Jemma does feel a bit badly at kicking poor Baxter out of the room, but she's not keen on having an audience and at the very least he doesn't seem so very bothered when Jasper leaves him on the sofa with a chew toy to occupy his time. The senior agent returns quickly enough, flashing her a grin as he closes the door behind him.
"Well, honey, the kids are in bed for the night," he announces, sauntering back over to her. "Looks like we've got some time to ourselves."
Having just finished pulling the bed sheets back, Jemma sits herself on the side of the bed and begins slipping her shoes off. She smiles to herself as she does so, already enjoying his teasing. She wonders, though, if he'll be more comfortable than he had been the last time. Their last sexual encounter had resulted in him backing off out of embarrassment and she hopes he trusts her enough this time around. He sits on the bed beside her and presses a hand to her back, causing her to look up at him.
"I think we can come up with something to occupy our time," Jemma says.
"A smart couple of agents like us?" Jasper says. "I'm sure you're right."
He catches her laugh when he kisses her and she feels it reverberate between them, pressed between their lips. They pull apart as they begin disrobing and Jasper pulls a few supplies from the nightstand before switching the lamp off, plunging them into a comfortable darkness that's disturbed only by the moonlight filtering in through the cracks in the blinds. She reaches out, pulling him back onto the bed with her as they continue to shed article after article of clothing until everything that had been on their bodies now lies somewhere on the floor (or perhaps on the lamp, as she may have been a little more enthusiastic with her bra than she'd intended).
There's enough moonlight for her to see him kneeling before her and has to reach out, has to touch and explore his body as he had hers. He lets her, running his fingers through her hair as she runs her fingers over his bare skin. She feels the raised skin of scar tissue in various places, traces the tattoos that she can make out on his arms. There's on his chest, over his heart, and she recognizes it immediately as the S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem.
"If I didn't believe you take your job seriously," Jemma tells him, "I certainly do now."
"I'm a company man," Jasper answers with a chuckle. "What can I say?"
"Why here, though?" she asks.
"Hm?"
"Why did you decide to get this particular tattoo in this particular location?"
"Some years back, Phil and I ran into a bit of trouble on an op, so when we got back, we wound up in medical. But the second we were both allowed to have visitors, we got them. It's part of the reason I learned that sometimes family is something you're born into and sometimes it's something you make for yourself. S.H.I.E.L.D. is the one I've made for myself. Anyway, we got a little too drunk after we were released and wound up at a tattoo parlor, so I suppose that's what I had in mind when I decided to get this one."
"Well, I think it's sweet," Jemma tells him.
"You wanna know what Phil got?" Jasper asks with a hint of mischief in his eye.
"Of course."
"Captain America's shield. Right here."
"No."
"It's the truth."
"Well, I knew he was a fan of the Captain…"
"You have no idea."
"Best not let Skye find out. She'll never let him live it down, what with her bad girl shenanigans and all."
"Bad girl shenanigans, huh?"
"Oh, yes, I've been taking lessons. Would you like me to demonstrate?"
"I think I like the sound of that."
This is the first time they've both been completely naked before each other and while it's far from the first time she's seen a man naked, this time in particular proves to be a unique experience. Perhaps because she's waited so long for it, perhaps due to his reaction when he'd spent the night at her apartment, but it feels more important than it should. She stops, pulling her hands away, seemingly confusing him with the action.
"Last time—"
"Last time, I got spooked because I was overthinking it," he says softly, taking her hand in his and kissing her palm. "I'm done overthinking it."
She takes his word for it, trusts him to trust her. Her fingers find the small, round patches of scar tissue on his stomach and he doesn't flinch or pull away from her. She lingers there, remembering the story that goes with these scars and trying not to picture what it must have felt like, being left to die alone in the street. She puts it out of her mind, because doubtless he wouldn't want her to think about it. Deciding to switch gears back to what they'd been moving towards before, she reaches lower and takes his cock in her hand.
He traps a groan behind his lips as she begins stroking him, feeling the way he steadily grows harder as she teases him. She meets him as he leans in to kiss her again, but he doesn't stop there, prompting her to bare her neck as his lips move down her jawline. She thumbs the head of his cock as he sucks at a spot low on her neck, arousal pooling in her belly as he presses into her hand. She listens to him smother soft moans of pleasure against her skin as she strokes him faster and he remains taut with the restraint needed to keep himself from thrusting into her fist. Shortly there-after, however, he reaches down to pull her hand away and she wonders if she's done something wrong.
