Emma

His dad, David Edwards, partner lawyer of a firm, was unremarkable as a parent. Too busy on the phone to care for the children and when he wasn't distracted he only focused on the older boys to please his wife. It was because of her that Mars would never had a strong relationship with his dad. Not that he wanted one anyways.

Tatiana Edwards, was the matriarch of the house. Whatever she said goes and everyone did as she told. Whenever David was alone with Mars she was quick to interrupt. She would make him go and play with the other children. Mars really hated being at his dad's house.

So the day you drop him off, he plans to run away. He sits in his barren room all day pretending to read or do work packets to be left alone. While at dinner, he picks at his plate. The family talk to each other about their plans for the week as if Mars wasn't there. He wishes you'd given him a phone. Not to call you for anything but to entertain himself during these dull moments.

"I can't make the baseball game, son, I have to go to Philly for a few days." David says not looking up from his phone. Sending lewd messages to whatever secretary will give a damn probably. Mars has seen his emails.

"There's another on Saturday." Tatiana shoots him a death glare. "Daddy will be there for you, sweetie."

"What are you looking at?" Corey spat towards Mars.

The boy doesn't respond, knowing it wouldn't matter what he said; Everyone would get upset. "I'm not feeling well, may I be excused?" Mars mutters.

Tatiana looks him up and down, "Sure."

After he leaves the dinner table, he puts his plan to escape into play. He gets ready for bed but puts on his days clothes before getting under the blankets. He waits for his dad to come "check on him," turn off the light, and close the door to say goodnight.

After the light is out and the door is closed, Mars jumps into action. He locks the door and grabs his backpack. He puts some stuffed animals under a blanket to pass off as himself. It was time to put his wits to the test now, as he blocks the door with a cinder block. A 'dare' Corey made him bring it into the house. They wouldn't be able to see his bed from the door with the cinder block skewing the view.

From his window, he climbs out onto the porch roof. Carefully, he walks across to the garden trellis attached to the porch. He climbs down and lands in the garden. He runs along the front lawn and heads to a place he knew he could get to.

-

"Hey, good morning, you're probably busy getting ready for the day right now but I just wanted to check on you. I miss you and Mars. I feel like my day doesn't really start until I hear from either of you. I hope everything is going okay. Call me when you can. Bye." Robby ends the voicemail before heading back inside the ED.

It's been a few months since you've officially started dating Robby. He didn't think that you going away for a week would affect him so deeply. He used to be grateful when you were out of town but now he didn't know what to do with himself.

He'd come over, you'd make dinner together, Mars would show him a science project he was working on. You'd talk late into the night in bed. He missed your voice, your smile, your skin, your touch, your eyes, your lips—

"Robby, MVA incoming. Where are you right now? La La Land?!" Dana shakes her head.

He was distracted all day, thinking about you. Waiting for you to call him back. A little bit of him hoped that Mars would come barrelling through the bay doors to tell him something.

After a few trauma and a dozen patients discharged, he sits at the nurse's station to chart before picking up some more patients. As he walks down the hall when he's done, he swears he sees a boy who looks like Mars walking around. It had only been a couple days since he's seen the boy, delirium seems a little excessive. He shrugs it off and enters a room to see a patient.

As he finishes, he sees the boy walk past the window. This time he was sure the boy was real. "That boy… I saw him in the lobby earlier rooting around in the vending machine for a snack," The patient says, "I gave him a dollar fifty for a bag of chips." Robby furrows his brows and excuses himself. He then goes into the hall looking for the boy.

"What's the matter?" Dana notices his concerned face.

"I could have sworn, I saw Mars down here." He looks around troubled, "But he should be with his dad right now."

"Maybe he stopped by for a visit?" Dana suggests.

Robby doesn't feel confident that it was Mars or not. And if it was, his father would go out of his way to visit your workplace for Mars. Another patient is wheeled through the ambulance bay door making him concentrate back on work.

They are put in trauma one and Garcia comes down for an assist. When she enters, she jokes, "When did the hospital start hiring toddlers for food service?"

Everyone looks between each other confused then back at her. They wait for her to elaborate on the punchline, "I just saw a kid with a bunch of snacks in his hands heading up the elevator."

Robby's brow furrow, "What did he look like?"

