Heyyyyy more romance

One afternoon, Rudy breezed in after work while Max was walking the dog. He jogged by the kitchen table and dropped a folded paper on it before stopping by the couch, where Liesel was reading.

"Hel—" she began, but was cut off when he leaned over her, planting an upside-down kiss on her lips.

"Hey there, saumensch. I'm all sweaty, so I'm going to take a quick shower. Be out in a jiff."

And with that, he had disappeared into the bathroom, and Liesel could hear him humming loudly from behind the closed door.

Amusement twinkled in her gaze, and she giggled as she slid out from under her blanket and walked over to the table.

"Curiosity killed the cat," she warned herself, but still she found herself picking up the paper. With one last careful glance at the bathroom door, she unfolded the letter and Rudy's humming faded into the background as she began to read.

Rudy—

I am so proud of you, son. I still find it difficult to believe that I will soon be a grandfather. I wonder if your child will call me Grandpa or Pop-pop?

I am also delighted that you have graduated from your first university class! I know that your job has been treating you well, but there are still always more opportunities waiting for you on the horizon.

I hope New York has been treating you all well. Tell Liesel and Max I said hello!

—Your father, Alex

Shock and delight hit Liesel at once, and she was so stunned that she didn't notice Rudy come up behind her.

"We'll have to start calling you the letter thief as well," he remarked, placing his hands on her shoulders.

At his touch, she crumbled, spinning around and blinking up at him with wide chocolate eyes. "I- I'm sorry, I—"

He laughed. "I'm teasing you, love. Of course I wanted you to find the letter and read it— why else would I have just left it out on the table?"

Her apologetic frown broke into a wide smile, and she pulled him in close to her. "You graduated!" she whispered.

"It's just one class," he admitted. "But it's a start."

Joyful giggles tumbled out of her as he spun her around, and finally their lips met. As she advanced, he moved backwards until he was leaning against the couch, his fingers running through her golden hair while her hands found his brawny arms.

Pleasantly faster than she expected, Liesel's nimble fingers traveled up to his shirt collar, and began to undo the top few buttons. At this, he stopped for a moment, breathing loudly with their foreheads pressed together. "Do you want to…?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes," she breathed, her tongue pulling him back in for more as they continued on passionately, his shirt almost off and him breathing in her sweet scent.

And then the front door opened and Max came in, Hermes's leash in hand.

"For God's sake!" Max exploded, and in surprise, Liesel released her hold on Rudy, who did a backflip on the couch, the lean muscles under his shirt exposed for all to see. Meanwhile, her hair was a mess and she leaned forward against the sofa, biting her lip and refusing to look at Max.

"Max, I— we—" she began.

Max waved his hand, however, and opened the door again to go. "You two are married… keep going at it, I'll leave." His dark green eyes slid down to Rudy, who was on his back panting. "Just… I don't know, maybe put a warning on the door next time?"

A few seconds later, he was gone and they were left staring at each other. Unfazed, Rudy ripped off his shirt the rest of the way, throwing it onto the floor in a crumpled ball. He crawled back over to her, reaching up to kiss her gaping mouth.

"H- hold on," she said. "Did you hear how he sounded? He sounded—"

"Well, obviously he sounded offended. He just walked in on us…" Rudy trailed off, smirking and rubbing his stubble confusedly. "Well, at least we didn't get any further out here before he returned."

Liesel merely nodded, a frown wrinkling her pretty features. A moment later, however, she seemed to shake it off, and a seductive smile returned to her face. She took his hand and began to lead him to their room.

"So, keep going?" he grinned.

"Of course, because you've made me so happy, my sexy graduate," she hissed into his neck as they both fell down onto the bed and he kicked the door closed.

She brushed his lemony hair out of his eyes. The storminess in his gaze was gone, and all she could see was clear blue skies. "I'm glad I've made you so happy," he rumbled, going in for her lips once more.

"Wait," she said, and reluctantly he pulled away again. "I'm not the only one you've made happy," she added in a whisper, and with another loving look, she took his hand and rested it on her belly. "The baby's never kicked this much before," she murmured.

As he felt the little movements, he pulled her closer and they rested like that for a while, their hands together on her stomach while they stared, lost in each other's eyes.

He broke the silence a few minutes later. "D- does it feel strange?"

"Does what— oh," she laughed. "The kicking?"

His head moved up and down against the sheets, his eyes firmly fixed on her attractive face.

