The bar was a small one, a hole in the wall establishment that could probably hold thirty people at max capacity. It was very simple and best of all, a little on the quieter side with a calm atmosphere, which was exactly what Erin and Andy needed after such a hectic day.

They leaned on a tall circular table, Erin with a cranberry vodka and Andy with a beer, sharing a laugh. Just like old times.

"I still can't believe Ryan actually did that to his son," Erin said with a shake of the head. Deliberately triggering a baby's allergies to impress an ex-girlfriend that he was more exasperated by than anything else...

" I still can't believe Kelly ran off like that. Poor Ravi," Andy remarked.

"Still, it sort of makes sense for them though," Erin pointed out, taking another sip of her drink. "They kind of are meant for each other because they're both so terrible."

Andy shook his head again, laughing as he took another swig of his beer before he ruefully replied, "They really are the worst, aren't they? How sad is it that I actually can see Nellie being a better parent to that boy than either of those two?"

"Very sad," Erin admitted with a nervous giggle. She always knew Andy had it in for Nellie, a grudge that she herself admitted in retrospect was not entirely unjustified. But he had a point - Nellie at least wanted a child, and Erin could sympathize with the orphan's plight.

After a few more sips of their respective drinks, Erin decided to change the subject. "So, on another note… what exactly is Spamalot ? That play you said your theatre group's doing, what's it about?"

"Wait a sec, you've never seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail ?" Andy asked back incredulously.

"Uh, no, I don't think I'd ever heard of it," Erin admitted.

"It's what Spamalot is based on! It's only one of the funniest movies ever!" Andy answered. "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table trying to find the Holy Grail and take Camelot? You've really never heard of it?"

"No," Erin repeated. "But if you say it's funny, I guess I should check it out then, huh?"

"Of course you should! The whole thing's just hilarious! We're all really excited to be putting on our first show."

"Your theatre group's good then, I take it?" Erin asked, smiling with a small giggle.

"Yeah, they're amazing," Andy answered, beaming. "I mean, they're not as fun as everyone had been at Dunder Mifflin but they're good."

As she listened to Andy talk, Erin couldn't help but smile, loving the way he spoke with so much passion, the way his face lit up. It was a stark contrast to how he was at the office after-party. He was so much… looser it seemed now, flowing naturally as he talked about his theatre troupe. He was so adorable when he smiled…

She really did miss him. He had changed in a lot of ways, but he was still Andy at heart… funny, silly Andy, who had a good heart underneath it all.

And before she could stop herself, much less actually think about it, Erin went for it, taking his face into her hands as she leaned in and kissed him.

Andy initially recoiled in surprise, but then quickly returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her close. It felt… nice. Wonderful, even. The sensation of his lips hadn't changed - still warm and soft, and even all the alcohol he drank throughout the day didn't mask the honey-like taste of him that was mixed with the peppermint-flavored lip balm he used. It was comfortable, like revisiting an old favorite and seeing it still held up. But there was also something new to the way he was kissing her now; the best way to put it was that he was a bit steadier. It was exciting like an electrical synergy ran between them. Erin wished time could stop so they could stay like this forever.

But reality harshly set back in again when their lips parted away and their eyes opened and they both realized what they'd done. Erin's face became as red as her hair and she immediately pulled away from Andy, who barely put up a struggle in his own dumbfounded state. But before they could begin to make sense of what just happened…

"Well, well, well! Look at what the cat dragged in!"

'Oh dear God, no,' was the thought that went through both of their heads the second they heard and recognized that voice. Turning around with dread, they could see him .

Todd Finch Packer was here, with a malicious mile-wide grin, a slightly disheveled suit, and a full glass of whiskey in one hand.

"Todd?" Andy asked in shock. "How did you get here?"

The bald man sneered as he took a large gulp of his drink and replied, "I flew, dumbass, that's how!"

Todd was clearly not in a good mood. Even from where they were standing, Andy and Erin could both smell the heavy scent of hard liquor coming off him.

