She grinned sheepishly as she tucked a freed curl behind her ear. Her hair was pulled back into a knot exploding from the top of her head, and she was dressed in a simple cotton shirt, tattered jeans, and—of all things—practical tennis shoes.

I blinked several times, unsure if she were real or a mere fantasy.

"If you've come all this way to break up with me—"

Emma's eyes widened before she stepped up and into me, shutting me up with a firm, reassuring kiss. My eyes fluttered shut as I savored the taste of her. I felt her hand at the back of my neck and placed my own squarely on her hips.

As we kissed, I could feel my lungs expand against my rib cage, filling up in a way they hadn't since Emma had left for Kerry. Filling up with breath and life and her. My hands warmed against the curve of her, finally satisfied to hold again what they had ached for for weeks.

"I haven't," she murmured against my lips. "I promise."

I squeezed her and, satisfied with the realness of her touch, dropped my head to her shoulder and let out a sigh of relief.

Emma's mouth was close to my ear so that I could feel the warmth of her breath as she whispered: "I missed you."

Unable to stand even the mere millimeters of distance between us, I pulled her into me and wrapped my arms tightly around her shoulders as Emma nuzzled into my chest. I kissed the top of her head and, as I did so, inhaled the intoxicating scent of her.

"I missed you, too," I murmured into her hair.

Emma moved to pull back slightly, but I held her to me. She laughed and kissed my chest, "Tom..."

"Not yet," I practically groaned. "Just let me hold my girl."

She kissed me again and then sighed as she allowed me to hold her.

I'm not sure how long we stood there in the doorway, but eventually I could feel her calves begin to waver, likely tiring from standing on the balls of her feet. I loosened my grip and let her take half a step back so she wouldn't be forced to crane her neck to look at me.

I smiled down at her shoes and was about to tease her when I noticed two large duffle bags piled behind her.

"What are those?"

Emma clasped one hand behind her neck as her gaze followed mine. "I, uh, was hoping your offer for me to stay was still—"

My eyes snapped back to hers. "You mean my asking you to move in?"

Emma's cheeks deepened crimson as she bit her lip and then hesitantly nodded.

I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into me once again, still not fully believing she was here with her bags telling me... "You're moving in?!"

Emma grinned up at me and traced my smiling lower lip with her thumb. "If you'll still have me."

"If I'll still—Christ, woman!" I cupped her face and brought her lips up against mine, only briefly breaking our kiss to quickly throw her bags inside the flat and then pull her in after them.

Emma laughed as I slammed us against the closed door and lifted her up into my arms. Her giggling subsided, though, as our kisses became more feverish. She wrapped her legs tightly around my waist and her fingers began desperately working at the buttons of my shirt.

She clung to my neck as I shrugged it off and then lifted her arms as I easily pulled off her T-shirt. Her bra was thrown somewhere, and we barely made it stumbling to the couch before the rest of our clothes were flung about the room, too.