When hours passed them by late that evening and the summer sun had finally faded into the short hours of darkness, Björn had crawled himself up the bed tiredly, finding that the woman of his life was sitting back on the bed against the headboard in salmon pink cotton pajamas. She had her black frame reading glasses over her face and her phone held against her knees as she watched what was an interesting and informative video. She found recently that she loved YouTube videos— whether it be the vlogs, the Do It Yourself, or the interesting channels that have viewers end up binge watching videos, one after the other without feeling the time go by. He wondered to himself if that was how she spent her nights while he was away. If it were the case, it wouldn't have surprised him and he wouldn't have predicted it any differently. It was a habit of hers that had grown without him being able to recall when it started. Well, he was home now, Björn thought, and this part of her nightly routine could be left for another time.
Agnetha was aware of him right when she felt his weight press against the mattress. Interestingly, he was not moving to his side. He was moving up right where she was, just as if he had a very specific goal. His hand pulled her leg down to give himself room and his determination to get to her left her with chuckles.
She felt his hands on the bed, one at each side of her hips and his mouth beginning to kiss her from her chest to her neck. Her arms went above his shoulders because that was the only chance given, and still he heard from behind his head, loud and clear, the video she was watching. She let him crowd her body though her mind only gave him half the attention he wanted.
"I missed you," he said, his voice low and quiet. He was far buried in her neck, comforted when he could take the scent of her in. "I really did miss you." His kisses were warm to the touch, passionate and filled with need and satisfaction, like she was all he needed for all his life. It was difficult to resist, her eyes closed for a moment to feel him.
"I missed you too," she answered, though the video was still running. His head pulled away until he could meet his eyes to hers. Björn raised her glasses off her face, and she let him, leaving them both to be frozen for a moment then and there. The pause had her stop the video momentarily, and they carried on, him initiating, and she accepting. She returned what he gave slowly, but she didn't have it in her, that same energy that drove him to kiss her. Pulling away he looked at her again, and she to him, blankly waiting to see if it would be just that.
"Did you?" he asked again, not too serious with his question. "Or are you just saying it?"
"Of course I missed you," she answered. "Do I have to tell you I miss you for you to confirm that I missed you?" She bit her lip naturally, and naturally did it draw his attention.
"Yeah. You certainly do." He traced her lip with his finger and then kissed her.
Agnetha's answer came in the roll of her eyes as she pulled her glasses down and played the video once again. He had no better choice than to roll over on his side, watching her— hair French braided again, eyes focused to a small screen, and her eyebrows being knitted closer together. He gestured to the phone with a sigh and propped his head on his fist.
"And if I start creating these kinds of videos one day, don't ask me why. Maybe then you'd listen to me." Her eyes rose from the screen and she locked her phone.
"Björn, I always listen to you."
"I said I missed you."
"And I said I missed you back," she laughed. He shrugged, thinking it wasn't going as planned for him. It was odd. They were always perfectly in tune with each other.
And still, his touch wasn't gone forever, that was his natural love language. She felt his fingertips run up and down her arm, tempting her to give him the attention he was longing to share with her all evening. She hummed, brushing her bangs to the side and way from over her glasses.
"I know what you're doing, Björn," she told him.
"Good. So we are on the same page then." He moved back over and slightly above her, to leave more kisses like he had, touches she knew that she enjoyed. There wasn't doubt that she want it too. Her hand curled around his head and she reciprocated everything. Everything until...
"Björn, I can't. I'm just..." she sighed, during which she still let him press tender kisses below her jaw. "I don't know. I'm not in the mood." Now he pulled away, resting on his elbow and he began analyzing her understandingly yet thoughtfully. He had been trying to break her mood, but seems that it was still the same as earlier that day.
"Why?"
"What do you mean, 'Why?'"
"I mean, do you say that because you are upset with something I did, or—"
"No. I just mean that I am not, I don't know, I'm not focused. And plus, I memorized how it will go with you," she chuckled.
"Oh! Really?"
"Yes!" He didn't need to ask her before she added, she was giggling at him as she listed. "You kiss me, and say things, then you take my clothes off. You look at me like you've never seen me before, and you'll say how beautiful I am and how much you miss me. But then we're finished and that's it—"
"Wait a minute..."
"You get ready for bed, turn over, and go to sleep."
"Love, that isn't true at all." She narrowed her gaze, teasingly asking him to give another try. "Okay, it's not always, Anna."
"It isn't?"
"No, of course not."
"Ah then tell me, how come I know it too well?" Agnetha teased. She turned over to him, sinking lower and biting her lip trying not to laugh.
"But you and I never have had it the same way. Ever. It might be similar but there is always something different. Each time," he reminded her, speaking with joy on his face. He watched her eyes shimmer at him as she listened.
"Mm. So you are telling me that you remember each single time?" she challenged. He froze.
"Okay, not each single time, Anna, there's no way but—" She leaned her head back as she laid like him on her elbow, and she laughed as he fought to make his point. "But I do remember most."
"Yeah... I am waiting for you to list ten and what is so different about them." And she laughed thinking that for her it wasn't much of testing him or because they had opposing views. She knew he was right. It was just her wanting to hear what he'd say.
