Page 31 of Rough Night

After a few hours, Mia left her booth and joined Sage. They were both excited to show each other their tattoos.

"Wow," they both breathed at the same time as they exposed their tattoos.

"Your tattoo is stunning," Mia said as she looked at it closely. It was a lioness with sage in its mouth; it was breathtaking. It was soft and elegant, but the look in its eyes held a lot of power and strength.

"The lioness is you. I'm all yours," Sage said. He wanted to make sure Mia understood the true meaning behind his tattoo. Mia smiled at him. She wanted to smother his face with kisses in return. She was taken aback by the gesture he had made. It meant more to her than she could ever put into words.

Mia hadn’t expected Sage to get something so meaningful, something so direct. She knew that when he suggested tattoos, it would mean something and although they hadn’t told each other what they would get, Mia was shocked that Sage had made it so obvious to everyone that he was with Mia. It was only through the tattoo that he was showing Mia herself that he was with her. The lioness was probably one of the most beautiful references to Mia she had ever gotten. She knew she was strong but not many people had complimented her on it before, and so it was nice to see that out of all her qualities Sage appreciated the fact that she was strong.

They took each other's hand and left the tattoo parlor completely giddy. They were both over the moon with the outcome of their tattoos. It was a moment that they could share together and cherish, something that both of them could hold on to forever. Mia wanted to paint her tattoo, make a physical copy of it so whenever she wanted to, she could look at it in all its glory.

They made their way home.

“I think we both deserve a relaxed night in,” Sage said as he opened the front door. Their home felt even more like their home now that they were on a completely different level of love and happiness. It seemed surreal that they had only started opening up to each other a few days before.

"I definitely agree, that was a painful process. Worth it but painful,” Mia replied. There was no way she could see herself standing in the kitchen cooking any sort of meal for them, and she was glad Sage had the same idea she did.

"I don't think either of us should cook tonight. Let’s order in and watch movies tonight. We've earned it," he said.

"That's a great idea!" she replied. All she wanted to do was be with Sage in any way she could, and the idea of vegging out for the remainder of the day seemed like the cherry on top of an already wonderful day.

Neither of them said out loud what the tattoos meant, but when Sage told Mia he was committed to her and that he was hers, she felt extremely happy. She could think about their future and be sure that he would stick around after all. She was completely head over heels for him, and she knew that she would give her life for him if she had to. She had never seen herself as that type of person before, but she had also never felt that way for anyone before. It was almost a shock to her system as she realized how much he meant to her.

For the rest of the day, Mia and Sage snuggled up and watched movies together, enjoying each other's company. They got snacks and surrounded themselves with junk food and juice while they laughed and joked around with each other. They were both on cloud nine while they shared each other's company again. It felt even better than all the other times they had been together because they were both so giddy after getting their tattoos.

"This has honestly been one of the best days of my life," Mia said halfway through a movie as she looked over at Sage, eyeing his tattoo again. The look of it still shocked her. It was one of the greatest things anyone had ever done for her, and she was completely smitten with Sage for doing it.

"I know what you mean, it's been so amazing. It's all because of you, you know that, right?" Sage asked as he placed his hand on the side of her face, gently rubbing her cheek. She sighed at his touch, it was almost heavenly.

"It was your idea so technically it's because of you," Mia said shyly as she looked into his eyes.

"But if it weren't for you I wouldn't have needed to do it," he stated as he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. Mia moved her head and placed her lips on Sage’s. She hadn't kissed him in so long, and after getting tattoos together, she just wanted to be as close to him as she possibly could. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer to her while he wrapped his arms around her waist.

They were sitting on the couch, so they had to twist their bodies to face each other. The kiss was filled with passion and lust, also love. They had made a huge commitment to each other, and with the feeling of happiness hanging in the air, they just wanted to be together.

Mia worked her way onto Sage’s lap, straddling him as she took his face between her hands so she could kiss him deeply. Meanwhile, Sage wrapped his arms around her waist and slid his one hand up to the small of her back. They wanted each other.

"I've forgotten how your lips feel against mine," Mia said as she kissed his cheeks, leaving a trail behind as she moved down his neck.

