First off, Happy New Year, everybody! 2012 promises to bring something totally awesome for us. I speak, of course, about HALO 4! Cannot wait!

Also, I'm in the process of writing my own sci-fi action novel, which I intend to get published, but I will still try to update this fic on a regular basis, so don't despair.

And here's the next chapter!

In the Shower

Another day in the life of someone working for the UNSC, Cortana mused as she opened the door and walked into the apartment that she shared with John. Stepping over to the couch, she dropped her bag on the floor in front of it, before flopping her body down on the cushions. She leaned her head back, and let out a sigh of thorough exhaustion.

As much as she enjoyed being human, Cortana did have to admit that it was not without its drawbacks. Ever since the war against the Covenant had come to an end, the UNSC had being doing its best to repair its economy and other valuable areas. Because of that, jobs were in high demand, and every one who had secured one with the UNSC was expected to pull their weight. Now that she was a human, Cortana was no exception.

But the long, seemingly endless, hours of repetitive work could grind on the nerves of even the most patient of individuals. As much as she liked her new job, Cortana was still an individual who got bored quite easily, and her work did not exactly inspire her as much as she would have liked to. At the end of the day, she frequently found herself to be mentally and physically exhausted.

Taking a glance at her watch, she noted that John would not be home for another hour. Cortana gave a weary smile. Her lover was one of the things that never failed to make her feel better. Just seeing him after a long day at work was more than enough to lift her spirits out of the pit that they sometimes ended up in. Just hearing his voice was all it took to put her in a good mood and make her feel as though all the crap she had been through did not matter in the slightest.

More often than not, it actually reminded Cortana of the time when he had stormed High Charity to look for her. The Covenant home city had succumbed to an infection by the vile parasite known as the Flood, and they had plotted a course for the Ark. Cortana had stayed aboard to make sure that the city could be destroyed if all else failed. Instead, she had been subjected to terrible torture at the hands of the insidious Gravemind creature. It had taken every ounce of willpower that she had not to break.

But then John had showed up, blasting away at any Flood that got in his path and fighting his way through to her. She had felt like a truly broken entity, but all it took was a few tender words from him to make her feel as though everything would be alright. As long as he was there to protect her.

Cortana sighed happily. Thinking about John always made her feel better. Perhaps the only thing that was more effective was when he held her close. When he kissed her. Touched her. When he made love to her…

Back in a positive mood, Cortana decided to have a shower. Even though her work was not that physically demanding, long hours could still make one feel all gritty, dirty and worn out. Cortana hated feeling like that. Showers really helped out in that area.

Standing up from the couch, she headed into the bedroom that she shared with John and rummaged around for some fresh clothes. She settled on a clean white T-shirt and some denim shorts, as well as some fresh underwear. Then she headed into the bathroom.

Standing in the centre of the bathroom, Cortana placed her clean clothes on the basin, and then started to undress herself. The long grind of the day had actually made her feel a little bit sweaty, so her current attire was clinging to her figure somewhat. She did not pull off her clothes as much as she did peel them off. That did not bother her, though. Even now, months after she had made the transition to a physical human being, Cortana still found touch to be her favourite new sensation, and appreciated it whenever she could.

Of course, nothing matched the sensation that she felt whenever John touched her.

Smiling at the thought of her man, Cortana continued with her actions until she was completely nude, and then stepped into the shower. Turning the handles, she let the torrent of warm water wash over her and let out a satisfied sigh.

As she proceeded to wash her body, starting with her hair and then moving down her curvaceous figure, Cortana let her mind wander once again. She remembered that when she had first become human, and was first able to experience the wondrous sensation of touch; a feeling that had previously been denied to her since she was merely a hologram.

Ironically enough, the first time she had experienced the best aspect of this new feeling had happened when she was in the shower. Although she had always enjoyed the feeling of the water against her skin, she had noticed something weird this time. It was not a bad kind of weird, but a good kind. Cortana realised that she had liked the feeling of her own hands against her skin, and decided to do a little experimentation. She had stimulated herself, building the growing well of pleasure inside her until it reached its peak, and she had experienced her first orgasm.

A thought struck Cortana; one that said there was no reason as to why she could not try that again. From what John had told her, it would be a while before he would come home that evening. Cortana could just as easily have waited until he arrived to see if he was in the mood – which he almost always was – but the remembrance of her little experience in the shower had made her a little too eager to get herself off.

You know what? Screw it! Cortana thought with a feral smile, and she began to move her hands over her curvaceous figure; her lean legs, her flat and toned abdomen, her ample breasts, her smooth neck. She let the water course over her body, let it scintillate her senses.

Cortana let out a low moan of pleasure. Oh, this is just too good. I just wish John was here at the moment. Deciding not to worry about her lover, she reached down to her womanhood and gently began to tease the delicate flesh there, letting the water run over it and eliciting more flashes of pleasure.

