Title: I'd Rather Be With You III: I Will Take Care Of You
Rating: PG, maybe bordering on PG-13
Spoilers: Takes place in between Dead Again and Insurrection, though nothing is mentioned from
DA, and only one little thing that happens in Insurrection is mentioned.
Archive: If you would like. Just let me know, please.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never have been. Never will be. Pity, though. I think they have more fun
with me.
Feedback: Since I'm in serious need of ego-strokage, I would totally appreciate it. Just hit
review, or email me if you want a response; starbuck_meggie@yahoo.com
John Carter is a god.
That's all there is to it.
I am positively goo in his hands right now. Literally.
I'm laying on my stomach right now in his bed like a blob of jello, moaning almost continuously.
The man has magic hands. They should be licensed as deadly weapons.
I swear, I think I've left my body several times over. Each time I leave, though, I beg to get back
in when I see how much fun I'm having.
I don't know what got into Carter tonight. I came home from work to find his apartment lit only
in candles. Soft music playing in the background. A heavenly scent wafting out of the kitchen.
Then he appeared in the doorway between the living room and kitchen. He was only wearing his
pajama pants and a tshirt, but he looked delicious. He walked over to me and kissed me hello, but
remained silent. Then he picked up a big bouquet of roses from the couch and handed them to
me. Red roses. Two dozen of them, to be exact.
I tried to ask him what was going on, but he wouldn't tell me. He just brought me into the
kitchen and sat me down at the table so he could serve me. I soon found out that the heavenly
smell was lasagna. Homemade lasagna. I don't think that we've ever cooked in the entire three
months we've been together. Not dinner, at least.
He really went all out, though. Everything was made from scratch, even the spaghetti sauce.
Well, he confessed to buying the garlic bread at the store, but I didn't really care. It was
completely amazing. I didn't know he could cook like this. Apparently, this is what happens
when he has a day off and I'm not around to keep him occupied. Not too shabby, if I say so
myself.
He wouldn't even let me help clear the table when we were done cooking. He made me go sit in
the living room while he loaded the dishwasher, and kept me waiting while he disappeared into
the bedroom. All the while, I was trying to figure out what was going on. I was mentally going
through the date in my mind, trying to remember if the date was significant to us or something. It
wasn't some kind of anniversary, it wasn't a birthday. I suppose he doesn't need a reason to cook
dinner, but it seems like there's got to be something going on.
I hadn't realized that I'd almost slipped into a post-dinner coma until he had my hand in his and
was trying to pull me to my feet. He practically had to carry me, but we finally made it to the
bedroom. Once I saw what was waiting for me, I was wide awake.
He really had gone all out. There were candles all over the place, flickering gently. Rose petals
covered the bed and the floor around it. It was completely incredible. The sight of it just took my
breath away.
I finally turned to him and said, "What's this all about?"
"Do I need a reason to pamper my girlfriend?"
"No, but...damn. This is amazing."
"We all deserve the royal treatment once in a while. And today, I just felt like taking care of you.
That okay?"
"It's more than okay. It's...it's...wow. I'm actually speechless right now. I have no words to
describe what this is. The best I can do is to say that it's perfect."
"It gets better, though. But you'll have to take off your clothes."
"Oh, that was subtle."
"I didn't mean for that. Take off your clothes, and you'll find out."
So, I stripped down, and he led me over to the bed, where he spread out a sheet on top of the
rose petals, then made me lay face down. When he didn't take off his own clothes, I began to
wonder. Then he straddled my thighs, and I really became curious. I was going to ask him what
he was doing, but I felt a warm pool of liquid land on my back, and he started to rub me in small,
slow circles.
"Full body massage, at your service," he whispered, then he really went to work on me.
Hence why I am now a puddle of goo. It just feels so out-of-this-world. I don't ever want him to
stop. Even if I died right now, I'd be the happiest woman on earth. Of course, the downside to
dying right now would be that I would miss the rest of this massage, so I hope I hold on for a
while longer.
"How are you feeling?" he asks quietly.
