Time After Time

Lying in my bed, I hear the clock tick

And think of you

Caught up in circles, confusion

Is nothing new
She stepped back into a lunge, her heart melting as he pulled her hand that little bit higher, brushing his lips tenderly against the back, making her skin prickle. She tried to ignore the devestatingly cute smile he gave her after that, this mischievous look taking over those glittering emerald pools that made her stomach wriggle.
Flashback, warm nights

Almost left behind

Suitcase of memories

Time after
She span towards him, pressing hard against his chest. He'd caught her underneath her thigh and was holding her against his hip, pushing against her hand and forcing her down into an arc before she straightened her back and felt a tight twinge in her calf muscles as he lifted her a little, spinning her round, his heel clicking loudly across the floor. As she brought her foot back to the floor, Sharon bit back a whimper of protest, wanting to savour his touch. He obliged for the briefest moment, bowing his head and meeting her soft lips.
Sometimes, you picture me

I'm walking too far ahead

You're calling to me

I can't hear what you've said

Then you say, go slow

I fall behind



Slipping his hands into hers again he stepped slowly back, the delicate lacing together of their fingers splitting. He span away from her, and actually half jumped up against one of the benches, twisting his hips so as he hit the floor again, he met Sharon's gaze, gulping back his anticipation. She smiled, apparently impressed, striding forwards to meet him halfway across the terrace. His arm came around her waist, and she span beneath his hand, feeling the back of his hand press into her spine, encouraging the smoothness of her movement, before pulling her round into a gentle waltz.
The second hand unwinds

If you're lost, you can look

And you will find me

Time after time

If you fall, I will catch you

I will be waiting

Time after time.
Keeping hold of just one hand, he raised it high, as the other fell to her side and she obediently span, her back pressing against his chest, feeling his warm breath dancing across her neck as he nestled into her shoulder, stroking his cheek with her hand. Straightening up, he pulled Sharon, and, looping her arm around his neck, revelled in the sensation of the soft winds against her face as she leant back into his arms, the sky seeming further and further away as she came closer to the floor, as ever, just stopping short of the floor, held up only by the man she trusted so faithfully.
Standing tall again, she let the music wash over her, and was relieved to see he didn't try for any more moves, his hands sliding into the small of her back and allowing her to wrap herself entirely around him, her hand creeping up his back and hooking over his shoulder, without a word of protest.
After my picture fades

And darkness has turned to grey



She looked up and before he could raise a smile in wordless reply, she brushed a kiss she had leant on her fingertips against his lips, which was met by the release of a happy smiling sigh.



You're watching through windows

And wondering if I'm OK
"There's something about dancing with you darlin'-" he whispered, more mumbling and giving her a challenge; she was having to study those perfect lips to decipher his words. "-everytime, you... I just... I want you so badly..."
Secrets stolen from deep inside

The drum beats out of time
She raised her eyebrows flirtatiously, letting him know that she had heard him as she stepped back into a lunge, pressing one hand into his hip and the other to his face, caressing the soft sweep of his cheek with her thumb before feeling him pull her down again, his arm falling down her back.
If you're lost, you can look

And you will find me

Time after time

If you fall, I will catch you

I will be waiting

Time after time

Time after time

Time after time

Time after time
He leant over her grinning; "So.... Southend?"
Taking in the promise within those eyes, she shot back, "On your bike mate!" fearing for her balance before disregarding that point as trivial and bruising his mouth tellingly with hers.
"Mmmm. I'll race ya then."





