Ardent ; h.s.

030

Harry

LOCATION: New York, New York - Robin's apartment

DESTINATION: N/A

I grumbled, adjusting from my previous sleeping position on my side to lay flat on my stomach, my arm against the exposed skin of Anna's stomach. Anna sighed, her eyes still closed, and she fell asleep on her back, her hand in my hair. I gently placed a kiss upon her clothed shoulder, pulling her closer, and my body eased against hers.

Well, most of it.

Once I got comfortable on the pillow, I closed my eyes, there were no plans for our stay here at the moment which left the room to sleep in. Anna would be impressed that I hadn't started my day at the ass crack of dawn, as she would word it.

I dozed off, only to be woken up by scratching and the low noise of sniffing at the door. I groaned into the pillow.

Roxy.

So much for sleeping in. Assuming Roxy heard the creek of the bed she scratched again, ten times more furious. I slipped on my shirt and sweats that I had discarded on the floor before I went into bed last night, kneeling on the bed I gently shook Anna, her brows pinched and she hummed at me.

"Baby I'm going to take Roxy out".

She nodded, putting her arm over her eyes, "just go to the top floor, there's a place for dogs", she mumbled, I smiled at her tired stature. Her lips were plump and her face flushed.

I kissed her and she smiled, then waved me off. Roxy jumped on my legs as I soon as I opened the door and once the word outside left my lips she ran down the stairs. Unfortunately for me, the hardwood of the apartment was freezing, my only shoes were in Anna's room and I didn't want to wake her up again going in.

Latching Roxy's leash onto her harness, I resulted to choosing Anna's slippers that sat together by the door on a shoe rack. To much dismay, and not surprising at all, my foot is far too big, but Roxy had this look in her eyes and I could just tell she needed to go outside.

At least they're comfortable footwear.

Roxy patiently waits, a paw on my foot as the elevator ascends. The doors open to a large terrace, a wall of bricks that reached my waist along the ends. A fire pit and a small garden decorates the area, and at the other corner a large area of fake grass for dogs, luckily it's just me and Roxy occupying the area.

Unhooking the leash, Roxy immediately runs and pees on the artificial grass. I let her do the rest of her business as I look over the edge, just from here I can see Ernie's bakery and the hospital. My thoughts travel to his words.

You love her.

Do I? The previous time I felt I knew of love, it was drained from me the moment I found out I was a pawn in fame, I was used.

But Anna is not Camille, she is genuine. She cares, and all the passion and feeling she exudes, I feel it too. She is passion embodied, a flower of melodrama in full bloom.

I admire her. I adore her. Most ardently.

I suppose those must all lead back to the main idea, love. What a profound feeling.

Although, perhaps I do love her.

Love does not even feel like the right word to explain how I feel about her. The word seems rather small and worn, too simple enough, and what I feel for her is quite the opposite.

My lips uncontrollably form into a smile, my thoughts only about Anna. The woman of all my desires, she is all I want.

I'm brought out of my Anna trance, by Roxy pawing at my legs, she's ready to go back inside, likewise. Roxy and I walked down the hallway, similar to the night before there was something at her door. More like someone.