XIX.
Cora lets her breath huff onto the glass, creating a misted area on the pane as she leans forward and places her hands on the deep sill that sits inside the wall in her and Scott's bedroom. She cranes her neck forward so that she can get a better look through the window and out over the Theia station, wondering why there were still so many people passing by their apartment this late into the night.
Cora notices that the ambient lighting has been lowered across the station, showing the Initiative members that it is now their night cycle and that they would usually be preparing for bed or heading home after a night out. Of course, now the last of them would be placed in stasis in 20 hours, but as they'd made their way home they'd noticed that the mood had changed on the station. People were excited again now the countdown was on.
She smiles to herself when she lets her mind wander back to the date and night she's just spent with Scott, making love under the artificial stars of Andromeda that he'd shown her, in the one place on the station that they could have complete peace, quiet, and no distractions. When they'd finally decided to come down from the highest place on Theia and made their way home, they'd quickly found their way back into their bed and there they'd stayed. That was until Cora had decided Scott needed to rest in case she broke him.
"You know, people can probably see you." Scott chuckles from the bed behind her making her smile and shrug slightly. Cora didn't think anyone would bother to look, but if they did they might see the silhouette of her exposed body and face leaning close to the glass watching them.
"You think so?" Cora giggles and glances over her shoulder at him, seeing him sat up in bed, and gazing at her. She watches him lift his hands to his face, and then trail them through his hair.
"Have you no shame Miss Harper?" Scott continues and she returns her eyes to the window, watching a couple of AI members walking past talking excitedly, and possibly drunk. Cora hears the sound of him moving and knows he is getting up off of their bed and that he is moving towards her to join her at the window.
"So let them look." Cora giggles hearing him laugh again and notices that he is now behind her, she feels him lean closer to her to press his bare chest against her back as he tries to see what she is looking at. She watches as he breaths on the window as she has done and lifts his finger to write their initials on it.
"You think there will be another couple living here after us?" Scott chuckles when she lifts her finger to draw a heart around their initials. "Wondering about who we were?" He smiles as she sighs and leans back against his chest, feeling how their skin is pressed together.
"They might wonder where we ended up, where our adventures took us." She adds and hears him chuckle. "Scott, your all sweaty." Cora giggles when he wraps himself around her and slides his hands down her arms.
"So are you." Scott chuckles and she feels him pressed against her, making her body flush when she feels them both trying to get closer to each other and how her body reacts to his fingertips.
Cora sighs happily when Scott places his hands onto her hips and dips his head to press his mouth against her naked shoulder, and then her neck. She feels her skin tingle when he blows gently against the back of her neck. Cora can't help but smile to herself when she feels him lower his chin to rest against her shoulder and she sees his own eyes move to watch the people outside their apartment.
"At least those people outside have got a good view." Cora giggles making Scott nod in agreement. "I was talking about you, handsome." She whispers and smiles when she feels him snake his arms around her body from behind and lifts his head to press his mouth against her neck, pressing a kiss beneath her ear and biting gently on her lobe making her sigh quietly.
"It does make me wonder though." Scott begins and she feels him smile against her neck. "Why would anyone not spend their last few hours naked?" Scott whispers making her giggle again as they watch another small group of people walk past.
"I was thinking the same." Cora laughs and places her hands over his and strokes her palms up his forearms, enjoying the warmth from his body. "Although we've got our new clothes to wear now." She adds and hears him sigh.
"Yeah, can't wait," Scott whispers feeling him nod and rest his mouth against her shoulder again. She feels him squeeze her a little tighter in his arms, trying to offer them both some comfort. "Do you think they'll call us in as a team?" He asks and she shakes her head lightly.
"I don't think so. I think they are doing name rather than the number." Cora mumbles, she knew hey would reach her family name a lot sooner than they would Scott's and the rest of the Ryder family so she would be in her pod, long before they were. She was expecting her Omni to ping much before his to let her know she could go to the transport to the Hyperion.
"I promised I'd be there when you fall asleep," Scott whispers and places another kiss against her shoulder making her smile, he made it sound so comfortable and easy, not at all drug, medical, and technology-induced like it would be in reality.
Cora lowers her hands from his biceps and turns her body to face him, letting him wrap his arms around her body lightly. She lifts her hands to rest them on his chest, feeling him tighten his hold on her when she leans to rest the side of her head against his neck. Scott reaches to stroke his fingers through her hair at the back of her head making her sigh.
"What about when I wake up?" Cora smiles hearing him chuckle and nod his head. "I thought you were just being sweet so you could convince me to sleep with you." Cora giggles hearing him snort.
"Convince you? You were the one that invited me back to your room the first time, remember?" Scott chuckles making her smile to herself and nod. "Not that I was complaining, or have done ever since." Scott grins and she feels his mouth against her neck again.
