"You sleepy?" he asked.

"Not really."

"Me neither."

I was very aware of how close our bodies were. It felt much more intimate now we were in a bed, lying down.

"Come here," he said, and pulled me to him. He didn't kiss me, just held my body and stared at me, his eyes soft. He was only wearing his boxers, and being able to feel so much of his skin was almost too much. He stroked my hair and then kissed me gently on the cheek.

"You're not backing out of this taking-things-slowly thing, are you?" I whispered.

He stroked my cheek on the spot where he'd just kissed it and shook his head. "No. It's probably for the best. It's tough though. It's taking all my mental energy not to dry hump you right now."

I giggled. "Wow. And they say romance is dead."

"It's not. And I'm determined to prove it to you."

"Yeah yeah."

Noah turned over and flicked off his bedside light, casting us into darkness.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep a wink with you next to me," he said.

I yawned. Not meaning to. "Well, I've got to get some sleep. I've got stupid college tomorrow."

I felt an electric shock shoot down my leg and I realized Noah had put one hand on my waist under his oversized shirt.

"Are you sure you need to sleep in this?"

"Careful now," I said. "It's not too late for me to exile myself to the sofa."

He didn't let go. "Sorry. I just can't stop touching you. It's like a compulsion."

"That's a new one. Did you make that line up by yourself?"

"It's true..."

My eyes were beginning to adjust to the dark and I could just about make out Noah's features. The whites of his eyes were shining. "I don't mean it just in a...sexual way, Poppy," he said. "Well obviously, yes, I fancy the hell out of you. But it's something more than that."

I lay there silently. My heart began pounding with the anticipation of what he was going to say next. I was so scared it was going to be "I love you", the words I'd been thinking all evening. Those three daunting words that would change everything, make us even more serious, and make me an utter hypocrite. But I was so much more frightened that he wasn't about to say them. That would be worse.

"The thing is...this is going to sound soppy, but it's like my life didn't make sense until I met you. I know we've only just got together, but already my life seems divided into pre-Poppy and post-Poppy. And I just, well, I love every little thing about you. And the truth is..." He stopped for a second and wouldn't meet my eyes. "I love you, Poppy Lawson."

The words sank into my heart, filling my body with a golden glow. I opened my mouth to speak, but Noah interrupted me.

"Sorry. I know it's probably far too soon. And I know you don't believe in all this... You don't have to say it back. There's no pressure. I just wanted to say it anyway. In fact, I've wanted to say it all day...but-"

It was my turn to interrupt. "Noah? Stop babbling."

He stopped.

I took a deep breath and sought out his face in the dark. "I love you too."

The moment the words spilled out of my mouth, I knew I meant them. I was in love. In love with Noah. I had no idea how it had happened or why. But the fact that I loved him was the only thing in my life I was certain about in that moment.

Noah was quiet.

"Do you mean that?"

I nodded. "I really do."

He let out a huge breath. "Really really?"

I smiled. "Yes!"

"I was so scared you weren't going to say it back."

"Well I have."

"But we only just started going out."

"I know."

"And you don't believe in love."

"I didn't. But I do now. I so do now."

And we both started laughing. Manically, at the joy and relief of it all. He pulled me right into him and I lay in the nook of his underarm, both of us smiling uncontrollably and bursting into giggles every minute or so.

Old Poppy would've been yelling at the television, chucking popcorn at us on the screen, saying it was ridiculous ludicrous, even to say "I love you" so soon. I had changed beyond recognition, become everything I'd ever hated, and yet I was so, so happy I didn't care.

Noah was lying on his back.

"I think it's fair to say I am the happiest guy in the entire world right now."

"Well, that can't be a bad thing."

He turned onto his side, unearthing me so I was on my side too. Our faces were almost touching.

"I love you," he said again.

"And I love you."

"But I really really bloody love you."

"And I really really bloody love you."

And we stayed like that for hours, repeating the words and laughing with joy until sleep eventually found us both. And then we slept soundly together, entwined in each other's arms, while the storm continued to rage outside.

It was taking all of Rain's mental energy for him not to lose his temper. He felt sick, physically sick, and couldn't shake off the sense that this whole thing couldn't be real. It wasn't happening, it couldn't be happening. It shouldn't be allowed to happen.

He read the updated news reports in horror. His hand was permanently glued to his mouse and he unconsciously clicked every five seconds to reload the internet page. It had already gone too far. He assumed someone must've been killed by now, someone always died in floods. If only Dr. Beaumont had just DONE something.

She sat next to him, also attached to her computer, but she didn't seem stressed. In fact, she was almost chilled. She was leaning back, wearing that sick, sadistic smile.

"It's all kicking off now," she said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

He didn't trust himself to speak so he just nodded and bit his tongue.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" She was oblivious to his mood. "I bet you never dreamed of seeing a connection like this in training. You can know the theory, hypothesize the consequences, but it's just not the same as seeing it played out in real life."

