Part 36 – The following morning…
(November 27, 2009)
Liz shivered and nuzzled into the warmth beneath her. The warmth shifted, then a hand caressed her hip. A breeze swept over her skin, making her huddle closer. Her hand slid up his chest but didn't encounter the soft, sparse, chest hair she had learned to expect from her years of lovemaking. Then she remembered as her brain gradually acclimated to being awake.
When she opened her eyes, she would not see bronzed skin and a mole under the left pectoral almost under his arm. Wincing at the memory of her deceased husband, she took a deep breath and forced open her eyes. The chest her head rested on was fair… and dusted lightly with freckles to match the ones on his nose. That made her smile for some reason that she couldn't quite fathom. Still, she didn't feel the way she'd expected.
Dean Winchester had a lean but solid frame. Stocky might describe him if he was inches shorter with a pound or two to spare but there was no padding to speak of. Biting her lip, she caved to the urge to trace a design between the little dots on his flesh. After a few stars and moons, he woke somewhat groggily with a gravelly voice. "Why is my ass wet?"
She took a look around at their damp hiding place. "We fell asleep on our wet clothes."
"Ah. Right." He set his head back down with a groan, then a grin. "I knew that."
"You look awfully proud of yourself."
"Any morning I wake up being fondled by a beautiful girl is a good morning."
"You call that being fondled?" Her hand slid down his chest and smoothed over his belly and then…
"Oh, yeah, that's the stuff." He ground out before his breath was stolen from him. Any chill he'd woken with was quickly replaced with a raging heat. Physical needs overcame the niggling conscience, which quickly led to another round of pleasure. A second hurried chance to feel all there was, to focus on nothing but getting to that blissful moment where nothing at all mattered.
Liz gyrated slowly as she came down. Dean ran his hands up her ribs, a half-assed attempt to still her hips. Gently, she laid her upper body against his, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Once their flesh cooled, they were left with the bright shining light of day. Biting her lip, she picked up her head. She took a deep breath before rising to start finding her clothes.
Mood thoroughly squashed, the awkward dressing passed in near silence. Her mind was suddenly racing with all the reasons that it was wrong. All the reasons that it shouldn't have happened, and all the reasons that she should keep it from happening again, given all the things that they had done were not what she had been expecting. Liz stopped as she bent to put on her shoes. "I don't do this, Dean."
"Yeah, I figured." He nodded as he pulled up his pants.
"But we don't really have…"
"Have what?"
"What I mean is… You're not a stay-in-one-place type of person. I'm not sure we'd do well in a relationship. Not that… um… anyway…" Liz stood in front of where he was seated. "I like you, Dean, but… in light of our circumstances; I don't think it's wise for us to continue this."
"Okay." Dean raised his eyebrows as he bent to pick up his boots. "I hadn't actually gotten that far. My brain is still stuck at… 'Whoa. Liz jumped my bones.'"
Liz froze for a moment then laughed out loud. "That shouldn't sound so charming."
"But you did…" He pointed out. "Jump my bones… what was it about me? My devilish good looks? My body? Too much to resist? Huh? Did my eyes smolder? I'm told my eyes smolder."
"I'm not going to answer that." She blushed. She had been the instigator and now he was teasing her.
Dean yanked on his boots and grabbed his jacket off the ground. He shook it out before pulling it on. "We should be able to see our way back now."
Liz would have rather not had him touching her arm the whole way back but her impractical shoes kept sinking into the mud. She needed his help to pull herself out and not sink in again with the next step. Eventually, it was a cause to laugh and that helped her relax somewhat. It was still early; nobody was on the road as they crossed. Bobby hadn't even opened the shop that they could see as they passed. Circling around the main house, they slowed.
Dean leaned on the wall when they got to her door. Liz unlocked the door. "You didn't have to walk me home."
"Come on. I'm being a gentleman." He managed what he hoped was a charming smile. "Give me some credit, here."
Her hand rested on the knob but she didn't turn it. "40 minutes ago, you weren't a gentleman."
"Well, I don't know any ladies who have a mouth like yours about 40 minutes ago."
"Touché." She nodded, screwing up her mouth to prevent a smile.
"You know… it's okay to exist in the moment. It doesn't have to be a big deal." He offered lamely.
"You're right. Thank you." She pushed her door open slightly.
"Lillian…"
"Liz." She corrected.
"Liz," he amended. "You're too old to feel ashamed about a little bit of pleasure, you know?" Then he turned the charm back on. "I'm something of a turning point for most, anyway."
"You're so full of it." She turned away to step inside.
Dean pulled her around and took her mouth in a searing kiss. Liz resisted for about a second less than their first kiss then allowed the deepening kiss. Then she was welcoming the tender assault until her knees started to buckle. Dean released her mouth. "Liz?"
"Hm?" She breathed out and her eyes opened just a crack.
"See you later." He turned and walked away. Liz stood in the doorway, dumfounded.
Before he turned the corner, she found her tongue. "Why do you always have to do that!?"
--
Liz woke when her phone began dancing on the nightstand. It was too frickin' early to be… "Hello?"
"Happy Day after Turkey Day!"
That was a voice way too cheery for her mood. "Hi, Maria."
"Are you sleeping?"
There was the possibility that she was still asleep, her eyes had yet to really open. "I was."
"But it's nearly noon."
"Late night." She had to bite her lip against the memory even as her body's aches reminded her that it had been an early morning as well.
"Do tell."
"No gossip, sorry. Kyle and his love sent me on a wild goose chase where I got lost in the dark, trapped in the rain and made it home just after dawn."
"That sucks. I'll beat his ass. So, what did you do for the actual day?"
