#tapperhet

Lorcan was walking back up the trail to the cabin with Melba when she took off and strained hard against the end of her lead.  Since it was pitch black, with the moon behind clouds, he had her on a lead so they didn't get separated.  Whatever had her upset, she was damn near yanking him off his feet but wasn't barking.  What the fuck was up with his dog?

Then he heard it, light footsteps coming towards him fast.  Meeri!?  That explained Melba not barking, but what the fuck had Meeri running in the dark, alone, and with no light?  More importantly, where the fuck were the other three to let her out there alone?  He couldn’t hear any heavy boots behind her, so she was most definitely ALONE.  It wasn't just the King's soldiers that were a danger, there were wild animals in the woods.  Someone was going to hurt later, severely. 

Listening closely to the sound of her approaching, and using Melba's reactions as a guide, Lorcan zeroed in on how far Meeri was from him, and where in the road she was.  Standing still, he whispered to Melba to be silent and hold position, she sat at his side in obedience.  The wait seemed to stretch on forever but he could hear Meeri getting closer.  Was she barefoot?  Why did it sound like bare feet on the dirt and not the shoes she’d had on earlier?  No!  She certainly wouldn't have left the cabin without shoes.  It still sounded as if she was as she drew closer. What in all the hells had gone on at the cabin?! If the others were still alive, they might wish they weren't when he was done with them.

Finally, she literally ran right into him like he'd planned, so hard in fact that it knocked Lorcan back three steps to get her to a complete stop.  His arms banded around her to keep her from fleeing again, and his head dropped so he was talking right next to her ear.  She hadn't just been running, she'd been at a full sprint.  Not only that but she immediately went to struggling with him for freedom.  What the fuck?

“I don't know who you are running from, or why.  I don't fucking care either, right now.  What I DO care about is your understanding that you are not taking one more goddamn step, in any fucking direction, without me. It is NOT fucking happening, Meeri.  I will put you up over my goddamn shoulder and carry you if I have to.” He didn't yell.  He wasn't harsh.   He was firm.  It was all he could do not to shake her with the adrenaline running through his system.

“Lo!”  Meeri’s arms instantly went around him, and she clung to him like a child to a parent as she sobbed into his chest.  When she had first run into him, he'd felt like a damn tree.  But when his arms had gone around her, she'd been more afraid she'd found one of her uncle's soldiers. Of anyone to find her, at the moment, he was the only one she wouldn't argue with.  Even if she'd caused problems for the others, Lorcan wouldn't hate her.  Would he?

When the guys were carrying things in, Meeri couldn’t miss that there was tension that had not been there earlier.  She was worried.  Things seemed to have been fine before, till they’d gone out to the SUV.  What could have happened out there to cause all four of them to now seem tense and on edge?  She doubted it was a threat from outside since none of them were keeping their sidearms in their hands, so that meant there had been a confrontation between two or more of them.  But over what?  

While they waited for Lorcan to get back from stowing the SUV and covering both vehicles, Meeri and Elio busied themselves putting away all of the groceries that had been bought.  Thankfully the cabin did have some electricity, so they had a fridge and freezer at the ready.  The stove was wood burning like all the fireplaces, though.  At least keeping things cold, and leftovers preserved, was one worry that they didn’t have.  While they were working together to get the food organized, Tieran and Einar were sorting through all the bags to see what belonged to who, and looking at the bedrooms to try and determine who was going to sleep where.  

There were three bedrooms in the cabin. One was more of just an open loft that looked out of the living room of the cabin.  It was the largest room with a king size bed and its own bathroom.  The other two rooms both had bunk beds that had full sized beds on the bottom and twin sized beds on the top.  There was additionally a sectional in the living room that pulled out to a queen sized bed.  While someone would have to share the closet space in their room this at least meant that they’d all have their own space when sleeping.  

“I think Meeri and I will take the loft.  Lo on the couch bed, and then you and Elio each get one of the rooms?” Einar suggested.  It seemed logical to him.  He and Lorcan were the two tallest, so having Lorcan on the larger bed made sense.  

