The last place Jessie ever wanted to be was stuck in that damn elevator again.

She kicked the door with an angry shout, feeling personally offended by how blindingly white it was. She then made a body slam on the left wall, just as white and just as unbendable as the door. Actually, there wasn't a wall visible there at all. She knew it was there, obviously, as she couldn't move past the confines, but the walls—and the door as well—were nothing. They were a blank white. The floor was white. The ceiling was white. There was nothing else.

There had never been anything else.

That's enough of your delusions for now, a hollow voice spoke wordlessly and soundlessly inside Jessie's mind. You know there's nothing. You know there's never been anything.

Jessie pressed her hands to her cheeks, hyperventilating.

Everything she had ever known was a lie. It never existed. It was just her, and this white emptiness.

Nothing.

Else.

Delusions of something beyond this started again, barraging Jessie with the full knowledge that this time, she'd know that they were all false…

No…

"NO!"

Jessie gasped herself awake, trembling and drenched with sweat. For a few terrifying moments she completely forgot where she was, and even as she did start to remember she realized that it might not even matter anyway. Horrified, she bolted out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom, flicking on the light and staring hard into the mirror, her hands pawing at her face desperately.

She felt flesh. That was good.

It was just a nightmare, she assured herself. Just a nightmare. This room, this sink, this mirror, her memories, everything, were all real. They weren't merely the desperate delusions of a woman trapped in a sphere of nothingness. Things existed other than her. She was real. This was real.

Her hair was…

Her hair was a disaster!

Nearly shrieking at her reflection in the mirror, Jessie frantically clawed at her hair, an unshapen mess of clumps and tufts pointing out in every direction. Why would she have gone to bed like this?! Her memories were flooding back after that terrifying dream, yes, but she was distressed to discover that she couldn't seem to pull up any regarding when and how she'd fallen asleep. Actually, she couldn't remember returning to the hotel at all. She remembered practicing… the ship… that elevator… Jessie shuddered darkly.

She remembered getting off the ship and the fact that she'd somehow rowed to shore, but after that things were a blur. She obviously had made it back to the hotel alright…

…wait… this was her room, right?

Jessie spun around with a yelp, as she couldn't even be sure of that at the moment. It seemed pretty improbable that she would have managed to crash in someone else's room, but it seemed equally as improbable that she would have gone to bed with her hair in this state, no matter how exhausted she had been.

Fortunately, Jessie had been loud and disruptive enough after her nightmare shocked her awake that she didn't have to move out of the bathroom to answer her first query. Sleepily wiping his eyes to reveal the concern in them, James appeared in the doorway. "…Jessie?" He was only partly awake. "What's the matter?"

Jessie shrieked dramatically again despite her relief that she was, in fact, where she was supposed to be. "What the fuck happened to my HAIR?!" she demanded.

James blinked very, very slowly.

"Why did I fall asleep with it in this horrid state?! Do you know how long this will take to correct?! I don't even remember getting back here; what HAPPENED?!"

"You… don't remember?"

"That's what I just said!"

"You had… some ordeal. I'm not sure what exactly, you never told me… I gave you food and was going to give you wine, but I had to get a corkscrew and when I came back with I found you asleep in the bathtub…"

Jessie considered this, her frantic ranting quelled for the time being. She did remember running a nice hot bath in the interest of relaxing. And she also vaguely recalled yelling at James for not having a corkscrew. "So… so why didn't you wake me up?" she demanded.

"I tried, but you were dead to the world."

"Well, you should have tried harder!" Jessie snapped, her anger no longer filtered through panic. "Falling asleep with my hair like this is a disaster, and you exacerbated it by doing nothing!"

James sighed tiredly, rubbing at his eyes again. "…okay. I'm going back to bed." He shuffled out of the doorway.

"Fine way to skirt responsibility! –Wait, what do you mean—what time is it?"

"Three thirty-six," came the weary reply from the other room.

Jessie groaned, leaning her elbows against the sink and her face into her palms. "What the hell is wrong with my sleep schedule lately?" she demanded of the mirror. The mirror gave no answer. From the other room, James also wisely gave no answer.

Five minutes later, after a quick shower and shampoo, Jessie ran her brush through her hair, the blow dryer on full blast as she carefully yanked at every stubborn kink. She was far enough removed from the nightmare by now to know that it was just that, a nightmare, but she still felt so unequivocally unnerved by it that her arms were still shaking, causing her brush strokes to be jerky and uneven. It had seemed so real, the notion that nothing was real. She dropped the brush and touched her face and hair again, to again confirm their existence.

