Maddie and chimney said: Also hi me again... madney... kinktober caressing ? or hands because I know you have the ability to either go full on soft or the other way and it'll be perfect either ? ﾟﾒﾕ?

A/N: I'm doing caressing this time :D I'll save hands for another day. Also I'm doing NaNoWriMo so every thing I'm writing I'm trying to get above 1,666 words (50,000/30=1,666) While Maddie is pregnant in this, please just ignore Covid precautions that would exist. I guess that means I'm doing this in a Covid free universe. Enjoy ~Meowser

His hand swept over her back, and Maddie fought a shiver. They were at the mall, since Maddie was trying to find a certain brand of pregnancy footwear, but it was to no avail.

"I really thought we'd find something," Howie said, his hands gently caressing her waist, his fingers stroking. "I'm sorry, I feel like this mall trip had the opposite results that we wanted. Your feet must be killing you."

"They're fine so far," Maddie said. "Isn't there one more shoe store?" She placed a hand on the wall, leaning a little since her back was bothering her. Howie's hand increased its pressure.

"Do you want to sit down?" He asked, voice low. "Find a massage chair?"

"I think I'm okay, just a little soreness in my back," she replied.

He raised eyebrows at her. "It's okay to admit it hurts," he said. "You always try to minimize and you don't have to."

She opened her mouth to protest, but realized that every word he'd said was true. It was a reflex from years of living with Doug. Every sentence and need was rephrased to make sure it would be the path of least resistance. She'd reworked every part of her life to make sure that Doug was comfortable, and it was hard to shake that instinct.

"I'd like to sit down," she admitted, and Howie's hand remained firm on her low back as they headed for some chairs. She sank down, exhaling, and he sat behind her. It was a halfback chair, leaving her lower back exposed, and Howie placed his hands there.

"I can rub there, if you'd like," he said, voice near her ear, and she nodded.

"That would feel good," she said, and Howie's hand started to move.

She sighed, wishing she could lean back in the seat. "I'm going to do what we should have done in the first place and check if this store carries that shoe before we go," she said. "That way maybe we can just go home after this."

"Whatever you want," Howie murmured, his hands moving in careful tandem over her low back. He dug in with his thumbs, and Maddie made a noise. "Did I press too hard?" He asked, instantly concerned, hands freezing.

"No, it felt good," she almost gasped. "It was the perfect pressure."

She could almost see the look on his face, though he was behind her. She could picture it perfectly: confusion, settling into understanding, which would quickly switch to a sly smile once he realized exactly how this was affecting her.

"So like this?" He asked, voice low and silken. His thumbs shifted almost imperceptibly lower, and moved in a circle, pressing harder.

She almost moaned. She knew he'd sensed her reaction, because he leaned forward, and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "I love you," he whispered near her ear, and nipped at her lobe before settling back in his seat.

"You're being naughty," she said, fighting to keep her voice low as his hands started moving again. "In public. That's not nice."

"It's a lot more than nice," he agreed, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Some people would call it cruel to tease your pregnant, hormonal wife like this," she continued.

"Mmhmm, and would you be one of these people?" He asked.

"That depends," she replied, and his hands paused.

"On what?"

"On what you plan on doing once we get to the car," she said, and now she had the upper hand.

He resumed his rubbing, and spoke in an even lower voice. "Well, I suppose what I do depends on what you want me to do," he said.

"Oh, does it?" She teased.

"So you could...tell me what you want me to do," he said boldly.

"I could," she replied.

"You going to?" He asked.

She leaned forward, and turned around on her chair. "This store is supposed to have the brand I want in stock," she said. "Let's go see, and maybe if you're lucky then I'll tell you."

He stood up, giving her a hand. Between her back and her pregnant stomach, standing up was getting harder these days. Her doctor had told her that she was definitely healthy "for a woman of your age" (Maddie had forced herself to not be insulted at that line) but to stay careful, and avoid strenuous activities.

It had definitely changed their sex life. With Howie, she'd been able to take a much more active role in the bedroom, but they'd had to readjust certain positions, and she'd had to dial it back. Just a notch or two.

