AN: I don't even know why I made Tara into such a relentless bitch. She's always jealous in Boston Legal too, but they make it come off in more appealing and amusing ways than I did. OH WELL.
So, this chapter is kinda meh, IMO, except for the gratuitous smutsmutsmut at the end. I'll be honest with you. I struggled.
Are you guys still with me? I know the story has deviated quiiiiite a bit as it goes on. But for those who are, thank you very much for reading and reviewing! I'm not done yet...
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They left the restaurant if not on friendly terms, then at least cordial ones. It wasn't until they were safely enclosed in the backseat of the towncar that Liz's face split into a huge grin that left Red a little nonplussed.
He tilted his head, curious, "What?"
"That went very well!"
"You think? I'm less than thrilled."
"He'll take the offer. You don't have to worry about that. He just doesn't want to look over-eager. It's a blow to his pride. That was a really good idea, by the way." She offered a softer smile and took his hand in hers.
Red stared down at his lap, shaking his head. "It's not that."
"Then...?"
"I was prepared to defend myself, and perhaps you as well. I had NOT anticipated him making pegorative remarks about our baby. I feel like I've misjudged his character, and I'm disappointed in myself for the oversight."
"He didn't mean it."
"It's fine. Maybe I'm a little over-protective."
"Is that all? Are you sure that it isn't about the specific word that he used?"
Every crease in his face deepened at once. "What exactly are you implying?"
"It sounds like you don't want to marry me, and that you only said as much for Brad's benefit."
"Lizzie, I-"
"I just wanted to say that you aren't obligated to follow through. I understand that you were trying to diffuse a tense situation."
"No, I meant exactly what I said, both in there and here."
"Then why do you care? The word 'bastard' doesn't mean anything if you're not religious, and we aren't."
"No, it doesn't. You're right. But in his mind, it's an insult, and when he hurled it at our baby, it was with the weight of what it means to him - NOT what it means to us. And to clarify, I really am sorry about having to ruin what should have been a grand, romantic gesture."
He spoke every word with impassioned confidence, but on the inside, he worried that it wasn't what she was hoping to hear. It was true, yes, but that's exactly why he felt so vulnerable. Maybe she didn't want him to ask.
Seconds ticked by without a response from Liz. When he could stand it no longer, he quietly added, "But I wasn't actually asking you, in there... just verbalizing my intent, so... if you don't want me to ask, then now would be a good time to make that known, before anyone gets... hurt."
With her eyes closed, she tipped her head back and sighed, unintentionally prolonging Red's agony while she tried to collect her thoughts. She clamped her palm over her mouth when she finally gave him her eyes, but through them he could see that her lips were curled into a smile. She was simply stunned into silence - floored and full of joy. "No, that... I... I do want you to ask. In fact, if you did it right now, I'd say 'yes'."
Red palmed the back of her head, guiding her towards his eager lips. Crushed together, fingers threaded through her hair, she swallowed his needy, happy little moan. He pressed his cheek against hers as he whispered directly into her ear, "Make no mistake. I'm thrilled to hear you say that, but I'm not asking you just yet." He pulled back to look into her eyes and added, "I love you."
"I love you too."
"But to be honest, I wasn't planning on asking until after the birth. I, I didn't want you to think that I was acting on some self-imposed obligation. It's been on my mind for a long time. Longer than I should admit."
She smirked. "Well aren't you just a master of delayed gratification?"
Before he could respond, Red realized that they'd arrived at their destination. "Think you'll be able to play nice with Tara?" He exited the vehicle and rounded it to open Liz's door, providing her with a brief opportunity to consider her response.
She shrugged and rose up on her toes to give him a kiss at eye level. "I can try."
"If she ends up being Alan's plus one at our wedding, then you'll be glad that you did."
"Must you always play the long game?"
"That's my MO."
Liz took a deep breath, meeting Red's eyes as he held the door for her at the clinic. "I hope this doesn't take too long."
"Let's just leave right after they draw our blood, instead of waiting for the results - assuming that they'll have them today, anyway."
She bit her lip and nodded, suddenly ill at ease, though she wasn't sure why.
