Fitz stared at his computer screen, which was dimmed down ultra low, as he was in one of his classes. Today was the only day throughout the entire semester that he had a video to show.

He showed it every year, as it was a very useful documentary. However, it made things extremely boring for him, especially when he didn't have any work to do at the moment. So, he used his time very wisely, in his opinion.

He clicked through the pictures that he had on his laptop, all of them of Olivia, or the two of them together. He smiled, looking at her pretty face.

And then he got to the picture of her last winter, looking up at the Sterling Law Building. She looked beautiful. It had always been his screensaver for all of his devices, because from the angle it was taken, it was hard to determine her identity. It could be any pretty girl out there.

But she wasn't just any pretty girl. Not to him. And she never would be.

He remembered the first time she'd noticed his screensaver when she had come to his office one evening. He had been attempting to show her the students projected to be on the Dean's List. But in the process, she'd seen his desktop.

Oh how badly he had blushed.

She, of course, loved it, and showed him her very own lock screen that she had of their hands in the car. Which had made him feel better.

Those times made him happy. The good old days, he supposed. Not as many complications. Just them, together. Sneaking around, yes. Doing crazy, risky things, yes. But doing all of it together.

He sighed and reached out to grab his mug to take a drink, but then remembered that it wasn't coffee in the mug, and it wasn't for him, either. It was for someone else. A certain someone, who happened to be sick. He smiled. He'd told her, and she didn't listen. Such a stubborn little thing.

He leaned his head back against the blackboard and glanced up at the auditorium full of students.

Some of them were writing intensely, no doubt trying to quote every possible word that they could. Some were staring blankly ahead of them, making it impossible to determine if they were truly paying attention, or if their minds were elsewhere. And lastly, there were the select few that were passed out on their lap desks in front of him.

He was never one to call out students in a lecture for not paying attention, sleeping, using their phones, or whatever else it may be. The honest truth was they could do whatever they wanted to do with their class time, but their grade would reflect whatever they chose.

Plus, he usually felt quite proud of himself, because there were rarely students not paying attention in his classes.

He tried to make it interesting and keep them involved, and he thought he did a good job with that. But, if they chose to not pay attention, that was on them. So, he chuckled quietly to himself at the few students who chose to take a nap. It was the morning, after all, and the lights were off in the auditorium. He understood.

And how was he any better if he, the professor, was sitting there looking at pictures of his ex-girlfriend like a lovestruck teenager?

She really did make him feel that way sometimes. No matter how mad that young woman had made him, his feelings for her had never changed. In fact, recently, he was fairly positive that they had only strengthened, if that were even possible. They weren't even dating, and he was having trouble getting her out of his head.

She was a…friend? It felt weird to call her that. He was the one who had even suggested being friends, and it still felt weird to call her that.

He didn't constantly wonder how his other friends were doing, how they were feeling. He didn't dream of his other friends, or think of them when a song reminded him of them. He didn't look through pictures of his other friends. He wasn't in love with his other friends.

But he was in love with her.

That was the god's honest truth. He was so totally in love. Completely infatuated.

And he would wait for as long as he needed to. He would wait until she was comfortable. But one thing was for sure.

He didn't want to be friends anymore.


Olivia walked to class leisurely, having gotten out of her first one a little earlier than normal. So she took her time, which was nice.

She'd been feeling dreadful for days, but today was the first day she could confidently say that she was starting to feel better.

She wasn't congested or feverish anymore, and her throat no longer hurt. She was now in the phase of her cold where she had a cough, and her voice was essentially gone. Which, made her throat feel almost tired. It didn't hurt, but it still wasn't a comfortable feeling by any means.

Fitz was probably just about over his by now. They'd kept in contact this week for the first time in months. They'd sent texts back and forth on occasion in recent weeks, sure, but ever since she'd gone to be his "caretaker", the communication had been pretty much nonstop.

And she loved it.

She'd felt gross and not up for much this entire week so she hadn't gotten to see him since Saturday evening, when she finally left his apartment. Well, besides Monday for about a minute, when they'd talked outside the lecture hall. She didn't count that, though. It was not even close to long enough.