Howie's hand remained on her low back, guiding her through the crowded mall, keeping her close to him. She loved the simple gesture, loved how it made her feel. It was odd, since Doug had done similar things in public. He'd always had to touch her, claim her, show her off...unless he was mad, because when he was mad he'd pick up the pace intentionally, leaving her almost running to keep up with him. Somehow, the way Howie touched her there felt entirely different, as was everything else about Howie Han. He was just different. In a good way. In the best way.

She stopped, and Howie stopped as well, his brow creased. "You okay?" He asked, moving closer, and Maddie carefully leaned up to kiss him. Kissing had also needed some adjustments in positioning as she got closer to her due date, but she always managed. Besides, she wasn't going to give up kissing her boyfriend.

The father of her child.

Her hands were on his shoulders, caressing lightly as she moved her lips against his. He kissed her back, until she was sighing, melting in his arms.

"You get that out of your system?" He teased, and she realized he had subtly moved them into a side pathway of the mall, a little out of view of most shoppers.

"Let's give it another try, see if that takes," she replied, and they kissed again. His hands were still on her back, wrapped around her, caressing her there.

She truly loved this man. She wanted to say it, she wished that those words came more easily, but when they pulled away, and she saw the look on Howie's face, she knew that he knew how she felt.

He gently touched her nose. "Boop," he whispered, and darted in for one more, brief kiss. "Come on, let's get these shoes and go home," he said.

They walked hand in hand now, he seemed to sense that his hand on her back was just slowing them up. They reached the store, it did have the brand, and Howie was soon bent in front of her, helping her put the new shoes on after they'd checked out and gotten the tags cut off. She almost gasped at the view, realizing that this was how a traditional marriage proposal went. He was on one knee.

She almost wanted to say it. She wanted to just say those words, ask if he was ready. She wanted to feel his arms around her again, feel his tears of joy wet her own cheeks.

He slid the shoe onto one foot, and then the other. She stood carefully, and felt a small measure of relief. These should do just fine.

His hand was on her back again as they left the mall, firm in place. She could feel that their pace had increased, and indeed, she wanted to hurry as well. She wanted to be back at the car, she was longing for the moment where he'd press her against it to steal one more kiss before they drove home. The traffic promised to suck, so she knew that the car kiss would have to last them awhile.

She wanted him. She wanted his touch all over her body, the way he caressed her drove her crazy.

She knew he would do everything just right, until she was almost aflame, crying out his name.

"Maddie, I can practically hear your thoughts, and they are downright killing me," he said, as they reached the car. Just as she'd thought, he pressed her against it, his gaze meeting hers.

"You started it," she said, licking her lips, and he playfully growled as he leaned in to steal a kiss. And this, this was what she'd been waiting her. The sweep of his lips over hers, how his hands moved over her body, the noise he made when she sucked at his tongue.

She couldn't wait until they got home, but she knew that car sex was out of the question at all times, but literally impossible now that she was pregnant.

This car ride was going to be torture.

They parted, panting, and Howie held open her car door, helping her in before going to his side. They'd taken her SUV, she didn't like the lower ride of his car now that she was this far along. Her knees just didn't like it.

He turned the car on, and her hand moved to his thigh as he backed out of the parking spot. "Maddie, you know that's dangerous," he murmured, and she reluctantly moved her hand back to her own lap. Once they were on the freeway, his hand followed her there, gently cupping her thigh. "You know I wish I could do a lot more than this right now," he murmured. Traffic was inching along, and his foot was on the brake. Maddie felt bold enough to turn in her seat, as best she could, and just look at him.

"This is just so good," she said. "This whole day. I live for these moments, the small ones. I live for how they make me feel, I love for the simplicity. I feel like I store up these moments, like I bottle them and save them for rainy days when you're at work and I'm alone."

"Maddie, you're never going to be alone," he whispered, his hand caressing her thigh. "I promise that."

She felt her eyes well up, and she nodded, lifting his hand to press it to her lips.

"And that's why you're the one for me," she whispered, wishing that she could say those three words, but they stuck in her throat, choking her.

As if he could read her mind, Howie rubbed up and down her thigh. "I know," he said. "I love you too."