It was day twelve of no sleep. Twelve days since he had last tasted Kimberly. Twelve miserably days since he ruined a ten-year friendship. This had to finally end!
He'd walked into his house today smelling the fresh-baked brownies and cookies. There was a small hope that Kimberly had stuck around, but he knew better when he didn't see her car in his driveway. She never returned his call. He held the phone all night hoping that she would call him back, but she didn't. When he got home, he asked his mother how the day had gone with Kimberly and she chuckled telling him all about their adventure baking.
It was then that his mother told him Kimberly was heading back to Angel Grove in the morning. That was a punch to the gut. He hadn't spoken to her and now he wasn't going to see her. The only good thing to come of this was that he was finally getting those reduced hours he had been wanting.
Still, that couldn't even bring him out of the dumps. He couldn't leave things like this.
"Tommy?" Carol jumped upon seeing her son emerge from the shadows.
She had been nose deep in a book, and his appearance had startled her. The action set off a memory within her of Tommy's teenage years. There would be days when she would check on him during the night only to find his room empty, his bed unslept. How he managed to slip past her hypersensitive hearing, she never quite understood.
"Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to scare you."
She pressed the book to her chest, taking her son in for a second. He was wrestling with something in his mind, she could see it— read it, clearly. And it was obviously Kimberly. "Are you alright?"
Tommy nodded, "Yeah, I just… is it okay if I go on a drive? I have some things on my mind, and I feel like some fresh air might help clear it."
The fresh air brought him clarity in times of crisis. Fleeting to the streets was his only hope if he wanted to get Kimberly out of his mind.
There was something he wasn't telling her, but she didn't push. Sometimes the thoughts of a man should remain a mystery. "Alright, honey. Don't worry, I'll watch Kylie."
He gave her a warm smile before brushing a tender kiss to her cheek, "Thank you. I'll be back soon."
Tommy was on autopilot as soon as he got into his car. The night had inhibited his sense of direction. Which way was up? Which way was down? His hands and feet were guiding him into the unknown, following the map of his heart. Somehow he had made it outside of his neighborhood, although he had no recollection. His mind was clouded by the thoughts of Kimberly.
It had been too long since he had last seen her, too long since he had last touched her. This wasn't fair. He couldn't escape her. She was haunting him. Everything reminded him of her. His mind was punishing him for having the self-restraint to not jump the gun. He had been trying to save their friendship, but in his attempt, he might have destroyed it. Why was it wrong that he wanted to be a gentleman? Why was it wrong that he was thinking of not ruining things between them by sleeping together? He tried and failed miserably to forget her, to erase the taste of her lips from his tongue, but he couldn't. It was torture living every day without seeing her.
His nostrils flared as he pressed the gas harder.
It had been sixteen minutes since he left his house and he was already pulling up into Jason's driveway. He had no recollection of how he got there, he didn't even know he was there until he had parked his car. The lights were off outside, giving the illusion of an empty house. He knew she was there, he could feel her. The heat inside of him was picking up as he hopped off his truck and made a beeline towards the front door, banging on it. He didn't care if he woke up the damn neighborhood at this point, he had to see Kimberly. Just one more time and that would be it. He could move on after that... just one more time.
A few minutes of constant banging proceeded, but then there was a light flicked on inside, followed by some movement by the window.
Kimberly cautiously opened the door, inviting the fresh air inside. She was clutching her robe at her chest, looking more beautiful than any human deserved to be. Her hair was still wet, leading him to believe that he pulled her out of a shower by his consistent knocking.
He saw the relief in her eyes, "Jesus, Tommy! I almost called the cops on your ass!"
Speechless. It was his first time seeing her in days. His knees buckled just from the sight of her.
"My God," His breathing was heavy while he looked at her like she was his salvation, "I almost forgot how damn beautiful you are."
Seven days of not seeing each other and that's the best he had?
She crossed her arms in defiance, keeping the door only slightly open. She wasn't inviting him in, no matter what he said. "What are you doing here?"
But he couldn't answer her. All he could do was stare and be in awe of her beauty. He didn't deserve her. No man was worthy of her. The twitch in his pants told him that another part of him was happy to see her too, but he had to push that thought away. That wasn't why he was here.
Think of something else! Boring business meetings, dental work, naked grandma's!
Nothing worked.
"Hello?" She waved a hand in front of him when he didn't answer. His silence had her thinking the worst, "Is everything okay? Is something wrong with Kylie?"
God, he loved that she cared. Her heart was too pure for this cruel world… for him. He gulped, trying to swallow all of the conflicting thoughts swimming around his head.
"No, it's nothing like that," He shook his head. He couldn't blink, couldn't move, nothing except be mesmerized by her. He made a decision at that moment. "Where are Jason and Trini?"