And when they had talked, it had been practically impossible because his voice was essentially gone. Especially given that he'd just had an hour-long lecture.

And from the looks of it, today would be the same way for the two of them, only she would be the one struggling to form audible words.

Getting sick really sucked.

She approached the lecture hall where her PR class took place, and opened the door. She listened for his voice like she always did as she neared the auditorium, but instead, she heard what sounded like a video.

Lame.

She only had a few minutes until his class got out, but over ten until hers started, so she was fairly early.

She checked her phone, just to see if she had any unread texts from him. Her face perked up, because she did.

Can you stay and talk before your PR class again?

She smiled, and sent her response.

Yes I can:)

And after the video ended, she heard him remind the class about a homework assignment due next Monday, followed by the familiar, "dismissed."

Thank god.

Students filed out of the auditorium, chatting amongst themselves or looking directly down at their phones. She waited a few feet from the door, leaning up against the wall with her hands in her pockets. And when she finally saw the man walk out, looking amazing as usual, her heart fluttered.

The first thing he did was turn his head to the left, in search of her, which made her smile.

"Hi, miss Pope," he greeted, walking up to her casually. "Hi, professor. Your voice sounds a little better today" she replied. He winced. "Oh boy. Yours doesn't."

"I know" she nodded, her voice sounding scratchy and quiet.

"Would you mind holding this for a second?" he asked casually, handing her his coffee mug. The one she had gifted to him.

She nodded, thinking it was a bit strange, but taking it from him, nonetheless. "Keep it, it's for you," he said, barely above a whisper.

She looked at him questionably.

"It's that tea you like from Starbucks. With a splash of 2% milk. That's right, isn't it?" he asked quietly. Her heart melted, and she nodded with a smile.

"Okay good. I thought it would help with your throat" he said. "Thank you, that was very nice of you," she said gratefully. He nodded.

"I should probably get going, though. Have a good class today," he said with a smile. "Okay. Oh—wait. Your mug. When should I get it back to you?" she asked quietly, as students continued to pass by them.

They were all completely distracted by friends or their phones, and it wasn't uncommon to see a student and professor interacting anywhere on campus, anyway. But with her current situation, she felt the need to be extra careful.

"Text me" he mouthed, as he walked away, smiling at her. She smiled and nodded, feeling the color rush to her cheeks as she headed into the auditorium. She took a sip of her tea, too, and was delighted at its taste. Plus, it did feel good on her throat.

As soon as she found her seat, she immediately pulled out her phone, and sent him a text.

Olivia: The tea is perfect. Thanks again! You didn't have to give it to me in your SUPER nice mug! Btw, who got it for you? ;)

Fitz: That's my best mug, it keeps everything nice and hot. Someone very special got it for me. On Valentine's Day, if I recall.

She smiled and checked the bottom of the mug, where she had put a heart sticker to make it more festive.

It was still there.

All of the color had worn off, and it was peeling away slightly. But he'd managed to keep it there. Such a sweetheart.

Olivia: Hmm. They do sound very special. I'm sorry you'll be without your best mug temporarily.

Fitz: No worries, your needs are greater than mine right now.

Olivia: So when should I return this famous mug to you?

Fitz: How about Friday night? If I remember correctly, you owe me a homemade dinner.

Yeah, she'd been thinking about what to make him for days.

Olivia: Of course, I could never forget that. Are you excited!?

Fitz: For the meal…I don't know. To see you, always.

She smiled.

Olivia: Fair enough. I'll try my absolute hardest for you.

Fitz: Sounds good. 6 at my place?

"Good morning," her professor said, her voice amplified by her mic.

Olivia: Perfect, I can't wait. Gotta go now though, class is starting.

Fitz: Okay. I'll talk to you later. Pay attention in class, Ms. Pope.

Olivia: Always. I'm a good student, you know that.

Fitz: Debatable. ;)

She laughed quietly to herself and put her phone in her bag as the professor got the Powerpoint all set up.