"It would be really embarrassing if I came before we got to the main event," he admits.
"Fair enough," Jemma agrees. "Would you like to get to the main event, then?"
"Definitely," Jasper answers. "But before that, I was wondering… do you think I could taste you?"
The question alone leaves her feeling a subtle throb of want between her legs. The last time anyone had done that seems like forever ago. Her last boyfriend wasn't fond of reciprocating when it came to oral sex, so really, it's been even longer than she'd first thought. With a nod of her head, Jemma lets Jasper lay her out on the bed before he moves between her legs. He takes his time kissing down her body and her heart is hammering in anticipation by the time he makes it past her navel.
Jasper is the slow and methodic sort, she finds as he nips at her inner thighs, moving closer to where she'd prefer him to be, but never quite close enough. He continues to tease, his breath tickling her skin until she's fighting to keep from squirming.
Then his mouth is on her, hot and wet, his tongue licking a broad stripe across her clit. She gasps, her body twitching at the sudden contact. Jemma feels him sucking gently, his tongue continuing the same pattern as he holds her thighs apart. From what she can see, it's a task that he seems to take a particular joy in doing; she can feel his moans vibrating against her. And if she'd thought that was all he'd be doing, she was wrong. Once he finds a rhythm, one of his hands leaves her thigh and dips down below. When she feels his fingers at her entrance, she unconsciously spreads her legs wider, inviting him to proceed.
She's wet enough that he doesn't need any other lubrication to press a finger inside her. Jemma arches back, mouth hanging open with a breathy moan as she grips the sheets beneath her. One finger becomes two before lone and he gently thrusts them inside her, curling and spreading them. Not once does she feel anything even remotely resembling discomfort, his movements making him out to be a sure, practiced hand when it comes to this sort of activity.
"Jasper, please," she moans, fighting to keep her hips flat on the mattress.
Somehow knowing just what she's asking for from those two words alone, he introduces a third finger. He never alters his pace, keeping on steadily as her breathing grows louder, punctuated by desperate moans of pleasure. Just when she considers asking him to stop teasing her and put a condom on, his fingers curl just right, stroking that spot inside her that makes the request futile as she's sent tumbling over the edge. Her hips jerk hard enough with her climax that he withdraws his fingers and wraps his arms around her thighs to keep her still.
She shudders and whimpers, bucking against his hold as he gradually slows his pace, bringing her down slowly from her high. Apparently he'd expected her to need a moment to compose himself and she has to laugh at the muffled noise of surprise she wrings out of him when she drags him up for a kiss. Jemma can taste herself on his tongue and somehow that just spurs her on. Reaching for a condom, she wastes no time in getting it on him and getting them ready to go.
But before she does anything else, a thought occurs to her. It's something she's always wanted to try but had never found the opportunity to; her previous sexual partners never seemed the type for trying anything different so she'd just kept it to herself. It's not even asking much, she thinks anyway, and with Jasper she actually thinks that, for once, she might have her way.
"I was just thinking," Jemma says, nibbling at her bottom lip. "Do you suppose I could be on top?"
"Yes," Jasper answers immediately, looking excited by the prospect and making her wonder why she'd even considered not asking. "That's a definite yes."
"I've always wanted to, it's just that everyone else I've been with has always been so… well, boring," Jemma admits. "They never wanted to do anything but boring old missionary. Not that there's anything wrong with missionary, it's just that a girl likes a little variety, you understand."
"I'm flattered that you don't find me boring. And I agree: variety is definitely important in the bedroom," Jasper agrees with a nod. "And for the record, if there's anything you ever want to try, I'm up for it. Unless it involves candle wax. I draw the line there, I had a bad experience once and nothing can make me want to try it again."
"How do you do that?" Jemma asks with a smile.
"What?"
"Make me laugh so that I forget that I'm nervous?"
"I'm good at running my mouth," Jasper says with a grin.
"Yes, you're very talented with your mouth," Jemma agrees, pushing him onto his back.
"Oh, aren't you smart," Jasper smirks up at her.
"Well, I was at the top of my class," Jemma declares, straddling him.