"I mean, not really. At first, it was almost alarming. But now, I'm used to it. It…" She trailed off, rolling her eyes.

"What?"

"No, it's just…" She couldn't find the words. "It's… stupid."

Rudy peered at her incredulously. "Nothing you say is stupid," he scoffed.

"Okay, well, if you say so," she sighed, shifting her position. "The baby kicking makes me feel protective. It's like it helps my maternal instincts kick in, you know?" She snorted. "Wow, it sounds even worse out loud."

He removed his hand from her belly and moved it so his fingers barely grazed her lips. "Shush," he murmured. He leaned in and they shared another long kiss. Rudy pulled away, his nose against hers, and whispered, "You will be an amazing mother."

She blinked back at him, eyes round like saucers. "You really think so? B- because I know you'll be an excellent father, but…" Her words faded from her lips when she saw his smirk. "What?"

"No, I just love you," he replied.

All was silent for a moment, and their gazes remained locked. Then she rushed forward and they began to kiss more amorously, her hands gliding over his shirtless body.

For the first time in a long time, they went all the way— and, to both of them, it was just what they needed.

Best friends turned lovers… it's not often you see such a thing.

OoOoO

"Vandenburg!"

Max's head popped up from behind the typewriter he had been hunched over. "Yes sir?"

"My office!"

Unhurriedly, Max stood up, whistling casually and offering a stiff wave to one of his coworkers. He felt no need to rush to his boss's office, especially considering he visited it five to seven times a day on average.

Then again…

"Vandenburg! Are you walking through wet cement? Get in here!"

Maybe he should pick up the pace little.

Max had never been a favorite of Mr. Walker's, and he very well knew it. And yet, Walker had never sounded this miffed before.

Finally, Max arrived in Walker's office, and was gruffly instructed to shut the door behind him.

"Is… something the matter, sir?" Max started casually, sliding into the chair that was situated crookedly in front of his boss's looming desk.

"Well," Walker grunted, shaking a paper in his hand. It was wrinkled at the edges, while the middle was nearly torn, having succumbed to Walker's impressive angry grip. "Your latest column isn't even a column. It doesn't deserve to be called a column. What is this junk?" he demanded, throwing the paper in Max's direction.

Max watched as the paper fluttered weakly into his lap, and he picked it up. The moment his eyes landed on the first smudged word, he recognized it:

Golden waves

Like the arms of the sun

Spread wide at dawn

Or golden waves

Soft, crashing gently

A beautiful, sweet ocean

Chocolate pools

Deep, dark, never-ending

Ever watchful over me

Or chocolate pools

Warm, fuzzy, like dog fur

Two breathtaking eyes

All this time

Has she been waiting for me?

Max set down the paper, chewing on his cheek. "I… I don't really have an explanation for you, sir. It was just…" He sighed. "Nothing."

Walker smirked, and Max blinked in surprise as his fury seemed to melt away. "Vandenburg, my fellow, it seems to me that you're smitten. And I can't blame you for that."

"Just…" Max gritted his teeth. "Look, forgive me, sir, but I didn't mean to turn that in to you. I must've mixed it up with my other article. All I ask is that you don't publish it."

"Of course," Walker chuckled. "Whatever you ask, my boy. We wouldn't want you embarrassed, now would we?"

Max's hands curled into fists under the chair. "Y- your tone is unsettling, I must admit, sir," he commented, smiling nervously.

Walker's bushy white eyebrows lifted, then quickly fell. "Is it? Well, forgive me, Vandenburg, for my unsettling tone." Before Max could react, he reached over his desk and snatched the poem out of Max's lap. "I shall take this back, then…"

Anxiety bubbled over within Max, and although he knew it would be overstepping boundaries to try and reach for the paper, he couldn't let Walker just have it. "Sir, please! C- can we just—"

"… tear it up and forget all about it?" Walker asked.

Max nodded eagerly, relief glimmering in his eyes.

"Why, of course!" Walker took the poem and tore the paper in half, then in fourths, and so on until it was shreds of white confetti. "There you go, Vandenburg! All shredded up!"

He leaned over and threw the shreds up so that they all fluttered down into the trashcan.

Max breathed a sigh of relief, and took his boss's cold nod as a dismissal.

Once he was gone, Walker sighed and began typing furiously on his typewriter, every now and then glancing at a handwritten note.

"Everything," he muttered to himself. "Everything turned in to me gets published."

Hahahahahahaha oh no