Garcia gives the description and he swears under his breath. The boy really was Mars. His mind goes a mile a minute as he thinks about where Mars could go in the hospital. After the patient is stabilized he asks Garcia, "Did you see what button he may have reached when you got off?"

"I think he asked for the sixth floor." She recalls

Sixth floor was the Pediatric floor. Robby enters the elevator with a worried sigh. He pulls out his phone and calls you. After a few rings, you answer, "Hey, I was going to call you back. I miss you too."

"Hey, I don't want to scare you—"

"Oh god."

"I think Mars is in the hospital right now."

"What?! As a patient?!"

"No, no, just here wandering around." He explains, "I thought he was with his dad."

"He is supposed to be. Are you sure it was him?" You worry, "I have to call David. I can't believe this is happening."

"I'm looking for him right now. I'll call you back when I find him." He assures, "Hold off on calling in case I'm just being a lonely sociopath."

He hangs up as he arrives to the Pediatric ward. He searches the hall and stops at the nurse's station, "Have you seen a little boy here? About yay high, wearing a shirt with an astronaut on it."

"Oh, there's a boy in the waiting room matching that description. He said he was waiting for his mom." A nurse says.

He nods and thanks them before heading to the waiting room. There by the fish tank, the boy sits staring at the fish swim around inside. Robby comes up beside him and confirms it was Mars. He sits down beside him. The boy looks tired as he watches the fish. He smelled a little dingy like he hadn't showered in a few days. "The Carrassius auratus commonly known as the goldfish. It's actually an invasive species in America due to their opportunistic feeding tendencies. When they are released from captivity they have the ability to destroy entire ecosystems." He says.

"Mars, what are you doing here? How did you get here?" Robby asks the boy softly.

"I ran away." He confesses, tears welling up in his eyes, "I hate my dad's house."

"When did you get here?"

"Late Monday night. Tuesday morning when it was still dark out."

It was Wednesday now. Robby tries to hide his disbelief. He's been missing a day and a half and his dad hasn't come looking for him. "Where have you been sleeping?"

"The abandoned wing of the hospital." He purses his lips.

Robby sighs, "C'mon let's get your stuff."

"No!" The boy flinches, "No! Don't take me back! You can't make me!"

"Mars, please. I won't make you go back. I just want to see where you're staying and call you mom to let her know you're safe." He pulls the boy into his lap and dials your number.

"Is it him?" You picked up quickly.

"Hi, Mommy." Mars murmurs

"Mars," You whisper in relief, "Why did you run away?"

"They don't care about me. I was going to wait in the hospital until you came back."

"What were you going to eat?! Or where you sleeping?! Oh my god…" You take a breath, "I am going to call your father and tell him what has happened before he calls the cops. When did you run away?"

"Monday night?"

"Monday?! You've been missing for almost 2 days?!" You shout, "You are in so much trouble. Your dad is in bigger trouble. I can't believe you, Mars."

"Please don't make me go back." He begs.

"Then who will watch you, Mars?! You can not keep making grown up decisions without a grown up!" You raise your voice then calm down again, "I am going to call your dad and we will discuss what to do."

"Wait, hang on, I know it's not my place but… if it's bad enough for him to want to run, maybe I could watch him until you get back." Robby proposed.

You pause for a moment, "Are you being serious?"

"Yes, he can stay with me. He can sleep in my bed. I can take the couch. All until you get back." He offers again.

"Yeah! I could stay with Robby! Please!" Mars smiles. The first time since being found.

"I don't know… I've got to call his dad." You sigh, "Can you keep him until I get back to you?"

"Of course. Call me back as soon as you can." He hangs up. He gets up while carrying Mars and goes to the abandoned wing for his stuff.

While in the room he sees all the food wrappers of what he had taken. There were some gowns on the bed for blankets. Mars grabs his backpack and starts to clean up. Robby helps him by collecting the gowns and arranging the room as if it was untouched.

When they arrive in the ED, Robby puts Mars in a bed for him to rest. "So it was Mars." Dana watches him as he does a check up on the boy.

"Yeah, he ran away from his dad's. He was living in the hospital the last few days." Robby sighs, "Go ahead and rest here Mars, I'll come back to check on you okay?" The boy nods before laying his head on his pillow.

They walk out the room. "I offered to let him stay with me for the week."

"Really?" Dana gapes.

