A/N: Katie's home from the hospital! Recap on what just happened: Charlie died on January 19th, Katie attempted suicide on the 24th and made the decision to stay that night too. Melinda went into labor and gave birth to Emma on the 27th. Katie woke up on the 28th and this chapter is set on the 3rd of February. So many dates... Enjoy! xx Mariah
Ned tosses another handful of basil leaves into the sauce and stirs it carefully before replacing the lid on the pot and leaving it to finish simmering. He glances at the clock on the wall beside the door.
It is just after six and Katie should be back any moment. She's been out with Hannah for nearly four hours and a light snow had started falling shortly after she left.
He just wants this dinner to be done by the time she gets home. They haven't gone back to normal by any means, but the past two days with Katie out of the hospital have been impossibly good. Better than good, they'd been amazing.
He looks out the window above the sink to see most of the grass covered in white. More snow is predicted tomorrow, heavier than today's flakes that presently swirled down from the sky. He knows what that could do to Katie. It could trap her in the house in more than one way.
He hears the tread of her boots on the steps before the doorknob jiggles and she enters the house, bringing with her a whirl of snow and a sharp blast of icy air. She tromps her boots on the doormat, sending little sprays of flurries flying from them. Katie pulls back her hood, shaking a few more flurries loose as she removed her jacket and hung it up. Unwinding her scarf and pulling off her gloves, she bends down to free her feet from the boots and finally approaches him, purse in hand and a tired smile on her beautiful face.
"Hi," she says softly, tossing her purse onto the counter with a thump. "How was your day?"
She leans up to kiss him hello and when her frigid nose brushes against his, he lifts a hand to her cheek and rubbed the cold skin gently.
"It was kind of boring. I cleaned up and made dinner. You have a good day?" he asks, lowering his head to press a trail of kisses along her jawline before settling his lips over her mouth at the last moment.
"Yeah, really good day." She smiled up at him softly. "Jace is just getting so big and he can crawl now, like super fast."
"That's awesome!" He hugs her, kissing her forehead. "I should come over with you next time so I can see him. It's been too long."
"Yeah, you should." She peers over his shoulder to glance at the stove. "Oooh! Are you cooking for me again?"
"As long as I have time off from work I will be cooking for you," he admits sheepishly. "Which unfortunately, I start work next week."
"Is that pesto sauce?" She asks, licking her lips as she fans the smell to her nose. "Mmm… it smells so good baby. I'm excited."
He nods, wrapping his arms around her waist as she tastes the sauce. "How's it taste?"
"So good," she beams at him. "And I knew you'd have to go back to worker sooner or later."
"Will you be okay home alone?" He asks lightly, not wanting to down the mood too much. The last two days had just been too good. "LeTrai wants me to start on some day shifts doing paperwork until I'm cleared to use my weapon."
"Hey, I'll be fine." She tries to reassure him by, looking up at him with a smile. "I'm a big girl Ned and Eli says I'm making good strides for the first few days being home. How long until dinner is done?"
"I was gonna ask how today with him went. I'm glad it went well," he smiles at her, turning her around. "Dinner shouldn't be too much longer. I've got the chicken in the oven and once that's done I'll start the pasta." He moves his fingers in between hers and pulls her toward the staircase. "C'mon, let's get you relaxing upstairs. You look like you've had a long day."
She laughs, tucking herself in his arms. "You always know. You're the best," she huffs. "I'm just feel so exhausted and my scar is really irritated. I can't wait to get the stitches out tomorrow, but I need to put some ointment on it and clean it."
"I can help," he says, motioning for her to mount the stairs and as she takes one step at a time, his eyes rake over her firm ass, shapely in the dark grey leggings she favors these days.
His pants tighten a little as he climbs slowly behind her. He wonders if his body will ever stop responding to every little thing about her that turned him on—he hopes not.
"What's the deal? You never offer massages..." She stops in the doorway of the bedroom, crossing her arms in front of her chest, a perplexed frown. "Did you do something stupid?"
He carefully walks past her, striding towards the bed. She watches him intently and remains by the door frame, eyes following his every move. He pulls back the comforter and neatly folds down the top sheet, smoothing the soft cotton with his hand. Feeling her eyes still fixed on him, he crosses to the dresser and grabs a small book of matches, striking one. A rope of smoke coils up as he lit the few candles she kept beside the bed.
"Ned, what's going on?" She asks, impatiently tapping her foot, the faint worry lines on her forehead more prominently creased as she narrows her eyes.
He walks back to where she stands and tucks a tendril of hair that has worked free from her braid behind her ear.
