Author's note: TomSha fun and smut for the Valentine's Day Extravaganza!

This is set in my Last Step/Next Step universe, but you really don't need to have read those stories to read this. If you have, then this takes place at some point towards the end of Next Step.

Please spread the love by reviewing.

The Valentine's Mis-Step

Tom Chandler was good at planning. It was something he prided himself on. So for this, his first Valentine's Day with Sasha Cooper – well, the first since the fifteen year break in their relationship – he had planned everything right down to the last tiny detail.

And what was it my first CO told me again? He thought to himself as he surveyed the utter chaos that was his living room. Oh yeah… Man plans, God laughs.

It had started to go wrong a few hours ago, when his father had called to say he wasn't going to make it back from his fishing trip in time to watch the kids, because the weather was closing in and the roads were becoming impassable. Tom had called around to try to find an alternative babysitter, but everyone had Valentine's plans of their own, be it a date night – like Danny and Kara Green – or an excuse to spend time with friends – like Andrea and Alisha and their planned 'girls night'. He'd hoped Mike might step in, but his baby son had raging colic, which was more than enough to deal with without two more kids, one a moody teenager, to entertain.

So at that point Tom had hastily revised his plan of a romantic restaurant dinner in favour of dinner in his apartment, the kids banished to their bedrooms with the promise of a hefty bribe if they left him and Sasha uninterrupted. Which was not a bad idea, except that his cooking skills left something to be desired, and by the time he got to the supermarket, there wasn't much left in the romantic dinner stakes.

Still, he managed to get hold of a chicken to roast, and a few vegetables to accompany it, even if he lucked out on dessert and had to make do with a dubious looking cheesecake which he suspected had been in the depths of the freezer since long before the apocalypse.

Sasha texted him to confirm that her flight back from Washington DC, where she'd been meeting with some of the surviving members of the intelligence community, was all on time, and when he replied, he tried to make it sound as though the change of venue for their date was a romantic decision rather than borne of necessity. He also decided not to mention the kids being home, just in case she baulked. Her relationship was Ashley was improving, but it was still a little strained.

Having revised his timings, he planned it so that he could give the kids a quick dinner when they got home from their after school activities, then his and Sash's meal should be all ready for when she arrived, around a half hour later. He had a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge, the chicken was in the oven, and mac and cheese for the kids was waiting in the microwave, when he heard a key in the lock right on time.

"Dad!" It was Sam, and his son sounded less than happy about something.

Turning to look across the open plan living area to the doorway, Tom's mouth dropped open for a second as he took in the sight before him. His ten year old son was coated from almost head to toe in sticky brown mud, completely obscuring his soccer uniform beneath.

"Don't move!" He cautioned quickly, but Sam had already taken a few more steps into the apartment, spreading mud as he went. "What happened?!"

"I fell in a ditch." Sam answered. "Mrs Quinn wouldn't let me in her car so Mr Baker walked me home. He said I left a trail all the way from school to here." Sam sounded almost proud, and this time Tom couldn't help laughing.

"Okay buddy, well I'll get a garbage bag and you can strip right there-" But before he could move, the front door swung open again and Ashley entered, not even noticing her mud-caked brother as she hurtled into her bedroom and slammed the door, sobbing loudly enough to still be heard by her father and brother.

Tom and Sam exchanged a look, and Tom decided to deal with the mud first. "Right, garbage bag." He said, and returned to the kitchen area to look for one.

Unfortunately, Sam decided to follow him, leaving sludgy brown footprints across the floorboards and the rug, and a set of handprints where he unconsciously steadied himself on the couch.

"Sam!" Tom groaned as he turned with the open bag in hand and took in the damage, but Sam was already happily stripping off his filthy clothes, using one hand on his father's arm to steady himself as he dropped the garments into the bag with a wide grin.

"I'll take a shower now!" He said, scampering naked across the room and managing to still leave faint footprints where the mud had soaked right through to his skin.

Tom tied the top of the garbage bag tight and set it beside the washing machine to deal with later, before steeling himself and heading towards Ashley's room, from which sobs were still emanating. He knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open without waiting for a response, to find his daughter face down on her bed, crying into a pillow.