"Why not? He looked miserable when I found him. He would rather be eating bags of chips and hospital scraps than be at his dad's. That says something, right?"

"I guess," She shakes her head, "What did the missus say about it?"

"She'll let me know." He checks his phone for any new massages, "I'm going to catch up on patients to keep my mind off things. Could you check on Mars? He's a little dehydrated."

"You want an IV?"

"Nah it's not severe, maybe a Gatorade? Or some milk?"

"You got it."

"Thanks"

-

It's late into his shift when you call. Robby was getting nervous. When he answers, he hears the quiver in your voice like you had been crying, "Hey."

"Hey, is everything okay?" He asks.

"Um, for now. The fucking prick went to Philly, neglecting to tell me he was leaving too." You sniffle, "His wife, that bitch, thought Mars was sick but didn't check on him for a day and a half. Like who does that?!" You sob, "They disgust me. You know, it's always been like this. Mars suffers because what they really want to do is take it out on me."

"It's okay. It's okay." He hushes you, "We can figure it out. Mars can stay at mine until you get back."

"Could you? I told David a friend could look after Mars. I do not want him alone with that woman and her hell spawn."

"Of course, I am almost off. It'll be fine." He smiles, "I'm in your corner, Honey. Take a breath for me."

Silence.

"I want to hear you," He says. On the other end you audibly inhale through your nose and out through your mouth. You do it a few times.

"I should just come home." You say defeated.

"Hey, the crisis is averted. Mars is in trusted hands again. You'll just be upset all over again," He says, "It's just a few more days, we'll be okay."

"Okay… okay. I trust you. I am trusting you." You say, "Thank you, Robby."

"You're very welcome. I'll see you soon." He hangs up.

He heads back inside to check on Mars. Dana sits by his bed as Mars lays asleep, "He went to sleep after I have him a cup of milk. He was mumbling about flight paths and orbit until he closed his eyes."

"He's going to come home with me." He says, "Spend the weekend together until his mom comes back."

"He'll be happy about that. How is she doing?"

"Upset. Rightfully so, I can't imagine neglecting a child the way that family has. Pretending he doesn't exist. It's horrible," He touches Mars' forehead, "To look at him and not see him as an innocent child, his son. Never in my wildest dreams could I do that."

Dana looks at Robby's face. He looks fondly at the sleeping child. A smile grows on her face, "You should take him home soon."

"As soon as Shen comes in." He rubs the boy's head and leaves the room to finish his shift.

When Shen arrives, Robby carries Mars as he hands over his patients. The boy lays on his shoulder, eyes closed and unbothered by the movement and chatter. "Cute kid," Shen points.

"Thanks. That is everything. We are out of here." Robby says, "You all have a good night."

Robby thanks his lucky stars he drove his car today. They arrive at his house. It was a small apartment; one bedroom, one and a half bath. Even with his salary, he felt no need to upgrade. He lays the boy on the couch and nudges him awake.

"Robby?" Mars rubs his eyes, "Where am I?"

"My house." He smiles, "You always seem to get your way buddy."

He hugs Robby, "Thank you."

"No, thank you! You got me out of work on time." Robby pats the boy on the back, "You must be hungry. What do you think we should have for dinner?"

"I don't know. What do you have?"

What did Robby have? He was good a cooking but he never had ingredients at home. Last time he made a meal it was at your place. The two of you went grocery shopping together. He looks through his cabinets with a sigh, "I don't know."

"Let me see." Mars gets off the couch and inspects the food in the pantry and the fridge, "Here, we could make spam fried rice. You have all the ingredients." Mars holds the can of spam.

"Do you know how to cook?" Robby raises an eyebrow.

"I'm not allowed to operate anything in the kitchen other than the microwave without adult supervision." He recites.

"You're in luck, I am an adult who supervises for a living." Robby brings over a dining chair for the boy to use as a stool.

Mars instructs him on what to do. The rice cooks and he dices the spam and puts it in the soy sauce marinade. When it's all ready he tosses it in a pan with some frozen veggie mix to fry. When it's all finished he serves the food at the table.

"So, why don't you like your dad's?" Robby asks.

"Because his family sucks," He says plainly, "His wife makes me call her Mrs. Edwards as some weird power trip. My dad doesn't know anything about me. I don't think he cares to. And their kids hate me."

