XXXII.

Cora lets out a fed up huff as she carefully walks around the last of the guests that are still hanging around, a few left on the dance floor, and a few still stood chatting with friends, but now mostly headed home for the night as the party winds down. She steps cautiously up the few steps that she knows leads to the temporary bar, making sure her heeled shoes come into contact with each one and knowing she has drunk enough to know not to trust her own feet and legs. She needed another drink, anything to help her forget what an awful night this has been and promising herself she would never go to a party again. It had all started with the disaster of Scott's speech, and the fight that had followed between Scott and some AI recruits, she had quickly fled the party and had ended up in one of the bars on the Nexus that had luckily been open despite how quiet it was. There she'd attempted to numb the pain of seeing Scott hurt, and Louisa kissing him. But, unfortunately, they'd now closed, and she was still feeling that pain in her chest.

She reaches the top of the stairs and glances over to the bar, noticing that nearly everyone has left and apart from the two members of bar staff that are currently closing and cleaning up for the night, there is just one person sat on one of the stools. Cora wondered if they would still serve her or if it was too late and she'd be turned away, she approaches anyway deciding she has nothing to lose. She lets her eyes settle on the man that is sat on one of the stools, looking to be nursing a drink and lots of empties in front of him too. It's only when she gets closer does she realise that she recognises who it is, and it makes her heart sink when she sees how unhappy he appears to be and knowing she can't leave him on his own.

"Is this seat taken?" Cora whispers as she lowers herself onto the barstool beside Scott, noticing that it takes him a while to look up from his glass and realise she is there. When she looks into his face she can see that his eyes and face are red from the punches they'd managed to land, and his lip has been split but looks like it's stopped bleeding now.

"Hey, it's my Cora." Scott sighs and she sees him give her a small smile when he sets his eyes on her. "Are you having a good night?" He sighs and she notices his eyes lower to his drink before lifting it to drain the last of the brown liquid from his glass.

"I'm having a terrible night," Cora whispers and sees him look at her and give her a smile that makes her stomach flutter. "You must be too." She nods towards his multiple empty glasses. "Looks like you are drowning your sorrows." She sighs and notices that he nods lightly.

"I have a lot to drown." Scott chuckles and motions to the woman behind the bar for two more drinks with his fingers. "I'm hoping this.." Scott begins nodding to his empty glasses. "Will make this feel better tomorrow." He adds and motions to his face and smiles lightly at her, but she can see how unhappy his eyes really look.

"Where's your date?" She asks and glances around for Louisa, but not seeing her anywhere, noticing that Scott shrugs. Cora watches him move one of the drinks towards her with the back of his hand, noticing that he has bruises appearing on his knuckles and that the blood that was on them has been not very well cleaned.

"I think she left with a grunt." Scott laughs lightly

"Thanks, Scott." Cora whispers and wraps her hand around the glass, knowing she'd probably had enough but thinking of Louisa all over Scott was making her heart ache. "It was probably your brooding that did it. Not all women find it as sexy as I do." She giggles quietly and sees this makes him smile.

"Your funny, Cora." Scott smiles and she feels his eyes meet hers. "I've always loved that about you." He nods and she watches his tongue find the place where his lip hurts. "It's because I told her I didn't want to sleep with her." He whispers making Cora nod lightly when she hears it.

"I see.." Cora nods, feeling another pang of jealousy when she even thinks of Louisa asking Scott to go back to her bunk with her. "Why did you turn her down?" Cora whispers and feels his eyes on her and then he lowers them.

Cora hears him sigh and notices that when he does she is sure her hands begin shaking around her glass when she even thinks about the idea or possibility that Scott has slept with Louisa since they've been in Andromeda. She quickly lifts her glass to her lips, trying to push that thought away by taking her own mouthful of the spiced liquor. Cora recognises it immediately and remembers how much better it tasted on Scott's tongue.

"Are you asking as my friend or my ex?" Scott asks and she feels his eyes on her again and then he notices her hands are shaking. "Give that to me." He whispers and she feels him take the drink away from her and place it back onto the bar.

"Both I guess." Cora whispers. "But also someone who has been sleeping with you." She sighs quietly and feels his eyes meet hers and he nods. "I would understand if you wanted to," Cora whispers and glances at him when she feels him leaning closer so that he can take hold of her hands in his, knowing that they must hurt him but his want to touch her is stronger. "She likes you and you two have history." She sighs.

