Later that night, echoes of thunder rolled in the sky while Charlie sat nose-deep in Emma, written by Austen. Rose had been gifted the novel by one of her clients and immediately, it went to Charlie. He had postponed even opening the damned thing until now because he found it…quite dull. But now, as he read the romance shenanigans, he found himself acutely aware how he never quite could grasp the fact Menat had been harboring feelings for him all this time – or whenever she began loving him.
It had been a pipe dream and now, it was his reality.
Having people and purpose felt so nice. The door clicked open, creaking a little as it moved agape. Without the knocking, Charlie had a strong feeling of who it was, especially when Menat poked her head through the opening. She seemed in a much better mood now.
"Hello!" she purred with glee as she slipped through the crack of the door. Using the weight of her body, she bumped the door shut and skipped towards the mattress. Silence moved in-between moments when she leaned against him, her eyes flicking over the pages.
When she was the one to break the quiet, her voice was soft and gentle yet edged with slight worry. "I…I'll have to leave the day after tomorrow."
Charlie didn't have much of a response to that although part of him felt her worry and dread. Having to be trapped in Vega's dungeon sounded like a nightmare waiting to happen. No doubt he'd get the scoop if Menat ended up getting hurt. If so, he'd surpass the speed of light just to reach her. As he pondered over what would bring him to her, he felt two hands on his chest; soft warm fingertips that coursed upward to his collarbones, his throat, and finally his neck.
Despite the monstrosity, he was with grafted skin, he could still feel, internally and physically. And now, he felt the sensations of Menat's soft body resting against his, the gentle touches of her fingers and the warmth of her breath tickling his skin.
"I…I hope I'm not being weird," she whispered and he felt a sudden need to reassure her.
"No, it's fine," Charlie said, then stunned by a moment of clarity from the intoxicating feelings and sensations washing over him. As he was about to pull her closer, he questioned the technical aspects of the coming union.
He held her by the waist, partly distracted by the kiss on his lips. "I often thought you deserved better than me."
Charlie should have thought that – not said it out loud. A slight mistake, judging from the displeased sigh from Menat. Her eyes lowered for a bit to ponder as she lacked her usual playful smile. Slowly her hands moved from the back of his neck to his cheeks, cupping his face and pulling him close until he felt her delicate lips touching his again – hungry and eager.
"I don't want to do better than you," she murmured between breathless kisses, fumbling with the edges of Charlie's shirt.
You really have no qualms about me after all…he wanted to say but the answer to that made itself clear with the way her arms circled his neck and she hummed, pushing their foreheads together. So close she was, to the point where Charlie couldn't stand resisting anymore. He pulled her into a kiss to fuel those buzzing feelings within him.
For now, he'd like to get lost in the sensation of her body, taking in how every inch of her was soft and delicate, warm, and smooth. Menat was quiet except for the light moans that would escape her whenever he touched certain parts of her, in particular, her hips and back as he traced every curve of her. Before long, he had stripped her down to her underwear.
There was a sense of urgency to this that sent warm need flaring in Charlie's gut and as he opened his eyes to meet hers, he shuddered at the desire set aflame in her gaze. Nimble that she was, Menat pulled him closer and closer until he was directly positioned above her, feeling the slight weight of his dog tags hanging from his neck. Suddenly they were lighter as she got a hold of them.
"Dog tags…" she whispered, playing with them between her fingers. Charlie hesitated a little with a response, pondering the morbid purpose of the tags and if discussing it with her would ruin the mood. But it came with a flood of unfortunate memories, and he felt like retreating, feeling the rage and darkness surround him once again.
A soft hand brushed against his cheek, breaking through the river of hollow fury. He blinked, feeling his chest tightening then release. She let go of his tags and cupped his face, pulling her closer until he could feel the warmth radiating from her.
Charlie felt like saying something but whatever that would be, he forgot, courtesy of a deep kiss. At this point, he could no longer question the ethics of what they were doing or his own desires. The urge to succumb and take her was nearly overwhelming to the degree where fighting it was pointless.
Menat wasn't too keen on letting him do it either, letting a soft moan come from her when he coursed his hands down her sides until he reached her hips, pulling down the line of her panties. Her hands moved underneath his vest, her fingers tracing the lines of stitches that held him together until they slid downwards to his belt, unbuckling it with quick efficiency. Before long, she had peeled off his cargo pants and wrapped her legs around his hips. She held him close then, having snaked her limbs around him in a soft, warm embrace as she purred.
