A/N - So I'm calling this chapter the end of the Wedding arc. I hope you've enjoyed it.
Updating is slow, which I feel I should apologise for but really I'm doing what I can. Life has obviously changed with the craziness of the world at present (I hope you are all staying safe and well) and I'm struggling to find the quiet peaceful time I used to have for my writing now every one is home and not going anywhere. It's where we need to be safe and given we're probably in this for the long haul I definitely need to look at carving out some me/quiet time.
The next chapter will relate to the honeymoon and I'm still trying to figure out how to attack that one. Snippets or should I have them tell the team about it as flashbacks. If you have a preference let me know and I'll mull the idea over. At present I have a few little ideas of what they get up to, mostly just fun/heated moments but I'm trying to find some pivotal/important moments in their relationship to delve into. That is proving a little difficult as I've already done so many of those kind of things with building the trust and relationship between them so if there's something in particular you want to see/read about for them, feel free to pop it in a review or pm me. We are shifting closer to the end of this story but I do have a few more little arcs to go before we get there.
Thank you once again for the amazing support you've given me over such a long period of time and long story. I'm incredibly grateful that you've enjoyed it so much and helped keep me writing it.
Enjoy and as always, love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.
Chapter 185 - Wedding Part 8
Jessie felt the soft material of the sheet slide down her body. She kept herself still and relaxed and waited to see where Callen was going to take this morning. Last night had been hot and beautiful - everything a wedding night should be. Yes it had been physical, intensely so, but every touch and every kiss had been a reinforcement of the promises they'd made yesterday; promises that had always been there but not necessarily voiced as they had been now.
The slight brush of his fingers danced over her skin. Not a stroke as such but a random touch here and there. Whisper soft touches that certainly wouldn't have woken her had she still be asleep. Even now, awake and tuned into her connection with him the touches could only just be felt.
Her lips twitched and she let herself smile when she finally realised just what it was he was doing. "How many?" Jessie asked him softly, her eyes still closed. She heard his quiet chuckle and her smile grew a touch.
"She's awake."
Jessie opened her eyes and looked at him where he was just near her right hip. "How many?" she asked again.
"Eighteen," he said and crawled up the bed, his hands going to rest by her shoulders and his body hovered just above hers, brushing in a few places that sent the heat simmering along her skin.
Yes he knew what she was asking even without a more defined question. He'd been taking stock of where he'd marked her last night. "Eighteen huh?" A little more than she'd thought.
Callen lowered his head and brushed a soft kiss over her lips, a kiss that was barely more than the touches he'd been doing before. It wasn't enough and she lifted her head as he pulled back but she wasn't fast enough.
"Good morning Jessie."
"Morning G." When she lifted her head this time, he didn't move back and she was able to press a soft, but lingering, kiss to his lips before she dropped her head back to the pillow.
"So," Callen studied her a little more seriously than she was hoping for. "Eighteen," he repeated. "You have a theory don't you?"
Jessie smiled. "It's one I'm working on."
"And that would be?"
Jessie reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. Her thumb brushed over the rough stubble there. There were times she wasn't quite sure which she preferred - the smoothness of him freshly shaven or the slight roughness like now. They both had their benefits. She trailed her fingers over and down to his cheek, relishing the feel of that familiar roughness. Perhaps she had figured it-
"Doc?"
"Sorry. Got distracted."
"I noticed."
Jessie smiled and finally answered his question. "The stronger your emotions the more you leave."
Callen shifted to lay on the bed beside her on his side, his body pressed lightly against hers. His hand drifted over her stomach and moved slowly up. She turned her head toward him and he pressed a kiss to her shoulder.
"How did you figure that out?" he asked.
Jessie's eyes drifted closed as she focused on the touch of his fingers as he continued to trace the marks he'd left on her skin.
"First weekend we were together," she said softly, "you left fourteen."
"I know you Doc. There's more than just that."
Jessie opened her eyes and focused on him. His gaze held hers yet somehow, and she really shouldn't be surprised by it given his exceptional talent with detail and his memory skills, his fingers continued to connect the marks on his journey.
"Most you've ever left," she said, "was that night at the cabin, after that mission." She didn't need to expand on that. They both knew that was a night they'd never forget.
"How many?"
"Twenty two." It had surprised her when she'd counted them in the bathroom later. They weren't all big, most were gone by the next morning but it still spoke volumes about how he'd been feeling and his desperation to know exactly where he was - to leave a trail as if he was marking his way home in case he got lost.
"I was busy wasn't I?" He grinned. "Do I take it you've been counting often?"
"Just noticing." She didn't always check. She certainly didn't mind him doing so at all.
