Title: Face of Love
Fandom: Led Zeppelin
Characters: Summer Davis, Robert Plant
Word Count: 1131
Rating: PG
Warnings/Spoilers/Summary: It's Christmas of 1975, a few months after Robert's car accident in Greece. Summer, Robert, and Jimmy are back at the beach house in Malibu.



"Face Of Love"

Until tonight 
My heart was just half full 
I'd never known the fruit which fed the soul 
But now I see what may put to rest my longing
For I have seen, the face of love
The grace of god, the face of love
In silence I feared my heart 
Would remain words unheard 
Inside a separateness of skin 
But now I know that the skin just veils the soul
For I have seen, the face of love 
The grace of god, the face of love
So take my hand and knowing 
With it I also give my heart 
Wanting never to be separate again 
Let eternity begin
If you were flame 
I'd allow myself to be consumed completely 
Were you wind I would wish you pass through me 
But now I know that the skin just veils the soul
For I have seen, the face of love 
The grace of god, the face of love



Face of Love

Laying in a bed, with his leg propped up by pillows lodged under his body by the lithe little girl who skipped about the Malibu house seemingly always happy, Robert sighed and looked wistfully out the window. He was ever grateful that his children had healed from the accident quickly and nearly as much that his wife survived and reportedly doing well, but he had great reservations about... everything in life. He survived a car accident he shouldn’t have, clearly meant to suffer for however long. And why? Because he didn’t have the balls to do what he should have done, to leave his wife instead of going on a holiday with her and the kids, to... fuck if he knew. He was being punished for not being what he should be for Summer... his real love. And now... he certainly didn’t deserve to be in sunny California, supposedly recuperating. He didn’t deserve to be with her, her loving him. He didn’t deserve anything she had given him. All he deserved was pain and—

“Robert?” a sing-song voice chirped as she entered the room, a gauzy white sheath concealing and revealing her slight curves. “You awake, baby?”

Pulling his weary eyes from the very crashing waves that directed his thoughts so far away, he looked to Summer, “Yea.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers danced down his shin, working towards his toes, “How does your leg feel?”

“Summer, don’t,” he responded.

“What?” her eyes left his leg to meet his gaze once more. “Don’t what, Robert?”

“Don’t care about me. I’m being punished like this because I—”

“It was an accident, a horrible accident. You are not being punished for anything you did or did not do. It happened. Months ago. And it takes awhile to recover from that. But you are recovering,” she proclaimed. “Do you feel like a walk on the beach? The weather is lovely today and the sun will set shortly.”

“Summer, I... just don’t.”

Her eyes searched his for a minute and she nodded, “Okay. Get your ass up. We’re going outside. You’ve pouted in here long enough today.”

Standing, her hand reached out to him, tugging gently to make him stand. Slowly Robert sat up, pivoting on the bed. His bare feet touched the worn wooden floor on either side of hers. With a smile, she released his hand, framed his face, and kissed him gently. He sighed as she pulled away, not quite ready to smile at all. So she kissed him yet again.

“I love you, Robert Anthony. Always,” she muttered. “Come walk with me.”

Taking his cane in one hand and her hand in the other, Robert shakingly got to his feet. Just a few days before he had attempted to walk without support. Luckily Summer and Jimmy were both nearby, chatting softly as they often did, sharing world secrets he would never understand. But both instantly reacted and jumped to catch him, helping him into a nearby chair. All because his weak ankle chose to give out at an inopportune moment, making his leg buckle and the world fall apart again. He was so tired of being weak and not like himself. Nothing had been right, even recording the album a few weeks before in Germany. Nothing had been right at all.

“Come on, sweetie,” Summer requested softly, leading him out of the door.

They slowly made their way out of the beach house and onto the sandy beach. Summer’s fingers wiggled in his hand, drawing his attention down to her eyes as she stopped. The lithe girl turned towards him, pushing up on her toes, and kissed his mouth gently. She held the kiss until he relaxed, opening up to it. Her tongue barely danced with his before she pulled away, smiling up at him. His face softened as he looked down into her eyes. She looked at him with such adoration and love, he could not quite explain it. No one had ever looked into his soul like she did, no one had ever completed his soul like she did. Standing there on that beach in Malibu, the most beautiful little girl in his arms made the world completely make sense to Robert. 

“What did I... what did I do to deserve you?” he breathed.

“Nothing,” she replied with a crooked smile. “Which is why you’re going to spend the rest of your life earning me.”

Robert smirked, “I don’t think I’ll live long enough for that.”

“You’re going to live a very, very long life, Robert,” she touched his cheek softly. “You’ve defied death once already for me. You and I will have many a year together. And many Christmases.”

His eyes widened, “Oh fuck. It’s nearly Christmas, isn’t it?”

Summer nodded, “Tomorrow. But don’t worry about presents or anything. I just want to be with you. That’s enough for me.”

“But—”

“It’s enough for me. Let’s walk for awhile. It’s good for you,” she declared, slipping to his side once more.

As they walked along the Malibu beach, one that they had spent months on, Robert reflected back on the year. He hadn’t yet known Summer for a year yet, but every day with her felt like a lifetime. She was truly the one he was meant to be with. After his accident, she had rushed to his side, something he still didn’t know how she pulled it off. By his side nearly constantly since that moment, save for a few visits to his children on his behalf until Maureen forbade it, Summer had been his greatest source of strength, encouraging him when he wanted to fall into darkness, supporting him when he struggled to write new songs, kissing him when he hurt. She walked silently and not so silently beside him, just as she did as they strolled the beach once more. She was the one meant for him.

Stopping, Robert turned towards her. Summer instantly responded, her eyes going to his just as quickly. He smiled as he looked down into her brillant blue eyes. As his eyes searched hers, he truly felt like he was looking into the face of .... of god. The love she reflected up to him was far more than he ever expected. His hand reached up and cupped her cheek, before he dipped down to kiss her lips gently.

“I love you, Summer. Your love is the greatest gift I have ever received. I’m going to... oh, baby... I never want to be separate again. Let our eternity begin. I love you,” he breathed, kissing her again. “Happy Christmas.”