Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or the characters.
~*In Between*~
Brennan stepped up to Shalimar's door and watched her for a moment. She was lying peacefully on her bed with her back to him. "Shal, you awake?" he asked softly, knocking gently on her doorframe.
She lifted her head from the pillow and turned toward him. "Yeah," They gazed at each other for a moment before Shalimar smiled and shook her head. "Did you need something?"
Brennan shrugged and stepped in. "No," he replied stepping up to her alcove and leaning against it. "I just wanted to check on you." He reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear but the movement and stretch in his arm caused him to wince.
"Brennan, are you ok?" she asked concerned.
"Yeah, my arms are sore, that's all. When I was connected to Jesse's mind we were hanging on a cliff and there was...lava below us. Jesse slipped a few times and I had to catch him. It put a lot of strain on both my arms."
Shalimar smiled and touched his shoulder gently. "Do you want me to give you a massage?"
Brennan looked at her wondering if she was serous and when he met her eyes he had his answer. "That sounds great." He watched as Shalimar climbed down out of her bed and walked over to her dresser.
"Take you're shirt off and climb up on the bed," she said pulling out a small oil bottle from her drawer.
Brennan smiled and went to unbutton his shirt. As he began to pull it back he stopped and groaned as the muscles and joints in his arms and shoulders burned with pain.
Shalimar shook her head and walked over to him. "Here," she slid her hands between the material and his shoulders then slowly slipped the shirt off of his arms.
A sly grin spread across Brennan's face. "Is there anything else I should get you to help me take off?" He laughed as she shook her head and pushed him toward the bed. Brennan made his painful ascent and then lay down on his stomach, relaxing his entire body. He smiled to himself as Shalimar's beautiful scent suddenly filled the air around him.
Shalimar climbed up into the bed and straddled over Brennan's lower back. She poured a little bit of the oil into her hands and then started rubbing his shoulders.
Brennan groaned as her small palms pressed into his aching muscles. She massaged in small circles at first and then stroked down the rest of his back. Soft moans escaped his grip as her fingers dug into tight muscles. Shalimar smiled as she ran her hands down his back again. "That feel good?"
Brennan sighed and gave her a lazy half moan as he pried an eye open. "That's incredible, Shal."
"Feeling better or should I keep going?"
Brennan turned under her and gave her a mischievous smile. "I think my chest and stomach are sore now."
Shalimar rolled her eyes and climbed off of him, lying down next to him on the bed. She watched him carefully, studying him, taking him in. He was so peaceful and relaxed and so...HOT.
He took a deep breath and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Goodnight, Shal," Leaning down he placed a gentile kiss on her forehead.
"Brenn, wait," she took his arm holding him back. "You were so relaxed, you don't have to go. Stay with me tonight."
"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded and he didn't hesitate to lay back down with her.
Shalimar moved into his arms and pulled the blanket over them, before resting her head on his shoulder.
"Hey Shal," he called as he began to stroke her back.
"Hmm?" She mumbled.
"Thank you, for the massage."
She smiled and lifted her head to kiss his cheek. "Anytime,"
Brennan caught her chin before she had a chance to lower it again and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Shalimar froze for a moment shocked, but then gradually eased into his kiss.
"I love you," he whispered.
She blushed and smiled. "I love you, too,"
After one more kiss they relaxed in each other's arms and fell into peaceful dreams.
Lexa smiled as she saw Jesse wheel himself into his room. Walking over to his door she watched as he struggled to lift himself from the wheelchair into his bed. "Want some help?"
Jesse relaxed back in the chair and looked over at her as she came toward him.
Lexa smiled warmly and held out her hand. He looked up at her and then at her small hand, before taking it and letting her help him up. Lexa took his arms and eased him down before taking a seat beside him as he pulled the covers over his legs. He smiled and tugged on her hand as he patted a spot on the bed beside himself. "Come here,"
Lexa smiled and scooted up to his side.
"I embarrassed you in front of Brennan and Shalimar..."
Lexa looked down and shrugged, "Yeah, a little."
"Ya know, while Brennan was in my mind, he told me to think of reasons why I wanted to live. He told me to think the people that I loved." He paused. "The only person I could think about was you."
She just looked down.
He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against her fingers. "I think it's time we stopped dancing around our feelings, Lex. I meant every word of what I said. You're the reason I wanted to live and I'm tired of living without you." Caressing her neck with his other hand, he slowly pulled her toward him as he gazed into her eyes. He watched and waited for any sign to show her disapproval. Not getting any, he stopped mere inches from her. "Lexa Pierce, I love you," he whispered before pressing his lips to hers. When he felt her begin to respond to his kiss he quickly deepened it to prove the truth behind his words. Silently wincing and cursing his injury, he held her as tight as he could and let his actions speak to her.
