A/N – Say Something was only ever supposed to be a one shot, but Jane and James have been yelling in my head for a while now that they want more of a story. So they're getting another two chapters (this one and another chapter), as well as a few oneshots and drabbles here and there. I hope you really enjoy this – they're a sweet couple and a pleasure to write for! :) I'm excited to finally have this written!
Jane woke slowly, luxuriating in the warmth radiating from James' muscular body and the familiar strength of the arms wrapped snugly around her. She kept her eyes closed and lay still, memorising the feel of fresh cool linen against her body, the faint scent of his aftershave, the heat of his chest against her back, and the slow measured rise and fall of James' chest as he breathed. It was almost a shame that they had to wake up and start the day, because she could have stayed like this forever.
James moved, stretching his legs and tightening the arm around her waist as he yawned and cuddled close, and Jane sighed and opened her eyes; resigned to waking up and facing reality as much as she wanted to hide under the duvet with him all day. She blinked sleepily. Sunlight filtered in lazily through the white gauzy curtains of her balcony windows, and a gentle breeze stirred them, cold enough that she shivered. James murmured and pulled her closer, nuzzling her neck and throwing one leg over hers.
"Mmm, tell me I'm not dreaming, Lola." His voice was rough with sleep and his stubbly cheek scraped against her skin. "Tell me that Yesterday happened and I spent last night here with you?"
Jane smiled and caught one of his hands with hers, their fingers lacing together. "Yesterday happened," she told him as she rolled over. "We painted a room, we made love, and then we spent an incredible night together."
"Good," he sighed happily and opened his eyes. "Except you forgot the part where you told me you loved me." James leaned forward and kissed her, his lips warm and soft. "That's a pretty important part of the story. My favourite part."
She melted against James at the touch of his lips on hers; their legs twining together as she arched lightly against him. Her fingers crept up his arms, tracing muscles and exploring tattoos and scars, until finally she allowed her fingers to delve into his hair. His brown locks were slightly longer than they had been on the Normandy, and she luxuriated in the feel of his thick hair between her fingers.
"Mmm," he hummed happily and peppered her throat with light little kisses. "I could lie here with you all day. We could watch a movie, or read, or just stay here like his." James settled her against his chest and Jane relaxed; closing her eyes and listening to the steady beat of his heart. "I dreamed of being with you like this for so long."
"Me too," she confessed. "I didn't want to fall asleep last night in case I woke up and it was all a dream."
James grinned at her admission and tilted her face up for another kiss. "Baby," he told her. "You say the sweetest things."
They lay together for as long as they could, cuddled close under the blankets and enjoying the freedom of finally giving into their feelings for each other. They exchanged sleepy kisses and gentle touches, and Jane soaked up James' affection like a sponge; enjoying the happy look in his eyes as his hands and mouth roamed her body. She hadn't felt this happy or peaceful in a very long time.
"We should get up," she said eventually as James disappeared under the sheets. She tried not to giggle as his mouth moved across her chest, teasing one nipple and then the other as his tongue swirled around the rosy tips. "We can't lie here all day being lazy."
"Mmm? And why not?" he asked as he poked his head up. "I want to make love to you again, Janey. I want to be inside you and make you feel good."
He slid a hand between her legs as if to illustrate his point, his fingers very persuasive as they moved to the apex of her thighs and slipped between the folds of her womanhood. Jane bit her lip and arched her back as James vanished beneath the blanket again, kissing his way down her body. He settled himself between her legs and nuzzled close, licking and circling the bundle of nerves at her core, easing one and then two fingers inside of her.
The pleasure rolled over Jane in lazy waves, delicious and slow as James worked her up to a fever pitch and then drew back when she was almost at her peak. She groaned in disappointment and heard his rumbling laugh as he kissed each trembling thigh, pleased with her response to his ministrations. He dragged the blanket back and crawled back up her body, flushed and happy.
Jane caught his face in her hands and kissed him, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him against her as the pulse of need pounded through her; demanding and heavy. James' mouth was warm and soft against hers, and she shivered as his tongue licked along her lower lip, the sleepy morning kiss doing nothing to put out the flames of desire he was fanning. When his erection brushed against her inner thigh, hard and eager, she ground her hips forward and clutched him tighter, wanting that thick hardness inside of her.
"Please, James," she whispered in between desperate kisses, unable to keep still as she writhed against him. "I want you."
He nodded and drew in a ragged breath. "Dios, yes."
