A/N: Ned's last day :( Enjoy! xx Mariah
Katie had only been home for a few minutes when she saw Ned through the window cutting the grass in the backyard. She poured herself a glass of iced tea and went to sit on the back patio.
She thoroughly enjoyed the weather right now. It had just started to warm up, reaching the upper sixties today.
After sitting down, she relaxed into the comfy cushion. She loved to watch him do his thing. Whether that be fixing the leaky faucet in the kitchen, mowing the lawn or fixing a broken doorknob.
They locked eyes and she beckoned for him with the wag of her pointer finger. A slow grin spread across his face as he pulled his tank top up and wiped his face of sweat before pulling it off. He shut the mower off a second later and was bending over to see her in an instant.
"Hey stranger," he whispered as she kissed him. "Where have you been?"
"The store... Mom was swamped." She replied. "I stayed after breakfast with my mom to help out and got caught there for a little while." She practically melted against him with a sigh, pressing another kiss to his lips. "So hey."
He brushed some hair back from her forehead, feeling the beads of sweat drip down. "Long day?" He asked.
"Exhausting," she sighed.
"Poor baby. What can I do to help?" he asked, grabbing her loosely by the waist and pulling her to her feet.
Today was his last full day home before they left for the city tomorrow. He had every intention to make sure she was taken care of before he left.
"I think you know," she said softly.
He hummed in thought. "Yeah, you're right. honey." He whispered. "We should take advantage of the time we have before I leave."
She scowled at him for reminding her that he's going to be gone tomorrow, before capturing her mouth in an adequate kiss. He cupped her face as he deepened the kiss, his tongue stroking hers into willing participation. She clung to his shirt, and when he finally pulled away, she stared at him, dazed.
"I can finish this later," he said and she let him pick her up effortlessly and carry her to their room. "This can't wait."
Once in their bedroom, he laid her down on their bed and crawled over her, drawing her mouth to his again. She arched against him, trying to get closer as he sucked on her lips, sweeping his tongue against hers alternatingly. His hand squeezed her breast through her shirt and she sighed. When he broke the kiss, he flashed her a reassuring smirk before pushing her shirt up, trailing his fingers under the cup of her bra, teasing her nipple.
Moaning in approval, she unclasped the contraption. With her breasts free, Ned pushed the bra up with her shirt so he could eagerly suck a nipple into his mouth, scraping it with his teeth.
Katie squealed, closing her eyes; his hand molded her other breast expertly, his thumb traces circled around the nipple. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth when she felt him unfastening her pants, pushing them and her panties down her hips. His mouth and hand momentarily stop their attention to her breasts as he sat back to remove her clothes, and she lifted her own hands to cup them, teasing her nipples in his absence.
She could feel how wet she was, the cold air ghosting between her thighs, a stark contrast to the heat emanating from her.
With her jean shorts off, Ned grabbed her ankles and parted her legs on either side of him, pushing her knees up so her legs were bent and spread before him. When he didn't immediately return to his position on top of her, she opened her eyes. A blush tinted her cheeks when she saw how intently he was watching her, and she self-consciously released her breasts to reach for him.
He just shook his head.
"What?" she asked, confused.
He smiled, but his pupils were fat with his want for her. She could see the prominent bulge in his pants.
"Keep going. I want to watch you," he said, his voice husky.
Wavering, she went to rub her breasts again, but he grabbed one hand and brought it between her legs, resting it over her center.
"There," he whispered.
"But I want you to do that," she frowned.
He grinned at her, manipulating her fingers to trail them through her slick folds and over her swollen center. She bit back a gasp, her eyes threatening to close.
"I will, soon. I just want to see you bring yourself as close to orgasm as possible before I take over." He laughed and leaned down to kiss her, his hand snaking around her head.
He pulled back and they smiled at each other.
His hand disappeared from between her thighs, but her hand kept moving, gathering her wetness on her fingers before she dragged them back up to her center. Squeezing her eyes shut, she began drawing taut, precise circles over her; she pinched her nipple between her fingers and released a low moan. She heard Ned's sharp intake of breath as he watched, his large hands settling on her knees to keep them open.
"Do you know how hot this is?" he murmured. She wasn't sure if he expected an answer—she guessed not, as he kept talking. "God, I can see how wet you're getting. Fuck, I am so hard right now." He groaned and she could hear the sound of his zipper. "I wanna make love to you so badly, Katie."
