Summer of Learning – Chapter 14

It seemed to take forever to carve enough of a path down the driveway for my car to get out. I was using muscles I hadn't used in...well, I'm not sure I'd ever used them…and was definitely feeling it. Little by little, I shoveled my way down the driveway to the street, promising myself that when I grew up, I was buying a snow blower. The sun was doing its best to try and raise the temperature, but the cold, piercing wind had other ideas. I knew if I went back inside, I'd never want to come back out again, so I buckled down and chiseled my way into my car to get out my ice scraper. I started the engine and let the car warm up from the inside, hoping it would help make my job a little easier. After sitting out in the cold for the past couple days, I was overjoyed when the motor started so I wouldn't have to try and jump it.

After a good twenty minutes of just scraping away the layers of ice and snow covering my car, I finally had enough of my windows cleared to where I felt safe enough to drive. I sat in the warmth of my car for a minute, catching my breath and letting my fingers thaw as I mentally went over everything I would need to do while I was out and about.

I decided to stop by my parents' house first. A fresh batch of tears threatened to fall at the thought, but I fought them back. I needed to go to the pharmacy and get some better supplies for Sean's nose, and the grocery store for meals for the foreseeable future. I had about a week before school started up again for the semester, so I'd probably be making another trip to the store before then. Still, I wanted to make sure Sean and I were well stocked in case the weather turned crappy again.

I drove carefully through the streets, some still not cleared of the ice and snow, and pulled into my parents' driveway. I punched in the code for the garage and rushed to my room. Even though no one was home, I didn't want to be caught here if either of them happened to come back early. I just knew my mom would try and talk me into staying and working things out, while my dad...I just didn't even want to think about facing him yet. It had broken my heart that he wouldn't even listen to what either Sean or I had to say, and that his first reaction was to kick me out of the house. I had never known him to be so…cold to me. I realize this whole situation was a shock to him, especially the way he found out, and that everything would take some getting used to, but for him to make a snap decision like that still had me shaking, unsure of just how long he would hold this grudge and still upset to have seen him so angry.

I hauled out my suitcases and laundry basket and began packing as if I were leaving for school. It took quite a few trips, but eventually I got everything loaded into my car. I stopped and took a seat at the kitchen table to relax a minute, giving my already overworked muscles a break. While I sat, I thought about my mom and dad's reactions if they were to come home and find my room basically empty again. I grabbed a notebook and pen and began to write.

Dad,

I hate that everything went down the way it did. I hated hiding my relationship with Sean from you. I know Sean hated keeping you in the dark, too. I hate the thought of hurting you like that.

But Dad, I love Sean. We make each other happy; we take care of each other. We were planning on telling you, together and in person, because you deserve more than just a phone call, but we never found the right time, and I'm sorry for that.

I know you're more than upset with both of us, and I certainly don't want to leave things the way they are now. I would love it if we could actually talk about this whole thing.

Mom, thank you for everything you've said and done for me. I'm sorry for putting you in the middle of all of this.

I love you both very much. You know how to find me.

Morgan

I left the note sitting on the kitchen table and left, wiping the few tears that had started to slip down my face as I zipped up my coat and left through the garage.

I made my way through town, stopping to pick up the things I needed, and finally ended up at Sean's house...home. It felt a little strange calling it that, but the more I thought about it, the happier and more excited I became. I grabbed the bags of groceries from the passenger seat and hauled them up the walk and into the house. I decided on putting all the food away before bringing all my stuff in.

Oh my god. I'm moving in with Sean.

I didn't feel any kind of nervousness or anxiety or doubt. What I felt was a wave of happiness, or excitement. A wide smile spread across my face, one that I didn't think would ever really leave. A chill went down my back and through my body, a thrill of giddiness, just thinking about it.

I realized that through my father's decision, Sean and I would be starting our lives together. The thought saddened me momentarily, feeling a sense of loss at being kicked out of my home, but then the emotion was immediately replaced by a feeling of joy as I imagined what my life was soon to become.

The happy feeling only grew as I started putting groceries away. Sean's comments of making myself at home in his kitchen echoed in my mind. My thoughts drifted to future meals shared between the two of us, to maybe one day having friends...or even family...come over for parties. I found where everything belonged, becoming more and more accustomed to his system of organization, and making mental notes of how I could maybe, shall we say, adapt his system to mine.