She leaned against the door. Of course, he wasn't there for her. Was it wrong of her to think that maybe he was?
Her expression remained stoic, although a sadness filled in the back of her eyes, "They went out to dinner, you just missed them."
Maybe it was the way the robe hugged her petite frame, or the way the water from her hair dripped down the curves of her chest, maybe it was the way that even after a shower, she still smelled like vanilla. Either way, things became perfectly clear to him.
His lip curved up, "No, I didn't."
Without uttering another word, he took her head in his hands and firmly pressed his lips to hers. He thought that might earn him a slap, which would be well deserved, but she didn't do that. Instead, she returned the kiss.
She became undone that very second, no longer having the willpower to be angry at him. This is what she had been wanting, a reason that told her she wasn't crazy, that she hadn't imagined the other day. She had been so upset with him the last week, but all of that was melting away as she felt the flutters in her belly start up again.
His tongue sought entrance into her mouth and she gladly welcomed him in, giving him as much as she's wanted from him the last several days. Somehow they had made their way through the door, although she never remembered moving, and he kicked it closed with the heel of his foot, the windows around him rattling by the force.
He couldn't hide his smile when she jumped up and wrapped her legs around him, her arms encircling around his neck while she held on for dear life. Tommy relied on sheer memory to get himself and Kimberly into the guest room. His fear didn't matter anymore, the intricacies of how she would fit into the chaos that was his life were forgotten. Right there and now, all that mattered was the woman in his arms, and how good that felt.
Kimberly's toes curled on the carpet as her feet met the floor. Things were moving so fast, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this was right— so right. His lips had traveled down to her neck, back to the bruise that was slowly fading. He nipped at it again for good measure, bringing it back from the dead.
Why was he here? Why was he kissing her after being so adamant that this was never going to work? Why the hell was she questioning it instead of just going with it? That's what he did, what he always did— confused her! She wouldn't be able to take his rejection again… the humiliation.
This time, however, he wasn't pushing her away. He wasn't stopping her hands from tugging his shirt up and over his head. She allowed herself the freedom to feel the firmness of his bare chest, all the while he pulled at the knot on her robe. There was no going back, no escaping because even if he dare even think of bolting out the door, she wouldn't let him leave.
She could have stopped him at any time, she was strong and coherent enough to, but she didn't. There were moments in life that she would come to regret, but not this. Never this.
Her silk robe puddled on the floor, leaving her skin bare and wet for him. Even in the shadows, she was celestial. Her body was everything he had imagined and more, too perfect for his mortal eyes to bear. They fell on the bed, his solid weight pinning her down below him.
Words were hard at the moment, and he was asking— no, pleading with his brain to say the right thing for once.
"I missed you," he rasped into her throat, "I missed you so much."
His words rippled through her body, making fine bumps form on the surface of her skin. Had something ever felt this right? It was thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. She didn't ask for permission when her fingers fumbled with the button on his waistband or when they found entrance and grasped around the hard flesh inside. The air fled his lungs, his eyes trembling close as her touch consumed him. He was hers. She didn't know the power she held over him at that moment. He was vulnerable to her touch, the world around him stilling. This is what happiness was, this moment— with her.
His hands moved to explore the newly discovered territory, engraining the peaks and valleys of her body into his mind forever.
She was struggling to catch her breath, her chest heaving as she tried to wrap her head around the reality of this situation. This was happening… and it was perfect. When he descended down her body, she was confused, but when he hooked her legs over his shoulders, things became perfectly clear. The tickle of his hair against the inside of her thigh had her trembling then clutching at the sheets underneath her. Her knuckles turned bone-white at the first sweep of his tongue against her sensitive skin, a cloudiness filling behind fluttering eyes.
The quiver from her body startled her, and if that wasn't enough, the gasp from her lips added to it. All she could do was throw her head back into the mattress while a delicate hand gently fisted the dark tendrils on his head, holding him where she wanted. Her back arched the faster he moved, culminating in a vibration out her lungs.
She was divine— sweet, like fruit on a hot summer day… and it was going to be over far too fast. She tried to hold on, to make the moment last just a flick longer, but she couldn't, not when he was making the sounds of a starved man.
She saw herself by the edge of a building, looking down at the darkness of infinity. And as she jumped, she felt her release, and it was bright. A light that sparked to the tips of her fingers and toes.
"Tommy," Her breath hitched, stilling the movement of his head with her hands. The trembling thighs around his head caged him in until she came down from her high, a task that was slow and unexpected.
Her hand fell to his cheek when he looked up, her lips parted at the hunger behind his eyes.
