The love in his eyes makes my knees weak.

I start to fall.

He catches me, scooping me into his arms.I lay my head on his chest.I hear his heart beating.

My heartbeat matches his.I feel so safe in his arms."Are you going to save me?"

"Yes."

I smile."Are you Napoleon?"

"No."

"Are you the Lone Ranger?"

"No."

I reach up and remove the mask."Ah, it's you.You are my hero."

"Yes, I am."

"Will you save me?"

He holds me tenderly.

I smell his intoxicating scent and kiss his chest.

He strokes my hair."I got ya.Everything will be all right."

I turn my head to see his face and smile."I believe you."

His jaw is strong.I reach up and trace it with the tip of my finger."Aurelius."

I wake to the feeling of an overfull bladder.When I open my eyes, the room is dark.The sun has set.I can hear Aurei breathing deep and even.It's a beautiful, peaceful sound.He rolls over, laying his arm across me.

It's so comfortable here.I hate to move, but I have to go tinkle.

I pick his arm up and slide out from under it.

I'll let him sleep while I take my shower.

I sit up and climb over him gently, so I don't wake him.Going into his bathroom, I close the door quietly, trying not to let it click, then reach out and find a towel on the rack.I stuff it under the door, so the light and sound are muffled.When I turn the light on, I discover I'm in my bathroom.He must have carried me down here.Well, this is perfect.

I strip, then step into the shower and turn on the water.The warmth feels so good.It washes away the cobwebs and the fatigue.I put my head under and let it run.When I blow the water out of my mouth, I smile.Aurei does this too."Halo" starts to play in my mind, and I sing softly, humming as I go in and out of the water, washing my hair and my body quickly.When I'm finished, Aurei opens the door.

"Here, Beautiful Thang, you forgot your towel."He holds the end out to me, and I pat my face dry.When I look at him, I feel bad.He's ready to go, but damn, he looks divine.He is wearing a soft Columbia pale aqua shirt cut for his athletic build with a pair of faded overly distressed jeans.

I tell him with a grimace."I'm sorry I fell asleep."

He smiles and opens the towel, inviting me to step in."We've been working hard.I fell asleep too."

I step out, and he wraps me up in it like a papoose, then lifts me like a sack onto his shoulder.My head hangs down over his back, with my feet dangling in front.I giggle."Is this some sort of trickery?"

"Yes, of the best kind."He sits me down on my bed and goes into my closet."Let's see what you have in here to wear."I take the towel off, wrap my hair in it, and sit on the bed where he put me.He starts to go through my clothes.He looks over his shoulder at me."Siri put the towel back on.Otherwise, we aren't going to make it tonight.I'm going to get undressed and fuck your brains out until we are both zombies."

I giggle."Wow!I had no idea that's really how you make zombies."

He chuckles and turns to my wardrobe.I wrap myself in the towel."Ok, but not because I don't want to be a zombie, but because I really want to meet your friends."