"Mmmm," I mumble.
He chuckles and says, "So good you can't even form words, huh?"
"Mmhmm." I don't think I could form words right now if my life depended on it.
He is such a wonderful man. I don't know what I ever did to deserve this, but I can only pray
that I keep doing it. How many women are lucky enough to come home from work to find that
her boyfriend has bought her roses, cooked her dinner, and then wants to give her a massage? I
think I may be in the minority of women who are that lucky. I mean, he even put a sheet on top
of the rose petals so they wouldn't stick to the oil slick that is now my body. How many guys
would think of that?
The main side effect from this massage, aside from becoming mush, is that my body is overly
sensitive to his touch. Everything from the tips of my toes to the roots of my hair. Even my teeth
are sensitive at this point. Anytime he touches me, I feel like I'm being set on fire–in a good way,
of course.
At that point, he leans up and plants a few small kisses on the back on my neck and between my
shoulder blades, then slides off of me and lays down beside me. I manage to pry my eyes open
and smile at him.
"Thank you," I mumble.
"You are more than welcome," he says, kissing the tip of my nose.
"Seriously, though, what was this all about? There's got to be some reason you got me this
relaxed. A big bombshell, perhaps? You're getting a sex-change operation."
"Nope. No ulterior motives. I just wanted to do something nice for you. Of course, it was nice
for me, too, because I got to put my hands all over your body."
I really want to know what I did to deserve this man. I mean, this has got to be the most amazing
thing anyone has ever done for me. In some respects, it's so simple, but at the same time, it
means so much. All he wanted to do was something nice for me. He doesn't want anything in
return; he just wants me to feel good. I feel good with him all the time, though. I just feel
exceptionally good right now.
I watch as he stands up and wonder where he's going. I don't wonder long because he only
moves around to my side of the bed. He slides one arm under me to lift me up a little, then uses
the other to slide the comforter and sheet down under me. Once he does that, he covers me up
and disappears again. I hear him blowing out candles in the living room, then he comes back to
me. I watch him strip down then slide into bed next to me. I use some of my slowly returning
energy to move closer and drape an arm over him. This feels perfect.
We're just relaxing together, not saying anything, really, but I can feel myself coming to life a
little more as each moment passes. I'd really like to return the favor, somehow, so I'm hoping he
doesn't fall asleep before I manage to regroup. Then I notice something strange about the sheets.
I manage to lift my head and look at him. "Satin sheets? You bought new sheets today, too?"
He gives me a cute little grin. "Yep. I thought they'd feel nice for what I had in mind. Do they?"
"They feel incredible. Thank you. God, when you decide to do something, you really don't fool
around, do you?"
"Why do something half-assed when you go all the way? If I'm going to pamper my girlfriend,
I'm going to pamper my girlfriend."
"You are the most amazing man on the planet, you know that?" I lean over and give him a big
kiss on the lips.
"Hey, I'm just trying to do what any guy would do for his favorite girl."
"Trust me, Carter. No guy would do this for any girl. At least no guys I know."
"Really?"
"Really. No one has ever done this for me, or for any of my friends. And believe me, this is the
kind of thing you tell your friends about."
"So does that mean Susan's going to hear all about it?"
"Probably. Maybe not all the details, but she'll have a good idea of what went on."
He groans a little. "You do realize that if you tell her about it, everyone in the ER will know by
the end of the day."
I shrug, then prop myself up on my elbow, more of my strength coming back to me. "I'm okay
with that. I have no problems with everyone knowing what a wonderful man you are."
He's silent for a moment. "Are you serious about other guys not doing things like this for their
girlfriends?"
"Completely serious."
He shakes his head. "I don't get it. Why wouldn't they want to do something like this once in a
while."
"Too much effort, I guess. It's been my experience that most guys are interested in what they'll
get from the evening, so if they're not on the receiving end of a wonderful dinner and full-body
massage, they're not going to bother."
"That makes absolutely no sense." He props himself up on his elbow, too, so he can look at me.