My heart fluttered and a giggle bubbled its way up as I put the last of the items away. All the tiredness from clearing the driveway, loading my car, and going shopping started to melt away. Suddenly reenergized, I put my coat back on and started emptying all my belongings from my car. Just to speed things along, I dropped everything off in Sean's living room, creating a small pile of my clothes, laptop, and books I needed for the coming semester.

I brought in the last load, my large suitcase and bag of toiletries, set them near the pile, and plopped down on the couch, the exhaustion I'd felt before returning full force. I decided that once I got back to school, I would be taking full advantage of the student gym; I needed something to help build up my stamina.

I outwardly frowned (and mentally grinned) at that; speaking of stamina, where was Sean? I hadn't heard nor seen him since I'd gotten back home. My frown transformed into a smile when I realized I'd just called Sean's house 'home' again. I shoved myself off the couch and onto my feet and started looking for Sean. Surely he couldn't have gone far.

I walked through the kitchen, down the hallway through the rest of the house. I went back to his bedroom, completely expecting to find him there. Maybe he had actually taken my advice and was trying to get some rest. A quick rush of panic raced through me when I found the bed empty. I checked out in the hallway again and noticed the bathroom door was standing open.

Seriously, where the hell did he go?

"Sean?" I called out, feeling nervous that something had happened to him while I was gone, then silly at even thinking that way. He was a grown man with a broken nose. It's not like he had a concussion or anything serious like that. "Sean!" I called again.

"Yeah, babe," I heard his muffled voice coming from the end of the hallway, across from the bedroom. I turned and walked back to the source of his voice. Across from the bedroom was Sean's office. The door was closed, but it was always closed, so I hadn't even thought to look in there. I turned the handle and poked my head into the room.

The office was lit by a floor lamp in the corner, creating a soft glow that filled the room. One wall was covered by newspaper clippings and magazine articles; I assumed they were all written by Sean. Another wall had several pictures of a luscious green landscape. On the opposite side of the room, facing the wall of photography, Sean sat at his desk, working on his laptop. There was soft classical music playing from some hidden speaker system.

"Wow," I said as I made my way to his desk. "I don't think I've ever been in here before. It's really nice."

"I don't think anyone's ever been in here before," he responded. "It's not exactly part of the tour."

I froze in my track and felt my face flush. "Oh...I'm sorry. Do you want me to..."

Sean stopped my question, "No, no, it's fine. I only mean it's not terribly exciting. It's just where I get my work down." He grinned at me, "Besides, it's not like I've actually ever given a tour of my home to anyone."

I crossed over to his desk, "So, what are you working on?"

He snapped his laptop shut before I could see anything. "Nothing."

I grinned and gave him a bemused look. "Hey, come on. What are you doing in here?"

"Just working on an article," he explained. "I haven't done any writing since you've been here, and I've still got a deadline."

I scoffed at him and crossed my arms over my chest. "Well, sor-ry, mister big important author man." I took a step toward the door.

His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist; I felt myself being pulled back toward him. I let out a surprised squeak as I fell backwards onto his lap, and settled there as he wrapped his arms came around me. "Hey. I'm not complaining," he murmured.

I wiggled on his lap, finding a more comfortable position, and carefully wound my arms around his neck. "How ya feelin'?" I asked. The bruises along his nose made my nose hurt.

Sean shrugged, "Okay. As good as can be expected, I guess. How was…everything?"

"Alright," I sighed. "I left mom and dad a note apologizing." I felt him stiffen beneath me. "I apologized for not telling dad sooner. I'm not sorry for him knowing about us, and not sorry for loving you." I planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "So, I guess we need to talk."

His eyes grew wide, a hint of panic showing. "Now what?" he asked, his voice a mix of frustration and worry.

I grinned, "Well, if I'm moving in, where am I gonna put my stuff? Not that I have a ton…"

All the anxiety melted away from his face, replaced entirely with a look of absolute joy. "So we're really doin' this, huh?"

I could feel the blood drain from my face. "Uh…yeah? You…you said…" I was at a loss for words. What was he playing at?

