Ardent

Reaching the landing deck, Keira coaxed James over the bridge and onto land.
”This is it” Keira smiled, waving her hand along the seafront, James grinned and breathed in sea air. “Shall we walk along the beach?” He asked. Already dragging her toward it. Keira watched him; the beach and everything about it fascinated him. Keira couldn’t really see the fuss; she had lived beside it all her life. The sun beat down on them, so they stopped and sat down for awhile.
”See look, the way the boats are pointing?” Keira pointed them out on the sea, “If they face left, it means the tide is coming in, they face right and its going out”
”So the tide is due in then?” James whined, “I like it here”
”Not for another few hours” she laughed, snuggling into him.
Keira pointed out the different landmarks and added little stories from her childhood along with them. The weather was fine enough, and the continued to walk with the sun beating down upon them. Running toward an ice cream van they argued about whose turn it was to pay, and James laughed when his mobile went off. ‘Well I guess I shall have to answer this while you buy some nice ice cream’ he joked, pushing her toward the queue. Keira flicked him on the nose and walked over to the van, turning back to pull a face at him, she caught a look of horror on his face as he stared at his phone, confused she watched him hang up and place it back in his pocket, he looked shook up as he walked over to her.
’Who was that?’ she asked.
’What? Oh nobody important, come on sod the ice creams we can get one later, I want to explore more’ he grinned, taking her hand.

Whoever had called him, certainly thought it was important as they continued to call 4 or 5 more times, until James lost his temper and turned it off. Keira didn’t question him any further about it, and they enjoyed the rest of their day. She pushed the calls to the back of her mind as he cuddled her close to save her from the winds on the ferry home to meet the rest of Keiras family. After dinner they walked back into central Liverpool.
’What shall we do for the rest of the night?’ James asked, staring up at the Liver birds. As they turned the corner, they both spotted the Empire and grinned.
’The theatre can be fun,’ he laughed, pulling her toward the foyer. ‘That’s if there’s any seats, what is showing anyway?’
The ended up watching a new musical called ‘Two pence to cross the Mersey’.
’I read all these books as a child’ Keira whispered, ‘Its about a middle class family going bankrupt then having to slum it in Liverpool, I think its Helen that is the oldest daughter and she is forced to stay at home and watch her brothers and sisters instead of going to school’. She noticed him staring at the ceiling and knew his full attention wasn’t on her, but she continued anyway. ‘But she longs for an education. It’s a true story, it was written by Helen Forrester’ Keira followed his eyes up and they fell on a huge chandelier on the ceiling. ‘Want one for the front room darling?’ she laughed.
‘Sorry sweetie, I am listening but I’m also getting ready to run if that this bloody falls’.
’Oh that bloody film, I wish we hadn’t watched it, neither do I like your Butler impressions, they deface my image of him, just because you are both Scottish doesn’t mean you can play the phantom better than him’
’Of course I could, I’m a darn sight better looking too’
Keira choked on her sweets, laughing hard. ‘Lets not go their James’.
James dropped her hand and pouted, ‘Are you saying if Gerard whatever bounced in here and tried to woo you I would be all alone again?’
’In a shot’ Keira laughed, ‘don’t try and come between me and my future husband’
‘I;m never taking you to Scotland’ he grumbled, throwing more jelly babies into his mouth.
’Like you would anyway, you wont even talk about your family let alone let me meet them’
‘They are like me, but with bigger beards, mum included’
Keira snorted with laugher, ‘That I have to see, we should go up there one weekend or something’
‘Shush curtain up’ James changed the subject and engrossed himself in Liverpool in 1931. During the interval they fetched drinks, and James had a smoke. Keira sat on a sofa and watched him fiddle about with his phone again. Always so secretive, he never spoke about his past, or about what he wanted from the future, he was just living the now as best he could.
‘Oi less of the day dreaming my little fondant. Lets roll. 3 minutes until curtain up’ he smiled, holding out his hand to hers. Leading her back to their seats, he sat with his arm around her shoulders, and leant against her head, the music and being with her making him feel happy. After the encore they stood and applauded with everyone else, and joked about the funny parts and the sad parts of the production as they scrambled to reach the exit first. Liverpool looked like a monsoon as they jumped out.
‘Why does it always pissing rain here’ James whined, holding his jacket above their heads, they ran to a bus stop to seek shelter.