When she finally moved away from him she remained silent for a moment to catch her breath. Then looking into his eyes she spoke, "Jess, I'm not...," Her voice was ragged and broken.
"Don't try to tell me you don't feel the same. I know you do. You can't keep shutting me out. I won't let you." Jesse's gaze froze her.
"This isn't what I want."
"Yes, it is. You couldn't have kissed me back like that if that wasn't what you wanted. Lexa, I love you and I want you. I want you to be with me from now on. Don't turn me down. I know you want this. You just have to give yourself the chance to realize it instead of immediately putting up your defenses." He watched as questions flashed in her eyes. "Stay with me, tonight." His voice was low and steady. "We don't have to do anything. Just let me hold you. Let me show you what it feels like to be with me."
Lexa gazed into his eyes, not being able to move, as her mind fought with her heart. She bit her bottom lip and hesitantly settled herself into his arms. Jesse smiled, but he could feel how tense she was. "Lexa, don't you trust me? What else can I do to convince you that you mean everything to me?"
She looked up at him and the rested her head on his shoulder. "Jesse, I do trust you, I just...I just don't wanna get hurt."
"Lexa," He lifted her chin so that their eyes would meet. "I would NEVER hurt you,"
She nodded and wrapped her arms around him, being careful not to hurt him. "I know,"
"Then relax, Lexa." He said gently stroking her hair.
Taking a deep breath she dropped every defense and let herself completely relax in his arms. "Hey, Jesse?"
"Yeah?"
"I uhh..." She looked up meeting his soft gaze. "I love you, too," It shocked her when the words fell so easily from her lips. They hadn't caused her any excruciating pain or brought on the end of the world, they were just...sweet.
He smiled and leaned down to place a gentile kiss on her lips. "Goodnight, Lexa."
She smiled and snuggled against him. "Goodnight, Jess."
He kissed her head and then reached over to turn the light off, before closing his eyes and falling asleep beside her.
~*~*Here it is just as I promised. Hope you liked it!*~*~
~*In Between*~
Brennan stepped up to Shalimar's door and watched her for a moment. She was lying peacefully on her bed with her back to him. "Shal, you awake?" he asked softly, knocking gently on her doorframe.
She lifted her head from the pillow and turned toward him. "Yeah," They gazed at each other for a moment before Shalimar smiled and shook her head. "Did you need something?"
Brennan shrugged and stepped in. "No," he replied stepping up to her alcove and leaning against it. "I just wanted to check on you." He reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear but the movement and stretch in his arm caused him to wince.
"Brennan, are you ok?" she asked concerned.
"Yeah, my arms are sore, that's all. When I was connected to Jesse's mind we were hanging on a cliff and there was...lava below us. Jesse slipped a few times and I had to catch him. It put a lot of strain on both my arms."
Shalimar smiled and touched his shoulder gently. "Do you want me to give you a massage?"
Brennan looked at her wondering if she was serous and when he met her eyes he had his answer. "That sounds great." He watched as Shalimar climbed down out of her bed and walked over to her dresser.
"Take you're shirt off and climb up on the bed," she said pulling out a small oil bottle from her drawer.
Brennan smiled and went to unbutton his shirt. As he began to pull it back he stopped and groaned as the muscles and joints in his arms and shoulders burned with pain.
Shalimar shook her head and walked over to him. "Here," she slid her hands between the material and his shoulders then slowly slipped the shirt off of his arms.
A sly grin spread across Brennan's face. "Is there anything else I should get you to help me take off?" He laughed as she shook her head and pushed him toward the bed. Brennan made his painful ascent and then lay down on his stomach, relaxing his entire body. He smiled to himself as Shalimar's beautiful scent suddenly filled the air around him.
Shalimar climbed up into the bed and straddled over Brennan's lower back. She poured a little bit of the oil into her hands and then started rubbing his shoulders.
Brennan groaned as her small palms pressed into his aching muscles. She massaged in small circles at first and then stroked down the rest of his back. Soft moans escaped his grip as her fingers dug into tight muscles. Shalimar smiled as she ran her hands down his back again. "That feel good?"
Brennan sighed and gave her a lazy half moan as he pried an eye open. "That's incredible, Shal."
"Feeling better or should I keep going?"
