The words made her ears ring. Her lungs couldn't catch a good breath. Tears filled her eyes to the brim. Her lips trembled. Her mind went blank. And her heart pounded with love.

It wasn't the first time a guy had said "I love you" to her. But it was the first time it seemed to matter.

She finally shook her head and widened her eyes, clearing her throat and trying to forget he just said that. She had been waiting for those words, and in a way they had already been said. But what those words meant and what could come from them scared her. So she would just have to move on and forget them.

"I'm sorry Lexia, but I just can't help it. It's become a habit. It's as natural as breathing or blinking to me. Loving you is something I'm MEANT to do."

What was that about moving on and forgetting?

A tear slipped from her eye and his eyebrows furrowed almost in pain. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I-I-don't know what to say."

"I shouldn't have said it. I know it's been just a few weeks, but it's been 2 months since I've known you. And from that first day I saw you singing in the kitchen with my brother, I knew there was something about you I couldn't put my finger on." He wiped her tear away and leaned down to kiss her forehead and secured her into his chest.

"I tried to ignore it, by ignoring you. But then Jon had that nightmare and you came over and I saw the way you put us in our places and I couldn't fight it. I had to find out what this was that was making me think and dream about you. And then you seemed so alone. And I wanted to help you SO incredibly bad. I wanted to hold you and tell you that you WERENT alone. But I was scared. I still am in a way."

He pulled away slightly and lifted her wet face to his. "But I don't care. I'm too far in this now. I haven't even found the key to the lock that you hold yet. But at least I'm searching. You still are a mystery to me Alexandria. Let me solve it. Please." His eyes begged hers.

She wanted to say something eloquent, like him. She wanted to profess her love in such a way that HE lost HIS train of thought, like she just had. But she could do nothing but stare at him. She looked straight into his eyes that were starting to look hurt.

"Say something, please." He said it again. 'Please'. He was begging her for some reaction and she just was too scared or too shocked to do anything.

"I-I-" She stuttered and shook her head, looking down at the floor. She laughed at her self.

"You what?" He asked breathless.

She looked up from the floor and let her shaking hands tremble up his biceps, over his shoulders, up his neck and she lightly gripped his cheeks. She whispered. "You want the key. Here's my key..."

She brought his face the few inches away to hers and kissed his lips barely. His lips gripped hers for more, but she pulled away, opening her eyes.

His eyes opened as well and her icy ones darkened as his turned to black. She was only a breath away.

"The key is, that I love you. More than anyone I ever have. I didn't know I could love someone this much. See, you don't need a key Justin. You have automatic access to my heart." She stopped the smile that was on her face and got choked up. "You're the only one that's never needed a key."

Two tears left her eyes and quickly fell down her cheeks. "You're the only one that's even tried to unlock it. Let me show you..." She seared her lips with his, wrapped her arms fully around his neck. His face was wetted with her tears. She pulled away roughly. "Let me show you, you don't need a key."

Her kiss and her body forced him backwards. Her hands tangled themselves in his hair and he pressed her solidly into him. All that could be heard was their ragged breaths, struggling as their lips sucked at each other and moved together in a rhythm.

The back of his legs hit her couch and he sat down bringing her with him. She sat on his lap, kinda. More like straddled it. Her hands tugged and pulled at his tie, trying to rid it of him. She finally slid it out threw it on the floor. They never once broke contact from their lips.

His hands had found a resting place on her butt and hers were working forcefully to get his shirt unbuttoned. One button wasn't cooperating and she groaned into his mouth and pulled away, forcing his tongue and lips away from hers. She looked down and pulled up on his shirt, getting it loose from the restrains of his pants and worked on successfully getting all the buttons undone.

He took a while to catch his breath and finally he reached down and grabbed her hands that were pushing the shirt open and running across the second skin of his torso that was his white wifebeater. She looked up at him, wide eyed.

His were half closed, his chest heaving as he breathed in and out deeply. "Wha-What are you doin?" He asked, finally opening his eyes.

"I uhh, well, I thought, ya know, that we were going to uhh..." she stumbled, redness staining her face.

He chuckled breathlessly. "It's ok, just, I know. But we've got all night, babe." He brought her hands up to his to kiss her knuckles and he smiled brightly.

She narrowed her eyes and scoffed a few moments, before pushing at his chest and standing up. "Fine, you want it NICE and SLOW and ROMANTIC, you'll get it that way. All you men want the same thing!" She tossed her hands up in defeat and walked away from him.

He stared at her for a moment, wondering if she was being sarcastic. She looked over her shoulder and winked at him, showing him that she was.

A smile came to his face that was permanent as he watched her. She giggled as she picked up a blanket heaped on the floor beside Chester's cage and covered him. "Don't interrupt!"

She then sauntered to the counter and pick up her pink rose and moved behind the counter to the kitchen to find a vase for it. She also cut off the light in the den and left the kitchen light on, leaving a dimmed glow in the room. She filled the vase up with water and put the vase on the kitchen table beside her bouquet from him. She looked up to see him intently staring into her eyes.

They lulled her to him, like a lure catching a fish. She slowly walked away from the table and towards the couch. She stood in front of him and let his eyes wander down her body and then back up. She bent over him, laying her hands on the back of the couch, on either side of him. Her face hovered over his. He closed his eyes, brought his hand to the back of her head and pushed her forward, meeting her lips in a heated kiss.

She slowly pulled back, bringing his bottom lip with her and finally releasing it. She whispered on his lips. "Stay here"

With that she stood back up and walked over to stereo. She flipped through a CD case and paused a moment, letting her fingers pick up a blank CD she had made a while back. It was entitled "Love mix." She smiled sheepishly to herself and put it in the player.

