I wrote this a while ago, when I was going through my second Host obsession phase. I love Ian and Wanda together, so this goes out to every couple that has beaten impossible odds in the name of love. Okay, corny dedication over, on to the story!
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I could feel Ian's tense body beside me as I struggled to get comfortable on the threadbare motel mattress. We were on the home stretch of a raid, stopped just outside of Tuscon, but Burns and I needed to shower and change to keep up appearances.
Ah Burns, the reason the dark haired man beside me was refusing to take me into his arms for the night. I had sensed Ian's unease about my fellow Soul the first time Nate and his tribe had introduced themselves. I did my best to reassure him that, even though my friend from the Fire World and I shared the sort of bond that only Souls could, there was no reason to be jealous.
It pained me that while Ian had the goodness and loving heart of a Soul, he still had the irrational feelings of a human, and those feelings were tearing him up inside.
...
We had been shopping for groceries that would not necessarily keep a long time, because we were close to home, and everyone from all tribes (this had been a very long, very thorough trip) needed a pick-me-up.
As we browsed the shelves, a kind faced older woman asked if we were partners.
Burns smiled and replied, "Yes, we traveled together as Bats."
"I am Lillian and he is Chip, our old names didn't translate very well into this language," I added, smiling widely at the sweet Soul.
"My name from the See Weeds didn't apply well either, I'm Monica."
"It was very nice to meet you, Monica," I said, grabbing hold of Burns' hand, "But we must be going, we have an important lecture on the campus very soon."
"Yes, we would be disappointed to miss it, wouldn't we dear?" Burns asked, touching my cheek with his long fingers.
"Oh, how nice! Well then I won't keep you any longer," Monica said, smiling, not a hint of suspicion in her eyes as she absorbed all of our lies.
"Goodbye," Burns said pleasantly as we strolled out of the store, bags of groceries filling our cart.
We kept the pretense of a couple until we had made it safely to the car where Ian, Mel, and Jared waited. Rather, the car where Mel and Jared waited, and Ian fumed.
...
That had been it, a touch to the cheek, a little hand holding, but it was enough to send Ian over the edge.
Ian, Burns and I had all sat down together to talk about what the boundaries would be on this raid. It was vital, on such a long trip to feed all four human tribes, that Burns and I worked together. As a couple, we could carry more, and take more, lying to Souls that questioned us that we were hosting a dinner party and needed all the extra food to feed our friends.
But Ian had argued against Burns and I acting like partners, the thought upset him, but I hadn't guessed it would make him this angry, this jealous.
I sat up slowly, trying not to wake the man beside me, and surveyed the room. Mel and Jared on the bed beside us, holding tight to one another. After the rains, and after I began to see Ian as my partner in mind and body, I no longer felt such a deep pang of longing for Jared or to be in the body that I had once lived in.
I looked across the room, to the couch, where Burns' feet hung off the edge and his fiery hair stood out even in the darkness. He was a lovely friend, a kind Soul, but more adventurous and daring than any other I'd met. He did not mean to make Ian so angry, but I could tell he did not feel the sort of remorse any other of our kind would.
Sighing, I turned my attention to the human, my Ian, beside me. My eyes traced the perfect bridge of his nose, his thick eyebrows, his strong jaw, smooth lips...
Every time I admired him, I could not help but feel a fluttering of butterflies in my stomach, feeling proud and almost possessive.
My gaze wandered lower, and I studied his neck, no longer tense in sleep, his broad shoulders, the wide expanse of his chiseled chest, the arms strong from work, but so gentle when they held me.
Hold me, I wanted to whisper to him, Hold me like you did the night before we left on this journey.
...
It was the first night we would together, alone, after the rains.
My fragile body shuddered with anxiety and nerves, terrified yet excited for the events that would transpire during the night.
I was startled out of my daydreaming when the heavy door was moved, Ian stepped inside our room, and set the door back in its place.
"Hey," Ian said softly, pulling me into his arms after sitting next to me on the mattress.
"Hi there," I responded, shivering slightly as he kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and finally my lips.
He broke away from me gently, holding me about an arm's length away.
"I want you to know that I love you, Wanderer. I love you and want to be with you in whatever way makes you happy and comfortable. We don't have to do anything you don't want to. It's all up to you."
My eyes watered. His sincerity and selflessness was not matched, by human or Soul.
Looking into his deep blue eyes, I whispered, "I love you too, Ian, so much. This body is young, inexperienced, but I, the little Soul inside, is finally ready to have a true partner. Mind, heart, and... Body."
That was all it had taken, I was pinned down, breathless, and he was kissing me everywhere, I was numb, but yet I had never felt so alive, my nerves on fire.
...
He had held me so tenderly afterword, and I longed for that sort of comfort now.
I was pulled out of my reverie when I noticed that two gorgeous cerulean eyes were staring up at me.
"Hi," I whispered, blushing under his intent gaze.
"Hello," he whispered back, expression unreadable.
"Look, Ian, I'm sorry that you feel so upset, but I want you to know that there is nothing between Burns and I. We're just doing what needs to be done to help everyone else, and-"
"Shh, Wanda, I know baby," He interrupted.
"No, let me finish," I continued, "I know it must be hard for you, between my old feelings for Jared, your past with me inside Mel's body, and now Burns, but I need you to trust me. There is no one, on this or any other planet, that has made me want to stay in one place, no one except you."
"I know that now, and I'm sorry sweetheart, I'm so, so sorry," Ian said, pulling me toward his lips.
With no more negativity between us, I laid down, with Ian's arm around me, to hold me through the crazy, wonderful, scary, and joyous moments ahead of us.
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I happen to like this one-shot quite a bit. I really hope you did too. :) Thank you for reading!