NOT have sex with her...

It took some effort, but not a lot, to push Astrid away from you. Your cock deflated, and your heart steadied. You stared into her eyes and frowned slightly; you weren’t feeling it this time. In more ways than one, it felt like ending it with sex would have tainted this moment with her. Astrid grinned and then went to blow a stray strand of hair from her face. “Well,” she started. “It looks like I might not know you as well as I thought. I thought you wanted to end it like we usually do.”

You took her in. Her body; went with water. Her skin; warm to the touch. Her eyes; were more perfect than anything else you’ve ever seen. This wasn’t a girl to be used. This was someone to spend an eternity with. Simply said, sex wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t ever be. Love might’ve been a verb, but a single exercise didn’t express it. You shared her grin and pulled her into a hug.

“I don’t want this to end,” you explain. “I don’t want to wake up. I don’t want to stop looking at you or talking, either. So let’s not waste our time. Let’s swim. Let’s walk. Let’s explore. And then we’re done with that… we’ll go to bed and fall asleep in each other arms talking. How does that sound?”

Astrid eyes don’t gloss over, but her cheeks become red with apparent signs of embarrassment. “How did you make me look like the pervert and you the romantic one?” She giggled, her ponytail swaying with life behind her head. You worried briefly and started to wonder if you had offended her as you focused on her red cheeks, but before you could voice your concern, she nodded with her laughs. “Yes! Yes! That sound like a good way to spend our time together. Let’s do that.”

You straightened your back and looked at her again. She wasn’t quite real to everyone, but she was real to you, and you would be a fool to waste such beauty on one thing. She was everything material. Best friend. Girlfriend. Wife– not a whore, not a toy. She was an angel...A real angel. You couldn’t use her like the other mortals you knew in your earth-host-body.

...

...

"Wake up," Scarlet was beside you. She looked ill, and you shot up when you saw her. "Don't panic. Breakfast is almost ready, I just wanted to talk to you."

You moved slightly over and allowed her a spot next to you. She rested her head on your shoulder and sighed. "You feel warm," she grimaced. "Much warmer than me."

"Are you OK?"

"I feel horrible," she swallowed. "I had a dream last night that I woke up on a...in a subway and I was waiting for a train. I was so excited for some reason. I was wearing a blue dress and around the subway was an ocean...It was gray, and there were clouds in the distance. It looked so chaotic compared to where I was. It felt so peaceful, and looked so beautiful... It was the first time I felt like I was happy for some reason, but I missed my friends so much. I didn't want to be there alone...Somehow I knew I wasn't going to be alone forever, though. I only needed to wait for that train a little longer."

You were silent with her. And then she said. "I think I'm ready to go home."

"We'll get you back to the house as soon as I'm done here today," you rub her shoulder, but she doesn't answer.

…

…

Oldfield is out there when you and Angel arrive. "Back so soon?" he laughs. "Don't tell me you guys forgot something, did you?"

"No," Angel replies. "Just making sure those hunters didn't return and finish the job. But, here you are are, alive and well. And this time guarding the hatch."

Oldfield nods. "We figured that if they came back, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have someone up here guarding the only exit and entry. The one other is down there too if you want to chat to him. Did you want anything?"

Angel is about to say something, but you cut in. "Something warm to drink again."

Angel turns around to face you. "its warmer today than it was yesterday, are you sure?"

"Might as well drink something while we're resting, right?"

Oldfield shrugs, stowing his rifle over his shoulder. "Yeah, I mean. New faces aren't going to turned down here. Nice to stifle that cabin fever, you know?"