Despite the fact that he was not there, Cortana let her mind be teased with images of John. She imagined that it was his hands running over her form instead of her own, she pictured that it was his chapped lips placing hot kisses on the parts of her flesh that were being stimulated by the hot streams of water.

Cortana had always had a good attention span; something that she had retained from her former life as an AI. At the moment, however, she was fully focused on pleasuring herself. Had she not been so distracted, she might have noticed the door to her apartment opening and someone walking in…

After stepping through the apartment door, John dropped his duffel bag on the floor and took a moment to stretch, easing out some of the tension that had built up in his muscles. A long day of work at the UNSC military base made was bound to make anybody feel like that. Sure, John may have been a Spartan, and as a result he was able to tolerate and withstand more than most people, but even he had his limits.

Sweeping his piercing gaze around the room, John noticed Cortana's bag placed in front of the couch, and the slightly dishevelled state of the cushions. He figured that she was home, and had taken a moment to recuperate on the couch. Straining his ears, John heard the water running in the bathroom and figured that she was in the shower.

He saw that the door to the bathroom was open a crack. Ever since the two of them had started to engage in a physical relationship, Cortana had gotten into the habit of leaving the bathroom door open just a little bit when she had her shower. He guessed that it was because they had gotten much more comfortable around each other, which was not surprising, considering the frequency that they engaged in intercourse.

The other explanation was that she simply did not figure that he would be home this early. John had told her that he would be at the base for a while longer, but then he had managed to carry out all of his tasks much quicker than usual, so he had been given leave to depart early. John simply shrugged. It was all pretty much irrelevant anyway.

Rebelliously, John decided to sneak up to the bathroom door and steal a quick peak inside. It was an action he would not have readily taken in his younger years, but Cortana's influence had definitely rubbed off on him. He was not complaining, though. Not in the least.

Carefully peering around the edge of the open doorway, John saw through the faint mist to the shower cubicle, and inside it was Cortana. Just seeing her nude form, with the streams of water sluicing over it, was enough to make John's manhood begin to harden. He was so attracted to her, and not just in the physical sense. No, she was somebody who understood him more than any other living being. She had literally been inside his head when she was an AI, and he had been inside her body now that she was a human. The sudden lust began to cloud the Spartan's mind.

Blinking to clear both his mind and his vision, John decided that it was best if he step back and let Cortana finish washing herself…

No, wait a second. She was not washing herself, actually. As John watched, her saw that Cortana was running her hands over her body in a sensual manner. Every few moments, her hands would wander down and begin to stimulate her womanhood. The former AI's head was tilted back, her eyes were closed, and he could hear her moaning very softly.

John was reminded of that day when he had gone for a run at the beach and unintentionally come across Cortana doing some nude sunbathing in the dunes. His sudden arousal at seeing her had caused him to walk towards her, and the two had ended up making love for the first time right there. It was what had started their current relationship.

Seems like history is repeating itself, isn't it, Johnny boy? That was the voice in John's head; the same one that had ultimately convinced him to act on his amorous impulses that day on the beach. John had originally pushed back, but eventually relented. This time, however, he did not even try to resist.

Yes, John agreed as he stepped into the bathroom. It seems that history is repeating itself.

Cortana had been close to having her climax when she became aware of a figure standing in the bathroom just outside of the shower cubicle. She was shocked for a second, but then realised it could only be John. They stood there for another second, simply looking at each other, just knowing that they would be doing it in the shower this time, and practically daring each other to say something in order to instigate it.

It was John who eventually spoke. "I hope you're not wasting too much water, Cortana. Even so, it looks like you could use a hand in there." He had a grin on his face.

Cortana rolled her electric blue eyes. "Shut up and get in here, Chief."

John's grin merely widened as he pulled off his clothing. His flesh was covered in a slight sheen of sweat and grit, and his hardened manhood was in full view for Cortana. She smiled at the sight of her man, once more ready for action, and her arms went straight around his shoulders as he stepped in to the cubicle.

Pulling each other close, John and Cortana shared a passionate kiss, their tongues swirling around each other. She pressed her form against his, feeling his manhood in between them, and the warm water cascaded over their bodies; over his rippling muscles, and over her generous curves.

When they pulled apart, John gave Cortana a teasing grin. "So I guess you couldn't wait for me, huh?"

Cortana smiled back. "I guess not. But now that you're here, it doesn't matter too much." She began kissing down his well-muscled chest, making her way down to his abdomen, and then crotch.

John knew what she was working her way towards, and he simply leaned back and let her do her movements. He enjoyed the dual sensations of the water rushing down his muscular form, and Cortana's kisses. He felt his excitement and arousal peak even more as he felt her reach his manhood and take it into her warm mouth.

