ALL BUCKLED UP

AN: I'm a little late to the party like I was with my closet fic, but I hope you enjoy this little one shot anyway. Let me know what you thought. I admit it. I live for reviews. ;-)

Silly Paige.

She hadn't thought he could surprise her. At least not in the romantic arena.

With his low EQ and because she'd known him for nearly three years, she thought she would have to teach him, be patient with him, guide him into being a worthwhile partner if he would ever open up and allow them to be together in the first place.

But the surprises started the second he admitted he loved her. For years she'd longed for him to say something and yet she hadn't seen it coming at all. When they were dancing, she thought he was nervous because he was about to apologize. Maybe offer to reinstate her. Ask her to come back to Scorpion. But the admission of his feelings left her stunned and speechless for several long moments until he started talking nonsense about her not feeling the same way.

Since then, her relationship with Walter could be classified as aggravating, astounding, awkward, amazing, but it couldn't in any way be called 'normal' and it was certainly never, ever boring and it always, always, always kept her on her toes.

His behavior on the island was a prime example. Those awful, embarrassing, adorkable nicknames! He was like the geeky, genius version of a middle school boy with his first crush. And his manic happiness in the face of their lousy survival odds was… completely unexpected. But seeing him so excited and eager to please was also weirdly attractive.

And so very cute.

Every bit of that amped up her sexual frustration almost to the breaking point. She'd come close to jumping him a few times on that island, witnesses and risk of permanent damage to her son's psyche be damned.

And when they finally found themselves blissfully alone for the first time since they'd admitted their mutual feelings?

Walter was scared spitless.

Interested? Yes. Turned on? Sure. But absolutely terrified.

This man, who thought nothing of leaping out of burning planes or burning buildings or leaping onto a speeding train, was petrified of leaping into bed with her.

Paige recalled in sharp detail every nuance of that night…

OXOXOXOXOXO

"Buckle up, nerd."

She'd all but purred those words.

Walter looked up. And froze.

The only obvious differences between him and a mannequin were the widening of his unblinking eyes and the parting of his lips as his jaw dropped and his breathing kicked up into a higher gear. Oh, and the flush that slowly crept up his face along with the furious pulse jumping in his neck.

Yahtzee.

Paige's confidence soared as her smoldering smile widened. In her wildest fantasies, she'd never imagined a better reaction. Walter was utterly stupefied and under her spell as she languidly strolled toward him, hips swaying seductively as the shirt she was barely wearing gave tantalizing hints of secrets about to be revealed.

The wine bottle slipped from his nerveless fingers landing on the counter with a loud thunk. It tipped over onto its side and rolled to the floor practically landing on Walter's foot. A broken toe probably would have killed the mood, so it was a positive stroke of luck the bottle hit the floor instead. And thank goodness it didn't shatter or spill.

Paige was gratified to note Walter was so mesmerized he barely reacted to dropping the wine at first. Just twitched a little and kept staring, swallowing convulsively as she drew nearer.

When she was just closing in on his personal space, he abruptly squatted down to retrieve the bottle and subsequently dropped the corkscrew. In his fumbling to pick up both items, he sent them skittering and trundling in opposite directions across the kitchen floor.

Walter jumped when she touched his shoulder. Then his eyes slowly eased up her body, following the lines of her smooth, bare legs to the gaping front of the shirt. She felt it like a caress and she went hot all over.

When his gaze finally made it up to meet hers, she beckoned by crooking one finger indicating he should stand up.

As he did, she noticed he was trembling. Where was the man who always took charge with assertiveness, the quintessential leader?

It suddenly occurred to Paige, the virtual conch was completely hers in this scenario. She could command him at will. A naughty, little thrill went through her at the thought even as her heart melted to see his skittishness. She'd known him to be shy about his body at times, but he seemed to get over his timidity pretty fast in the utility closet at Kovelsky's. Except that time it was pitch dark and he hadn't been anticipating the hot and heavy make out session, so he hadn't had time to think before they were all over one another.

Now she couldn't help but wonder… Placing one hand lightly over his pounding heart and tilting her head slightly to one side letting her eyes evaluate him, she asked quietly, "Walter? Have you ever done this before?"

A long pause and a few blinks later, he gave her a vague non-answer. "Uh, y-es… Well, no… Not-not exactly?" His eyes dropped to her hand on his chest.

Her mouth tipped up at the corners with amusement. "Which is it?" Paige let her fingers drift to the top fastened button of his shirt. He made a choking noise as she slipped it free from the placket.

Walter cleared his throat. "I've-I've made a c-couple of, um, attempts? Neither experiment was…" He gulped as she popped another button free. "uh, successful."

Tapping the next button, she asked, "Would you like to try it again? With me?" Paige undid another fastening.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" She teased, "On the day you and I met you told me trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity." She deftly opened the next two buttons.

Walter answered with a growl, "Yes."

Paige released his last button just as he grabbed her by the hips, hands fisting in her shirt, and yanked her toward him. Walter claimed her mouth in a hungry kiss.

And…wow. She practically saw stars. One thing was for sure. Their kissing experiments were a resounding success.

Paige didn't know he'd undone the rest of her buttons until she felt his hands glide around her bare waist to tug her as close against him as possible. He pulled away to draw in a hasty gasp of air, meanwhile his eyes were raking over all of her newly exposed skin. He licked his lips looking suddenly ravenous.

And she had to have him. Right. That. Second. Or die trying.

Paige took his hand and led him toward the bed. When she glanced back over her shoulder, he appeared a little fearful again and he said, "I'm concerned."

Aw, no. Not again. Down, girl.

Trying to be patient even if it killed her, knowing this was all new territory for the genius and not wanting him to become overwhelmed. She did her best to give him a reassuring smile. "What about?"

With his free hand, he scratched at the back of his neck. A sure sign he was uncomfortable. "I, uh. That is… I haven't needed, um. I don't have anything for… protection." His expression was a mixture of bashfulness and chagrin.

This time her smile was one hundred percent genuine and more than a little self-satisfied. "Lucky for both of us I thought of everything. See that little box on the bedside table? I stopped at a drug store on the way to Kovelsky's. Who's the super smart one now?"

Walter grinned at her crookedly. "Absolutely genius. I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you," he finished on a whisper as they reached the side of the bed.

As she turned around to face him, his eyes fell to his shoes. "You'll tell me? What you, ah, w-want?" He asked, unsure again. "I want you to… I want to please you."

"Walter," Paige raised his chin and looked at him directly. "You make me happy just by being here with me. Like this. The rest of it will work out as we go along. You can't disappoint me. Do you hear me? And I will tell you what I like and if there's anything I don't if you promise me you'll do the same. Okay?"

His expression was all earnestness when he nodded his agreement. Her hands stoked his face for a moment or two before she brought his lips down to meet hers.

What followed was both a little hesitant and a little rushed. A little awkward. Even a little strange. But utterly, completely glorious. And perfectly…Walter.

Paige wouldn't trade a second of it for 'normal'.