Brennan turned under her and gave her a mischievous smile. "I think my chest and stomach are sore now."
Shalimar rolled her eyes and climbed off of him, lying down next to him on the bed. She watched him carefully, studying him, taking him in. He was so peaceful and relaxed and so...HOT.
He took a deep breath and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Goodnight, Shal," Leaning down he placed a gentile kiss on her forehead.
"Brenn, wait," she took his arm holding him back. "You were so relaxed, you don't have to go. Stay with me tonight."
"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded and he didn't hesitate to lay back down with her.
Shalimar moved into his arms and pulled the blanket over them, before resting her head on his shoulder.
"Hey Shal," he called as he began to stroke her back.
"Hmm?" She mumbled.
"Thank you, for the massage."
She smiled and lifted her head to kiss his cheek. "Anytime,"
Brennan caught her chin before she had a chance to lower it again and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Shalimar froze for a moment shocked, but then gradually eased into his kiss.
"I love you," he whispered.
She blushed and smiled. "I love you, too,"
After one more kiss they relaxed in each other's arms and fell into peaceful dreams.
Lexa smiled as she saw Jesse wheel himself into his room. Walking over to his door she watched as he struggled to lift himself from the wheelchair into his bed. "Want some help?"
Jesse relaxed back in the chair and looked over at her as she came toward him.
Lexa smiled warmly and held out her hand. He looked up at her and then at her small hand, before taking it and letting her help him up. Lexa took his arms and eased him down before taking a seat beside him as he pulled the covers over his legs. He smiled and tugged on her hand as he patted a spot on the bed beside himself. "Come here,"
Lexa smiled and scooted up to his side.
"I embarrassed you in front of Brennan and Shalimar..."
Lexa looked down and shrugged, "Yeah, a little."
"Ya know, while Brennan was in my mind, he told me to think of reasons why I wanted to live. He told me to think the people that I loved." He paused. "The only person I could think about was you."
She just looked down.
He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against her fingers. "I think it's time we stopped dancing around our feelings, Lex. I meant every word of what I said. You're the reason I wanted to live and I'm tired of living without you." Caressing her neck with his other hand, he slowly pulled her toward him as he gazed into her eyes. He watched and waited for any sign to show her disapproval. Not getting any, he stopped mere inches from her. "Lexa Pierce, I love you," he whispered before pressing his lips to hers. When he felt her begin to respond to his kiss he quickly deepened it to prove the truth behind his words. Silently wincing and cursing his injury, he held her as tight as he could and let his actions speak to her.
When she finally moved away from him she remained silent for a moment to catch her breath. Then looking into his eyes she spoke, "Jess, I'm not...," Her voice was ragged and broken.
"Don't try to tell me you don't feel the same. I know you do. You can't keep shutting me out. I won't let you." Jesse's gaze froze her.
"This isn't what I want."
"Yes, it is. You couldn't have kissed me back like that if that wasn't what you wanted. Lexa, I love you and I want you. I want you to be with me from now on. Don't turn me down. I know you want this. You just have to give yourself the chance to realize it instead of immediately putting up your defenses." He watched as questions flashed in her eyes. "Stay with me, tonight." His voice was low and steady. "We don't have to do anything. Just let me hold you. Let me show you what it feels like to be with me."
Lexa gazed into his eyes, not being able to move, as her mind fought with her heart. She bit her bottom lip and hesitantly settled herself into his arms. Jesse smiled, but he could feel how tense she was. "Lexa, don't you trust me? What else can I do to convince you that you mean everything to me?"
She looked up at him and the rested her head on his shoulder. "Jesse, I do trust you, I just...I just don't wanna get hurt."
"Lexa," He lifted her chin so that their eyes would meet. "I would NEVER hurt you,"
She nodded and wrapped her arms around him, being careful not to hurt him. "I know,"
"Then relax, Lexa." He said gently stroking her hair.
Taking a deep breath she dropped every defense and let herself completely relax in his arms. "Hey, Jesse?"
"Yeah?"
"I uhh..." She looked up meeting his soft gaze. "I love you, too," It shocked her when the words fell so easily from her lips. They hadn't caused her any excruciating pain or brought on the end of the world, they were just...sweet.
He smiled and leaned down to place a gentile kiss on her lips. "Goodnight, Lexa."
She smiled and snuggled against him. "Goodnight, Jess."
He kissed her head and then reached over to turn the light off, before closing his eyes and falling asleep beside her.
~*~*Here it is just as I promised. Hope you liked it!*~*~