Robby purses his lips disappointedly, "But your mom takes you there…"

"She has to. When I was little there was a huge custody battle. They spent a lot of money on lawyers to get their way," He explains, "I was going to have to live them full time but my dad changed his mind. Said a month in the summer would suffice. I think he still cares about her. Feels bad after his wife's cruelty."

"Still seems like kind of a dick." Robby mumbles.

"Mom says that too," Mars giggles.

They laugh together. "Surely, they know how smart you are."

"They know…ish."

"Ish?"

"I only read books in my grade level around them. And I don't talk much." He scoops his food, "If they found out, they'd probably try to ship me away to MIT or something. They would just try to turn a profit from me."

"But your mom still treats you like a kid." Robby nods.

"Exactly. Even if I'm some prodigy my mom treats me like a kid. We go to Kennywood in the summer, she takes me trick or treating and helps me make a costume, she builds snowmen with me in the snow. I like all that stuff. Just because I'm smart doesn't mean I'm not a kid." Mars smiles.

After dinner, Robby calls you to talk to Mars, "You'll be respectful in his house. Do as your told."

"Yes mom." Mars says.

"Good, I love you and I miss. Please don't give me a scare like that again." You blow kisses to the your phone. "Now put Robby on the phone." Mars hands the phone to Robby and goes to the living room to sit.

"Hi, you." Robby puts the phone to his ear.

"Hi. I can't thank you enough for doing this. I've been on and off the phone with David all day. I've got a bit of a headache and Gloria is trying to force me to attend a mixer tonight.

"Then don't go." He chuckles, "Say, Mars isn't feeling well."

"You're being a bad influence," You giggle, "I just want to stay on the phone with you instead."

You sigh dreamily and Robby's heart squeezes at the sound. He's never yearned for someone before. He smiles, "I miss you too."

"Oh, I know you do, from the endless voicemails you send throughout the day."

"Don't make me sound so desperate." He cringes.

"That's because you are." You laugh, "Should I take an earlier flight to make you feel better."

"Maybe?"

"I'll head straight to your house from the airport too."

"I'm sold," He smiles, "Go and have fun. Mars and I can manage without you for a few days. Actually Mars is…" He checks in the living room to see him reading one of his medical textbooks. He sits in Robby's cozy reading recliner with the book in his lap. He lays his head on the arm rest and fights his eyelids from closing too long, "He's doing fine."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later. I love you…" You trail off. A smile grows on his face as you start to sputter, " I didn't mean to— I mean I did but I didn't want to— It's just a little soon to—"

"I know what you meant. I feel the same." He assures, "See you when you get back."

He hangs up the phone and walks over to Mars. He takes the book from his lap and picks him up. He carries him to bed. He looks so small in Robby's big bed as he tucked him in.

Robby stands at the door as Mars gets more comfortable in the bed. He smiles to himself before closing the door. He lays on the couch as he replays your words in his mind. He would have said it too, but you were so flustered he didn't want to overwhelm you. He opens his phone and calls you back. It's goes to voicemail.

"Good evening, I know we just got off the phone. I put Mars to bed and I am laying here thinking about what you said. I just want to say, I love you too. I didn't want to freak you out any more but I didn't want you to think what you said was wrong and—"

"Say it again." You pick up the phone, "I want to hear you say it."

"I love you too." He bites back a smile.

"You're not just saying it because I said it first right?"

"No. It's something I felt for some time."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"And you're not going to get sick of me?"

"Not for a while, no."

"Okay, define a while because in my mind a few months is a while."

"Oh longer than that," He chuckles.

"Then when? It's a very valid concern."

"With how this conversation is going it may be shorter."

"Robby!"

You continue talking on the phone through the night until you both asleep.

˖⋆࿐໋₊ ☆

As you chatted with him, Ellie wandered over and held up a juice box, a silent plea for assistance. You popped the straw in and handed it back without ever losing your train of thought (or glancing away). 

Dread, and a touch of jealousy, pooled in Aaron’s stomach. The normalcy of it stung, the air now beginning to feel a bit too warm. He felt like a bystander in his own family's life.

Another thought came to mind - is this what always happened when he was away?

The man even offered Ellie a smile, but she paid him no mind, completely ignoring him in favor of running off to rejoin the other little kids. 

