At about two a.m., Megan heard someone at the front door. She had been tossing and turning for most of the night and was typically a light sleeper, so her eyes immediately shot open at the sound. She clutched the sheets to her chest for a moment until she heard keys jingling. Lacey knew better than to try to sneak out, plus she was still recovering, so there was only one other person it could have been.

She held her breath until she heard footsteps approaching the bedroom. Marveling at how powerfully her heart was racing, she quickly tried to fix her hair and rub the sleep out of her eyes. When the doorknob finally turned, she rolled back over and pretended she was still half asleep, not wanting to look as desperate as she felt.

She heard Kate drop her luggage on the floor with a light thud, relishing in the sound of her slipping off her heels and counting the seconds until she crawled into bed next to her. Suddenly, she felt fingers very softly running over her back, trying to alert her to their owner's presence without startling her.

"Megan," Kate whispered.

Megan's eyes almost welled up with tears at the familiar voice and the light tickle of the blonde's breath on her ear. She gave up the guise and rolled over, throwing her arms around the woman, squeezing her tightly against her chest. Kate hugged back, wrapping her limbs around Megan's smaller frame and burying her face in soft, auburn hair. She breathed in the sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla that always lingered just over Megan's pulse, gently kissing the spot before pulling back to stare into her shining green eyes.

Megan kissed her hard, sucking in Kate's plump lips and reaching for her tongue with her own, trying to inhale as much of her as she could, enough to make up for two weeks of being apart. Kate kissed back as she pulled Megan against her body, melding their chests and tangling their limbs inseparably.

"What…what are you doing home this…" Megan panted between kisses.

"Trial's postponed," Kate breathed against her neck. "I didn't want to wait till morning."

"I'm so glad you didn't," Megan grabbed her face and smoothed her thumbs over Kate's cheeks, lavishing her with deeper, soulful kisses as she moved her fingers through blonde locks. "Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Late," Kate sighed.

"Good," Megan smirked as she bit down on the blonde's lower lip. Kate closed her eyes and allowed Megan to move on top of her, positioning herself between her legs. Kate kept them wrapped behind Megan's back as the redhead rolled her hips against her, all the while kissing, licking, teasing. Megan practically ripped open the buttons of Kate's blouse— a far cry from the other night—as Kate pulled Megan's nightgown over her head.

Megan was left straddling her, completely nude. Kate fully indulged, looking over the woman's ivory skin, tracing every freckle as she ran her fingers up and down Megan's abs. Megan stretched her arms above her head playfully, giving Kate a better look, before leaning over the blonde again. She somehow managed to undo Kate's bra and slide off her pants and underwear as Kate sucked on the nipples hovering above. Once they were both completely naked, they stopped moving for a few moments and just lay breathing, holding each other, thanking whatever powers of the universe had blessed them.

Megan kissed her way down Kate's chest while the blonde tangled her fingers in her hair. The redhead smiled against Kate's skin and allowed the warmth generated between them to take over, dragging her tongue and teeth further and further towards her hottest point. When she got to Kate's hips, she grabbed onto the bones firmly and kneaded them while placing barely there kisses across her skin, from one end to the other. Kate arched and spread her legs wider, indicating she was more than ready.

Megan usually liked to take her time building the suspense, bringing Kate closer and closer to the edge before giving her anything, but this time she couldn't wait. She buried her face amidst the hair, deep within the wet, warm folds slippery with need, drinking in the strong and perfectly intoxicating flavor of the woman she loved. The blonde panted almost breathlessly, careful not to make too much noise as Megan licked her from clit to core, dipping in and out before returning to the spot she had come to know would give Kate exactly what she needed. She sped up her rhythm and dug her nails into the blonde's hips again. Soon, Kate was shaking, pulling Megan's hair gently at its roots, tensing up before letting go of every bit of emotion and longing she'd held onto while away. Megan closed her eyes and kissed the swollen space once more before sliding back up her body and nuzzling against her cheek.

"Welcome home," Megan grinned.

Kate wrapped herself around Megan again, unable to get enough contact. She continued to stroke her hair and place tiny kisses on her forehead and nose.

"How's Lacey?" she asked once she caught her breath.

"Well enough for school tomorrow," Megan whispered.

"Good," Kate sighed.

"She missed you too."

Kate smiled at this. She and Lacey had gotten really close. She wasn't quite sure she was thought of as a second mother yet, but she certainly felt like one. It was an incredibly fulfilling, unexpected perk of their relationship.

"The office?" Kate continued.

"Same old," Megan confirmed. "Working on an apparent murder-suicide. May be another victim out there somewhere."

"I see," Kate nuzzled, nibbling on her earlobe.

Megan smirked.

"Ever worry we're becoming desensitized?"

"Hardly," Kate argued. "We're not desensitized. We just…compartmentalize."

"Is there a difference?"

"Uh huh," Kate sucked on Megan's collarbone.

"Really? Because I don't think…"

"Megan," Kate breathed, dragging her nails up her sides.

"Right," Megan shivered, eyes growing heavy. "Compart…mentalize."

"Stop talking."

"Okay."

Kate kissed her again, hungrily, almost sloppily, anything to bring them back to a place far from death. Megan gave in, breathing out through her nose and letting her shoulders sink further into the mattress as Kate pressed against her, bringing her fingers to the space between them. Megan latched onto Kate's waist with her legs and threw her arms around her neck as the blonde slowly trailed her fingers through hair and skin, searching for her opening. When she found it, she entered as reverently as possible, considering how badly she had been craving her.

Megan quietly breathed one of the higher pitched moans that had at once shocked Kate, they were so different from her normal tone. Now, the noises only caused Kate's own wetness to return, and she straddled Megan's thigh as she began driving her fingers in and out.

"Oh god," Megan whispered into her ear as she rocked against Kate's hand. The blonde sped up the pace, blurring the line between fucking and making love. "…feels…so…"

"Yeah," Kate sighed, grinding down harder against Megan's leg, curling her fingers inside and pushing down on the spot that caused Megan to lose all control of speech and movement.

"Ah…I…"

"Love you," Kate breathed heavily, sweat dripping down her temples.

"Yes," Megan groaned deeply as she finally tightened around Kate's fingers. Kate fell against her, kissing her shoulder and chest. Their breathing stilled slowly as Megan traced shapes over Kate's back.

"Alarm?" Kate finally whispered, needing to know if it was set.

"Mmm," Megan confirmed.

The two promptly passed out, happy to lose themselves in the little time they had left alone before needing to face the world.