**
He looks over at her, with that mischieveous smile she loves so much. He's thinking this is nice, sitting on the picnic table, looking at the stars together.
"Why are you smiling? What are you thinking about?" She's half-joking, she knows full-well that he won't say.
"Let's walk, that's what we're here for, isn't it." He gets up off the table.
"Sure, that seems about right. It is a bit cold out, walking would be good." She likes the idea, they were a bit too close on the table, she could hear his breath, and the last time she remembers that, they were in a movie theatre, naked from the waist down, his breath in her ear. She liked the walking idea.
"Well, what is it? Why did you kidnap me in the middle of the night? What's so important?" She's pressing, not sure what to expect, she never has been, and realizes that might be why she can't let go.
"I already said, it's nothing like that, I want us to be friends. And I don't know how to make that happen. But, this could be a start, no?" He's not sure that's what he wants, but given everything that has happened recently, he's not ready to suggest anything else.
She decides not to reply. They continue walking, and she slides her arm around his shoulders, and pulls him close. He looks over, smiling, glad they're here together, not sure what to do or say next.
"Look at the moon, it's wonderful." She's smiling now, her arm no longer around him, but still walking closely, closer than most friends ever will. And they both know it."Yeah, it's nearly perfect." Another of his mysterious smiles spreads across his face.
He turns to her, and catches her smile. "You better be careful, you might stop being so mad if you keep it up, and who knows what happens then." He's teasing her, he knows he can get away with it now by the look on her face, and more importantly, by the way she's touching him.
"Don't tell anyone, ok? I have a reputation to keep." She matches his wit, as she always has. He's impressed. That's why I love her, he thinks quietly to himself.
They walk, arm in arm, for another 30 minutes, without saying a word. Down side streets neither of them have ever been, in the darkness of the early morning, now just past 430am.
“Hey, give me a hug." She turns to him, and holds her arms outstretched. They embrace, tightly, strongly.
"I really like the feel off your coat, is that corduroy?" He whispers in her ear playfully.
She pulls back. "Yes, it's corduroy." She speaks in a voice she knows she has only ever used in his presence. She's not sure how she feels about that. But being in his arms is heavenly, that much she knows.
"Ok." He says it smiling wildly, laughing a light laugh, nearly under his breath. They’ve somehow stumbled back onto the car. He looks over at her. "This is good. Let's go." He wraps his arm around her waist, while she pulls him closer from around his shoulders.
In the car, they both sing passionately, like old times, and enjoy each other's company fully. Like only old friends and lovers can.
They pull up to her apartment, and look at each other. He turns and gets out of the car, walks to her door and opens it.
"You're opening the door for me?" She seems touched, but is actually wishing they had sat there longer, listening to music and talking.
"Yeah I guess." He was actually getting out to give her a hug, because doing it in the car would have been awkward and he knows he wouldn't have been able to drive away. "Give me a hug."
They stand there, at 530am on a September Saturday morning, with a hint of light on the horizon, the stars about the fade until night falls again, holding each other, rocking slightly side to side. Rocking, and not letting go. Finally, after a long embrace, they move apart. And she leans in, kisses his right cheek gently, while caressing his face tenderly. He feels her love, and she sees it in his eyes, following her every move.
They smile, and he walks away. "Bye." He waves, meekly, unconvincingly. "I should go."
She looks at him, across the hood of the car now, and says, "I don't want to leave your car. I don't want to leave." She can't believe what's coming out of her mouth.
"Neither do I." He stands, looking at her, chewing his lower lip. They look at each other like this, him chewing his lip, her smiling nervously for what seems to be minutes, but in a matter of seconds, he climbs into his car.
They wave to each other as he pulls away. A couple of minutes later he turns onto the highway
and drives towards the eastern sky just as the light begins making its full effect. He catches the last star in the sky, one they had remarked on during their walk. He remembers looking over at her shining face while she was looking up at the sky, and being moved almost to tears by how beautiful she looked in that light. Oddly, he feels an intense sense of happiness.She walks up the stairs to her apartment, stairs she first walked up with him, and she's reminded of those times, when he was happy, light, when they were so in love. When she gets to her apartment, she sits on her couch, and thinks about the times they had in her space. She wishes he was there with her now, in the shower, hot, sweaty, so she can watch him, his body, and see him watch her, desiring her. She misses his touch so much. She lies her head on her pillow, and yearns for his warmth next to hers, for his touch on her back, his loving caress, his body, tightly against hers, his deep breath on the nape of her neck, his loving words in her ear. She falls asleep, exhausted by the turn of events.
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