The hour to Southend that meant Sharon was nestled against his warm back astride the bike was as thrilling as the last time, though happily, the knot in her stomach was lessened somewhat. She just enjoyed watching smiles creep across his lips every time she whispered to him, or her hands fell back into his lap. He wasn't so much laughing as scolding her as she started quietly singing verses from "Bat Out Of Hell" everytime they went through a tunnel or even so much as round a corner.
He'd mutter out of the side of his mouth, and she'd whimper, that pathetically sweet whimper she knew meant he would forgive her anything. But she did stop, on occassions, to tell him she loved him, or that she was loving being with him, and sometimes she didn't speak at all, moaning as she tilted her head back, revelling once more in the sensation of the rushing winds viciously lapping at her skin. That's when Dennis would deliberately go that little bit faster so she'd squeal, so he'd hear the beautiful sound again, feels her arms tight around him, begging him to "Stop it darlin'! I'm scared, I'm scared!" Maybe it was wrong, but it was one hell of an ego trip.
They stopped on the sea front, at which point, he felt her press her cheek into his back, sighing heavily. She was apparently loathe to stop. Ah, he knew she loved it really.
Pulling the key from the ignition, he stuffed into his pocket and swung his leg round, which earnt him another moan, though this time, it was most definitely one of displeasure.
She fought her way into his arms, feeling his every toned muscle press into her. "Remind me what we're doing here again-" she asked thickly. She heard the laugh that escaped him with the smile that greeted her as she looked up.
But he didn't say what she had expected to hear - after all, she was well aware what they were doing here!
"Ice cream?"



"You're teasing me."
"No," he replied, unaware that in a bid to retain this false look of innocence, he was actually fluttering his eyelashes at her, making her smile. "I'm not... I'll even let you have a flake if you want."
Whacking him in the stomach with the back of her hand, she shook her disbelieving laughter away, slipping her arm across his back and giggling as he pulled her as close as was possible, continually dropping kisses on her head as they walked. God, it felt so good to be able to do that - finally, she was just his girlfriend. Nothing else mattered apart from how close they could be. No-one was gonna look at them like they were freaks, unless of course Sharon's giggling got any louder!
Somehow stumbling upon an ice cream parlour about a quarter of a mile up the prom, Sharon looked excitedly around, but as she caught sight of Dennis' evident smirk, she creased into fits again, and he turned towards her, rushing his thumbs against her cheekbones and tilting her chin just so her lips were more readily available, and they seemed to crash into one of the chrome tables set up outside, laughing and squealing as they kinda fell on top of each other, hardly managing to secure one chair! Sharon clung desperately onto him, drilling her fingernails into the base of his neck, scared that she would fall. But that wasn't going to happen, he wanted to touch her too much. He wriggled underneath her, so she was sat more on his lap than on his hip and she couldn't contain herself, pulling back from his mouth (and that was a shame in itself, cos he'd just been about to try for the tongue; oh he hated being beaten at that!)
"What?"
"You! What are you trying to do to me?"
"For me to know and for you to find out..."
"Stop it!" she whispered, as a waitress approached, giving them weird looks because Dennis, completely ignoring the warning, had begun nuzzling Sharon's neck.
Sharon tried to smile at her and pretend like nothing was happening, taking the menu from her and scanning it.
"We'll, er, make up any... erm... extras... for you..." the waitress, whose pin told Sharon was called Lizzy. Poor girl was trying to not look directly at her.
"Mmm, OK. Oooh, knickerbockerglories, I have to get one, I haven't had one since I was a kid! Dennis? Uh... Dennis?"
"Wha'?"
"What d'you want?"
He just laughed, his lips not moving a milimetre from her skin.
"Better make that two spoons then. With, er... extra fudge, chocolate sprinkles-"
Dennis stopped, just for a moment. "Bloody hell, why don't you just scoff two and be done with it?"
"Mmmm!" she mused, tightening the muscles in her face to hold her face in a way that said she was really amused. "And cream..." she continued slowly, staring at Dennis so he took in the flicker of her lips, even though she wasn't actually addressing him, dropping the menu across the table.
"Don't you realise you're gonna be wearing knickerbockers if you carry on like that?"
"Well that's attractive!"
"It is from where I'm sitting."
She grinned and leant in towards him, feeling him capture her bottom lip between his own, sucking on it gently and then ramming his tongue into her mouth before she thought she could get the better of him. She moaned into his kiss, fighting him just because she could, working deep into his mouth. It took them several minutes before either considered coming up for air, by which time, Lizzy was back at their table, setting down the knickerbockerglory, which was about two foot high not including the cloud of cream on top.
"It's... er... here." she mumbled, putting the spoons down with a clink.
"Ahh, leave 'em lovie!" Lizzy turned to the address of an elderly lady sat at the next table, who then said, nodding knowingly. "Honeymooners."
That definitely got Sharon & Dennis' attention! Breaking off hurriedly from her kiss, Dennis looked over at the woman, utterly stunned, amused that Lizzy had just nodded back, taking the information as gospel and scuttled over to serve less embarrassing customers! Sharon just laughed, resting her forehead against his and staring into his eyes.
"She- She think we're married!" he stammered.
"I know! Hilarious isn't it? Who said romance was dead eh? Travelled forty whole miles on that bike for this honeymoon darlin'."
"That was probably like a round-the-world cruise in her day!"
"Mmmm, can't quite see her on the bike though!"
"Oh stop!" He couldn't help but grimace, putting up his hands to try and push the very idea away.
"Make me."
"Oh, like that is it? Fine!" He leant across her and dipped his finger into the cream. She squealed as it came nearer but knew she was going nowhere and ended up with cream all the way up her nose. He smirked as he surveyed his handiwork. "That was for what you did with your drink earlier!"
"Oh!" she cried innocently, trying to suppress a laugh that would give her completely away. "You're so looking to not be getting any aren't you?"
Snatching up a spoon and twisting it right down into the bottom of the glass, it re-emerged heaped with jelly, fruit, fudge and ice cream. He shovelled it straight into his mouth, Sharon laughing at him as the jelly slid off and splattered onto the table, leaving trails of ice cream on the surface.
"Getting plenty thanks darlin'."
"Yeah, you mean you will be once you've figured out where your mouth is!" She snatched the spoon off him just before he'd scoffed a particularly large chunk of fudge she was determined to have for her own.
"That sounds like an offer I can't refuse!" he whispered silkily, wiping the cream off her nose with his finger and sliding it into his mouth.
"Stop it! Here, shove this in there!" And she rammed the replensished spoon back into his mouth, smirking as he gagged on the troblesome chopped nuts hitting the back of his throat.
"Oww! Cheers darlin'-" he choked. "-no need to be so gentle!"
"I'll remember that!" she replied, putting down the spoon and grabbing a serviette to clean off her nose.
"Mmmm, please do!" he smiled, finally catching his breath and raising a suggestive eyebrow.
Guffawing, she caught her plan around his jaw and peppered his lips with kisses as she spoke. "You... are - a - very - bad... man!"
But in the next moment:
"Mmmm!" she murmured, blanching her lips. "And you taste like chocolate sauce."
He heaped up the spoon again and tilted it against her so she opened her mouth a fraction. "Now that is an idea!"
"Enough!" she laughed, pushing the spoon away and getting up. Dennis slouched forward and looked her up and down appreciatively, realising her gaze had fallen to his groin. God, she was so perfect. But when she saw that he was looking at her the way he was, that little glint in his eye, she composed herself and tilted her chin defiantly, pulling on his hand and dragging him to his feet.
"No!" she giggled as she found his mouth mashed against hers again. "Not yet!"
"How can you be so cruel?"
She ignored him, and pulled a wrinkled ten pound note from her bag, dropping it onto the table next to the barely touched dessert
"Sharon!"
"What?!" Then she saw the way his mouth was gaping at the note and she snatched up his hand. "It's only money Dennis. Christ, let the poor girl put the rest towards therapy! Now, come on - I've got plans for you!"