James wasn't slow to comply, and he reached down and positioned himself at her entrance, then slipped inside of her with a gentle thrust, sliding inside her slick warmth as though she'd been made to fit him. Jane gasped and whimpered at the sensation of him filling her, urging him deeper as he rolled his hips in gentle movements, his tongue dipping into her mouth in time to the rolls of his hips.
It felt beautiful, wonderful, exactly what she wanted, and Jane raked her nails down his back, kissing his face, neck, and throat; any part of him she could reach.
They made love slowly; palm to palm and cheek to cheek, unwilling to be apart for more time than was necessary as they moved together in a dance older than time. The delicious friction of their bodies grinding together, of his hardness sliding inside of her, built and built, the tension rising until the pleasure was almost pain.
The shuddering release spilled over both of them at the same time, and Jane held James all the closer, muffling her cries of pleasure against his shoulder, her body clenching around his as she reached her climax. He wrapped his muscular arms around her, holding her to him as he groaned her name and held himself as deeply inside her as he could, wonderful waves of ecstasy washing them both away. They spiralled down from the heights of their love making slowly, then lay tangled together while their bodies cooled and heart rates slowed.
Afterwards James grinned at her happily and settled them both against the pillows. "I have to confess, I wanted to do that every time I woke up in your bed, Lola." Jane blushed as she remembered entertaining similar thoughts herself, and he chuckled as though he knew what she was thinking. "And it's nice to know that you're susceptible to my early morning charm."
She snorted and rolled away from him, avoiding his arms as they snaked out and tried to catch her. "Well, I might have fantasized about doing that with you once or twice too," James smiled at her words, his eyes sparkling happily. "But, we really do have to get up!"
"And why is that?" He smirked and settled for catching one of her hands in his, then lifted it to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on her palm.
"Because I need to eat," she told him, and her stomach gurgled as if to prove her point. "And because I want to take you for a walk down to the lake and out in the woods. It's so beautiful."
James' eyes softened and he nodded. "That sounds wonderful, mi amor." He sat up and pulled her into his arms, nuzzling her neck and giving her a soft love bite. "I'll cook us some breakfast and we can take a picnic blanket with us. Sound nice?"
"Very romantic," she agreed. "But first, a shower?"
"Definitely." James chuckled and Jane felt his eyes on her body as she slipped out of bed. "Though I can't promise I'll keep my hands off you when you're all slippery and wet."
A warm flush spread through Jane at the thought of James joining her in the shower; of his hands moving over her body under the water, of him making love to her again, and she paused at the door way to the ensuite.
Jane glanced over her shoulder and winked. "Now why would I make you promise that, huh? All I said was that we needed to get out of bed … " She ducked inside the bathroom, grinning as James chuckled appreciatively and joined her.
Despite their flirting, they used their time in the shower to each clean each other carefully; enjoying the pleasure of touching, kissing and washing one another. Jane traced James' new scars and old, wondering how much of his life she'd missed while she'd been hiding herself away, and she held her breath as his hands moved over her body, his eyes concerned as he saw how many medical scars there were.
He didn't say anything, but as he washed the soap suds away James carefully kissed each mark, his fingers lightly tracing the scar tissue after each kiss. He held her tightly afterwards, the water cascading around them like a waterfall as he kissed her hungrily, desperately. Each scar had a story, and Jane knew he'd want to know them all, each operation and each injury, but for now it was clear that he was as content to be with her as she was with him.
"They're pretty hard to look at, aren't they?" she said quietly when he broke the kiss, a hand automatically moving down to cover the scars crisscrossing her stomach.
James caught her hand and pulled it away. "Are you kidding?" He looked genuinely surprised and stepped back to look at her as the water slipped down her body. "They're beautiful."
"Beautiful?" She looked down at the the ugly red, white and purple marks, hating them. "They're horrible."
"No they aren't." He traced them with the tips of his fingers, his touch feathery light. "Each one of these scars means you're alive, Jane. They mean you beat the odds and survived, and I love them. They're beautiful." He stepped forward and kissed her, his large body shielding her from the spray of the water.
He thought her scars were beautiful.
Tears prickled behind Jane's eyelids and she drew in a shuddering breath, folding herself tightly against his body. Her scars and injuries had been one of the many reasons she'd kept James at bay, and here he was telling her that he thought her scars were beautiful because they meant she was alive. She held him all the closer and silently thanked Cortez for forcing her to face up to the way she felt
James stepped back after a time and grinned at her. "You look a little happier. Good. I'm going to rustle us up some breakfast while you finish in here." His hands lingered on her waist.