He smiled before placing a gentle kiss to the palm of her delicate hand. Nothing had ever been this good. He'd tasted her passion and he would be forever addicted.
He found himself moving his way up her body, placing tender kisses as he did so, until he settled over her mouth and plunged his tongue between her lips, giving her a taste of herself. God, she loved that tongue. It was her. It was him. It was them. Their own personal flavor. One so intimate it was exclusive to them.
This is what he had been depriving himself of? This is what he had let himself imagine for the last ten years? His wildest fantasy paled in comparison. He could now see the vibrancy of her colors in a world that had always been so black and white.
He couldn't control the husky groan that escaped him when her goddess-like hand traveled between them and grasped him— all of him, his very heartbeat. She was his deity and he was her disciple. This was his awakening. There was nothing shy or coy about the way her hands moved. This was a woman on a mission, willing to do whatever it took to complete it.
Their breath synched at the first nudge at her soft opening, and then a gasp as he eased himself inside of her. This was it. What she's always wanted. What she's been craving for so long and he wasn't running away. He was hard where she was soft, he was big where she was tight. Had she ever been filled this way? Has her heart ever pounded so aggressively against her ribcage? This was Tommy. Always him. Only him.
The sheen on their body reflected in the moonlight, creating an incandescent glow. He moved slowly in an attempt to prolong the inevitable. It was too good for it to be over so fast, but the heat from her depths had his hips undulating to the beat of his heart. He couldn't stop, he couldn't slow…
Her nails bit at his back as he completed her time after time. What was there left to do but succumb? Release themselves to a journey of bliss in the night. The high pitched sounds coming from inside of her cheered him on, telling him that she was loving every second as much as he was. You don't race to the finish line with Kimberly Hart; You enjoy the chase of the high, live with the flooding of endorphins, feel the drumming of your heartbeat as you silently wish they add another lap.
However, nothing lasts forever. Even though you've had a steady pace, even though you've tried to prolong the inevitable for so long, the finish line comes into view and you sprint to the end.
Even now he was feeling himself on the brink of a heart attack, staring over the edge of a cliff… and he jumped. He was fearless, powerless, unprotected as he pulsed inside of her, giving her his heart, their euphoria raining down on them like confetti.
All he could do was tremble as he struggled to catch his breath. His forehead came to rest on hers, a smile echoed on both of their faces. What else could they say that a smile couldn't explain?
He'd finally done what he always wanted to do. His curiosity had been fulfilled, and it had been fucking awesome. The others before her were minimized— diminished to detours on his journey to her.
A moment later— a minute or two— he allowed himself to break the connection and roll off of her, his chest rising and falling in a slower rhythm.
Words. She needed words.
She bit at her lip, her toned legs brushing against each other, "That was… wow."
A smile tugged at his lip as he turned to face her. "Did I ever tell you how damn beautiful you are?"
"Once or twice," She returned, her voice velvet smooth.
"I definitely have to fix that," He kissed her that moment, his fingers entangling themselves in her damp hair.
His kiss was too good, too powerful for her to think straight, but she needed clarity. Gently, she pushed at his shoulder, just like he had done to her days earlier, "What are you doing here?"
There was no right answer.
"I missed you," He told her sincerely, "I've spent the last couple of days trying to forget the way you make me feel, but I can't."
"Yeah?"
"You're in my head all day, Kim. I've tried to convince myself that what I did was the right thing, but I always come to the conclusion that maybe I was wrong."
"And now?" She held her breath, awaiting his response.
"My life is still too complicated, but I want to be with you. I can't stand to be away from you."
She smiled when he brushed a kiss against her lips.
"I want to be with you too."
"I have to be honest, though," he sighed. "This doesn't change what I said earlier. I have to be Kylie's dad first. Do you understand that? That means that we have to take this slow, and I mean really slow. Kylie can't have another person walking out of her life."
"I know," Kimberly told him softly, "I get it. We should probably be careful around her."
"You're okay with that?"
"Of course," She nodded. "She's been through a lot."
His forehead pressed against hers, wanting to feel the heat radiating from her body. God, he was entranced by her. She made him feel like he was sixteen again and nothing else mattered, but something was nagging in the back of his mind. Something he had to get off his chest. Things couldn't move forward until he was completely honest.
"I have nothing more to give you than me and Kylie. Do you know how much I've struggled to realize that I can't be everything you want? I'm afraid to lose you. As a friend.. as more. You're everything to me, and Kylie adores you. I'd do anything for you, but," He took her hand in his, her petite fingers looking even smaller in his large hand. "I don't want to get married, Kim— I don't, it's that simple. You may think I'm the world's biggest jackass, but it's what I feel."