"Call me old-fashioned, but I kind of like taking care of the woman I'm with. Especially when she
works just as hard, if not harder, than I do. How can a guy not get something from a night like
this? Knowing that you've made someone happy should be enough."
"You're a dying breed, John. That's why you won't hear about many guys doing something like
this."
He lets out a little huff. "I'm almost ashamed to be a man."
"Don't be ashamed to be a man. Men are great. It's the 'boys' and 'guys' that you have to look
out for."
"I just like seeing you happy. And if something as simple as dinner and flowers and a massage can
do that, then by all means, that's what I'm going to do."
I lean over and kiss him. And kiss him. And kiss him some more. I know I keep saying this, but
he's just such an amazing man. Eventually, I release him and come up for air. "I'm happy. I'm
very, very happy. I'm so unbelievably happy that I found a man like you."
He picks up my hand kisses the palm. "I'm happy, too, Abby. So happy."
I don't think I can take much more of this before I start getting misty-eyed, so I lay down once
more, and he follows suit, pulling me close to him. We're both quiet for a while.
Finally, I remember something I wanted to tell him. "Oh, guess what?"
"What?"
"My brother called me at work. He's coming in for a visit in a couple of weeks."
"That's great," he tells me, and I can hear the smile in his voice. He knows how much I love my
little brother.
"I haven't seen him in forever. It'll be great to see him again."
"When did he get back from Saudi Arabia?"
"A couple of weeks ago. And he decided that first thing he wanted to do was visit his favorite
sister."
"Aren't you his only sister?"
"Don't ruin this for me," I say, poking his side playfully.
He pokes me back and says, "How long is he going to be in town."
"Don't know yet. Probably a few days. I told him we'd take him out to dinner or something."
"Sounds good to me. I guess this means you told him you have a significant other now."
"Yeah, I told him. He was pretty happy for me, especially when I said it was you."
"Me? Why me?"
"Because I've talked to him about you before and he kept telling me to, and this is a direct quote,
'tap that ass,' whatever that's supposed to mean."
He pulls away from me a little and looks at me. "What did you tell him about me?"
"Just general stuff. But I've been talking about you for a couple of years, and Eric's always been
able to read me pretty well. For the most part, though, he's just happy for me." I snuggle closer
to him once again.
"Well, I can't wait to meet him."
"I think you'll really like him. He's very easy to get along with, unlike his big sister."
"You're easy to get along with."
"No, I'm not. I can be, once you get to know me. But I come off as fairly unpleasant at first."
He shrugs. "If you say so. I've never had any trouble with you, though."
"That's because you're special."
"Riiiiiight."
"You are!"
"Oh, I know."
"And modest to boot."
He chuckles, then lowers his face to my neck and I begins to give me what I believe will turn out
to be a hicky. Apparently, he's in "mark my territory" mode. That's all right with me. Especially
since I'll turn around do the same exact thing to him.
"So, how are you feeling now?" he manages to ask.
"I'm feeling great," I answer, though it comes out sounding like a moan.
"Wanna feel even better?"
"You're going to massage me again?" I ask, teasing.
"Something like that. I'm hoping to rock your world in the process."
"My world has already been rocked by you."
"Let's see if we can shake it off it's axis then, shall we?"
I love it when he's in this kind of mood. For a few hours, his only goal in life is to please me. So
far, he has always managed to succeed. I have a feeling that it will never be too hard for him to
manage that, though.
Without me even noticing, he has shifted our bodies so that I'm on my back, and he is on top of
me, and he has begun to kiss every part of me that he can reach. It's like being massaged with his
lips. On one side of me, I have satin sheets, and on the other side, I have John Carter. What
more does a girl need?
I wrap my arms around him, and begin to kiss him everywhere I can reach, trying to return the
favor.
I love being with this man. Sometimes just thinking about him and the fact that I'm with him
sends chills up my spine. I really am incredibly lucky.
He's really making good on his idea to rock my world. I think the earth is moving. The angels
are weeping. The stars are dancing.
