Title: Twelve Hours
Prompt: Post-sex cuddles; the morning after (from ironchord)
Rating: M
Words: 873
Commentary: As the prompt and rating have let you know, this one is some hybrid of sexy and cuddly. On a collection-wide note, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who keeps up with this and encourage you to leave me feedback! I'm nice, really. Haha. Well, I do hope you enjoy this one. Some of you probably thought that it was about time I wrote something steamy for our beloved couple.


Her name tumbled from his lips barely intelligible, but she was sure she did no better with his as she came, hard, digging her nails deep into his back. This time he'd had her practically sobbing her agreement as he thrust into her. The skin she broke at his back was her own way of exacting revenge, deserved or not.

She collapsed bonelessly back onto her bed, closing her eyes. He fell to her side, but still managed to kiss her deeply. Her hand came to the side of his face as she kissed him with equal fervor. He pulled back then, and she opened her eyes to see him in the dark.

He was so close, and he was looking at her with gentle eyes. He draped his arm over her ribcage, a heavy weight against her still hammering heart. He buried his face into her sweaty neck; one closed eye, the side of his nose and his mouth pressed against her throat. "Mm," he hummed, sounding satisfied.

She laughed, her pulse jumping beneath his lips. She turned her head slightly to kiss his scalp through his hair. "Right back at you," she told him, and then it was his turn to laugh. He propped himself up on an elbow, brought his other arm around and pulled her to him, kissing select spots - her earlobe, her shoulder, the inside of her elbow, and then each of her fingers - as her back aligned with his front. She loved that he did these things every time, a perfect after.

He pulled the sheets around them both. Their heads upon the same pillow, his breath flowered over her shoulderblades. She turned, quick kissed him goodnight, and whirled back around before he could do a thing. As she fell asleep though, she could feel his smile against her spine.


She cracked an eye open in the morning light, streaming in through her slightly opened blinds. Mornings were always sticky, warm and slightly sore. This one was no exception. But it was different in that she had woken before he had. She yawned, then turned in his arms.

Even though she looked at him plenty, she felt an extra kick in her bloodstream at the sight of him. His hair was wild, which she found oddly adorable, especially when paired with his sleeping face. He looked to be completely at peace, breathing in slowly from his very straight nose. One of his tan, muscular arms pinned the sheets to his side, and his shoulder was a gathering of muscle, too, a very nicely-shaped junction between his neck and arm. She imagined his body beneath the blanket, his rippled torso and tight ass, and found herself accidentally holding her breath, and let it out in a rush. She locked her ankles around his, wanting to touch him in any way.

And then she remembered something. She sat up a bit and bent over his sleeping body. Sure enough, there were four small punctures in his skin. She gave a small smile.

"Well, that's a nice way to wake up," his voice came.

She looked down at him. Her chest was right in front of his perfect nose. She shoved herself into his face just for that comment, and he let out a strangled sound, but she doubted he'd complain.

He did much better. His mouth closed around one of her nipples. She should've expected as much, but she let out a surprised gasp and fell against him. He was only too happy to bring his arms up to brace against her and continue to torture her with his tongue.

"Noel," she said, attempting to sound reprimanding, but failing horribly. If anything she sounded like she was begging him for more. Her palms found the mattress on either side of his head.

Freed from holding her up, he took a chance and had his hands drift to between her legs. She was gratifyingly wet. "Yes?" his voice rumbled against her chest.

She bucked against his touch, letting out something between a whine and a groan. "R-really? After last night?" Her eyebrows were coming together in a way that had him thinking she wasn't as opposed as she was saying.

The chuckle he let out vibrated against her ribs. "If I remember right, you initiated the second time," he said. "No complaints from me, though."

She was past arguing, grinding herself against him. He continued to kiss her, lavishing the skin she never showed anyone else with grazes of his teeth and licks of his tongue. "Won't you let me pay you back for those scratches?" he asked her, sounding impossibly sultry while also telling her in the most annoying way that he had known exactly what she'd done to him.

She pressed herself against him, silently asking for more. "Ugh, yes, you horrible, horrible tease," she moaned into his ear.

At her agreement, he flipped them both. "Good," he said from above her, locking lustful gazes.

She rolled her eyes. "Just kiss me already," she demanded. Then she grabbed him by the neck and crushed her mouth to his, eager for more of him, and more of the smattering of kisses against her spine after it all.