One sweet day
By Deyse
The soft movement of John's fingers caressing Roma's auburn hair lulled her into a pleasant sleep. She was resting her head over his naked chest, listening to his steady heartbeats as a pleasant breeze blew through the window of her bedroom. It gently moved the light green curtains and allowed a little bit of the blue sky outside to appear, revealing a beautiful Friday afternoon. Her house was empty now and the silent atmosphere had only been broken a while ago, by passionate cries and whispered loving words exchanged between the couple.
Sometimes, the only thing the Irish actress regretted was not meeting him earlier in her life. But then, whenever she realised she did have to go through all the suffering and loneliness she had previously experienced to receive the blessing of his love, a smile would always appear on her meek face. There were no regrets.
There was, otherwise, a loving man, who had always treated her like a princess, either with loving words, gentle caresses and caring gestures. From a single touch on her cheek to passionate kisses during their lovemaking, he had offered her his friendship, support, reassurance, and his love - without expecting anything in return, but dreaming that one day he could win the beautiful Irish lady's heart. John was there with her and that was for real.
And forever.
The smile on the blond actor's lips was perhaps the smallest evidence that his dream had come true. The feeling that Roma - his Roma, belonged to him with her body and soul became more and more certain each and every day. He loved her dearly, and until the end of his days. Days that he had promised to devote to her even before they exchanged their first loving kiss. John had seen her pain and misery, and cried together with her and wiped her tears away. It was a time when the only thing he wanted was to see her smile again. And once he did, he swore to himself he would never allow anybody or anything to make her suffer again.
He did manage to fulfil that promise. After all, he was the reason for her happiness.
"... you're so quiet..." a soothing female voice took him out of his thoughts and drew his attention back to the sweet reality. "... what are you thinking?"
The slight smile upon his handsome face grew wider. John gently tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and bent his head in order to look at her pretty face. "I thought you'd fallen asleep, angel." He said, surprised at the fact that she was conscious, and amused at seeing that her sweet brown eyes were still shut. Maybe she was somewhere between awake and asleep.
"I guess I was..." her voice was as sleepy as the rest of her body, half covered with the soft white sheet that John had thrown over them a while ago, when she was indeed unconscious.
Chuckling, he kissed her forehead lovingly and repeatedly. "... or maybe you still are!"
Her lips curved in a pleased smile. "If this is a dream I don't want to wake up..." she said, delicate fingertips caressing his strong chest."... you didn't tell me what you were thinking about..."
John covered her small hand with his and took it to his lips. "About you... my beautiful... delicate angel."
Roma's eyes finally opened and slowly she moved her head to gaze at him. She raised her hand to touch his handsome face, admiring his strong masculine features, caressing his cheek and touching his lips. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"
"Actually you did right before you fell asleep in my arms!" he kissed her hand again, and then inched closer, committing to memory the image of her pretty face framed by her auburn hair, a little dishevelled due to his constant caresses. The sparkling of her sweet brown pools hypnotised him, and on the following moment their eyes closed and he pressed his lips onto hers.
The kiss was sweet and slow, and then John placed his hand on the back of her head, deepening that loving caress, which she welcomed with the same intensity, the same affection. Only when air became a problem did they part, even though John continued to deliver tiny kisses on her face and lips, and her smile reappeared. "Tell me we don't have to film today... and that the perfume commercial that I was also supposed to shoot, and the photograph sessions you have to do for the clothes commercial are both postponed to some other day..." she said, enjoying his caresses and not wanting to leave his arms so soon.
With a mischievous smile, he continued to kiss her delicate skin and caress her hair. "You don't... Our little one is with Della and Frank, having fun in their ranch along with her little friend Betty, so there's nothing urgent here!" he said, "Let's give the show a different ending..." he said, smelling her neck, "... and no perfume is better than yours!"
Giggling, both at his words and also at the ticklish sensation caused by his kisses, she looked at him with questioning eyes, "What different ending?"
"Andrew invited Monica for a date, and they wanted more privacy!"
She looked at him sceptically, but rather amused. "Do angels date?"
"They do when they're in love, and Andrew is totally head over heels for Monica!" he spoke into her ear, and kissed her cheek afterwards, watching as she grinned at his words.
