A/N: After a long night, Katie always knows just what Ned needs… For context this is some time after everything that happened with Arrow, but before Asher is born. Enjoy! xx Mariah
Ages:
Ned - 27
Katie - 23
Katie's eyelids were just growing heavy when the sound of the mattress creaking and a muffled sound roused her from the brink of sleep. She blinked rapidly before she carefully tucked in her elbow, turning onto her side until she was staring straight at her husband.
From the slice of moonlight that filtered through the sheer curtains, she could barely make out Ned's silhouette. She wished she could open a window to ease the stuffiness that clung to the air of the room, but that wasn't an option since it was winter and snowing very harshly outside.
She rubbed her eyes and smiled at him. "Hey you," she whispered. "How was your shift?"
"Dead," Ned said and stretched his neck, stretching his arms above his head too. "It's always that way in a snowstorm, at least usually."
"Well, that's good… I already worry enough about you getting shot again." She met his eyes and she released a silent sigh of relief as he pulled her into his arms. Her body gave him warmth as the cold wind slapped against the glass. "You're freezing," she whispered to him. "Is the heater in your truck out or something?"
"It never warms up fast enough before I'm home." He sighed, shivering as he kissed her cheek. "I should probably get that looked at soon."
"Yeah, you should." She agreed with him and then leaned in to press a peck to his lips. "Well… goodnight love. I have a packed day tomorrow." She kept a straight face when he pouted at her.
He sighed and nodded. "Goodnight, baby," he said as he leaned in to kiss her again.
She turned back over not long after and pulled Ned's arms around her, nestling into his body. He kissed the back of her head, his smell overtaking her senses and her body melting into the feel of his behind her., but she needed to get her full eight hours of sleep to function tomorrow.
They both did, and she continued to remind herself of that until she fell asleep.
However, Ned continued to lie there, arms tucked around her body which was snug against him. All was quiet as he laid there for some amount of time, except for the soft sounds of Stitches occasionally in the hallway as the cat roamed about in the house.
When his eyes finally began to feel heavy and closed, his ears perked up when the sheets ruffled and he swore he heard a subdued moan as Katie's body gradually relaxed, sinking back into his arms. He laid there, silent for a few moments, his brow furrowed curiously before he reached out to gently caress her shoulder but stopped short when he thought better of it.
"Katie? Are you awake?" He asked.
There was no answer. The only movement was that of the steady rise and fall of her side as she slept. Whatever had just happened, he must have imagined it. She was obviously fast asleep.
He retracted his hand but continued to stare longingly at the back of her head. His eyes traveled down the twists and curves of her loose hair and his fingers itched to reach out and run it through his hands. He finally built up enough nerve to reach out and cautiously toy with the ends of her hair, winding the silky strands around his fingers.
She inhaled deeply before she released a long, drawn-out breath, the muscles of her back unwinding even more as though the weight of the world had just rolled off her shoulders in her sleep. His eyes traveled along the outline of her side, taking in the subtle dip when he reached her waist.
Even though she was wearing a thin nightgown and the sheet was resting just above her hip, the way the fabrics draped over her figure enhanced the slight curves she'd started to gain back since she'd lost so much weight after Charlie, causing himself to twitch.
Ned's hand trembled as he lifted it to ghost over the lines of her body, but he stopped himself again just before his fingertips made contact with her hip. He flexed his hand into a tight fist to prevent himself from the temptation before begrudgingly withdrawing it back to his side.
All he wanted to do was hold her, nothing more, but he wasn't sure if he'd wake her up doing so. He sighed wistfully and reached out to stroke her hair again, the only place on her body that he allowed himself to touch while she was asleep.
However, he sucked in a breath when she shifted, her body sliding across the mattress until she had laid herself against his chest. Beads of sweat began to form along his hairline and he clenched his jaw tight when her leg rested on top of him at the last moment.
He was certain she was toying with him when she lifted a hand to rest atop her thigh, certain that she'd wake at any moment, but when she finally settled and her body went still once again, he slowly released a ragged breath and brought his arm down to rest along her side.
This wasn't the first time she'd inadvertently touched him when she was asleep, he remembered on more than one occasion where he'd had to lay by himself to prevent himself from getting aroused.
