Heat of the moment (18/19)

Author- Midnight Faith

Spoilers- none

Distribution- FF.net, AOH, buffysearch.net and Neurotica… anyone else just ask :)

Pairing- Lilah/Lindsey

Rating- R

Summary- Lindsey and Lilah take a business trip to London

Disclaimer- they belong to the almighty Joss… I am but a child in his candy store

Dedication- To Bobbi who is one in a million

Five hours into the flight to London and Lilah was ready to crawl out of her skin.

She'd resigned herself to pulling the plastic tray down, her head resting on her arms. Closing her eyes tightly, she told herself over and over she didn't get airsick so there was no need to get all nauseous in front of her co-worker/kinda boss and Lindsey, the guy she loved, was living with yet pretending she'd never set eyes on before.

Through focusing on how sick she felt, she felt Lindsey brush her hair away from her face and tenderly traced a finger down her cheek.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, sitting bolt upright.

"It's OK, relax." He said, looking over at Mark, deeply asleep against the window, before saying, "You look tired. Wanna sleep against my shoulder?"

"Oh, very stealthy," she cut, "Besides I'm feeling a little sick. I wouldn't want to hurl all over you."

"You’re feeling sick?"

"Now and again- when it gets turbulent."

"Do you want anything? Water? A blanket?"

"I'm fine- honestly, I think its nerves more than anything."

"About what?"

"Being in England, away from home. I'm actually worried the housekeeper will forget to feed the fish. And pretending I don't know you. It's all a little much."

"It's only four days, we can call the housekeeper when we get there and I'm here aren't I? We're gonna spend a lot of time together."

She smiled at him weakly, as ever reassured by his words.

"You want a hug? This armrest thing goes up you know."

"What about Mark?"

"What about him? He's gonna be out until we hit the runway at the oh so exotic London Gatwick."

She sighed, taking a look over at Mark before nodding in agreement. Lindsey pulled the armrest up and drew her close.

"How long since I've touched you?" Lindsey whispered into her hair.

"About seven hours."

"Feels like longer," he said, tightening his grip.

"Don't squeeze," She snapped, "Remember, feeling sick."

"I'm sorry. I read somewhere there's a pressure point in your wrist and if you press on it helps you feel better."

She nodded in response as he pulled up the sleeve of her jacket and felt for a pulse point, grinning.

"What?" She asked him, smiling back.

"It's nothing just… Lilah."

"What?"

"I mean, Lilah hands, Lilah skin, Lilah perfume. It's nice."

"Nice? I hate wrists they're all veiny."

"Your wrist is beautiful," he said, pressing lightly with two fingers into the pressure point. "Better?" He asked.

"A little. But it could be the hug I'm getting… that's really nice too."

He kissed her softly, before drawing back, hands still on her face.

"I feel better already," she said with a soft smile as she kissed him, oblivious to the world, only breaking when a woman opposite them informed an airhostess her four-year-old son had eaten a yellow crayon.

"Ours won't be like that," Lindsey reassured Lilah.

*****

When Lilah opened the door to her hotel room Lindsey was standing there holding a pile of clothes.

"In my 'perfect stranger' capacity, mind if I leave some clothes in your room?" He asked.

She shook her head and stood aside to let him in.

"How are you feeling now?" He asked her.

"Stop fussing, I'm fine. I've felt worse."

"How's the jet lag?"

"Horrible. Yours?"

"Strange more than horrible."

There was a moment's silence.

"I hope bringing my stuff in here wasn't too presumptuous of me," he said.

She gave a small smile.

"I didn't know Oklahoma hicks knew such long words," she said, sitting on the bed.

"I didn't know Nevada homies could interpret such long words," he said, sitting on the bed beside her, "We going to bed?"

"Can we talk for a while?"

"Of course," he said, "Get changed first?"

He found himself turning away whilst she changed into pink silk pyjamas and he replaced flight crumpled clothes with boxers and a 'South Park' T-shirt. They looked at each other for a moment before Lindsey offered Lilah his hand and they slid into bed, cuddled together, limbs entangled.

"It feels strange to be in bed in the morning ready to sleep," Lilah remarked with a small yawn.

"What about our Sundays? We stay in bed for most of the day then."

"True. I used to hate Sundays but now they're my favourite day- it's when I feel closest to you. But then I guess when we have this baby that won't happen anymore."

"Sure it will. We'll make Sunday a family day. Us. The kids. Cat. Dog. Newspapers. Cartoon network."

"You don't think we're rushing into this? Over compensating?"

"Do you?"

She shrugged.

"Maybe. I mean, look at us. We're not even together in the eyes of everyone else."

"I know, I just- God, Lilah. I want us and I love it being just the two of us, but- I want more. I want something that's only ours."

"It could be a complete disaster. This kid could hate me or end up in juvy aged six or worse- we could split because we couldn't deal with the pressure."

"That's never gonna happen, Li. Not by my doing anyway. I think I've figured out we're a forever kind of deal."

"Like soulmates?"

"Maybe. I want it all but I also realise the key to us is compromise."

"What do you mean?" She asked, a little unnerved by the word 'compromise.'

"OK, so I want kids. But I can't just expect you to throw away your career and play house. So I'll find a job working from home."

"I can't ask you to do that. You're one of those people who Law comes naturally to. You know, four months ago this world was a horrible place. And then there was you and you made it better. I'm ready now. To settle down. I'm nervous. I'm scared I'll fuck up our kid's lives as much as I have my own. But it'll be OK because they're gonna have an amazing Dad."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Why the hell not?"

"Why'd you have to come all the way to London to realise this?"

"Because," she said, beginning to caress him through his shorts, "I'm totally jet lagged and lacking in moral uncertainty right now and this is all highly non-clinical."

He grinned at her foxily, moving over to kiss her.

"Sounds good enough for me."