ patch ] sender patches up a wound on receiver's body

[ propose ] after a successful proposal, sender slides the engagement ring onto receiver's finger

[ paint ] sender applies body paint to receiver's nude form

[ undress ] sender takes their time removing receiver's clothes piece by piece

[ cover ] sender shoves a hand over receiver's eyes, preventing them from witnessing a terrible sight

[ pillow ] sender pats the pillow next to them, encouraging receiver to climb in bed beside them

initial encounter with daniels , // simpler it was then , to make the hard calls , ; to be objective . this time around , // history between interferes , makes it more than difficult to make these decisions , ; all because YOU FELL IN LOVE . ❝ find another way , agent fitz , that's an order , ❞

arguments to be made , // evidence in facts , ones you know to be true . danger already resides , // you know daniels won't stop , not until he gets what he wants , ; or rather who he wants . defeated agreement , // &' while reluctant to do so , you know it's the effective way to lure him out . ❝ this needs to work , fitz , you hear me , ?? i need this to work , ❞ subtle plea , // because you promised her , YOU PROMISED YOU'D KEEP HER SAFE , // -> ( @flashbacksech0es 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝗎𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗒 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 , )

you're playing the waiting game , // where seconds feel like minutes , where minutes feel like hours . a darkness finally arrives , // lights that begin to flicker , bulbs that begin to burst , ; he's here . game plan , // it's now in motion , strings of cello that fill stage . &' for split second , // you're back in that front row , flowers in hand to give her post performance , ; it brings most sorrowful of smiles to face ,

your reminiscing , // it's cut short , for plan has gone askew . zero hesitation , // a sprint towards stage , energy tech you grasp in grip . a reveal , // from out of the shadows , &' into the light , ; ready , aim , fire ,

forceful overload of illumination , // one that eliminates threat of daniels , but also knocks audrey off her feet . in record timing , // you're by her side , your hand enclasp around her own . ❝ you're safe , i'm still here . i promise , i'm still here with you , ❞ your goodbye , // one you never got to say , one you only ever dreamed about , ; YOUR CLOSURE . gentle affections , // free hand brushes back hair , soft kiss you place atop forehead ,

selfish you are , // being so risky , after the healing she's done . she mourned you , // she's trying to move on with her life , you need to let her do that , ; let her go . mere second more , // that's all you ask , you're not ready to leave yet , ; you're not ready to say final goodbye . you're running out of time , // to be out of sight before it's too late , before she's staring right at you , ;

How else was he here? Kissing her forehead and whispering 'You're safe. I'm still here. I promise. I'm still here with you.'

"... Phil?" She blinked, but he didn't disappear.

Confused, Audrey reached up and touched his face, her eyes widening when her hand came in contact with warm, solid flesh.

Nothing made sense, how was he here? Was she dead?