“You seem sure that she’s going to want to share a bed and room with you.” Tieran realized how it sounded and the tone it came out in after it was too late. He held up a hand.  “I just mean, maybe we should ask her instead of assuming.  If I have to bunk with E, it’s not the end of the world.”  He rubbed the back of his neck and stretched it to one side.  “Listen, I’m trying, so just know I’m not trying to pick a fight.”  A heavy sigh followed his words.

“I got it bro, and you’re right.  Let’s go ask her.  You’re thinking clearer than I am.”  Einar clapped him on the shoulder before turning to head into the kitchen.  He may have hated it being said, but Tieran was right that it was wrong to just assume Meeri would want to sleep with him.  It wasn’t like they had a long standing relationship, even if there had been unspoken feelings for a while.  

"Uh, Meeri, can you pause a sec.  We need to ask you something?" Einar hated this.  Now Elio and Tieran would both be watching. It wasn't like he felt entitled to her in his bed, even if all they were going to do was sleep, but getting shot down in front of the others would be a major ego blow.  He hoped he knew her answer.

"Sure." She turned from the cabinet she'd been filling with cans and boxes, after she’d put the one that had been in her hand away. Taking a few steps, she closed the distance between them, then tilted her head up to look at him. "What's up?"  He seemed nervous, which made her nervous.  She still didn’t know what had been wrong when the men all came in earlier, and now this.  Why was everyone acting strange?

Einar rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  "We were..uh..trying to figure out sleeping arrangements.   You know..who goes where?  And," he cleared his throat, "we just need to know where you want to sleep and if it's alone?"  Fuck! Why was he so nervous all of a sudden?  And why was the room so damn warm?  He could almost feel the weight of both Elio’s and Tieran’s eyes on him.  He hoped Meeri wouldn’t torture him too much by teasing him for this.

Meeri curled her lips in between her teeth, as she tried not to laugh.  As sexy as Einar could be, at the moment he looked more like a nervous kid asking mom for permission.  "Oh, weeellll…I hadn't really thought about it." Her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she stepped closer to him, her own nerves causing a whole flock of butterflies to swarm in her stomach.  A mischievous grin formed on her lips as she went to her toes to whisper so just he could hear. "I'm kind of liking the thought of falling asleep in the arms of a very handsome soldier if you know one who would be willing. Waking up that way too.  But if you're not up for that…." She drug out the last word as a tease as her lips caressed the curve of his ear with each word and her warm breath fanned across his neck.

By all the gods in the heavens, she was going to be the death of him one way or another.  His head dropped to answer her back in just the same way she had him.  "I think I'm more than up for that, love." He pulled her tight against him, where there was no way she could miss his reaction to her reply and especially the way she had delivered it. Even if nothing physical could happen because of the circumstances, the thought of her in bed with him was enough to make his jeans definitely uncomfortable. 

"I'd tell you two to get a room, but we kinda still need to get stuff done.   You done seducing my help now, Einar?" Elio teased, pretty sure that they both had forgotten he and Tieran were there.  Not that he could blame either of them too much, after the day they'd all had he wouldn't hold it against them for holding a little tighter to each other and grabbing a hold of any distraction.

"For now." Einar chuckled and gave her a quick kiss.  "I'll probably steal her for the night in about an hour El. We've got a lot to do tomorrow, and not sleeping will just dull the senses."  He winked at Meeri as he backed up and turned to leave.  He didn't miss Tieran trying to hide his irritation.  They'd talked.  They were brothers and they'd make it through the uncomfortable time.  Knowing it didn’t mean that there wasn’t a part that still didn’t want a physical confrontation.  There was no point in it, and it would only cause pain to more people.  Tieran had his own demons to battle.

"Sounds good.  We should be done by then.  Lo can help you two as soon as he gets back." Elio turned back to what he was doing.  Partly because he didn't really need to stare, partly to keep from saying something to Tieran again.  He knew the man was trying so he wasn't going to be an ass.