She paid well enough attention in class, as she always did. But he also occupied part of her brain, too. As...he always did.

And to make matters worse, the girls by her started talking. Again.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you. You know that super hot TA or...professor? I don't know which one he is...whatever. The hot one" she said quietly.

Olivia raised her eyebrows. The hot one. Well, she'd had enough experience with other students' commentary to know who the hot one was.

"Oh yeah, yeah. The one that's in here sometimes" the other girl replied.

"Yeah, him. Well the other day I saw him running really early in the morning. He wasn't wearing a shirt. And let's just say, I wish he wasn't wearing shorts either."

Yep. Sounds about right.

The other girl gasped quietly. "So he looks good I assume?" she asked.

"Um, yes. Fucking ripped."

Olivia nodded to herself. Yeah, that's true.

"Oh my god, I'm so jealous! Wait...what time was it?" the girl asked.

"I don't know, like 6:30 I think."

"What the hell were you doing out and about at 6:30?"

Silence.

"Uhhh..."

"Please don't tell me you were doing the walk of shame home from Brad's."

More silence.

"Jeanie! You fucked him again!?" the girl exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Only like...a couple times!" she replied.

Olivia rolled her eyes, and directed her attention back to the front, as the two girls shifted their conversation to how good Brad was in bed.

Man, she really needed to find better people to sit next to in her classes.


"We need to find a cookbook!"

Olivia looked at her friend, who was frantically searching their kitchen. "What?" Olivia asked.

"You need a cookbook! How the hell else are you going to not kill him?" she asked. Olivia laughed. "Man, my cooking really gets insulted."

"Liv, you can make a total of like five things, all of which, I learned to make at the age of nine."

"Okay, hold on a second...wait, no, yeah you're probably right. Continue" Olivia nodded.

"What the hell am I even looking for. We don't have a fucking cookbook. Wait—do pre-furnished apartments come with cookbooks?" Abby asked.

Olivia was trying hard to keep her composure, but she couldn't, and she burst into laughter. "No, Abby I don't think so."

"Dammit."

"You know, Abby. There's this thing called the internet." Abby looked up at her and pointed. "You're right, I'm overthinking it. Okay, get out your phone!"

Olivia laughed. "Abby, relax, I'll figure something out. It's not being eaten by a god damn food critic or something" she said.

"Olivia Carolyn Pope, you better get your phone out and figure out what you're making him, or else you're gonna kill him on accident and there's gonna be one less pretty boy in this world."

"Okay, okay, okay" Olivia nodded, pulling out her phone.

So, she searched and searched to find anything at all that seemed plausible for her to make.

And finally, something popped out to her.

"I think I found something good!"

"Okay, let me see," Abby said, looking over her shoulder.

"Pesto chickens and veggies. Yeah, this seems good. Does he like all this stuff?" she asked.

Olivia nodded. "Yep. He likes everything. Well, except olives. Oh, and black licorice. And beets. He's also not really a fan of whole wheat bread. You know, the bread with all the nuts in it—". "Okay—Liv. I got it" Abby said with a laugh. "Right, sorry. But yeah, he...likes all this stuff" Olivia nodded.

"Good. Then I think you're set, you just have to get all the ingredients and...study the recipe like a textbook for the next two nights" Abby shrugged. Olivia scoffed. "Rude!" she exclaimed, which had Abby laughing. "It's all in good fun. You know I love you. Even if you can't cook to save your life."

Olivia smiled. "I love you too. You know, maybe you should let me cook our dinner tonight. Something other than the things I know how to make. I need to get better eventually" she said.

"Hell no, I'm not trying to die tonight" Abby replied. "Come on! How about you help me along then. You can be my teacher," Olivia replied. "I don't know if I want to be. We all know how you feel about your teachers," Abby smirked. Olivia's jaw dropped. "That was below the belt."

"Oh good. That's your favorite area of pretty boy's body!"

And then Olivia's jaw dropped further, while Abby had a look of pure joy on her face.