"Ash, honey, what's wrong?" He sat down carefully on the edge of the bed and touched her shaking shoulder. Ash just cried harder, burying her face deeper in the pillow. "Sweetheart, please talk to me." Tom tried again.

"You wouldn't understand!" Ash choked out between sobs. "I want Mom!"

His heart twisted. "I know, honey, but I promise I'll try to help if you just tell me."

"Charlie didn't give me a card." Ashley wailed, and Tom winced. Ash had met Charlie on a paintball activity day, and the two of them had started a sweetly awkward little romance, but now it seemed Charlie had made a big mistake.

"Did you talk to him about it?" Tom tried, and Ash raised her head and glared at him in disbelief.

"Of course not! Oh my god, Dad!" She sank her face back into the pillow.

"DAD!" This time it was Sam, and the panic in his voice had Tom rushing back into the mud spattered living area, only to find it now filled with smoke billowing from the oven.

Man plans, God laughs…

The smoke alarm erupted into life with high pitched enthusiasm, and it was at that moment that Sasha pushed open the unlocked front door and walked into chaos.

"Well hello there, Chandlers." She said, and started to laugh.

While Tom turned off the oven and silenced the wailing alarm, Sasha opened the windows to let out the smoke. Sam scampered back to the bathroom to finish getting cleaned up, and Ashley recommenced her noisy sobbing.

"What happened?" Sasha asked, her laughter tinged with incredulity, and Tom tried to explain.

"We no longer have a sitter, so I was going to cook here, but something went wrong with the chicken-" He gestured towards the oven, "-And Ash is in hysterics about a boy, and Sam fell in a ditch…" His shoulders started to shake and he snorted with laughter, "And I think Valentine's Day might be over…" He suddenly noticed what she was wearing, and lost his words for a different reason entirely, as he took in the perfectly fitting midnight blue dress, which made her pale skin glow, and showcased her incredible legs. "Which is truly terrible, when you look like that…" He managed.

Sasha shook her head, still laughing, but her smile hinting at something else as well. "It's not over." She said. "Did you cancel the restaurant?"

"Damn, I forgot to call." He admitted, and she smiled.

"Good. Don't. Just go make sure Sam isn't painting the rest of the apartment in mud, and I'll be back in fifteen."

In fact, she was back in ten minutes, and not alone. By this point, Tom had managed to at least get Sam clean and dressed and fed, the young boy sitting up at the counter eating mac and cheese.

"Tex!" Sam cried as Sasha led the contractor into the apartment, closely followed by his wife, Nina.

"Hey buddy. What you got there? Is there enough for four?" Tex asked him.

"I thought we were getting pizza?" Nina asked, cupping her belly. "And I think you'll find it's five."

Tom grabbed Tex's arm and spoke in an undertone. "Don't you guys have plans?"

"Nothing exciting, Commodore." Tex shrugged, his eyes twinkling. "Besides, according to Agent Cooper, you two are paying for us to enjoy a very nice dinner at the restaurant of our choice this weekend, as long as we keep your kids alive until morning."

Tom laughed, "Sounds like a bargain."

"Ah, we're cheap." Nina agreed. "Now where's the lovesick one? In her room?" Without waiting for an answer, she entered Ashley's bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Tex dropped onto the couch. "Sam, you want to come watch movies with me? Sure your Dad won't mind you eating on the couch, just this once."

Tom gave an inward sigh of relief as Sam bounded over and settled beside Tex, and Sasha turned to him with a grin, looking pointedly at the muddy handprints on his sleeve.

"You want to maybe change your shirt before we head out?"

Two hours later, Sasha unlocked the door of her studio apartment and let Tom follow her inside, his arms wrapping around her waist as she leaned back into him.

"Alone at last." She murmured.

They'd eaten a delicious meal, including heart shaped chocolate mousses that Sasha had eaten with such enjoyment that Tom ended up giving her half of his as well, just so he could continue to watch her ecstatic face. Nina had texted Sasha to tell her that she'd managed to coax Ash out of her room, and the four of them were watching movies and eating pizza, and that allowed Tom to fully relax and put the events of earlier out of his mind.

