The Blue Dress
Chapter Twenty Eight: Wash Away the Pain

Jason picked his head up from the file in front of him and watched her pace back and forth in front of her bedroom door, her voice low and harsh, like a little whip of a whisper. He pursed his lips and pretended to be looking at the reports laid out on her dining room table, but he couldn't help hear snippets of the conversation as she passed in front of the door.

"No, I don't want to talk about it."

He cocked his head to the side and saw Atticus staring at her from his spot next to Jason. He looked concerned, but didn't really know what to do about it, and Jason had to agree with her pet, he didn't know what to do about it either.

"No it's not up for discussion."

Jason shifted in his seat again, feeling the air become tense and heavy with her words. He read the line of information for the fifteenth time again and dropped his forehead into his hand, hoping to tune out the sound of her talking. He doubted he would be able to ignore it though.

There was something about hearing her upset that just set him on edge, and a strange, foreign desire to comfort her raised its head in his chest. He tried to ignore the feeling, but every time he did, it just came back ten-fold. Eventually, Jason found himself suddenly fantasizing about grabbing the phone from her hands, yelling at the idiot on the other line, and then throwing the phone out the window. Raven didn't deserve to be worked up like this.

"Stop talking to me like you own me… like I'm a child."

Jason grabbed his pen so tightly that it threatened to break under his hand. If that asshole didn't shut up soon, Jason would be tempted to use the plethora of resources at his disposal to track him down and punch him in the face. His eyes flicked up to see Raven, sitting on the end of her bed, her head held in her shaking hands, a flicker of unshed tears in her eyes.

Fuck it. Jason was pretty sure he could pull enough strings to get away with murder.

"I'm done talking about this. Don't ever call me again." She pulled the phone away from her ear and ended the call. A second later she pulled out the battery and threw both of them across the room. She sat there, her hands clenching and unclenching, eyes staring down at her floor as her hair started to fall out of her ponytail.

Jason felt that desire to comfort her consume him, and he stood up, walking into her room, he bare feet soft on her carpet. As he entered her room, she didn't even look up at him, instead she turned her head to the side and whispered, "Don't look at me."

Jason's heart practically exploded in his chest, and he sat down next to her. The question was riding at the forefront of his mind, but he said nothing. As curious as he was about what had been going with her lately, Raven in the moment needed more than questions, she needed comfort and care. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She resisted for a moment before melting underneath his touch. With a soft, silent cry, she buried her face in his chest, her fingers tightening in the cotton of his button-down shirt. Jason found himself cradling her, tucking her head under his chin as he rocked both of them gently.

"I know you don't wanna talk about it."

She stiffened a little, but said nothing.

"So, I won't ask… but I want you to know I'm here if you need me."

There was a soft breath that escaped her lips, and Raven finally looked up into his eyes. He watched her little pink tongue come out to wet her lips, another soft, frustrated noise escaping. He could see the confusion in her eyes, as if she wanted to tell him something, but she didn't know how to get it all out. Raven leaned upward, her mouth hovering inches from his own. She shifted for a moment, still deliberating with herself, and then she whispered those elegant French curses under her breath, and Jason felt both of them cave into each other. His eyes closed and he closed that space between them, feeling his heart start to pound a frantic rhythm in his chest. Jesus, what in the world was she doing to him?

With a frustrated groan, he leaned down and captured her lips with his own, nudging her mouth open as he pulled Raven closer to him. She moaned into his mouth and met him kiss-for-kiss, as if she was trying to wipe the memory of call from her head with every one of his kisses. He could feel her heart, a little excited and beating like a frightened bird against her ribs, and something about the sensation made his body respond in kind. His hands tightened on her hips, and he pulled her closer, his mouth dominating hers in every way.

"Jason…"

That was his undoing. He slid his tongue along hers as she swung one leg over his lap, leaning up on her knees above him. With another curse, she pulled back from his kisses and looked down into his eyes, her anger and reservation dissolving underneath their contact. He smiled up at her, moving his hands around grab that gorgeous ass of hers.

"What can I do to make you feel better, Little Bird?" He nibbled at her collarbone, licking at the little red marks he made. "What would make you feel better?" He kissed down her chest and nipped at the top of her breasts. His smile brightened and he looked up at her mischievously. "What can I do that would earn me another cake?"

Raven blushed and she chuckled and, leaning down to kiss him again. "I have a few ideas…" Her hands buried in his hair and she tugged his head back to access his mouth better, her kisses needy and harsh on his lips. It was rough and raw, and everything about it made him burn with excitement. He had to fight against the urge to purr, she tasted so good - like fresh cream. Jason traced her lips with the tip of his tongue, before dipping inside the sanctuary of her mouth again, desperate to taste her.

Raven groaned and tugged on his hair again, tilting his head back. Their lips separated and she looked down into his eyes, saying nothing, but Jason knew. He knew exactly what she wanted, and god did he want to give it to her. Every single request. With a low, animalistic growl, he pulled her tank top up over her head, leaving her in a soft, cotton bra and her sweat pants. Jason leaned back just a little and took in the gorgeous sight of her, her breasts pushing against the cups of her bra and threatening to spill over the tops. Her ribcage was tight and narrow, leading to her toned stomach before flaring out in those soft curves and round ass he loved so much.