"And here I thought you were going to ravish me again," she joked, trying to hide how much his words had meant to her.
He leaned down to kiss her, one hand sliding along the curve of her hip. "Ravish you?" He chuckled. "All in good time, Lola."
Jane laughed softly and went up on her tip toes to meet James' lips halfway, enjoying the affectionate way he held her to him. "Now if that isn't an incentive to eat breakfast I don't know what is." Their mouths met in a brief kiss, his tongue swirling around hers before he reluctantly pulled away. "I have some breakfast things," she told him, "not much, but enough for us. I mean, if you can find them."
"I'm a modern man, Lola, I can find my way around the kitchen." He winked at her and kissed the tip of her nose, chuckling as she shooed him away.
She watched his naked form vanish out the shower door, his body glistening with water. A pang of lust shot through her and with a grin at herself she turned the cold tap on a little further, determinedly looking away as he dressed and left the room.
The water felt good and Jane indulged in a longer shower than usual, washing her hair and using the luxury products she'd bought on a whim and left on touched. She'd wanted to feel beautiful and feminine again after her surgeries, but every time she'd caught sight of her scarred body in the bathroom mirror she'd lost the desire. So she'd stopped dressing nicely, stopped wearing makeup, and stopped treating herself to little luxuries that had once meant so much.
It was time she changed that; she needed to feel good again.
Jane shut the water off, hopped out of the shower, and cocooned herself in a fluffy white towel. She dried herself off quickly and used the hair dryer dry her long red hair, knowing it would be a tangled frizzy mess for the rest of the day if she left it to dry naturally. The temptation to put on makeup welled up and she gave in; putting on some mascara, tinted foundation and blush. James seemed to find her sexy enough without it, but it felt good to make an effort and look nice for him.
James.
Even the thought of him sent a dizzying rush through her.
After all these months of running from the very thought of him, of denying her feelings and desperately trying to convince herself that she didn't love him, it was such a release to just … let go. To let go of everything she'd kept bottled up so tightly and for so long. She'd had so many feelings for him that she hadn't even known how to deal with them, and after the war and her injuries she'd assumed things would never happen.
And now … here they were.
Jane smiled and brushed her hair behind her ears as she pulled on a black strapless sundress, simple underwear and added some knee high leather boots that would be suitable for a long walk. The thought of strolling hand in hand with James and showing him her home caused a flurry of happiness to fizz through her veins, and Jane smiled to herself as she drifted through the kitchen door.
The sight of James padding back and forth barefoot in her kitchen and working over the stove brought yet another smile to her face, and Jane paused for a moment to watch him. She sidled up, slid an arm around his waist, and leaned against him as he cooked; she'd missed him. He deftly flipped some bacon in the pan, decided it was crispy enough, and then dished it up; adding fresh slices of toast and some of his famous eggs – though Jane suspected he'd improvised with her meager provisions.
He'd already poured them glasses of juice and he nodded towards her coffee machine which was burbling away. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, but I was starving so I made us a bit of everything. Some protein and carbs." James steered her towards the breakfast bar, pulled out a stool and pushed her down, dropping a kiss on her cheek. "Figured we should keep our energy up."
"Well, we worked up quite an appetite." Jane inhaled the delicious aroma of bacon and eggs. "Thank you for this."
"My pleasure, Lola." James rolled the 'l' in her nickname, and the warmth in his tone sent another flutter of butterflies through her.
God, she'd forgotten how wonderful he made her feel.
They tucked into their breakfast with gusto, chatting about what they'd missed out on in each other's lives in the past few months. She told him about her recovery, finding the house, and her debate about accepting the rank of Admiral and accepting a position on the Defence Committee in Vancouver, and James told her about his accelerated N-School training and his upcoming graduation, as well as his promotion to the rank of Captain and command of the Normandy. It felt good to sit and chat with him again after avoiding him for so long, especially now that there was nothing between them anymore.
No more might haves or could haves, no burning sexual tension or things they wanted to say and do but couldn't.
"I still feel kind of strange being on the Normandy without you," James admitted after a time, a faint blush colouring his cheeks. "I mean, the cabin still has your model ships up there and everything."
Jane chased some bacon around her plate and smiled. "You're the captain now, get used to it."
"I know, but the Normandy was your ship. I think in some ways she always will be."
