A/N: Let me preface this by saying that I had no intention of writing this monster. The outline for this fic had been sitting in my Google Docs folder since Hollywoodland aired, but I'd never gotten to it and just kind of forgot about it. Then sometime last week I thought of it again and mentioned it to the girls in our group chat. An impromptu brainstorming session ensued and here we are. So thanks, guys! This is literally for you.
Special thanks to my angel editor Lizzie and my Angst Brigade girls. Thanks for putting up with my whining that this fic would never end and I couldn't get these characters to shut up.
I'd apologize for the insane length, but I'm not sorry at all. I had a blast writing this and I truly hope you guys enjoy it too.
Love Bug (Finally found the missing part of me)
The sky was an explosion of orange and pink and red as they drove up the California coast. The sunset colored everything around them, and the cold wind swept through his hair, making Wyatt shiver and curse inwardly. Maybe they should've stolen another car, because of course the roof on this one was completely stuck. Their shitty luck had to hit them at some point, he thought to himself, as Lucy shivered to his right.
They had already been on the road for hours, but the highway before them seemed endless. Rufus had googled how long it would take them to make this trip before they jumped in the Lifeboat, and he had complained loudly at the prospect of driving nearly ten hours to get that freaking psycho Flynn out of prison.
They were already entering hour six and it felt like he had been driving forever. If the trip from Los Angeles to Oakland was taking this long, then there was no way in hell they would drive back to the Lifeboat tonight. Hell, he needed to get some rest and he simply refused to get in this car again at least for the next fifteen hours or so.
Sneaking a glance at Lucy, he smiled at the gorgeous picture she made. Hair billowing in the wind, skin colored by the orange and pink hues of the sunset and a pensive small smile playing on her lips. Even though he was pretty sure they were on the same page - after all, she was the one reason he hadn't gotten a whole lot of sleep last night - a traitorous part of him still felt an inkling of doubt, however stupid it may seem.
He still couldn't believe she had actually taken the leap with him, jumping into these overwhelming feelings they had for each other. He couldn't speak for her, but he was pretty sure he was more than halfway in love with Lucy Preston, and watching her now, looking so incredibly beautiful and happy, like she had just stepped out of a painting, made his heart ache with how much he felt for her.
"Hey," he found himself saying, before his brain could fully process his intentions. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow in question. "Come here." He invited quietly, motioning for her to scoot closer to his side on the seat.
Lucy let out a surprised laugh and nodded to the backseat discreetly, where Rufus seemed to be lost in thought. Wyatt checked the rearview mirror and, satisfied that his friend wasn't really paying attention to them, just shrugged and reached out his hand to her.
She smiled and took his hand in hers, shaking her head. Entwining their fingers, she scooted closer to him, until her body was resting gently against his side. Wyatt pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of her hand, lingering for a moment too long. It had only been a few hours since he had last touched her, but it seemed like an eternity. After having a taste of what her touch felt like, her body pressed against his, he felt like a man with an addiction. He needed more.
Wyatt felt Lucy relax against his side and her lips press lightly against his neck, as she breathed him in.
"You're so warm." She nuzzled his skin and he squeezed her hand in warning as a shiver ran through him. "Like my own personal human heater." She mumbled, kissing his neck again, before settling next to him.
"Cold?" He asked quietly, letting her hand go in order to wrap an arm around her shoulders.
"Not anymore."
She smiled up at him and he couldn't help leaning in and pressing his lips to hers in a quick kiss. He still couldn't quite believe he was allowed to do that now.
Lucy rested her head on his shoulder and he felt her relax and doze off just a few minutes later. The rest of the trip was much more pleasant.
"You know, it's a good thing the Bay Bridge has already been built, otherwise driving to San Francisco would be a pain in the ass." Rufus commented, as they made their way back to the car.
They had agreed that driving back to LA now would be insane and that they definitely needed to stay the night up in the Bay Area. Lucy suggested driving to San Francisco instead of staying in Oakland, as they would have a better chance of finding a decent hotel in a bigger city.
