Pliant

Four

They are supposed to be taking this revival of their romance a few years ago slowly.

They're not off to a good start.

Ryan has his hand exploring under her top, glad that he's found bare breasts underneath. Natalia is slowly fumbling with the buttons of his shirt as she drapes her leg over his lap, deepening their kiss. He tastes even better than he did on the night they were together and she notices how his lips mold and mesh easily with hers as he explores her mouth further. His hand gently cups and massages her breast and she arches into his touch and releases a husky cry as his fingers brush over the nipple of one breast before he caresses his hand along the side of it then around to her back, pulling her closer to him. She gently nibbles at his bottom lip before she gently licks over it before inviting him back into her mouth. Her hand has undone three buttons and she skirts her fingers across the exposed flesh of his lower abdomen.

He kisses the corner of her mouth and then along her jaw and she tilts her head back when his lips make their way down over her neck. She moans when he begins to leave scorching, hot, wet kisses along the cord of her neck and over her shoulder as his hand comes out of her top and then gently tugs a strap down, kissing over her chest and the top of one breast before he kisses his way back up to her lips, tangling his fingers into her hair.

Ryan thinks that he will never tire of kissing this woman. The sensations he feels just from the touch of her lips are sensations that he wants to never give up. His mind is screaming at him to stop because he'd been earnest in telling her that they should slow it down and just let the feelings between them kind of flow and happen and spread so that the strangeness, the hurt feelings and the crudeness of their previous session can ebb and eventually ease away so that the second time, it won't simply be just scratching an itch, it won't be crude and it most certainly won't leave them unsatisfied and with stirrings of regret.

Natalia wraps her arms around his neck as she presses her breasts into his chest, wishing like hell that neither of them had clothes on right now. She wants to push him down onto her couch and divest him and herself of every stitch of clothing and make him moan her name. But she understands and respects his wanting to take things slowly and explore the deeper feelings that have taken root within her. Even though the idea of making him moan her name is tempting, she's menstrual right now and that wouldn't be a pretty sight.

They are so caught up in their kiss that they don't hear the door unlock and open.

"Okay, 'Lia, I got your Ben and J's right-"

Anya stops dead in her tracks when she sees her sister and some random guy (well, random to her) making out on the couch, feeling each other up.

"WHAT is going on here?"

Anya's voice makes them both start and pull away quickly. Natalia fixes herself, and Ryan buttons up his shirt and combs his fingers through his hair. They are both breathing hard and flushed and Natalia gets up and goes over to her sister, who has a cheeky grin on her face.

"So I'm guessing someone already satisfied your craving..."

"Shh!" Natalia hisses as she takes the ice cream. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"Not when your older sister gives you a key," Anya teases, side stepping her sister and looking at Ryan. "So...Mr. Craving..."

Ryan waves nervously, standing up.

Natalia smoothes over her tussled hair. "Ryan, this is my little sister, Anya, Anya, this is Ryan Wolfe."

"Right," Ryan says. "Nat talks about you all the time...I remember you from the kidnapping thing..."

"Oh, you're a CSI?" Anya asks.

"Yeah," Ryan says.

Anya looks at her sister, still smiling that shit eating grin of hers.

"Anya, can I...let's put the ice cream in the freezer," Natalia says, gently taking her sister's hand and drags her to the kitchen.

"Oh my God, 'Lia!" Anya marvels. "You are so damn lucky to work with him everyday...he's hot. Good job."

"You have excellent timing, you know that?" Natalia says as she opens up the ice cream and grabs a spoon, eating a spoonful.

"Yep," Anya nods as she picks up another spoon and eats some ice cream. "So..." She begins quietly. "Is he the one you fucked with on the car?"

"Yes," Natalia says regretfully as Anya laughs.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Anya chuckles as she looks over at Ryan, who is looking at some family pictures on the wall. "And you were about to get it on again?"

"Not exactly," Natalia explains. "We're kind of taking things slowly."

"Oh, okay," Anya chuckles doubtfully. "Yeah, what I walked in on...that looked real slow."

"Shut up," Natalia chuckles. "We really are going to take it slow."

"Alright," Anya says. "I like him. But if it doesn't work out, I'm calling second dibs."

"I don't think so. You're too young for him, he's in his thirties."

"How old is he exactly?"

"Thirty four. He'll be thirty five in November."

"I'm twenty two...that's not too old."

"He is for you. Even if I wasn't kind of with him right now, I wouldn't let him date you. You need to date guys your own age. And anyway, there's no such thing as second dibs."