Yes, they were there. And her hair was dry, mostly, and untangled, mostly.

Normally Jessie would accept nothing less than perfection regarding her voluptuous mane, but her exhaustion from the day before exacerbated from her horrifying dream overshadowed her need for flawless hair. Deciding it was good enough for now, she powered off the hairdryer, replaced it on its charge port on the wall, and flicked off the bathroom light, returning to the main room.

James was on the bed, lying on his side and facing the bathroom door. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and steady, but Jessie knew him well enough to know that he wasn't asleep. She laid down next to him, tracing a finger through his hair, wanting to reassure herself that he was real, too. Anything else, everything else being merely an illusion would have been tough but bearable, but James… no. He had to be real. She couldn't function if he wasn't.

His eyes fluttered open and, slowly and carefully, his hand touched her hair as well. Jessie winced a bit, remembering its state.

"Sorry about your hair," James murmured.

"If that happens again, wash, blow dry, and brush my hair for me, will you?"

"Not a chance. I leave that task to the expert."

Jessie snorted lightly. "The lengths you go to in the effort to avoid responsibility."

"I know my place." James gave her a slight, sleepy smirk.

"Keep that up and I'll wish you really were an illusion."

"…I'm not sure what you mean by that…"

Jessie sighed. "I just woke up from a nightmare that everything I'd ever known wasn't real. I was stuck in that elevator, and even the elevator wasn't real, it was only me and… nothingness." She shuddered. "It was horrible. And very… convincing. I'm still having to reassure myself what's real and what isn't."

"Well, I'm quite real," James asserted, cupping her face in his hands. "Apologies if you were still wishing I wasn't."

"You're the first thing I want to be real," Jessie admitted sincerely.

"Even if I inquire about the elevator again?" To be fair, James still did look nothing but concerned, so Jessie couldn't be angry at him for it. "I still don't know what happened yesterday."

"Wobbuffet and Gourgeist ditched me," Jessie sighed.

"They did what?"

"Wobbuffet got distracted by a wild goose chase while we were rehearsing, Gourgeist followed him, and they both wound up on a cruise ship pulling away to sea. Meowth and I followed them but got stuck in the ship's elevator for hours… and when they finally got us out, I got grabbed by security, Meowth flew the coop too, and I had to wallop the security guard with a folding chair to escape—damn, that was satisfying," Jessie said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "By the time I found them all again, they were being chased by angry chefs and card players and I don't know what the hell else, I wasn't really paying attention, all I could think about was getting the hell out of there, so I had Meowth cut loose a lifeboat and stole that and got us back to shore, except it took us hours and HOURS to row back… and my routine still is unfinished!"

James seemed to have woken up a bit more due to the shock of it all. "Sounds like quite the frustrating comedy of errors."

"Nothing comedic about it," Jessie grumbled. "It did give me an idea of how to finish my performance, but even that doesn't make anything about yesterday worth it in the slightest. Meowth's money he won and Gourgeist's egg aren't enough to negate the bullshit they put me through!"

"Meowth did mention something about—wait, did you say Gourgeist's egg?"

"Oh yes." Jessie smirked again, biting back a laugh at James's flabbergasted expression. "She and Wobbuffet did the horizontal tango onboard the ship before they found themselves pursued by angry chefs. If Pokémon even do it horizontally, I don't know. I don't want to know. All I know is that they went and laid an egg. I thought we could send it to the boss tomorrow mor—I mean, this morning."

"Good plan. We haven't had anything noteworthy to present to him lately… it could definitely help bump up our standing again." James gulped nervously, confusing Jessie. "Speaking of, erm, eggs and horizontal tangos, however…"

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Listen, James, I understand I left you a bit high and dry last night but you can't expect me to be—"

"No, no, I don't mean that. I understand perfectly." James clasped Jessie's hands fervently. "On the contrary, I'm actually concerned with the tangos that have already transpired. We didn't use any sort of protection, and thus the chance exists that, like Wobbuffet and Gourgeist, we may have brought a child into—"

Jessie laughed abruptly. "A little late to be thinking about that, don't you think?"

"I'm aware—it may already be a moot point, but from here on out—"

"Don't worry about it," Jessie cut him off reassuringly. "There's no need. I'm on birth control."

"You… are?"

"Team Rocket mandated and approved. I get a booster dose every year at our physicals—it's that long lasting." Noting James's continued confusion, Jessie rolled her eyes impatiently. "Seriously, James, didn't you ever wonder why I don't get menstrual periods? The BC is that effective!"

