Late Love

Hot.

That was Ethan Hunt's first sensation when he woke up.

Irritated, he tugged at his tie, already loosened, and sat up groggily, swaying a bit as he made his way toward the door.

He needed water.

As he fumbled for the doorknob and pulled the door open, he squinted and saw the faint outline of someone near the stairs.

A woman.

"Get me some water," he muttered, assuming it was just one of the maids.

"Uh-okay."

Emma Grace had only come downstairs for some water herself. She hadn't expected the bedroom door beside her to open, and seeing Ethan's handsome face caught her completely off guard, her heart racing.

They'd been married for a year now, and this was the first time he'd ever spoken to her with even the slightest trace of softness.

She hurried to the kitchen and quickly returned with a glass of warm water, only to find he'd gone back into the room, sprawled out on the bed like he didn't have a care in the world.

"...Ethan?"

The room was dim. Emma placed the glass on the nightstand, reaching for the lamp switch as she softly called out to him.

The click of the lamp echoed, and a warm, yellow glow filled the space.

"Mmm-"

Ethan's head was spinning, his mind fuzzy, but he vaguely heard someone whispering his name.

When he forced his eyes open, the first thing he saw was a woman, bathed in soft light, standing near the bed in an ivory nightdress.

In that split second, her worried gaze blurred into another face from his memories, one that smiled like sunshine.

"Lily..." he whispered almost soundlessly. Then, without warning, he reached out and pulled her in.

"Ah-" Emma gasped, not expecting to be yanked down just for calling his name. Before she could react, she was already lying on top of him.

"Ethan... Ethan, wake up-"

Her voice trembled. This was the closest she'd ever been to him, and she could hear his heartbeat, loud and steady.

She tried to move away, but his arm tightened around her waist, his other hand cradling the back of her head.

"Ngh..." Eyes wide with disbelief, Emma stared at his closed eyes, realizing he wasn't fully awake... but she stopped resisting.

She'd loved him for so long.

Her slender arms reached around his neck. From a distance, the two of them looked like a pair of swans gracefully entwined.

Feeling her respond, Ethan's large hand moved down. The thin fabric of her nightgown tore like paper under his touch-gentle yet burning.

Emma wasn't sure how to feel. This hadn't felt like him at first, but even now, even in this confusing moment, as long as it was him holding her... that was enough.

Her dark eyes sparkled with a quiet joy.