The Blacklist: Lead Me Upstairs (Epilogue)
A/N: Wow, such overwhelming support and praise for this fic, I couldn't help myself but write a little epilogue for you guys, as many had asked me what exactly may happen the next morning. Well, without further adieu, now you will find out. (WARNING: 'M' Rating ahead!)
Red awoke the next morning as he usually did; early, just as the sun began to peak in through the blinds. A smile instantly crosses his lips as he feels the weight of the beautiful woman asleep on his arm shift slightly in her sleep. Careful not to disturb her, Red manages to slide his arm out from under her head and regretfully entangle his limbs from hers before scooting to the edge of the bed and pushing himself up to his feet.
Turning himself back around toward the bed he admires his sweet Lizzie, sleeping peacefully, laid out on her back with the sheet only half draped over her. Her neck, right breast, and part of her stomach and right leg are left fully exposed, the sunlight leaking in through the small slits of the window coverings undoubtedly warming her porcelain skin.
She's perfect, he thinks to himself. Every inch of her. He looks down at his own naked body then; tired, worn, and scattered with scars, each with its own story to tell; some dating back to years before his bed companion was even alive and he sighs heavily into the otherwise quiet and still room. He supposes he should thank his lucky stars that he at least had one night with her.
One, although he'd prefer it not be the case, would be enough to last him the rest of his lifetime. He will carry that with him, always.
Watching her chest rise and fall with every slow breath she takes, Red wants nothing more than to reach out and touch her. Feel the warmth of her flesh against his, in case it will be the last, which, he is near certain it would be.
Her pert nipple teases him, begging for the warmth of his mouth to cover it, suckle into his heated cavern and worship it with his tongue. The goosebumps raised down her side yearn for his touch, a gentle caress of his rough hands contrasting with her soft, angelic skin. And if her leg were to fall away from the cool sheet another inch or so it would completely expose her to her most vulnerable and he has to close his eyes as he feels the effect even her sleeping form has over his body; his need for her growing stronger by the second, bordering on painful now and he has to stop himself from reaching in front of him to relieve some of that pain himself.
He knows he can't wake her the way he wants to. Can't claim her body as his because he has no claim over her. He knows what she needed last night and he was more than happy to oblige but he wouldn't kid himself into thinking it was more than what it was. If he were to wake her like that, well, he was quite certain Liz would leave him in such a way that even the great Mr. Kaplan wouldn't be able to clean up what was left of the body.
Regretfully, Red takes one last long look at the goddess in his bed before turning away and heading to the oversized walk-in closet to grab some clothes before heading to the shower.
This morning's will be a cold one.
Beginning to stir awake, Liz stretches her arms far above her head and, eyes still closed, confusion passing over her features as she feels the backs of her hands connect with solid wood.
"Owww" she hisses quietly, bringing her hands down and shaking them as if it will help defer the pain in her knuckles that smacked against the hard wood.
A headboard, she quickly realizes. Her bed at the motel doesn't have one and although she certainly doesn't forget what happened last night or where she slept, it did briefly escape her sleep-addled brain when she first began to wake. Opening her eyes, Liz pushes herself up enough so that her back rests against the headboard and the sheet that was covering her falls loosely around her waist, leaving the skin of her upper body bare to the crisp morning air coming in through the window she notices is now slightly opened to allow for the morning breeze.
Glancing over to her left she's unsurprised that Red is no longer laying next to her. She didn't peg him for a 'lay in bed all morning and snuggle' kind of guy. Though, she has to say she wouldn't mind feeling the weight and warmth of his large frame wrapped around her smaller one a little while longer.
The house seems quiet and she has to wonder if Red is even still here. Maybe he's up and left for some business, or abandoned this safe house in particular all together. She's mostly certain he would tell her if he planned on leaving the house for good but, then again, after last night a lot has changed. At least for her. Maybe not for him? The question invades her thoughts and suddenly all she can think about is that what had meant the world to her may have not had the same affect on him. He was Raymond Reddington for Christ's sake. Sex was a sport. Even if he had given a gold medal performance, she can't assume it was anything more than what it was, no matter how much she might want to.
Pulling the sheet up to clutch around her neck she suddenly feels suffocated, like she can't breathe. Her anxiety level rising to an unprecedented level. How does she look him in the eye after last night? How does she ever look at him again and not picture his body on top of hers; his mouth worshipping her flesh, the feel of him inside her that literally brought her to tears?