‘Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before’ James cried out, receiving odd looks from the soaked liverpudilians all huddled in the bus stop. Unsatisfied with being second best to a fellow Scot, James had continued the Butler banter.
‘James’ Keira whispered, ‘Please shut up now’
‘Let your soul take you…’
‘No’ Keira cried, burying her face in his chest.
‘To beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee’ he bellowed out, realising he had a full audience; he pulled her up and danced her close to him round the bus stop. ‘Only then can you belong to me’ he whispered, lifting her face and kissing it. Keira blushed as the bus stop exploded with applause; she thought her heart was going to burst with love for him.
‘Can your butler do that?’ James asked, motioning to the bus stop now full of smiling face, half of them couples kissing, the other half people laughing and applauding. ‘Sure who doesn’t love a romantic gesture every now and then? Now for another one” he laughed, lifting Keira high in his arms and running out into the rain.
‘James put me down; she laughed, hugging him for her life as they splashed through puddles headed toward the hotel. They stopped a few feet from the building when James mobile rang out again, silence fell over them as he looked at the screen then hung up. Smiling he hugged her and they walked on further. Keira wanted to ask but didn’t want to put him in a bad mood, clearly this was something she was in the dark about. When her own mobile rang, he jumped and stared at it. Was that fear that crossed he=is face? She asked herself answering her phone.
‘Its only dad; she reassured him. James turned away and lit up a cigarette, he was smoking a lot more nowadays, Keira must hate it, but he hadn’t brought any weed up here with him, so it was smokes or drink to calm him down. He felt Keira fingers dig into his side and giggled, turning to face her he flicked his smoke away.
‘Dad wants to know if your fat arse wants to go for a drink with him? There’s a late closing at the pub, and I think he wants to show you off to more workmate’s, I’m impressed, very impressed’ she smiled, standing on her tip toes to kiss him.
‘Fat arse indeed, you little midget, shall we go there now then?’
‘I’m not, I don’t feel like it, you go, you haven’t had a night with your own simple sex before, you will have fun, I’ll wait for you back home, I need a shower after this bloody rain anyway’
‘Awww Keira please’ he stopped when she put her finger on his lips.
‘Shush, now you’re a big boy, go and play with the bigger boys’ Seeing her resolve face he gave up arguing with her, ‘I will be home in 2 hours maximum, you stay up for me?’ he asked, kissing her neck, ‘Bu first I walk you home’
‘James the hotel is in sight’ Keira laughed.
‘Yeah and you would be selfish enough to be attacked, then your dad would flatten me, quick march go go ‘ he laughed, chasing her while pinching her bum.

After a nice long bath, Keira munched on some ice cream and had a long conversation with Kayleigh on the phone. Then she watched the news and hopped into bed, she missed James, which was odd, she had wanted a few hours to herself earlier. She had left him at 11 and now it was nearing 1, she knew he would be home soon, and cuddled into her pillow, feeling content and sleepy.
‘Oi’ he shouted.
Keira jumped, to find him directly in her face, kneeling upon her he kissed her face, ‘I said I would be two hours why are thee asleep, did you forget?’
Keira looked sideways at the clock, it was 1.15am. ‘No I must have just drifted off.’ She yawned, watching him pull his shirt over his head. Reaching out she stroked his torso, and licked her lips; she loved his body and was certain he was working out on the sly. Jumping off her he dived about the room kicking off his shoes then unbuttoned his pants, jumping up and down until they fell to his feet.
‘Ta da’ he sang, waiting for applause, but receiving a stony silence and a pitiful look he stomped off to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Keira shivered as he crawled under the sheets and ran his hands along her body.
’Truth or dare’ he whispered.
Keira grinned, ‘Truth’, his dares were just too risky to take.
‘Am I or am I not better looking than Gerard friggin butler’ he shouted.
’Oh let it go you big jealous spleen’
‘That’s an odd insult, I like it. You have to answer’ he roared, poking her in the side, so she giggled.
‘Says who?’
‘The god of truth of dare! Its in the holy books, if you refuse to answer a truth then its legal to kill you’
‘Is that like, if i refuse to do a dare you get to have sex with me?’
‘Just like it yes’
‘I defy your god’ she laughed, ‘but fine, yes you are prettier, and I love thee dearly. But I say that to Gerard as well’
James glared at her, “Well I have met him and you haven’t so nah nah”
‘Oh mature, and you hardly met him, he stood beside you in a bar’
‘I know we are practically brothers’ James sighed, ‘what can I say he needs me. Ow’ he laughed, as she dived on him.
‘Truth or dare James’
‘Dare’ he smiled, her truth questions were always far too embarrassing to risk.
‘ I Dare you to ..Fuck me’ she yelped, as he flipped her on her back, she melted as he slowly kissed down her chest.
“Why?” he asked between kissed, “do…all…your…dares…end…up…with…you…in...Pleasure?’ he panted.
‘I have more sense than you, don’t stop’ she ordered, groaning as he bit down on her nipples, racing his finger down her body, he followed it with his mouth.
‘Do you love me?’ he asked, kissing her thighs.
Keira smiled to her self, ‘Yes Gerard, er I mean James’
‘Right’ he shouted, tickling her until she screamed, he held her close and lay butterfly kisses all over her face.
’Do you love me?’ she asked.
‘Sure Angelina, er I mean Keira, hey it rhythms’ he smiled. ‘Hey didn’t Angelina swap spit with your Butler?’
‘Yes that bitch Jolie kissed my Gerard’
‘See even our fantasy people love each other, we are perfect’ he laughed.
‘Your telling me’ she agreed, flipping him on his back and kissing down his stomach, James was about to say something until she took him in his mouth then he lost all thought. When’s he started to hum, and gently stroke his balls he thought it was about to be over until she stopped quickly, and shot up to kiss his mouth.
‘I love you James’ she groaned, pulling him on to of her.
‘I love me too Keira, but I love you more’ he smiled. Entering her slowly, they made love carefully and securely. Both feeling 100% satisfied afterwards, they fell in a heap and lay quietly. Keira looked back at the clock and groaned. ‘James its 3.30 my sleep pattern will be fucked now’
James snored in reply, until she elbowed him in the ribs, she decided to forgive him when he wrapped himself around her and cuddled her.
‘I’m so comfortable and warm, so safe’ she sighed.
‘I want you safe my Keira, Safe from everything’ he whispered, listening to her fall asleep. ‘Safe from everything especially me’ he said, when he knew she was asleep. Cuddling her closer, he kissed her bare skin on her shoulder and waited for sleep to take him.