Stein knows that humans are governed by very base needs and drives. Metabolic needs like air, water and food are critical for survival and once they are met, the intense instinct to repopulate and maintain an adequate birth rate takes over. (In Spirit's terms - getting laid.) And according to Maslow's hierarchy, love and belonging come after the physiological and safety needs are met.
Now, he still doesn't quite believe that he is capable of love, but in this moment he begins to doubt that he can't express affection in his own way.
Because she's curled against his stomach and naked and sweaty just like him. Her face is mostly concealed behind the pillow she has bunched up in her arms, but he thinks she's smiling behind it. Part of her cheek that isn't hidden is flushed and drawn tight as he hears her giggle.
It's so immature but strangely endearing to Stein. He pulls the pillow away to look at her properly but she clings to it stubbornly.
"Come on, Marie. There's nothing to be shy about-I've seen a lot more of you than your face."
His comment provokes a loud squeak and Marie punches him solidly in the gut.
"You should have told me you liked it rougher," Stein says. He gingerly rubs the throbbing area near the costal cartilage of his fifth rib. For such a tiny, unassuming woman she sure was strong.
Guess that's why she's called the Pulverizer.
"Franken," Marie says. "If you're going to be crass get out of my bed."
"Since when did my bed become yours?"
"You've never once used it since I began living here and-ahh! Franken."
He stops her with an open-mouthed kiss above her carotid artery-an area he had found last night that liked to be teased. He laves at it with slow and deliberate strokes of his tongue until Marie is writhing beneath him. Leisurely, he makes his way downward, past her clavicle and sternum until he reaches her breast. He can feel her heartbeat accelerate as he nuzzles her chest.
"Oh, god, Franken," Marie says in a breathy moan. She brings her hand to the head of his screw and traces the drive with a sort of reverence that makes his skin burn.
Marie is as electric as her personality. When Stein nips at the underside of her breast he swears he feels a shock in his soul. Marie just giggles innocently.
In retaliation, he moves lower, leaving a trail of quick, peppered kisses until he's right above the place Marie wants him most. She tilts her hips welcomingly to him but he pushes her back on to the bed.
"Hold still," he says and waits for Marie to nod in approval. When she does, he parts her lips.
For a moment he just takes her in. Her pink, wet flesh and her fine blonde curls. It was a sight he didn't take in last night when they were frantic and desperate for eachother. But now he was going to take his time until Marie begs for him.
Stein kisses both her thighs before he moves to the joint where her hip connects to her femur. Marie whines as he nips and sucks at the skin but he ignores her. She hooks her right leg around his neck and tries to guide him to her, making a low whimper that almost cracks Stein's resolve. Almost.
"Marie, I said hold still." With the precision that came with years of his craft, he runs a finger along her, stopping at her clitoris. The noise Marie makes is reward enough for him but he's curious to see how far he can push her. How much she can take.
Pushing aside the hood, Stein rubs his finger against the bundle of nerves beneath it. Marie jumps, thrusting her hips forward.
"Stein!" She grabs his hair and yanks. He winces. While he's all for Marie being aggressive and demanding in bed, he wishes it didn't involve tearing out his hair follicles.
"Stein." It's less of a whine now and more of a demand, uttered in a fucking-move-your-fingers-or-I'll-kill-you voice. And Stein's all to happy to oblige.
As he continues to touch her, he can feel the stirring of her soul begin to resonate with his own. This is the part where Stein loses it, when he feels their souls twine and meld into one. It's the closest he's ever felt to another human. It's safe. It's loving. It's-
Zap.
"Franken! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Marie said, is staring down at him while the air tingled with electricity. Stein looks up at her worried face.
"Do you normally shock people when you have sex? Or am I just that good?" It happened last night too. Stein knew that Marie's affinity with lightning was strong but he never thought it would extend to the bedroom.
Marie hides being her hands. "I'm sorry."
"That's interesting." As a scientist, it was fascinating, but as the man who got shocked, less so. trying to make her come. They needed to figure this out otherwise it'd would really affect their sex life.
"I guess you could say that was a shocking turn of events," Stein says, suppressing the urge to laugh at his own joke. Marie's face quickly changes from mortification to annoyance.
She hits his shoulder. "I hate you."
"Then why have sex with me? Am I that good to compensate for my lack of personality?"
Marie huffs but doesn't deny his question. Taking that as a sign to continue, Stein goes back to his task. A little electricity wasn't going to stop him.
Trading his fingers for his tongue, he returns to pleasuring her. He takes it slow, running the length of her. When she squirms and her thighs clamp around his head, Stein knows he's doing it right. He can tell Marie is close. Her whines and pants are growing more erratic and he can feel the familiar burn of electricity. But unlike before it's not a sudden shock, but instead a steady hum. Something warm that envelopes his soul.
It's driving Stein crazy. His idle hands cup and knead her ass in hopes of pushing her to the edge. His tongue moves fervently, licking and sucking harder until Marie lets out one last whine then her body goes limp.
"Damn, you're good at that," she says between labored breaths. Stein grins and moves to hold Marie again his arms.
"All the more reason to keep at it. After all, sex has great benefits outside the bedroom." He nuzzles her neck, eager to continue but Marie suddenly bolts up.
She snatches Stein's lab coat off the ground and slips it on as she leaves the bed. It's too big on her, hiding every inch of her body and drags along the floor.
"Hey," he calls after her. "Where are you going?"
"To take a shower. We've got class in an hour."
He looks at the alarm clock Marie insisted they keep next to the the bed and swears-she's right.
Stein's not used to this yet: being with Marie. Yes, he's lived with her for some time but not like this. For the first time he has to be mindful of his schedule as a teacher. No longer does he just float from his lab to work and back again now that Marie has become such a large part of his life.
How did Spirit put it? Sex was the best thing in the world until it got you fired? Something to that extent, anyway.
Stein rolls over to the side of the bed and gathers his clothes from the floor. It was an odd situation, but certainly not a bad one. If this was how he'd spend the rest of his life, he wouldn't complain.
In fact, he'd be grateful.