Rufus was the one driving this time and he had been adamant that they needed to stop for dinner somewhere before finding a place to sleep. "Or not sleep." He'd added, grinning widely at his friends, with a ridiculous wink.
Wyatt rolled his eyes and shoved his friend playfully as they reached the car at the entrance of Oakland Penitentiary. His hands were itching to touch Lucy more freely again and he could tell that she was also on edge. After spending hours confined in a car in close proximity, but not at liberty to do anything, they were both reaching their limit.
He kissed her cheek affectionately and jumped into the backseat, leaving Lucy to ride shotgun with Rufus. She turned around and threw a quick smile in his direction, only to turn back and find Rufus grinning at them again.
"God, Rufus, you are the exact opposite of cool." She laughed, before stealing a glance at Wyatt, rolling her eyes half exasperated, half amused.
"What, I'm just super happy for you guys. And relieved. Honestly, I couldn't handle the sexual tension anymore." Rufus told her, as he started the car. "And I also won the bunker bet, so you know. Win-win for all of us."
"Bunker bet? What bet?" He asked.
"You were betting on us? Rufus!" Lucy exclaimed and laughed again, hitting their friend's arm playfully. "Can you believe that?" She turned around to face him again and he couldn't help but reaching out and tucking an errant strand of her hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek for a moment.
"I can't believe you were betting on us, man."
He shook his head, but smiled when Lucy turned her head and kissed his palm, making butterflies riot in his stomach and a shiver run through him again.
"After you went ballistic during those six weeks that Lucy was gone, we all knew it was only a matter of time for you two to happen after we got her back." Rufus shrugged and Wyatt shook his head again. "Seriously, you guys really thought we couldn't see what was going on?"
"Wait, ballistic? What do you mean, ballistic?" Lucy interrupted, and turned back to him. "What happened while I was gone?"
"He never told you?" Rufus asked, surprised, but soon rolled his eyes. "What am I saying, of course he wouldn't tell you. Wyatt here doesn't really know how to use his words, does he?" He grinned at Lucy, who chuckled and turned back to face him.
"Thanks, man. Really appreciate the vote of confidence." Wyatt said dryly, but Lucy was still looking at him expectantly, eyes shining with curiosity, but this wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with an audience. "Later," he told her, taking her hand in his and offering a reassuring squeeze, before bringing it to his lips. "I promise." He added when she still looked at him thoughtfully.
"See, you guys already did shit like that even before we got stuck in that hell hole of a bunker." Rufus pointed out, looking entirely too amused. "I had some sweet cash riding on you guys before Mason went kaboom."
"What do you have riding on us now?" Lucy asked curiously and Wyatt grinned, already knowing where she was going with this.
"Beer. Whiskey. TV privilege." Their friend shrugged and Lucy nodded, looking back at him with a grin and a raised eyebrow. "Oh, and bathroom and kitchen duties. It's not like we have a whole lot to bet now, being stuck in an underground bunker."
"Perfect. How much time of kitchen and bathroom duties?" She asked, sounding completely innocent, but Rufus looked at her from the corner of his eyes, and Wyatt knew then and there that his friend already knew where Lucy was going too.
"Two weeks?" He replied meekly and she laughed quietly, turning to him, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Fantastic. We'll take half of everything you get. Especially the booze and the bathroom duties." She announced and Rufus groaned. "Whiskey or beer?" She asked Wyatt and he grinned so widely that he was absolutely sure his face was about to be split in half.
God, he was so in love with this woman.
"Both?" He laughed, but Rufus immediately protested. "Alright, alright. Whiskey. Is that alright with you, Luce?" The nickname flowed out of his tongue so naturally that he only realized what he'd said when she looked at him with a surprised smile.
"It's perfect for me." Her smile was so soft and happy, that it was all he could do not to kiss her then and there. He wanted to make her smile like that every single day for the rest of his life.
