The Taming of the Shrew

Good Morning

Elizabeth's POV

The light from the window is blinding as i find my feet and get slowly out of the empty king sized bed, leaving Tom's room. God, he wont remember last night. I thought i would be okay with that but im...really not. I take a deep breath and skip my feet down the stairs and into the kitchen where Tom is making pancakes. I sit down silently at the table, knowing he has no idea im in the room. I sit for a few minutes and just watch him. I just watch his back muscles flex as he cooks and flips the pancakes. His arms are toned and muscled, but lean. I could tell him everything...but where would we go from there. I sigh softly. I have to let it go. I stand up and walk up next to him. He looks over at me and half smiles. I look down at the plate of pancakes on the counter.

"Well, hello to you too, mr didnt-say-good-morning-sneery-grouch-a-lot." A greet him. He chuckles then winces. He must have a killer fucking hangover. I shove a whole pancake in my mouth. He looks over and laughs.

"Good morning, darling." He says in his deep, smoky morning voice. Oh fuck, this pancake has been touched by a god...quite literally since they were made by 'Loki'. Ha. Im fucking hilarious. I fidget for a moment, wondering if i should tell him about last night or something. Fuck my life, this is hard. He finishes off the pancake batter, and turns off the stove. He turns to face me and smirks. I raise one eyebrow.

"What?" I ask him, confused and curious. He takes both of my hands, looking at their small, dainty appearance, then looks up into my eyes. What the fuck is going on? He hints at a smile, then softly places his lips on mine, gently kissing me. His lips still taste like whiskey but now have a hint of pancake and mint. I dont even question it, i just kinda let myself go. Although this kiss is one of our more delicate ones, he is still dominant in his actions. I am so fucking confused right now. He finally pulls away, leaving me stunned and silent. He chuckles and kisses my forehead quickly, then takes a pancake. I stand silently, staring into space. What the fuck just happened?

"If you havent gathered this already, love, i remember everything. And, contrary to your predictable train of thought, it wasnt just a drunken act, believe me." He says in between bites of the pancake. I dont move, still trying to make sense of what just happened here. He waves his hand in front of my face, trying to bring me back down to earth. It wasnt a drunken act. It was all real. He still has feelings for me. Everything was real. All of it. Oh my fucking shitfuck lord this is madness. I glance up at him.

"It wasnt just...you really ha---what?" I stammer. He laughs and spreads maple syrup onto his pancakes.

"It wasnt fake. Listen, Beth. I've been wanting to tell you for a long time but i just...i wanted to respect your feelings and keep my distance considering what happened last time and i guess everything just explained itself last night." I take in everything he's saying but im focused on just one thing; tell me what?

"Tell me what?" I cut him off. He looks up.

"What do you mean?" He asks, confused. I let out a small, breathy laugh and take his left hand in both of mine.

"You said you wanted to tell me but you never got around to it. Tell me what?" I ask him more accurately. He sighs deeply.

"Tell you that...im still in love with you, darling." He says breathily. I stare at him for a moment. His eyes radiate with sincerity. He what? His arms snake around my waist as i go on my tip toes. Our faces are barely an inch away from one another. I linger for a moment, looking into the galaxy that has taken refuge within his eyes, then we kiss. Not like the other ones. Not rushed, or dominant, or gentle, or rough. It's just a kiss. One perfect kiss. He pulls away and half smiles, biting his bottom lip softly and staring into my eyes.