"Hey, hey…sorry, that came out wrong. I'm more than excited for you to move in with me," he said softly, his hand coming up to rest along my jaw, his thumb tracing over the apple of my cheek. "I just meant…I dunno…this is all new for me, too, ya know? I've never even had a roommate before, so it's all just kinda…wow!" He held my gaze for a moment before continuing, "Doesn't mean I'm not excited about it. It'll just take a little getting used to is all."

"Okay," I said uncertainly, feeling suddenly stupid for hauling all my stuff over here and getting so excited so readily. I withdrew my arms from around him and placed my hands in my lap, my fingers fidgeting against each other. "If…if you've changed your mind…" my voice started to shake.

"Morgan," Sean said with determination before lifting me from his lap and seating me on his desk. I was about to reprimand him for exerting himself with his injury, not wanting his blood pressure to go up or to cause him more discomfort. He took both my hands in his and rested the backs of his hands on my thighs. "Look at me," he commanded, and I was helpless to do otherwise. "I love you. I want you here with me. I want to marry you. Nothing in this world is going to change any of those three things. All I meant was that this is a big step for both of us, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited to take it with you."

A smile slowly stretched across my face as I looked up at him shyly. "Really?" I breathed.

He squeezed my hands before running his fingers up my arms and cupping my face once again. He scooted closer so my calves were touching the arms of his office chair and his chest was between my knees. He guided me to meet his lips, and we kissed, softly and carefully, always mindful of his bandaged nose. It seemed like forever since the last time we really kissed like this, even though it had only been a day.

I felt his tongue tease my bottom lip, and I opened to him, relishing the taste of him. He scooted a little closer, trying to deepen the kiss, but then shot backward and hissed in pain as our noses brushed together.

"Oh, Sean, you poor baby," I cooed, trying to hold back a giggle. "Come on," I planted my feet on the armrests of his chair and pushed him backward then hopped down from his desk. I offered my hands to help him to his feet. "Let's change your gauze and get a better kind of cast on your nose. I stopped at the pharmacy and got you all set up." I held his hand and led him to the bathroom.

I closed the lid of the toilet and instructed him to sit down and began treating his nose. "When we're done, I'll get you some more aspirin for pain, then I'll make a little something to tide us over before dinner."

His hands closed over mine, stopping me from what I was doing. "I love you so much," he whispered, his voice and his eyes matching in sincerity.

I smiled at him, "I love you, too, baby." He grinned back. "What brought this on?"

"You take such good care of me. I don't know what the hell I was doing before you." His eyes danced between mine. "You are just so wonderful to me."

I blushed a little at his compliments. "You're pretty fantastic yourself, you know," I winked at him and carefully applied the cast to his nose and taped it in place. "There. That should at least help protect you from any more bumps. Still, we need to keep taking it easy."

"Taking it easy with you is not exactly what I had in mind," he murmured as he slid his hands around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

"Sean…" I warned. "My orders still stand – no strenuous activity for you, at least until the swelling goes down."

"It'd be worth it," he smirked up at me.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm sure it would be, but your health comes first." I pulled his hands away from my lower back and held them, hanging between us. "Come on," I said, "I'll make us a sandwich or something and get you that aspirin."

The rest of the day went by smoothly and uneventful. After a late lunch, we found room for my clothes, even knowing I'd be packing it all up in a week to head back to school. Still, it felt good to have a home, a place I knew I belonged; my heart danced in my chest as Sean made room for me in his house. I was more than giddy with excitement. When we had everything put away, he told me to make myself at home, that he had to get back to working on his article, which was due at the beginning of next week. I was a little bummed that I couldn't just spend the day with him; the last several days had spoiled me in that regard. He justified it by reminding me that the sooner he finished, the more free time he would have before I had to leave to school.

I pulled out a couple of my textbooks for the classes I'd be starting next week and began thumbing through them. I found myself thoroughly ensconced in my psychology book before glancing at the clock and realizing it was time to start making dinner. I kept things simple, just chicken, rice and some mixed veggies, and set the table. Once everything was prepared, I walked down the hall and ventured into Sean's room again.

"Baby? Dinner's ready."