"Oh, come on, guys! This is so not fair." Rufus complained, but Lucy just shrugged, looking completely amused and proud of herself.
"You bet on us, man. You're only getting something because of us. It's only fair that we share in your winnings."
"Yeah, yeah." Rufus grumbled and turned onto the Bay Bridge.
"It sucks that we're spending the night in a time that there's no In n Out. I really could use a juicy burger right now." Rufus mused as they drove through the quiet streets of San Francisco.
It was already late and it was getting colder by the minute. When they had left LA, the weather had been pretty mild, but the Bay Area was a whole other story, and Lucy wanted to kick herself for not stealing a coat or a jacket as well. The wind was freezing and she could feel goosebumps all over her body, as she tried to rub her arms up and down to try and warm herself up.
"I'm pretty sure KFC already exists, but God only knows if they're already here in San Francisco." She told her friend and shivered when a harsher gust of wind ran through them. "Let's just stop at a diner or something before we freeze to death, though. The wind is killing me."
"Hey," she heard Wyatt call behind her and smiled when he offered his sweater, already taking it off. "Take this. It'll keep you warm until we get there." He handed it to her but she shook her head. She couldn't let him freeze instead. That was ridiculous. "Lucy. Just please take it." He said exasperated and she rolled her eyes, but accepted it with a smile anyway.
Pulling it over her head, she revelled in the warmth and his scent surrounding her. This was something he had taken to doing lately - offering his clothes to her - and she could definitely get used to it.
Just a few minutes later, Rufus finally pulled up to the parking lot of a small diner. The place looked nice enough and seemed to be more on the empty side, with only a handful of teenagers scattered over the booths.
Deciding that this was as good as it was going to get, they entered the place and claimed a booth in the very back. A teenage boy soon approached them and offered three menus.
"Excuse me, sir?" Lucy called and the boy turned around. "You wouldn't happen to have the Yellow Pages available, would you? We're looking for a hotel to stay the night." She offered a friendly smile and the kid blushed at the attention.
"Uh, you don't need the Yellow Pages, ma'am. There's a hotel right over the next block. Just around the corner. The Golden West Hotel. You can't miss it." The young man suggested and Lucy nodded, thanking him for the help.
"I think I've heard of this place before." Wyatt commented after the kid left with their orders, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She relaxed into his side gratefully. Even though it was warm inside the diner, she could still feel the bite of the harsh cold wind on her skin. "Wasn't it famous for some weird reason or something?"
"It still exists in 2018, actually. Only now it's called Hotel Union Square." Lucy informed him and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Can't believe I didn't think of it before. Dashiell Hammett, you know, the author?" She continued and smiled when Wyatt nodded with a comment that he loved his books. It never ceased to amaze her how well read he was. "So yeah, he used to bring his mistress to this hotel back in the 1920s."
"Is that why it's famous? Because some writer had an affair there?" Rufus interrupted and Lucy shrugged.
"That and the fact that, apparently, it's haunted." She told him and had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing when Rufus' eyes widened comically. "It's just a rumor, just some story to make a place famous, Rufus." She reassured him, but her friend still looked at her skeptically.
"You do know that ghosts don't actually exist, right?" Wyatt teased him and Lucy slapped his chest playfully.
"Be nice." She admonished him, but laughed when Rufus looked at them way too seriously. "Rufus, it's not haunted. And we need a place to sleep and that's the closest one."
"Yeah, I'd like to see you with that confidence when a ghost stands next to your bed tonight." Rufus retorted, making her only laugh harder.
Their order arrived soon after that and the team ate in comfortable silence. Truth be told, Lucy was exhausted and couldn't wait to get some shut-eye, but part of her just really wanted to enjoy the privacy that a hotel room would give her and Wyatt. God only knew when they would be able to spend some time together in the bunker like this, so she wanted to make every second count.