"Donkeys?"
"Yeah."
"Oh no! No, no, no, no, NO!"
Sharon was trying hard not to laugh, really she was. Because he was looking at her, trying so hard to make it seem look like he was nonplussed when she could actually see untold fear in his eyes.
"Dennis, this is the beach - you can't come to the beach and not go on the donkeys - it's practically illegal!"
He licked his lips nervously, staring at the floor for a moment before looking up at her again. "I've broken the law before Sharon, and I'm alright with doing it again - there's no way you're getting me on one of them!"
"Oh but, look at them!" she cried, patting one on the nose. "They're so cute. How can you say that-" She quickly read the headband. "-Posh isn't cute?"
"Posh?" Dennis hissed disapprovingly, stepping up next to Sharon. God, they were loads of them, all trying to butt their way into the bales of hay. His stomach was twisting in on itself, they were repulsive.
"That's right." came a gruff and heavy voice from his left which made him jump. Sharon had left go of half a blast of laughter before she checked herself, squeezing Dennis' hand.
The bloke, who had grey curls and rumpled greasy skin, lazily chewing on something as he tilted his wide straw hat by way of a welcome, leant past them to pat the donkey stood next to Posh. Dennis leapt back.
"And this 'ere is Becks."
"Well that's original!" Dennis said, snorting out a laugh. "And I suppose that's Kylie & Jason and that's Brad & Angelina?"
"Nah. That's Jen. Had her for a few years now. No plans to trade her in..."
Shaking his head disbelievingly, he cried "I was joking!"
The bloke just stared at him, his eyes cold. He chewed pointedly. He obviously didn't find it funny. He didn't look like he found much funny.
"Sharon-" Dennis tried desperately to shake off the whole creepy image of the guy and looked desperately to her. "I'm not doing this.
She scanned his face, and saw his lips quiver as he tried to give off the impression he had no reasoning. But she gasped.
"You're scared!"
"I am not!" he bleated a little too readily.
"I don't believe this. I get on a sodding motorbike with you - clinging to you screaming when you're doing eighty on a motorway and you're scared of a donkey?"
She wanted to sound angry, but the urge to laugh was too great.
"Oh, my poor darlin' - scared of the little donkey-wonkey!"
"You're gonna be wonkey in a minute if you don't shut it!" he muttered, feeling himself flush.
"Excuse us a sec!" she puffed to the guy, dispersing her laughter with a wave of the hand and pulling Dennis away across the sand, slamming him against the wall and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"It's not funny!"
"It is, how can you be scared of a donkey?"
"Well, look at 'em, they're like multilated ponies with a follicle problem! God... all that hair." He gagged as though he'd gotten some of the hair stuck in his throat. "And I practically got trampled by one of them little bastards when I was a kid!"
"Eh?"
She pulled back as his arm came down, pulling up his jumper, tracing out a line across his stomach.
"Massive bruise all across there for about two months! Killed, couldn't sit down, couldn't stand up... couldn't even piss without crying!"
"Oh, poor baby!" she simpered, sliding down his form and kissing her way all along the area he had pointed out.
Biting back a moan at just the feel of her mouth, he managed to stammer "W-What are you d--doing?"
Then she gazed up at him, her hands pressed into his calves. "If you do this... " she said sweetly. "I promise.... next time... I'll go lower..."
"Oh you will, will ya?"
"Have I ever lied to you?" she asked as she got up again, taking his hand and pulling him back towards the dreaded donkeys. "C'mon!"