Cora was glad she had been feeling so bold that night or they might have parted ways and not seen each other again until they reached the Nexus. Scott might have found a way to get off of the station and they might have spent the rest of their time together with the Pathfinder Team wondering what if something had happened between them.
"I'll be there when you wake up too." Scott whispers as she feels him slip his hands onto her back, and then up to her shoulder blades.
"Every day?" Cora whispers feeling the hands that he had been rubbing down her back pause and wrap around her body again. "No, that's an impossible thing to ask for." Cora laughs and she hears him chuckle. There were going to be times they were apart as soon as they arrived in Andromeda, and they were both going to have to accept that.
"Every day." Scott replies and she feels his hands move to her hips making her smile. "Unless, I'm really, really far away.." Scott continues making Cora giggle as he begins laughing. She lifts her head to look at him and frowns at him seeing a large smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "I just mean if I'm stuck on some planet and the whole concept of time is different there, or I miss my ride back.." Scott laughs again making her giggle at his words.
"Just be quiet, Scott." Cora whispers as she lifts her hand to take hold of his chin between her thumb and finger and draws his mouth to hers, pressing her lips tightly against his. She was going to have to make sure she remembered how bad at keeping his mouth shut, he was. But kissing him seemed to work pretty well so far.
"But no matter how far away I am, I want you to know I'll be doing whatever I can to come back to you." Scott mumbles against her lips making her sigh. What was she going to do with him?
Cora wraps her arm around his neck holding him closer to her as she hears him finally go quiet and return her kiss, his hands tightening their grip at her waist. Neither of them knew what awaited them in Andromeda, but it was a nice idea that they'd not be apart too often and could have some normality with each other.
"Do you want to open our packs?" Scott pulls his mouth away from hers and sighs. Cora can't help but smile when she knows he'd been letting himself get completely caught up in her as much as she was him.
"Better late, than never right?" Cora smiles seeing him nod, she gives him another light kiss before he unwraps his arms from around her and she lowers hers from around his neck. "I'll get them." Cora smiles.
Cora had almost completely forgotten about their A-Day launch packs that had been left outside their apartment for them, they'd moved them to the bedroom but they had been otherwise preoccupied to open them when they had stumbled back into bed. She watches Scott step back towards their bed and climb onto it, she sees him move until he lowers himself and turns to sit with his back pressed against the headboard, and his legs stretched out in front of him.
"I think they are around here somewhere?" Scott grins when she glances at him. "It was a bit of a wild one." He adds and she sees him bite his bottom lip.
"Mhmm, wild is the right word." Cora giggles, it had been a little frantic now that the clock was ticking down, and they were running out of time on Theia, but she was sure that the packs had been discarded along with their clothes on the floor too.
Cora steps to the end of the bed where she thinks she remembers them being left and spots that they had dropped the small boxes to the floor, on their way in. She sees that they are poking out from under the bottom of the metal bed frame surrounded by their clothes. She crouches down and picks them up, one at a time, tucking one under her arm and holding the other in her hands. They are slightly bigger than shoeboxes but made of hard white plastic material, a large Andromeda Initiative logo covers the top along with their names.
"Which one is mine?" Scott asks making Cora glance at him before looking down at the box in her hands once more. Cora lets her eyes trace over the name that has printed on a small tag in the corner of the lid.
S. Ryder MALE 21/03/2163.
"Catch." Cora smiles and lifts her eyes to look at Scott and makes sure he is paying attention before she chucks the box gently towards him so that he can catch it between his palms. She takes hold of her own that is tucked beneath her arm and reads the name tag on the top of her pack.
C. Harper FEMALE 22/09/2159.
"Well, are you going to open it?" Cora sighs as she carefully climbs onto the bed next to him and shuffles her body closer to his. She turns to sit next to him, mirroring his own-seated position and presses her back against the cold surface of the headboard
Cora feels her bare shoulder come into contact with the warmth of his as she draws her legs up beneath her and places her box down on the bed next to her. Cora watches Scott rests his on his knees and glance at her giving her a small smile, she can't help but reach her hand up and brush his hair back from his face.
She, of course, knew what was in the packs as she had helped make the decisions of what would go into them. Cora leans closer to him letting herself rest against his shoulder as she watches him flip open the catch with his fingertips and lift the lid. Cora grasps for hers again and copies his actions, opening the lid and beginning to lift items out of hers.
"Okay, so what do we have?" Scott mumbles as she watches him turn his box upside down and spill the contents onto their bed, so haphazardly it makes Cora giggle.
She wondered if any of the contents would end up under the bed with their clothes and shoes, lost forever. Or until the cleaning team arrived, at least. Cora watches him begin poking inside the bottom of the box when he realises the very bottom layer is stuck.
"Do you want me to read this?" Cora asks when she leans forward and picks up the datapad that had been stored on the top of the rest of the contents and lifts it so she can read the message.