Finishing her strawberry milkshake, she leaned back against him, running her fingers on his thigh absentmindedly. Just being able to touch him like this, without having to second guess herself and analyze to death every little thing he did or said and every interaction they had, was a blessing. She still wasn't quite sure where they stood with each other, but she was pretty sure what she felt for him was very mutual on his part.
While they waited for the check, Rufus excused himself to go to the men's room. As soon as he was gone, Wyatt leaned in and breathed her in, before pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. She turned to him and smiled happily.
"Hi." She whispered, lifting her hand up to touch his cheek, his stubble pleasantly prickling her fingers.
"Hey yourself." He replied, and leaned in, immediately capturing her lips with his.
The kiss started out as chaste, just a series of innocent little pecs - as they were very aware that they were in public and in the 1940s, where public displays of affection may still be frowned upon - but once Wyatt ran his tongue over her bottom lip, she couldn't help but grant him access.
She groaned when their tongues met and delighted in the feel of him pulling her closer, her hand traveling over to the back of his head to play with his hair. A quiet moan escaped his lips when she tugged on it just a bit and she smiled, doing it again just to see if she could get the same reaction.
"God, I've been dying to do this all day." He groaned against her lips, pulling her impossibly closer.
"You have no idea." She whispered, pulling him in for another toe curling kiss. "We probably shouldn't be doing this out here, you know?" She said after a minute, but her lips still gravitated to his once again. It was like now that she had kissed him again, she couldn't stop. Couldn't get enough.
"I don't really care." Wyatt mumbled, his hand venturing closer to the hem of her dress, making her shiver in anticipation. "Just want you."
"Uh. Yeah. But I kind of care."
Rufus' voice interrupted them and Lucy jumped apart from Wyatt as if she'd been burned. Looking back at her friend's smirking face, she groaned and hid her face on Wyatt's chest, feeling a deep blush creeping up her neck.
She was just about to retort, when the young kid that had been tending to their booth showed up.
"Here you are, sir." The teenage boy handed Wyatt the check and left with a nod, when Wyatt handed him a twenty and told him to keep the change.
"And my power of invisibility is still very much intact. Great." Rufus deadpanned and she couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, lovebirds. Let's find this hotel, so I can get some sleep. And you guys can do whatever you want to do."
"You're a riot, Rufus." Wyatt said dryly and squeezed her waist gently, encouraging her to get up. "Should we leave the car here?" He asked, finally standing up himself, before tangling his fingers with hers.
"If it's really that close, then maybe it's a good idea? So we don't have to pay for parking in the hotel too." Lucy suggested and both men nodded.
Pulling Wyatt in the direction of the door, her team followed her out of the diner and, sure enough, they could already see the hotel lights in the distance.
The moment Rufus entered the room next to theirs, Wyatt's lips were on hers and his body was pressing her against the wall. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once and it was all Lucy could do to remember to breathe. The need for him, now that they were finally alone, was overwhelming.
But they were still out in the hallway and it probably wasn't a good idea to be making out here like a couple of horny teenagers, so she put her hand on his chest and pulled away for a moment, revelling at the sight of his swollen lips and the blatant desire in his eyes.
"We should probably take this inside," she whispered, nuzzling her nose against his, before pressing a kiss to his jaw.
He nodded, but stole another kiss from her lips, leaving her breathless once more, lost in everything he was making her feel. When he pulled away, she took a deep breath in to try and control herself, and smacked his chest when she found him looking at her with a proud smirk.
Turning around in his arms, she finally got the keys the bellboy had given them and stuck it into the lock. Having the self control to try and open her own door while Wyatt assaulted her neck with his lips was probably the greatest challenge she had faced in the past week. Lucy was on the verge of giving up and just having her way with him right there, when she finally managed to kick the door open.
With a groan of relief, she turned around in his arms pulled him into the room with her. Her body seemed to be on fire and she couldn't even remember the last time she felt this aroused. Tossing her purse in the general direction of a chair, she worked on the buttons of his shirt with a coordination that she didn't know she possessed. Wyatt quickly pulled the sweater up and over her head, turning them around and pressing her up against the wall, much like he had just done outside in the hallway.