"According to me there is."

"Thanks for the ice cream, sweetie."

"No problem."

Natalia kisses her sister's cheek. "Don't eat it all."

"Can't guarantee that."

Natalia goes back over to Ryan and he grins.

"My sister."

"I'm glad she's doing well," he says.

"Me too," she sighs, stepping closer to him.

He leans down and kisses her softly.

"Do you want to get some dinner sometime this week after work?"

"Yeah," she smiles. "That'll be nice...definitely slow."

"But slow is good," he assures before he captures her lips again. "Feel better."

"Thank you."

"It was nice meeting you Anya," Ryan says as he opens up the door.

"Mmhm, likewise," Anya smiles.

He walks out and closes the door behind him.

Anya comes up behind her older sister and wraps her arms around her shoulders.

"Are you sure you want him?"

Natalia laughs. "Yes, I'm sure, Annie."

"Damn."

O-o-O

Eric opens the front door and enters his home, immediately greeted with the smell of spices and the sound of soft music playing on the radio. He sees Calleigh in the kitchen, her back to him, and he doubts that she even heard him come in. She is humming along with the music and she is swaying her hips to the slow beat. She is clad in a pair of blue cotton sleep pants and a tank top with a light sweater over it. He is sure that she's wearing her favorite, tattered and well-worn pair of green fuzzy, sparkly slippers she's had since college. While endearing, it's frustrating because he can't get her to part with them so that he can buy her a new pair. There is a serene look on her face as she stirs the contents in the pot on the stove while sipping at a glass of wine. Cooking is Calleigh's pleasure, and he didn't know until they began their relationship and then married that it's a stress reliever for her. Some people write, some drink, smoke, exercise...his wife cooks.

"Hey carina," he greets her, and she turns and smiles.

"Hey you," she says. "You're just in time."

He comes into the kitchen and he wraps his arms around her small waist and begins to kiss her neck. She flushes and she hooks an arm around his neck.

"Smells good," he comments. "What's for dinner?"

"Jambalaya," she grins. "I think you'll be pleased to know that I went out of my way to make you my grandmother's recipe."

He smirks. "Not as pleased as I am to be able to kiss you after a long day."

She turns and she wraps her arms around his neck and she kisses him softly.

"How was that?" She asks.

"Perfect," he says, caressing over her lower back. "I'm going to go shower."

"Okay," she says as she kisses his cheek.

He retreats to their bedroom and Calleigh takes down two bowls and sets the table. She makes sure to turn off the stove before going upstairs to the bedroom. She hears the shower going, and she sees that he has left his clothes on the bench at the end of the bed. She gets a little incensed because that annoys her to no end, but she lets it go as she goes into the steamed up bathroom. She sheds her own clothes and drops them into the hamper before she knocks on the door to the stall.

The door opens and he smirks when he sees a naked Calleigh waiting for him.

"Hi," she says, hands clasped behind her back and a seductive look on her face.

"Well hello," he says, raking his eyes over her body.

"Mind if I join you?"

"What about dinner?"

"There's this wonderful little invention called the microwave, dear," she drawls. "So...how 'bout it?"

He holds his hand out and she takes it as she steps into the shower and closes the door, surrounding them with steam.

She wraps her arms around his neck and he leans down and kisses her softly before she turns him and begins to gently massage over his shoulders, placing a kiss to the back of his neck. He won't admit it, but his muscles are tense and she hears him groan when her hands rub away the tightness in his back. He visibly relaxes even more and she kisses over his shoulders, loving the way his skin feels.

"Hard day at work?" She asks.

"Not really," he says, turning to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her body flush against his. "I think I spent too long in the same position at the last leg of my shift."

"Mm," she says as she puts her hands onto his chest. "You like your new position?"

"Yeah," he chuckles. "But it's not exactly new."

"I know," she smiles. "But new for us."

"Yeah," he says. "I'm just glad we're settled now. Nothing's hanging over our heads."

This is one of the many reasons why she loves Eric. He just keeps going, never stops, never gives up. It tickles her to think that after months of discussing over and over again about the possibilities for their future, his career path, he ended up back in his natural habitat: the water. He made his way back to the Underwater Recovery unit, this time as a lieutenant, with a better paycheck and more vacation time and with regular hours. He is happy, and that makes her happy.

"Eric..."

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you," she says sincerely. "I really am. I know that it hasn't been easy for you, transitioning, but I'm proud of you and I'm glad that you're happy."

He grins. "Thank you, querida."

"I love you," she whispers against his lips.