"Sure." She hears Scott's reply when Cora glances at him and sees him nod, turning his eyes away from his box and to her, she feels him place his hand on her thigh and turn slightly towards her to show he is paying attention.
"Okay." Cora nods fixing her eyes on the screen of the pad. "Congratulations Adventurer." Cora begins hearing Scott snort; she glances at him and sees him smile innocently and lift his hand in an apology. "Do you want to read it?" Cora huffs making him chuckle.
"No, no." Scott laughs. "Please continue." He adds making her smile; she lifts her hand to her mouth for a moment hiding it from him. She'd been consulted about what had gone in the pack, but not the letter. She wondered which PR representative had been given that job.
"Congratulations Adventurer," Cora says again trying to keep her face even, she gives Scott a little look daring him to interrupt her again but he doesn't, he just gives her another smile. "Welcome to your Andromeda Initiative Instruction Pack. This pack will guide you through your exciting final hours here before your important and vital first mission to the Hyperion." Cora continues trying not to roll her eyes.
"Exciting." Scott whispers making her laugh when she watches him take hold of some of the items in his pack and turn them over in his hands inspecting them closely. Cora feels his eyes settle on her again when he waits for her to continue.
"There's a whole page about how important this mission is for the future of humanity," Cora mumbles scrolling her finger on the datapad to skip past some of the sections. They'd been fed the Andromeda Initiative's mission statement and advertising for months, she was sure they all knew it off by heart by now. "Okay, there are some instructions here." Cora sighs when she stops scrolling. "Andromeda Day is the name chosen by our investors and given to the day that we will place the last of you into cryo and launch the Hyperion towards Andromeda. For this information, we will refer to it as A-Day."
"Those investors sure are smart." Scott mumbles making her smile. Maybe not, but they had certainly put a lot of credits into this project and let people like Alec and Jien Garson make their plans a reality. "What even is this?" Scott asks her lifting a small white sachet in his fingers to show her. Cora leans closer to him and plucks it away from him and nudges his shoulder trying to get him to pay attention.
"Nutrition powder." Cora whispers making Scott make a disgusted sound, she hated them too. Cora much preferred real food and not the supplements and powders that they were given when they were on missions.
"Gross." Scott whispers, making her giggle.
"Okay, Instruction Number One." She continues holding the powder up to him. "No food to be consumed on A Day. All Initiative members are provided with one nutritionally complete powder, which will provide them with all that will be needed for a balanced meal. No other food to be consumed." Cora flicks the sachet at him making him laugh as it bounces off of his naked chest.
"I hate that stuff." Scott huffs as he pushes it away from him making Cora giggle. It was better than starving but maybe not by much. She ignores the dull ache in her stomach when she thinks about when their last meal was and actually how hungry she is, and all that food that was going to go to waste.
"Pay attention, Ryder." Cora whispers fixing her eyes on him when he turns to her look at her again, she sees him grin when she taps the back of her hand against his thigh. Cora feels him slide his own down onto her knee and squeeze it beneath his palm to show he is listening to her.
"I am." Scott grins and she feels his warm hand on her bare knee and that he has his eyes on her, she takes a moment to look at him but sighs and shakes her head, which makes him laugh. "Please, continue." He nods.
"Instruction Number Two. No caffeine or stimulants to be consumed on A Day." Cora announces with a sigh, she could do with a nice hot cup of coffee after the few hours that she'd had. "All Initiative members have been supplied with one relaxant to aid with A Day nerves." Cora laughs, too late to be taking those.
"I'm guessing that's these," Scott replies as she watches him reach out and pick up a tiny plastic vial that contains a preloaded and ready to inject gel.
Injections and medical gels were made up of thousands of needles so small you couldn't see them or feel them when they were placed against the skin, but they would transfer the gel straight into the body. Cora nods when she sets her eyes on them and watches him place it onto the bed next to his leg.
"Instruction Number Three." Cora begins reading ahead slightly, the words she reads in her head making her laugh as soon as she does. She glances at Scott who just raises his eyebrows in question, wondering what Instruction Number Three is and why she is finding it so funny. "Maybe you should read this one." Cora giggles pushing the datapad towards him.
"Yeah?" Scott asks frowning lightly as he takes the datapad from her and lifts it into his eye line to read. Cora sees a smile stretch onto his face when he reads what has tickled her so much. "Well, now they are trying to ruin all of our fun," Scott adds and she feels him shift his weight and his shoulder against hers again. "Instruction Number Three." Scott clears his throat making her giggle further. "Sexual relations and activity of any kind are strictly forbidden on A Day." Scott announces and gives her a small smile.
"Forbidden, Scott," Cora repeats his word and hears him snort. "Not just not allowed, forbidden." Cora whispers and leans closer to him. "You think they'll kick us out?" She adds with a giggle, hearing him chuckle at her question.