"I get it. You've just always liked being on top," Jasper says.
"You don't seem to be complaining."
"No, no complaints from—oh."
She lowers herself onto him, enjoying the way it stays his quick tongue. The view from up top is certainly something she could get used to, she decides as she presses down until he's fully sheathed inside her. His hands are on her hips as she gives herself time to adjust and his grip alone sends a shiver of pleasure up her spine. She gazes down at him, thinking that a few months ago, this is not where she envisioned she'd be. She hadn't seen it then, but she's right where she wants to be.
"My God, you're beautiful," Jasper says, looking up at her like he's never quite seen her before, his thumbs tracing the curves of her hip bones.
With a smile, Jemma places her hands over his. It seems too, well… pornographic to say that she loves the way he feels inside her or that she's come more than once while imagining this very scenario on particularly lonely nights. It makes them no less true. It's too embarrassing to say that she loves the feeling of being stretched around his cock, the feeling of him thick and hard, deep inside her. She loves having him pinned beneath her, watching him practice such restraint in stopping himself from moving until she's ready. Still, it's the sort of thing she's going to have to work up to saying. For now, she'll just keep those thoughts to herself.
She rolls her hips experimentally and based on the noise each of them makes, the arrangement seems to be working rather well for both of them. She grinds her hips down against him, moaning as he thrusts up to meet her. As she begins to ride him harder, she braces her hands against his chest, listening to the sound of their panting and his soft murmurs of encouragement. Despite having come just a short time ago, she finds she's already working up to her second orgasm.
She shifts, just slightly, and oh, yes, right there. That's the spot she'd been looking for. Her movements grow more focused as she tries to hit it again and again, her walls clenching around him each time she does.
"Fuck, Jem, you feel so good," he hisses.
Jemma whimpers, shaking her head. He's letting her set the rhythm, but she wants to feel him. Really feel him.
"Don't hold back," she pants. "Please."
He doesn't need to be told twice. She moans, long and loud as he grips her hips firmly, holding her in place while he fucks up into her. She grinds down to meet him on each upward thrust. Reaching between them, she begins stroking her clit in time with their movements, feeling that knot in her belly wind tighter and tighter with each passing moment until she can hardly stand it any longer.
"I think… I think I'm going to come again," Jemma says, out of breath. "Jasper, I'm…"
"God, yeah, come for me," he answers, equally as breathless. "I wanna feel you."
With a gasp and sharp cry, she comes for the second time that night, mouth hanging open as her inner walls spasm and clamp down on him. Pleasure courses through her veins as she hears him curse, his movements growing fast and uneven. Not a moment later, he thrusts up into her and stills, his hips bucking another handful of times as he reaches completion.
They stay that way for a time, working their way through the aftershocks and catching their breath. Once she's sure she isn't going to fall flat on her face, Jemma lifts off of him on shaky legs and settles in beside him as he removes the condom, ties it off and tosses it into the waste bin on the other side of the bed. With a sigh, she rests her head on his chest and lets him wrap an arm around her shoulders. Minutes pass as she listens to the beating of his heart, feeling ridiculously satiated as his fingers gently stroke up and down her arm.
"That was definitely worth the wait," Jasper declares.
"Mmm," Jemma hums in agreement. "We should do it again tomorrow."
"And the day after," Jasper answers.
"Twice," Jemma adds.
He chuckles and kisses her forehead. "I'm glad I found you in that restricted hallway."
"I'm glad you did as well," Jemma says.
She wonders where she would be now if they hadn't met, but quickly decides it's not worth wasting her time considering. Not when she's here, now, beside him. Leo had his (many) reservations about the two of them going into the field, but so far it's been an experience she wouldn't give up for anything. For all their inexperience, they've learned and gained so much from taking the leap and getting out there. It hasn't all been wonderful and doubtless there will be equally difficult trials in the future and she's alright with that. Because in the midst of all this, she's found something that makes it all worth it. She's found a second family, she's found people who love and support her, who believe in her and trust her and listen to her. Really, actually listen to her. She's found greater confidence and the room for growth.
"Someday, when there's time, I'd like to take you home to my parents," Jemma says softly.
"You sure I'm the take-home-to-mom-and-dad type?" Jasper asks, sounding amused.