"Well, what are you doing here?" Andy asked. As if things weren't awkward enough already, he also had to cross paths with one of the worst people he had the displeasure of knowing.

"Well, I was hoping to crash the whole thing, since the documentary crew wouldn't fly me out here," Todd mused. "But I find out I arrived too late, so nothing on that then."

'But of course. And thank you God and Jesus for that.'

"But now I see the two of you here in this craphole, and boy, what were the odds, huh?" Todd said, a vicious grin forming on his face. "I mean, damn, Bernard, I always knew you were a spineless pussy, but to actually go back to that slut after everything she did to you? That's a whole new level right there. Surprised you can even stand up straight."

Before Erin could say it wasn't what it looked like (which even she knew was a total load of crock), Andy immediately said through clenched teeth, "You take that back, Todd."

"What?" Todd asked tauntingly. "Calling you a pussy or her a slut?"

"Andy, don't listen to him," Erin said sharply, firmly grabbing his shoulder to hold him back, silently telling him they should just go.

Todd just laughed before his gaze shifted to Erin, a lecherous look forming on his face, creeping her out thoroughly. His eyes moved up and down her form, a crooked smile forming as he wistfully said, "Boy, I do regret never asking her for a blowie. Then again, if I'd known she gave them out so freely, I would've totally jumped at that."

Todd's statement made the bile rise up in Andy's throat. It reminded him too much of all those horrible abuses those cowards on the Internet, hiding behind their keyboards and anonymity, heaped on Erin last year, the insults and the threats of physical and sexual violence, the death threats…

"Well," Erin said through a strained fake smile, her voice breaking Andy out of his musings, "it was nice to see you again, Todd, but for the record, even if I was loose, I wouldn't blow you for all the tea in China. Goodbye and have a safe trip back home."

Andy laughed at that, remarking, "Ooh, now that's a burn! Let's go, Erin." And with that they turned to walk out of the bar. But Todd was not done yet.

"Hey, Nard-Dog! How can you still kiss that mouth of hers after she gargled Plop's clam chowder?! Do you like the taste of that?! Probably blew a lot more dudes behind your back and that skinny Gabe prick's back too, I'm sure!" Todd bellowed.

*CRACK*

It all happened so fast, yet Erin felt like time moved in slow motion there as Andy bolted from her and towards Todd, delivering a vicious right hook to the slimeball's mug hard enough to not only leave an audible sound but also send him toppling to the floor.

The other patrons looked on in shock at the scene before them. And while Todd was nursing a sore cheek and a bloody mouth, Andy was gripping the hand he had used for the punch.

"Damn, that hurt !" Andy realized in shock, his knuckles throbbing and aching. Punching a person in the face was quite different from punching a hole into a flimsy piece of office building drywall.

"Oh, you're hurt?!" Todd spat angrily. "You're not the one who got punched!"

"Well, you deserved it!" Andy yelled back through gritted teeth. "And I'll dish out more if you want them, you sicko!"

"Andy, that's enough, stop!" Erin yelled, grabbing Andy's arm to pull him away. "Come on. Let's go, we don't need to waste any more time with this jerk."

Deciding Erin was right, Andy followed her out. Doing that feel so good though! Cathartic even. He genuinely had to wonder how anyone at Dunder Mifflin could've kept their patience around Todd for the duration he'd worked there, even when taking his sales into account. Sure, Michael was similar in having no internal filter and a lack of self-awareness, but he was overall well-meaning and was a good guy in spite of all his flaws. Todd was just plain rude, crude, and obnoxious, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

"Yeah, you two go on ahead and have fun exchanging STDs together!" Todd spat. "Heard gonorrhea has been getting harder to treat! Hope it burns when you take a piss! Yo, Bernard, would you raise the kid she'd birth from that night with Tyrone?"

*CRACK*

Now it was Erin's turn to deliver. She delivered a hard left hook to the other side of Todd's face, making it so she would leave a matching bruise to go with the one developing where Andy had punched. Despite her small frame, Erin had months of practice and threw every pound of her weight into the punch, which sent Todd stumbling back against the jukebox.

