Warm Bodies: Awakening

Missing Pieces

Julie lay nestled in R's arms on the floor of the plane, his body pressed up against her back, his arm hugging her waist. It was heaven. Heaven on a slightly cold, hard floor, but still. Peaceful and perfect. A scratchy woolen airplane blanket covered them, and she rubbed it between her fingers, remembering the time R had covered her with one the night he'd first brought her here. God, she'd been so terrified. And he'd been so kind.

And now she was here, in his arms. Life was so strange. What would her other self had said if she knew this was going to happen? She couldn't imagine. All she'd wanted to do at the time was get the hell away from the creepy ass zombie.

A little laugh escaped her at the thought, and R stirred slightly.

Smiling, she kept still, wanting to hear him relax again, and fall back to sleep. She loved the sound of it, the deepening soft rhythm of his breathing. It was so peaceful.

When they were traveling with her dad, looking for stragglers, she'd watch him sleep sometimes, watch his eyes dance under his lids, his mouth fall open as he relaxed. They weren't sleeping together then, her dad wouldn't let them of course, they just lay on sleeping bags next to each other, and talked while everyone else drifted off. Then he'd finally fall asleep, and she'd watch over him. When she woke up, he was there, watching her with a soft smile.

A short burst of static interrupted her thoughts and she groaned. It was her com. The static sounded again, with a muffled voice. That had to be Dad. Dammit.

R shifted and made a small sound. His hand stirred against her belly, and she grinned, turning towards him.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Mmm," he mumbled, smiling at her as his eyes slowly blinked open. The static came again, and he frowned. "Whazat?"

"Dad," she said with a sigh. "We didn't check in you see, at the appointed time."

He nodded slightly, his eyes closing again as he smirked, "Right. You should tell him why."

"Oh no, I think I'll leave that to you," she said, and poked him with her elbow. The voice started yelling then, and she grumbled, sitting up and groping under the pile of their clothing to find the radio.

She clicked the switch, "Hey Dad, sorry!"

"Where the hell are you?!" her dad roared, the sound translating to a tinny squeak that almost made her giggle. "Are you two still in the plane? You were supposed to be back a half hour ago!"

"Yeah, um." She looked at R, gesturing for him to come up with something, but he just propped himself up on an elbow and shrugged. Rolling her eyes, she threw her bra at him.

"We wanted to make sure we got everything Dad, I'm sorry," she said finally, wincing.

"Well, hurry it up! The wall's coming down at eighteen hundred hours!"

"We'll be back before then Dad, I promise," she answered, dropping her forehead on the radio.

"Okay. Be sure you are. Over and out."

R threw a lazy salute in the air and rolled over on his back, tucking his hands behind his head. "Your dad," he started.

"My dad," she agreed, and smiled down at him.

He turned his head to her. A little electric thrill passed through her as their eyes met and she grinned. How he could still do that, she didn't know. She didn't think that would ever change.

He sat up and his face was now an inch from hers. "I guess we should go then, huh?" he said, smiling, his gaze falling to her mouth.

"Yeah. We should." She leaned even closer to him, and as their lips met they kissed, slowly, gently, losing themselves in each other.