"The fact that you didn't run from the bedroom screaming bloody murder at the suggestion says you are," she answers. "But if you must know, yes, as a matter of fact, I am sure. I share the important things in my life with them and you're a very important part of my life now."
His hand pauses briefly before he resumes stroking her arm. He doesn't say anything for a long while and she wonders if she's said something wrong. Or perhaps if he just doesn't like the idea of being taken home to meet the family. Admittedly, it's not something most people look forward to in a relationship, but it's not as though she's expecting to make any definite plans.
"My mother would've liked you," he says after some time. "I wish I could take you home to her."
"I'm sure I would've loved to meet her," Jemma assures him. "I'd like to meet the rest of your family, all the same. Your cousin, for instance."
"That's definitely do-able," Jasper agrees. "And I'd like to meet your family, when we get a chance. Do they know about me?"
"Well… not specifically. I mentioned that there might be someone but we haven't gone into detail," Jemma says, fighting off a yawn. "I suspect the next opportunity I get to speak with them I'll be able to explain. Does your cousin know about me?"
"I have a big mouth," Jasper admits. "And I'm not even a little bit sorry."
Jemma giggles, pressing closer to him and closing her eyes. She's feeling the pull of sleep coming on string now and as much as she'd like to fight it, she knows they've still got a few days ahead of them. The idea of a nice lie in sounds entirely too appealing, so she gives up any thought of attempting to remain awake. Thankfully, Jasper seems to have the same idea as he kisses the top of her head and murmurs a quiet "Love you" into her hair.
Murmuring a similar response, she settles in, content to leave any further discussion to wait until the morning.
Jemma wakes to a world not yet woken. There is the barest hint of light hitting the blinds and the birds haven't even begun to sing their morning song. Beneath the duvet she is warm and cozy, made more so by the reminder that she has nowhere to be and no one to answer to for days. It's the sort of freedom that reminds her of weekends as a child during the school year, when there was no homework to be done and no teachers to assign her any new tasks. It was a reprise from responsibility, from her duty to be a good girl and to live up to the expectations set for her, from the weight she put upon her own shoulders.
She breathes it in, sighing softly, as she huddles further beneath the sheets. Jasper's arm is wrapped securely around her waist and judging by the soft, even breaths that tickle the skin at the back of her neck, he's still asleep. As carefully as she can, she rolls to face him. She bites her lower lip as he stirs and pries his dark eyes open to blink at her in bleary befuddlement, clearly looking for some sort of problem or danger. He begins pushing himself up, but stops when Jemma pulls him back down.
"Shh," Jemma hushes him, placing a hand upon his cheek. "It's still early. Go back to sleep."
He hums in recognition, apparently finding wisdom in her words as he easily shuts his eyes once more. Never having been fully awake in the first place, it doesn't take him long to get back to sleep. Watching him, she realizes she's never really seen him asleep before; any time they've had an opportunity to share a bed, he's always fallen asleep after her and woken before. He looks peaceful and relaxed in a way that doesn't seem possible when he's awake.
She brushes a thumb across his cheek and is unable to contain her smile as he nuzzles closer to her, his arm wrapping more securely around her waist. His defenses are lowered here, but she knows that if he wished it, he would be awake at a moment's notice. It seems to be the standard for all experienced S.H.I.E.L.D. agents; that ability to wake at the sound of a pin dropping. The fact that she doesn't wake him now tells her that he doesn't sense any need to keep himself alert. He can afford to relax because he's in an environment where he feels safe, with someone he can trust.
It's the sort of thing that he doesn't ever have to explain to her and perhaps never could, with words. This says enough.
When Jemma wakes again, it's decidedly brighter out—though somewhat gloomy, given the sound of the rain against the window—and the bed is noticeably emptier. However, in Jasper's place, Baxter lays with his head on the pillow and when he notices she's awake, proceeds to place a series of sloppy dog kisses on her face. She laughs, sitting upright and patting his head in an attempt to appease him.
"I leave for two minutes and you're already trying to steal my girl?" Jasper says, appearing in the doorway.
"He's quite the charmer," Jemma says, trying to shoo Baxter away enough so she can get out of bed.
"I was about to start making breakfast, if you'd like to take a shower," Jasper says. He nods towards the window. "Looks like we're rained in today, but we can talk about what to do over food."
"Actually, a shower sounds marvelous," Jemma agrees, stretching.