A sudden bark of laughter heard from the floor below her quickly pulls Liz from her thoughts and she realizes it's Red's laugh. Straining further to make out anything else, she can hear the low rumble of Dembe's voice, though she can't decipher even a single word of it. An albeit very slight, sense of relief washes over her as she realizes Red is at least still in the house. Though, she's not sure now whether that's better or worse. Maybe it would be easier if he had left, that way she wouldn't have to face him.
Giving her head a shake she decides hiding under the covers all day will solve nothing and instead pushes herself out from the warm bed and steps out onto the floor. Walking to the end of the bed her gaze rests on the decorative bench, Red's clothes still neatly folded from the night prior and hers now draped over the back of the bench as well. Red must have picked them up from the floor when he got up. Her gaze shifts back and forth between the two sets of clothing and Lizzie takes a breath, squares her shoulders and makes a decision.
'Go big or go home,' she tells herself before reaching past her own clothes and grabbing instead Red's now slightly wrinkled dress shirt and cotton boxer briefs and pulling the garments on.
The boxers are surprisingly comfortable and soft, though the waistband is a little baggy on her. The white pin-striped shirt that stops at her mid-thigh smells of him which instantly floods her thoughts with more illicit memories from the night prior and she feels warmth spread through her abdomen as images of their passionate encounter appear before her inner eye.
Her mind made up, she fastens a few buttons of the dress shirt, leaving the first few open and exposing her throat, top of her chest, and the slightest peak of cleavage before heading out of the bedroom and padding barefoot down the plushly carpeted staircase toward the source of the voices she can scarcely hear.
"Good Morning" Liz announces herself as she crosses the threshold into the kitchen where Red is standing with his back to her a dozen feet away or so at the kitchen island ; dressed impeccably in his custom 3 piece suite; minus the hat she notices, although it's morning and they're indoors. Dembe meanwhile sits at the dining table just in front of her, his back also to her until they both hear her voice and turn their heads towards her.
"Lizzie" Red announces, surprised and mouth dropping open as his gaze rakes over the sight of her, obviously not expecting to see her in such a state of undress.
Liz decides to ignore it and play it off as natural as possible as she sweeps into the room, brushing a hand across Dembe's shoulder in greeting as she passes by him and heads straight for Red; his eyes never leaving hers like a deer caught in a set of headlights.
"Oh is that coffee? Thank God" Liz mentions, reaching out and taking the steaming mug from Red's grasp once she reaches him and brings it to her own lips.
"Mmmm, perfect" she commends, her eyes sliding shut as she swallows down the warm liquid.
"Thanks" she adds, pushing the cup back into his hands and despite his best efforts, Red's mouth still hangs partially agape at her apparent level of comfort.
Apparently they're sharing drinks now. That's a thing.
Before he has a moment to even let that sink in, Liz puts both hands on the counter top of the island and hoists herself up until she's seated on the edge, feet crossed in front of her, dangling a few feet from the linoleum floor.
"Mmm, I'm starving" Liz announces, reaching over to the tray a freshly cut fruit that lay on the counter and pops a small chunk of melon into her mouth, her eyes closing as the sweet taste hits her tongue.
Finally Red comes to at least a fraction of his senses and begins to remember his manners. He closes his mouth and clears his throat.
"Good Morning, Lizzie" He finally greets her. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd be awake this early, Dembe was going to go out and get you some clean clothes"
"Yes, I'm sorry Miss Liz, I was just leaving" Dembe adds, pushing himself back from the table and standing to his feet.
"Nonsense, finish your breakfast" she tells him with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine for right now"
"I am finished anyway and have a few errands to run, but thank you" he tells her, giving her a slight nod and turning away from them both and heading for the front entry way and they hear the door close quietly a few moments later.
"He doesn't have to leave on my account" Liz mumbles best she can with the plump strawberry now in her mouth, its juices slightly escaping her lips and dribbling down her chin before she swipes it away with her thumb.
"Lizzie, are you all right?" Red has to ask, his brow furrowed with concern.
Liz pauses as she contemplates his question. She could continue her nonchalant act in front of him or, take the more terrifying road and simply be honest.
She owes him that, she figures. After all he'd done for her.
Taking a calming breath she hangs her head slightly and allows her shoulders to settle before bringing her eyes back up to focus on his concerning gaze.