"Why do you think I would have paid attention to anything like that before a few days ago?" James protested.

"Just thank your lucky stars you don't have to deal with me PMS-ing."

"Hmph." James almost looked like he was pouting. "That's all well and good, of course, but I wish you had let me know before I went and got those condoms yesterday."

The corner of Jessie's mouth twitched upwards in a mild, approving surprise. "Planning ahead for me, were you?"

James matched her grin more fully, leaning in closer to her. "But of course, love." His hands, still wrapped around hers, gave them a slight squeeze, but Jessie broke hers free and brought them to his face, pulling him in even closer to give him a grateful kiss. She wasn't the best at being tender and affectionate, of this she was well aware… but she was so touched by James's chivalrous attentions that were the perfect antidote to her previous rotten day that she just had to convey her thanks in the best way she knew how. Preferably without taking the chance of letting lose an insult or anger-laced tirade along with it.

The longer they continued the kiss, the deeper they let it become, and before she knew it Jessie's body had wrapped itself around James's like a seviper, rocking and grinding against him in eager anticipation. With great difficulty, James pulled away a fraction of an inch, drawing a deep, desperate breath. "Are we really letting this become a habit?" he asked incredulously. "Getting hot and heavy in the wee hours of the morning?"

Jessie tugged loose the sash on her robe and squirmed out of it rapidly and gracelessly. "Are you really complaining about having a healthy sex life?"

"Heavens, no," James responded quickly, hastily undoing his own robe, "I just find the timing a bit… ill-advised."

"Hey," smirked Jessie, running a hand along James's exposed hip, "nothing wrong with starting the day off with a bang."

James groaned, although Jessie couldn't tell if it was a groan of arousal or disapproval of the pun. "Oh, that was bad," he lamented, indicating the latter response, much to Jessie's consternation.

Jessie scowled at him. "I'll show you bad," she growled sensuously, gripping James's shoulders and moving to climb on top of him.

James shot out his hands to grip her own upper arms, stopping her. "Wait."

Jessie bit her tongue. "You'd better have a good reason for halting me in my tracks like that…"

"I want to try something different." Smiling sincerely at her, James sat up, but carefully pulled Jessie up to a sitting position with him. His hands snaked to her waistline and inched her onto his lap, sneaking in quick kisses to the corners of her mouth all the while.

"This is… interesting," Jessie commented, examining the position. "What brought this on?"

James's cheeks twinged a light shade of pink. "I did some… research… on positions that gave both parties more or less equal footing, and this one seemed to be a good bet—"

"You spent your day yesterday stealing wine and condoms and watching porn?" Jessie asked with a chortle.

The pink twinge on James's cheeks grew deeper in color. "Not the entire day! And it was research! I'm determined to get it right this time and not finish prematurely, so I felt it was necessary to research positions that would help me last longer."

"You're very sweet," said Jessie approvingly, licking her lips. She settled into his lap, smiling at the sensation of his erection grazing her thighs, and took his still flushed face in her hands. They were close enough to facilitate plenty of intimacy with their mouths as well as their groins. An unexpected position, yes, but Jessie was seeing its merits already. "Just don't be too stoic this time. I have no desire to make love to a ragdoll."

James pressed his lips against hers gently, causing Jessie to smirk again, but a second later she yelped in surprise as she felt a firm squeeze to her ass on both sides. Their kiss broken, James was now the one smirking mischievously, sliding one hand up her back but keeping the other firmly grasping her buttocks. "Your body is far too enticing to leave me stoic and apathetic, my dear."

"Mmm, well, I don't intend to be just a passive spectator this time, either, so you'd better keep up." Jessie grazed her lips and tongue across James's mouth as she wrapped her legs around his body and brought a hand between her legs, grasping James's member and positioning it at her entrance. She fired off a quick reminder to herself to at least try to take it slow this time before guiding him into her, carefully yet assuredly. She hummed lightly, once again slightly taken aback at how exquisite it felt to have him buried deep within her like this.

James let out a shaky exhale too, the hand on her ass clenching it tighter instinctively.

Jessie rocked against him, slowly, testing out her rhythm. "You'd better damn well let me finish this time," she growled.

"Erm… take it as a compliment that I'm so turned-on and infatuated with you that I finish prematurely?"

"Compliment duly noted. Now don't do it again."

"I intend to get this right by you," James said seriously, both his arms now wrapped around her back. "You deserve nothing less."