"Alone at last." He echoed, grazing her neck with his lips, "And I intend to take full advantage."

"Full advantage?" She asked teasingly, turning in his arms to face him. "What does that mean, I wonder?"

"Well, I didn't get to enjoy my dessert." He said slowly, "So I thought you could help me with that."

Sasha looked slightly confused, but as he ran his hands down her sides, gathering her dress and making to lift it over her head, she complied willingly. He faltered for a second when he took in the lace underwear beneath, but managed to guide her back and on to the bed.

"Wait there." He murmured, kissing her softly, before crossing back to the door to retrieve the small box he'd left on the table there.

"What-" Sasha started, but then she began to laugh as he opened it to reveal another chocolate mousse.

"I let you eat most of mine." He pointed out, "So I figure I deserve to really enjoy this extra one." He laid the box carefully on the bed and stripped down to his boxer shorts before dipping his fingers into the chocolatey dessert and slowly drawing a line down Sasha's torso.

She whimpered slightly as he followed the trail with his tongue, licking her skin clean, before he reached underneath her to undo her bra. She moved quickly to remove it, taking the opportunity to capture his mouth in a chocolate flavoured kiss as she did so.

Tom scooped up more mousse, adorning Sasha's collarbone and the tops of her breasts with little dabs of chocolate, which he lapped up slowly as she arched into his touch. Her nipples had hardened, and he focussed there next, sucking off generous mouthfuls of the sticky dessert.

"Mmm, tastes way better than off of a plate." He commented.

"I bet…" Sasha agreed, and then in one fluid motion, she rolled and pinned him beneath her, using the element of surprise to temporarily overpower him as she dug her own fingers into the chocolate mousse and messily spattered it across his torso, getting the sheets as well.

"Hey!" Tom laughed, "I was being careful!"

"My sheets, my rules." She retorted, and dropped her head to lick the dessert from his skin, before grabbing the edge of his boxers and pulling them down. She took another handful of the mousse, but Tom grabbed her wrist before she could paint it on him, taking her fingers into his mouth instead, sucking the chocolate from them as she moaned.

"No more." He murmured, and captured her mouth in a hungry kiss, rolling them again so that she was beneath him, his hand reaching down to pull off her underwear even as hers enthusiastically did the same. "Sash…" He groaned as his fingers found her centre, sliding through the wetness there.

"Tom!" She gasped as he slid a finger inside her, and he felt her hand wrapping around his hardness, pulling him closer. "Now, please!"

He kissed her hard as he obeyed and pushed inside her, feeling her open around him, hot and slick. Her hands found his ass, pulling him deeper, and he groaned at the sensation, and at her unashamed need for him. He could still taste chocolate in her mouth, feel the slight stickiness of it on her skin where she was pressed tight against him, and he smiled into her mouth as he moved a little faster, harder, drawing those whimpers of pleasure from her that he loved to hear.

At one point he felt her move as if to try to roll them again, but he shook his head slightly and caught his hand behind her knee instead, deepening the bend of her leg, adjusting the angle of his thrusts in a way that made her cry out and tighten around him.

"Now, Sash!" He demanded from between gritted teeth, teetering on the very edge, and felt a rush of relief as she gasped harshly and came, allowing him to do the same.

He remained on top of her for a few moments, his lips tracing gently over her neck and jaw as her hands stroked his back.

"I love you." He murmured, and she moved her head to meet his lips with hers, kissing him softly before replying.

"I love you too."

He kissed her once more, then slowly rolled off of her, only to feel the distinctly unpleasant sensation of something cold and damp spreading over his skin. "Urgh! What the-"

Sasha raised herself quickly onto one elbow, and then sputtered with laughter, "I think you'll find that was the remainder of the dessert!"

Tom started to laugh helplessly as he peeled himself from the sticky sheets, a large patch of chocolate now adorning his back. "How about we take this to the shower?" He asked.

"I like your thinking, sailor." Sasha rose from the bed, "I'll wash your back if you'll wash mine…"

THE END