Paula woke up to find Mud nowhere. She saw that Winnebago was parked by some fast food joint. Perhaps Mud was getting breakfast to give an excuse as to where they were that morning. Paula however would need a fresh pair of clothes by that standard. Although she could imply that hers were the only ones around and she was in a hurry. That would make do well. Paula sat up and saw she was in Murdoc's briefs as she smiled sentimentally. She didn't find it sexual but rather cute.

       Murdoc was coming in from the restaurant now. He was wearing a tattered jean jacket and shades with some baseball cap. It looked unlike him. He was dressed so...old. Murdoc looked older now in fact. Paula smiled to herself as she rubbed her eyes. She didn't know why but she loved it a little. The way wrinkles began to form in the corner of his eyes and mouth, for a thirty two year old man he passed more for forty or so.

       The fact that his late twenties were not all too long ago was what had truly boggled Paula's mind as she gazed upon his staring, blushing, and somewhat smiling face as he came in through the door. His brown eyes almost red looking. Paula smiled back, and saw that she'd been staring back at him as she looked at her lap and bit her lip. "Yew want yer trousers back," She said more so stating fact then asking. He nodded. She swung her feet by the bedside and let his boxers and trademark sweater pool at her feet. She was naked as she stood, and combed the van for her clothes. Mud admired her curves, although she had put slight weight on sine they met from him parting her hips further from sex, it was a natural expectation one would suppose.

       She would have the nicest smooth legs Murdoc had ever seen. She had a method or something for keeping them soft as a baby. Mud sat on the bed and fished through his bag for breakfast and got a plastic plate for Paula. Laying it on the dresser as she was now dressed. Paula then sat back down at his side and ate silently. Murdoc kissed her ear. "Your body is wonderful," he said. He was trying to get emotional, but Paula was not used to seeing Murdoc this affectionate.

       "Yours ain't half bad either, your real thin," Paula said, unsure of what to say. Murdoc had flaws. He was developing a bulging stomach and was almost unnaturally hairy, however he looked thin with a shirt on and had somewhat good genetics enough to have great muscular features on his upper arms. The rest was average. Murdoc had a face with no racial features. It was hard to tell where his ancestors truly hailed from, but white was too easy an answer. Murdoc however smiled regardless. He ran a hand lovingly over her thigh and pet her knee as a look on his face indicated he was up late and crying.

       "Is something wrong?" Would have been the dumbest question. Considering Paula had slept with her original lover for the first time the night before she had been certain that's what Murdoc had been upset about. However that was only a fraction of the reason. Murdoc looked at his lovers purple eyes and then wiped the tears from his own. Paula grabbed his chin before he looked away. "I'm dumping him in three days," She said as if scolding him with her certain tone. "I would do it asap, if I had the heart for it..." She said. "It'll take time, to figure out what to say," she added.

       Murdoc lit up a bit. This wasn't the only thing wrong here. Yet regardless he faked genuine joy as he tackled her to the bed and showered her in his love. Kisses and clothes were thrown as they seemingly danced and wrestled naked in the room. Upon it ending they showered together as Murdoc lovingly and silently shampooed Paula's hair. Even humming a soft tune as his melancholy turned to rhinestone. Something Phil Collins, truly a shock to hear it. It was certainly no Black Sabbath.

       Paula felt Murdoc's long fingernails dance through her red locks. His humming soft as the shower gave a pleasant hiss to add to the tune. Her heart pounded. Murdoc had a soft voice from having smoked until he had a more raspy voice like an older man would have. He sounded pleasant like a grandfather singing his grandbaby to sleep and whispering stories at night. There was a chill in Paula's spine when she felt his warm hairy chest against her bare back. Soft like a sheep and warm flesh in the running water. She dreaded stepping out into the cold cruel air stinging her pale flesh.

       Murdoc wrapped her in a soft towel and kissed her lips. She had smeared mascara on her eyes as her amethysts met the dravites of Murdoc's round and perhaps Indian eyes. He was still naked, bare and in a pure form, exposed and natural in front of her. Pink met with green as his exposed flesh had no goosebumps in the chilly air. Paula knew he was a naturally warm fleshed man. Easier to hold. Her arms snaked around him as they shared the towel. Now they stood in that bathroom holding each other silently as he hummed and stroked her hair continuously, allowing them both to spend the day out on what they told the others "errands" that were barely getting done.

       They spent the day making love and embracing. Mostly embracing in the dark Winnebago as they watched their favorite films and had the best day one could spend. If Paula asked if they should head home Murdoc would raise a finger to her plump lips and say "We're doing errands, that's what they think, but in reality I wanted to remind ye of who truly loved ye, its not Stu, its me," and she would clench her jaw, curve her tongue, and smile up at him with moist eyes as Murdoc would rub her cheek and say "We ought to ferget time today," and she would hold him. Murdoc had not been so full of positive emotion in such a long time. Not since D Day had he felt so proud of himself. Not since his first love had he loved someone so much, and she didn't hit him in the face either. In fact he almost cried. Almost.

