A/N: Won't keep you waiting for much longer, but just as a warning here: there is sexual content contained in this chapter. (I've finally justified giving the story a M-rating).
"Where were we earlier?"
The question lingered in the air between them for a moment.
Either making an innocent note of his tired forgetfulness, or... making a small claim to the damage done to his short-term memory.
It only took a few seconds before he cleared up the debate between the two though.
"Oh..."
And if there had been any hint of surprise in Joseph's voice, it wasn't obviously present- although that wasn't to say that it wasn't still there. He made good on his ability to withhold reactions, and... it didn't help that he was probably still feeling a little bashful about their failed attempt before.
"It's just a thought," Juli offered, as she leaned back in his arms- feeling the way he had to press his hands more prominently against her back to keep a hold on her. "Would it really kill you to let me have one night where you're not up working with Myra instead?"
The words were meant as a tease, just something to lighten the mood with- and considering the immediate unamused look Joseph shot her in return, Juli took it that he knew she meant well. That didn't mean he had to appreciate her joke though.
Which she found out when she leaned in to kiss him, as a small apology- only to have him twist slightly out of her reach.
"Oh come on," she insisted, "that was a little funny."
"You know, if you're trying to persuade me into something, especially with what you're propositioning, you're not doing that great of a job of it," Joseph replied. Although the slight twitching on the corners of his lips said that he might've reluctantly agreed with her to a small degree.
Work seemed to be a calming catalyst for both him and Myra.
From time to time, the two seemed to dread sleep, or any sort of social interaction, so they busied and distracted themselves with the work that had piled up around the department. All of which Juli couldn't blame them for doing. After the hell the both of them had gone through, even if Myra didn't remember a lot of it, any little distraction was good enough. Anything that would keep their minds focusing on something other than the scratching on the insides of their skulls, was good enough.
If she and Sebastian weren't around to remind them that they were still human, and still needed basic things to survive, the two probably would've had every case in Krimson City solved by now. But that was only if the extensive fatigue and exhaustion, not to mention the nightmares, and relapses, didn't kill them first.
And Joseph was aware of it.
He knew that sometimes his work ethic went a little too far- and at the cost of his own health. But the acknowledgement of it did little to deter him still. He had a lot of things he didn't want to think about, didn't want to remember...
Juli tried not to get in his way too often, but in a case like this, she needed to. She couldn't have him cementing himself to the front of his computer screen, glued to the phone as he and Myra talked details back and forth, and back and forth.
She and Sebastian didn't exactly escape unscathed either, but they found their distractions in focusing on Joseph and Myra.
She found her distractions in distracting him.
So it was a win-win for the both of them in some ways.
Although, Juli had to admit that this was the first time she had tried out this form of distraction on him. It had benefitted them earlier that day, so she couldn't see why it would hurt to try and do it again. Maybe with a little more success this time around.
And from what she could tell, she had gotten Joseph intrigued on the idea so far- which was a step in the right direction for now.
"Never really was good with words," Juli reminded. "Maybe you should just let me show you instead."
Despite such, her words were enough to draw a quiet laugh from his lips- a heavenly kind of sound given the circumstances. It was good to hear him laugh again; it was good to see him smile, to see him express any sort of emotion really. Even if it was at her own expense. And maybe she was acting a little off, a little out of character for herself, but if it was for his own sake, than so be it. The least she could do was keep him alive.
Keep him happy for however long she could before STEM ripped him away from her again.
She needed to hold onto these memories- needed to pack them in tight and use them as warmth on the bad days.
Leaning into him again, Joseph didn't pull away this time and allowed her to settle a short kiss on him. Her hands moved to cup his jaw as she trailed loose, fluttered embraces against him. She drew in his heat against her lips, and she felt the warming sensation run like a chill throughout her body as fingers curled against his skin. Juli felt one of his hands slide up along her back, curling against the back of her shoulder as he returned the embrace.