Her breath hitched in her throat at his words and she opened her eyes, wanting to tell him to just do it already. But she was mesmerized by how he watched her movements between her legs, his face tight with lust and need.
It reminded her of how he'd looked at her the time they first made love to each other. That had been so long ago. A different life almost.
Her entire body flushed at the memory, and she mewled, her legs kicking out in a jagged motion. Her fingers moved faster, foregoing the circles on her center in favor of hard, quick strokes.
"Ned," she begged, bucking her hips slightly and he spread her knees farther apart.
"Do you know how often I touch myself to memories of you?" He groaned, his voice straining and she whimpered, squeezing her breast harder. "This will definitely take the cherry."
She could feel the coiling between her thighs, ready to release. He slid his cargo shorts and boxers down just enough to free himself, taking himself into his hand pumping at the sight of her.
"I'm gonna come," she cried, gasping when he jerked her hand away suddenly.
She groaned in frustration, feeling the warning contractions of her walls, the throbbing in her center as her orgasm was denied just at the precipice, but Ned moved fast. He didn't even bother with his shirt, jerking her down the bed some so her hips were aligned with his.
He held himself in hand, he positioned himself and then pushed into her, making her cry out. He groaned fully, already starting to thrust.
"God, you really wanna come, don't you? I can feel it," he grunted, her walls fluttering around him as it slid in and out of her.
She nodded frantically, but he pinned her arms down by her sides as he shifted his position over her, thrusting into her harder. Ned released her hands to grasp her hips, angling them up some to brace her ass against his thighs; she moaned as he slid inside her deeper.
"Yes! Oh yess... Ned," she gasped, her eyes, her hands, every muscle in her body clenching with pleasure.
Just when she thought it couldn't get any better, he finally took mercy on her; he reached his hand between their bodies, his fingers spreading her to rub her center. She practically shrieked at the contact, her hands flying up to hold onto him tighter.
His breaths were hot against her face, his mouth open as he groaned into her skin. It didn't take much longer for him to get there; she felt the muscles tighten in his back and arms as she slid her hands over him.
He went still a second later, as he spilled himself inside her and he muffled his soft moan against her shoulder. They laid there for a moment, breathing heavily, Katie stroking his sweaty back. He rolled onto his back beside her with a groan and she sighed, smiling at him.
This was the kind of exhaustion she preferred. Nothing was a good as this.
She slid her hands under his shirt, pulling it over his head. Her hands smoothed over his chest, feeling the muscle there and her lips pressing a kiss to his peck.
Once he'd cooled off, Katie was still relaxing from her release when Ned pulled her into his lap, sliding his hands up the slick plane of her bareback. His fingers trailed the ridges of her spine up to neck where he tangled them in the hair at the base of her skull. She sighed as she nuzzled into his neck, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her close, content to just embrace for the moment, despite the way the soft skin of her rubbing against him.
Sometimes, he still couldn't believe this is real, that she was his. That this was his life. That he woke up in bed every day beside her.
He never told her any of this. He knew she worried the same things he did; he could feel it in how tightly she held him at night.
She looked up at him wearily and he flashed her a weak, tired smile.
"I love you," she whispered. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," he muttered and then kissed her deeply. "I'll come back in one piece. I promise."
She pushed her face into his chest and kissed him all over. "I know you will, I just hate being away from you." She muttered. "I really do."
She fell asleep soon after in his arms and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
He counted the rise and fall of her chest instead of sheep, restraint lost by the time he got to 100. Following the path of the sunlight, he drew an invisible line up the side of her body, from her hip to the bottom of her ribs and he could feel her heart beating.
He'd never be ungrateful to feel her heartbeat. It easily could've never started again after everything.
His fingered take the steps of her ribs, pretending he can could his own fingerprints in the gaps between each one. He counted them too but stopped when she stirred, her face twisted in discomfort from the sun being in her eyes. She turned to face him, half-consciously grabbing him. He didn't hesitate to pull her closer, press her against his chest.
"Sorry." He muttered lowly and she pressed her lips against his skin, just above his collarbone.
"Don't be," she yawned. "I'm hungry. What about you?"
"A little," he whispered. "What do you want?"
"How about we go out? Get dressed up and have a night in the city and stay at a hotel. You're flight is tomorrow at nine thirty, right?" She asked. "We could get there by four o'clock if we leave now."
He smiled and pulled her from the bed, giving her a quick kiss before pulling on his clothes quickly.