And yes, she managed to get him on the donkey. He pointlessly argued with her as they were trying to pick out a pair of poor things to break. Kylie & Jason were immediately out the question. Dennis said he thought the idea of the perm Sharon had had would put her off Kylie, so giving him a slap, they carried on walking round. Meeting Sharky & George, he'd stared at the floor, snorting out another laugh, muttering "They're the masters of the seeeea!" earning him another odd look off the creepy guy.
They'd settled on Ren & Stimpy. Sharon's hand over Dennis' hand like he was three and not thirty, he'd even managed to stroke Ren, his hand quivering as it slid over all that disgustingly bristly hair. ("It's like a bloody bog brush!" he'd cried, trying to pull his hand away.)
Fearing his response had she answered "And how do you know what a bog brush feels like? You're not meant to touch them you twat!" Sharon preferred to crease into fits as he'd gone on to warble "Stiiimpy! You eeeediot!"
"What are you on?"
"I dunno!" he'd grinned back, obviously very amused too. "But I can tell you now there ain't no way you're getting me on an animal called Stimpy. I do still have some self-respect y'know."
"Course you do."
Climbing onto a donkey was almost easier than getting onto the bike although Sharon was pretty sure she heard Dennis wince and saw him tenderly rub his side. Bless him, traumatised by a donkey.
Sharon's balance was awful. Last time she'd been on a donkey, she'd been about ten stone lighter and thirty years younger! But it was hilarious, they just seemed to keep going round in circles, calling out insults to each other that they couldn't help but laugh away. The ride was too shaky to care much about anything than staying upright, and that sentiment definitely showed in Dennis' face, his eyes wide and a nervous laugh always caught on his lips.
"Wow, wow, Jesus mate, calm down..."
He slowed up at the earliest available opportunity and leapt off, backing away. Sharon laughed as she drew up next to Ren.
"What are you laughin' at?" he challenged, striding over to her and swinging her off the donkey, making her squeal.
"Dennis! Stop it, put me down!"
"Awww, you're no fun!"
And just to prove his point, he kissed her, pushing his tongue into the depths of her mouth, feeling hers move into his, teasing him.
"No fun at all."
"Mmm, is that right?"
Cupping her face with his hands, he tilted her head, directing a kiss at her forehead. Or so Sharon thought. But she felt the kiss against her eyelids, her eyelashes tickling his lip as they flickered in surprise.
"Yep. That's right."