"Shut up, Todd! Just shut up! You are a sick and horrible piece of slime that doesn't even qualify as a person! You are disgusting and the worst and I hope you die alone because you have nothing and no one!" Erin screamed at him.

"Yeah, you tell him!" Andy cheered. "Come on Erin, let's get out!"

With that, the two turned to leave, ignoring Todd's angry rants at them, his insults uninspired and threats clearly too ineffectual to be taken seriously.

As soon as they were out, Erin let out a string of giggles somewhere between scared and excited. "Andy, that was just... what just happened back there?!"

Andy couldn't help but laugh along with her as he answered, "We just beat the tar out of Todd Packer, that's what happened!"

The two of them continued laughing as they ran over to Erin's car, hoping to get out before any more trouble followed them. Suddenly, Erin tripped and stumbled. Her reflexes were dulled out enough by the drinks she had through the night to cause her to land on her left knee. She hissed loudly in pain as she slowly got back up, Andy noticing the bloody scrape forming there. A realization then came to him, so he quickly helped her get steady, gently propping her arm up o his to stabilize her walking.

"Looks like you've had a little too much," Andy remarked.

"Maybe," Erin mumbled as she examined her knee. The bleeding wasn't too bad, but she definitely needed to bandage it up.

"If you're okay with it, I can drive you back," Andy offered. "Don't want you to get a DUI or anything."

Erin nodded a yes to that, knowing he was right, handing him her keys. They got to her car, Erin taking her seat in the passenger's side while Andy took to the driver's side, adjusting the seat and mirror positions accordingly.

The drive to her apartment was quick and quiet. It was actually a nicer place compared to the apartment he'd seen her in over five years ago too, Andy noticed, being located in a better part of town and generally cleaner. He parked in the space she pointed out for him and turned off the car.

"I'll walk with you," he quickly offered. "You know since it's dark and all."

Erin replied, "I would like that, actually." Her eyes then widened. "Andy, your hand! Look at your right hand!"

He looked at it and was taken aback by what he saw - a purple bruise forming over his knuckles. The part that he used to punch Todd's face in. Erin's voice cut through his musings.

"Come with me, I'll give you an ice pack when we get in."

They hastily exited her car and walked up the stairs to her apartment. Erin turned on the lights as they walked in. Andy took in the sights of her living space - a simple studio apartment furnished with a bed, couch, desk, chair, and coffee table that looked like they came out of an Ikea catalog, with soft, warm shades of reds and yellows; decorations were minimal, consisting mainly of little pictures of Erin's favorite things and places, along with a couple houseplants and cute little figurines; a computer and a TV; the kitchen and bathroom clean and well kept.

"I'll take care of my knee, then I'll get the ice pack. I'll be done in a few minutes," Erin told him as she ran to the bathroom. She closed the door and the tap water began running. Andy took a seat on the couch.

As he waited, Andy began wondering. He definitely didn't expect the night to have gone like this so far, but… he didn't actually mind it.

'What are you doing, you moron?! You're in her place now! You know what's going to happen! Abort this now! Abort, ABORT!' his conscience kept screaming at him. But then the sound of the bathroom door opening immediately shut the voice up.

When Erin came out of the bathroom, he saw she had changed clothes, having gotten rid of the cocktail dress she'd been wearing in favor of a pair of simple grey sweatpants and a pink shirt. The bun her hair had been pulled into was now changed into a loose ponytail and her make-up was scrubbed off. She went to the fridge in the kitchen, taking out an ice pack from the freezer. As she took a seat next to Andy and placed the cold pack on his bruised hand, a small laugh came from her.

"I guess you kinda came to my rescue again," she said, a faintly wistful tone inflecting her statement.

Andy waved his free hand flippantly. "It was nothing, Erin. Todd's an asshole and he deserved what he got. Besides, you took him out too. You've gotten really… badass."

She smiled at the compliment. "That's the power of kickboxing classes!"