"Should I start with your temper in the garden?" he smirked. "Maybe the boat? I can name you five occasions that were different on the boat without hesitations. Don't ask which one was my favorite, I'll tell you right now I haven't been the same since you taking the seat at the front." He watched her eyes sparkle because she knew what he was talking about.
"I deserve to be given a driver's license by now."
"I think if you had one it would've been revoked."
"Just because it drove you crazy?"
"You," he clarified to her husky comment. "Yes. You did."
"Four more," she asked of him.
"Let's just say, I never knew that it could be possible to have a filthy, dirty shower until you and I stepped into one together," he coughed, clearing his throat as he laughed. He let her share the laughter. "Mornings always start best with you. Even should they start at four in the morning..." he glanced down to check on her face and wink when he had seen her blush. Her hand had reached to his shirt absentmindedly, fiddling with the detail of the pocket without a real excuse to be touching him. "How many more? I am not even out of this decade."
"Alright, I get it," she whispered. "You've proved we aren't that boring."
"I've also proved that your mood can change quickly too," he shared to her observingly. "If I didn't know you any better I would think you weren't turned on at all."
"Who says I am? I'm not turned on," she spoke.
"No?" Björn asked, leaning in closer to her, just to hover closely.
"No."
"Not even a little bit?" he pressed softly against her.
"Not at all."
Her pull on him was gentle, coming in closer to rid of the gap between them. His lips were taken over by her, and in the same moment, his hands pulled off her glasses and his together, dropping them aside. He was relaxed when she linked her leg over his, arms hugging him from around his back. They inhaled each exhale until they began to explore each untouched area. They must've stayed this way for long minutes, not pushing for more than hugging the way they were. He was right. It was always familiar, yet never the same. Each time had a craving different than the one before. Each time had a passion that was different, a vibration that buzzed through them differently. How interesting that it started emotionless, turned into playful, and resulted in something both fuzzy and heated.
They were absorbed in the world they took themselves to when a ring on Björn's iPhone sounded. She pushed back, but it was failed. He hardly parted from her, and began mumbling.
"Forget it." His hand stroked over the blonde locks of her hair, feeling the overlapping of strands from the braid. Her leg draped over his hip and her arm beneath his as she held his shoulder had them locked tightly, as if they laid in a perfect cocoon for two.
"Shut it off," she murmured, hand coming back down just to be descending towards his lower abdomen. Anything she said was his command.
His grasp on the phone took a few moments of struggle, not knowing where it was but when he had it, he made the easy mistake of putting his eyes to the screen. He found the name of the caller, and at this hour in the night he was surprised to see it. It must be something very important. The hold she had on him for a kiss had been interrupted with him separating from her for a moment, but it didn't stop her. He had done what he wanted and had her invested in all sorts of feelings she found she couldn't resist falling into.
"Hello?" was what she had first heard and he understood how dangerous of a decision he made for himself when he caught her eyes. He cleared his throat and answered after a brief twenty seconds. "Uh... I- Well, it's not the best time... b-but you have me on the phone now." Agnetha raised her eyes at him and in response he asked for her understanding. It just wasn't expected. She waited, watching him listen closely on the call and frowned to think she had no idea what was so incredibly important. She had no care what it was, knowing it was a work matter by now but she did care to know who it was. Her hand tugged onto his wrist to bring his phone to the middle and she brought her ear closer. Close enough to note the voice belonged to his new... what was the word? Oh, right. Partner.
The second it was comprehended, she released his wrist. Her frown lightened into an eye-roll, a look that now, ironically, intimidated him more. She separated from Björn, hearing him exchange communication. What a foolish decision on his part, he thought, but whatever. It was done now. It would be only a matter of minutes, Björn expected.
He watched Agnetha part from him as he spoke, picking up his and her glasses from where he'd abandoned them to leave them on the night stand. Agnetha was not so careful with the sounds she had been making, shuffling in the bed over the covers, picking up items and putting them down. Her cell phone was next, and she placed it down with another obvious sound that revealed he wasn't alone. She huffed to herself, turned over with her back to him and it wasn't the last of it because in just another moment Agnetha reached her arm to the lamp and the light was put out completely.
"What was that?" he wondered over the phone. Not for clarification. He completely missed what was said the first time around. He knew he had to get off the phone as soon as possible. "Oh. Yes... In that case, let me call tomorrow. I will have more details on it for you by then anyway."
By the time the phone was closed, Björn put his hand over Agnetha's hip, only wanting to justify his decision to answer.
"Anna."
"Shh..." She felt him get closer. "Björn, if you are right about anything, it is certainly about the fact that my mood changes quickly. You can stay on the phone. I am going to sleep."
"I am off the phone, baby, it's finished."
"Ah... okay. I am still going to sleep."
The old man pulled back, and a moment later lied down on his pillow completely, but not without grumbling her name in acceptance of the way their night crashed to an end. What did he expect anyway?
Björn had concluded a few things just before falling asleep, and he was certain that at least one of these things is a priority to take care of. This tension between them had to disappear. However, in order to do that, they each had to give up their time to each other. The question was: Were they both willing?