She felt him counter each one of her kisses with his own- softly peppering her lips just slightly off-tempo to her own.
And she wanted to pull him in closer, draw him into her and only her- but she had a point to make here.
"How's that for a persuasive argument?" Juli mused, as one hand drifted to the back of his neck, before she ran her fingers up through his still damp hair. Her lips still brushed against his with every word, with every syllable- creating more short, makeshift kisses between them.
"It's uh... it's an improvement," Joseph replied, pulling away just enough to break their connection, before he brushed his lips against her forehead instead. And Juli had to admit that it felt just as intimate as their work before, as she felt him pull his arm around her waist- pulling her hips in against his own. "If you think the risk is worth taking-"
"Believe me, I have been in riskier situations," she reminded. "And I have done stupider things in said situations- I think we're both well aware of that."
He spared her with a brief chuckle, before he dropped his lips back onto hers- this time holding onto her for longer than just a fluttered expression. He kissed her with warmth and heat on his lips, sharing it with her, and reminding her of their previous escapade. It gave her hope that burned like a kindling in her stomach that this time would indeed turn out far more successful- not that that was the whole point to this excursion.
"Alright..." a quiet, reserved sound of agreement that was murmured between them.
Juli wasted no time in kissing him again- at moving her hands to curl and bundle his shirt between her fingers as she made the motion to remove it. She enjoyed the warmth of his skin, and the memories of having it pressed up against her before were still raw and new; she wanted to recreate that feeling- that moment of skin on skin. She wanted to be able to feel every breath underneath her hands, a subtle reminder that he was still alive and still fighting.
But his hands slightly fought her on the motion as he covered her own and held them in place.
"Not in front of the windows," Joseph objected, before adding. "I still can't look at my neighbors after the last time."
Juli tried to bite back a laugh, but partly failed herself in doing so- and resorted to using his lips to slightly muffle the sound. "In my defense, I didn't realize how great of a view they got from their balcony," she whispered, as she pulled her hands free from underneath his and moved them to his chest. With a little bit of force, she gradually began to push him back towards his room. "That does explain why they won't look at me either whenever I come over."
"Yeah well... they probably weren't expecting to come home and see something they clearly weren't supposed to in clear line of sight from their back door," he continued, taking a moment to gain his footing, before he walked backwards along with her guiding. "Which, might I remind, was your idea."
"I didn't know you lived behind a couple of peeping toms," she insisted.
Honestly, there was nothing quite like having a romantic moment ruined by some neighbors who just couldn't stay inside their house for a few minutes longer.
The infamous incident had happened well over a few months ago, so Juli didn't see why these people were still acting like it was some big deal. She guessed they just weren't expecting to come home and see the mild-mannered Detective who lived behind them... engaging in a very natural act with his partner from work. It wasn't like they were doing anything crazy either- and yet it still somehow left a lasting impression on his neighbors.
"You still owe me a new chair by the way."
Juli managed to get the both of them through the short corridor behind them, and back into his bedroom without issue. Although they both had to navigate somewhat erratically around his bed to avoid bruised, and pained shins, or broken toes. "You have to bring that up now?" she asked, as she grabbed the corner of the footboard with one hand and used it as a reference to steer them around his bed.
The moment she felt the wrinkled comforter at her feet, she grabbed him by the waist and slowly eased the both of them down onto the floor; she used the thick blanket to protect them from the cold flooring this time.
Sure, they probably could have hastily thrown everything back onto the bed like she had considered doing earlier- but it was hardly worth it at this point.
It wouldn't be the first time they were on the floor anyways.
She was careful as she pressed him down onto his bruised back, and then slowly settled herself against his waist.
"It's been two months, and I'm still missing one," Joseph reminded.
Juli's hands pressed loosely against his chest, feeling her palms lift with every steady breath that escaped him. And this was the sensation she had been seeking out before; it gave her assurance, gave her security in the palms of her hands. Told her that despite everything behind them, there was still a present- still a future. "If I get you a new chair, will you let it go?"