"Alright, hon, be there in a minute."

I giggled at just how normal it all felt already. He glanced up and grinned at me before returning to his work. I wondered if he felt the same way.

While we were eating, my phone chimed in my pocket, telling me I had a new text message. Without even thinking about it, I pulled my phone out and looked at the screen, then looked sheepishly up at him. "Sorry. Force of habit. It can wait."

Sean shook his head. "Don't worry about it. What's up?" he asked, gesturing to the phone still in my hand.

"It's mom," my voice had grown quiet. "She says she loves me, too." I breathed heavily as I fought the tears that threatened to fall. "Just her. Not 'we.'" I looked up at Sean. "He probably really hates me, doesn't he?"

"No, sweetheart," he said softly as his hand covered mine, his thumb dragging across my knuckles. "He loves you, you know he does. He's just…having a period of adjustment." I looked up at him; he looked blurry through my watery eyes. "Now me…he probably hates me." Even through my tears I could see how upset he was, even if he was trying to hide it.

"I'm sorry, Sean. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said unwaveringly. "You are worth it. He'll come around after a while. He's a stubborn son of a bitch, but he always caves eventually." He grinned a little, "No offense to your grandmother."

I giggled then sniffled back my tears. "Thanks, Sean." I squeezed his hand. "It's gonna be okay, right?"

"Yeah," his voice softened. "It'll take a little bit, but everything will smooth over. Promise. And hey," he added, drawing me back to look into his eyes, "even if it doesn't, your mom loves you, and you've got me, for what that's worth."

I half-smiled at him. "It's worth everything."

Later that night, as we both got in bed, he held me close against his chest, his arms wrapped around me. His hand was trailing up and down my side, his palm warming my skin from the inside and out. I gasped when I felt him cup my ass. "Sean, what do you think you're doing?"

"What?" he asked with mock innocence, his hand not moving from its new resting spot. "I can't grab my fiancée's cute little ass?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "I know what you're doing," I replied. "What I meant was, you are in no condition to start something you can't finish."

"Oh, I think I can finish you off just fine," he murmured as his hand travelled up to my waist and found its way under the elastic of my panties. Next thing I knew, his fingers were caressing the soft nest of curls between my thighs. I sighed as his middle finger parted my lower lips; we were both astonished at how wet I was for him after so little stimulation. It was like this man had a direct line to my libido; just the slightest touch had me trembling for him.

"Take your panties off," he quietly commanded. I rolled onto my back and pushed my hips up off the bed. I wiggled out of my underwear, and Sean immediately returned his finger to where it had left off. I instinctively bucked my hips up against his hand, seeking contact where I needed him the most.

"I wanna make you feel so good, sweetheart." His finger slowly slid into my core, curving upwards toward that magical spot within my inner walls. I moaned against him, but couldn't dare to kiss him like I wanted. He had me writhing in ecstasy already, and I didn't want to cause him any pain in the heat of the moment. Instead I held fast to the comforter with one hand, the other hand gripping the pillow behind my head. He added a second finger, stretching me ever so slightly, and started rubbing his thumb around my clit.

My back arched off the bed as my head was thrown back in a loud moan. "Oh my God, Sean…oh, please, baby." I squeezed my eyes shut and let the sensation wash over me, focusing on the delicious patterns his thumb was creating.

"I love when you call me baby," he growled as I felt him shift his weight on top of me. "Come on, Morgan. Cum for me." It became a mantra for him, his command repeating over and over until pleasure flooded all my senses. I tensed up and let out a long, throaty groan of release; I could feel myself clenching around his thick fingers. "Good girl," he whispered and withdrew his fingers from me, bring them to his mouth to clean them off. "I love the way you taste."

As soon as I caught my breath, I all but purred, "Thank you…what was that for?"

"You've been taking care of me all day. Just thought I'd return the favor," he said with a smirk.

I reached down to his crotch and found him stiff with arousal. "Looks like I still get to take care of you after all," I murmured with a wicked grin. I crawled onto my knees beside him and started tugging on his pajama bottoms and boxers; he lifted his hips to help me slide them off. Once I had gotten them down far enough, his cock sprang free, standing proudly, pointing toward the ceiling. I wrapped my hand around his length and stroked him, slowly at first, until I felt him thrusting his hips up toward my hand. I took my hand away and giggled at his groan of disappointment. "Don't worry baby. I've got you."