"Then let's get the hell out of here," he said looping his belt through his jeans after sliding them on.
He went to pack his bag and made sure everything he needed was there, and it was. He turned to see Katie in had changed. She was in a purple romper and had a bag packed on her lap.
"You take too long," she joked and stood up, pulling him close and kissing him. "Carry me to the car?"
"Such a princess," he swung into his arms her and carried her, and their bags down the stairs as there was a knock on the front door. "You expecting someone?"
He set her down on her feet as there was another knock.
"No," she answered. "Are you?"
"No," he reached for the doorknob as there was another knock. "Can I help you?"
The door opened to reveal a man wearing a loose black silk shirt with leather cuffs and black trousers.
"Katie, look I know your husband is in town and you'll deny this, but-" The man said and held out a bouquet of flowers.
She pushed the door closed and locked it.
"What the hell?" He laughed.
"That was Mason," she said looking through the crack.
"Wait, stalker Mason?" He whispered and then dropped the bags. "Move."
"Ned, no." She pressed her hands to his chest, pushing him back. He pushed forward, but she persisted, holding him back. "You are not going to ruin your career over him. You could get kicked out of basic."
He bit his lip, drawing blood. He wanted to kill this bastard.
"Katie, open the door. We shouldn't have to hide our relationship from him anymore!" Mason yelled. "I love you! I know you love me."
She pulled Ned to her and kissed him, but her tears choked through and he held her to his chest after. His lips pressed into her hair as he rubbed her back. He felt her shaking, her tears staining his shirt with mascara.
"It's gonna be okay," he whispered. "I know you don't."
She didn't want him to leave, he knew that more than anyone, but she would never hold him back. She let him go because he needed this, but she shouldn't have to be alone and have to deal with Mason all by herself.
"Come on Katie... you can't deny it anymore. I know we have something. The way you were blushing the day we met and how you looked when I watched you touch yourself before Ned came back." Mason chuckled and pounded on the door. "You knew I was there, You knew! The way you didn't hide under the sheets and showed yourself to me. You're so beautiful, Katherine."
It took everything inside Ned to keep himself calm. He held onto Katie, his hands tightly holding her to his chest. He breathed into her hair, rubbing his hand against her back.
"I know how lonely you are here," Mason banged on the door. "He would never be able to take care of you the way I could."
He couldn't take it any longer. Katie knew that. She couldn't hold him back as he walked to the door, she just moved out of his way, going to grab the landline. She dialed 911 as he opened the door.
"Hey Mason," Ned's voice was lethal, rightfully so. "I'm Ned. Katie's husband." He lunged forward and caught Mason off guard, grasping his shoulders and slamming him against the wall of the house. Mason was momentarily stunned but recovered in time for him to connect his fist with Ned's jaw. Bending slightly in pain, he stumbled and Mason took him down to the floor of the deck.
Katie was still on the phone with the 911 operator and the police were dispatched. She hung up and ran to Ned, yanking Mason off him. She turned to him and punched him square in the nose. She watched the blood pour down his face as cop sirens came into earshot. Mason ran then, getting into his vehicle and driving off as she dropped to Ned, kissing his face.
"I didn't even get a punch in," he winced, touching his jaw. He sat up a little and touched her hand. "But you did."
"My dad taught me, punch first. Think later. I think I broke his nose," she winced as he kissed her knuckles.
"Good," he muttered. "That bastard deserved more."
She stood up before he said anything else, going into the house. She returned with a bag of frozen corn, holding it to him. "Here, take this." He waved it away but she sat beside him and held the ice against his jaw. "Stubborn as an ox," she muttered as he sucked in air at the sensation. "Are you—" she cleared her throat before continuing, "—are you alright Ned?" She tried to glance at him in the early afternoon light but only caught a glimpse of his swollen jaw. "He took you down pretty hard."
"I'll be fine," he grunted, rubbing the back of his head. "As long as I have you?"
Ned Banks was a paragon of the male species, for sure. That she knew.
"You'll always have me," she said softly, kissing him lightly. She touched his cheek, pulling away just as a cop car pulled up in front of their home.
LeTrai and Jamison stepped out and she stood, waving them over. Ned stood up a moment later, the corn still firmly pressed to his jaw. He held his hand to her and she slid hers into his, bringing it to her mouth as she leaned into him.
They were gonna be okay, as long as they had each other.