More silence.

"And this case is just so intriguing. You know, I think their bodies might have adapted to fit each other? Can you believe it? I've never had the chance to monitor something like this, right from the beginning and watch it build. The match is extraordinary. We're going to have to completely rewrite most of the training course. And there's still so much to learn, to see..."

Rain couldn't handle it any more. If he had to listen to her for one more second, he would smash the computer over that smug head of hers.

"Anita, this is WRONG."

Her smile faded. "What did you just say?"

Unable to control himself, everything he'd been feeling these past days came tumbling out of his mouth without a second thought for his career, his future, or his punishment.

"It's just wrong. How can you sit there and do nothing? How can you let this happen? It's actually inhumane YOU'RE inhumane. What are you doing to these poor people? You don't think it's going to be hard enough when we intervene? You're just letting them fall in love. How? How can you do that? I don't understand." He bashed his mouse down on the desk.

"And what about the other people caught up in all this? If anyone's dead, then that's your fault. You'll have blood on your hands. I don't know why you're doing this, but it has to stop. You have to stop. I'm going to ring the Defence Secretary and-"

"You. Will. Do. No. Such. Thing."

Her words cut through his like a sharp blade through butter. The cold authority in her voice chilled his bones. He dared himself to meet her gaze. Her glare was ice-cold, her face seething with anger. He jutted out his jaw and matched her eye contact.

"I'll do it, Anita. I will."

"No you won't."

"I have to."

"I don't think you understand the situation you're in, Rain."

She was undoubtedly angry but her voice was calm, cool, and that unnerved him. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Do you honestly think the Defence Minister would listen to a nobody like you? Over someone like me? I, personally, think we need to let this match run. There's never been a tolerance built between a couple before. Do you not see the potential here? If we can work out a way for them to be together?" She broke off for a moment, her eyes glinting with something, and Rain's brain jumped to the rumours about her...whispers he'd heard in the corridor about Anita. About her apparently having once had a match of her own. That was why she was considered so important to the company her "insider" insight was invaluable, they said. But Rain wasn't so sure now. How could someone that...broken be of any use? Wasn't she more of a liability?

"There's no out, Rain, you know that. You knew that when you signed the contract and signed your life away to us. And, as I'm the leading expert in this field, and your only chance of ever getting promoted, I suggest you shut the hell up or you'll be condemned to a lifetime of number-crunching."

Rain didn't know what to say. He'd forgotten about the contract. About how he'd promised to dedicate his whole life to the work done here. He'd been so stupid, so excited about being let in on a big secret that he'd never stopped to think what would happen if he didn't like the big secret.

"Look, Anita..."

She glared at him.

"Sorry...I mean Dr. Beaumont. I understand what you're saying, I really do. But do you not think this is getting a bit out of hand?"

"That is not your decision, Rain, it's mine. Now I suggest you go and make me another cup of coffee before I decide to completely demote you."

What could he do? He walked away to make the drink. This was his bed, he was going to have to lie in it and accept what was happening. As he waited for the coffee to filter, his thoughts drifted to the poor kids causing all this trouble. What he was going through was nothing compared to what they would have to face. Maybe Anita was right. Maybe they should be given their small slice of happiness for now.

Because when it all kicked off, neither of them would ever be happy again.

I woke up with the sun shining through my eyelids. I groaned and rubbed my eyes before slowly opening them. Forgetting where I was, I jolted with shock when I found Noah's face in front of mine.

"Morning," he said, a huge grin on his face. He was lying on his side, only about ten inches away.

"Have you been watching me sleep, you weirdo? Because that's not romantic, you know. It's just a tad creepy."

He laughed and covered his eyes with his hands. "I've only been watching for a moment. And it wasn't for creepy purposes, I just knew it would wake you up."

I sat up, hoping my hair wasn't too mad. "An alarm clock is less crazy-stalkerish."

"I know. But it's also less fun."

The sunlight was streaming through Noah's bay windows and specks of dust danced in the glow.

"The rain's stopped then?"

"Apparently so. College is cancelled though. I rang and checked for you. It's partly flooded. Not too bad, but enough to close."

"Brilliant. That means I miss Psychology."

Noah kissed my cheek, being careful not to breathe on me. "Breakfast?"

I nodded. "Sounds great."

"Cool. I'll make eggs."

He climbed out of bed energetically, while I leaned back and enjoyed the relaxed relief you get when you don't have to get up after all.

Noah stopped at the door. "Poppy?"

"Yeah?"

He looked down at his feet. "What I...we...said last night. Was it just a dramatic thing brought on by the apocalyptic-style circumstances?"

I smiled, enjoying his vulnerability. "It wasn't in my case." I picked up his abandoned pillow and threw it at him. "And it better not have been in your case either."

He dodged the pillow, picked it up and chucked it back. I tried to duck but it hit the side of my head.

"Oooph." I fell backwards on the bed and lay there, a little stunned.