"I was nervous this morning" she admits softly. "I knew I could either put my head down and run out the door, or face you head on and... I don't know" she trails off, her head turning to look away from him and Red sighs.
"Hey" he says softly, reaching a hand up to cup under her chin and turn her gaze back to him. "I told you last night, you never have to be embarrassed with me, Lizzie. I don't want you to ever feel ashamed around me, do you understand?" He asks and she nods gently.
"I wanted to be there for you last night and I'm not foolish enough to believe I would ever be lucky enough to do so, but I would do it all over again" he assures her and her brow furrows slightly at his last admission.
"Again?" Liz begins to question but Red is quick to silence her by raising a hand in the air begging her not to finish that thought.
"I know, Lizzie. I know it was a..." he pauses as he searches for the right words, "special circumstance" he decides on before continuing, "and I am honoured and grateful that I could be there for you but you don't have to say anything further. I'm well aware of the limits of our relationship and will respect them, hard as that may be for you to believe" he adds the last bit with a playful smirk, given how they both know boundaries are not a word Raymond Reddington has in his vocabulary when it comes to her.
"Oh, I see" Liz begins, her fingers playing absent mindedly with the hem of his dress shirt she is wearing and Red can't help but glance down to where the shirt lays on her upper thighs that are covered in the silky cotton of his own underwear. He has to swallow the dry lump in his throat. This would be harder than he thought.
"So, I should probably respect your boundaries, and not be wearing your clothes then" Liz mentions, almost as an afterthought, before bringing both her hands up to the first fastened button of the shirt just barely covering her otherwise bare breasts.
"Lizzie" Red manages in a low, warning tone with what's left of his remaining braincells now that most of the blood has rushed from his head to another part of his anatomy that has begun to strain uncomfortably against his trousers. His gaze follows her nimble fingers as they effortlessly pop open the first button and he finds himself unable to speak anything further.
Liz ignores his initial warning; heeding instead to the flare of his nostrils and his heavy breathing as he watches her move down to the next button, and then the next, until the shirt falls slightly open to his heated gaze from where he stands next to her.
"The rest of it" he manages to croak, his voice rough and quiet. "Take it off, Lizzie" he instructs and she silently obeys, shrugging her shoulders out of the large dress shirt and letting it fall down her back until only her forearms remain in the sleeves.
"Help?" she asks with a small nod of her head gesturing to her arms. She could easily tug herself free but he's certainly not about to argue with her so instead he steps around in front of her, standing in between her legs still dangling over the countertop and grabs first the left cuff of his shirt and pulling it free from her arm before moving to the right until both her arms are free and the shirt pools somewhere behind her on the counter where she sits in front of him in nothing but his boxers.
"And these, Lizzie" he rasps out, running a finger across the waistband of the black shorts, his hungry gaze following the the movement of his hand.
Rather than completely obeying, Liz instead puts her hands palms down flat on the counter and raises her hips up from the granite surface just enough so her backside lifts from it, leaving Red to finish the rest.
Swallowing hard, Red reaches for both sides of her hips, gently grasping the loose fabric of the shorts and tugs them down her hips, and then her legs until they reach her feet and she kicks out of them, tossing them to the floor with a flick of her big toe.
She draws her bottom lip in between her teeth then, watching as Red's gaze rakes over her now slightly trembling body. He's brought his hands up to rest on the tops of her thighs and he's methodically rubbing them up and down from her hips, down to about mid thigh and then repeating the action over. Her knees are brushing slightly against the fabric of his suit as she once again finds herself completely naked and vulnerable to this still very clothed man.
"Much better" Red manages, his throat still dry as he's still completely unsure if he's dreaming this or not. Praying with everything in him that he's not.
"Unless you have anything else that belongs to me" he questions and she chews on her bottom lip, looking at him under hooded eyes as his gaze remains locked on watching his own hands stroke over her thighs.
Bravely, she reaches for his right hand, taking it in her smaller one and guides it her aching centre that is begging for his touch. A gasp escapes them both as his hand cups her soft mound and strong fingers stroke through her already soaking wet folds. He turns his hand in hers until his palm covers the back of her hand that is now closest to her heat, forcing her to touch herself guided by his own hand and it is the single most erotic thing he's ever imagined.
A moan escaped Liz's throat and Red has to bite the inside of his cheek just to keep himself from coming in his pants like a clumsy lovesick teenager. He continues working her fingers over herself with his right hand, bringing his left hand up to gently push on her shoulder, gesturing her to lay back which she does, while his left hand quickly retreats to the small of her back to guide her down until she lays with her back flat against the cold granite surface and legs still draped over the edge, feet hanging just above the floor.