She waited patiently for the song to sound through the speakers. A fast paced beat sounded through and she let her hand drop from the volume dial. When the eerie sounds of chords from an organ sounded she turned slightly to look at him.

When the bass hit their ears she walked in beat with the music towards him. When the sound of a harp came through she stood in front of him and offered her hands. He accepted and stood up, wrapping his arms around her and swaying to the beat.

"That's all I wanted
Something special, something sacred
In your eyes"

She looked up into his eyes and he brushed her long flowing curls off her shoulder and let a hand, delicately touched the skin that he discovered there.

"For just one moment
To be bold and naked
At your side
Sometimes I think that you'll never
Understand me"

His fingers trailed over the collar of her dress and then down her silked side to her hip.

"Maybe this time is forever
Say it can be"

He pulled her body tight against his and leaned in the short distance and let his lips roam the shoulder and neck that was being offered to him.

"That's all you wanted
Something special, someone sacred
In your life"

His lips burned her skin, breathing the song up her neck to her ear.

"Just for one moment
To be warm and naked
At my side"

He pulled his lips away from her ear and moved so that his mouth was moments away from hers, as he sang the song.

"Sometimes I think that you'll never
Understand me"

A smirk came to his face at the next line.

"But something tells me together
We'd be happy"

His arms circled her back and his lips passionately devoured hers.

"(Baby)
I will be your father figure
(Oh baby)
Put your tiny hand in mine
(I'd love to)"

His hands grabbed the material at the back of her dress as the need to be with her filled him. He tilted his head; trying a new angle and not letting her have mercy at all.

"I will be your preacher teacher
(Be your daddy)
Anything you have in mind
(It would make me)
I will be your father figure
(Very happy)
I have had enough of crime
(Please let me)
I will be the one who loves you
Until the end of time"

His fingers found the delicate zip to her dress and he slowly unzipped the back of it, his hand going down the curve of her spine.

"That's all I wanted
But sometimes love can be mistaken
For a crime"

She backed away from him, the dress barely hanging on to her. She shrugged her shoulders letting the dress slide down her body and pool at her feet. She kicked it to the side.

"That's all I wanted
Just to see my baby's
Blue eyes shine"

Her gaze moved from her feet up to his eyes. His mouth was open and eyes glazed over with love and desire.

"This time I think that my lover
Understands me"

His eyes traveled all around her, down and up and everywhere. It made her nervous.

"If we have faith in each other
Then we can be..."

His eyes met her and he smiled, comforting her immediately.

"...Strong"

Without warning, he pulled her to him and kissed her like she was his last breath, causing both of them to LOSE their breaths.

"I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine"

Her hands pushed his unbuttoned white shirt off his shoulders, exposing his strong arms.

"I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind"

His arms left her and pulled the shirt off him, tossing it to the side.

"I will be your father figure
I have had enough of crime"

His hands worked furiously to rid her of the black, strapless bra she was wearing. But she pulled away and looked up at his bruised lips and lustful eyes.

"I will be the one who loves you
Until the end of time"

Her voice was soft and smooth. "Remember, don't rush. We've got all night."

"If you are the desert
I'll be the sea
If you ever hunger"

He grinned and watched as her small hands found the hem of his undershirt and pull it up.

"Hunger for me
Whatever you ask for
That's what I'll be"

His arms lifted over his head and she pulled it completely off him.

"So when you remember the ones who have lied
Who said that they cared
But then laughed as you cried"

His arms lowered and he felt giddy, seeing her aqua eyes turn straight blue as they crossed over his stomach and chest, and up to his face.

"Beautiful Darling
Don't think of me"

Those trembling fingers inched towards his pants. She slowly undid the belt and top button and zipper, as his head was tilted down, watching her undress him.

"Because all I ever wanted
It's in your eyes"

He attached his lips to her neck.

"Baby, baby"

Her leg bent and rubbed up the outside of his, as her hands traveled the vast expanse of his bare, muscular back.

"And love can't lie, no..."

His hands roamed her slender body, coming to her hips and finding her butt, and lifting her.

"(Greet me with the eyes of a child)"

Her legs wrapped around his hips, as she straddled his torso. His lips were still sucking on her neck.

"My love is always tell me to..."

His wiggled his hips, causing her to laugh, as he let his pants fall to the ground. He stepped out of them and his shoes and carried her into her bedroom.

"(Heaven is a kiss and a smile)"

He stopped at the foot of the bed and pulled his lips away from her neck. He kissed her gently.

"Just hold on, hold on"

He giggled, resting his knees on the edge of her bed. "Hold on, Lexia."

"I won't let you go, my baby"

With that, he fell forwards. Pinning her underneath him on her unmade bed. She laughed outloud, making a smile adorn his lips as he kissed her collar.

"I will be your father figure
Put your tiny hand in mine"

He had settled his weight in-between her legs that were bent on either side of him. Her hands ran through his hair, as she arched her back and let his hands clumsily unfasten her bra.

"I will be your preacher teacher
Anything you have in mind"

He tossed it aside and leaned into her, sighing when their skin connected.

"I will be your father figure
I have had enough of crime"

Her hands traveled down his back as his lips traveled up to hers.

"(So I am gonna love you)
Until the end of time"

His lips pushed hers apart and he let that tongue sweep inside, meeting hers for the millionth time that night.

"I will be your father I will be your preacher"

He pulled away and smiled, his face hovering above hers. He chuckled the next line, making her roll her eyes.

"I will be your daddy"

And then he kissed her again, making her eyes flutter shut.

"I will be the one who loves you..." He tried desperately to control his breath as he felt her hands move to his hips.

"... until the end of time..."

His eyes bore into hers, saying things they couldn't produce into words as her hands slowly pushed down the material of his gray boxer briefs....