She didn't say anything, only letting the meaning of his words sink in. That was a dream she's had since she could remember. To be a wife to a man, to bear his children, to fill a home with memories.
"I can't have any more kids.." He told her, softly. It wasn't an I won't, I don't want to, or even not right now, but an I can't. What did that mean? "I made sure of it."
Made sure? As in permanent preventative measures? A vasectomy? The dreams of a future crumbled around her, but did that change anything?
Her lips parted, a question on the tip of her tongue, "You've had a—"
"—Yeah," He nodded, confirming her suspicion, "I have."
Her silence was loud, but he had to be honest. He couldn't give her what she wanted, but maybe he could be enough.
"I can't ask you to give up your dreams for me, Kim. I won't. If this is a dealbreaker then I understand, but I need to be honest with you."
That's what she always wanted from a relationship. Honesty. She'd searched in Florida for something real and meaningful but always ended up being burned. The only real time she had found that had been with Tommy. Their breakup had been more of a decision that came from the distance. They had been too young to deal with another stressor in their relationship, and rather than ruin their friendship, Kimberly broke it off. While it knocked Tommy on his ass at first, he saw it for what it really was and they were able to part with a mutual respect for each other. If they were being honest, they had other responsibilities that took priority than making a relationship work with thousands of miles in the middle. As adults, things were different.
She gave him a subtle smile, "I don't know what the future looks like, Tommy, but I still want to see where this goes."
"You do?" His brows raised. That wasn't the answer he had been expecting.
She leaned her head back into the mattress, fisting the sheets to her chest. "You're being honest with me and that's more than I've had in a really long time."
He'd almost wished she would say that he wasn't good enough for them to try. That way she wouldn't have to waste her chances on him.
"There are guys out there that can give you everything, Kim," He turned to face her. "You don't have to settle."
"Who's settling?" She told him, her tone warm and comforting.
"I just want you to know you have options. Once you realize I have nothing else to give you—"
"—and I'll still want you," She told him, cutting him off.
"You make me crazy."
"In a good way I hope," she smiled.
He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, gently lettings fingers brush the outline of her jaw, "In the best way."
His lips sought hers again in a deep kiss that melted away all of his insecurities. He couldn't fuck this up.
"I should probably go before Jason and Trini come back," He whispered reluctantly.
She reached out for him when he sat up, "I wish you didn't have to."
He returned a smile, "I'd want nothing more than to stay here all night with you, but I have to get back. My mom will send out the cavalry, but I'll see you tomorrow before you head out?"
Right. She had said she wasn't staying… but things were different now. She couldn't exactly leave after what happened. She didn't want to. Maybe they didn't have everything figured out, but it wouldn't make things easier by putting hundreds of miles between each other. Besides, she wanted to spend more time with Kylie. And if she was lucky, a repeat of what just happened with Tommy.
"I can stay for a few more days," She told him and he scooted closer to her.
He didn't attempt to hide his grin, "Really?"
She nodded, taking his hand in hers, "I've missed you too."
His heart skipped a beat and he couldn't do anything besides lower himself to her lips again. God, he had missed her so much. His bad week was coming to an end. He couldn't pry himself away from her and another part of his was starting to look for an encore performance.
If he didn't stop now, he wouldn't be able to contain himself. "You know, my guest room may be taken up tonight, but my bed is available. What do you say I sneak you in for old times sake."
"It's tempting," she gave him a seductive groan that had him seriously considering spending the night, "but doesn't entirely line up with taking things slow."
"Right," he closed his eyes, droppings head, "Well then, I guess we'll have to wait for tomorrow."
She crawled over to him before wrapping her arms around his neck, "Let's make it worth the wait."
When her lips met his again, he couldn't stop. He'd thought it. He'd said it. He'd warned himself. None of it mattered anymore. They couldn't wait. Who were they trying to fool?
Tommy drove back with one hand on the steering and the other on his chin, rubbing at the grin that couldn't be wiped away. Sure he was returning home a little later than he planned, but it was worth it. Kimberly took control the second time around while he obeyed her every command. Her beauty was indescribable. She knew just how to move her body. It was enough to drive him wild and he couldn't hold out long enough. He risked an accident every time he closed his eyes and pictured her straddling him, his hand running up all of the curves of her body. The sounds she made hummed in his ear, making him quiver. He hated to leave her at Jason's house, but he'd see her again in a few hours.
When he got home, he went straight into his bedroom and threw himself on the bed, just like he had done every single night that week. The bed was the same. The room was the same. The sheets were the same. It gave no indication that tonight wouldn't be another restless night… except for the first time, he actually slept.
Author note: Hey guys! New chapter! Let me know what you guys think! I'm super excited about this story. Much more to come soon! See you next time!