A/N: Rated M for nudity & some sensuality, although if you want the version of this story with sex you can find it at my AO3 account, Halcyon_Promises. archiveofourown DOT org (Forward Slash) users (Forward Slash) Halcyon_Promises (Forward Slash) pseuds (Forward Slash) Halcyon_Promises - this chapter is the second half of chapter 30 there.
Other than that: I love the reviews and messages I'm receiving about this story. They're the best way to brighten my day. I'd love to keep hearing from all of you about your thoughts on DFMT!
ETA: There's a little game posted on DFMT's tumblr (dfmtinfo DOT tumblr DOT com) so go check it out!

April 12, 2012

Returning approximately half an hour after he left, the sight of the young woman in repose was the sight that greeted Tom. Setting a bag on a side table he padded over the carpet to carefully lift the laptop off the bed. Shutting it, he put it back beside the bag she had pulled it out of earlier. Having removed it from peril he sat at the foot of the bed, inches from Cassandra.

He let a hand rest on her side. When that wasn't enough to wake the normally light sleeper, Tom lightly dragged his fingers up to her arm. "Cass," he intoned quietly. "Cassie." The steady stimulation was enough to drag her out of sleep, although it was reluctant.

Blinking blearily up at him as her eyes opened, she attempted to process what was going on. Seeing her waken Tom greeted her with a smile. "Sit up, will you?" As she mutely moved to comply, he stepped away from the bed. Grabbing the bag that he had carried back to the room He returned to sit by her side. The indentation that his larger frame made into the mattress made it impossible for Cass to stiffen and remain where she was. Instead she felt herself slide over the comforter before the motion ceased.

Thigh to thigh and side to side, they were pressed closely together. Instead of protesting this Cassie only let her head loll to the side to rest on her shoulder. "Why am I awake?"

Briefly Tom was reminded of the first flight he ever experienced with her. She had chosen sleep in lieu of food then, too. "You need to eat," he replied quietly, looping his arm around her waist while his other pulled the bag open. "If I know you – and Scarlett – you both likely neglected to feed yourselves earlier. You must be starving."

Cass snorted. "I'm not hungry."

"Only because you're too exhausted to be."

She blinked. "I fail to see the problem with that. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still not hungry so I could sleep, instead."

It was a fight she would not win. A large container was pulled out of the bag and rested in Tom's lap. As he carefully opened it the heady smell of parmesan chicken and basil flooded her senses. Looking down at it in mild interest Cass noted the chicken itself was already cut into bite sized pieces and instead of long tendrils, the pasta itself was a rotini. Everything about it seemed orchestrated for effortless eating.

The motive became apparent as Tom fished a fork out of a bag. Carefully appropriating some of the food onto it, he lifted it to her lips. Even as she parted them to speak again, she found herself with a manageable mouth full of food. Giving him a censuring look as she chewed, it was met by his unrepentant smile. The arm that was still hooked around her waist squeezed gently.

As she chewed and swallowed, he took a bite for himself.

"I can feed myself," she remarked acidically, taking advantage of the fact that he couldn't retort with a mouth full of food. It meant little as he swallowed, turning to rest his cheek on the top of her head for a moment.

"I've done a rubbish job of helping you tonight," Tom admitted quietly. "Let me do this, at least."

She met his earnest stare for a moment. His eyes were so intent on hers that it was nearly uncomfortable. In lieu of replying, Cass simply leaned forward to slip the fork and its contents into her mouth. Chewing negated the need for words.

It was in this fashion that the two consumed the meal. It was a far cry from a large amount of food but it certainly would be enough to satiate whatever pangs of hunger might have provoked them in the next few hours. Despite the practicality of the gesture Cassandra was far too comfortable pressed against his side to think rationally about it all. As the minutes had slipped by her brain slowly clicked into a higher level of functioning.

Reality was a gloomy thing to contend with when one would rather sleep. Confronted with the realization that she still had to shower before being able to comfortably spend at least six hours curled up beneath the sheets. Groaning regretfully she managed to pull herself to her feet.

Moving away from Tom's side and the heat, and the security that his figure offered was one of the hardest things that she had done that evening. When he gave her a confused look she offered him a rueful shrug.

"I need to shower." She managed to get the words out past the yawn that cracked her jaw. "Otherwise," Cass continued as she padded over the carpet to her bag, "I will feel revoltingly – and distractingly – crusty."

Tom only laughed as she pulled a tank top and boy shorts out of the luggage. Flashing him a rueful grin as she made her way to the bathroom, she only sighed. "Yes," she remarked theatrically. "The woes of hairspray among other things. Sleeping on it is only asking for disaster."

Not that she hadn't been willing to risk it anyway, as of twenty minutes ago. Now, though? The tile floor met her bathroom as she reached over to turn only one of the four switches on. A single overhead light flickered on, dimly illuminating the facilities. While the deep basin of the bathtub offered a luxurious promise she knew that she would only fall asleep in it should she try. Reaching into the large glass paneled shower, Cassie turned the hot water on.