“Come on T, we have bags to disperse.” Einar clapped Tieran on the shoulder as he passed.  The saying ‘fake it till you make it’ was taking on a new meaning.  Ignore things until they stopped, because Einar had faith in Tieran.

“El?” Meeri asked when the other men had left the room and they were once more alone.  She slowed putting the boxes in the cabinet she was working on.  “What's going on? What happened while you were all outside?”  She saw him freeze, and her heart sank.  There had been a sliver of that it was just her imagination.   Obviously, that was not the case.

“Meer, I have my own question.” Elio turned around, leaning back against the counter, and placing his hands on either side of him with the heels of them on the edge of the counter, fingers curled. “You love Einar? Really love him?”

She looked back at Elio confused.  “El?” He raised his brows and tipped his head as an only reply. “Yes.” She let out a shaky sigh. “It's not like I could say or do anything before. Do you know what my father would have done to him?”  Suddenly her voice got choked as she remembered her father ranting at a Commander about Einar paying her too much attention.  “Why do you think I never courted any Prince? I mean I thought he…and I knew I…” Meeri gesticulated as she tried to come up with the right words, then gave up and let out another stuttering breath.

“What if he's not the only one who loves you?” He wasn't sure she was still breathing after he dropped that bomb.  So she had no clue, lovely.  “First, Lo and I love you, in that you're our little sister that we have adopted.   Tieran is not so platonic.  He got called on some of his behavior, and he spilled everything to Einar.  So, it's been a really heavy day, Meer.  But we're a team.  We're a family.  No one's loyalty is in question.   There is just a little tension.” Elio watched her carefully.   

“Oh.” Her eyes fell.  She was causing problems between them. The four had been tight friends since they could barely walk, all their families were aristocrats in the kingdom.  They could all die because of her, and now she was also coming between them. They had all been brothers before she had joined them years ago and their friendships were battle tested. It was her.  She was the problem, the division, the one that needed to go so they could get along.  Just like her father had said, the cause of all problems was her...it was all her.

“Meer?” Elio pushed off of the counter.  Something was very wrong.  He’d thought being honest with her would be the best, but maybe he had been wrong.   She wouldn't look at him, she wasn't talking, hell, he wasn't even sure she was breathing. “Meer, talk to me, sweetheart.” He stepped closer, not having expected whatever reaction THIS was.

Suddenly her head shook and she looked at him with tears streaming down her cheeks.  “I can't El.  I can't be the reason you all could get killed, and be the reason for all the problems.  I…I can't.”  He reached for her but Meeri stepped back too quickly, yanking her arms out of reach and behind her.  Her eyes were wild, unfocused, and her breaths were almost hyperventilating.  Elio was becoming scared.  “It's all my fault…everything….” was the last thing she said before she turned and ran, her heart breaking that she'd have to leave them.   She couldn't stay and hurt them.

Fuck him sideways. He had no clue how she'd gotten THAT from what he'd said, but she had to be stopped before she got out of the cabin. “Guys!  Incoming!!”  That would at least get Einar and Tieran’s attention.

“Yeah, just getting tired again. Do you mind if I take another nap?” The constant up and down of her adrenaline levels had a huge part to do with how she was feeling, she was sure. It seemed like every time that they thought that they could relax, something would alert Lorcan that there were more soldiers around. Thankfully, no one looked too closely in the jeep with Melba losing her mind next to him.

“Sweetheart, do whatever you need to. I’ve got this. If I need help staying awake, I’ll wake you up. Okay.” Again he looked in the rear view mirror. Lorcan was actually worried about her. Physically she was fine but he knew mentally she'd had a day none of them could imagine. Then there had been the damn trip to the Jeep. “But hey, M?”

“Hmm? What?” Her chin once more was resting on his seat back so she could talk low to him, since she was tired.

“We’re good, right? Right?” It had been bugging him since they went through the outer gate at the city. He hated how he’d had to get her to the Jeep. Guilt had been eating at him. You didn’t treat friends like that, and she was more than just a friend.