"That's really the whole point of this conversation."
She frowned, and shot him an exasperated look as she pressed her hands a little more firmly against his chest. "I hate you."
"No you don't."
And the warm brush of his hands against her thighs reminded her that she truly didn't- but she could still play the part.
Juli felt a small shudder run up along her spine at the contact, as she felt the way his palms slowly skirted up along her legs until his fingers curved against her hips. Careful, steady movements as his fingertips trailed up along her abdomen once more- causing her to squirm at the slight tickling effect it had on her skin. She watched as he tangled his hands in the shirt that hung loosely off of her frame- and noted that it didn't take him much time, nor effort, to pull it off of her.
And it took even less work for him to toss it aside.
She could feel the way his eyes lingered on her, taking in every curve of detail on her body. She never had been one for modesty- too many people had seen her naked before for her to really care much for it.
She felt his hands move back to her waist, before they climbed up to her ribcage- gripping softly, before he coaxed her down to him. Her hands moved to the crumbled blanket underneath them to catch herself, before she took to his lips once again. And she tended to him with scattered kisses that were met with faint, equally scattered laughter.
"This is crazy," Joseph whispered, as one hand pushed through her dark hair and held it away from her face.
Juli pressed her lips to the corner of his, grinning softly at the words. "Oh come on," she replied. "This is the craziest thing we've done?" she felt him turn his head enough to catch her lips, before he dragged her into another warm kiss- as though in answer. And she could feel the way they were both still laughing. She wasn't sure what it was that had caused the laughing to start in the first place, but after the morning that they had both had... she didn't want it to leave. "You don't remember that one time we actually did go to the park-"
"That was a very heavy public indecency risk," he interrupted, as he loosely hooked his arm across the back of her neck- keeping her close to him. "Not to mention, the risk of ruining our reputations."
"It was four in the morning- no one else was there," she reminded.
"You were being spontaneous. There was nothing stopping someone else from being spontaneous as well."
"It was still fun."
Normally he would've given her a mock look of exasperation, but this time he just laughed and pulled her into another kiss. "Maybe so, but... the statement still stands."
"Is that so?" Juli pressed, moving one hand between them as she briefly rubbed at his chest- still anchored to the feeling of every breath in his lungs. She felt the subtle way his breathing picked up as she tangled her fingers in his shirt, before she slowly tugged the material up along his torso. She gave herself the small opportunity to skim her fingertips against his warm skin as she did so- feeling the slight tension of his muscles underneath her touch.
He was more in control of himself this time around.
More in-tuned to what was going on- more so than he had been before.
And even though she had seen his scars plenty of times before, she knew he was still self-conscious about them. He still didn't like how they stood out, pale-red, against his skin- marking trails and highways across his body. Flayed out like fingers over his ribs and hips.
They were a testament to his will to survive though- his will to persevere.
But sometimes they were just reminders of horrid nightmares and pockets of lost memories to him; they were physical memories of what could've been- what should've been in some instances.
She rarely paid attention to the crude tissue though, no matter how rough it felt underneath her fingertips.
For now, all she wanted to focus on was getting him out of his shirt- which she carelessly tossed aside upon achievement.
"By all means then, talk to me about it," Juli spoke, feeling the warmth of his chest against hers as she slowly laid back against him. She could feel his every breath, almost every heartbeat against her own- felt the way that ribs and muscles laid over one another. This was the kind of contact she didn't realize she had yearned for at times- that unexplainable itch that scratched at her instead.
His fingertips gently brushed against her cheek, before he pulled her down into another kiss.
Before he wrapped her up in the heat of his mouth and tongue, in the heat of his hands as they circled against her back. Her body arched against his as her throat quietly vibrated with the subtle moan that teased its way up from her chest.
She wanted more- she wanted him.
But she gave away when he pulled back from her.
"Okay, so... maybe it's not the situation that's crazy," Joseph replied.