They both giggled a little at that before it subsided into an awkward silence. Both could sense there was a lot more the other wanted to say. It was the elephant in the room, and it was not going away. The silence spoke volumes in its own way. They sure as hell were not like Odysseus and Penelope, the former a great and brave hero of epic tales and the latter his loyal wife who patiently waited twenty long years for his return.

Unable to keep it in any longer, Erin snapped.

"Why did you go like that?" Erin asked suddenly. Before she let him respond, she got up out of her seat and, with a shaking voice, hands curled into fists at her sides, and clenched teeth, continued, "I waited for you. Defended you. Missed you. All the while, you were off on a boat for three months, playing bongo drums on the beach, and you just went completely quiet on me! So I'm gonna ask again - why ?"

Andy winced at that; when he watched how his actions played out in the documentary, all he could do was wonder why he thought that was a good idea or if he even was thinking at all. But he had to be honest with Erin. He at least owed her that.

"I was in a horrible place, Erin. Like, 'emotional rock bottom' horrible place," Andy replied, looking her right in the eyes as he explained himself. "I was still having all these problems with trying to actually feel good about myself even after that camp David sent me to. My parents always made me feel like I was never good enough, and my dad bankrupting us made it even worse, and I was so ashamed of everything and everyone, especially myself, and I always needed someone to hold my hand through everything whenever stuff went badly for me, which was all the time, and… it always pushed them away because they couldn't handle it. I didn't want to put that burden on you."

"So you thought I wasn't strong enough to help handle your problems?" Erin asked, the grimace growing deeper. "You left me alone for three months because you thought I sucked as a girlfriend and-"

"No!" Andy interrupted. "I didn't leave and go quiet on you because you sucked, Erin. I left because I sucked! I had to get past all that and stop letting my family rule my life!"

"At least you had parents!" Erin retorted. "I spent a large part of my life thinking I was unlovable because no one would take me in. I always felt like I never really fit in with anyone, and it took a long time for me to find it, only to lose it!"

Andy shot back, "Oh please, parents don't mean jack when they're horrible. I've only just started learning how to shut my dad's voice up whenever I hear it in my head. And it's still not easy because I've had to hear it every day for as long as I can remember! Here's a little newsflash for you - it's kinda hard to maintain any sort of confidence when you've constantly been told you're not good enough by the people who are supposed to be your biggest supporters. I'll admit I was selfish and insecure, and stupid, and even when other people actually liked me or things were going well for me, I still found a way to ruin things for myself, but I've gotten better about it!"

"Found a way to ruin a good thing for yourself, that's what still happened here," Erin spat, surprising even herself with the high level of acrimony in her statement.

Andy rolled his eyes and shot back, "Well tell me this then, Erin - what about Pete? I mean, it's not like he just arrived yesterday."

Erin flinched but stood her ground no less. "He was there for me when you were gone. He helped me. He wouldn't leave me or forget about me. He would trust me to help with his problems."

Andy sneered at that and noted, "Yeah, and look how well that worked out." Erin gasped and her jaw dropped in shock at that low blow, but before she could retaliate, Andy quickly added, "Here's a little question for you - what if Pete wasn't there? Would it have been someone else? Or no one at all?"

Pete asked that same question more or less when he broke up with her. And Erin still didn't have an answer for that.

No, that wasn't true. She had an answer, but it wasn't a great one.

"Well?" Andy pressed, teeth gritted in anger and impatience.

"I don't know!" Erin cried, tears pooling in her eyes. Her voice then went small and soft as she continued, "Maybe… if he wasn't… maybe I would've still stayed… but I don't know if it would've worked… or if… I would've been happy even then."

Andy's shoulders fell at that. "So is that it then? Was it really just never meant to work out between us? I mean, there's gotta be something still there even after everything that's happened, because, for some reason or another, here we are, clearly unable to stop ourselves from jumping back in with each other!"

Erin groaned and rolled her eyes. "We had a lot of problems, Andy. You had your parent issues and I was…"

She trailed off, not wanting to say it. But Andy knew what it was.

"You were still convinced you were unlovable and while I was gone, you latched on to the first person to show you affection," he finished, his voice lightly laced with bitter anger as he said that.