"Maybe." Scott returns her whisper making her smile when she hears he is playing along. Cora watches as he lifts his arm and moves to wrap it around her shoulders, she leans forward and lets him lower his arm around her so that she can lean against his chest. "Definitely worth it, though." Scott smirks making Cora shake her head at him but smile when he leans towards her and kisses her softly. So. Worth. It.
"I don't know if I'll be able to lie if anyone asks," Cora whispers and sees him nod in agreement; she relaxes into his embrace and tries to take the datapad back from him but he places it down on the bed with the rest of the contents. Cora smiles when she feels his eyes on her and his hand lift to her cheek, he bends closer to her again and kisses her with more enthusiasm. "Scott." Cora sighs hearing him chuckle when he leans back from her until his lips are still almost touching hers.
"What?" Scott mumbles as she lowers her eyes and watches another grin appear at his lips. She wanted to kiss him and never stop but he was very distracting.
"Instruction Number Four," Cora whispers watching him nod and his tongue darts out to moisten his bottom lip, she sees him give her another smile as he moves further back and picks the datapad up. Scott holds it out to her letting her continue reading. "All AI members must shower, ensuring to wash body and hair with the gel provided." Cora reads giving a quick look at Scott who picks up the silver vacuum-packed wrapper.
"There was me hoping this was strawberry pudding." Scott sighs making her smile, a common mistake. Cora watches as he takes hold of the corner of the wrapper between his fingers and tears it open, she sees him lift it to his nose taking a sniff. He screws up his face and holds it out to her. "Disgusting." Scott whispers.
"It smells like a hospital." Cora screws up her face when the fragrance of the gel reaches her as he holds it beneath her nose. It smelt like disinfectant and chemicals that could only have the purpose of ensuring they were all completely clean and free from germs. "They want us to shower with that?" She asks him seeing him shrug and squeeze the packaging so it almost goes up her nose. Cora laughs and swats it away from her, pushing his hand away and the horrible smelling gel.
"Want to take a shower?" Scott smiles as he drops the opened shower gel into the lid of his box and she feels his eyes on her. "We can do our bit to save resources and have one together." He adds giving her an innocent smile, which she can't help but return when she sees it.
"Scott." Cora sighs quietly and he chuckles as he response.
Cora decides that immediately rushing into their large bathroom and dragging him into the shower with her would give her away and make him realise how much she liked that idea, very much. She feels his hand gently stroking her thigh when he doesn't get a response from her.
"Or you can go first if you like, I can wait here." Scott adds making her smile again.
"No." Cora quickly announces making him chuckle, she feels his eyes on her and sees a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Together would be nice." She adds with a small smile and sees him nod in agreement.
Cora was glad that their shower was large and luxurious in this apartment, and that they aren't still back in the tower. She knew the shower cubicles in these rooms were small, they were made to save space and be practical, not to have two bodies in them. But from what she remembered, they'd just about have been fine.
"I was hoping you would say that." Scott whispers as she feels him dip his head to press a kiss her shoulder, the warmth from his lips making her skin flush.
Cora lifts her hand to his cheek and softly strokes her thumb towards his jaw when she sees him raise his head again to look at her, the light blue of his eyes meeting her brown ones.
"We can't ignore instructions and direct orders now, can we?" Cora asks seeing his smile widen and Scott shake his head.
They'd already ignored one instruction and had every intention to continue ignoring the no sex rule, so maybe it was about time they got back on the straight and narrow and followed orders.
"We'd only get in trouble." Scott nods again and she watches him pick up the chemical-filled shower gel, this time she notices, trying not to squeeze it too hard. "But we don't have to use this do we?" He asks her glancing down at it in his hands.
Cora falters for a moment, a lot of thought and effort had gone into preparing everyone for Andromeda and if they'd picked this gel, it must have been for a reason. All of the rules would have been for their good she hoped.
"It might not be as bad as it smells." Cora laughs when he pulls another face at her. "Why don't you go and get the water running, I'll tidy up these." Cora sees him nod before he quickly leans towards her and kisses her gently.
Cora smiles when he does beneath his lips and lifts her hand to rest on the base of his neck, stroking her fingers against his skin. She watches him turn his attention away from her and slide off of the bed until his toes come into contact with the floor. Scott climbs to his feet, careful not to knock the contents of his box onto the floor and steps towards the bathroom door. She sees him disappear and can hear the sound of him opening the shower and the quiet beeps of the shower controls.
Cora reaches for his box that he has left on the bed and lifts it in her hand towards her, she uses her finger to tuck beneath the last layer of its contents and release the false bottom that he had been struggling with. Cora lets the last package drop onto the bed as she scoops up the rest of the contents and puts them back into the box.
"Ready when you are, beautiful." Cora hears Scott's words and glances up at the door when she sees him poke his head around it. She can hear the water running in the shower behind him and sees him smile and beckon her to join him.
"I'll be right there." Cora returns his smile and watches his head disappear again back into the bathroom, a few moments later she hears the sound of him opening the screen and stepping into the shower.