"Thinking it's just you?" Juli whispered.
"I think that's a given."
She didn't reply, not immediately anyways, and instead took in the heat of his touch as he kissed at her jaw; and then at her neck, and lower still. His hands curled and pressed against her ribs, circling around her, before he slowly rolled her onto her back- pressing her into the blanket now. And Juli was really glad that it was there; she hated cold flooring.
Her hands were quick to hold onto him as she pulled him on top of her- embracing the warmth of colliding skin once more.
"It is," she finally spoke, taking in the familiar sense of his body weight on top of her; she shifted her legs around his hips to let him fall easier against her. Juli heard him give a brisk laugh at her honesty. "I mean, if we're being truthful here-"
"You're right," he assured, although he seemed far more focused on trailing kisses down her neck. Skirting her artful collarbones, he dipped down and pressed his lips against the flat of her sternum- taking in the way it moved underneath him now.
Juli tilted her head back and breathed in as she felt his warm breath pool between her breasts.
She felt the way the curve of her ribs filled his palms as Joseph moved his hands over them- moving them in slow, steady strokes that had her arching into the touch. It was a soft, calming motion that lulled her into the movement of his lips against her skin.
"It feels like... I'm going crazy, and you're not coming with me."
Fingers tangled in his hair as she felt him skim further and further down her abdomen, allowing him to feel the way it lifted with every steady breath. Anticipation held tight in her throat as she felt fingertips brush down against ribs and hips, as she felt them curling against her waist. "I used to know that feeling," Juli whispered, as she shifted her legs and adjusted her hips around him- anticipating his movements. A chill ran up her spine as the movement brought attention to the warmth that had pooled between her thighs- brought attention to the low buzzing in her stomach. "It's suffocating. It takes everything out of you- and it takes everything to not give into it."
Like barbed wire wrapped around the throat.
Or the burning of a cult symbol pressed into the skin.
Juli felt her heart beating a little faster in her chest now, as his palms skirted back around her thighs. Warm, passing strokes as he tucked his arms underneath her legs, and pulled them forward to rest against his shoulders. Fingertips pressed firm into the thickest part of her thighs, a sense of security, as his warm breath spilled across her waist and hips. There was no denying that he could feel the slight tremor that passed underneath her skin from time to time- the slight spasm of her muscles in anticipation.
"And despite everything, and everyone... you're alone."
His lips brushed warm impressions of loose kisses against the inside of her thigh- moving further and further down until the warmth of his mouth settled between her legs. And despite anticipation, despite knowing, the touch was still enough to exhaust a breathless gasp out of her. It was still enough to bring the slight press of her hips against him as static sensations spiraled through her body- curling fingers in against the floor, grasping at the loose blanket.
Juli felt his hands squeeze her legs in response to her, before he moved to rest them against her waist- using them as support to keep her hips weighed back down.
It was a soothing mess of different sensations as she felt him continue to wind her up. As she felt the warm workings of his mouth and tongue against her- warm and firm with every stroke, and touch.
This whole situation had revolved around her offering to distract him, but... Joseph had always been more of a giving, rather than receiving, kind of partner. Which was certainly no issue to her; she certainly didn't mind him using her to distract himself. After all, in the end, she would still technically be doing what she had promised him- and they would both be getting something out of it.
The room stayed quiet, with the exception of a few heavy breaths, and the sound of her heels digging into the hardwood floor; the blanket had somewhat bundled itself against her ankles.
Juli wasn't a loud person by any means- at least not so much anymore. Anything and everything from before had been more for entertainment- more for stroking a few egos when she needed to. Sometimes it was fun, and other times it was just too much work, too much effort. Too much of a ploy.
She didn't have to do that for him though.
The quiet was more fitting for the two of them; it was more intimate, and comforting.
For once, silence meant a good thing.
Not to mention, it certainly made things easier in the early mornings when they sometimes weren't the only ones in the house.
Her fingers moved to tease and run through his dark hair.