They found Tara and Alan seated in the waiting room, working on a crossword puzzle together. Alan jumped up, buttoned his jacket, and planted a quick kiss on Liz's cheek. "I'm so sorry about all of this. Thank you for coming." He extended a hand towards Red, his lips twisted with uncertainty, half expecting a death squeeze that would result in a broken finger or two.
Red merely shook his hand with a grip befitting a proper gentleman, using the other to pat him on the shoulder. "Well, should we get started?"
"There's some paperwork that you'll have to fill out first," Tara replied.
Liz took Red's hand and tugged him towards the receptionist, "Then let's."
The paperwork was minimal, especially for a doctor's visit, and of course Red used an alias. He never even had to sit down. A nurse immediately escorted the men back together to have their blood drawn.
While waiting for her turn, Liz pinpointed the source of her unease... the knowledge that Red would do absolutely anything for her.
She ran away because she believed that she was having someone else's baby. The most effective way to bring her back would be to convince her otherwise. What if Dr. Svedka's results weren't falsified after all? What if Red wanted to leave prior to getting the new results in order to buy a little time to intervene somehow? What if he'd already made arrangements to do exactly that?
He'd do absolutely anything, and telling a lie is something, is it not? But he never lies to her.
She tried to reassure herself that it was just the hormones talking, or remnants of old habits, and then she sought a mild distraction. "So Tara, what's it like sharing an office with my brother?"
"Probably not as bad as you'd expect."
"Really? Has he learned how to talk on the phone while sitting down, or does he pace back and forth in front of his desk?"
Tara laughed and quipped, "I think we'll have to replace the carpet soon, before one of our clients comments on the path he's worn across it."
Perhaps 'playing nice' wouldn't be so difficult, after all.
"Between you and I, you might not have to worry about that."
"Why not? Has the Concierge of Crime incapacitated him, or did he get that hot side of beef over there to do it for him?" She nodded towards Dembe, placidly standing by the door.
Liz glared at her without blinking, refusing to look away even after the other woman did. "Have I somehow offended you?"
"Not at all."
"I ask because by all accounts, you're a kind, likeable woman. The only person who's said otherwise is Sally. She and I have exactly one thing in common, but I'll spare you the embarrassment of saying it aloud."
"Seems that you were misinformed."
Tara tapped her crossword puzzle pencil on the arm of her chair, either bored, annoyed, or nervous. Maybe all three.
Liz continued, "Anyway, we'll be inviting Alan to our wedding, and I presume that you'll be his plus one. If you intend to continue with this snide rudeness, then I hope that you'll have the decency to do it from home."
"Wedding?"
"Did you think this was a fling, between Raymond and I? Did I not look miserable last night until he showed up?"
"We were all miserable."
"If not for Alan, Red and I would still be dancing around our attraction to each other. Now that was miserable. So while I haven't seen or spoken to Alan since our one night together, he'll always be important to me."
"Perhaps a little too important."
Liz rolled her eyes and heaved an enormous sigh in frustration. She'd given it an honest try, but now she was done. "I could have sworn that I had you pegged as being somewhat similar to myself - I guessed that you were also raised by a single father, that you're possessive, and a women comfortable among few others in a male-dominated profession... Maybe I got that much right, but then I also expected some degree of camaraderie, that you might somehow recognize me as an ally and not an enemy."
Tara narrowed her eyes at Liz while nodding, which she took as confirmation about the accuracy of her assessment.
Mercifully, the men returned before the conversation could devolve any further. Liz practically launched herself in Red's direction. At a glance it was obvious to him that her attempt to make peace was unsuccessful, assuming that she'd tried at all.
Had they not taken someone else's appointment slot, she'd have asked to go to the back alone, without Tara. Instead, she stayed a step ahead as they made their way down the hall, and then positioned herself closer to the nurse when they arrived in the small examination room.
The nurse took her blood first, and then before she could even put on the bandaid, Liz was out the door without a backwards glance.
"We'll have the results in twenty-four hours," the nurse called after her. So, nothing to wait for, anyway. Good. As she made her way back to the waiting room, she realized that she'd never even seen the all-important, insisted-upon Dr. "Ass Hat" Assaam.