Aaron eagerly picked up his pace, desperate to intervene before the guy began invading your space even more. It didn’t look like it’d be long.

Your friendly face morphed into one of clear surprise when he came into view. You pushed your sunglasses up onto your head, as if your eyes were playing a trick on you. “Aaron?! What are you doing here?”

Aaron caught the subtle flicker of disappointment that crossed the man's face. His hand settled around you, a little more possessive than usual, pulling you closer against him. If there was one thing he wanted to make clear, it was that you were his. “We wrapped last night and took an early flight home. Thought I'd surprise you.”

“Consider me pleasantly surprised,” you grinned, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

When you pulled back, you caught the tension lingering in his jaw, his subtle gaze continuing to size up the other soccer dad. Not that Aaron seemed to notice your observation - he was too focused on the man who had clearly gotten under his skin.

Your hand rested against his chest, your fingers moving absently over the fabric of his shirt, a quiet reminder that you were right there.

“How's he doing?” Aaron asked as his posture relaxed the smallest amount, his eyes shifting to the far end of the field, immediately locking onto number two.

Your mouth opened, but it wasn’t your sweet voice Aaron heard.

“Jack's doing great today.” The man answered instead, rattling off Jack's stats with the confidence of a proud parent. He looked at you, too happily, too smug. “He's gotten what? One goal? Two assists-”

“I was asking my wife.”

Your expression faltered, taken aback by your husband's strange lack of friendliness. You studied his face, searching for some explanation.

An awkwardness settled in the air, intertwining with the growing humidity, but before you could say a word, Ellie suddenly appeared, crash landing into Aaron's legs. “Daddy!”

-

“Today was fun,” you said, leaning back against the kitchen counter as you watched Aaron rinse off the last of the dishes. The words were casual, but the meaning behind them wasn't. It was an invitation, a gentle opening for him to share whatever had been weighing on him since the soccer field.

The kids had long since been tucked into bed, exhausted after a full day. Jack's team had won, and between the game, the trip to the grocery store, and the belated Father's Day festivities that followed, it was no wonder they'd been fast asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows.

And now, the two of you moved through your usual end-of-night routine; cleaning up before finally settling in yourselves.

“It was.” His back was to you, putting one of the glasses in the dishwasher. He didn’t elaborate, though his tone indicated there was much more to it than that.

“Aaron.”

He stopped, his eyes finding yours. “What?”

“Is everything alright?” Your gaze searched his face, worry softening your expression. “You're…” you trailed off.

“I'm what?” He asked, a bit harder around the edges than he intended. Frustrated. 

“Acting like you have something to prove.” Your voice softened, confusion flickering across your face as your expression dropped.

“Am I?” It wasn't a challenge or even a denial. More of an admission to himself than anything else.

You studied him for a moment, watching the conflict play across his features. “Does this have something to do with Jared?”

The name almost made him flinch. His jaw tightened, and he let out a quiet breath through his nose before finally meeting your eyes.

“Is he always that comfortable with you?” he asked, trying for a casual tone that didn't quite land.

“I... no.” You stated with certainty, hands falling to your side. A crease formed between your brows, “not at all.”

He huffed, shaking his head slightly as he crossed his arms.

“Is that why you’re so upset?” You asked gently, compassion softening every word. “Aaron, sweetheart, he-”

Aaron interrupted, “it made me sick to my stomach.”

“I'm sorry-”

“How natural it all looked.” Another confused look pulled onto your face, and he continued. “Watching him stand there like he belonged beside you. The smile he gave Ellie, like he was hoping she'd smile back. Or as if he was responsible for how well Jack was playing.”

Your tone changed, switching from sincerity to more of a firm confidence. "Aaron, honey, you have no competition.”

“Well, it should have been me.”

“Aaron, it is you. Whether you're physically here or not.” You laughed, your expression filled with affectionate disbelief. “Do you really think there's anyone else I would want this life with?”

“Even if most of the time you’re living that life on your own?”

“I’m not.” You insisted, pushing away from the counter and gently catching his forearms, coaxing them apart from where he'd folded them tightly across his chest. “You’re okay. We’re okay. So what if you miss a soccer game here and there? None of that changes what you mean to us.”

“It’s not just that, though.” He looked down, ashamedly averting his eyes from yours. “It’s everything. I was talking to Dave,” at the mention of his name, Dave’s words flashed into his mind. Do you ever consider it? Hanging up that badge? “I've been thinking about taking some time off.”