"Jason…"

Her hands began unbuttoning his shirt, her mouth finding his again as she desperately unclothed him. He loved the sight of her like this, all unhinged and broken, trying to get to the prize as quickly as she could. It tore him apart and immediately built him back up again. He smiled and kissed her again, capturing her lower lip in between his teeth and pulled, hearing her moan again. It was beautiful.

One of his hands moved off of the supple flesh of her ass and came around to the front of her body, dipping below the waistband of her sweatpants. He hesitated a moment, waiting for her to stop him, but when she said nothing he slipped his hand between her legs, cupping her heat with tender touches.

Well, well… she chose not to wear underwear. Raven writhed against him, her hands finally unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders and onto her bed carelessly. For the first time since they began their little game, Jason could feel the soft touch of her skin against his own, her practically bare breasts press against his chest, and it felt heavenly. He had been with women before, but there wasn't a single person he had ever been with that made him feel like this. Like he was both drowning in her and going up in hellfire at the same time. He didn't want this feeling to end. He didn't want this to be a one-night stand or even just a fling. He wanted something so much more.

Growling into her kisses, he slid his fingers inside her and watched as she pulled back, riding his hand with little gasps and groans. Her head fell back against her shoulders and she ground against him, her hands reaching between them to rub against the growing bulge in his pants with teaching touches. He clenched his teeth and cursed out her name, leaning forward and kissing up her neck, scraping his teeth against her pulse.

"Raven…" Jason wrapped an arm around her back and started toying with the clasp of her bra.

Raven smiled and leaned down to kiss him-

Atticus jumped up on the bed and shoved his nose in between the two of them, licking up Jason's neck with little barks of excitement. He pulled his hands away from Raven so quickly she went tumbling off his lap and landed in an undignified heap on the floor, curses escaping her mouth as she crashed into the carpet. Thinking it was a game, Atticus jumped on her and barked, his tongue lapping all over her face.

Raven lay there for a long moment, trying to fight him off, and then she laughed. She lay back against her bedroom floor and she laughed, throwing one hand over her eyes. For a few long minutes, she lay there and laughed at the absurdity of the situation, and the tension surrounding her seemed to dissolve into a fit of giggles. Jason looked down at her, a smile tugging at his lips as he reached for their shirts. Okay, so maybe he didn't do anything that warranted a reward with cake, but at least he got her to laugh.

Raven leaned up on her forearms and smiled at him. "Let's call it a night, Jason."

"Alright…" He tugged on his shirt and started to button it up.

"Do you mind… staying a little longer though?" Raven took her tank top from the edge of the bed and pulled it on as she climbed to her feet.

Jason stared up at her, his fingers stilling on his shirt as he desperately fought not to let his mouth fall open. Was Raven - ever stoic, reserved Raven - actually asking him to stay over? He watched her face darken and she looked away, out the window to the bright cityscape below them. She rolled her tongue in her mouth and shuffled her weight a bit before her eyes looked back over at him on the bed.

"I mean… I was gonna order a pizza and I still owe you for dinner last weekend and the weekend before, and I thought-"

"Yes." Jason stood up far more quickly than he had intended, and Atticus nearly jumped up on him again. He shifted a bit closer to her. "Yes, Raven… I can stay."

Her expression softened, a smile tugging on her lips again. "Thanks."

Jason would have bet money that he heard the twang of Cupid's bow off in the distance.

Jason jerked awake, the credits to the movie they were watching rolling on her TV. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, reading the clock on the wall. It was far too late to be over, but he didn't want to go home, not yet anyway. He was warm and comfortable, and the world outside seemed starkly cold in comparison. He looked down to see Raven curled against his chest, her fingers tightening in his shirt as she settled herself comfortably between his legs. Jason smiled more to himself than anyone else, and he pulled a blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped it around her. She gave a soft little mewl, almost like that of a kitten, and curled even closer to him.

Who knew that Raven of all people could be… cute? Jason stifled laughter and brushed back her hair from her forehead, kissing the top of her head innocently. Something strange bubbled up into his chest and he found himself wondering precisely what this life would be like. He'd spent so much of his life trying to be the best at what he did, be smart, powerful, athletic… but he had never taken the moment to actually indulge in fantasies like this. Fantasies were a gorgeous girl slept with him (fully clothed nonetheless) while her dog snored at his feet. And while this fantasy was new and strange… he found he liked it.

He kissed the top of her head again and Raven smiled in her sleep.

Yes, he liked it a lot.

Jason felt his smile fall as he looked at her dining table, still filled with their files and reports. His heart dropped into his stomach and he shifted, turning to look back down into her face. Remorse and even a little bit of fear seemed to choke the breath right from his lungs. In just a few days this whole case would be over. There would be no more make out sessions in the archives. No more teasing phone calls to one another. No more heated stares and hushed French curses. No more desperately groping for each other in the heat of the moment… there would be nothing but the icy separation of work. Stoic, perfectly normal work.

He closed his eyes, and his arms wrapped even tighter around her subconsciously.

He didn't want to give this up just yet. Not yet…

But did he have a choice?