"Get undressed," he whispers, a frisson of anticipation curling down his spine as her eyes widen and her eyebrows furrow. "Katie.."
"Ned," she sighs, meeting his eyes uneasily. "I'm not ready for…" She lost her words looking at him, the desire pooling between her thighs as she looks at him. She closes her eyes and bites her lip. "You remember what my therapist said."
He nods, licking his lips and venturing into the bathroom, rummaging through the medicine cabinet for the vial he needs. Clutching it in one hand, he opens the tiny linen closet and grabs a clean sheet. He returns to find her rooted in place. He sets down the little bottle and the sheet and tugs off his shirt, tossing it to the floor.
"Do you need help?" He says playfully, unbuckling his belt. It quickly joins the shirt, but he leaves his pants on. "Come on babe… I won't try anything. I just want to give you a massage."
She bites her lip and shakes her head, her fingers wandering to the hem of her sweater, hesitating before she lifts it up and over her head. He grinned and feels himself pulse at the sight of her breasts, barely contained by the simple white cotton bra.
"It's never just a massage with you though," she says as she stepped out of her leggings, leaving her clad in a pair of cotton panties that match her bra.
"Yet you took your clothes off. Take those off too," he chuckles, snapping the free sheet out in front of him, carefully folding it in half once and then in half again.
She opens her mouth as if to protest, but a tremulous sigh escapes her lips at the look he gave her. With one deft movement she releases the clasp and the bra cups feel away from her breasts, her nipples puckering as they're exposed to the air. She shimmies out of her panties and swallows nervously.
He'd never tire of the vision of her naked.
"God, you look... beautiful," he murmurs, smiling at her. "So beautiful Katie."
"No. I really don't," she sighs, her eyes falling to the web of stretch marks that scatter across a round, squishy midsection that make her look like she is still at least six months pregnant. Her scar is covered with gauze and he can see the tender skin around it.
"Katie, you look like you were pregnant and I loved how you looked pregnant," he says walking toward her, his hands falling over her stomach. He kneels, kissing her stomach. "You'll look like yourself again soon."
"You think so?" She asks as he rises to his feet, cupping her face.
"Hannah might even want to workout buddies," he smiles at her before kissing her. "I could even come sometimes too."
"That's a good idea," she replies.
"Now go lie down on your stomach," he says, kissing her cheek.
She nods and climbs onto the bed, pausing on her knees. "This way?" She motions to the headboard.
"Sure, if you'd like." She raises an eyebrow at him and eases her body down against the sheets, her face at the foot of the bed and her toes stretching to skim the pillows.
He smirks at her little act of defiance—always trying to get the upper hand. She folds her arms and rests her chin on them, her back bowed. He couldn't resist bending down to gently move her braid to the side, pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck. She shivers and fidgets under his lips.
"Hands down at your sides," he commands and she lifts her chin and straightens her arms down to skim her waist and hips.
Snatching the spare sheet from the pillow, he draps it across the lower half of her body. Then he cracks his knuckles, reaches for the vial of oil and carefully climbs over her, straddling her. It takes some effort to get situated, but once he's ready, he tips the bottle into his hand and rubs them together, coating his palms in the sweet-smelling liquid.
She immediately glances back over her shoulder. "What are you doing?" She asks.
"Relaxing you," he replies, tenderly touching his hands to her back, easing the pads of his fingertips over her skin. "You looked tense."
The soothing aroma of peppermint and eucalyptus wafts from the oil that he gently kneads over her knotted muscles.
"Mmmm." Her low moan reverberates between his legs and he smiles at the sound, his pants straining tighter.
"Does that feel better?" He asks, pressing his thumbs down at the base of her neck.
She murmurs another moan of approval. He takes his time, probing the muscles, massaging each area deeply and expertly. He rolls his knuckles down her spine, stopping where the sheet just begins to cover her ass, returning back up the row of vertebrae to rub softly at the nape of her neck.
"That feels so good," she whispers, tilting her head to the side and he sees a serene smile playing on her lips as she closes her eyes.
He continues to alternate his touch, applying varying amounts pressure over the expanse of skin and muscle, relishing the feel of her body melting beneath his fingertips. Her breathing has evened out, and if it wasn't for the occasional moans mingling with each puff of air leaving her lips, he'd think she has fallen asleep. He fans his hands out near her waist, dragging them up her sides, his fingers just grazing where her breasts are flattened against the bed. She jolts at the touch and her eyes fly open. Grinning, he slides his hands back toward her spine as she squirms and repositions herself.
After a few more minutes of massaging her back, he pats her rear end and as gracefully as he can manage, he clambers over her to stand beside the bed.