Surprised at how affected she was by his loving words, Jessie's rhythm was interrupted for a few moments as she blinked at him, the strange sensation of a touched, grateful smile plastered on her face. James returned the smile, the adorable blush still highlighting his cheeks, and Jessie couldn't hold herself back any longer. She pulled him towards her and reclaimed his mouth with hers, finding her pace again as she grinded against him, only barely registering her mind's frantic reminder to take it easy.

James's hands gripped her shoulder blades even tighter, as if trying to will her to slow down, although orally at least he was matching her intensity and enthusiasm, his tongue and lips lapping at hers eagerly. All in all, it drove Jessie absolutely wild, and she nearly cried out in despair when his mouth finally pulled away from hers. "Jessie," he whimpered, trying to hold her now ferociously grinding body somewhat in place.

Jessie forced herself to put on the brakes. She was going crazy on him. Again.

"I know honey, dammit, but I can't help myself," she said huskily, with some inner protest at slowing herself down. The new pace was only barely adequate. Her body seemed to be crackling with need, although frustratingly not at the tipping point yet.

James rocked his hips in time with hers, one arm flopping down and pressing a palm against the mattress to steady himself, but the other hand now ravaging its way through her already messy hair. He guided her mouth back to his for another kiss, wet and passionate, and when he pulled away his eyes were so full of love and lust and longing that it was the push Jessie needed to move from plateau to precipice.

She leaned against him, pushing him onto his back. "I'm going to make myself come," she breathed against his lips, cutting off his protest before it had a chance to leave them. "Hang tight."

With that, she sat up perpendicular to him, their bodies now at a ninety degree angle with each other. Taking a moment to smile with the satisfaction of being on top once again (and noting that James was doing a poor job at hiding his own approval of the position), Jessie then picked up the pace with gusto, grinding against him rapidly, breasts bouncing up and down as she moaned and squealed in a rather undignified way. James, breathing hard and focusing intently on her face, cupped her breasts in his hands and ran his fingers across her nipples, his hips involuntarily jerking upwards with hers every third or fourth grind.

Not that Jessie really needed any help in being pushed over the edge. She was racing there just fine on her own.

After three near-misses where she thought she was there only to get snapped back to the brink again, Jessie finally reached her climax, a short, loud yelp escaping her lips before panting, the noise filling up the air where moaning had earlier. Trembling, she would have nearly fallen over if not for James's hands, still on her breasts, supporting her.

After a few moments of regaining her mental footing, Jessie finally breathed out in exultation, "I did it!"

Somewhere between disbelief and ecstasy, James sighed out a small laugh. "You did it? I did it!"

"You didn't do anything!"

"Exactly!" James's hands slid up to her cheeks. "I finally let you come before me!"

"This… position… seems to have helped," Jessie panted out, still trying to catch her breath.

"You warning me helped too," James admitted.

"I'll make sure to do that from now own." Jessie raggedly pulled her hair away from her face before smirking devilishly and leaning back down on top of James, pressing their bodies together once more. "It's your turn now."

James's hips jerked against Jessie's awkwardly, his face flushing against his swift, uneven rhythm. "This won't take long," he admitted, slightly abashed.

"Whatever." Jessie smothered him with another kiss, matching his lurching with renewed intensity. James wrapped his arms around her shoulders again, moaning into her mouth, pining her to him as he pounded her from below.

Jessie, for her part, only matched his pace for a few moments, afterwards electing to let him take the reins, gleefully enjoying the sensation as she ravaged his lips, jawline, and neck. Oh, how he loves me, her mind repeated over and over, the perfect balm against everything from the previous day. She wasn't aware that he had reached his orgasm until he suddenly stopped save for slight twitches from his hips and breathed heavily into her neck, murmuring her name almost reverently.

The two clung to each other for a few lingering moments, letting the blessed afterglow settle in.

"Mmm… that was good," Jessie finally murmured approvingly.

"Yes," James breathed, without removing his face from her neck.

They held this position for a while, their breathing leveling out bit by bit, until Jessie coaxed James's face out of her neck and gave him another kiss on the lips, slow and languid. James returned it, albeit drowsily, a few seconds in.

"I hope you won't be offended if I fall back asleep," he mumbled, pulling away, his eyes barely open.

"I was planning on that myself," Jessie admitted, rolling off him and onto her side, one arm still haphazardly splayed against his chest.

As her eyes closed, she caught James's mouth tugging upwards into a sleepy, candid smile at her touch, and she matched it as she slipped into a much more peaceful sleep than the one she had awoken from just an hour or so previously.