Disclaimer: I own nothing, don't sue.

Fandom: One Life to Live

Characters: John McBain and Natalie Vega

Spoilers/Timeline: A few months after the prison riot.

Changes to Storyline: Evangeline did not tell Natalie, John did when he got out of the prison.

Author's Notes: I very seriously doubted I could do the dress justice with my description, here is a picture of it http/ John proves his love…

Title: You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This

John silently walked into the empty room, glancing down at his watch. He was just a few minutes late, so where was Natalie? He shook his head, going to pull a chair off the table and sitting down. He still couldn't believe his luck. After a month of refusing to have anything to do with him or Cristian, Natalie had finally contacted them both, announcing that she was going to give each of them one night to convince her why she should choose them. Cristian had begun arguing, but John had immediately started planning his night. He wanted it all to go perfectly, and now when she got there his plan would finally be set into motion.

As if on cue, Natalie opened the door and walked in. John inhaled sharply as he ran his eyes over her body appreciatively. He'd refused to release any information to her except that it would be just the two of them, the location, and that she should dress to play pool and dance. He smiled as he drank in her beauty.

Natalie smiled as she watched John's face light up as he took her in, and was suddenly glad she had agreed to let her twin dress her. She'd been set to wear blue jeans and a T-shirt, but Jessica had been horrified at the thought. "Natalie, even if it is just you and him you should dress like there's gonna be a roomful of people." "Why the hell should I dress for him?" she'd argued back. Jessica had smirked at her. "To show him what he'll be missing if he screws this up, duh!" She'd rolled her eyes at her twin's naivete and Natalie had grinned. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get me fixed up."

Returning to the present, she fingered the folds of the gown of soft red silk she wore lovingly, gaining a bit of assurance from the rich texture. She still couldn't remember how the dress had come into her possession, but the instant Jess had seen it in her closet she had told Natalie she had to wear it. She hadn't argued, especially not after putting it on. It truly made her feel like a princess, and she knew that it was just the right dress for the occasion. Her hair was swept into an elegant bun with just a few tendrils curling around her face.

She walked slowly towards the table, coming to a stop right in front of John. She slowly twirled around so he could see the full dress. "Do I pass inspection?" she asked jokingly. He stood to his feet, taking her into his arms. "Oh, you pass with flying colors." Feeling her stiffen under his touch he released her quickly, trying not to show his hurt. She smiled gently at him before taking a deliberate step forward back into his arms, sighing softly as she lay her head on his chest.

John sighed as he buried his face in her hair. "God I've missed this," she whispered. Suddenly remembering what they were there for, he gently pushed her away. Seeing the confusion in her eyes he brushed a kiss across her lips. "I ain't letting you go, just gonna make sure my evening goes off without a hitch. You deserve it." He caressed her cheek with his thumb before disappearing out of sight. A moment later soft country music began to play and Natalie smiled in recognition even as the lights dimmed, giving the room a dreamy quality as "You Shouldn't Kiss Me Like This" by Toby Keith began to play...

John appeared again, looking even more handsome in his tuxedo in the dimly lit room. He slowly walked over to the table and held his hand out. "May I have this dance?" She met his eyes as she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to his chest. She moved back so she could keep looking into his gorgeous eyes. "I can't believe you remembered," she whispered softly. "How could I forget?" he replied. Natalie closed her eyes as she remembered….

Natalie and John had been getting ready for bed when she'd walked over to the radio. "I've got an idea." He grinned at the mischievous gleam in her eye as she turned the radio on, slipping a CD from her bag into the CD player. Pushing play, she slowly began to dance to the music. As the song played, John took the hint and moved to take her into his arms. As Toby Keith sang the chorus he kissed her deeply, pulling her to him closer as they molded together.

As they danced, John took a chance and leaned down to kiss her. Natalie returned the kiss with equal ardor, opening her mouth to his. As their tongues mated it elicited a soft moan from both. Natalie relaxed into his body, loving how perfectly they (and their bodies) fit together.

Pulling back, John gently moved a lock of her fiery hair from her forehead. "Natalie, does this mean—" His voice broke as her eyes opened to meet his. He was scared of what he would find in their amazing depths, but he had to know the truth. "Natalie, does this mean that we have a chance?" She smiled and stood up on her tiptoes to give him a short kiss. "Does that answer your question?"

He smiled as he led her back to the table. "Yes." He couldn't resist stealing another kiss as he pulled the chair out, allowing her to sit before pushing it in. "I'll be right back." Natalie smiled as the song kept repeating in the background, it really had been the perfect choice to make her remember how wonderful everything had been with him. She sighed as she rested her chin on her hands. Maybe telling Cristian that she couldn't be his wife anymore hadn't been such a bad thing…

Suddenly John came back, his hands behind his back. Natalie laughed at the expression on his face. He looked as excited as a little boy on Christmas day. Reaching the table, he revealed his hidden treasure: a vase with three perfect red roses. Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. "God, I can't believe you remember all of this." He smiled as he gently wiped her eyes with his thumb. "I remember a lot more."

She shrieked and giggled as he picked her up, carrying her into yet another part of the bar. "Where did you find this place anyway?" she asked as he set her down in front of a pool table. He stole yet another kiss as he took down the cue-sticks. "Well, I used to shoot pool here until I met you. Then Rodi's became where I played my pool." She looked around the huge facility and smiled. "Well, I assume it wasn't the quality of the establishment." He grinned. "Nah, more the company."

An hour later, Nat was leading with a 3-2 win ratio. "When you gonna give up this dream of beating me McBain? You know it won't happen." He smirked at her as he aimed for the eight ball, laughing when it went in and the confident smirk on Nat's face slowly disappeared. "Up for a tie-breaker or are you satisfied with the tie?" He grinned as the old familiar determination entered her eyes. "Hell no. I'm gonna beat you fair and square."

When they finally finished, Natalie was still the pool champion of Llanview and John was shaking his head in amazement. "Damn, I knew you were good but to get four in at once—and then make the eight ball in. That beats all I've ever seen." She smiled perkily at him. "Well, what can I say? I'm an original." He crushed her against his chest. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

His lips crashed down on hers, and Natalie smiled at the familiar taste of him. As they broke apart, both breathing heavily, John grinned. "I love you, Natalie." A soft gasp escaped her lips as her eyes filled with tears again. "Damn I'm glad I didn't wear mascara," she cried, swiping at her eyes. John gently touched her cheek and as the tears splashed down her face Natalie's eyes met his. "I love you too, John." She leaned up and kissed him softly.

FIN