I swung my leg over his hips and eased myself onto him, relishing the feeling of fullness of possession, both his and mine. I quickly took off my night shirt; my nipples hardened at the loss of warmth the garment provided. Sean's hands immediately came up to my hips. "Oh, shit, Morgan. God dammit you feel so good…mmm…so tight, and hot and wet…and mine." His hands guided me to set a pace that would work for him, showing me just what angle he needed. I followed his lead and then dropped one hand to play with my still-sensitive clit, the other sneaking up to play with my breasts.

"Do you have any idea how sexy you are?" Sean asked as he pulled me down forcefully for my hips to meet his, eliciting a sharp, hoarse groan from me as he reached depths seemingly unexplored by him before. I cried out as he bottomed out inside me again and again; I swear each time the head of his cock was hitting the entrance to my womb.

Our movements came easily, naturally, as if we were especially made to fit together so intimately. I was convinced there was nothing I would ever find in this world as fulfilling as having Sean like this, so close in every way that mattered. It wasn't just physical; I could feel him all the way in my soul. "Oh, baby…I love you so much. Ah! I wish I could kiss you right now."

My fingers made fast, furious circles around my clit, which was slowly coming back to life after Sean's ministrations to it. I ground and swiveled my hips harder against him, causing his dick to glide against me in just the right spot. My other hand was busy kneading my own breast, pinching my nipple. "Sean…I'm gonna cum, baby…oh…" I couldn't hold myself upright anymore. My hand left my breast to brace myself on Sean's strong chest. I could still feel him pumping up into me as I leaned over, thrusting into me at a new angle and causing all kinds of thrilling sensations to run up and down my spine. Finally I found my second release, clenching tightly around him; my nails dug into his skin as my orgasm took hold and I called out his name.

"Shit, Morgan. Oh, shit!" he called out. His thrusts were becoming more erratic and I knew I had to make a quick decision. As much as I wanted to feel him cum inside me, I shoved myself off of him, grinning at his whine of frustration.

I crawled backwards, straddling his legs, until his dick was standing mere inches from my face. "I told you, don't worry, baby. I'll take care of you." I kissed the head of his cock and tentatively took him into my mouth, tasting myself on him. There was something unexpectedly erotic about having my own juices coating his dick and now wetting my lips. I bobbed my head, setting my own pace, but then remembered how good it felt for him to grab my hips as I rode him, for him to take control like that and use me the way he needed. I reached out on the bedspread, fumbling around for his hand. When I finally found him, I brought his hand to rest on the back of my head, hoping he'd understand what I wanted.

I felt his other hand join the first one, his fingers threading through my hair, and then felt just the slightest amount of pressure, as if he didn't want to push me too hard. After a quick moment of going slow, Sean apparently began to lose patience, and increased the pace, slipping further and further into my mouth. I moved my hand from his thigh to caress his balls and moaned as I felt them constrict just slightly. His grip in my hair tightened as he started moaning, "Oh, fuck yes…Morgan…aaahhhh…" He exploded in my mouth, his cum shooting down my throat. I swallowed every drop, still bobbing my head to milk all I could from him. I felt him begin to soften in my mouth and finally released him. I kissed my way up his torso, crawling back up the bed to lay down beside him, nestling up against his warm body, my arm draped across his chest, and one leg resting on top of his. I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek, and marveled as our pulses evened out together.

"I thought you said no strenuous activity," he mumbled as his fingertips traced tantalizing patterns along my back. I could feel myself relax even more against him, the first tendrils of sleep starting to pull me under.

"Mmm…I know, but you've been such a good patient." I lazily ran my fingers through his coarse chest hair. "Besides," I teased, "it's not like you did a ton of work."

I shrieked when he smacked my bare ass. "Smart ass," he mumbled through his grin. I giggled and snuggled closer to him.

"Yeah, but you love me"

"With all my heart," he whispered. I felt my pulse quicken at his words and I pressed a kiss over his heart. "G'night, sweetheart."

I smiled against him, "Good night, baby."