       Murdoc was sober. For one day he had been to focused to even touch a beer. His main addiction and focus, all was to his woman. Playing Prince Charming was one thing when he did it to hook up with a random bird, yet he was here getting to be that person, not wanting to leave her side, not wanting to go anywhere. He was dead set on being with Paula. She was dead set on seeking forgiveness. Because she felt like he was doing this not cause he wanted to. It felt like he obligated himself into being so close to her, so they could be nude under the sheets and watching bad movies.

       There was a sinking feeling in Paula's stomach. Not that she was feeling bad, as this was the most relaxing day she'd had. However there was a gut feeling that he didn't want to do this. That this day was a big errand for him. A chore or a duty. But Murdoc was not one to do chores or errands. He was a man of doing what he wanted and willing to blast through chores and errands he needed to do to get what he wanted. Murdoc had not speedily rushed through today or they would have gone home.

       Paula smiled as his heart beat touched her ear. They turned the radio on when they no longer wanted to watch TV. He turned it to a channel playing Radio Head. They were no longer in bed but standing, slow dancing. Nothing elaborate except he was holding her as the two stepped in a full circle. Quietly. No words said as Murdoc shut his eyes. He sang with the radio as those eyelashes fluttered shut.

       Paula had felt her own heart skip a beat. He never sang to her before. Only hummed a beat to her. But he was on perfect pitch and tune, meeting harmony with the song. He never sang sober. In fact in the dim light of the one lamp by their bedside he almost lacked wrinkles. His bangs partially moved just so to see his face better. Paula had never seen the man relaxed like this. He looked like a twenty eight year old with a beaming loving face and brownish red eyes that shone like rubies.

I'll drown my beliefs
To have you be in peace 
I'll dress like your niece
And wash your swollen feet

Just don't leave
Don't leave

I'm not living, 
I'm just killing time
Your tiny hands 
Your crazy-kitten smile

Just don't leave
Don't leave

And true love waits
In haunted attics
And true love lives 
On lollipops and crisps

Just don't leave
Don't leave

Just don't leave
Don't leave

       His chest heaved up and down at the end. He was not out of breath. In fact it was his heart he felt would soon give way and burst. Instead he grabbed in his pocket. Paula was however tracing over his face. He was no Back Street Boy but he was admirably beautiful. Not handsome. Paula felt almost tearful at hearing him sing.

        Murdoc had bought a silver ring with a decently sizable gem. Red and juicy as a cherry. Something he had practically sold his first born for. Something he would've sold his soul again just to own it. Something he unsheathed from its felt gray box. Something that Paula had eyes widened at by the way it matched Murdoc's irises. Her lips curled into a smile. She stereotypically covered her mouth and cried as she slipped the smooth silver over the finger it was made for.

       Engraved was the day they met. August 17th 1996. It read the words My heart sinks when I see you, but always floats for you scrawled along the side. Murdoc was surprised to see her sit on the bed and sob uncontrollably. He kissed them all away as she laid in his arms. Murdoc cleared his throat and returned to his knees. "I should do this formally, anything you want to say?" Paula nodded. "I love yew more then I hate myself, I love yew fer helping me let go of my past of being hurt, I love yew fer protectin me," Murdoc smiled and cleared his throat.

       "Ye helped me ferget my life and reminded me there are good people. I didn't need to manipulate ye to care about me. Ya jus...did," he took her soft pale palm. "I love ya," he said. "I know I don't say it much but that changes all now from here on out. You will know that every day I'm with ya, that I love ya," her eyes lit up as he spoke. She held onto every word. Something that hadn't happened with Stu in years. If sparks could fly the world would be ablaze and scorching to dust hotter than the sun. If there hearts beat any faster they would get cardiac arrest. If Paula could love him anymore than in this moment she would hate the rest of the world.

       "What I'm saying is that I love you is the shortest way I can tell you what I feel. What I feel is beyond what I ever felt before. I hadn't been loved before," he said as Paula bit her lip to stop her tears as the radio kept playing slow songs. Murdoc smiled. He traced her cheeks with his hand just to dry her cheeks. He tucked her hair behind her ear and took the ring  in his hand. It shone bright in his palm. "Paula..." He said gently holding her other hand that had been previously on her mouth. His eyes met hers. "Will you-?" His lips met hers before he could finish or even protest.

He slid the ring back on her finger once more and crawled into bed with her.