"No, she's yours now." She put her fork down and stretched until her shoulders cracked. "Though if you want to return my model ships, I'm not going to complain. I don't suppose my fish are still there? Or my hamster Franklin?"
James laughed and pulled her into a hug. "I'm afraid your fish all died and your hamster passed away too, though he lived a long time for a space hamster. But my husk head is still alive."
Jane rolled her eyes as she remembered the horrible shrieking head; she'd only tolerated it in her room because of James' genuine delight in it. He was still grinning at her when she looked at up at him and she narrowed her eyes, shifting in her seat as she sensed he was amused by something.
"What is it?" she prompted him. "I know that smile."
"You also left a photo by your bed." His smile widened and Jane face flamed as heat rushed to her cheeks.
Oh God! She'd kept a photo of James by her bed on a whim! She'd forgotten about that photo - but of course he was the captain of the Normandy now, and he could have gone through everything in her room when he'd moved up there. Which meant he'd seen the photo and who knows what else! He'd probably suspected she'd had a crush on him all along; no wonder he'd kissed her when the Normandy had reached Earth.
"It was a cute photo," she said lightly, trying and failing to keep a straight face as her cheeks continued to burn. "Does that mean you don't keep any pictures of me?"
"Pictures of you?" he tilted her face up so she'd meet his eyes which were dancing with amusement, "Okay, Lola, you got me; I keep a photo of you too. A cute little photo of the two of us from your party on the Citadel. I also have the issue of Fornax with your tasteful pinup photoshoot in the N7 lingerie – it's very, very sexy." James slid an arm around her shoulders and his voice dropped an octave. "I have to admit; I like that you kept a photo of me."
He leaned down and kissed her, his hands sliding down her shoulders and soothing away her embarrassment. Jane happily linked her armed around his neck; James tasted like bacon and coffee and early mornings. It was a warm and happy kiss. The kind of kiss she'd always thought about sharing with him. When they pulled apart she was a little breathless and grinned stupidly up at him, somewhat appeased to see the same silly smile on his face.
"I really love you, you know," James told her as he traced her face. "I don't want this day to end."
Jane stood up and gave him another quick kiss. "Yeah, but after today comes tomorrow and the day after and the day after that!"
"You might get sick of me," he pointed out, helping her collect their dirty dishes and transport them to the dishwasher. "You might wake up tomorrow and decide, 'yeah, that was fun. But I'd rather be alone again.'"
She raised an eyebrow shook her head. "Fat chance of that. Do you have any idea how miserable I was?"
"As miserable as me?" James caught her hand and tugged her towards him, his brown eyes serious as they searched hers. "I mean it Janey; I don't want to scare you off again."
Janey.
It was the second time today he'd called her that instead of Lola; she liked it. Jane closed the gap between them and snuggled up close.
"You're not going to scare me off again," she told him. "I love you too much."
"Good." The smile he flashed made things low in her stomach flutter, and Jane took his hand and nodded towards the lake visible through the patio window.
"Come on, let's go for that walk." She motioned over her shoulder at the fridge. "We can grab some beer and some snacks and have a picnic too."
James raised an eyebrow and his fingers tightened around hers. "A walk and a picnic? You wouldn't be trying to seduce me, would you? 'Cause I should tell you that I'm a sure thing."
Jane laughed softly. "Are you saying you don't want to go on a date with me? I thought a walk down by the river and then a stroll in the woods would be a nice way to spend our first day as a couple." She pulled him closer, feigning disappointment. "I guess if sex is all you're interested in-"
She almost squealed as James hauled her into his arms quick smart and kissed her, bringing his mouth down on hers so fast her head spun. The hard planes of his body felt good against her, and she wriggled closer, enjoying the physical contact. When James drew back his eyes were burning with heat and he shook his head slowly, his gaze never leaving hers.
"You're a minx," he told her.
"I know." Jane grinned. "Does that mean I get my picnic?"
James chuckled. "Something tells me I couldn't say no to you even if I tried, especially not now that you've called it a date." He squeezed her hand and smiled, brown eyes sparkling. "Now, point me in the direction of the beers and I'll get them out for you."
They got together a picnic basket of snacks and beer, and Jane found an old blanket for them to sit on, then they set off. She led James out the backdoor, along the deck and down towards the lake. The air was crisp and cool, but the sun was shining brightly and it warmed them up before long. The view from the back of her house was picturesque and the lake looked beautiful shining in the mid-morning light, framed by the distant green shore and rolling forest covered hills.