Ten minutes later, and having walked up the pier hand in hand, knowing they didn't have to avoid each other's eye, or try to not look so obvious, they found themselves halfway up the pier, sat on a bench. Well, Sharon was sat. Dennis was lain out, his head in her lap like it was a pillow. And it felt good, it felt so good. He could just admire the state of the clouds, the sky, and she could smile, tenderly pulling her fingers through his hair.
"We must look stupid." he murmured softly, a smirk playing on his lips that told her he was too relaxed here to care. So she just laughed it away.
"No, we don't. We look like honeymooners remember?"
The fingers of her left hand, tapping a rhythm out against his chest were seized by one of his own idle hands and he spread her fingers, stroking the bare wedding finger. "D'you... D'you think we ever will be?"
"Bloody hell Dennis. Not even two weeks ago, all you wanted to do was dance with me; and now you wanna marry me?"
"If we get to have days like this..."
"Oh baby... no-one even knows about us yet. Give it... Give it a couple of months eh?"
"That means years then."
Watching his face fall, she nudged him. Where was all this coming from anyway? Weddings? That seemed way too heavy for Dennis, even as just a passing thought! But it scared her too much to think on it, so she did the next best thing and made light of the situation.
"Don't you go all dejected on me now. Just cos I made you go near a donkey-"
"Get on a donkey." he corrected, shuddering. "There's a world of difference!"
"Awww, and here was me gonna book some up for the wedding-"
She giggled as his lips twisted into this sloping smile. "Mmm, you know what? I don't think I'm ever gonna wanna marry you at this rate!"
"Oh!" she cried dramatically. "Oh no, Dennis, please don't leave me!"
He slid his fingers slowly through hers. "As if I would. Not yet anyway... I'm on a promise as I remember it."
Sharon raised an eyebrow. Nothing he came out with could surprise her anymore. "Oh you are, are you?"
"Yeah. I am. I've been on my best behaviour all day-"
"Oooh, you lying git!" she scolded, pressing her nails into the back of his hand to make him wince as she held his hand.
"What?!"
But she shook it away with a smile, unable to stop herself giggling. But then, she drew in breath and collected herself, just gazing down into his beautiful face. He really was beautiful, and she coulda watched the way the sunlight went across his face forever. He had to squint against its evasion, and that tense look of concentration made Sharon's heart melt. She sighed contentedly, and felt him shift in her lap and suddenly he was looking up at her, those glittering eyes questioning her, his lips flickering without expelling words.
"You make me so happy y'know." she told him gently.
"What?" he said again, although this time, he said it with utter disbelief in his voice rather than feigned innocence. "Don't be stupid."
"Why's that stupid?"
"Me? Making you happy? Sharon, how the hell would I do that?"
"By being here! Here with me... like this. You don't need to know how, you just need to know you're doing it-"
"No-" be began, baffled. "Tell me. What am I doing?"
Sharon felt the heat prickling in her cheeks. She was embarrassed, but then, maybe she didn't care.
"Alright. You're lying here... you're holding my hand... you're telling everyone you're with me. You're looking at me, with that tiny little smile in the corner of your mouth... the one I always wanna kiss... and you're telling me you'll never stop me. And that's great, cos I'll never want you to."
"Well, maybe I just like indulging you-"
"Yeah..." she shot back flirtatiously. "...and maybe you just like the rampant sex that usually follows hmm?"
He writhed happily in her lap for a moment as he let the memory of such sensations pass through him. "God, I love it when you talk like that."
Sharon raised her eyebrow, questioning him, although the smirk playing on her lips told Dennis there wasn't really much point delivering an answer, even though he couldn't resist.
"You... talking to me about... about us."
"I can do more than just talk to you Dennis. You know that."
He chuckled. tilting his head that little further back against her lap as she twisted his tousles around her finger. "I know you can. I just... hearing you say it... after everything... y'know?"
"Well, darlin', sex is always gonna be sex... it doesn't matter when... or where... or how-"
He wiggled her hand. "Er... no. I think you'll find that the "how" is actually very important. There are many, many different ways in which to..."
"What have you been doing - reading the bloody Karma Sutra?"
"No... although now you mention it, that is a bloody good idea-"
"Oh no! I'm sure you've got plenty of, er... imagination."
"Of course I have!" And he lifted his other hand, counting off the ideas as he raised them. "There's the chocolate sauce... the cream-"
Sharon guffawed, feeling herself shake as the laughter took hold. "That bloody ice cream!"
"Mmm, tasted good on you though, you know that?"
"I don't care what it tasted like, now c'mon, get off!"
And she wriggled underneath him, trying to force him up. He resisted for as long as he could, but eventually, he had to admit he was beat and get up, racing her all the way up the pier and into the pavillion.