I really do think we manage to shake the world off its axis.
Rating: PG, maybe bordering on PG-13
Spoilers: Takes place in between Dead Again and Insurrection, though nothing is mentioned from
DA, and only one little thing that happens in Insurrection is mentioned.
Archive: If you would like. Just let me know, please.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never have been. Never will be. Pity, though. I think they have more fun
with me.
Feedback: Since I'm in serious need of ego-strokage, I would totally appreciate it. Just hit
review, or email me if you want a response; starbuck_meggie@yahoo.com
John Carter is a god.
That's all there is to it.
I am positively goo in his hands right now. Literally.
I'm laying on my stomach right now in his bed like a blob of jello, moaning almost continuously.
The man has magic hands. They should be licensed as deadly weapons.
I swear, I think I've left my body several times over. Each time I leave, though, I beg to get back
in when I see how much fun I'm having.
I don't know what got into Carter tonight. I came home from work to find his apartment lit only
in candles. Soft music playing in the background. A heavenly scent wafting out of the kitchen.
Then he appeared in the doorway between the living room and kitchen. He was only wearing his
pajama pants and a tshirt, but he looked delicious. He walked over to me and kissed me hello, but
remained silent. Then he picked up a big bouquet of roses from the couch and handed them to
me. Red roses. Two dozen of them, to be exact.
I tried to ask him what was going on, but he wouldn't tell me. He just brought me into the
kitchen and sat me down at the table so he could serve me. I soon found out that the heavenly
smell was lasagna. Homemade lasagna. I don't think that we've ever cooked in the entire three
months we've been together. Not dinner, at least.
He really went all out, though. Everything was made from scratch, even the spaghetti sauce.
Well, he confessed to buying the garlic bread at the store, but I didn't really care. It was
completely amazing. I didn't know he could cook like this. Apparently, this is what happens
when he has a day off and I'm not around to keep him occupied. Not too shabby, if I say so
myself.
He wouldn't even let me help clear the table when we were done cooking. He made me go sit in
the living room while he loaded the dishwasher, and kept me waiting while he disappeared into
the bedroom. All the while, I was trying to figure out what was going on. I was mentally going
through the date in my mind, trying to remember if the date was significant to us or something. It
wasn't some kind of anniversary, it wasn't a birthday. I suppose he doesn't need a reason to cook
dinner, but it seems like there's got to be something going on.
I hadn't realized that I'd almost slipped into a post-dinner coma until he had my hand in his and
was trying to pull me to my feet. He practically had to carry me, but we finally made it to the
bedroom. Once I saw what was waiting for me, I was wide awake.
He really had gone all out. There were candles all over the place, flickering gently. Rose petals
covered the bed and the floor around it. It was completely incredible. The sight of it just took my
breath away.
I finally turned to him and said, "What's this all about?"
"Do I need a reason to pamper my girlfriend?"
"No, but...damn. This is amazing."
"We all deserve the royal treatment once in a while. And today, I just felt like taking care of you.
That okay?"
"It's more than okay. It's...it's...wow. I'm actually speechless right now. I have no words to
describe what this is. The best I can do is to say that it's perfect."
"It gets better, though. But you'll have to take off your clothes."
"Oh, that was subtle."
"I didn't mean for that. Take off your clothes, and you'll find out."
So, I stripped down, and he led me over to the bed, where he spread out a sheet on top of the
rose petals, then made me lay face down. When he didn't take off his own clothes, I began to
wonder. Then he straddled my thighs, and I really became curious. I was going to ask him what
he was doing, but I felt a warm pool of liquid land on my back, and he started to rub me in small,
slow circles.
"Full body massage, at your service," he whispered, then he really went to work on me.
Hence why I am now a puddle of goo. It just feels so out-of-this-world. I don't ever want him to
stop. Even if I died right now, I'd be the happiest woman on earth. Of course, the downside to
dying right now would be that I would miss the rest of this massage, so I hope I hold on for a
while longer.
"How are you feeling?" he asks quietly.
"Mmmm," I mumble.