His lips and hands seemed to be everywhere at once and Lucy could hardly take a breath. She pushed his shirt down his arms, before running her fingers over his warm chest and abs. He was gorgeous. She traced the hard lines of his body mesmerized by how her touch seemed to be affecting him.
His name escaped her lips in a breathless moan when he attacked her neck with his lips, lifting up her arms when he pulled up her dress. When she was bare to him, he took a moment to look at her. She usually felt shy when a guy looked at her like that, but not with Wyatt. Instead, she just felt drunk with power and desire.
Lifting her up in his arms, he leaned in and peppered open mouthed kisses along her collarbone, making her writhe under his touch. Her legs wrapped around his waist gave her the perfect position to feel just exactly how ready he was, and just the thought of it took her breath away.
He lowered one of her bra cups, capturing her nipple with his lips, his tongue gently teasing it, and Lucy felt like her world was about to explode. Wyatt swiftly unhooked her bra clasp and pulled it down her arms, giving him now ample access to her breasts.
She could hear her own moans as if from a great distance, but she couldn't even censor herself. Her hips moved against his and his hands gave her other breast the exact same attention. This was almost too much, she thought vaguely. When she couldn't take it anymore, she pulled him up and met his lips desperately. Never had she wanted someone as much as she wanted Wyatt at that moment. She honestly felt like she was about to self combust.
"Are you sure?" He asked her after a moment, sucking on her pulse point, and she growled. What the hell was he even asking that for?
"God, yes, Wyatt. Now." She nearly begged, and wanted to hit him when she heard his proud laugh. "Lose the pants. Now." She told him firmly, and watched as he gently let her slide down until her feet touched the floor, and took a step back unbuttoning his slacks.
Chest heaving, she admired how gorgeous he looked when he stepped out of the discarded pair of pants, and decided to speed up the process by taking her own underwear; but before she could even do anything, Wyatt's hands were back on her skin, pulling her panties down for her. He stood there for a moment, taking in the sight of her, before pulling her into his arms.
"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He told her breathless and she smiled, touching his cheek affectionately. "So beautiful, Luce. So beautiful." He muttered and she leaned down to press her lips against his in a slow kiss.
Normally she felt so self conscious whenever a guy said something like this during sex, but Wyatt seemed so earnest and honest and beautiful himself, that she couldn't help but give in to this completely. She knew right at that moment that this was the point of no return for her.
She was all in.
Wyatt was the most attentive lover she had ever had. It seemed that his declaration put the brakes on the frenzy they had been feeling, so now they slowly played and teased each other, like they had been doing this for years. When he finally entered her, she thought she would peak right then and there, but he had a way of keeping her teetering on the edge of the precipice like no other.
He moved with skill and tenderness and precision, as she writhed under him, lost in a sea of pleasure. Her orgasm hit her suddenly, and she was pretty sure she saw fireworks when it finally washed over her, taking him over the edge as well. He had kept her teetering on the verge of it for so long, that when it hit her, it was one of the most intense things she had ever felt. Just when she thought things couldn't possibly get better than last night, the sex got a hundred times better 24 hours later.
She had always thought that the whole seeing lights explode thing was a myth, but that was exactly what had just happened.
"Wow." She breathed a couple of minutes later, when she finally felt herself coming back into her body.
"Wow is definitely right." Wyatt chuckled to her left and turned her head to look at him. "That was incredible." He told her with an impressed smile, his hands reaching out to touch her again.
He ran his fingers lightly up and down her stomach and breasts, living a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Her entire body was still so sensitive to his touch, like all her nerve endings were electrified. Turning to her side, her lips sought his again and they kissed lazily for a few minutes.