However, once her breathing had returned to a steady, shallow rhythm, he began to shift her back onto her side, causing her hand to brush his crotch as he did so. He bit back a groan and then slowly exhaled before taking a series of slow calming breaths to rein in his rapidly beating heart.
He wasn't sure how long he waited, but it wasn't more than a minute. It felt like an eternity as his muscles began to ache from the tension.
Would she be mad if he woke her right now?
He inhaled sharply when she moved yet again, but this time she nuzzled her head beneath his chin until her forehead was resting against his chest. He almost lost it—in more ways than one—when she kicked a leg up to rest her knee along his outer thigh, causing her nightdress to glide up her smooth skin until it was barely covering her hips and backside.
Ned couldn't contain his moan though as he lifted his head and his eyes darted down between their bodies, almost certain that she wasn't wearing any underwear.
It was no use now, he thought.
Successfully extricating himself from her now was impossible, not that he really wanted to. His eyes screwed shut as he attempted to conjure up any and every vile imagine he could in hopes of willing away his now throbbing erection.
He was already halfway there by the time he recalled the memory of his festering bullet wound, one that was guaranteed to make him lose all sense of arousal, but his eyes flung open when he felt something graze against the front of his pants.
He hesitated for a moment before averting his eyes down to where he found the back of Katie's hand resting dangerously close to his crotch. All he had to do was move an inch closer and she'd be touching him.
He mentally cursed himself as he shook his head. What was he even thinking?
The urge to pound his head against the pillow out of frustration was overwhelming, but he couldn't chance it, not when her entire body was practically flush against him. His throat bobbed up and down slowly as he forced himself to swallow the invisible lump that had started to form.
At this point, no amount of will power was going to save him, and the incessant need to jut his hips forward to relieve the building tension was slowly killing him. However, he chastised himself at the selfish thought.
His breathing had increased dramatically so he focused first on getting it under control. He closed his eyes once again, but it was getting increasingly harder to ignore the now almost painful throbbing of his cock and the moisture that had begun to seep through the front of his pants.
Ned remained surprisingly still as his mind raged on with his inner turmoil, his fingers twitching with the need to just reach over and pull her closer to him, to buck his hips up against her thigh and feel the warmth that his body was desperately craving.
But when he felt the warmth of her hand slide down even further and grasp him, his eyes flew open and he moaned out loud, searching the room recklessly before settling his gaze atop her head. Then her hand began to move as she slid her palm up and down with slow deliberate strokes.
"K-Katie?" He pulled back slightly in search of her face, but her head was still tucked tightly into his chest away from view. But from the sound of her soft whimpers, he was certain she was awake. "Baby…wh-what are you doing?"
"You had a long day," she whispered, turning to look up at him. "You can't sleep."
"We both have to be up early for work tomorrow," he cleared his throat and his body shuddered as she squeezed his erection.
When her leg that was resting against his thigh curled in to pull his lower body closer, he cursed out loud. Her strokes began to increase in speed and he felt her lips press to his chest, her warm breath seeping through the fabric of his shirt.
His eyes screwed shut when her fingers curled and her teasing strokes turned more desperate, her fingertips raking across his bulge. The friction of the fabric against his sensitive skin was starting to get to him but he didn't dare say a word for fear that she'd stop if he did, that she'd come to her senses and leave him like this, wound up and unsatisfied.
However, all his concerns vanished when she gripped him firmly, making her intentions quite clear. There was no doubt in his mind; she knew exactly what she was doing. He looked down and let out a stifled groan when he caught sight of her nipples peeking out from beneath her nightdress. When he lifted his gaze to her face again, he was met with a pair of earnest yet determined eyes.
The feeling was overwhelming, way more intense than what he'd ever imagined her hand to feel like wrapped around him, but his face twisted in pain when her urgent tugs began to chaff. As if sensing his discomfort, she released him and he watched with rapt fascination as she brought her hand to her mouth.
Her tongue darted out as she lapped at her palm, generously coating it before delving back into the tent of his pants.
"Katie," he groaned, his eyes closing for a second. "Baby, that feels so... good."
He reopened his eyes as his hands slowly roamed over her nightgown, taking in the peaks and valleys beneath the fabric. He scrunched some in his hand and let out a sharp breath when her hands began to explore his back. He grew bolder at her touch, slipping his hand beneath the nightgown, pulling the flimsy straps down over her torso and pushing the soft material down to her hips.