“Lo,” affection filled her voice as one arm came to wrap around his upper chest, high enough not to interfere with his steering. “Of course we are. Stop over thinking.” She hugged him lightly. “If you’re worried about earlier, if you hadn’t done what you did, I wouldn’t be here with you. You got me out of the city alive. You and Melba.” Meeri leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. “You know you’re not bad for a big brother.” For a few minutes she laid her head on his shoulder over the back of the seat.

“Yeah, well you know me. I can’t stop chewing on something till I’m sure.” One of his hands left the steering wheel to hold hers and bring it up so he could kiss the back. “You’re pretty cool for a little sister too. Don’t tell the others I said that, they’ll think I’m going soft.” That earned him a soft laugh, which made him smile. The group really were like family in many ways. Maybe that’s why Meeri’s father had never liked the guys, and had turned on her in the end.

The former King had been a stickler for protocol and gender conformity, so his tomboy daughter running around with four paiges as a child had not set well. As she'd aged it had set even less well when she would have one of them as her escort to royal balls and galas. Her never having shown interest in any of the Princes paraded through also probably didn’t help, especially coupled with the fact someone would have to be blind not to see Einar was in love with her. Lorcan wasn’t for sure where the King and the rest of her family ran off to, but he knew that neither he nor the other three were going to let anything happen to her from here on out, so her other family might as well be actually dead; they'd been replaced anyway.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lo. I couldn't hear anything over Melba snoring back here." Meeri laughed softly and offered thanks to the goddess that she had "her boys". Next to Einar, Lorcan had always been the one she was closest to and then Elio. Things were complicated with Thieran, but that didn't mean she loved him less.

"Better her than me. Although, you do realize that you are going to be trapped in a cabin with four of us, right? Might want to ask the others to get you ear plugs." Lorcan bit his bottom lip as she made a squeak. He had been kidding but now it was too funny to tell her.

"Oh, you're kidding. Right?" She tried to pull her hand back but he wouldn't let go. "Lo, you're kidding." She pulled again and heard him start to laugh. "Ass!!" Now Meeri joined him. "Complete ass."

"Part of my charm. Why else do you think the women love me? The uniform?" He was laughing and squeezed her hand. "Okay, it is probably the uniform, but my sense of humor is second."

"Goddess knows it's not looks." Meeri bit her lip as she saw his fake outrage in the rear view mirror.

"Meeri! I save your life and you put a dagger in the heart like that." He couldn't even muster enough sarcasm to stop laughing, which he didn't mind since after the day they'd had it felt good. "I mean, I knew I wasn't your favorite, but damn woman! That, that was just painful."

"Do you need me to kiss your wounded ego to make it better." She couldn't stop laughing. This felt like old times with Lorcan, they teased each other mercilessly.

"You kiss anything other than my cheek and you'll probably have to dig one of Einar’s bullets out of me. I love ya, but I don't love anyone enough to get shot." They both laughed, and both knew it was a lie. He'd die for any of them. They all were like that.

"I knew it! The only loyal one is Melba! GIRL POWER!!" Meeri was now laughing so hard she was crying. The emotions of the day having given way to giggle fits and slight delirium.

"You just love me for my dog." Lorcan now fake pouted.

"Well, it's been a good run, Lo, but I guess you figured me out. It's Melba, it's always been Melba." She was starting to wheeze when laughing.

"You know how to gut a man, M. Geez!" Lorcan laughed and shook his head.

"Side to side, not up and down, otherwise gravity won't complete the evisceration." Meeri nodded then caught Lorcan staring at her slack jawed in the rear view mirror. "What?"

"Remind me to tell Elio that some things from field training really don't have to be shared. Also, the fact you remembered that so easily is impressive. I'm now scared of you with sharp objects, but it's impressive." He laughed. She really had spent too many years around the four soldiers, they had completely rubbed off on her. Lorcan loved it.

"It was Tieran." Meeri laughed. "It came up when talking about dissecting a corpse for an autopsy. So, it wasn't THAT bad.

"You still remembered it off the top of your head without missing a beat, M. You are officially one of us now. Sorry, Princess, we can't let you go. You're stuck with us." Lorcan just grinned. Goddess be damned, he loved her.