"I guess you're right, you know... Monica couldn't resist to Andrew's charm for long..."
"Problem solved then! We'll let the producers know about the angel romance later on!" he bent his head to kiss her again but she gently placed two fingers against his lips to stop him, "We have work to do, Mr Dye!"
John rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh as he let his head fall back on the pillow. Quite amused with his boyish pout, she kissed his chest. "And I'm starving! We should've had lunch an hour ago!"
A mischievous smile reappeared on his face and he ran his fingertips along her exposed back, stroking her white skin as if touching delicate porcelain. "We were quite busy an hour ago!" he said, enjoying the sound of her giggling.
X
John and Roma had a light snack and managed to arrive at Moon Water Studios in time to shoot the last scenes of Monica and Andrew on that episode. It was the last day of work before the weekend, and the following Monday would be a holiday. Reilly, along with her little friend Betty, had gone to Della and Frank's ranch on that same morning, and John and Roma had to stay in Salt Lake City, due to their work. They were going on the following day, though, and had arranged to spend the night at the actress' house so that they could set off early in the morning.
When the Touched by an angel episode was over, they left the studios with different destinations. John had to photograph for a famous men's clothing brand, and Roma would spend the rest of the day in another studio, shooting a perfume commercial.
The couple would not meet so soon and the Irish actress probably would not be home before 9.
X
It was indeed 9 PM when Roma finally left the studio. And a surprise was waiting for her right at its entrance.
"John!" she exclaimed, smiling broadly at him. The blond actor had been leaning against his car for the last half hour and looked amazingly handsome to her, even though he was wearing casual clothes.
"I told you I can't stay away from you for a long time!" he said, bending his head to kiss her lips softly.
"I thought we'd meet at home!" She was visibly happy to see him there judging by the beaming on her eyes.
"No way I'd let my angel out there all alone!"
"I would've hailed a taxi..." she gazed at him from head to toe, "But I wouldn't have had such a handsome driver!"
Smiling, he opened the car door for her and then took the passenger's seat, driving back to Roma's house. On the way, they chatted about their day and the different commercials they were doing, and during the entire day the blond actor had the pleasant sensation they were exactly like a married couple. If the daily contact with the Irish actress had always been wonderful when they were only friends, now that their relationship had turned into a beautiful love story their complicity was ten times greater.
As they approached the actress' house, a mischievous smile appeared on his face, as he started to picture his girlfriend's reaction once she saw the little surprise he had prepared her.
They crossed the gates of Roma's house and after he parked his car, John insisted on opening the door for her. She gladly took his proffered hand and they walked up to the entrance door. Roma noticed how he ran his hand through his blond hair, unsuccessfully trying to hide his impatience as she looked for the keys inside her bag.
Somewhat amused, she gazed up at him apologetically. "I know I should reduce the amount of objects I carry with me but I promise I use all of them!" The way she spoke only made her more adorable to him.
"I got that covered this time!" he said, winking at her and showing his own copy, which she had made for him a while ago.
Once they were inside the house, the Irish actress dropped her bag on a nearby armchair and let out a tired sigh. "Oh, what a day!"
But before she could go further in the house, he reached for her hand and squeezed it. "Angel, wait..."
"Yes?" Roma's eyes were so penetrating and there was so much trust in them that he felt nervous.
"There's... there's something I'd like you to see..."
She eyed him with curiosity and tilted her head. "And what is it?"
John took her hand to his lips. "Close your eyes!"
"John!" she exclaimed, with impatience.
"It's not negotiable, angel!" he replied, rather amused. She had no other option but to do what he was asking. "Alright then!"
Smiling, he lay both hands over her shoulders and gently guided her out of the living room and up to the dining room. There, John made her stop and kissed the back of her head. "Open your eyes now, sweetie!"
And when the obeyed to his request, her curiosity was quickly replaced by surprise. "Oh, John!"
Her boyfriend had prepared a romantic dinner, with candle light, red wine and delicious food. The soothing and romantic atmosphere, all the care with which the room had been decorated - the whole surprise moved her deeply and she covered her mouth to stifle a sob.
"We didn't have proper lunch... For some good reasons, I must say," he spoke into her ear, glad to hear a small crying giggle in reply, "so I thought that I should make it up to you!"