"WHEW. I am on freaking fire tonight!" she exclaimed. "Okay, yeah. That was pretty good, I'll give you that" Olivia admitted.

Abby laughed. "Alright, Liv, come on. Let's cook, I'll be your teacher. Just promise me you won't try to seduce me" she said.

Olivia shook her head and laughed as she got up next to Abby and nudged her. "You drive me crazy," she said. "I wouldn't be Abby if I didn't" she replied. Olivia smiled. Probably true.


Thursday and Friday went by in the blink of an eye. Well, except for maybe Thursday night, because that night, Olivia stayed up until one in the morning doing her weekend homework. Which, she probably wouldn't have done if she hadn't started feeling better. But she felt well enough to stay up and get a head start.

She finished every single thing she had due, up until Tuesday. So, her weekend should be enjoyable enough. She knew that it would at least start off great, because on Friday night she'd be with him. He really made everything better.

And thankfully, she was just about ready to go.

Her cough was still there a little bit, but it wasn't too bad. Her voice also didn't sound the best still, but it had recovered a decent amount since Wednesday. Overall, she was feeling better.

She grabbed her purse, as well as his clean stainless steel mug that sat on her dresser, and did one last look-over of herself in the mirror. She was wearing a white, silk top with her darkest pair of skinny jeans, and brown, dressy boots. She loved fall for this reason, when she got to start wearing warmer, cute clothes. Summer was great, but she preferred long sleeves and jeans.

She had definitely dressed up for him, she had no shame in admitting that to herself. Her hair and makeup were done perfectly, and her outfit looked perfect for the occasion, she thought. It almost felt like…a date. Kind of.

"Alright, Abby. I'm gonna go" Olivia said, heading out to the living room. Abby sat on the couch watching TV, with a smile on her face. "Good luck," she said happily. "Thanks. I'll see you later" Olivia replied. "Alright. See you, Liv." "Bye, Abby," she said.

She drove to the store to get all of the necessary ingredients for their dinner, and then headed over to Pax, getting there right on time. Perfect.

She said all of her hellos, as she always did when entering his apartment building, and made her way up to the sixth floor.

She knocked, and heard him tell her she could come in. And after opening the door, she saw him sitting up at the bar with his computer in front of him, looking over at her with a smile.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Hi," she greeted back.

"You don't have to knock, by the way. You can just come in" he said. "Oh, right. Yeah. Okay" Olivia nodded, closing the door behind her. "Look at all those groceries!" he exclaimed, nodding at the grocery bags in her hands. "Mhm. Are you ready for the best meal of your life?" she asked. "I…think so. I just hope it's not my last" he chuckled. Olivia laughed. "Oh come on, now you sound like Abby."

"I'm just kidding, Liv. I believe in you" he said. And she about stopped her tracks. Liv. He had called her Liv.

For months now, it had been Olivia. Strictly Olivia. Hearing him use that nickname felt so good.

"Good. Can I—?" she questioned, pointing towards the kitchen. She was feeling pretty confident and wanted to start as soon as possible. "Oh yeah, of course. Go right ahead" he nodded, getting off the stool.

She washed her hands and got out everything she needed. At least she knew where everything in his kitchen was. That was a plus.

"Oh, here's your mug by the way," she said, pulling it out of one of the grocery bags she'd stuck it in. "Oh, perfect, thanks."

"Hey" he added. She looked over at him, to see him tossing an apron to her. She caught it and laughed. "This is yours!" she giggled. "Mhm. It's your favorite, isn't it?" he asked.

She nodded. "It is, right up there with that trapper hat you always wear in the winter," she said with a smile. He laughed. "Well, this will suit you better tonight," he said, nodding at her to put the apron on. So, she did. She knew her way around the kitchen, and she looked the part. This was going great.

She started by washing and cutting up all of the vegetables she needed while the skillet was heating up. But halfway through, she stopped, to put the olive oil and chicken in the skillet.

"Are you really going to stand there and watch me the whole time?" she giggled, looking at him as he stood about a foot away, leaning against the counter. "Yes," he answered happily.