"Other than needing ear plugs to sleep, I'm perfectly fine with that." Her head was once again on his shoulder as exhaustion was overcoming humor.

"Hey, we all have faults. Ours just happen to all be snoring and devastating good looks. Einar and I got some charm going on too. Just a little." He chuckled and kissed her hand again. "Lay down, sis, and ger some sleep. I'll watch over you. We shouldn't have any problems between here and the cabin. No one knows we're going there."

"Okay." Meeri kissed his cheek. "Night, Lo."

“Any sign of them?” Tieran asked from the back seat, leaning forward so his head was squarely between the headrests for Elio and Einar. He had stopped receiving any response from the two in the Jeep, and he was starting to get worried. They were still a decent distance behind where the Jeep should be, but that didn’t mean if there was trouble that they wouldn’t see them since the route they were on was the same that Lorcan had taken.

“They are at least two to three hours ahead, even at our pace, Tieran. I can only go so fast without risking the undercarriage.” Elio sounded tired as he spoke, then blew out a long breath. He was tired. Darkness had fallen hours ago and the only light was the illumination from the dash and the headlights. The reroute was going to increase the time until they were able to rest too. He was already considering whether to have one of the others swap out driving for a while and give his eyes a rest from focusing so hard on the terrain in front of them. “Meeri is probably asleep, and Lo is driving. I’d prefer he not get them killed, rather than responding to you.”

“Likewise.” Einar’s voice was just as tired and also slightly frustrated. He too would have liked to hear from the others, even if just Meeri saying she was going to sleep and Lo was driving. The whole situation was so fucked up, he almost guaranteed that neither of them in the Jeep would have thought about how it would seem when they stopped responding. Neither of them would have purposefully made them worried.

“I know.” Tieran’s voice was resigned to the conclusions his friends had just voiced. He’d thought as much, he’d just hoped. “Just with all that has gone sideways today, it would be nice to be sure that they were okay.” He sat back in the seat, blowing out a breath. They were all going to soon be on each other’s nerves. The best they could hope for was that they’d get to the cabin without any problems with the soldiers that were out looking for Meeri.

“Has your family asked where we’re at?” Elio asked Einar, curiosity having gotten the best of him. They should have arrived at the estate hours ago, not counting Lorcan and Meeri. He’d tried to avoid the subject, figuring that after finding out about the soldiers being all over the estate that it might be a touchy subject.

“Several times. I haven’t responded, or even opened the messages beyond what can be seen on preview. I don’t know if I’m being pinged, but I know I definitely will if I open them. I also know that my parents will know why I didn’t go to the estate if there are Royal Soldiers there, so the only reason that they’d be asking is that they’re being forced to in order to make it seem like they don’t. Someone is wanting to know where we are and I’m not going to tell them. Maybe once we’re all together and can work out a strategy on how to handle things. If we look like we’re hiding for too long then it’s going to be obvious we’ve got Meeri.” He’d already been thinking over that. Right now, no one knew for certain that she was with them. Someone might have thought that they saw her with them, but if they played it right, they could make it like they were upset that they didn’t know where she was or what was going on. That might buy them more time to figure something further out.

“I don’t blame you, I am not really feeling all that trusting right now either.” Elio glanced over at Einar. “Do you guys think we have enough supplies and things for Meeri? “We’ll be passing one more small town we can stop in if you think we should? We need one last fueling stop, I need something to drink, and one of you guys is taking over for a bit.” He didn’t really want to have to go to a general store, but he’d leave it up for a vote. With as tense as they all were, the last thing he wanted to do was upset one of the others and it becoming something larger. They were going to need each other to survive, starting off on the wrong foot was not something he wanted to do.

Suddenly Einar’s phone pinged and Tieran’s did simultaneously, making all three men in the vehicle twitch from being so tense. Only Elio hearing Tieran’s relieved sigh, and then seeing the hint of a smile on Einar’s face kept him from pulling the vehicle over and demanding answers. Obviously both were good, which meant their friends were safe, and that it hadn’t been Einar’s family again. They’d all agreed that once they were together the phones would be off, at least at first. Even if the soldiers were able to find the last location they went to, they wouldn’t be able to track them after that without them being on.