"Maybe I did!" Erin argued back. "But I am not a monster for trying to chase my happiness! I had to deal with a lot, most of it on my own. I've lost a lot, but I got back up."

"But are you happy?" Andy asked her.

That stung her deep. Truth be told, she really wasn't. She had thrown herself into her work, into new pursuits, and sure that helped, but it didn't give her as much fulfillment as she'd hoped. But she was not going to let him know that.

"I could ask you the same thing, you know." She then sighed, looking off to the side with a pained scowl and her voice flat as she remarked, "Whatever, it came, it happened, and it didn't work out. Just forget it."

Andy narrowed his eyes and spat back, "You know what? I did. I moved on. I'm finally in a good place, I've worked hard on being a better person and being happy with myself, and I think I'm doing well so far."

"If you've really moved on… then why did you kiss me back at the bar?" Erin asked, looking back at him accusingly.

"I could ask you the same thing," Andy retorted, echoing her earlier deflection. "You were the one who started it after all."

"Well, I asked first!" Erin hissed, eyes darting to the side and her cheeks flushing slightly upon being reminded of that. A moment passed before she sighed again and calmed down. With a softer tone, she asked Andy, "Why do you think we did that?"

For a moment, Andy was quiet. He looked down at his shoes, trying to figure out how to put the answer into words. And then, he got up out of his seat, walked up to her, and gently took Erin's face into his hands, nudging her to look at him. Erin felt herself leaning into his touch despite every rational part of her saying she shouldn't like this, she shouldn't even be doing this.

"If you want my honest opinion," Andy replied, his voice firm, "I think the reason why we both did that was... because we haven't moved on. Because it wasn't over. It still isn't over."

Before Erin could fully process his answer, an answer that made a frightening amount of sense, Andy crushed her lips against his, kissing her feverishly.

It wasn't like the kiss from back at the bar. No tenderness was to be found here. It was desperate and hungry , almost bruising. Erin squeaked in surprise at first, but that feeling quickly subsided as she returned the kiss with equal fervor, running her hands through Andy's hair. His tongue darted out, gently prying at her bottom lip to open her mouth. Erin let it in, feeling a shiver run up her spine and spread through her whole body as she felt him lick at her own tongue.

Erin was so caught up in the kiss that she didn't notice they had moved from the couch. She felt herself falling backward, landing on the mattress of her bed, Andy on top of her. He got up, quickly unbuttoning his shirt and shedding off his shoes and socks, leaving on his Hanes undershirt and slacks. The look in his eyes left her quivering. Single-minded desire.

"Andy..." she gasped out. She wanted to say something about how they shouldn't be doing this, but she couldn't bring herself to. He simply responded by slowly pecking little kisses all over her face, starting from her forehead and working his way down to her left eyelid, her cheeks, nose, the corners of her mouth, that spot between her jaw and chin, trailing up to her right ear, causing goosebumps to spread all over her body. He still remembered how she liked that.

"If you want me to stop, tell me and I will," he whispered to her. "Swear on it."

Her hands shook as she trailed them up Andy's sides, lowering underneath his chest and stopping to grip at his shoulders. Any voice in her head objecting to this went on unlistened to. She looked into his eyes, the bright blue clouded with desire. Desire, but also the hope that she wouldn't reject him, yet expecting her to all the same. He needed an answer.

"Don't stop."

That was all he needed. Andy quickly took off his undershirt, throwing it off to the side without a care for where it would land. Erin could see he was a bit leaner now and there was even a little hint of a healthy tan going on, proving he wasn't lying about taking up jogging. He made quick work of her own shirt, easily pulling it up over her head, exposing her breasts, her small pink nipples hardening in the cool air.

Andy was certainly not wasting any time, planting his lips firmly on her left breast, suckling her nipple gently. Erin gasped, biting her lip as she arched her back up, encouraging Andy to take all he wanted. He certainly understood the message, moving one hand down her belly and into her pants. He cupped his hand in between her thighs, rubbing his fingers against the fabric of her underwear.