"Well, alright. It is your kitchen" she nodded. He smiled at her and slowly moved behind her as she flipped the chicken occasionally.

She could feel his presence. "You're making me nervous," she said quietly. "Welcome to my world" he chuckled. She turned her head and gave him a smile, only to realize he was right there behind her. So close.

She finished up the remaining vegetables, and gathered them all together.

He put a palm on the edge of the counter and leaned over her, putting his face down directly by hers as she worked. All she had to do was turn her head, and their faces would about touch. But she didn't. She wanted to, but she didn't.

The recipe required that she remove the chicken and cook the asparagus alone in the oil for a few minutes, before adding the rest of the vegetables, and the chicken last, to warm it back up. So, she did exactly that.

She was slow and shaky while she did everything, but she still did it. Although, she did almost forget to add the seasoning after she mixed in the pesto. Oops.

Her hand shook as she held the skillet up, emptying part of its contents onto Fitz's plate. But soon, his big hand wrapped around her little one and steadied her, helping her along. She turned and smiled at him, receiving that beautiful Fitz smile back.

He poured them both a glass of white wine as she set the table for them. "White wine?" she asked. "Mhm. It goes best with chicken. Is that alright?" he asked. "Oh yeah, definitely" she nodded.

She didn't dislike white wine, she just didn't have it often. She preferred red, but he was certainly right in saying that white would go better with their dinner.

And then they sat down to eat.

"Thank you for all your hard work," he said sweetly, holding up his glass to hers. She nodded and clinked their glasses, and they took a drink, beginning to eat.

Overall, she felt proud of herself. The chicken was a tad overdone, but besides that, everything else was perfect.

It wasn't Fitz caliber cooking, but it was still pretty good. And he seemed to think so too. Whether or not he was just trying to make her feel better was unclear, but he seemed genuine.

"Really good, Olivia. Really, really good" he nodded. "Thank you" she replied, blushing a little bit. "You can also thank Abby, she helped prepare me" she added with a laugh. Fitz shook his head, taking a sip of his wine.

"Maybe. But tonight, was all you. I watched. You looked like a pro" he said. She looked down at the table, smiling and blushing, feeling like an idiot. Man, blushing was really inconvenient.

"Thank you" she nodded again, gratefully.

He nodded. "You look really nice tonight, by the way," she said, admiring what he had on. She could tell that he had also wanted to look nice, because otherwise, he'd be in a T-shirt and shorts.

But tonight, he wore a casual blue button-down and those slim khakis that looked so good on him.

"Thanks, you do too. That shirt…that's the shirt you were wearing when I saw you at Three Sheets last year" he noted. She looked down at her shirt and nodded. "It is, isn't it? How did you…remember that?" she asked. He shrugged and leaned back in her chair as he looked at her.

"Because I couldn't keep my eyes off you that night. Or…any night, really."

Yep. This was feeling more and more like a date.

"I relate to that…on an insane level," she said with a laugh. He smiled. "Yeah?" he asked. "Yeah" she nodded. "And what makes it worse for me, is that every other girl on this campus can't keep their eyes off you, either" she added. "No, that can't be true," he said. She actually laughed. "Oh, Fitz. Ohhh, Fitz."

"What?" he asked innocently. "Girls love you. I literally heard a student refer to you as 'the hot one' a couple days ago," she said. "No way" he chuckled. "Um, yes way. And also, how come you're still out running shirtless in the morning at this time of year? No wonder you got sick!" she giggled.

"Hey, I get hot easily. How do you even know that?" he asked. "A girl in class. She saw you running. She was very appreciative" Olivia replied. "Really? I run early" he replied.

"Yeah, well when students have morning classes and are also returning from a…special friend's house…it's usually fairly early too" Olivia pointed out. He laughed. "Ahhh, the famous walk of shame" he nodded. "Bingo," Olivia said with a laugh.