She let out a soft moan and pulled him with her as she let him roll her onto her back. Her fingers tangled in his hair as he shifted slightly to slide off his pajama pants and felt his growing cock press against her, eliciting a soft gasp.
"Ned…" She whispered as he brushed his lips over hers again, bucking into her, pressing his erection into her thigh.
"You did this to me…" He groaned, kissing her neck and down to her chest as he worshipped her breasts as he confessed to her. "You little minx."
"Yes, yes," she mewled, her voice teasing him while his fingers caressed and touched her. "I did this to you."
Instinct took over and their bodies, soon slick with sweat, moved together. He met her with a thrust as he entered her, her hands going to his hair, grasping it enough to pull his mouth to hers. After kissing him he buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling. He quickly moved with her, her hips meeting him, ever so gently.
Everything else disappeared. There was only them. Katie and Ned. Together. As one.
Her nails dug into his back, bringing him back to reality, it enhanced the fact that there was nothing else in the world but them. She gasped his name as he sped up, thrusting deeper, and when she clenched around him it took everything within him to not spill inside her right there.
Moments later he finally did, after several moments of loud breathing, swallowing moans with kisses, gripping hands to enhance the tension and keep his momentum going, it was her chanting his name that did it for him. It was such a soft plea, almost like a prayer, as she said his name, over and over again, her breath tickling his ear.
He buried his face into her neck again, willing his energy to come back to him. He felt her body slowly start to relax, and then he gently pulled himself from her, ignoring the fact that it felt like he'd lost the other half of himself as he did so.
"Do you think you can fall asleep now?" She asked, running her hands over his face which was slick with sweat.
"Yeah, probably," he whispered, his voice hoarse. She ran her fingers through his hair, pushing a few of his damp locks off his forehead. His smile was threatening to split his face in half as he grabbed hold of her wrist to pull her down to him. "Come here. I want to sleep like this."
He opened his arms to her and she didn't hesitate to fall into them. As he wrapped his arms around her frame, she rested the side of her face against his still heaving chest, every inch of her body pressing into his. This time he didn't hesitate when he brought his hand to her head, tracing through her long flowing hair.
His movements stilled once his mind finally surfaced from his blissful daze. "Um, Katie?"
"Mmmhmm?" she mumbled, her voice hinting at the desire for sleep.
"Did I wake you because I didn't mean to…" He stuttered, hoping she'd catch on to his meaning.
She chuckled softly as she traced over his chest hair. "You didn't wake me… I mean, I felt you, but I was having a pretty sexy dream about you too."
His eyes widened. So he hadn't imagined things earlier. The rustling of the sheets and her quiet moans had definitely not been a nightmare. The mental image of Katie dreaming about him so heavily to the point of waking herself up just to be with him sent shivers down his spine and he could already sense the stirring of his cock again against his leg. Damn it. How was he supposed to fall asleep now?
"I was gawking over how sexy that nightgown you had on," he moaned, kissing her forehead. "You just looked so… so so good, Katie. Like you always do."
He could feel her smile against him as she chuckled again and she resumed tracing patterns onto the underside of his forearm. "I love you for finding me so sexy when I'm asleep like that. I drool and snore, but you still find me sexy," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest. "I hope you think of me like that when you're working late too." He nodded, agreeing with her as he looked down at her again, kissing the tip of her nose. She buried her face into his chest and inhaled deeply as she spoke, her words muffled slightly. "Oh, good...I think about you all the time when you're gone."
"Sometimes if I'm too tense and need to take a moment at work… I will take a look at those polaroids that you used to send me back when you lived in the city." He told her, a smug grin on his face. "And the ones from when I was in Georgia too."
"I didn't even know you still had those!" She exclaimed, laughing. "I'm glad you still put them to good use and they aren't just dusting away somewhere."
"You just look so good Katie, all the time." He groaned, kissing her lips. "Then and now."
"Thank you. It means a lot," she whispered before placing another chaste kiss to his chest, her body still draped on top of him. "I love you always. Goodnight."
A smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands finding a home at the small of her back. "Goodnight baby," he whispered before burying his face into her hair and kissing her head lightly. "I love you too." Pleasantly enough, sleep found him quite quickly after that.