When he pulled away, his gaze was so soft, so loving that she couldn't help but open herself up to the hope that maybe, just maybe his feelings for her were just as intense as her own for him. She loved him so much that it made her heart ache, and now that she had given into this, had given her heart to him, it felt like everything she felt had been multiplied tenfold.
"I'm so glad you're here." She whispered, almost shyly, and he pulled away just enough to meet her eyes. "That you're the one I get to go on these crazy missions with." She finished with a small smile, closing her eyes when he cupped her cheek and pressed a kiss to her lips.
"No place I'd rather be, ma'am." He confessed, his hands again trailing up and down her side. "And there's no one else I'd rather do this with either." He said, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, as if steeling himself for something. "I damn near lost my mind when you were missing, Luce."
Her heart broke for him, for herself, for the both of them when she heard the slight tremor in his voice.
"Is that what Rufus meant earlier? That you went ballistic?" She asked quietly, running her hand lightly through his hair in an attempt to comfort him.
"That's one way of putting it." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I got most of the heat from the blast at Mason Industries. Lots of shrapnel to my back and-"
"You were hurt? I thought Rufus said that the Lifeboat had protected you guys from the explosion." She interrupted, her heart suddenly out of control in her chest. Just the thought that he had been injured and that her mother had been the one to cause it made her nauseous.
"It did, but I was about to step out of it to call you again when it happened. I barely had time to take cover and the door was still open, so I just got mostly shrapnel and some pretty light burns. All things considered, I was lucky." He explained, but his expression immediately changed when he met her eyes. Apparently, she couldn't hide whatever she was feeling from him even if her life depended on it. "Hey, stop that right now. This is not your fault. At all. Don't ever think that."
"But they blew up Mason Industries on my mother's orders." She tried to argue, but he shook his head vehemently.
"You are not your mother, Luce." He said in a harsh whisper, pulling her closer as he pressed a kiss to her brow and then her lips. "You're the best person I know. You're kind, you're generous, you're loyal and you're so good, Lucy. So good. Don't buy into whatever bullshit they tried to sell you there. You're your own person and you make your own choices. And you'll never be like your mother. Got it?"
She felt a tear slide down her cheek and nodded, feeling completely overwhelmed at the surge of love she felt for this man. It never ceased to amaze her how much he believed in her.
"Got it." She whispered, hastily wiping her tears away. He gently kissed her tear-streaked cheeks and continued.
"So I was out of commission for like a week. Don't even know how we got to the bunker, to tell you the truth." He said with a quiet laugh and she smiled, running her fingers through his hair again. "But when I finally managed to get out of bed, I wanted to go looking for you immediately, but Agent Christopher wouldn't let me. They thought you were dead, Luce, but I couldn't accept that. I would've never stopped looking for you. I was ready to be court martialed if I had to, but I would find you." He promised, his voice harsh again, like he was fighting his own emotion to get through this. "I never would've given up. Never."
He finished in a whisper and she didn't even fight the pull to kiss him, her lips meeting his as if they had a mind of their own.
"You are the most amazing man I know, Wyatt." She admitted and pressed her lips against his again. "Don't ever let anyone, not even yourself, tell you otherwise."
"I'm so glad you're okay." He ran his hand through her hair and pulled her in for another kiss, before resting his forehead against hers. "That you're back here with us. I don't know what I would've done if we had really lost you, Lucy. I don't even want to think about it."
"Don't." She put her finger on his lips and smiled when he kissed it. "I'm right here with you. Because of you. Thank you for never giving up, Wyatt. For bringing me home. To you."
Another tear escaped her eyes, but this time she didn't fight it. She was so in love with this man. Lucy wasn't quite sure when it had happened, but he had become her constant, her home. As long as he was by her side, she knew she would be okay.
Wyatt caught her tears with his thumb and kissed the trail they'd left on her cheeks again. Rolling her over on her back, he quickly found himself between her legs, hovering over her, before taking her lips in a powerful kiss.