Squealing as she tried to avoid him, Sharon felt Dennis slam up against her, his laughter coming out with great, heaving gasps as he reached out, curling his arms around her and steadying her.
"Hey... you didn't think you were getting away from me did you?"
"Nah! C'mon... what we doing?"
"I have absolutely no idea! I'm not good with this sort of thing-" he admitted, nestling into her shoulder.
"Better not risk the ghost train then eh? There might be.... donkeys!"
He pressed the hand she was clutching roughly into her stomach to make his presence felt. "You are so looking for a-"
"Please don't finish that sentence!" And without another word she pulled him round the floor, taking in everything and spending a good five minutes telling him he wasn't allowed to go into the under-twelve's play area - whatever he thought he could do to her in the ball pool!
He got rather nervous as she stopped, pointedly glancing between him and the dancing stage, which he had already seen had previously been occupied by a couple of teenage girls in bikinis losing their flip flops in their haste to keep up with the floor flashing an alarming green underneath them.
"What?" he asked, even though it was probably best if he didn't dare.
"I will if you will!"
"Not even if I was pissed!"
She pretended to gasp in horror. "What, so now I have to ply my own boyfriend with drink just to get him to dance with me?"
Laughing, he shook his head. "That's not dancing Sharon; that's making an absolute tit of my-" Then he stopped, realising what he had heard. "Boyfriend?"
"Sorry." Sharon rolled her eyes, lifting her hands and making quote marks in the air. "Partner."
He pulled her hands down again, feeling her fingers slip instinctively through his again. "Nah. I think I like boyfriend better."
"Yeah, I bet you do. Probably reminds you of ramming your tongue down a different girl's throat behind the youth club every Friday night!"
He raised his eyebrow dubiously. "Youth club? Sharon by the time I was old enough for youth club, I was already in all the pubs-"
"-pulling barmaids!"
"Well, yeah-" His warmth breath tickled the inside of her ear and he stooped and whispered; "Ain't it just typical that the best one's the last one?"
"Oi! I own that club in case you'd forgotten!"
"How could I, you're a bloody slave-driver! I swear you get off on ordering us all about!"
Cocking her head to one side, she stared at him, this wicked smile playing on her lips. "Course I do. And I'm ordering you to dance!"
"Oooh, and what are you gonna do about it?" he teased, leaning in and kissing her quickly, before obediently stepping up on the stage.
"Well, at least now, I won't have to give you the push!" she stated with a smirk as she stood next to him.
He looked her up and down and realised she was having trouble balancing. "Ha, never mind me making a tit of myself - you're gonna go flying in them darlin'!"
"Oh you reckon do ya?" And though he shot back a look that said yeah, he did reckon, she wasn't fazed. She wasn't about to be underestimated, especially not by Dennis. The music started to blare around them, vibrating through the flashing tiles, and she tried to follow where the screen told her she was meant to be going, all she found herself doing was bumping into Dennis, who barely managed to steady her because he was doing as bad as he thought he would be. They were laughing hysterically before the first verse was done, jumping across the little stage to try and keep in time, even though they knew by now they were going to completely the wrong tiles. Pretty soon, they didn't care where they were meant to be going and were dancing round anyway.