He kisses her fully on the lips then he drags his lips over to her cheek, to her ear. "I love you too."

The sound of his voice and the heat of his breath in her ear makes her shudder, and she whimpers a bit when he gently nibbles at her ear lobe then kisses down her neck and she tilts her head back to grant him more access. He caresses his hands over her back as he laves his tongue over the curve of her neck before nipping along her jaw line before kissing her tenderly. She smiles, hooking her arms under his arms before deepening the kiss. His hands caress over her back as he kisses her.

He breaks the kiss and she looks up at him and he gently caresses over her cheek before kissing her softly again. She can feel the metal of his wedding band against her skin and she takes his hand and kisses over his knuckles then kisses the silver band she slid onto his finger on their wedding day four months ago. Seeing the ring on his finger does something to her, and she knows that by now he knows that. Only, she can't quite figure out what exactly it does to her; every time she happens to gaze at his ring too long, she feels a different emotion and it makes it harder to pinpoint what exactly it does to her. The sensations and the feelings are always different.

Right now, Calleigh is feeling complete confidence. Eric is loyal, sometimes to a fault, and she is confident that he only has eyes for her and that out of all the other women he's been with in his life, she gives him the most pleasure, the most satisfaction...she'll even go so far as to say the most joy; he's reserved the real passion for her. All for her.

When they rekindled their relationship after spending months and months apart, Calleigh had been so afraid; her heart had been broken, his too, and she just didn't know if she had it in her to be able to start over again. She thought about what she'd gone through with Jake, how he came in and out of her life for the last few years previous as if it were a revolving door, and she just couldn't go through that ache again. The fear had been overwhelming, consuming and she almost didn't try, but she knew that she and Eric had come to an impasse. They'd made a mark on each other's lives with nearly ten years of friendship, a few wonderful months of exploring deep love they'd developed for each other...and then a single event tore them apart and threatened everything they had left between them.

For weeks, they talked, and talked and talked about what to do next, trying to find some sense of closure and figure out where to go next. They argued, they yelled, they cried together...their only closure was to be together. After a few short months of dating again, Eric proposed to Calleigh and she readily said yes without a moment's hesitation and from the second they made their commitment at the altar, they haven't looked back.

Sure, there have been changes; Eric's career shift, moving into a new home, getting used to daily life with each other...sometimes, she worries, but Eric makes her strong. They make each other strong.

"I can almost see the cogwheels spinning," he whispers into her ear with a chuckle. "What's on your mind, Mrs. Delko?"

She looks at him. "Well, Mr. Delko, if you must know I was thinking that I've got a steamin' pot of jambalaya waiting to be eaten."

He grins. "Hmm...well you know if you hadn't come up here and interrupted my shower, we'd be having that jambalaya right now."

"You could've said no," she shrugs a she presses her body against his and caresses her hands down his arms. "Turned me away..."

"Turn you, my lovely wife, away?" He chuckles. "Never."

She leans up and kisses him again.

After taking their time in the shower, they step out, dry off, dress for bed then they go downstairs to eat dinner. Sure enough, the microwave came in handy.

O-o-O

Natalia checks her appearance in the visor mirror in her car. She touches up her makeup a bit then she pushes her hair behind her ears before she gets out of her car and goes into the restaurant. As she tries to spot Ryan, she realizes that it has been a long while since she's been on a real date with anyone. She is not nervous though, she's actually quite excited because her relationship with Ryan means so much to her already; so many feelings have bubbled up inside her, coming faster than she can sort them out.

She spots him at a booth and she smiles.

"Hey."

Ryan looks over at Natalia approaching him and he stands up.

"Hey," he says as he hugs her then he gently cups her cheek in his hand and kisses her softly.

She smiles as she kisses him again before they sit down.

She takes off her sweater and places it on top of her purse at the end of the booth.

Evidence of the beginnings of fall are finally showing in Miami. The ocean air is turning from a sultry, humid wind to a brisk, slightly chilled breeze and the sun is shining in such a way that it seems as though everything is fresh and bright. Natalia loves this time of year, especially because the weather becomes so temperate and comfortable.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Ryan asks.

"Uh, a glass of wine would be so nice," she sighs, resting back into the plush booth.

They chose Bortella's, an Italian restaurant on a pier with an excellent view of the water and the sunset. It's a cozy little spot, and the food is good, it's one of Ryan's favorite restaurants.

The waitress comes over to their table and Ryan orders two glasses of wine.

"So," he begins, smiling. "I heard you and Calleigh did some old fashioned police work today."