"I should be the one thanking you." He told her breathless. "Thank you for surviving." He kissed her again. "For getting back to me safe." He pressed his lips to her neck, sucking gently on her skin, making her eyes roll in pleasure. "For saving me yourself." He finally said, peppering kisses along her collarbone. "I can't begin to tell you how much you mean to me, Luce. You're everything."
He met her eyes and the look for pure love and adoration seemed to pour out of his blue orbs. She felt so overwhelmed with everything she was feeling, that her one reaction was to pull him down for another mind numbing kiss, hoping he would get the message.
"Show me, then." She whispered when he rested his forehead against hers. "Show me."
The insistent knocking pulled him out of his slumber. Wyatt opened his eyes, surprised to find a still dark room. There was a sliver of light coming in through the slightly open curtains, but he was pretty sure it was still really early in the morning.
Rubbing his hand over his face, he tried to stretch his body, only to find that Lucy was completely wrapped around him, effectively pinning him to bed. Chuckling, amused, he kissed the top of her head gently, so not to wake her. She had her arm wrapped around his waist and her legs tangled with his so much that he didn't even know where he ended and she began.
Holding her closer, he yawned and closed his eyes, fully intending to get at least another hour of sleep. They had tired each other out last night and hadn't actually fallen asleep until the wee hours of the morning. If they were facing another ten hours on the road to get back to the Lifeboat, then he sure as hell was getting some sleep before getting into that car.
Just as he was drifting off again, the insistent knocking returned, louder this time.
"God, make it stop." Lucy grumbled from her position on his chest, stretching her body against his like a cat.
"Let me go see who it is and send them running. It's too damn early." He grumbled and kissed the top of her head again, before rolling her gently to her side of the bed.
Quickly pulling on his slacks, he made his way to the door and pulled it open forcefully. Rufus was standing on the other side, hand raised as if getting ready to knock again.
"Uh, hi," he swallowed and ran a hand through his short hair sheepishly. "Hate to interrupt the honeymoon, but there's some really weird shit going on in this place." He looked down the hallway and swallowed again. "I think we should go."
"Rufus…" Wyatt sighed and looked back to see if Lucy was still in bed. Satisfied that she apparently had taken her clothes to the bathroom, he opened the door and let his friend in. "What are you even talking about?"
"Look, I know it's early, but I've just had a really weird night. Hi, Lucy," Rufus greeted her and Wyatt looked back to find her fully dressed and making her way to them.
"Morning, Rufus." She smiled at him and leaned against Wyatt's side, nuzzling her nose against his arm. "What's going on?"
"So, um, it turns out that the walls here are pretty damn thin and I decided not to stick around long enough to be scarred for life." He started and Wyatt was torn between laughing and feeling embarrassed.
Lucy, however, groaned an 'oh my God' and he felt the heat of her blush against his arm as she hid her face. Wrapping an arm around her, he hugged her tight and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"Yeah, sorry about that," he offered, not really knowing what to say, but Rufus was already dismissing his apology with a wave of his hand.
"No, dude, focus." Rufus told him. "Look, I left before I could hear anything too disturbing, so no harm done. That's not why I'm here. I think this place really is haunted."
"Rufus, we've been through this. Ghosts do not exist." Wyatt huffed, but Rufus just shook his head.
"You're not listening to me. I went down to the bar downstairs and stayed there for maybe an hour, probably less. When I came back up here, there was some weird shit going on. The lights were flickering and I kept hearing laughter and people talking. And then when I opened the door to check, there was no one out here in the hallway." He insisted, and Wyatt couldn't believe he was listening to this at six in the morning. He wasn't awake enough for this. "And then, when I went back into my room and closed the door, I swear to you, I saw a girl sitting in the chair."
"Rufus…" Lucy started, but the pilot just shook his head.
"Lucy, I'm telling you. I'm not crazy and I wasn't drunk. This place is haunted and I really don't want to stay here another second." He told her and Wyatt sighed, resting his cheek on Lucy's head.