Oh Christ...
She could feel the knots in her lower stomach getting bigger- like coils constantly twisting again and again in tension. It left her hips partly shuddering as each and every throb that echoed between her legs seemed to be accompanied by his tongue. Her back arched carefully, before she pressed her hips up against him once more- rolling them against his lips in an offer of encouragement.
The heat that vibrated between his mouth, and her body was intoxicating- sending small spasms through her thighs with every stroke of his tongue.
She caught the few heavy, partly gasping breaths that died across her lips as her fingers shakily sought his own. As her fingers curled and pressed between his, feeling the tightness that had settled into his joints as he clung to her hips.
And like a coil placed under far too much pressure, it hit a breaking point.
And it came apart like springs inside of her.
It was slow and subtle as heat crawled through her body, as it sent trembling quivers down to her fingertips and tremors into her heels- causing them to slide and catch on the floor paneling. Nothing outrageous; it was soothing and calm, which still left her satisfied with the heat that had pooled into her stomach. It left her satisfied with the impression of his hands left on her hips- with the subtle dig of fingertips into her skin.
Her hands were trembling as she pulled them apart, and moved to push fingers through her hair, pulling the damp bangs away from her face. The shower from before now seemed lost against the thin layer of sweat that was coating her skin- making herself and the room feel a little hotter than it actually was. Her body quietly ached in the good taste of exerted muscles and tightened limbs.
Juli bit into her lip and groaned slightly as she felt his lips and mouth against the inside of her flushed thigh now- as she felt just the slightest graze of his teeth.
It was enough to cause her to squirm slightly as it triggered yet another ticklish effect on her skin.
Which was enough to draw a quiet chuckle from Joseph's throat- hinting that he knew that that would happen.
Untangling her legs from his arms, Juli pushed herself up and reached one hand forward to grab a mess of his black hair, before she pulled him into her. She brought his lips hard against her own, and was surprised that one of them didn't split under the force- although it was enough to entice a subtle groan from the both of them. There was the slight catch of teeth against lips as she bit lightly into his bottom one, and tugged on it, only to have him return the gesture on her.
"So tell me then... what gives you the will to keep going?" she spoke, breaking the silence, as she moved one arm behind her for additional balance. He had shifted onto his knees, which made it easier for her to use her bare feet to push his lounge pants off of his waist.
God, his skin was warm.
His lips were hard against her own, embracing and returning every single kiss and bite she had given him. One hand had moved to grab at the back of her neck, fingers curling in the mess of her hair as he held her to him. And she swore she could feel every pulse of his heart beat racing against her own- she could almost hear the blood pumping through the both of them.
"You do."
She knew it wasn't just her.
It was everyone.
It was everyone pulling together, and staying together, that was helping to keep his head above the water.
But for now, in this moment, his focus was just on her.
And she was perfectly okay with that.
Juli's hands moved to his shoulders, both heavy in their own right, before she rolled the both of them back over to where they had originally started- getting him onto his back once more. And it was a mess of hands and shifting bodies as she made quick work of finally getting rid of his lounge pants; the unsettled feeling of exposed skin had long since left him now.
She started to push herself back onto her knees, before she felt him pushing himself up from underneath her as well.
"My back is getting stiff," Joseph remarked, laughing quietly at himself as he waited for her to catch her balance, before he moved so that his back was up against the side of the bed frame instead.
"You're getting old," Juli teased, as she settled herself into his lap, letting her knees slide against his hips. She leaned down and kissed him once more- taking in a shared laugh between them, as his hands moved to her back once more. She felt his fingertips against the arch of her back, before they moved slow and steady along the curve of her spine.
When his lips broke away from her own, they carried the warmth to her neck once again, before he gradually made his way back down to her collarbones, and then to her chest. Her hands moved to the mattress behind him, and curled lightly against it as she felt him take his gracious time moving down to one of her breasts. Warm breath pooled against her nipple, before he took it in against his lips and tongue.
