Epilogue
When the first rays of the next morning's sunrise sparkled through the bedroom window, Jaime and Steve were still nestled together, completely satiated and content, unwilling to break the spell by falling asleep. Jaime reached up to trace one gentle fingertip across Steve's chest, circling each side and then sliding softly down the center, savoring the warmth of his body and the strength of the muscles.
"If you keep doing that," he warned with a smile, "we're not going to sleep yet..."
Jaime grinned back at him. "I was hoping you'd say that." She sighed with total bliss as their bodies joined together. They moved in perfect harmony, their rhythms matching exactly and their eyes gazing all the way into each other's souls. They took their time – there was no need to rush – and as the slow, tender love-making reached its peak, they fell back into each other's arms, clinging together through the mutual quivers and sighs, knowing that no one else on the planet could ever make them feel this way.
"This isn't the reason I called you," Steve said softly, once they were breathing normally again.
"Complaining?"
"Definitely not. I just don't want you to think I came here just to take a dive at you."
Jaime kissed him. "If I thought that, I wouldn't have opened the door. Besides, who dove at who?"
"Ok; it was a mutual dive."
"Well, you know," Jaime said lightly, "it was only thanks to bionics that we kept going this long."
"Um...Sweetheart? That part isn't bionic -"
Jaime bopped Steve playfully as she blushed and giggled. "No, but our endurance levels are higher since we use less oxygen." She snuggled closer, loving the way his arms felt around her body. "Steve, only a real man could make me feel the way you just made me feel. And when I looked in your eyes, I could tell...you felt the same way. That comes from the heart, you know; a machine would never experience any of that."
Steve nodded. Somehow, he'd known all along that Jaime would understand, and know exactly how to help. "You're right."
"I usually am," she told him, leaning in for one more kiss.
END