Menat mumbled something underneath her breath but evidently, by her wiggling, she beckoned him to satiate the desires of which such a moment invited. Reanimated or not, those worries were melted away like ice cubes on a bonfire. The way Menat let her fingers travel across his skin, sent shivers down his spine that made him breathtakingly aware of his mounting desire and he surged his body into hers, just barely able to keep himself controlled by the intoxicating heat of her body.
Her fingers took hold of his hips then, as he thrust into her, melting in the embracing warmth of her and the velvety softness of her skin. Low sultry, incoherent mews escaped her, and her nails dug into his skin like prickling needles. There was no doubt of hurting her now, not when she moaned a breathless amalgamation of his name and "heavens". Beckoned by her needy cries, he leaned over and kissed the damp column of her throat, trailing down her neck until he reached her collarbone.
Her hands cupped around his face and pulled him closer until he was directly above her, accidentally bumping his nose against her; a move that made her giggle between short breaths. Before he could offer any words of hastened apology, her hand wrapped around his neck and pulled down for a tender kiss. Menat purred under rapid breaths, letting her hand trail down his chest, until he felt her fingers trace another line of stitches.
"Are you alright?" Quiet sensuality brewed in between his ragged breaths. For a moment, a sense of clarity befell him although ripples of pleasure had gotten a hold of him then. Charlie however managed to hold off his fiery passion, tending to her. Outside rumbling roars emerged from the heavens, followed by the downpour of rain suddenly falling from above in endless streams.
"Mm-hm," she whispered, a little bemused by his question. Her voice was soft and tender like the way she looked at him. His heart couldn't help but quiver at the sight of it. For all his dreams and imaginations, experiencing the real deal was miles better. For what time they had left, Charlie hoped they'd spend some of it like this – and the other half, continuing their merry way with the life they shared.
All the way to the end.
Putting his arm around her shoulder, he propped her up slightly and planted a deep kiss on her forehead. In his arms, she shuddered, growing slightly louder with hungry, pleading moans. A hot sense of dizzying feelings rushed through every single one of his veins, culminating in white hot heat that loosened his grip on restraint. He was aware of the feeling surging through him now, he just hadn't imagined it'd give his head such a spin.
And yet, he felt more alive than ever since being resurrected, clawing at the sheets, and hauled in a deep breath, feeling every fiber of his broken body tensing in waves of desire, washing away all thoughts but one and pouring it into her. Underneath his touch, Menat let out one final cry of release, arching her back and giving her freeway to bury his needy grunts in her ample breasts' softened mounts.
Collapsing into each other's arms, spent and exhausted, their deep breaths filled the air of the room as the pleasant afterglow of post-climax trickled down to a pleasant buzz. With the exhaustion of the night that came sneaking, Charlie rolled over to the empty space of the bed, finding it harder to keep his eyes open. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't removed his glasses and they had become foggy when they really got down to it.
Thus, he couldn't see the shape of Menat anymore but could still feel her, reaching over to let his knuckles graze against the skin of her shoulders. She twitched, inching closer to him until her head rested on his chest with an arm draped over him. Her skin was damp and warm, and he savored the sweet scent of her, pulling her closer until he felt her soft body self-pressed against his.
"I hope this will end well. With Vega, I mean," she mused, humming with satisfaction as his hand stroked her waist.
"You think I could sneak my way in?" Charlie inquired partly facetiously, his voice barely above that of a whisper. Slowly he managed to remove his glasses, folding them in his hand although he had nowhere to put them now.
"Mm, I'd love that, but I think the last thing he needs is to see you…and end up in a fight again. I'd like to see you punching him again but it's best not to tempt that."
"If he comes back here, I'll gladly knock him out."
She didn't respond to that, instead nuzzling his chest with a soft giggle. Soon her breath grew heavy, and he figured she had immediately succumbed to slumber. Outside the rain continued to pour down to the marching drum of thunder.
In the early morning hours, Charlie woke up to a serene quiet. The rainstorm from the night had stopped, replaced by birds tweeting and the pleasant ambiance of heavy breathing. Momentarily, he lay stunned, surprised at how peaceful his sleep had been. He felt somewhat energized as well. No nightmares, sleep paralysis, or waking up in cold sweat with the sensation of bullets piercing his flesh. No, he had woken up as he'd usually do before his death.
With the added factor of a woman still sleeping in his arms. In her presence, he felt a simmering calm embrace him – still shocked at how good he felt this morning. Now, with daybreak upon the sky, he could see Menat clearly. Her expression was peaceful and gentle. Some strains of her hair had been stuck to the corners of her lips and he brushed them away, cautious as to not disturb her.