And she let her head fall forward with the touch- feeling the easy breath escape her at the sensation. His fingers pressed firm against her back, holding her up close to him as he rolled the stiff perk around with his tongue.
Shifting her knees further apart, she rolled her hips forward in response, and felt his body shudder underneath her as she felt him press hard against her stomach.
"Your back's not the only thing-"
"Don't."
Juli snorted slightly to bite back the laugh at his quick response, before she settled her weight back against his thighs. "You still wanna do this?" she questioned, out of her own reassurance.
His hands rubbed circles against her back, allowing her to lean into them once more. "I don't see why not," Joseph replied. "Unless you're having second thoughts."
"I'm fine- I just didn't want you throwing out your back," she remarked.
"That was once."
She shook her head and leaned in to brush her lips against his forehead- kissing a soft, scattered laugh against him.
Shifting her legs around him, Juli pushed herself up onto her knees and carefully realigned her hips over his own; she moved one hand down between them and wrapped her fingers around his cock, garnering a quiet groan from him. She held him steady as she carefully eased her hips down- but didn't miss out on the opportunity to stroke him a few times over.
He was warm to the touch, and she couldn't ignore the subtle twitching that played against her fingertips.
Drawing in a deep breath, she lowered herself enough to feel the tip of him press against her, before she decided to rock her hips back and forth for a bit. Juli felt her own body shiver at the motion- feeling the way his tip pushed between her wet folds, and made itself slick on her wet arousal. Teeth lightly bit into her lower lip as she let herself take in the sensations, feeling the slight trembling in her thighs as she rocked herself against him.
Joseph's hands brushed against her hips, before he curled his fingers against her skin, and eased her back. She felt her back arch slightly at the sensation of him rubbing himself against her, before he pressed the head of his cock against her clit- causing her to jolt slightly at the touch.
She bit back on the heavy moan in her chest, but she heard the slight chuckle that played in his throat.
Fingers gripped at the mattress as she let him control the rocking of her hips, letting them move in time with the stroking of her fingers against him.
The heat in her chest made it hard to breathe, and she tucked her head down into his soft hair- breathing him in as she felt the warmth that spilled itself between her thighs. As she felt the subtle mess that was collecting between her legs, making her skin swollen and slick.
Juli pushed herself back, and used her fingers to realign him once more- unable to cope with the growing knots in her stomach again. And carefully, she eased herself down on him- using the weight of her hips to do so.
Her body was still relaxed and warm from his earlier foreplay, making it easy for him to slide into her- and making her all the more receptive to his presence. She still felt her hips spasm slightly at the slow way he entered her- feeling her body all the more welcoming as it stretched around him. But the low groan that came up from his throat was almost more pleasing to hear.
She moved both of her hands to dig into the mattress for balance as she felt her body curl as she finally settled herself into his lap.
Breathing out, Juli let herself focus on the way he felt inside of her.
She focused on the way her muscles and inner walls took to him, subtly clenching around his cock, and fully welcoming his presence. She could feel warmth pool into her lower belly and loins, flooding her senses as she slowly rolled her hips against him. She took her time to get adjusted and reacquainted with him- allowing her muscles and body to conform to his presence.
She started slow by rolling her hips over him at first, and then shifting into a soft rocking motion as she pushed a little onto her knees. Her fingers were curled tight against the mattress, before she moved to press her forearms flat against the side of it- allowing her body to lean forward some. Allowing her to shift her weight to her knees, and re-balance herself, before she began giving into subtle thrusts. Her hips rolled against him as she kept them loose and free of weight- putting the burden of it on her knees and shins. The blanket at least offered some padding against the flooring, so her legs wouldn't be too stiff afterwards.
She felt Joseph's warm breath against the nape of her neck as his hands continued to circle against her hips- feeling the way they moved against his palms.
It was slow and subtle, hips moving in steady rhythm as she followed the heat of his fingertips as they now traced shapes against her back. As she felt the subtle kisses that peppered the curve of her neck and her collarbones.