Letting the water run as it warmed up the woman shucked off the t-shirt that had kept her feeling comfortably modest earlier. Letting it heap on the floor, she kicked the fabric of her elegant underwear on top of it. The counter offered a resting spot for the more practical underwear and tank top that she would dress in after. Contenting herself with these arrangements, Cass ducked into the cascade of water.

Shutting her eyes the woman tipped her head back and let the water trail down her entire figure. The day felt as if it was washing away, she thought. The weight of moisture dragged the curled and twisted locks down to their straightened length. Sighing in quiet relief Cassandra shut her eyes and took another half step back so the water fell directly on her face.

The patter of water and the dim lighting of the bathroom permitted the surprise. The only warning she received was a draft of dry, cooler air entering the glass confines of the shower. Reaching up to wipe away the water from her eyes, Cass straightened and stepped out of the water's path to look at what had changed.

In that same instant Tom closed the distance between them, pressing her bare chest against his as he backed her up lightly into the shower again. This time the spray hit him as well. Cupping the back of her head gently, he leaned down to press a kiss against the corner of her lips.

Caught by the contact Cassandra's eyes couldn't wander to take in the length of his bare figure. Instead, her arms twined tightly around his ribcage as his other hand stroked softly down the curve of her back. Arching away from the touch in a natural response to the sensitive area being so thoroughly tended to, Cass made a sound low in her throat.

His gaze locked intently on hers as his lips turned up into a roguish smile. "I think," he murmured, pausing to let his teeth tease the sensitive skin of her jaw, "I warned you against making those noises, darling."

She exhaled heavily, the sensation of her knees weakening taking her by surprise. It was only Tom's hand at the small of her back that kept her up.

Feeling her entire body going lax the man – damn him, she thought – only chuckled. "First things first, though – yes?"

Abruptly Cassie tried to reel in her mind. The distracting drag of her sensitive chest against his that stimulated her had to be ignored. The rasp of his masculine leg against her own bare one was equally diverting and also needed to be discarded from her awareness. Tom's fingers, curving gently around her hip and threading into her hair depending on the hand – made a thought process a nearly impossible task.

Feeling a finger get caught in a snarl of hair though finally managed to reroute her brain. Cass whimpered slightly at the predicament. Despite having him here, appealingly naked and affectionate, she had to address such mundane things as washing her hair? She shut her eyes, sighing heavily.

"You are a bad, bad man," she told him flatly. "Let the record note that I find this incredibly unfair." She reached out to grab the hotel's offering of shampoo, squirting it into her palms.

As she did so Tom only laughed. It didn't help Cass's mood as she brought her hands up to lather the soap in her hair. She turned slightly so her front wasn't bare to his regard. It seemed that exposing her back to him wasn't any wiser. Both of his hands rested lightly on her shoulders, pressing firmly for a moment.

Seconds later his fingers worked into her hair, more gently than she had been doing. The varying pressure on her skull was a decadent massage. Letting her head fall back into his careful ministrations, Cassandra let his touch dictate what she was meant to do. When his fingers came out of her hair and gently nudged her back under the spray, she shut her eyes and let the water rinse the soap free.

She might have stood there forever had a hand curving around her hip to rest lingeringly over her lower belly pulled her back against him. She didn't feel his chest against her back so there must have been some space between them she knew. Still, knowing that he was there, so tantalizingly close and yet not touching, was beyond distracting.

Taken by those thoughts and wound so tightly with anticipation Cass trembled as his hands returned to her hair. This time, he smoothed the conditioner through the long ends of her locks. It required much less finesse than the shampoo had done.

Instead of returning to the water to let it come out of her hair immediately Cassie elected to turn. It was a gesture that took Tom by surprise – she could see his jaw tighten as his muscles locked against an impulsive movement. What might it have been? She wondered curiously, but was destined to disappointment as he remained still.

"Turn around," she invited quietly. He glanced at her questioningly but obeyed.

While he was too tall for her to easily wash his hair, Cass found that the broad expanse of his back was equally inviting. The masculine width that was framed with lithe muscle was unequivocally Tom. After lathering her hands with soap, she carefully began up at the top of his shoulders and the nape of his neck.

While it could only be an improvised massage, she let the soap smooth her path over the lightly golden skin. Her fingers occasionally pressed more firmly to a delighted sound of pleasure from the man. Pleased with her success Cass stepped back as her hands stopped just above his butt.

Lacking the courage to go lower, or the bravery to do the front, she felt the spray of the water hit her shoulders again. It was only in that moment that Tom registered the fact that she had well and truly abandoned him.

A sound that might have been a groan or a growl caught in his throat as he turned. Looking down at her, he shook his head. "Wicked, wicked woman." She offered him a guileless smile in reply.

He didn't bother to waste his time with words. It only took one step for him to draw close to Cassandra and crowd her more firmly under the cascade of water. It fell over him now, too. Disregarding that, he bent down to lock his arms around her waist as his lips ravaged hers in a desperate kiss.