“They’ve made it safe to the cabin. Lo is going to be getting all of his stuff inside, along with Meeri and Melba. He says the cabin is in good shape and that there are a few provisions there, but that we are definitely going to need what we picked up. They at least seem to have had a smooth trip, kind of like we are.” Tieran let the others know what he had received.

“Meeri!” Einar called as he saw standing in the middle of the road, soaked to the skin in her cape and dress, unmoving and seeming in a daze.  What the fuck was she doing out there?  Where were her parents and siblings?  When she turned to face him, he pulled his horse to a stop next to her and dismounted in an instant to pull her in close in a tight embrace.  Everything about her screamed devastation at him in the loudest sense, which made sense with what had happened with her uncle, but did not answer why she was alone when it was not safe for her to be.  “Meeri, what the fuck is going on?  Where is everyone?!  Why are you alone?  Fuck, sweetheart you're trembling.  It is not safe for you out here.”  He held her closer, draping his own cape over her to keep more of the rain off of her as he waited for some kind of answer.

“They..they left me.” She sobbed against the knight's shoulder.  Now he would too, now he knew and would abandon her like her family had.  She would have no one.  It would be no time before her uncle's men found her. “Father said it had to be me who helped uncle. That I was the traitor.  I wanted him dead.. I’m the oldest, so I’m the only one who could have conspired with uncle.”  Her whole body shook as she clung to him and sobbed, praying he wouldn’t pull away and leave her.  She had always thought him a friend, feeling more but of course it would never be reciprocated.

Einar was at a complete loss for words.  Even though her words were stilted and somewhat disjointed, he understood it all. This had to be some mistake.  There was no way that they would have just left her, was there?  “Okay.  It’ll be okay, Meeri.  Let’s get you out of this rain first, then we can figure out what is really going on.  Okay?  I'll take care of you.”  He felt her nod as he held her tighter.  Fucking hell!  He had no problem making sure she was okay, but he could not fathom how her family just abandoned her.  There was a death sentence on them to be executed in less than an hour if any of them were found. 

“I’m going to put you up on Khaos sidesaddle, then I’m going to get up so we can get back and you up into my room at the garrison.  They haven’t dismissed us yet, so I can at least get you some dry sweats and sneak you out after midnight.” He pushed her back from him so he could look her in the eyes and make sure she was actually hearing him.  The whole coup from the Duke had been a surprise and happened so fast there had been no fighting. Now many in the castle did not know what they would do or where they would go.  His family was landed gentry with multiple estates.  He would take over as Lord Baron of one, and he’d just take Meeri with him.  They’d figure it out from there. 

Meeri had ridden with Einar before this way, so she knew how to position herself atop the horse once he'd placed her up there, to make it easier for him.   Once he joined her, they headed to the garrison at top speed.  Her uncle had only given her family a one hour lead before ordering that if they were found, they were to be beheaded.  They had to get her hidden quickly.  

As they rode, Meeri leaned against her knight that she’d always considered a friend, her arms encircling him.  She still wasn't quite sure why he was helping her at such a great risk.  By protecting her, he was signing his own death sentence. While they had always been friendly, maybe even friends in his mind like as in hers, as soon as her father was deposed, his duty to her ended and she became enemy of the crown and so him as well.  She could only hope that he was not betraying her into her uncle's hands.

Once they arrived at the garrison, he rode around to the back.  There were fewer eyes there to see him secret her into the building and up onto the floor his rooms were on.  “Come on, follow me.  Once I’ve got you in my rooms, I want you to hide in the bedroom while I get Tieran, Lorcan, and Elio.” Einar told her as he helped her off of Khaos.  He knew his three best friend would help without question.  For one, they all hated the new King.  For another, they all adored Princess Meeri.  And third, they were loyal to one another like brothers. Taking her hand in his, lacing their fingers, he led her through back hallways and stairwells up to the floor where his suite was.  Thankfully they didn’t run into anyone.  With all the commotion of the coup of the Duke over the King, many of the legion had fled, or were out on patrol.  It helped their situation, something that Einar was thankful for.  “Stay here, do not answer if anyone knocks, and don’t worry.  Meeri, it’s going to be okay.  We will take care of you.”  He looked down into her grey eyes, looking up at him filled with worry and fear.