The entire day felt like it was behind them now- lost and forgotten about in the moment. And maybe Juli would remember it later, and maybe she would come to terms with the fact that she had pulled a huge risk by doing this. But for now, it was meaningless. It was something for her to worry about later- much later. Something she could hardly even think on now.
Not when every inch of her was buzzing and coiling with heat all over again.
Not when fingers sank into the coarse material of the mattress, trying to still the slight trembling that came with every thrust.
Not when she felt that pool of heat in her stomach getting higher and higher- flooding into her chest as she fought through each gasping breath.
She could hear Joseph's heavy breaths too; she felt the heat of them against her neck as he was caught up in the moment just the same. Too distracted to think of anything else but her- too distracted by her. Which meant she was doing her job- and doing it well.
Juli felt his hands move to grab her by the hips once more, this time holding on and pushing on them with every thrust. The curl of his fingers drove her harder against him, as her hips rocked a few more times before they buckled under the pressure of the knots in her stomach releasing once more.
It felt like her body turned rigid in his hands as she continued to move against him; hips a little rougher, a little uncoordinated now as she rode out her climax. She could feel the muscles in her lower abdomen spasming, the tightness in them suddenly giving away, as an airy, sort of lightweight feeling flooded into her chest.
Joseph finished soon after- no doubt triggered by her own release, as her body clung to him once more. And she moaned softly as she felt their hips rocking into one another's, riding the climaxes out for how long they could. The silence was punctured by heavy gasps, and the quick need for air as every breath of it had been held for far too long inside of their chests.
It wasn't long before she felt her legs finally give out, and felt her hips drop heavily against his own- never minding to readjust themselves.
Juli leaned back slightly, trying to pull in some more cool air and give her skin a chance to sweat out the heat. Everything ached in that good release kind of way- bringing out the slight soreness to her muscles now. Bringing out the slight weakness in her limbs as they felt heavy on her now. One hand moved to brush through her damp bangs as she pushed them out of her face once more. "... What do you think, Detective? Thinking about work now?" she mused- hearing him give her a quiet laugh in response.
"I highly doubt I could even if I wanted to," Joseph replied, as he loosely rubbed his hands against her flushed thighs.
The fact that he admitted to such was an improvement on its own. Even if it was one of those 'said in the moment' kind of things.
She leaned forward and brought him into a loose kiss. His lips and breath were hot against her own, and she had no doubts that hers were the same way. Still, she enjoyed the heat of them despite the slight discomfort of already being overheated herself.
"So... the night is still pretty young, any other ideas?"
First off, let me apologize for making you wait so long for me to finish this. I really don't have an excuse for such the long delay. I got caught up in so many other things soon after I started this story, which sucks, and it's definitely not fair to you guys. (Thanks a lot, Fallout 4). BUT I promise that I will definitely try to get back into being involved in the TEW page- it has looked a little dead as of recently, hasn't it. I have some story ideas floating around that I would love to work on and such, I'm just trying to finish up the queue of stories I have right now before I start anything new.
Secondly, thank you guys so much for the wonderful reviews! I didn't expect such a huge turn out- or such a positive one! So thank you guys for sticking around during my absence, and I can only hope you like the chapter. Or that I at least did the story some justice. And before you ask, The Will ends here- I think that would just be easier on all of us if it did so. Hopefully it's enough to kick me back into gear, so I can get back into doing some TEW-related things.
Also, to Tasmanian Devil (and gumgirl) it was going to be a surprise (but we've seen how my timing has been recently) but I am definitely working on your suggested idea. I was actually planning on extending the Haunted!series originally, but stopped after the first two stories. I have three more drafted out that I still need to tweak and do more work on, so it might take me awhile, but just know that it's getting done. (I'm actually quite honored that you made the request)!
Anyways, again, sorry for the delay, and hopefully I'll get back into the TEW swing of things soon enough!