"Take your time," Jasper says, making a motion for Baxter to get off the bed. "There's plenty of hot water."
"Oh, I won't be long," Jemma assures him, picking her outfit from her suitcase.
She hears the jingle of Baxter's tags as he waddles off after his owner and she makes her way to the adjoining bathroom. Initially, she really hadn't meant to be long, but once she was out from beneath the duvet, the weather lent a rather chilly feel to the day and removing herself from the warm spray of the shower wasn't as easy as it should have been.
It gave her time to reflect. Skye had seemed surprised all those months ago when Jemma confessed to never having any real boyfriends and being more the type to have the casual fling now and again. It was just that no one really interested her all that much. She'd tried dating, of course, it was just that in the end, she never found herself satisfied. They were too boring or too difficult to put up with or simply not at all like they'd made themselves appear at first. Jemma didn't have time for games then and she certainly doesn't now.
Jasper seems to her to be flexible in all the right ways, so very different from the men in her past. She thinks about what he'd said last night, in regards to her wanting to try things, and decides that would be something interesting to talk about today.
With that thought in mind, she finally pries herself from the shower and towels down as quickly as possible so she can slip into the oversized sweater she'd brought with her. After brushing her teeth and drying her hair, she exits the bathroom to the unmistakable smell of coffee and bacon. She peeks her head around the corner and spies Jasper at the stove, telling Baxter that he can have a piece of bacon if he behaves.
"That smells wonderful," she says, padding up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Hope you like pancakes," Jasper says. "Because I like pancakes."
"So I've heard."
He turns, looking to her skeptically. "Really."
She shrugs. "Sometimes Agent Coulson has a lot to say about you and I have a lot of questions."
"Please don't tell me you two sit up at night and do that whole boy talk thing about me," Jasper says flatly.
"I'm sure your little diner dates were far manlier than he made them out to be," Jemma says, patting his arm consolingly before helping him bring plates to the table.
"It's a good thing Phil came back from the dead," Jasper says. "Because now I have the opportunity to kill him myself."
"Relax, I was exaggerating," Jemma assures him as they both sit. "It's just that you two obviously have a long standing relationship and there are some nights when both of us can't sleep, so when we talk, I ask about you. I enjoy his stories."
"I'm sure you do," Jasper snorts.
"To be fair, your tattoo story was the most embarrassing thing I've heard from either of you," Jemma points out as she spoons eggs onto her plate.
Jasper pulls a face. "Yeah, don't tell him I told you that one."
"On one condition," Jemma says, handing a small piece of bacon to Baxter.
"Oh boy, here we go," Jasper says with a shake of his head as he fills both their mugs with coffee. "What's the condition?"
"Last night you mentioned that you don't mind trying different things in the bedroom," Jemma says. "I'm curious as to what sorts of things you like."
"Wearing ladies underwear."
"Really? What sorts?"
"Well, I've got a lacy, black pair that I'm fond of."
"Perhaps you could model them for me later tonight?"
For a moment Jasper's quiet before a sharp, bark of a laugh emerges from him. He rests his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand as he regards her with a smirk.
"You do realize that what I just told you most people might consider strange?" he points out.
"I don't find it strange," Jemma answers easily. "I quite like it."
"You like it," Jasper echoes, raising an amused eyebrow.
"Do I like the idea of you wearing a suit that everyone can see while wearing lacy, black panties that no one knows about? Why yes, I do," Jemma says stirring cream into her coffee.
When she looks up, Jasper hasn't taken his eyes off of her and, to her surprise, there's a faint blush on his cheeks.
"You're blushing!" Jemma points out delightedly. "I've made you blush!"
"You can't just spring something like that on a guy at the breakfast table," Jasper sputters in his defense.
"I was curious," Jemma says. "And besides, I think it's about time we start to talk about these things, don't you?"
"Alright. After breakfast, we're having a talk because now I need to know what kind of deep, dark sexual desires Jemma Simmons is hiding under that prim and proper appearance," Jasper says slyly.
"Oh now you're making me blush," Jemma huffs.
"You started it."
"Tease."
"Takes one to know one."
Perhaps flinging bacon and bits of pancake at each other isn't the most adult resolution, but judging by the way Baxter happily goes about cleaning up after them, they probably could have done worse.