Still, the sight of her was hard to resist, so he let his hand brush against her cheek, pulling back when she began to stir. Slowly her eyes moved open. Her gaze was dazed but lit up immediately upon looking at him. A tired smile formed on her lips as she sat up. Her hair, short as it was, was messy with strains standing in every direction.
"Hello…" Menat yawned, stretching her nimble body. Though Charlie cared more for her personality than her body, he would be lying if he said that the sight of her breasts moving in rhythm with the rest of her body didn't excite him. Still, he kept his hands to himself, watching her as she leaned over, planting a kiss on the jewel embedded in his forehead. With her over him, he wrapped an arm around her back until she lay on top of him.
"Are you all right… after what happened?"
Some of her hair had ended on the corner of her mouth once more so he brushed it away yet again. She blinked, furrowing her brow a little.
"Geez, you worry too much. I'm fine, really!" Menat rested her hand against the side of his face, and Charlie believed her then even if he couldn't stop the concern budding within him. He let his hand rest over hers as she leaned closer, planting a kiss on the corner of his lips and planting a sense of longing in his chest. He would have reached out for her and pulled her into him, just to savor her a little more if it had not been for the sudden knocking on the door.
The mood in the room shifted suddenly until Maggio called from behind the door. "Hey, Charlie! You awake?"
The face on Menat's face was one of shock as her eyes moved to the door and then back at him.
"No," he said dryly, only to be met with stunned silence and a restrained giggle from her.
"Eh, what…? I'm coming in," Maggio turned the handle but was stopped when Menat cried out, rushing to cover her breasts with her arm.
"No!"
"…Menat? Are you sleeping in there again? Geez why don't you move in together," Maggio's voice carried a tinge of surprise and bitterness.
"Maybe we will and there's nothing you can do about it!" Menat said with a smug expression.
There was a pause behind the door, followed by a deep groan. "Anyway, stop bumping uglies and help me wake up Master. She's having one of her Sleeping Beauty days."
Sighing, Menat turned to look at Charlie, letting her arms fall from her chest. There was a mild smile on her face as she quickly got her hair in order, stood up to gather her clothes tossed across the floor, and skipped over to his side, partly dressed. Slowly Charlie sat up, grabbing his vest and glasses, which he had dropped during the proceeded night.
Before long, they both appeared presentable, aside from Menat's messy hair which she hastily brushed in place before opening the door where Maggio stood, staring at them with a raised brow. Menat shot him a glare to shut him up as they ventured out of the basement and upwards to the second floor of the building.
"Master has one of those days again, so we devised a plan to wake her up," Maggio explained while Menat took a detour to the bathroom, vanishing for a bit before she went to join her fellow housemates with a bucket filled with water.
Oh. It was gonna be one of those mornings. During his stay, Charlie had been witnessing this procedure every now and then when Rose felt like catching three extra hours of sleep on her days off and it was always a spectacle. Quietly, Maggio grabbed the handle to the door, pushing it agape just a little bit for Menat to slip inside with the other two in tow.
She stepped closer to the king-sized bed where Rose lay sleeping, her hair tossed around her in a wild display of purple. Some droll had gathered from the corner of her lips, trailing down to form a dark spot on her pillow. It made Charlie wonder if Menat got it from her or if it was just how fortune tellers slept. A bucket's worth of water flew from the pail and directly onto Rose, who jumped up from the sheets, drenched and wild-eyed. Her eyes darted around the room between staring at the water which had soaked her.
"Heavens! Sweet mother of-" she cursed, stopping abruptly once she noticed the trio standing there. Her eyes narrowed upon seeing the dripping bucket. A deep groan came from her while she brushed a few soaked strains of hair away from her face.
"I set an alarm, you three," she scowled, wiping some water off her face and clothes. She stood up, looking over her drenched self when she noted Charlie standing behind the pair.
"And you slept through it, Master. You said it yourself; if you oversleep, we can wake you up any way we deem fit," Maggio smirked like a playful little imp. He got way more enjoyment out of this than anyone.
"I do so regret that, even if I'm a woman of my word," Rose rolled her eyes as she gathered her wet sheets and pulled them off the bed, folding them to the best of her ability. Meanwhile, Menat put the bucket down and helped with the bedcovers, offering an amending smile. She was probably feeling extra sweet over the revelations from yesterday.
"I'll make you some hot chocolate, Master. You won't get that for a while since we'll be leaving."
Maggio rolled his eyes, uttering; "Kiss-ass."
Taking inspiration from his actions, Menat turned around and tossed a pillow at him, hitting him square in the face. A typical, energetic morning, alright.
Charlie would be missing those.