She turned her eyes away from the beautiful table to look at him, and without saying a word, wrapped up her arms around his waist, in a tight embrace.
Equally moved, John also held her tightly, and kissed the top of her head. "I just wish I had Andrew's culinary ability, so that I could cook for you. If I had it, I would prepare you each and every single dish instead of hiring a restaurant to do it!"
"You're... so good to me... The way you treat me... I never thought..." her words trailed off and she had a serious expression on her face, with tears threatening to fall from her eyes at any second. It was a small surprise and it wasn't the first time John did something like that, but he knew the reason for her tears. She wasn't used to that kind of treatment. Her two previous marriages had left sad memories in her heart and even though he had promised to erase all of them, the actor knew it would take a long time.
It didn't matter though, as he had all the time of his life.
Gently, John pulled away and cupped her cheek. "I treat you the way you deserve to be treated, Roma. And you deserve nothing less than love and joy for the days to come."
Two big tears finally made their way down on her face as a crying smile appeared. "If you are in those days, then I have no doubt they'll be filled with happiness and much love."
Pleased to hear that, John wiped her tears away with the back of his hands and kissed her forehead. "I have no intention to leave in the next 50 years... nor in the ones after these!"
He tucked some strands of hair behind her ear, never breaking the contact with her soft brown eyes. They only closed when the blond actor pressed his lips against hers, in a sweet loving kiss that sealed their love promise.
X
Dinnertime was a pleasant one and in between a squeeze in the hand, a tender kiss on the cheek and loving gazes, conversation flowed easily. When they finished, Roma propped her chin on her hand and her elbow on the table. As she let out a contented sigh, John reached out for her free hand and squeezed it. "Was everything alright, Ms Downey?" he wanted to know, smiling at her in a tender way.
She returned his affectionate gaze. "Everything was just perfect, Mr Dye. But I'm not surprised, you know. You always had the ability to make my world a perfect one!"
Roma inched closer and kissed his lips softly. "Thank you... For everything..." her loving words were the cue he had been waiting for all night long.
"Angel... It's... It's been a long time I wanted to tell you something..." he was suddenly serious and she eyed him with apprehension. The smile that had been lingering on her beautiful face quickly disappeared. "What is it, John?"
In a matter of seconds, Roma felt her heart beating loudly in her chest and the panic sensation that she thought had been left in the past was back again. "... is... is there something wrong? H-have I done something wrong, I-"
But it took equally only a few seconds for him to realise the pain he had unintentionally inflicted, and he grabbed her hand with both of his now. "Oh, no! No, angel, of course not! How could you ever do something wrong to me, baby? Today was one of the happiest days of my life, angel, and it was thanks to you!"
He could see as she breathed out with relief, her worry and fear still visible on her face. "I'm... I'm sorry, I... For a moment, I thought..."
"Shh..." John moved his fingers to her lips and gently stroked her face, "... I never want to see all this fear and doubt in your eyes again, Roma. Never again, are we understood?" he knew her heart better than anyone, and was fully aware of what scared her deeply. She thought he would leave and he mentally scolded himself for causing that horrible impression.
Roma lowered her head and nodded, as fresh tears fell from her eyes. John rose to his feet and brought his chair closer to hers, and then held her hand again. "Angel, look at me..." he cupped her chin and lifted her head, and once her brown pools met his green ones, her hopes were immediately renewed. There was so much trust and love in his eyes that she felt like a fool for thinking he would leave her.
"I'm sorry..." she managed to say, but he gently silenced her again. "No, angel. I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have taken so much time to tell you this... I don't want to just come here and go away, or sleep over for a night and worry about what Reilly will think about it on the following morning. I want to share a life with you, Roma. I want to kiss you goodnight and be the first to greet you in the morning... I want to make my life your life too, so that in 50 years we have a collection of happy memories to share, and lots of kids running around our house, calling us grandpa and grandma. Please, angel, come to live with me... Or better, let me stay here with you, not for a day or two but forever..."
Surprise and emotion filled her heart as she heard that, and now her heart started another accelerated beating. Roma even doubted that was really happening. "Do you really mean it, John?" the Irish actress asked, crying softly, and not even John managed to stop her tears from falling now.