Cora can hear the sound of the water change as it goes from hitting the floor and tiles to hitting Scott's body instead.
She shuffles herself forward and off of the bed, picking up the last part of his package that she knows contains a fresh set of completely white AI clothes that have been disinfected and prepared for him. She places it on top of the blanket at end of the bed and turns back to retrieves her own set; she repeats her action of forcing them out of the bottom of the box and places hers next to his for when they've finished showering.
She knew that Instruction Five would be telling them that all Andromeda Initiative members should dress in their new clean clothes provided in their A Day packs, before boarding the Hyperion and that all old clothing should be left behind to be destroyed. Cora uses her arms to push herself up to stand and steps towards the bathroom, her ears tuning to the rhythmic sound of the powerful jets. She peers around the edge of the door and into the bathroom, her eyes coming to settle on Scott who is standing in the large glass panelled shower beneath the cascade of water. She sees him lift one hand to rest against the dark tiles while his other runs his fingers through his hair that is getting increasingly wet as he leans his whole body towards the stream of water.
Cora watches the water bouncing off of his skin, sliding down his back and onto the floor as the steam begins to fill the air from how warm the water is compared to the bathroom. Cora lets her eyes trail down his back that she sees him stretch when he places his other hand to join the first, she watches as he lifts his head and notices she is watching him.
"Are you joining me or just going to watch?" Scott mumbles as she sees him lift his hand to his face and wipe the water away from his eyes, she gives him smile and nod which makes him grin. She watches him lower his hand from the wall and reach to open the door of the shower so she can climb in with him, he withdraws away from the stream and presses his back against the tiles so the water isn't hitting him anymore.
Cora steps over the small lip that keeps the water from flooding the entire bathroom, moving to stand in the space he has made for her beneath the water. Cora sighs lightly when she feels the water reach her, immediately enjoying the feeling of being engulfed by the warm as she closes the door behind her.
"So good." Cora sighs as she closes her eyes tightly, she leans her head forward letting the water cascade down her neck and back. She lifts her shoulders and arches her back trying to get more of the jets into her tired muscles until she feels Scott moving in front of her and realises she is hogging all the water.
Cora opens her eyes and looks up at him, she watches him running his hands through his hair before his eyes settle on hers and he smiles. Cora follows his hands with her eyes as he runs them down his chest, rubbing water into his stomach and hips making her smile to herself when she watches the way his body tenses beneath his palms.
"Is the temperature okay?" Scott asks her as she watches him lift his hand under the stream checking that it isn't too hot. Cora just nods her head, it was just right and any more heat would be too much.
"It's perfect." Cora sighs and closes her eyes again. She leans forward so that it can hit her more directly and she could concentrate on her shower and not watching him.
Her sigh makes Scott chuckle she hears and feels him step closer to her so that the water is on him too. She glances up at him, watching him lift his head into the stream again and rub his hands over his face.
"Let me just grab that gel." Scott mumbles as she feels him reach past her for the sachet that he has left on the small shelf inside the shower.
She watches as he rests one hand against her hip as he takes hold of the gel in the other and brings it back towards him. Cora places her hands on his sides as she watches him lift his hand and squeeze some of the gel out onto his palm before holding it out to her.
"It doesn't smell too much now it's out of the packet." Cora smiles seeing him lift his eyes to her and smile; she raises her palm and offers it to him to squeeze some of the shower gel onto.
Cora lifts it to take another sniff, it didn't smell of much at all in the open and was made to be good at disinfecting them, rather than making them smell good. Cora watches Scott begin rubbing his hands together and lathering up the gel, creating white foamy bubbles as he does. He lifts his hands to his head and begins massaging it into his scalp and the roots of his hair, covering it entirely in the soap.
She laughs when she watches him duck his head beneath the water rinsing it just as quickly as he's applied it. Scott pauses his rinsing when she places her hands gently on his chest, beginning to rub the gel into his skin foaming some of her own before sliding her hands down onto his stomach. Cora trails her fingers over the lines of tight muscle she finds and watches him drop his eyes to the white traces of foam she is leaving on his skin before his eyes reach hers again.
"Haven't you had enough of me tonight?" Scott grins making her giggle and she sees him smirk when she shakes her head at him, she feels his gaze examining her closely and his eyes lower to her mouth.
Cora shrugs lightly before she snakes her arms around his neck, she feels him draw her closer against his body and wrap his arms loosely around her waist.
"Hmm.." Cora hums, biting her bottom lip before giving him a small smile. "Never." Cora whispers feeling him chuckle. She watches him lift his hands to cup her cheeks in his palms and kisses her softly.
How could she ever get enough of someone who made her feel so happy and so worthy of his time? She had to take advantage of every minute of being able to be close to him before they reached Andromeda, then it would have to be business as usual and they'd have to be professional while on duty. Cora crosses her arms behind his head when she slides his hands down her back and onto her behind.