Red licks his lips before hooking his foot around the leg of a bar stool a foot or so away and dragging it over to him. Placing his foot on the lower support he hoists himself up to a seated position in front of her on the stool, his hand never leaving hers, still at her core. He watches her body writhing on the countertop and is so turned on that it physically hurts him, though not enough for him to bring himself to stop her and take what he needs from her. He would endure so much more for her.
Regrettably his hand retreats from hers and she lets out a disapproving moan at the loss of contact, her own hand stilling its movements.
"What are you doing?" She asks a little breathlessly, raising herself up on her elbows to look at him and he lets out a small chuckle at her frustration.
"Just getting a little more comfortable" he answers her with a shrug. "Rest assured Lizzie, I fully intend on taking what's mine" he continues, a sly grin on his lips as he shrugs himself out of his suit jacket and tosses it behind him over the back of a nearby dining chair.
Remaining in his vest, shirt and tie, he scoots himself a forward slightly on the bar stool before lowering his head to bury between her thighs, suckling her wet heat into his mouth as she involuntarily bucks her hips into his face, her knees pressing against his ears while her hands retreat to grip onto the underside of the countertop.
Red lets out a groan of satisfaction when he tastes her; his sweet, sweet Lizzie. His hands are holding on to the tops of her thighs until he notices her hand has left herself and is now hanging onto the counter for dear life. His mouth never leaving her centre, his gaze floats up to watch her staring down at him from where she lay still resting on her elbows; eyes half closed and head fallen back slightly from the overwhelming sensations he's making her feel. He reaches for her hand then, bringing it back to her sex and placing her fingers on her swollen, aching clit and rubbing them over her in small slow circles until he lets go of her hand and she's so far gone that she just continues working the small bundle of nerves herself while he refocuses his attention to his mouth feasting on her centre.
"Fuck. Red. Yes!" she moans loudly as the speed and pressure of his tongue against her folds increases, alternating between licking, nipping, and sucking her into his warm mouth and she comes apart in a matter of minutes, screaming his name and thrashing above him on the counter space until she finally begins to still, though her legs continue to tremble next to either side of his head.
Easing herself to lay back down flat on the counter, she brings her hands up to cradle his head that remains between her legs as he gently kisses and nips at her swollen flesh, then kisses the inside of her thighs and works his way up until he reaches her naval and dips his tongue into it. She gently massages the short hairs on his head while he pushes himself up from the stool to a standing position and bent over her continues his path up her body with his tongue, licking and kissing his way up her torso to her breasts, neckline, the side of her face, and finally capturing her lips, allowing her to taste herself when he sweeps his tongue into her mouth and strokes it against hers, letting out a soft hum of approval when he tastes the remnants of sweet strawberries on her tongue mixed with the tang of her own arousal.
"You're heavenly, Lizzie" he mumbles against her lips between kisses and feels her smiling into his kiss while her arms wind around his neck to keep him close.
Eventually breaking the kiss Liz pulls back from him slightly with a sly grin adorning her face and Red raises a questionable eyebrow at her.
Pushing herself up to a seated position she places her hands on Red's chest, guiding him to step back slightly and he does so, leaving enough space between them until she can slip down off the counter in front of him.
Wordlessly, she keeps her gaze locked on his eyes as her hands go to his waist, fidgeting with the leather of his belt until she manages to open it. Once she has both ends of his belt hanging open she grips them around her hands and tugs, forcing him to move with her as she pivots around him so her back is now facing the doorway of the kitchen and Red has spun around to face her. With a mischievous grin she tugs on the belt again, forcing him to follow after her as she walks backwards out of the kitchen and back toward the stairs leading to his bedroom that she had come down from earlier.
"What are you doing, Lizzie?" he questions, though she's fairly certain at this point he doesn't really care what her answer is.
"Taking what's mine" she answered cheekily, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I'm taking you to bed, Raymond" she clarifies, before letting go of his belt, turning around and reaching behind her to take his hands in hers as this time she leads him up the tall staircase, closing the large white door behind them once they're inside.
~ End. (for real this time).
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this as much as the previous chapters. Be kind and leave some words behind in a review :) I'd also be totally open to hearing some prompts any of you may have for me.