"Well, I guess I can't speak to girls liking me. But I can sure as hell speak for all the guys that are into you" he said, taking a sip of wine. "What guys?" she asked, dead serious. "Yeah, see, now who's denying it?" he chuckled.

"What? No, I'm serious!" she said. "Um…every guy that's in the room when you walk in?" he questioned. She shook her head. "You don't have to flatter me, Fitz," she said.

He looked at her like she was insane. "I'm not flattering you. Trust me, I notice it, just like you say you do. I know how guys work; I know when they like what they see. And in your case, they always do. You get their attention the second you walk in" he said, nodding at her. She sat back in her chair and sighed.

"There's only one guy whose attention I want," she said quietly.

He smiled. "Hmm…and who might that be?" he asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"Well…" she began, also leaning forward in her chair.

"He's the smartest man I know. I'm talking really smart. And…he has the kindest heart" she said. He smiled, crossing his arms on the table and looking at her intently.

And she loved it. She loved how happy she was making him, so she continued.

"He's funny. He can make anybody laugh" she giggled. "And he's honest, and loyal. And…so handsome" she said with a smile.

"And…so much more. He's got everything. He is…everything."

His look said it all, that he was very happy to hear what she had said. And the color that had rushed to his cheeks made it even better.

"You know that…I feel the same way. About only wanting one person's attention" he said softly.

"I know" she nodded with a smile. "Good. It's…very important to me that you know that…after everything" he said. "Me too" she nodded.

And there they sat, looking at each other. Until he broke the silence.

He cleared his throat. "Um…I can—I'll clean up the kitchen" he said, starting to stack their plates. "Oh, I can—I can help, Fitz," she said. "Yeah, sure. Okay" he nodded, letting her grab her own plate.

And so they cleaned up the kitchen together.

He lessened the tension that had recently formed by putting on his apron that she'd been wearing before.

"That's a nice outfit choice for washing the dishes" she giggled. "Thanks, I thought so," he said proudly, posing in the apron for her. She was in a fit of laughter practically the entire time they were cleaning up, because of him. They both were laughing, actually. They had a lot of fun with each other.

They always did.

So when he suggested that she stay and they watch a movie together, she didn't hesitate to say no.

They headed to his bedroom, because the TV in there was newer and nicer, and that's where they both preferred to watch. Plus, his big, comfy bed was way better than his couch.

They finally decided on Pirates of the Caribbean, after playfully debating back and forth for about ten minutes. She had also clicked on a different scary movie, just to get his reaction. It was the same as usual; a big fat no. Maybe one day she'd get him to watch one with her.

Johnny Depp was brilliant as usual in his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, but everyone knew that. He was hilarious, and perfect for the role, so both Olivia and Fitz were laughing throughout the movie, even though they'd seen it countless times.

They were also getting closer.

Despite the large size of his bed, that didn't stop the two of them from laying directly next to each other, shoulders touching. And as the movie went on, his fingers brushed hers as their hands rested next to each other.

She tried her best to look at him out of the corner of her eye, and saw that his full attention seemed to be on the screen. But she knew that was not the case, as his fingers started to play with hers. He traced each finger, and the top of her hand. And she lifted it up slightly, so that he could.

He slid it fully underneath her hand and laced their fingers together. And she held on tight. So, so tight.

Watching the movie that way was much more enjoyable.

And it all ended way too soon.

Because before she knew it, the movie was over and it was almost eleven. And she really didn't want to go home. Which was fine, because he seemed to read her mind.

"Stay here tonight."

She looked over at him hopefully. "If you want, I mean," he said with a smile. She nodded, indicating that she wanted to. "And…you can sleep in a guest room if you want, I know last time…we fell asleep," he chuckled. She smiled.

"Or I could…stay in here with you."

He smiled back. "Or you could stay in here with me."

Glad that was settled.

She got up just to grab her phone and send a text to Abby, while Fitz scrolled through Netflix again, asking her if she wanted to watch something else.

"Yeah, sure. What if we started a show?" she questioned. "Oh yeah that's a good idea" he nodded, scrolling through the TV shows section. And after she had texted Abby telling her she was staying at Fitz's, it didn't take her long to get a response. All it read was;

;)

Classic.