By the time they parted, her hair had been rinsed of conditioner and his back had been washed free of soap. Letting her hands rest on his chest for support Cass looked up as she panted to catch her breath.

Somewhat less surprised by the intense response, Tom's forehead fell down against hers in an affectionate posture. His arms around her didn't relax. Her palms on his skin remained equally motionless. As they stood transfixed it seemed an eternity before coherent thought came back to either of them.

"We should get out," Cass offered in a timid attempt at breaking the terse silence.

"We should," Tom agreed with a deceptively mild tone.

From the way neither of them moved, though, it was clear that it would be long seconds more before either of them could stand to part from one another. In the dim light of the bathroom Cassandra let any remnant of stiffness ebb from her body as her chest melded against his. Her fingers slid down to his waist, hooking around the small of his back.

In response, Tom only tightened his arms around the smaller figure. He shut his eyes, tilting his head to rest his cheek on the top of her head. Curved about her as he was he could feel every inch of the woman's figure pressed against him. It was, he thought, an appropriate moment to share in light of all that had happened recently. Feeling her beside him, knowing her body against his, and having seen her walk with him – he knew Cassandra Moore's measure. While he had never doubted, Tom could only find a growing appreciation for the woman in his arms after all that he had seen. It would be worth it, Tom concluded. After all, she already was.

The heat of the showerhead's spray continued to pound against Tom's back, before he reached behind him to turn it off. Shakily stepping forward away from the glass, Cassie gingerly navigated the wet expanse of the shower. His palm settled at her hip in a quiet effort to support her.

She stepped out first, edging aside to let him exit. Glancing at the clothes she had left on the countertop, Cass repressed a tired giggle. Linking her fingers with his, she tugged a towel off the rack and handed it to him.

Tom smiled in quiet thanks as he brusquely rubbed the moisture off. For her part, Cassie took the time to wring out her hair over the sink. As she completed that task she twitched in surprise feeling terrycloth fold around her. Tom stood behind her, enveloping her in another towel.

"C'mon," he entreated quietly, sounding mellow and content. "Let's go to sleep, Cassie."

He took her hand in his and together they passed through the bathroom to the bedroom beyond. Neither seemed to care that they were trailing water through the rooms. As Tom peeled back the covers, Cass took a moment to blot away as much of the moisture beaded on her skin as she could.

Letting her boneless legs give out, though, falling onto the crisp clean sheets over the mattress left her groaning in pleasure. Beside her, Tom chuckled. Looping an arm around her, he pulled her across the mattress closer against his chest. Flipping the sheet up over both of them, they settled against the pillows comfortably.

Resting her hands over his, Cassandra let her eyes drift shut. A light smile played over her lips. He was astounding, her sleepy mind mused. The sex – well, yes, but the man himself. And he was hers.

It was on that thought that she relaxed fully, the blank slate of repose taking over her mind. Given how limp she had been before it was not an obvious change. Behind her, Tom nuzzled his nose behind her ear.

"I love you," he breathed quietly to the sleeping woman. "I love you, Cass."

He received no response. Brows furrowing at the lack of reply, Tom propped himself up on an elbow to peer down at the woman through the dim room. With all the lights shut off he could only barely make out her features, but it was enough.

All the tension of the waking hours had smoothed away in repose. Abruptly his expression altered. Helplessness and irony flickered across his features as he exhaled slowly. Smiling ruefully, his hand reached down to pull the sheet more completely over her damp skin. The heavier blanket followed.

After bending down to brush a gentle kiss against her cheek, he settled back down on the mattress behind her. Tom let the weight of his arm settle into the curve of her waist. "Oh, Cassie," he murmured quietly as he shut his eyes. "Not yet, then. Not just yet."

A/N: Okay. I am finally done with the first Avengers Premiere. This makes me happy... Now there's another that I have to deal with. For fun facts, this has been the longest running segment of this story - it starts in chapter 26 & ends in this chapter, 34. I'm very pleased that it's over, despite the fun I had! I hope this offers a pleasant monday read for all of you! They finally got there...even though Cass doesn't know it, yet. Speaking of moving forward, there's a picture on the Tumblr's page which previews the next few chapters. There's also a little game there. Answer the questions if you're able! If you're not, feel free to make a guess! (dfmtinfo DOT tumblr DOT com)

For those of you looking for this story on AO3, please note that the chapter numbers are different there, I condensed some of it that I updated in pieces here. If you're having trouble finding what you want though, the chapter titles themselves should parallel the ones here.

On a more serious note: It's exams week for me, and I'm also arranging having to move in early January at the same time. There's a lot going on, unfortunately, and I can't guarantee my regular updates. I'll endeavor to keep it up but if there's a missing day or two, you now know why.

Lastly - thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited or followed this story! hopeless4crazies and jakepau1 on Twitter, CrissYami & Sandradee27 here on !