On Liz's return, Alan warmly embraced her, both lingering a little too long. Though unspoken and never labeled as such, it was a goodbye hug, and they treated it as such. From the corner of her eye, she saw the motion of Red turning his head to look away, and she was grateful that Tara wasn't around to witness the tender moment. If he was feeling jealous, then he'd better keep his mouth shut.
"I'm sorry about all of this. Showing up unannounced. The scare. The tension between you and Tara. You've been remarkably calm. I can't imagine how it must have felt for you."
"Eh, sesame somersault," Alan replied.
She blanched for a second, concern dropping her jaw the slightest bit.
A bright grin bloomed on his face. "Just kidding, and also proving a point, I suppose. Word salad isn't exactly the hallmark of a zen master."
Liz tried to don her best impassive expression and replied, "Indigo Antarctica her alien oxblood."
"Exactly!" At that, Red even stopped pretending that he wasn't eavesdropping, and they all laughed. "Drama aside though, it was good to see you again, Lizzie. Congratulations to you both."
"Yeah, you too."
-...-...-...-
On the return trip, Dembe opted to accompany the pilot in the cockpit. Red released the hidden lever that converted the settee into a bed, and by the time he'd grabbed a blanket and two pillows, Liz was already stripped down to her undergarments, gazing at him in invitation from the center.
She needn't ask aloud. Soon, they were on their sides and facing eachother, limbs entwined beneath the blanket, skin lightly rubbing against skin - a bright, electric sensation resulting from the friction of opposing textures. Mere inches from her face, Red carefully studied her nuanced responses to every move he made. Slowly, he wedged one leg between hers and inched it upwards, higher and higher.
At first her knees moved together, gripping his leg, but within seconds, they relaxed. Her breath caught, her back arched, and she leaned forward just a little, ready for him to keep going. She gasped when his thigh hit her apex, and then tried to kiss him, but he pulled his head back.
"Red?"
He began to move his leg forwards and backwards, grinding it against her, reveling in her every involuntary motion. "I can't watch you if I'm kissing you."
Was there ever a more beautiful sight than her fluttering eyelashes?
But she wanted him. She wanted his mouth on her mouth. She wanted him deep inside of her, his hands drawing her closer, holding her tightly against the rest of him.
"Please?" She entreated. Her breathing became ragged, her lips slightly parted.
But if he so badly wanted to watch her, then she should have a little show to watch as well. The hand that was rested over his shoulder slipped smoothly around to his chest, and then her nails dug into his skin as she trailed them downwards.
He shivered and groaned in response to her hand dipping below the waistband of his boxer briefs. Her fingers wrapped around his cock and he reflexively thrusted forward.
That gave her an idea.
Rather than stroking him deliberately, she held her hand in place and let him fuck it however he wished. Red was all too happy to oblige, immediately understanding exactly what she wanted him to do. He began to move his hips and his leg in tandem, personally orchestrating both her pleasure and his own.
A few minutes later, breathless and close, she tried to kiss him again, but alas, he pulled back another time. "You aren't going to kiss me until you get to watch me come, are you?"
"Mmmhm."
"And you intend to make me come just like this."
"Mmmhm."
That would require a bit of effort on her part. She tilted her hips, giving him the proper angle to brush over the right spot, and then she leaned into every move that he made. She didn't realize that she'd closed her eyes right before she was about to tip over the edge.
"Open your eyes!" he demanded, putting the kibosh on that. She could have smacked him. He tried to stop moving his hips then, but found it rather difficult achieve while using his leg to attain his goal, so he reached down to pull her hand away.
"Oh no you don't!" Liz protested.
"Do you really want me to come like this? Because I will, but I would rather do that inside of you."
God, that gravelly timbre of his voice, and the very thought of him letting go inside of her - that did it. He clamped his palm over her mouth to stifle her cries while she shook and fell apart over his muscular thigh.
After taking a single deep breath, Liz ducked below the blanket. Then, in one smooth motion, she yanked down his boxers with one hand and used the other to collect the evidence of what he'd done to her from his quadricep. Before he could even process what she was doing, she wrapped that hand around the base of his cock and wrapped her lips around the head.
The sound that Red made, oh god. Unless they were wearing headphones in the cockpit, they definitely heard him.
She added a bit of suction and worked the underside with her tongue, drawing him in further.