Olivia smiled and rolled her eyes, getting back into bed with Fitz.

They eventually decided on Dexter, which had her laughing. "You don't like scary movies, but you'll watch a show solely based on murders and…blood spatter?" she giggled.

"No, Liv. It's different. This won't have any…freaky ghost shit" he replied. "Oh, so…we shouldn't watch Supernatural instead?" she teased, trying to grab the remote from him. "No, no, no" he replied, jerking the remote away from her reach. She laughed, nudging his arm with hers, which made him smile.

And so, they began their first TV show together. Which, she could already tell, would be good.

As they watched, she could almost feel them getting closer again, since she had gotten up. Only this time, it was different.

His hand rested atop hers, until it moved to her leg. The hand on the leg had always killed her.

He didn't move it any further once he put it there, undoubtedly not wanting to make her uncomfortable. But…she really wanted him to move it. She wanted him to move it much higher than it was.

So, she moved her hand over to his leg, too.

He didn't physically do anything to let her know that it affected him. But from the way her heart was racing, she sure as hell had to think he was going crazy inside too.

But it was a good kind of crazy. The kind of crazy that you craved. The kind of goosebumps, butterflies, heart-racing crazy that you wanted more of. So, she made another move.

She inched her hand upward, moving underneath his dress shirt, and rested it on the top of his belt. And then she heard him take an audible breath.

She bit her lip, trying to decide if she should do what she wanted to do, or if she should back down. She was still stuck on what was right, and what was wrong.

But she didn't want to think anymore.

So, she said fuck it.

She gradually lowered her hand, and ran it slowly over him through his pants. She didn't do much else, she just teased him a little bit, feeling him harden at her touch.

He turned his head towards her and gripped her thigh a little harder, clearly not expecting her to do that to him.

She stopped, wanting to make sure that he was okay with it. She certainly didn't want to cross any boundaries that he didn't want her to. But he inched closer and turned his hips slightly towards her, giving her all the confirmation she needed. So she continued, starting to massage him a little bit through his pants.

His lips parted, and he let out another staggering breath, as he kept his eyes on her. The look on his face was something she could only describe as so sexy. She could tell that it felt good, and when he felt good, she felt good.

He came even closer, bringing his face nearer to hers. But she didn't want to wait any longer, so she closed the gap and pressed her lips to his. He kissed her right back, and his hand began to slide upward on her thigh. She could feel the warmth he gave off even through her jeans, which, she really wanted off at this point.

But the clothes remained on while they made out, and felt each other up. Which, was truly underrated, in her opinion. Yeah, getting naked was fricken great, but kissing and touching each other fully clothed was still very intimate in its own way.

And it was unlike their kiss weeks ago; the kiss that had started out slow, but had ended up sloppy and fast, against a wall.

This kiss was slow and passionate, their tongues brushing together and their lips reacquainting themselves once again. He shifted his body and moved on top of her, while cupping her through her jeans.

All that could be heard in the bedroom were lips on lips, the quick, unsteady breaths being taken by the both of them, and the quiet sound of the TV, which was dimly lighting the dark room.

He pulled away for a moment, both of them trying to catch their breath. And then her hands began to fumble with the buttons on his shirt, confirming that this was indeed going to happen.

There were no words exchanged between the two of them. Just looks and actions.

So while she unbuttoned his shirt, his fingers went directly to the buttons on hers. She pushed the shirt back on his shoulders and he shrugged it off, before throwing it off the bed and lifting her shirt over her head.

The clothes came off slowly, with long breaks of kissing in between. Her body had almost forgotten what it felt like to have his mouth on her skin. On her chest, on her jaw. And, when he finally took her bra off, on her breast, with his tongue flicking slowly across her nipple.

It drove her crazy, and made her eagerly grind up against him.

She began to unbutton her jeans, but he gently pushed her hands away and leaned his head down as he kneeled over her, starting to kiss her abdomen. He took over for her, undoing her jeans and sliding them slowly off her body, kissing along the fabric of her underwear after he did so.

