This story is AU.
~*~o~*~
She picked up the bottle of wine and took a long cleansing sip. Always when she felt this way the booze helped to ease her pain. Why, ohhhh why was her life so complicated? Why could she not be with the man whom she loved?
She sunk down on the love seat, drinking half of the bottle. Where was he? Why didn't he come? And why did he always refuse to make love to her?
Sadly, she knew his reasons. Fear made him pause. And fear took his breath away. Everything they had been through in the past always stopped him in his tracks. Didn't he know how much she needed him? And how she yearned to be wrapped up in his arms so he could kiss all her tears away? If only he would let her touch him, she could take away his pain with her gentle caresses. But he refused to allow it. Tonight she'd have to take drastic measures to get him to see the truth.
She picked up the phone and dialed the number she now knew by heart. Of course, she got the answering machine. "Todd, it's Marty. Something's wrong. I need you... Now. Get over here right away," she spoke into the phone.
There- she'd said the words. Now she just had to wait. She replaced the phone onto it's cradle and sat down to cuddle with her favorite bottle of wine. How she hated the long wait.
Not even a half hour had passed when there was a loud crash at her front door. Todd. He must have gotten her message. "Marty, open the door!" he yelled as he urgently pounded upon it.
Marty didn't move a muscle. She barely batted an eyelash as Todd kicked in the door. He found her sitting in the living room, holding the bottle of wine. "What is it? What's wrong?" he demanded as he stared at her.
She looked up at him, her blue eyes laden with heavy sorrow. "I knew you would come," she spoke in a whisper.
"Why did you leave that message on my machine? What's going on with you?" he asked as he tugged the bottle of wine from her hands.
"I need to talk."
"What? Talk? That's why you called me over here?" he asked, sounding angry as hell.
"How much did you drink of this?" he demanded as he held up the bottle.
Marty just laughed. "Why do you care, Todd... if I get shit-faced drunk? I don't mean that much to you. Not anymore."
"That's a lie. You know how I feel for you. You mean everything," he said as he set the bottle of wine aside.
"Then show it," she challenged. "Stop punishing me. Stop punishing yourself!"
He looked at her dumbfounded as if he had no clue what it was she meant. "If you truly love me, you'll SHOW me," she continued to insist. "You won't walk away from me... just like a coward."
"I am not a coward, Marty," Todd said, taking strong offense to those words. He didn't like it when anyone pointed out his 'weaknesses.'
"Then make love to me. Show me you love me. Show me there's still a chance for us. Don't hide behind that dark memory of our past."
"You're drunk," he said as he started to retreat from her. This was all becoming too much for him. He couldn't make love to her. He couldn't hurt her again.
"Yeah, I am ... but not drunk enough not to know what I want. I want YOU. I need you, Todd," she implored.
"I won't take advantage of you again in your drunk state," he said as he started to walk away.
Marty lept off the love seat and chased after him. "Stop!" she screamed as she grabbed his shoulder and clung to him. He had no choice but to turn around to face her.
"You're not running from me this time!" she said between clenched teeth. "You're going to give me what I want ... what it is we BOTH want."
"You don't know what you're asking for..."
"I'm asking for your love. I need you to love me, Todd. Please."
Hearing the agony in her voice, Todd couldn't stop himself. He lowered his lips to hers in a sweet kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a feverish embrace. After a few moments of kissing her senseless, Todd reluctantly withdrew. "I can't, Marty..." he said in a groan.
"You can... because you love me. Because I NEED you," she beseeched. "Because it's KILLING us..."
His heart hurt so much, knowing the words she spoke were true. He was fighting his inner battle, but love was winning out. "I don't know, Marty..." he said hesitantly.
"We'll get through this together. Please Todd. I need you," she implored.
He let out a long painful sigh, allowing the trapped air to escape his aching lungs. "I don't want to hurt you anymore," he murmured as he lifted her into his arms.
"You won't. But it hurts me to be apart from you..." she told him as she rested her cheek against his chest. "I want you to touch me, Todd. I need you again."
Quietly he carried her upstairs and lay her down upon the bed. He looked at her in the near-darkness, his eyes gleaming with desire and a trace of pain. Gently she caressed the lines of worry from his face. "It will be okay, Todd. Just make love to me now," she urged him.
"I- I don't know if I can," he spoke fearfully as she reached down to unfasten his pants.
"I'll help you," she promised as she withdrew his hard, throbbing length and encased it with her touch.
"Marty... ohhh God..." he groaned, feeling her soothing caresses upon his pulsating flesh. Todd couldn't fight it another moment. He could not deny her or himself what their hearts most desired.
"I love you," he said as he crawled into bed with her and began removing her clothes, piece by piece. "Please don't hate me in the morning."
"I won't," she promised. "I want this, too. I need it. Don't fight anymore..."
"I can't fight..." he said as he pulled her close and began kissing her hungrily while tangling his fingers into her long blond hair. As their tongues entwined, his body covered hers. There was just a moment of panic as she felt the tip of him brushing against her center. She was so incredibly wet and welcoming that he sunk so deep inside of her. She pressed her face into his chest as every inch of him came to rest within her body.
The beauty of that moment was so much more than the ugly memories of the past. As he began making love to her, those dark memories were replaced with something bright and beautiful. Soon she forgot everything but Todd and the pleasure he was giving her. After it was over, he gently withdrew, holding her close in the afterglow of their passion.
"That was so incredibly beautiful," she murmured. "I think we're going to be alright."
The chains which had been holding Todd for so very long had finally set him free. Love had arrived to save him. A sense of peace filled his heart which was bigger and brighter than anything he had ever known. The peace he had discovered in Marty's embrace illuminated the darkness beyond the shadows of pain.
"I love you so much..." he whispered tenderly into her ear. "I'm NEVER letting you go."
THE END