Cortana worked John's shaft with her mouth and her tongue, enjoying the sheer feeling of it, and the sound of his soft grunts as her ministrations sent jolts of pleasure radiating from the organ and across his body. While she continued to give him a blowjob, she also relished in the feeling of the water over their bodies. It made them slick, and added to the absolute sensuality of the intimate moment. It also gave Cortana an idea; one that she was actually quite eager to partake in.

After a couple of minutes providing oral sex on the Spartan, Cortana stood up and looked into his eyes. Though glazed over with pleasure, his gaze remained as piercing as ever, and that never ceased to make her quiver with ecstasy.

"John, I have a favour to ask of you, if it's not too much trouble."

"Anything you want, Cortana," he replied eagerly.

Cortana smiled. "Can you do me up the ass this time?"

John raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

"Really. We've never done it before, and I would like to try it." As she said this, she continued to stroke his manhood, ensuring that it remained completely hard.

John seemed to ponder this for a moment, and then smiled. "If you wish, Cortana," he replied in a tone of voice that was both husky and playful. It was one that made her shiver in pleasure once more.

Turning so that she was up against the wall, Cortana placed her hands against it with her feet spread about shoulder-length apart; a pose usually forced upon those who were being searched by police. Her backside was pushed out slightly, as if to present an extremely tantalising target for her lover.

John eased himself into position behind Cortana. The water from the shower continued to run over their bodies, making them slick and providing just enough lubrication for what they were about to attempt. John eased Cortana's firm and curvy ass cheeks apart slightly and positioned his manhood at the tip of her virgin anal opening. With the water providing enough lubrication to make his entrance into her easier, he slid himself inside her anus. Compared to her vagina, Cortana's ass was incredibly tight, and John felt as though he was attempting to push his manhood through an extremely narrow opening. He grunted from the exertion, until eventually, he was fully enclosed in her rectum.

Cortana's head spun with this new sensation. Sex with John had always been amazing and enjoyable, but this new experience of anal sex was positively mind-blowing. She moaned in pain from the initial entrance, but as John started to move in an out, this pain gave way to pleasure. A kind of pleasure that was both familiar and new at the same time, and she began to increase her moans as John quickened his movements.

John reach above Cortana and grasped his hands around hers, pressed up against the tile wall of the shower. At the same time, he continued to thrust in and out of her ass, with the constant stream of water washing over them, making the thrusting in and out of her much easier. Cortana's frenetic moans spurred him on, and John thrust in and out faster, slamming against her ass at an increasing pace.

Although this kind of intercourse did not stimulate in the same way that regular sex did, Cortana nonetheless felt the pleasure building up inside of her. John's hardness reached into places of her that had never been touched before, and this stimulated her very being as a whole. It was not long before she felt the very familiar sensation started to well up in her, and she knew that she was reaching her climax.

John could tell by Cortana's increasing moans that she was fast approaching her orgasm, and that always excited him and inspired him to increase their already frenetic pace. The tightness of her ass felt as if it were stimulating his organ and sending shockwaves throughout his entire body. He thrust inside harder and faster, and simultaneously felt his own pleasure starting to approach its climax.

For Cortana, pleasure mixed with pain to create an all-new sensation that was so wonderful words were not sufficient enough to describe it, and she felt herself orgasm. She cried, throwing her head back so far that it was pressed up against John's chest, and her anus contracted as the climax washed over her.

Seeing his lover react this way, and feeling the contraction in her ass, was enough to set John off, and he let off a great burst of hot liquid inside her rectum. He twitched a couple more times as he let off some more spurts, and after a few seconds, he was all but spent, and he and Cortana both collapsed against the shower wall.

For about a minute, both John and Cortana stayed there, not moving a muscle. Were it not for the fact that they were up against the wall, they would have most likely collapsed in a heap on the floor. It was John who moved first, reaching out to turn off the water. Shaking while he moved, he then pushed off from the wall and away from Cortana, his spent manhood dropping out of her.

Cortana did her best to catch her breath. "John," she gasped, "that was… I mean…"

John did not say anything, but instead grabbed the satisfied woman and held her close, simply letting her enjoy the aftermath of the sex. He listened as her breathing returned to normal, and then he planted a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Let's go dry ourselves off," he said with a smile. Cortana just smiled back at him.

To my readers:

Dragoon Galaxy: Looks like you got your wish for an anal chapter!...

Cmdr. Gen. Marasco: ... And so did you with the shower!

Shoulda'BeenBornAShinobi: I'm going to be updating for as long as I can. I'm trying to aim for about a dozen chapters, so I'm almost halfway there.

TheWolfHourx: Ironically, where I live, Christmas is in the middle of summer, and it's stinkin' hot here right now! Nonetheless, I will think about your suggestion.

Major Mike Powell III: As always, HOO-RAH!

And to everyone else, I'll try to get another one up by the end of January, if my schedule allows it.

Until then, keep it real, my friends!