"Cooked. We ate at the bar. I fed the regulars."
"That's so sweet. Of course you did."
"Maria?"
"Yeah?""I'm sleepy and I have to work tonight. The replacements seem to be sticking but they're stupid. I have to be there."
"Michael and I analyzed our situation. We've decided that it's time to get married."
Whatever that meant. "He didn't ask you?"
"We fought. Then we fought. Then we fought some more. Then we made up… five or six times and yesterday… he looked at me over the table. My mother pretended not to notice but he was staring at me and not eating. He says, 'so you really want to be with me forever.' More of a statement than a question, you know the way he does sometimes. I shrugged. Then he turns to the rest of the table. 'I have an announcement of sorts.' The table went silent. Mom and Valenti and your parents. They stared and I waited. Michael sits up straight and clears his throat. He says, 'We should have done it a long time ago but we're gonna do it now. Maria and I are getting married.'"
"Just like that?" Liz was definitely awake now. Maria and Michael were getting married.
"Just like that. I almost died. Everyone was hugging me but I was dumbfounded, in shock. Speechless for the first time in my life and I mean it literally. After dinner, during the dessert coma, I finally let it sink in. We want to do it soon but after the holidays."
"Well, congratulations. It sounds wonderfully in Michael's way."
"You're still mad at him, aren't you."
"It doesn't make any sense to be mad at him but I can't forget. He was my husband and he lied to me. Michael was supposed to be his best friend and he lied to me. It's done. I can't change it but I can't forget it. Leave it alone. I will come to your wedding. I will be endlessly happy that you are happy but I can't forget."
"Okay."
"I am happy for you. I really am."
"Alright." She took a deep breath. "No relationships on the horizon?"
Relationships?? Try getting naked and dirty in a field. "I don't think so. I think I'm just gonna play it cool until something happens."
"Okay. I'm gonna let you get to sleep but you and me are going to talk about you coming home for Christmas."
"We'll talk. I make no promises." Liz whispered her goodbyes and hung up the phone.
That Night…
Liz skirted around Kyle's table. "Aw, come on, Lil…" She ignored him and he followed her into the kitchen. "Lillian, we tried to call you. We saw it was going to storm and we bailed on going. You didn't pick up the phone. How was I supposed to know that you were going to go? You had acted like you weren't interested."
"Forget about it." She said finally.
"Are you okay?" Kyle pressed. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing bad. Got lost, got wet. Marched home in the dawning hour."
"The guys ended up not going at all because it was gonna pour down."
"Yeah. It did. I think maybe some raindrops left bruises."
"How can I make it up to you?"
Liz screwed up her mouth. "Well, I did ruin a pair of shoes that I saved three months for."
"I have to buy you a torture implement?"
"Yes." She pulled a beer from the bucket headed for the bar. She handed it to him. "I'm a size 6 and only real leather will do."
"My kind of girl." Dean called into the backroom. "Quality. Make sure the heels are like seven inches high." He stretched his index and thumb far apart to indicate what he thought of her taste in heels. "She's into that."
"Can I help you?" Liz crossed her arms and turned to the door.
"His royal whininess requests your presence."
"He can't operate a phone anymore? What'd you do? Break his fingers?"
"Close. I wanted to." Dean held out the charger to his brother's phone from the inside of his jacket. "I was coming to get a drink anyway."
Liz took the beer from Kyle and put it in Dean's hand, ignoring the shiver she got when her hand brushed his. "See you later."
Liz didn't know how she managed to get out of the bar without tripping over her own feet. Despite his little pep talk that morning, she couldn't help but feel a little shame. She passed Bobby on his way to the bar. He only nodded in passing. Liz let herself into the house and climbed the dangerous stairs to the sunken bed where Sam was stretched out. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
"I was told my presence was requested. I haven't seen you all that much, so I figured a break was in order."
"I really appreciate it but who told you that?"
"Never mind." Liz pursed her lips. "I can always kill him later."
"Is he screwing with your head?" Sam chuckled and made an attempt to sit up but the ancient mattress just fought him the whole way. "I'm driving him nuts. I figure if I get him wound up tight enough, he'll take me out to Baxter and get Dr. Meyer to saw this thing off."
"He's getting there. Keep working him." She laughed and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "You doing okay?"
"I want it off."
"You broke it twice in one year. I think you should follow the doctor's orders."
"Is that what you told Dean? When he called you from the hospital?"
"Yeah. He asked my opinion and I gave it." She watched his face. "You know, he probably blames himself for you getting hurt. You're doing okay now but at the time, he sounded really worried. This is just his way of keeping you safe for a little while."
"Yeah. He knows exactly where I am and he's keeping me under lock and key. Did you know that he stole my phone charger?"
"Yeah. But I've only known that for about twenty minutes."
"Apparently, I cock-blocked him last week or something." Sam shook his head and sank into the bed. "I just want to do something. Doesn't matter what. I'm sick of this room. I'm sick of Dean. I just…"
"Want the room service without the commentary?"
"Yes!"
He attempted to sit up once more. "Can you keep an eye on him for me? He's been acting really weird."
"Weirder than usual?" She cracked nervously.
"Well, he didn't come back last night and he wasn't bragging about whatever girl he nailed when he did show up. He's been… I don't know. Happy? Whistling and the whole bit. So, just keep an eye out. I want to get to the bottom of this."
She didn't dare hope, because she didn't… "Because he's happy? You don't want him to be happy."
"No, it's not that. He's… it's bizarre. He's been beating himself up, like you said. So why did he stop? What's going on? I just want to make sure he wasn't possessed again. You know?"
"Yeah, I know. You're worried about him."
TBC