He chuckles and says, "So good you can't even form words, huh?"
"Mmhmm." I don't think I could form words right now if my life depended on it.
He is such a wonderful man. I don't know what I ever did to deserve this, but I can only pray
that I keep doing it. How many women are lucky enough to come home from work to find that
her boyfriend has bought her roses, cooked her dinner, and then wants to give her a massage? I
think I may be in the minority of women who are that lucky. I mean, he even put a sheet on top
of the rose petals so they wouldn't stick to the oil slick that is now my body. How many guys
would think of that?
The main side effect from this massage, aside from becoming mush, is that my body is overly
sensitive to his touch. Everything from the tips of my toes to the roots of my hair. Even my teeth
are sensitive at this point. Anytime he touches me, I feel like I'm being set on fire–in a good way,
of course.
At that point, he leans up and plants a few small kisses on the back on my neck and between my
shoulder blades, then slides off of me and lays down beside me. I manage to pry my eyes open
and smile at him.
"Thank you," I mumble.
"You are more than welcome," he says, kissing the tip of my nose.
"Seriously, though, what was this all about? There's got to be some reason you got me this
relaxed. A big bombshell, perhaps? You're getting a sex-change operation."
"Nope. No ulterior motives. I just wanted to do something nice for you. Of course, it was nice
for me, too, because I got to put my hands all over your body."
I really want to know what I did to deserve this man. I mean, this has got to be the most amazing
thing anyone has ever done for me. In some respects, it's so simple, but at the same time, it
means so much. All he wanted to do was something nice for me. He doesn't want anything in
return; he just wants me to feel good. I feel good with him all the time, though. I just feel
exceptionally good right now.
I watch as he stands up and wonder where he's going. I don't wonder long because he only
moves around to my side of the bed. He slides one arm under me to lift me up a little, then uses
the other to slide the comforter and sheet down under me. Once he does that, he covers me up
and disappears again. I hear him blowing out candles in the living room, then he comes back to
me. I watch him strip down then slide into bed next to me. I use some of my slowly returning
energy to move closer and drape an arm over him. This feels perfect.
We're just relaxing together, not saying anything, really, but I can feel myself coming to life a
little more as each moment passes. I'd really like to return the favor, somehow, so I'm hoping he
doesn't fall asleep before I manage to regroup. Then I notice something strange about the sheets.
I manage to lift my head and look at him. "Satin sheets? You bought new sheets today, too?"
He gives me a cute little grin. "Yep. I thought they'd feel nice for what I had in mind. Do they?"
"They feel incredible. Thank you. God, when you decide to do something, you really don't fool
around, do you?"
"Why do something half-assed when you go all the way? If I'm going to pamper my girlfriend,
I'm going to pamper my girlfriend."
"You are the most amazing man on the planet, you know that?" I lean over and give him a big
kiss on the lips.
"Hey, I'm just trying to do what any guy would do for his favorite girl."
"Trust me, Carter. No guy would do this for any girl. At least no guys I know."
"Really?"
"Really. No one has ever done this for me, or for any of my friends. And believe me, this is the
kind of thing you tell your friends about."
"So does that mean Susan's going to hear all about it?"
"Probably. Maybe not all the details, but she'll have a good idea of what went on."
He groans a little. "You do realize that if you tell her about it, everyone in the ER will know by
the end of the day."
I shrug, then prop myself up on my elbow, more of my strength coming back to me. "I'm okay
with that. I have no problems with everyone knowing what a wonderful man you are."
He's silent for a moment. "Are you serious about other guys not doing things like this for their
girlfriends?"
"Completely serious."
He shakes his head. "I don't get it. Why wouldn't they want to do something like this once in a
while."
"Too much effort, I guess. It's been my experience that most guys are interested in what they'll
get from the evening, so if they're not on the receiving end of a wonderful dinner and full-body
massage, they're not going to bother."
"That makes absolutely no sense." He props himself up on his elbow, too, so he can look at me.