Red wanted to watch himself disappearing inside of her mouth, so he ripped off the blanket. He loved the sexy little smirk that her eyes suggested, though her lips couldn't oblige the coy gesture.
Except... he couldn't watch. He just couldn't. He rolled from his side onto his back and grabbed the pillow beneath his head to crush it against his face, seeking to muffle the steady stream of moans that erupted from his lips.
Unwise.
Depriving himself of oxygen only heightened every sensation. He should know better, being no stranger to a little breath play. Maybe the altitude had something to do with it, but it didn't matter because all of these thoughts were beyond his ability to reason at the moment.
He threw the pillow and arched his back, focusing every fiber of his being on not thrusting himself into the back of her throat.
But then she started to hum, and fuck, a man can only take so much. "ELIZABETH," he roared.
She froze immediately, still cradling his length on her tongue, half-expecting Dembe to come check on them.
Red hooked his hands through her underarms and physically pulled her up to lay against his chest, "As much as I enjoy coming in your mouth, that isn't what I meant."
"Mmhm but I enjoy that too," she replied, and then took his lips in an aggressive kiss, heavy on both tongues and teeth.
The lace on her panties ripped audibly when he hurriedly yanked them off and hissed into her ear, "Ride me." She gasped and nodded, snaking a hand between them to properly align him. Then she relaxed her hips and allowed Red to control his entrance, guiding her motions with a firm grip on her rear end.
But fuck, fuck, fuck, the way she had stretch to accommodate his girth, and she was so wet and tight around him that as soon as he was fully seated, he had to hold her against him more firmly in order to stop her from moving. "Wait, Lizzie. Wait!"
Except he didn't know that she was having the very same problem, if you could even call it that. She felt him twitch inside of her and she moaned, squeezing herself around him. "No Raymond, no. Now!"
And he was helpless then, bending to her will and holding her close as she rode him fast and hard. Within a few short breaths, she was flying. Red let go with her immediately, his face so twisted from the intense pleasure that it almost looked like pain. His back arched enough for her to wrap her arms around him, and as he collapsed against the mattress, sweating and panting, Liz collapsed against his chest and nuzzled his sideburns.
"I love you so much," she whispered, but made no move to let him slip out. Maybe, she thought, maybe he could stay there and be ready to go again, soon... She relaxed and felt him begin to soften, but before he slipped out, she squeezed her inner walls around him and experimentally moved her hips in a slow, circular motion.
"I'm loathe to admit it, but that probably won't work, sweetheart."
"Shhh..." Determined, she kept going and began to plant a line of open-mouthed kisses along the length of his delicious neck. "And yet, I can feel you getting harder already..." She nipped at his earlobe and he reflexively bucked his hips upwards.
Full of their combined fluids, she was impossibly sopping now, and god help him, she was also right. "Jesus, Lizzie, did you slip a blue pill into my scotch?" He wouldn't have thought that she'd do such a thing, but seriously, he'd only achieved this while unaided once in his life, and it was decades ago.
She rested her forehead against his, staring into his eyes and smiling against his lips. And all of the feeling, god, so much feeling had him overwhelmed in every sense of the word. Tears streamed down his cheeks, but he didn't even notice as she rode him slowly now, in long strokes that made his toes curl while his hands freely roamed her back. Their breath co-mingled and synchronized. He could last for awhile now, like this.
Long minutes were spent slowly building up, until Red rolled her over and positioned himself on top. He rocked against her fast, thrusting in and out with nothing short of desperation as Liz held on for dear life. "Harder! Oh my god, don't stop," she pleaded.
And he did as she demanded, of course, with total abandon. "You feel so good," he moaned. "Are you close?" But he already knew that she was.
"Yes, yes!"
Five thrusts later, his whole body went bowstring taut, and the first jettison of his shockingly-intense orgasm tipped her over the edge, clenching around him like a vice as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through her.
When he'd caught his breath enough to speak, he said only, "You are absolutely amazing."
At least he didn't make any silly comments about her finally joining the mile-high club.
-...-...-...-
AN: I listened to Lover's Spit, by Broken Social Scene on repeat while writing that super-smutty chapter ending, so it feels appropriate for me to give them the credit for all of that. I highly recommend checking it out! It's easily found on youtube. FF seems to hate it when I try to include links.
