“He cupped her face in his hands, made her meet his gaze. Solemnly, he said, “I heard you say that when two people love each other, they fight through everything together. Every doubt, every challenge, every pain. Fight with me, Mina. Please. You are the only one for me, for as long as I live. And if you love me, fight with me.”

“You came." His gaze held hers. "And I knew that you are not useful to me, Ash. Not anymore. Except as a reason to get up in the morning --" "You don't sleep anymore," she reminded him, smiling. "Except as a reason to keep breathing --" "You don't need air." He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm still new at this Guardian thing. So just shut up, and let me tell you that I love you.”

“Yes. I remember.”His voice had deepened. I remember. Mina did, too, every conversation they’d had over breakfast, and it made her heart ache. Such a strange thing... She suddenly couldn’t laugh anymore.”

“Use me," he said. "For as long as you like.”

“Do you know why you‟ve found me half-naked? Do you know what this is?"I don‟t know, sir. What is this?” “This is karma. This is every negative thing I‟ve done, coming back to take a big bite of my ass.” The tightness in her throat eased. She strove to match the light tone his response invited. “That is unfortunate. Particularly as, in my professional opinion, the consequences of your actions are worse than you imagine.” “Why do you say that, Winters?” “Because you are much more than half-naked, sir. And although I have many talents, protecting you from mystical kar mic forces is not one of them.” He tilted his head, as if weighing that. “So chances are, I‟ll lose my shorts before we‟re done.”

“She trailed after him, admiring the line of his back. He began climbing the stairs, and she sighed with pleasure. Every bit of him was gorgeous. “Do you mind if I objectify you?”“Please do,” he said over his shoulder. “Particularly my knees, as they are oft-neglected.”“Maybe if you ever got your pants off, they wouldn’t be.”“It hardly matters, sweet; once they’ve come off, the attention isn’t likely to center on my absurdly handsome knees.”

“When you come home to me, I will always be here waiting for you.”