“They will kill you all if they find out you are helping me.  Why are you doing this?” She searched his eyes, her brows drawing together in confusion.  His duty to her father was done.  Was there more to it?  Had the friendship she’d felt towards him been reciprocated? His eyes softened around the edges as his dark eyes imported her to see him the way he saw her, but maybe she never would.  Maybe she didn’t understand or never had. “Do you really not know, Meeri?” Einar asked, cupping her cheek with one hand as he drew in closer to her.  The large room seeming to close in around them as the space between evaporated with his movements.  “I would kill for you, die for you, keep you safe any way I could, and always will. Even if you haven’t seen me as I’ve seen you.”  He could see it sinking in as her face relaxed and eyes widened, lips parting as she seemed to fight to find a response, not that he needed one.  

“I…Einar…” her lips kept moving but words were evading her like somehow the two of them had just evaded her uncles knights. Tears stung at her eyes, how had she never known?  How had she never seen?  How?   She covered his hand with her own, swallowing down the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm.  Her fingers wrapped around his hand, clinging to him.

“Now, stop that before we both cry.” Einar took her head in both hands very gently and placed a kiss in the middle of her forehead.  “Love you too, Meeri.”  He turned and strode from the room, giving her a wink as he closed the door.  If he hadn’t gotten out of there, he would have been too emotional over what was going on and what had just happened between them to go find his friends.  

"How are you holding up, Meer?" Einar’s hands gently held her face between them as he looked in her eyes.  He was worried, not just about her physical safety, but her emotional well-being.  The entire ride there he’d be afraid he wouldn’t see those beautiful eyes of her again.

"I've been better, Einar.  I feel better now you're all here." Her arms encircled his waist as she drew closer. "Especially you.  It was no less dangerous for you three than it was for us.  I was worried." Meeri swallowed as her emotions threatened to well up from deep within.  Looking up into his eyes she felt like she could drown in their grey depths without ever needing to breathe air again.   Leave it to her to pick the absolute worst timing to declare her feelings for him, and vice versa.  Even if there had always been that bond, now it was real.  It was really real.

"There wasn't anything going to keep me from you.  Not tonight, not ever again, Meer."  His head dipped to catch her lips with his, not caring if the others walked back in or not.  He'd waited years for this and he'd be damned if he waited longer, especially after her declaration back at the garrison and just then. 

The kiss was slow, emotion filled, and deep.  Neither of them were in any hurry for it to end, even if both knew it had to.  The SUV did need to be unloaded and they would have more time later.  Even if neither of them said it, they were both thinking it. So, it was with that in mind that they both pulled back to look at one another once more.

"Keep that thought for later soldier, but our friends could use some help.  Don't want to press our luck.  You know Lo, not a sentimental bone in that soldier.  Well maybe a tiny one, he did give us a few moments.  We might owe him one." Meeri couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she brushed her lips over his once more, relishing the feel of being in his arms and being able to be open about how she felt about him.

"Now, Princess, if you think that there is anything on this earth that could make me forget, I'll have to show you later how wrong you are." Einar ran his nose along hers, keeping their foreheads together, and fighting getting lost in another deep kiss.  If it weren’t for the threat to her life, he’d think this was some kind of dream to finally be with her just like this, forget anything more.  But there was that threat, which unfortunately he couldn’t forget anymore than he could how much he wanted to just be like this with her for as long as they both could stay awake.

"I'm going to hold you to that." She teased him, suddenly feeling butterflies that she never had before with him.  It was a feeling she’d never had with anyone.  But then Einar had always been the one that could make her blush with just a look and her heart race with just a touch.