"I don't think I'll ever get enough of you." Scott mumbles when she feels him break their kiss and squeeze her beneath his palms. "Would you like me to do your hair?" Scott asks as he reaches for the gel again and squeezes another blob into his palm.
Cora nods at his question and smiles to herself. No one had ever asked or offered before and it made her realise how intimate they were becoming and how comfortable she felt with him. She watches as he lathers them up again before lifting his hands to her hair, she sighs and closes her eyes relaxing as she feels his fingertips in her locks.
"Why are you so wonderful?" Cora giggles hearing him chuckle again as he continues to massage the soap into her hair. She feels his hands moving through the buzz cut at the side of her head and carefully around her ears, a lot more gently than he had done his own.
Cora rests her hands on his shoulders when she feels him tilt her head back with the tip of his finger to rinse the bubbles away with the edge of his hand, being cautious as to not to get it in her eyes.
"Ah, I'm nothing special." Scott replies, a smile in his voice that makes her huff lightly when she hears it, he was definitely special and she'd spend the rest of her days proving that to him. "Turn around, I'll do your back." Scott whispers making her open her eyes and look into his face.
Cora watches him for a moment and sees that a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth; he lifts his hand to make a small circular motion telling her to turn around while giving her a reassuring smile. She watches him move to place his hands on her waist and uses them to turn her on the spot so she has her back to him and she can no longer see what he is doing.
She hears him rubbing his hands together again behind her before he places them on her shoulders and begins trailing them down her back making her sigh at his light touch. Cora arches her back when she feels his hands reach her lower back and he begins massaging the soap into her skin. She feels his hands on her hips again, his fingers gripping her tightly as he guides her backwards until she is pressed against his chest and her body is flush against him.
"I thought you were doing my back." Cora giggles when she feels him wrap an arm around her waist so he can hold her tightly against his body. She closes her eyes for a moment when she feels his mouth at her ear and he lowers it to press his mouth against her neck.
"Now for your front." Scott whispers against her skin when she feels him nip at her earlobe as he lifts his hand to her throat and slides his palm onto her chest.
Cora feels her breath catch as she tries to fight back a moan when she feels him press his lips against her wet shoulder and place his other hand on her stomach, she feels him spread his fingers and uses them to hold her still. Cora bites at her bottom lip again when she feels him lower his hand to her breast, his soap covered hand covering her with his palm. She feels him smile against her skin when he hears the noises she is trying to keep from escaping her lips.
"Scott." Cora huffs when she feels him circle her nipple with his thumb and his mouth on her neck again, he trails his teeth lightly against her skin as he does and she feels him pressing himself against her from behind.
"I'm being thorough," Scott mumbles and she feels him move his hand to her other breast, giving it the same treatment as the first as he soaps her body and teases her with his fingertips. Cora lets another light moan escape her when she squeezes her gently and flicks her with his thumb again until she leans into his touch.
Cora rests against his chest and lays her hand over his on her stomach, she slides her fingers through his when she feels him press his open mouth against her neck and bite gently. Cora lifts her hand to his hair and takes hold of it in her fist encouraging his mouth, she feels him groan against her skin when she grinds herself into him. She fixes her eyes on his when he lifts his hand to her throat and turns her head towards his.
"See you are a tease, Ryder." Cora huffs, hearing a laugh rumble in his chest and a smile at his mouth at her words. She feels him dip his head and press his mouth against hers, his kiss demanding and his teeth teasing her bottom lip. Cora hears herself whimper when he slips his tongue between her lips and returns his hand to her breasts, his wet hand sliding easily over her body.
"But doesn't it feel good?" Scott mumbles against her open mouth making her sigh lightly and nod when she feels him trail his hand lower from her stomach, his fingertips light on her skin but moving with intention. Cora huffs lightly in frustration when he hovers his hand over her, achingly close to where she wants him to touch her.
"So good." Cora whispers when his mouth leaves hers, arching her back trying to get closer to his hand. "Scott, please." She whimpers feeling herself beginning to writhe beneath his touch, using her hand to slide his lower still, taking the soap and bubbles with it.
"Please, what?" Scott croaks when she feels him roll her nipple hard between his fingers again when she purposefully rocks back into him, making him groan at her actions. "Cora." Scott huffs as she feels him wrap his arm across her chest trying to keep her still. She could feel how hard he already was trapped between their bodies and her movements were not helping with his self-control.
"Touch me." Cora whimpers feeling him smile when he nuzzles his mouth against her neck. "Please let me touch you." Cora adds but she feels him shake his head, his breath hot on her neck added with the water making her feel like her skin is on fire when the blue light surrounds them both.
"Not yet." Scott pants as she feels his mouth at her ear and his teasing words full of promise. She closes her eyes tightly when she feels him slip his hand between her legs and tries to bite back a moan, much to his enjoyment when she hears him chuckle.