"Say it," he breathed in a commanding voice. "Tell me what you want."

" You ," she replied.

Andy withdrew his hand out from her pants, earning a sound of yearning disappointment from her. He began pulling her pants off from her legs, leaving her in nothing but her simple white cotton undies. There was a band-aid on her knee. Erin was always naturally thin and petite, but here it was clear how her newfound hobby paid off.

"You're so beautiful," he told her, running his hands up her outer thighs towards her hips, grabbing Erin's legs to drag her over towards himself. He yanked her underwear down, exposing her pussy fully to his view. He trailed two fingers up the slit of her opening before stopping at the lips of her folds, parting them to expose her clit. She wasn't fully shaved but the red curls were trimmed well at the sides, leaving a little strip of hair in the center. Every inch of her was so gorgeous.

Immediately, he spread her thighs and went down. Even when he was the spoiled and selfish trust fund kid, he always liked going down on a woman. It was entirely for his partner's own pleasure than his, so why he liked doing this was a mystery even to himself, but he didn't mind it. And he especially loved going down on Erin; her pussy was like a drug he couldn't get enough of. Erin let out a loud moan of ecstasy as Andy's tongue came into direct contact with her sensitive little clit, gripping tightly at the blanket underneath her.

He continued at this, doing long and maddeningly slow licks up and down the little bundle of nerves. One of his hands was up on the bottom of her left thigh, lifting her leg up into the air to give himself better access, while his other hand was aiding his mouth along in pleasuring her. He slid his middle finger into her slick entrance, smirking to himself when he felt how wet she was for him. Erin's legs shook, gasps and squeals coming out of her as Andy kept at this, thrusting and crooking his finger around inside her.

"You like that?" he asked, voice low and husky. Watching her writhe under him, listening to her in so much pleasure was a pleasure in itself for him. His pants were starting to feel tight against his growing erection. It was a challenge to not strip his pants off and take her like this right then and there.

"Yes," Erin gasped, biting her lip as he continued at this. Her brain felt like it turned to jello as Andy slipped in a second finger, his ministrations on her clit alternating between little sucks, licks, and little teasing blows. The only sounds she could make at this point were barely coherent pleas for more.

And then suddenly he stopped. Erin whined with disappointment, feeling empty as Andy withdrew his fingers from her. She was throbbing and desperately needy down there, the pleasure still sending shockwaves up throughout her body.

She could see what Andy was doing to explain why he had stopped. He took the last of his clothes off, revealing his full erection. Erin sighed with a smile. Andy was blessed down there, a little longer than the average length, and she always liked that. She almost had to laugh slightly at the fact that he was also completely shaved there; he usually did keep it neatly trimmed, but never had she seen him completely bare. It actually made it appear bigger too.

"Get up, Erin," he said to her, almost commanding.

Erin breathlessly got up, immediately knowing what to do. She knelt down on the floor in front of Andy, who leaned himself against the edge of the bed as she came face-to-face with his erect shaft. She grabbed it firmly in both hands, her tongue darting out and circling the tip of the head, paying special attention to the sensitive slit leaking pre-cum.

Andy gave a deep moan of approval and Erin increased her ministrations, bobbing her head up and down at varying paces along his length while rubbing her hands in sync with her mouth. He ran a hand through her hair, undoing the ponytail it was pulled up into and letting the curls cascade down. The way she opened her eyes to look up at him as she continued sucking him off aroused him even more; it was the sexiest look ever.

As much as he wanted more, he couldn't keep staying in this, lest he lose himself too soon. "That's good, Erin, you can stop."

When she did, leaving his shaft glistening wet, Andy took her hand and helped her back up before pushing her back to the bed. She squeaked in surprise as she landed back on the mattress. Andy pounced on top of her, eyes darkened with lust as he crawled over her, the tip of his erection grazing against her leg. He proceeded to run his fingers through her hair; he always loved playing with her hair whenever they were intimate, weaving his fingers through it, curling the ringlets around his fingers, and massaging her scalp. He kissed the right side of her neck, taking in a deep breath of the smell of her skin. She still liked using scented soaps and body sprays that smelled like tropical flowers.