He placed soft kisses on top of her lacy underwear, and all she could do was watch in awe, as he did what he did. He hooked two fingers inside the waistband and slid them down, looking at her now fully naked body like it was the thing he wanted most in the world. Which, was probably true, considering the large bulge in his pants that she was eager to set free.

So, she finally moved her hands to his belt, beginning to undo it, along with his pants. He just let her do what she wanted as he rested both palms on the bed on either side of her, continuing to admire her body.

She slid them down as far as he could, until he took over and threw them to the floor. She exhaled deeply as she took in his fully naked, aroused state. And he was breathtaking, which was not news to her.

The making out and the slow, agonizing removal of clothing had been more than enough foreplay for them, because they wasted no time.

He prodded her entrance, and pushed in slowly, trailing kisses up her neck to give her time. She gasped at the feeling that used to be so familiar to her, but in recent months, had not been.

"Feel okay?" he whispered. She nodded, running a hand up the side of his face and keeping it there. He smiled at her and leaned his forehead down against hers, before placing a soft kiss on her nose.

And it all came rushing back. His softness. His sweetness. His gentleness. In such an intimate moment, it all came rushing back.

He kissed her lips softly and briefly, before ducking his head down into the crook of her neck and pulling out slightly, so he could push back in again.

She bit her lip and tilted her head back in pleasure, wanting nothing more than for him to keep going. Her hands went back and forth between his muscular back and his curly hair, while her legs only continued to widen for him, eventually wrapping around his body.

His lips were always somewhere; her lips, her neck, her jaw, her chest. Anywhere and everywhere they could possibly be, that's where they were.

"Missed—you. Missed everything," he whispered against her skin, plunging deep inside of her. She moaned and gasped, gripping his body hard. "Missed you—too. So much" she managed to get out in between breaths.

They went slow. All of their movements were slow, wanting to take their time. Wanting to make their beautiful moment last as long as they both possibly could.

But eventually, their moment ended. He made sure she reached her climax before he reached his, pumping in and out of her slowly until he had fully finished.

And she held him through it until his body calmed on top of her.

But even after, he didn't move. Not for a long time.

He just laid there, still inside of her, placing soft kisses on the side of her face.

And she held onto him so tight. She didn't want to ruin anything by thinking. She just wanted to be there with him, holding him.

Because it had been far too long since she had.

"Don't move," he finally whispered, kissing her forehead. "Okay," she whispered.

He pulled out of her and got up, heading to his bathroom, before coming back with a warm washcloth like he had always done to clean them up.

So soft. So sweet. So gentle.

She held onto his arms as he pressed the washcloth between her thighs, admiring his cute curly hair that was now a bit damp from sweat.

She, herself, was fairly hot too. So she didn't even want to think about putting clothes back on.

Her preference was to lay there naked for a while, and it seemed that that was his too, because he soon laid his head on her chest, and wrapped his arms around her. Both, not bothering to put any clothes on.

She wrapped her arms around his head and kissed the top of his damp, curly hair. She couldn't stop herself from saying the words. The words that both of them had seemed hesitant to say lately. But she needed him to know. She needed him to hear those words.

"I love you" she whispered.

"I love you" he whispered back, tightening his grip around her.

And that's how they fell asleep a little while later. Snuggled up together, both completely bare and exhausted. Both unafraid to admit the intense feelings that were still there.


Chapter 50, ladies and gentlemen.

I wanted it to be big...I hope it did not disappoint ;)

I'm sure you all were expecting that to happen here pretty soon.

How do you think things will be in the morning?

You'll just have to wait and see.

I hope you enjoyed.

Read on!

With Love,

~T

P.S. I know that Tony is in an episode of Dexter, and directed some as well. I completely blanked on that when I wrote the first draft, and once I remembered, I considered changing that. But I thought it was kind of funny, so I kept it. Tribute to Tony and his many talents, I guess. He's awesome.