She chuckles. "Yeah, we did, just to find that no one in the neighborhood knows anything."

"At least you did it in style," he teases when he sees her kick off her heels under the table.

She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, sore feet and blisters are the new black. Calleigh took off her heels in the car on the way back to the lab."

Natalia flexes her feet, frowning.

"So I guess taking you dancing is out of the question?"

"Yeah, can you just feed me and rub my feet afterward?"

He smiles. "You girls and your heels. Why bother?"

"First of all, they're irresistible," Natalia explains. "I mean...do you have any idea what the smell of new shoes does to me?"

"I know what other things do to you," he smirks and she rolls her eyes.

"Secondly, you guys know you love them," she says smugly.

"So you wear heels to impress us?"

"Nope," she sighs. "Just for the heel of it."

"That was so corny, Boa Vista," he chuckles.

She shrugs as she giggles.

It feels good, having the easiness they had before back in their relationship. The hurt, confusion and awkwardness of their encounter has begun to disappear and it's made the transition into the start of their exploration of the deeper feelings and intentions with one another.

Their wine comes and Natalia sips at it before she rests her elbows on the table.

"So, I just realized that I know very little about your family," she says. "I mean, I know you have an uncle here and that you're Jewish, but that's about it. I mean, you never really talk about your family much."

He shrugs. "What do you want to know?"

"Siblings?"

"A sister up in Boston," he explains. "Her name's Ever. She's the baby."

"Ever?"

"I have no idea to this day."

"Are you close with her?"

"We're pretty close," Ryan says.

"What about your mom and dad?"

"My mother, Joy, she was a single mom for a long time before she met my step-dad Harry."

"What happened to your biological father?"

Ryan tenses a bit and she senses his discomfort. She reaches out her hand to his and laces her fingers into his.

"You don't have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable," she says. "I'm sorry, Ryan."

"No, you don't have to be sorry," he says, caressing his thumb over her knuckles when he holds her hand. "My dad, Norman...he's uh...not a nice guy."

She nods. "Is your step-dad nice?"

"Yeah," Ryan says. "Harry's a good guy. They both live in New York. He runs his own business...makes my mother happy which is good. She's comfortable now because she's been working hard her whole life, especially when me and my sister came along. It's hard for her to sit down."

Natalia nods. "Yeah...it's always good to see your parents kind of slow down after a while. My dad was kind of a workaholic, but it was only to give me and my sisters a good life. He's a great dad, great husband to my mom and he hated that he had to work so much because it took time away from us, but...you gotta put food on the table, right?"

"Yeah," Ryan nods.

After a while, their food arrives.

"This is a big freakin' bowl of spaghetti," Natalia says as she takes some and puts it onto her plate.

"I told you," Ryan chuckles. "Why don't you believe me about these things, huh?"

"Please don't tell me you've eaten a whole bowl by yourself," she says.

"No, this is usually dinner for a week," he says. "But it's good. Especially the meatballs and the sausage."

"Yeah, which you're hogging," she laughs.

They spend a few minutes eating in comfortable silence before Ryan speaks up.

"Okay, so I know Anya," he says. "You have another sister...Christina?"

"Yes, she's the oldest," Natalia smiles. "Me and her used to get into it all the time. My mom couldn't stand it."

"She used to pick on you?"

"The other way around, actually," she explains. "Christina was the shy, quiet one and I was the vain, smart one and I always used to mess with her."

"So you were a bully?"

"Yeah, kind of," she admits. "I mean, I had lots of friends, I got the good grades, but I was a little snot...I guess one day I got on Christie's last nerve because next thing I knew, she'd slapped the shit out of me and we were rolling on the floor fighting in the kitchen."

"Got your assed kicked?"

"Oh big time," she laughs. "I had a bruise on my cheek and a huge goose egg on my head. Never messed with her again."

"Are you close with her now?"

"Not really, but it's not because of that," she assures. "We were just stupid girls then...she just has her own life...she's a mom, always busy...I call her every week to make sure she's doing alright."

"That's good," Ryan says.

They finish up dinner and ask for to-go boxes.

Natalia finishes off the last bit of her wine before she stands up.

Ryan takes care of the bill before he escorts her out to the parking lot to her car. She smiles.

"That was very nice," she says.

He leans in and kisses her and she wraps her arms around his neck.

She gently nips at his bottom lip before she pulls away. "You want to come to my place?"

"Sure," he says.

"Good," she smiles. "You still owe me a foot rub."

He kisses her again.