Title: SAY GOODBYE
Author: Sunni
Category: - Adult het
Pairing: Anonymous couple
Disclaimer: The lyrics to "Say Goodbye" belong to Dave Matthews and the Dave Matthews

Band and all the other usual legal stuff.....

Feedback:  I welcome all comments. I think.

SAY GOODBYE

The music plays softly, a tangle of saxophone, drums, and violin; she is curled up on pillows by the fire, reading a book. Lightning paints the rain-streaked windows with a fiery white glow, and she glances at the windows before turning back to the book, lifting a mug of mint tea to her lips.

A knock at the door causes her head to jerk up.

'So here we are tonight,
you and me together
the storm outside,
the fire is bright'

The wind pushes him in and she struggles to close the door against it before turning to face him.

His eyes are unreadable but intent.

She pulls him in to the sofa, next to the fireplace and helps him remove his wet jacket and shirt.

A flash bolt of lightning starkly outlines his face and bare chest; her face is backlit in the light from the hearth, softened and mysterious with shadow, focused on him.

'And in your eyes
I see what's on my mind'

He leans forward a little, eyes riveted to her lips. His brilliant green eyes seem to glow, sparking not entirely from the firelight.

'You've got me wild,
turned around inside
And then desire,
see,
is creeping up
heavy inside here'

His breath is heaving in his chest. She seems like an unmoving statue draped with soft shadow and bright warm fire. Her lips part slightly, but no sound issues forth. He breaks the motionless spell by moving forward, tangling his fingers her long hair and tugging her to him for a firm, long kiss. She looks dazed but ecstatic when they break apart.

'And I know you feel the same way I do now
Now let's make this an evening
Lovers for a night,
lovers for tonight'

His face, that had been tautly expecting rejection, relaxes imperceptibly. She leans in this time, for a deeply passionate kiss. Her arms slip around him, and he responds by urging her up onto the couch, and they ease back together.

'Stay here with me,
love,
tonight
just for an evening
When we make our passionate pictures'

She whispers something in his ear, smiling and caressing his face. The fire dapples over the planes and casts shadowed hollows over the interplay of muscle and entwined limbs.

'You and me twist up, secret creatures'

They topple off the couch together, still securely wound around each other, he landing on top. She pulls back from nuzzling the hollow of his throat, face still slightly questioning him, before he flips her over and then leans down to kiss her bare exposed flesh. He relaxes onto the carpet, warm with fire glow, his own _expression still slightly closed, guarded.

'And we'll stay here...
tomorrow,
go back to being friends'

She closes her eyes as he kisses her, wrestling to be on top, Suddenly a picture of him leaving the next day, his face shuttered and on guard appears in her mind and she sees himself pretending with a sad smile that none of this ever happened. They both know they can't allow it any other way.

'We kiss and sweat
We'll turn this better thing
to the best 
of all we can offer,
just a rogue kiss...'

He and she, together by the fireplace for that night, both unrestrained and blissful at the height of their passion.

Lying together in the afterglow, tangled limbs and covered with a light gleam of sweat. Her face pensive, as she tucks her head under his chin, against his collarbone. The look of surprise crossing her face, as he stands and scoops her up in his arms and carries her into the bedroom. She expected him to leave

'Tangled tongues and lips
See me this way
I'm turning and turning for you
.....just for tonight'

Laying her down on the bed, he lowers himself to her, kissing slowly. She is unhesitating as she reaches up, locking her arms around him. Quick darting kisses, long slow heated kisses that draw out against one another, liquid fiery caresses.
He catches his breath as she pauses between kisses, his face now openly yearning. He tugs her back to him, eagerly.
Her eyes flick to the clock, desperate, and then she turns to devour every precious second with him.

'Float away here with me
an evening just wait and see
But tomorrow go back to your life
I'm back to my world
And we're back to being friends.
Wait and see me'

In both of their minds' eye, they envision the inevitable departure that will come daybreak.
She sees herself hunched miserably over a pile of paperwork, then scattering it furiously in a white whirl of trivial scrap paper. And he sees his self working his cases, bringing bad guys to justice.

'Tonight let's do this thing
All we are is wasting hours until the
sun comes up, it's all ours'

Even more fiercely, she turns to him, catching him by surprise with her ardor. They move against each other, clinging almost desperately on the bed.

He is holding her in his arms again, neither of them asleep, neither of them willing to admit they are awake, cuddling closely between the sheets.
She turns to her lover once more, twisting in the circle of his loose embrace to surprise him with more fiery kisses, and insistent passion. He succumbs with a smile.

'On our way here
Tomorrow
go back to being friends'

He starts awake the next morning, the skies outside cleared of rain, and dresses quickly. He stands over the sleeping woman with a longing _expression on his face, then he vanishes in a displacement of air before she can wake up and test his resolve.

'Go back to being friends
Tonight let's be lovers,
say you will
And hear me call,
soft-spoken
whispering love'

She wakes up groping at the empty sheets, calling his name. Sitting up, closing her tear filled eyes as she remembers the passionate kisses and caresses, he for once utterly responsive. She unravels the sheets from her fingers with a hopeless look on her face and touches the pillow beside her. She then imagines meeting up with him and their friends again, and seeing a look of indifference on his face. Just friends once again.

'A thing or two I have to say here
Tonight let's go all the way then'

He pauses in the corridor, hearing her voice. He looks troubled. He remembers the previous night as she had, and closes his eyes. Briefly he considers the possibility of something more...then his eyes snap open and he shakes his head roughly, cursing himself for a fool.
He thought he could walk away without a backward glance, take her and then put her out of his mind.

'Love I'll see you'

He pauses that night outside her door, hesitant. If he crosses the one-night line, he doesn't know what will happen. In his eyes the struggle is reflected - torn between the memories of last night, and the laughing, responsive lover...and his resolve not to let it affect him further.

'Just for this evening
Let's strip down,
trip out at this
One evening starts with a kiss'

Inside, she pushes away from her desk and begins to undress for bed. Pulling her shirt over her head, silky hair cascades down around bare shoulders. She yawns, then freezes, mouth open in surprise at the sight of him at the window beside her door, his hands clenched on the sill. She wanders over, barefoot and shirtless, trembling. She stretches forward to touch him, and he's gone.

'Run away...'

She stares at vacant window, touching her fingers to her lips. Was it a dream...?

'And tomorrow
back to being friends
Lovers...love...lovers...'

He stands on the other side of the door, arms wrapped around his body, shuddering. He can't leave. He just can *not* leave. His fingers echo hers, brushing over his lips, remembering the heat of her mouth.

'Just for tonight,
one night...love you
And tomorrow...
say goodbye...?'

His face suddenly calm with resolve, he raises a hand and knocks on her door.


~ Finis ~