"No... I mean much more than this, baby! I mean to love you more every single day... I mean to be a father to Reilly, tell her stories, take her to school and help her to grow happily. I want to protect you two, take care of you for as long as I live, and give you all my love!"
Crying both with emotion and happiness, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him for dear life. With a contented smile on his face, the blond actor caressed her auburn hair and returned her loving embrace with the same affection. "I love you so much, Roma! So much, baby..."
"You're always telling me this... Either with words or with loving gestures."
They remained locked in that warm embrace for a long silent minute, until she spoke again. "Promise me something?"
John kissed the side of her head, "You know the answer for that."
Roma gently pulled away and looked deep inside his green eyes, always so understanding and so full of love. "Promise me you'll always be by my side? Mine and Reilly's side?"
"For every single day of my life, baby. You have my word." He kissed the back of her hand.
With a crying and trembling smile, she nodded as some fresh tears kept on falling form her eyes. "And you have my heart."
He stroked her cheek with tenderness. "I promise I'll fill this little heart of yours with much love and joy for the days to come. That's why I came to this world, Roma. To love you and make you happy."
She covered his hand with her much smaller one and turned her face to kiss his palm. "I love you."
Another loving kiss sealed that magical moment, that would be etched in their minds and especially in their hearts forever. That night, they lay in each other's arms making plans for the sweet future ahead of them. Once they returned from the trip to Della and Frank's ranch, they would start changing he bedroom furniture and John was also going to bring in his clothes and some personal objects. They would also invite their closest friends in when the moving process was done. Roma's face was beaming with a smile when she thought about how happy Della, Frank and Martha would be once they were told the good news.
And it was exactly then that John let out a small laugher and kissed Roma's forehead. "You know, angel, all these details are very, very important. But we cannot forget the top priority!"
She turned her head up to face him with curiosity. "And what is it?"
"There's a smart little angel who we should ask permission to before I move here!"
They both laughed at that statement and Roma's smile grew wider as she pictured her daughter's reaction once she knew her beloved "uncle Johnny" would come to live with them for good.
"I not only dare to say that her answer will be yes, but also that it'll be the best present she could ever get in her whole little life!"
Chuckling, as he too could already hear the little girl's excited yelp once she was told the news. "There's just one little problem, you see..."
"And what is it?"
"Well, I was remembering the places where she wanted to put me the last time she insisted I should stay here... I don't think I will fit in her closet or inside the bathtub..."
Giggling, she inched closer and brushed a tiny kiss on his lips. "Hum... yes, I guess you're right... We'll have to think about a place for you to sleep then, Mr Dye..."
Playfully, he raised his eyebrows with a mischievous smile on his face. "You know... this bed of yours is quite comfortable..."
"Oh, comfortable, huh?"
"Yeah... I was wondering if I could stay here..."
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, as if considering that request very carefully. "Hum... I don't know..."
"There could be some advantages, you know?" John ran his fingertips along her spine, now covered with a silk nightgown, and that small gesture caused a sigh to escape from her lips.
"Advantages?"
"Yes... I could kiss you goodnight not only once but keep on kissing you until you actually fell asleep. And you could sleep right here in my arms, you see? Using my chest as your pillow and have my hands caressing your hair and your skin..." he spoke, looking at her in a way that caused pleasant butterflies in her stomach.
"Really?" she said, as he gently rolled her in bed, so that her head was resting up against the pillow and then he stood propped on his elbow; her dark eyes were filled with complete trust. He tenderly lay kisses on her eyelids. "Yes..." He kissed her forehead, "Then I would whisper in your ear how beautiful you are," and then the tip of her nose, "and that I love you very much..."
"And what else would you do?" she whispered back, closing her eyes and enjoying the trail of slow kisses he was now making along her neck, feeling shivers running through her at his gentle touch.
John worked his way up her neck and his tongue brushed against her ear, bringing a greater tremble from her body. Pleased with that reaction, he stopped his caresses for a moment, just to contemplate her beautiful image. "Well... that I guess I won't tell you..." Aiming her rosy lips that were begging for his, he added, "I'll show you, instead, angel..."
The blond actor descended his mouth onto hers, in a passionate kiss, which she welcomed and returned with the same passion; the same intensity; the same love.
The end