"Okay, fine. We can go." He agreed and Rufus exhaled, his face the picture of relief. "Let me just find my shirt and we'll be on our way."
He walked around the room, trying to locate his shirt, and chuckled when he found it close to the bathroom door. Lucy had put it on at one point, because she was cold, but that hadn't lasted long, as he'd pushed it off of her just a few minutes later, carrying her back to bed to show her how much he appreciated her wearing his clothes.
Buttoning up his shirt, he turned around to find Lucy listening attentively to Rufus. Whatever had happened, it had really freaked him out, he could admit that. With a shake of his head, he scanned the room in search of his shoes and found them by the bed. Quickly slipping them on, he grabbed Lucy's purse and made his way back to them, holding it out to her.
"All good?" He asked when she took the purse from his hands. Lucy and Rufus nodded. "Let's go then."
"We'd just better stop for coffee before we hit the road. I know it's my turn, but there's no way I'm driving this sleepy." Lucy complained and he chuckled, taking her hand in his as they locked the door behind them. Grumpy Lucy was adorable.
"Yes, ma'am." He told her and followed Rufus to the elevator.
Lucy driving didn't last long. They had stopped at that same diner they'd had dinner the night before and, even though Lucy ordered the tallest cup of coffee they had available, she was still exhausted. Wyatt could see her blinking owlishly at the road after a couple of hours, and squeezed her shoulders from his spot in the backseat, quietly suggesting that he could take over.
She shook her head, saying that she was fine and stuck to her driving duty for another half hour.
"Okay, fine. Maybe I'm too tired for this." She finally admitted defeat and he chuckled, yawning himself.
"You know what, I'll drive." Rufus offered before he could even say anything. "I'm the one who pulled you out of bed at the crack of dawn."
"It's fine, Rufus, I can take over." Wyatt tried to protest, but the pilot wasn't having any of it.
"Dude, let me do this." He told Wyatt and turned to Lucy, who was already pulling up to the side of the road. "Why don't you hop over to the backseat with him? Take a nap." Rufus offered a small smile and Lucy returned it with a nod.
"Thanks, Rufus. Sorry about this. And for scarring you last night." She grinned sleepily and hopped over the seat, accepting Wyatt's hand to steady her.
Rufus sighed dramatically. "I'll live," he shrugged with an amused grin. "No funny business in the backseat, though. I'm already traumatized enough." He shuddered and Wyatt laughed, wrapping an arm around Lucy when she finally settled next to him.
"No promises, man." Wyatt smirked and Rufus turned back to face them, a spark of mischief in his eyes.
"I'm dead serious. No funny business, or you're both walking to LA." He threatened, making Lucy laugh, as she rested her head on his shoulder, getting comfortable. "Actually, while we're at it, no funny business in the Lifeboat either. That's my sacred space."
"We promise, Rufus. Scout's honor." Lucy reassured him and Rufus huffed, starting the car again.
A couple of minutes later, Wyatt breathed her in and whispered in her ear. "You're no scout, you little liar."
"He doesn't have to know that."
She grinned up at him and he couldn't help the pull her lips had on him, as his own gravitated to press against hers. She sat up straighter on the seat and allowed him to deepen the kiss when his tongue swiped against her bottom lip. He would never have enough of her, he decided. She was addictive and he wanted to drown in everything she wanted to offer him. Her taste, her scent, everything about her was intoxicating.
Eventually, she pulled away, nodding at Rufus, and he understood. No need to make their friend uncomfortable by making out like horny teenagers in the backseat of a car. Pressing his lips to hers one last time, he sighed happily when she started to run her fingers gently through his hair.
He enjoyed her touch for a moment longer, before rearranging their position, so she could rest more comfortably against him. Kissing her temple, he breathed her in and allowed himself to feel the entire extent of the happiness and love and affection Lucy stirred in him.
As he watched the coast pass by, with the woman he loved sleeping peacefully in his arms, he wished they could live in this moment forever.
A/N: Reviews are good for the soul. Let me know what you think?