Your brows drew together. The idea of Aaron willingly taking time away from work was startling enough to send a wave of concern through you. “For how long?”

“A couple weeks. Maybe longer. I don't know.” He gave a small shrug, his eyes finding yours again. “It's just a thought.”

“Would you actually want that?” 

“I don't want Jack and Ellie growing up remembering me as the dad who's always leaving, who's missing their lives.” And the thought of someone else taking his place terrified him. Someone else being there for the moments he missed, becoming the familiar face in their lives while he became the father who was always gone. His replacement. 

“Aaron, that's not who they see.” A sad smile tugged at your lips. “And you really don’t miss much. If anything, you miss the ordinary moments. But when you're home…” your expression warmed, “that's when our favorite memories are made.”

“It'd be nice to actually be there for it all. Especially the ordinary moments.”

“It would,” you agreed simply, because yeah. You’d prefer your husband to be home at all times - of course you would. “But we don’t hold it against you. We understand. But I don't want you making a decision because you're punishing yourself.”

“I don’t want to make the same mistakes as before.” A silent understanding passed between the two of you - Haley.

“You aren’t, I promise you. Jack and Ellie are never counting the moments you're gone.” You held his gaze. “They're too busy loving the moments you're here. And if you truly feel as if you need to take time off, that’s fine. But again, don’t do so because you feel as if you have something to prove.” 

Aaron wouldn’t be doing it because he felt like he had something to prove. He’d do it for a million reasons, but never that. He’d do it because he hated the feeling of jet lag and waking up without you in his arms. He’d do it to be rid of the paperwork and the nights alone and the bureaucracy. He’d do it so he never again had to show up at a family event and get a sick feeling in his stomach, a nagging in the back of his mind that some other man was going to come along and take the most important pieces of his life away, simply because he was near and Aaron wasn’t. 

He’d do it if only for you. Then again, he’d never quite been good at letting go. 

He had to get the point across somehow, but he couldn't quite find the words to explain what he was feeling. So, he settled on saying, “I just want more time with you, okay? I don’t think that’s too much to ask. It’s not a punishment to be near you. I want to be.”

“I want more time with you, too, Aar,” you echoed as if it was second nature, the reassurance coming without a thought. “I always do. And a leave of absence would be nice, but I don’t want you thinking you have to shut down your whole career just because you think some arrogant soccer dad I have zero interest in is jeopardizing our marriage. I’m happy with what you and I have.”

“As a matter of fact, I think our lives are pretty close to perfect.” You continued, quiet certainty in your eyes. “I've got a wonderful husband and two amazing kids. Everyone's healthy and-” Your eyes narrowed playfully at him. “-usually happy.” 

Aaron couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. Guilty.

“And you happen to have a smokeshow for a wife who's completely, hopelessly in love with you.” Your smile softened. “Aaron... as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing else I could ask for.”

The tension in Aaron's shoulders finally eased, if only a little. He let out a slow breath before stepping forward, his arms slipping around your waist and drawing you against him. His chin came to rest atop your head, holding you there a moment longer than usual.

“And…” you began after a quiet beat, the thought surfacing almost shyly. “I wanted to talk to you about that, actually.”

He hummed softly, encouraging you to continue.

“I was thinking…” You tipped your head back just enough to meet his eyes. “Maybe it's time we tried for a third again.” 

“A third kid?” The question came out softer than he intended, surprise threading through his voice. The two of you hadn’t talked about this since, well, the Roy situation. 

You nodded, flush filling your cheeks. “Plus, you're kind of hot when you get all riled up and protective about us.”

Satisfaction settled in his chest. Even after years together, he could still get a shy reaction out of you. And just like that, Jared the soccer dad disappeared from his thoughts entirely. Because there was no competition. There never had been.

You weren't looking for someone else. You weren't wishing for something different. You were standing there, telling him you wanted more of this - more of him, more of your family, more of the life you'd built together.

Your lips pulled into a soft smirk. “Maybe you should put that jealousy to good use?”

“Now?” Before you could respond, his grip shifted and he lifted you effortlessly onto the counter. A quiet laugh escaped you as you steadied yourself against his shoulders, his place between your legs bringing him closer.