"I've been wanting to kiss you so bad lately, but I’ve been waiting for the right time," he replied as he moved his hands to her face so he could move her head to look into her eyes.

"This is the perfect moment," she said as she leaned forward to kiss him once more. Their need for each other grew as the kiss got hot and heavy. Their hands roamed over each other's bodies as the kiss grew deeper. Their mouths opened so their tongues could brush against each other, both of them needing to taste the other.

"Let's go to bed," Sage suggested. Mia could already feel a stiffness beneath her. She liked the idea of going to bed with him and not just to sleep. She shifted off of him and took his hand, leading him to his room. He followed close behind her, watching hungrily as her hips swayed in front of him, his desire for her growing while the bulge in his pants grew harder.

Mia pulled him into her after she closed the door behind her, needing her lips to be against his again. She tugged at his shirt, grabbing the bottom of it so she could pull it over his head. He allowed her to take control of the moment as he lifted his arms above his head. Sage didn't waste time and did the same to Mia, removing her shirt, so she stood with just her bra and pants on.

"You're so sexy," he said as he kissed her, moving down her neck and toward her chest, bringing his hands behind her so he could unclasp her bra. He wanted and needed Mia. It was not just a desperate need for her but a need that was filled with love and happiness.

Sage had had sex for the sake of it before. He had also just fucked woman because there wasn't a lot of emotion behind it, but it was different with Mia. Every time they had been intimate it had meant something, and it meant more now than ever before. They made their way to his bed, never letting go of each other as they moved, their bodies in a state of constant connection. That night they didn't fuck as they had before, that night they made love like neither of them had before.

They were wrapped up in each other, allowing all their emotions to come across through the way they held each other, through the way they touched each other. It was all desire and love. It felt different and new to both of them. Neither of them had experienced a connection so strong with another person. If they could have, they would've stayed forever in the bubble they had created for themselves. It was almost overwhelming to think of the feelings they both had for each other.

They made love that night and the words 'I love you' hung in the air between them. Neither of them said it, but it was obvious that they both felt it. Mia knew she wouldn't say it until he did, but she could feel it when he touched her. It wasn't just the desire of being naked anymore, and it wasn't just the physical attraction between them that drew them together. It had grown into something so much more than that.

They fell asleep content and fulfilled.

Sage looked around him and saw the inside of his house, the house he had with Mia. It was different from what he was used to seeing. It had pictures on the walls, paintings of sunsets and hearts. He walked up to the paintings, looking at all of them in turn, and took in all the details.

They were beautifully painted, and each brushstroke connected perfectly with the next. He walked over to the picture of the sunset, and in his head, he knew exactly where the inspiration had come from.

"That was one of the best days we've had together," Mia said as she stood next to him, taking his hand in hers as she admired the painting with him.

"You are so talented, Mia. I mean this is amazing," he replied as he continued to stare at the painting before him.

She had captured the light and colors so well, the different shades of pink, orange, and yellow reflecting off of the ocean were immaculate. He turned around the room so he could look at the rest of the paintings, all of them as breathtakingly detailed and stunning as the last.

"Thank you, but also thank you for giving me the memories and the reason to paint these," she said with a gentle squeeze of his hand.

He stood there with Mia at his side, captivated by the person she was. She was the definition of perfect to him and a dream come true.

Sage no longer had dreams of Laura, and he also no longer had bad dreams. His mind and heart were focused on Mia which he was happy about. He didn't have to worry about falling asleep anymore, and he didn't have to worry about screaming himself awake. He knew he'd still have to work on a lot of the damage and pain he carried with him, but the improvement was more than he could have ever asked for. Mia didn't know that her body next to his helped him and it was a secret he would keep to himself. He worried that because she was a creative person her mind would probably dramatize his dreams to be more than they were. He didn't want to give her any nightmares.

Sage and Mia both smiled in their sleep, both were dreaming of their lives together. They were on a new path together, and they couldn't wait to see what the future would hold for them.

It seemed that their relationship had finally reached a level where they were both completely happy and blissful. The future could hold so much for them after the step they had taken to create a stronger and more unbreakable bond. Neither of them really felt any sort of need to worry about what they could handle going forward. They had gone through so much already so anything that came their way, they could get through.