"And," Callen shifted and pressed a kiss to one that was just below her collarbone, "is there an average the doctor has in her mind that is normal?"
Jessie's lips twitched. "Not exactly."
In barely a moment Callen had shifted Jessie above him so her legs straddled him. He eased his fingers into her hair and Jessie's eyes closed in reaction while a soft moan escaped her when he pressed his fingers into her scalp. He then started to ease some of the knots from the lengths that their activities last night had caused before he pulled her down closer. Jessie opened her eyes. He was so close it wouldn't take much to just-
"What number makes you worried?" Callen prompted.
Jessie really wasn't doing so well at keeping her thoughts on the conversation this morning. She pulled herself back to the question and smiled. He knew her so well. Because yes she did have a number that she had learned to listen to that set her on alert. It didn't happen often and more times than not once he'd finished leaving them he'd talk to her anyway but it was still a good heads up for her.
"More than ten," Jessie said, "when you haven't already talked to me is a hint that something is up."
Callen grinned. He lifted his hips and rubbed against hers. "Guess you are right. More than ten and something is definitely up."
The movement did more than send just a shimmer of heat through her but her stomach rumbled. Jessie glanced across at the clock on the bedside table. Her eyes went wide. "It's already ten thirty. We need to have breakfast."
"Not hungry." Callen shifted again but his stomach rumbled at the same time. Jessie raised an eyebrow and her lips twitched in amusement.
"Doc," his voice was low, pitched at the level that he had to know set her heat rising, and lifted his head. His lips brushed her neck and then he whispered, "What I want for breakfast is right here."
Callen watched Jessie pull her dress over her head. His gaze followed the slow movement of the material over her hips. He eyed the undone zip for barely a moment before he rose from the bed.
Jessie caught sight on him in the mirror and turned around. "No G." She shook her head and reached behind her. He watched her reflection as she struggled to find the bottom of it. "No," she repeated. "Stay there or we won't get anywhere until lunch."
"Hate to tell you this Doc but we're already there." Callen took a slow step toward her. She backed off a little but he saw a flicker of interest in her eyes. He smiled. Oh, he knew he'd be able to tempt her if he tried and it wouldn't take much for them to be even later. But after last night and this morning he was truly hungry for food now. He knew the heat between them, while usual for them, was unusual. He also knew that there was every chance one day it would settle down to more of a simmer than the volcano it currently was. He was also sure their simmer would still be pretty hot. He still believed part of it had to do with the lives they led and the need, not want but need, to live every moment they had together to its fullest and that Callen was, while quite good at tell, exceptional at show. Of course, part of it of course was simply attraction but without the love and trust that was so strong between them, that attraction would've burned out long ago. Callen took another step closer.
"G, it's eleven fifteen. That means we still have forty five minutes to have breakfast."
Callen grinned. Jessie never really liked the idea of brunch. It was breakfast or lunch and breakfast had to be done by twelve. He found it rather, to use her word, adorable, given that she was also inclined to completely skip meals when things got crazy at work, or he distracted her enough. "You really think they waited for us?" he asked as he took another step closer, almost within arms reach of her.
"G," Jessie warned.
"Turn around Jessie." Callen put his hands on her shoulders and turned her when she didn't respond quick enough. He pulled the zip all the way up, behaving himself, mostly. After all there was a lovely expanse of soft skin and his fingers had to go right next to them to protect said skin from the zip catching. He leaned in and kissed her neck when he was done. "See Doc, you can trust me."
Jessie smiled, her head shifted ever so slightly and he took advantage to press a longer kiss right when he had just placed one.
"I do trust you completely."
"You thought I'd remove it."
"You can't say the thought didn't cross your mind."
Callen turned her in his arms and smiled. "I can't say that," he agreed.
Jessie slipped her arms around his neck. "We need to eat."
"I know," he agreed again. "We need to keep our energy up for later." He shifted her hair aside, nuzzled her neck and kissed one of the more prominent marks he'd left there.
"Actually…" There was a hint of breathlessness but mingled in there was also a touch of disappointment.
Callen lifted his head. "What don't I know?"
"We fly out late this afternoon," Jessie told him.
"Where?"
"Our honeymoon."
Callen frowned. "I thought we were adding the Maldives on after Christmas with Alex's family." At least that had been the plan the last time they'd spoken about it which admittedly was a while ago.
Jessie shook her head. "We're not going to the Maldives." Her fingers went to his lips to stop his protest before it could start. "Not this time anyway. It's too soon and the health care there isn't good enough for me to feel comfortable."
Callen's lips twitched. He wanted to remind her that they needed to live their life too. He'd looked into the medical care and while not perfect was still adequate. Obviously though adequate wasn't good enough for Jessie even if he seriously doubted they'd need it.