Cora tries to keep from moaning again when she feels him begin moving his hand, teasing her with his fingers so slowly it makes her huff in frustration. He was trying to drive her crazy and was doing a good job of it. She feels his mouth on her shoulder again as he holds her tightly with one arm across her, holding her against his chest.
Cora arches her back and lifts her hips trying to gain more friction with his soapy fingers. She feels her body tense and she lets out a light sob when his thumb comes into contact with her most sensitive part. She needed that, and a hundred times more.
"You like that?" Scott mumbles through gritted teeth making Cora nod and roll her head back onto his shoulder when he does it again. She grips his hand tightly at the wrist to keep his fingers in place and his movements even.
"Scott." Cora moans when she feels him slide his fingers into her suddenly, catching her off guard because she was so busy concentrating on his touch and the motion of his thumb.
Cora feels him lift his hand to brush her hair back from her face as he presses his mouth against the side of her head. She feels him begin slowly pressing his fingers into her in a steady rhythm that she is sure matches her shallow breath and panting.
Cora rocks her hips meeting his hand with each stroke of his fingers, her body begging for his touch that he gladly provides her with. Cora groans in frustration when he lifts his hand away from her, forcing her eyes open and making her turn her head to look at him wondering why he has stopped.
"You are really testing my resolve here." Scott whispers in her ear making her giggle and nod her head as she feels him move both of his hands to her hips and turn her to face him. Cora feels the hot water covering her again until he backs her up so that back is pressed against the glass of the cubicle; he moves to stand beneath the stream again.
She feels his eyes trailing over her, suddenly feeling venerable under his gaze as he steps closer to her. Cora can't help but whimper when he presses himself against her again and crushes his mouth against hers, his mouth and tongue muffling another moan when he slides his hand slowly down her body and slips it between them again.
"Don't stop." Cora whispers when he lowers his mouth to her throat making her close her eyes tight. She feels him smile against her skin as he moves his hand back between her legs to continue his assault on her body, making her head spin when he presses his fingers back into her.
She feels him lean his body towards her so she lifts her hands and rests them on his shoulder blades feeling his muscles and back tense beneath her touch. Cora lets her head roll back slightly when she feels him increase the speed of the strokes of his fingers and continues rubbing the tip of his thumb in light circles that make her whimper.
"Can I touch you yet?" Cora pants and she hears him chuckle.
"Patience." Scott whispers as Cora feels him press himself against her, his body hard and aching for her. She notices that his breathing is shallow and his words panted, knowing he's trying hard to resist sinking himself into her. "I have very strong beliefs about who should be coming first in this relationship." Scott whispers making Cora giggle as she tries to catch her breath and control the thumping of her heart in her chest.
"Who am I to question something you feel so strongly about?" Cora whispers feeling a laugh in his chest as he lifts his head to fix his eyes on her. She moans against his lips when he presses his against hers, his tongue slipping between her lips and claiming her mouth. "Scott." Cora pants again when he presses his fingers deeper, curling the tips when he notices it makes her shudder.
"I want to hear you scream." Scott mumbles when he leans his forehead against hers, his body keeping her pressed tight against the cold glass and his fingers sliding into her with such deep strokes that it is making the pressure inside her build. He begins pressing and rubbing his thumb against her, making her legs feel like they are going to collapse beneath her. Scott feels her falter so wraps his arm around her and holds her up and against him.
"Scott!" Cora cries out and closes her eyes, her body arching towards his hand as she feels the pleasure spread through her body and his fingers send her over the edge. She feels the biotic energy tear through her body and into his when he presses his finger deeper into her as he holds her tightly in his arms. "I want you." She pants before he presses his lips to hers again.
Cora feels him break their kiss and watches as he backs her against the glass again, his body covering hers and she can feel him hard and aching between their bodies, and it makes her body pulse with need for him. Scott has his eyes on her again and she places her hands on his hips and pulls him harder against her, making him groan.
"I love hearing you say that." Scott grins and he quickly wraps an arm around Cora and lifts her off of her feet, Cora slips her arms around his neck and kisses him, tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth and kissing him with as much passion as he had shown her.
Scott places his hands on her hips and wraps her legs around his waist, groaning when she reaches between them to wrap her hand around his length, using his body to lift herself and suddenly down onto him. He grips her behind in his hands and begins moving her body against his. Cora moans when she feels him back her against the glass, the feeling of the cold against her back and him hard and hot in front of her making her nerves tingle.
"Fuck instruction three." Cora giggles when she feels him lift his hand to rest on the glass, holding her up with his other and using the glass to trap her body against his. "Scott." Cora moans when she feels him thrust hard into her, making her grip him tighter around the neck, her fingers in his shoulders and she digs her heels into his thighs.
"I love it when you moan my name." Scott pants and she feels him lower his hands to her hips again when Cora moves her body against his, meeting his movements with a rock of her hips that makes them both moan.