They walked hand in hand through her back garden towards the lake, and then followed the stony shore, their boots crunching over the pebbled beach as they hugged each other close. James' clothes were the same ones he'd worn yesterday and were splattered with paint, but Jane didn't care; he could have been wearing full body armour or ratty workout wear and she would have been content to snuggle close. She'd missed so much about him; his smell, the sound of his voice, the way he watched her from the corner of his eyes when he thought she wasn't watching.
She smiled as she caught him doing just that. "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about our last night on the Normandy before we landed in London." James' arm tightened about her waist. "I wanted to tell you that I loved you then but," he shrugged and Janes chest ached as something like regret passed over his face, "I didn't want to say something that was going to distract you the next day and maybe get you killed."
She swallowed and looked out over the lake, watching as the blue water shimmered in the light. "I know."
"I thought about that night over and over again after I got back to Earth." He was speaking carefully, not accusing or blaming her for pulling away and hiding from him, though the hurt was obvious in his voice. "I kept thinking that I should have spoken up after all, that it might have made a difference if you'd known how I felt." James sighed and his arm tightened slightly. "There were so many times when I wanted to tell you and held back."
Guilt slithered through Jane for the way she'd treated James when he'd been in the Normandy – for leading him on, for getting drunk and kissing him, for asking him to stay the night to hold her. She'd known that there was something unspoken between them, but she'd been comfortable with James and she'd used him. Ashamed, she paused and reached down to pick up a smooth flat pebble which she skipped across the lake, her green eyes watching its progress while the silence between them stretched.
"Jane?" James touched her shoulder lightly. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I just … I shouldn't have let things happen the way they did. I led you on and kept things in limbo and it wasn't fair for you. I'm sorry." The rock skittered to a stop and slipped beneath the surface with a small sploosh. "I was a coward."
"You? A coward?" He laughed softly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest and resting his chin on top of her head. "No, we were in a war and neither of us spoke up for a very good reason. We couldn't risk the distraction. If you'd gotten hurt or killed because of your feelings for me, then I wouldn't have been able to live with myself." James kissed the side of her head and brushed his lips against her ear. "What would have you have done if I had told you I loved you that night?"
Jane shivered as his breath tickled, sending shivers down her spine, then she slowly turned to look at him. She linked her arms around his neck and went up on tip toes so she could press her mouth against his, once, twice, and a third time.
"I'd have told you that I loved you too," she confessed. "Though … I might not have realised it until that moment. I can be pretty dense sometimes."
James laughed as the tension dissolved, and he linked his arm with hers. "Well shit, the next time I have any bright ideas about waiting for the perfect moment to confess my true feelings, I think you might need to slap some sense into me."
"Can do." She grinned and elbowed him in the ribs. "Does this mean I can expect spontaneous acts of romance? Flowers? Chocolates? A Teddy bear bigger than me?"
"Baby, you can expect all of those and more." He kissed her again, the picnic basket bumping lightly against her legs. James drew back and pressed his forehead to hers. "Fuck, it this turns out to be a dream I'm coming over here anyway to tell you how I feel."
Jane nodded and hugged him, revelling in the feel of his firm body under her fingers as she splayed her hands across his back.
"This." she kissed him. "Is definitely." She kissed him again. "Not a dream." And she kissed him a third time for luck. "Or if it is a dream, it's the best dream I've ever had."
"You mean that?" He cupped her cheek in one hand and looked down into her eyes as a cool breeze stirred her red hair and ruffled her dress.
"I do. I'm happier right now than I've been in the last twelve months, James. And that's because of you." She rubbed her cheek against his. "I didn't realise how much I loved you until you were gone, and I don't ever want to be apart from you again." Moisture blurred her eyes and Jane hastily looked away, embarrassed as her emotions welled up.
James crushed her close and peppered her face with kisses, his stubble scraping lightly across her skin; following the path of his lips. "Lola, Te ame desde el momento en que puse mis ojos en ti," he said huskily in Spanish, and then lowered his mouth to her ear to add in English, "I loved you from the first moment I laid eyes on you, Lola." He took her hand. "Come on, let's go have that picnic, hmm? And I can show you just how much I love you."
Jane smiled and wiped her eyes. "I'd like that."
A/N – I hope you enjoyed it! The next part will have their forest picnic and will hopefully be written soon. I'd love to know what you thought of this – and any ideas of what you'd like to see from Jane and James in future stories! Thank you!