Jessie smiled. "Even if we aren't likely to leave the room."
Once more he had to briefly wonder if she could read his mind.
"So where are we going?" Callen asked. "Wait. Is this the surprise you were keeping from me yesterday?"
Jessie nodded. "I get to be the lucky girl."
Callen thought for a moment and smiled when he made the connection. "Iceland."
"Yep. Twelve days. Nice and slow with a few sights to see. Markets in Reykjavik. Northern lights hunt and some other hopefully amazing places to see. I gave us plenty of time to get around and a few days at each place." Jessie's head tilted slightly to the left. "Though perhaps," she continued, "I didn't need to give us quite so much time considering how well into your recovery you apparently are these days."
Callen heard the hint of admonishment but he knew he wasn't in trouble. Yes he'd kept how well things were going to himself but she knew him, and trusted him, enough to understand that it wasn't so much keeping it from her as wanting to share it with her in a special way. He tugged her a little closer. "I promise," he said, his voice low, "I'll make sure on those extra days you are well and truly lucky."
Her laugh was soft and carefree. It had taken a long time for it to get back there and Callen still relished it every time after having heard it be so tentative and cautious after the complicated and difficult year they'd had with the attack at the office, Michelle's kidnapping, the miscarriage and his accident.
"You don't need to do anything for that to happen," Jessie assured him.
He kissed her, soft and sweet this time without turning up the heat. "So Iceland for the honeymoon. Austria for Christmas. New York for New Years?"
Jessie shrugged. "It's an option. Depends what happens at Christmas."
"Meaning?"
"In case you're tired of being around a whole lot of other people."
Ah, yes. Alex's family. But he wasn't going to let her get away with that because New Year wasn't about Alex's family.
"Trevor and Alex aren't a whole lot of people."
Jessie shrugged again. "Alex's family can be overwhelming. Trust me I know and I still feel that sometimes even though I love them dearly. I just thought I'd build in an alternative in case you needed it."
"Doc," Callen rested his forehead against hers, his thumbs stroked her hips through the soft material of her dress. "You always spend New Year with Alex and Trevor. That doesn't change." He felt Jessie take a deep breath and then she lifted her head and smiled.
"He was right," she said. "You do get us. Just like Alex does."
"You doubted."
"No," Jessie shook her head. "I just … I just don't always think about how well you understand what it is between me and them."
"The first time," Callen tucked her hair behind her ear, "that night at Sam's, when I saw you with Trevor, I knew exactly what it was with you two." His hand settled on her shoulder, his thumb slowly brushed against the skin of her neck, almost absently, as he spoke. "Best friends. Family. Love. All wrapped up in the one amazing package." Callen smiled. "I'd never do anything to interfere with that." If he was being truly honest with himself, he'd felt a serious shot of jealousy that night. Short lived of course but he'd still felt it. Jealous that he didn't have anything like that. Yes he had Hetty and Sam. But his relationship with them, while strong, was nothing like what he'd witnessed and knew of the bond between Jessie and Trevor. He'd never had someone who knew him so well, potentially better than he knew himself. He'd always held back, never pushed to know someone that much, so deeply that there were no real secrets - that the light and the dark were known and accepted, unconditionally. Feeling his own version of that with Jessie reinforced just how important that kind of relationship was and he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardise it.
"I know." Jessie rose slightly onto her toes, she was still barefoot and kissed him tenderly. A thank you, even though she didn't say the words he felt them. "But right now I need food before we have to leave to catch that flight."
"Please," Callen slipped her hand into hers. "Don't tell Sam where we're going. I want to do that when we get back."
"Why?" Jessie slipped her shoes on while she studied him.
Callen grinned. "Sam hasn't been there."
"So."
"He really wants to."
Jessie smiled and shook her head. "So you're going to mess with his head when we get back."
"Or while we're away." Technically Sam wanted to go to Iceland for work for his James Bond list and although this wasn't exactly work, it was still going to be fun to tease him about. "Maybe I'll send him a photo or two with hints that don't quite give enough for him to be sure."
"G."
Callen chuckled. She really needed to work on her stern look for moments like this. He tugged her in for a quick hard kiss at the door.
"Don't give me that look Doc. You're the one who messed with his head last night regarding his kid. This is much less cruel."
"Maybe. But he's your best friend."
"And?"
Jessie rolled her eyes and opened the door. "You know I'm not entirely sure who is teaching who but you and Trevor both seem to be getting … dare I say it… better at messing with those you love."
Callen stepped in close and whispered. "I've loved messing with you Doc from the day we met. Got nothing to do with Trevor."