She lifts her head in surprise and furrows her brow at him. "I was enjoying that," she says.
"Turn over," he whispers, his voice tough.
"Why?" She asks.
"Turn over," he says in almost sing-song, smiling wolfishly.
"But it's my back that hurt," she protests.
He leans down and licks his lips, his eyes leveled with hers. "And does your back feel better now?" She nods slowly. "So now it's time to make your front feel better."
"But it doesn't—" She mutters.
"I know," he whispers. "But I can still make it feel good."
"Oh… okay." She says softly.
She carefully twists her body and lays comfortably on her back. Her breasts jiggle with the movement until she finally ceases moving. Fixing his eyes on her, he lowers two fingers achingly slowly to one puckered nipple, lightly tracing a path around the nub before tugging it between the fingertips. Katie's eyes close and she arches into his touch.
He continues to circle his fingers over the taut bud, just barely grazing it and then tweaking it purposefully. Her chest rises and falls in rhythm with the quick breath that escapes her parted lips. When he flattens his palm over the soft mound and squeezes gently, a strangled moan catches in her throat. He smirks to himself and shifts his attention to her other breast, repeating the same careful touches first to her peaked nipple then fondling her breast with more determination.
It has been so long since he's seen her like this, so relaxed and pleased. And it has been even longer since he's had her naked in their bed.
She has began to roll her hips, her tongue darting out to wet her lips and when he pinches both nipples, she cries out and lurches upward, the sheet slipping further down her thighs. Suppressing a growl and ignoring the insistent throb between his legs, he grabs the sheet and throws it to the floor, baring her to him completely. She is enjoying the attention of his able hands too much to instinctively move to cover herself as she usually does and he salivates at the sight of her—he can see a visible glistening at the juncture of her thighs.
"I know you didn't want me to…" He whispers, his mouth finding her neck.
"I want you too," she moans, grasping at his shoulders.
That is all he needed to hear.
Keeping one hand massaging her breast, he slithers the other down her stomach and parts her slick folds, her arousal coating his fingers immediately. He smiles into her skin and she struggles to keep her eyes open, her lids heavy with desire, her pupils fat and black.
"You see the effect you have on me?" She gasps, sinking her teeth into her lower lip as he drags his fingers up and down her while rubbing his thumb back and forth across one nipple then the other.
"So wet. Just for me," he says huskily, pushing two fingers inside her.
She whimpers and arches her back off the bed again, her hips undulating with each pump of his fingers. When she begins to mumble incoherent strings of words punctuated with needy cries of his name, it took all his willpower not to strip off his pants and underwear and mount her there.
God he wants to. He wants to so bad.
With a few more strokes, she tightens around his fingers, her body shuddering and trembling as she comes. He didn't let up until she is quivering and pleading him to stop, her thighs clamped and trembling. She collapses against the bed, chest heaving, her eyes screwed shut as the lingering effects of her orgasm ebbed away.
While she is slowly coming back to her senses, he appraises her naked body again and closes his own eyes, still a little awestruck that after all these years, now he has her and she loves him. He got to do these things to her—to make her fall apart, chanting his name—just from his touch. Only him.
"I should go check on the food," he says, slipping off the bed, not wanting to push anything else on her for today if she didn't want to.
"No. You should stay here," she whispers, gripping his hand and pulling him back to her. "The food will be fine. We should have another half an hour at the least."
"But Eli said," he says, remembering her words earlier.
"Ned," she smiles at him. "I make the rules for my body, not stupid Eli. Okay?"
"Are you sure?" He whispers, moving to squat near the bed. "You know I love you… and I will always want you, but there is no rush. I'm fine waiting."
She smiles at him, her heart full that he'd wait, even after she could feel how hard he'd been during her massage. She pulls him back onto the bed, kissing him.
"I want this," she moans, feeling his hands move up and down her sides. "God, Ned I want you. I will always want you."
"Like I said before," he says his lips at her neck. "I will always want you too. You just have to say the word."
Hours later, after Ned had made love to his wife and brought them dinner in bed, she rests her head on his bare chest, their bodies tangled in the sheets on their bed.
Katie is asleep when he slips from bed to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. He comes back to bed, climbing into it, his arm winding around Katie's waist and pulling her close. His lips press against her cheek softly as he smoothes out her hair.
He know how lucky he is to have her here with him now. To be able to hold her close and see her again. It was complete torture for those few days to know she was near him, that she was right in front of his face, but he couldn't see her.
He'd never let go of her again. He'd never take her for granted. She is special to him and always has been.
He may not have seen it at the beginning. He may have been a jerk to her when they were kids, but she is it for him. He knows that now more than ever and he would never stop loving her.