"Andy, please," Erin pleaded, her fingers gripping his shoulders tightly. He responded by taking her lips into a kiss as he grabbed the undersides of her thighs, pushing her legs up and holding them back to fully open her up to him, and swiftly thrust inside.

Erin moaned with bliss, feeling so full as he slid in as deep as he could go. Andy was similarly in a state of ecstasy, having missed the warm, soft, and tight feel of her body around him. He began moving his hips back and forth, in and out, Erin's body bouncing against him. She clutched a pillow tightly with one hand while the other gripped at Andy's arm, her moans high pitched as she cried out in pleasure with each movement, especially when he began going fast.

"You're amazing, Erin," Andy breathed. He suddenly withdrew from her, causing her a moment of confusion. However, the feeling was only brief, as Andy proceeded to flip her over on her stomach. He lifted her hips up to his level, grabbing her butt into his hands as he thrust back inside.

Erin buried her face into the blanket, clutching the sheets tightly as Andy took her. Her whole body was on fire and new sensations washed over her as she'd never experienced this position before. Most guys before never figured she'd be the type to like being taken from behind and she never pushed it even when she was curious. His hands firmly gripped her hips as he slid through her back and forth. It was torturous, as he would sometimes speed up and then slow down, his pacing all over the place. Her head was so foggy and she wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

Not that she minded.

And then it was another change in positions after what felt like an hour (but was more likely several minutes), this time with Andy laying on his back as Erin sat on top of him. She felt clumsy trying to ride him but managed to get a flow going, slowly rocking her hips up and down along his shaft. Andy ran his hands all over her body, squeezing and groping her at her breasts, rubbing her back as he gently pushed her down to meet his face and kiss him again. As she was crouched down, his hands traveled downwards to grab her backside as he began rocking his own hips, steadily thrusting to help keep their momentum steady. She dug her nails into his shoulders; in this position, he was so deep inside her, it almost hurt. Almost.

She was getting close. Andy changed their positions for the last haul, her on her back again with her thighs spread open and pushed back as he picked up the pace on his thrusts. Erin's chest heaved up and down with gasping breaths and squealing moans as she was approaching the threshold, each thrust stroking against that spot that she liked and…

'Yes, yes, YES!'

Her heart pounding in her ears, Erin's whole body shook as her orgasm claimed her fully, leaving her seeing stars behind her eyes.

Andy was approaching his end too. Reluctantly, he pulled out. Letting out a harsh sound between a gasp and grunt through gritted teeth, Andy finished himself off, the spurts of his release spilling out all over Erin's belly.

For a moment, they stayed like this, catching their breaths, gazing into each other's eyes.

Not even for a fleeting second did it feel wrong, like they made a bad choice.

Ever so slowly, Andy got off Erin, both making a quick run for the bathroom to clean themselves off. They were both quiet, partly due to still reeling from the intensity that happened not even a few minutes ago, and partly due to not wanting to think too much on it. Erin, in particular, appeared to be operating on autopilot, wiping herself down with a wet washcloth before trudging over to the bed and falling right in.

"Come to me," she slurred to him.

He couldn't help himself. Andy was worn out too, and sleep sounded so nice right now. Especially with her.

Crawling under the covers, Andy felt Erin scoot closer towards him, resting her head against his chest. The warmth and exhaustion caught up with him and he soon drifted off, the last thought going through his head was that he wished the morning wouldn't come, if only because, right here, right now, everything was absolutely perfect.


And here it is, the big climax of the story (hehe, pun kind of intended). Not really much to say about this besides the importance of the title. I mean, no forking way I'm so pretentious or arrogant as to say I'm writing an allegory to Homer's epic poem, though there are odd little parallels involving a boat and the fact that Odysseus lived on the Greek island of Ithaca, which the town of Ithaca, New York (where Cornell is located) was named after.

Keep your eyes peeled for both the next chapter of this and the next update for the Side Stories and Deleted Scenes. Feedback appreciated on all fronts.