"Call me old-fashioned, but I kind of like taking care of the woman I'm with. Especially when she
works just as hard, if not harder, than I do. How can a guy not get something from a night like
this? Knowing that you've made someone happy should be enough."
"You're a dying breed, John. That's why you won't hear about many guys doing something like
this."
He lets out a little huff. "I'm almost ashamed to be a man."
"Don't be ashamed to be a man. Men are great. It's the 'boys' and 'guys' that you have to look
out for."
"I just like seeing you happy. And if something as simple as dinner and flowers and a massage can
do that, then by all means, that's what I'm going to do."
I lean over and kiss him. And kiss him. And kiss him some more. I know I keep saying this, but
he's just such an amazing man. Eventually, I release him and come up for air. "I'm happy. I'm
very, very happy. I'm so unbelievably happy that I found a man like you."
He picks up my hand kisses the palm. "I'm happy, too, Abby. So happy."
I don't think I can take much more of this before I start getting misty-eyed, so I lay down once
more, and he follows suit, pulling me close to him. We're both quiet for a while.
Finally, I remember something I wanted to tell him. "Oh, guess what?"
"What?"
"My brother called me at work. He's coming in for a visit in a couple of weeks."
"That's great," he tells me, and I can hear the smile in his voice. He knows how much I love my
little brother.
"I haven't seen him in forever. It'll be great to see him again."
"When did he get back from Saudi Arabia?"
"A couple of weeks ago. And he decided that first thing he wanted to do was visit his favorite
sister."
"Aren't you his only sister?"
"Don't ruin this for me," I say, poking his side playfully.
He pokes me back and says, "How long is he going to be in town."
"Don't know yet. Probably a few days. I told him we'd take him out to dinner or something."
"Sounds good to me. I guess this means you told him you have a significant other now."
"Yeah, I told him. He was pretty happy for me, especially when I said it was you."
"Me? Why me?"
"Because I've talked to him about you before and he kept telling me to, and this is a direct quote,
'tap that ass,' whatever that's supposed to mean."
He pulls away from me a little and looks at me. "What did you tell him about me?"
"Just general stuff. But I've been talking about you for a couple of years, and Eric's always been
able to read me pretty well. For the most part, though, he's just happy for me." I snuggle closer
to him once again.
"Well, I can't wait to meet him."
"I think you'll really like him. He's very easy to get along with, unlike his big sister."
"You're easy to get along with."
"No, I'm not. I can be, once you get to know me. But I come off as fairly unpleasant at first."
He shrugs. "If you say so. I've never had any trouble with you, though."
"That's because you're special."
"Riiiiiight."
"You are!"
"Oh, I know."
"And modest to boot."
He chuckles, then lowers his face to my neck and I begins to give me what I believe will turn out
to be a hicky. Apparently, he's in "mark my territory" mode. That's all right with me. Especially
since I'll turn around do the same exact thing to him.
"So, how are you feeling now?" he manages to ask.
"I'm feeling great," I answer, though it comes out sounding like a moan.
"Wanna feel even better?"
"You're going to massage me again?" I ask, teasing.
"Something like that. I'm hoping to rock your world in the process."
"My world has already been rocked by you."
"Let's see if we can shake it off it's axis then, shall we?"
I love it when he's in this kind of mood. For a few hours, his only goal in life is to please me. So
far, he has always managed to succeed. I have a feeling that it will never be too hard for him to
manage that, though.
Without me even noticing, he has shifted our bodies so that I'm on my back, and he is on top of
me, and he has begun to kiss every part of me that he can reach. It's like being massaged with his
lips. On one side of me, I have satin sheets, and on the other side, I have John Carter. What
more does a girl need?
I wrap my arms around him, and begin to kiss him everywhere I can reach, trying to return the
favor.
I love being with this man. Sometimes just thinking about him and the fact that I'm with him
sends chills up my spine. I really am incredibly lucky.
He's really making good on his idea to rock my world. I think the earth is moving. The angels
are weeping. The stars are dancing.
I really do think we manage to shake the world off its axis.