When we last left our superheroes...

"Charlie? Are you alright?" Rachel's voice came from the other side of the door.

"Yeah. Just a second," she said. She looked around for her tank top, now starting to panic, but it was not to be found in the darkness. Instead, she grabbed a small robe from where it hung on the back of her door—if it could be called a robe, really.

She shoved her arms through it and wrapped the material around herself, not bothering with the belt. It came only halfway down her thighs, clearly a garment that had not meant to conceal much of anything, although it would have to do for now. Bass found himself briefly wondering just whom she'd worn it for previously.

Not your business, idiot. And not important right now. He let Charlie shove him behind the door before she opened up a few inches. "What's going on?" she asked, clearing her throat before speaking. In a performance worthy of an Oscar, she played the part of someone that had just woken up brilliantly.

"Hal Browning thought he saw someone sneak into the house from one of the windows," her mother's voice explained.

"Really? Find anything?"

"Just some footprints out back. You're okay? You're sure you're alone?"

Charlie responded by swinging the door open further. Bass flattened himself behind the door as much as he could. "Be my guess to double check. Does the sheriff here have to keep staring at me in my pajamas though? It's weird."

"Sorry ma'am," he stammered. Bass had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Leave it to Charlie.

"Just stay put until we give the all clear," the sheriff said.

"I'd have still been in bed—staying put, if you hadn't banged on my door. Did you search the house?"

"Of course we did," he replied, his voice betraying his annoyance at her impertinent question.

Charlie shrugged it off. "Well, Hal was probably seeing things," she said, dismissing the idea of an intruder entirely. "You know how he gets, mom. Last week, he could have sworn he saw Martha Beverly's cow walking on its hind legs."

"Are you sure you're okay? You sound upset," her mother asked.

"I'm just tired. It's been a long couple of weeks and I just got woken up in the middle of the night because the old man behind us is a whack-job."

"Well, I'm sorry to have bothered, you—and that's rude. He's not a whack-job. He's just old and a little… confused."

"Grandpa was trimming the grass the other day. It's dark. The footprints you saw are probably his," she suggested wearily. "Anyway, if it's okay with everybody, I'm going back to bed. If there really was an intruder, you'd have found him by now."

"Goodnight," Rachel said evenly as Charlie closed the door in her face. She leaned up against it and breathed a sigh of relief. Bass just stared at her. He'd actually heard her just cover for him—quite convincingly, in fact. There was obviously a lot more to her than he'd first thought. Honest or not, Charlotte Matheson was one hell of a liar when she needed to be.

They waited in silence until they heard the sheriff and his deputy say goodbye and leave. Charlie went to the window and looked out. Sure enough, both men went to take one last look at the soft earth beneath the lattice.

They could be heard agreeing that her thoughts on the matter were probably right and then they disappeared around the corner. She walked back over to where Bass was still standing. "The coast is clear," she whispered.

"I should probably go. Thank you." He went to move, but was stopped in his tracks when Charlie flung herself at him.

Their mouths met again and any thoughts he had of making a clean getaway went out of his head. Her robe had come apart and he slid it off her shoulders. His hands found her breasts. He cupped them gently and ran his thumbs over her hardening nipples, wringing a satisfied purr from her.

Charlie tore at his shirt, yanking it up and over his head. Their kiss broke off just long enough for him to shrug out of it. She slid her hands slowly down his chest and stomach, eagerly beginning to work his belt loose.

Now desperate, Bass slipped his thumbs inside the elastic waistband of her panties and worked them down her hips. She stepped out of them and led him over to the bed. She crawled backwards towards while he kissed her and crept after her.

Looming over her, Bass slid a hand down her neck, slowly working between her breasts and down her belly, not stopping until his palm touched the curls between her legs. He worked her gently, finding her soaked and ready for him.

The excitement of being inadvertent co-conspirators and almost having been caught fueled them and once it had started, there was no stopping. Charlie reached for his pants again, unzipping them and slipping her hand inside. She wrapped her small hand around his throbbing erection and begins to slide her hand up and down its length.

"Now," she said against his lips, all the while tugging at his pants with her free hand, wanting better access to him.

Bass yanked them down enough to give him room and settled between her legs. He stopped with his tip of him resting just against her entrance and then broke his mouth free to kiss down the side of her neck.

Without warning, he thrust forward until he was fully embedded inside her hot and willing body. Charlie gasped and tightened her limbs around him. Bass took this as a go ahead and pulled back, thrusting again swiftly. When the bed made an audible squeak, they both froze.

He looked down at Charlie and she offered him a look of apology before grabbing his head down so she could kiss him. The bed limiting their movements, Bass changed positions slightly and hooked an elbow under her knee to open her up for him. Remaining buried inside her, he began to move in slow circles, grinding against her.

The stimulation against the sensitive bundle of nerves outside her sheath had her grinding right back. When she bit her lip to keep from crying out, he knew he'd hit the right spot. He remained there and they began to rock together, both trying to keep quiet. Charlie began to writhe under him. Between the friction outside and the fullness within, she was revving up quickly.

Despite how little he could move without the bed making too much noise, he was surprised how quickly he began to work up to his own climax. When Charlie's pants began to turn into soft moans, he smothered them with his mouth. He could feel her letting go as she tensed up and her walls clamped around him like a vice.

There was no time to do more than ride it out. Thrusting his tongue into her mouth again, he rucked forward and came hard, shuddering as he shot his seed deep within her. Something about having to keep so quiet made it all the more intense and he kissed her with a desperation he hadn't felt in years.

Their foreheads touching and limbs tangled, they were both panting and hot, wearing one another's sweat. Bass brought his hands up and brushed her hair back. Knowing he was crushing her, he rolled onto his side, still buried within and taking her with him.

Lips moving together tenderly, they stayed that way for some time while they floated back down to earth. With their breathing had slowed and he'd softened, Bass pulled out. This hadn't been something he'd ever intended on happening (despite having recalled her image more than once in the privacy of his own bedroom) and now that it had, he didn't know what to say or think. "Charlie, I—"

"You don't have to say anything," she told him as he got up and began to pull his pants up. No matter what this may or may not mean, he couldn't be caught here regardless. She shoved aside her own confusion before continuing. "I don't expect—"

It was his turn to interrupt. He silenced her by leaning over and kissing her. He'd meant to just get up and get while the getting was good, but she'd sounded hurt by that. He didn't know what this was, but did know what it wasn't. It wasn't just another typical opportune fuck, at least not unless that's all she wanted it to be.

He ended up stretched back out next to her in bed for a while, his arms wrapped around her. They went back and forth from gentle kisses and just staring at each other- Charlie stroking his face while he ran his hands gently through her hair. And for other long minutes, her head rested on his bare chest and they dozed together, taking what comfort they could from one another.

When the sky began to lighten, he got dressed and reluctantly left out her window, almost slipping when he heard her make a snarky comment about being a bit old to be playing the part of Romeo.