Cora closes her eyes tightly when she feels him continue his movements, hard and fast thrusts that make her gasp and make her back arch beneath his hands. She hears Scott go quiet, just the sound of their shaky breath and panting, the water that rushes behind them, and their bodies coming together. She wraps her arms around his neck, feeling how tense his body is against her and how much his body is desperate for release. She presses her chest flush against his and begins moving her hips faster and harder; taking control from him, which she hears receives a groan from him
"I'm close." Cora pants feeling his nod as their eyes meet each other, not slowing at all until she can feel her back coming into contact with the glass because of their frenzied movements. She digs her fingers into his shoulders, matching his pace with her own. "There, Scott. Oh, Scott." Cora moans, feeling his grip tighten on her as her body tightens around him and she feels her orgasm explode inside her.
"Ah fuck." Cora hears Scott grunt and his body jerk, his hands on her as he buries his mouth into her neck. "Fuck." Scott groans when she feels his body relax, making her giggle at his words when he lets out a long sigh.
"I needed that." Cora pants when she feels him wrap his arms around her and leans to rest the side of his head against hers, their breathing heavy and she can feel he is as breathless as she is. She can't help but giggle when she hears a happy humming sound coming from deep in his chest. She keeps her body wrapped tightly around his as she lifts her hand to brush through the front of his hair and feels the blue dissolve around them.
"Me too." Scott smiles and she feels him capture her mouth in a gentle kiss, his breath still hard on her lips and she feels him lower his hands to her behind again making her giggle when she squeezes her beneath his palms.
Cora lets her hold around his neck loosen and she unwraps her legs from around his body when she feels him carefully lower her back to the floor, the bottoms of her feet coming into contact with the wet tiles. She doesn't let go of him but keeps her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her, as steps onto her tiptoes to kiss him again.
"Who needs to be able to walk tomorrow?" Cora giggles and lowers her hands from him and backs herself beneath the stream again, taking both of his hands in hers and drawing him under the water.
"Walking is highly overrated." Scott smiles and she watches him step closer to her, moving to rest his hands against her hips. "But, look at what you did to my back." Scott adds and she sees him turn his head to look at his collarbone and shoulder blades. Cora gives him an innocent smile when he looks away from the marks and back to her.
"Just leaving my mark, baby." Cora giggles and hears him sigh lightly, and then grin at her. She watches him place his hand on his shoulder and sees that they disappear when he presses them.
"I'm going to have those for the next 600 years, you know?" He adds as Cora gives him another smile, maybe she'd have to keep her biting and evidence of her to somewhere he could hide easily beneath his trousers.
"Not sorry." Cora giggles. "Come on, Scott. We've got to get you cleaned up, that's the Andromeda Initiative Rules." Cora adds and hears him chuckle.
"Any excuse to keep touching me." Scott smiles and she watches him bend to pick up the discarded shower gel that they'd dropped. She sees him hold it out to her and squeezes the last of it onto her waiting hands.
"It is partly that." Cora smiles when she feels his eyes on her. "But I'm looking forward to getting you back into bed for the last night of some serious cuddling." Cora giggles and notices that he laughs and nods his head. "I think a few hours of sleep will do us both good." She adds and watches him accept some of the gel from her palms.
"That does sound good." Scott smiles and she sees him begin to make bubbles in his hands, and that he starts rubbing it into his stomach and then his arms, before turning his attention to the rest of his body. Cora notices that his eyes still on her the whole time so she wrinkles her nose at him.
Cora carefully rubs her hands together as she has done before, making the gel bubble into white suds so that when she lifts her hands to spread on his chest and shoulders, it soaps his skin. She hears him sigh lightly when she does and knows he's still feeling as sensitive as she is, and every touch feels even better than usual.
She removes her hands from him when she is sure he is done and goes back to lathering herself and stepping beneath the water to wash herself clean, glancing at Scott when he moves beneath it too and uses his hands to help remove all of the traces of the gel.
"Do you feel all Andromeda clean?" Cora asks and smiles at him, watching as he lifts his hands to rub over his face and wetting his hair again beneath the hot water.
"I feel fantastic." Scott chuckles and she sees him shake his head to try and remove some of the water from his hair before he presses his hand against the panel and shuts it off. "Baby." He laughs which makes her sigh when she hears what he's called her. "I feel clean, I feel relaxed, and I feel very satisfied." He grins making her giggle when he leans to kiss her softly.
"Very satisfied." Cora laughs and places a last kiss on his lips. "I love you." She whispers and smiles when he mouths it back to her before she turns to open the shower, letting the steam fill the rest of the bathroom. "Come on, we've got a big day ahead." Cora smiles seeing him nod.
"Let's get some sleep." Scott nods and she feels him slip past her and take her hand as he does, leading her across the bathroom and back to their bedroom.