Cora notices that his hands are unusually cool from the glass but start warming when she feels his fingers around hers, a familiar and comforting touch that is and will always be so much more than friends. She sighs and knows she couldn't blame either of them, Louisa was obviously still attracted to Scott and she had to understand he might want something physical with someone other than her. They weren't together, she had no say in any of his decisions. They had history and he'd turned to her when he'd needed someone to talk to, and if they wanted more she had to understand why. It still didn't feel right though and it makes her wish she'd just forget about what anyone would say, and be with him again.

"It's never going to happen," Scott whispers and shakes his head and his eyes stay on her. "I wouldn't do that to you. I couldn't.." He adds and she knows he is telling the truth. "It's your bed I've been in every night." He whispers with a smile and she feels him lift her hand and kiss the back of it gently.

"Yes, it is." Cora returns his smile. "I'm glad to hear that." She nods lightly and sees he does the same. "When I saw her kiss you earlier.." She whispers and notices his eyes meet hers.

"You shouldn't have had to see that." Scott sighs. "You know I didn't want her to do that, don't you?" He adds making her nod lightly, she hoped she knew her love better than that and that it wasn't a mutual kiss.

"It did seem one-sided." Cora sighs and feels him squeezing her hands again. "I know I have no right to be jealous, but it did hurt." She whispers but then feels him lean closer and press a soft kiss against her lips that makes her smile.

"You have no reason to be jealous.." Scott smiles and leans back as she feels him let go of one of her hands as she watches him lift his drink and take another large gulp, remembering the first night they'd met and drank until they were brave enough to spend the night together.

"I trust you." Cora sighs and notices her words draw his eyes to hers and that he nods, even though she knew he'd never given her a reason not to like she had him. "Scott." She sighs lightly and leans towards him and lets her head rest against his, trying to forget the sight of the recruits hurting him.

"It's alright," Scott whispers as he rests his head against hers. "Cora, Louisa is my past and you are my future. I'm all yours, okay?" He adds making her nod and lift her head to look at him, realising that they've got very close and are in public.

"I'm all yours too." Cora begins and sees his smile. "I hope you know that." She adds and notices he nods and his smile widens. "I was so proud of you tonight, Scott." Cora nods and notices he lowers his eyes at the mention of that evening and doesn't look at her just swirls the last of his drink in the bottom of his glass but he holds her hand tightly.

"Why?" Scott laughs quietly and shakes his head. "All I did was mess everything up." He sighs. "Just like everyone said I would." He whispers and lifts it to his mouth. "I tried to tell them the truth and I ended up trying to beat the crap out of that guy." He huffs and she notices he lifts the cold glass to his eye.

"You were trying to be honest with them." Cora nods and lifts her hand and cautiously places it on the back of his head, stroking his hair beneath her fingers. "If they'd just listened." She adds and feels his eyes on her when he's felt her touch. "Those people were out of line." She whispers and sees him sigh and lower his eyes to the bar again. "I'm not saying hitting him was right." She sighs and sees him nod.

"I just got so angry." Scott sighs and she feels his eyes meet hers. "As soon as he started on you.." He whispers and she notices his mouth turns downwards. "I just saw red." He mumbles so she strokes his hair again. "I am so sorry, Cora." He huffs and she watches him stare into his glass again.

"Scott.." Cora whispers and brushes his hair back. "It wasn't your fault, they were purposefully trying to provoke you." Cora sighs. "You were being so brave up there." She whispers and notices he shakes his head.

"I wasn't being brave.." Scott sighs. "Alec was brave." He continues and she notices him finish his drink. "They've all made it very clear what they think of me." He mumbles. "If I was brave, I wouldn't be sitting here and trying to get some courage from the bottom of this glass."

"Why do you need courage?" Cora whispers and strokes the front of his hair when he looks at her, she feels his eyes meet hers and he shakes his head lightly. "Scott, tell me." She sighs and sees his small smile.

"So I can convince you to forget that I'm your Pathfinder," Scott whispers as she notices that he leans closer to her again and feels his hands on her cheeks, drawing her closer to him. "So I can convince you to forget about all the reasons why we shouldn't be together.." He sighs and she sees him falter so she closes the gap and presses her mouth against his in a gentle kiss, trying to be careful of where his lip is swollen.

"I'm convinced.." Cora whispers against his mouth, feeling him smile in response and stroke his fingers against her skin. "Mmm, you taste so good." Cora giggles as she places her hands at the base of his neck and kisses him softly again, hearing his sigh when she breaks it.

"Why did you stop?" Scott smiles. "Kiss me more.." He whispers as she feels him press his forehead against hers and place his hands on her shoulders, sliding them onto her neck and then pressing his mouth against hers again. His touch making her skin warm and remember how good it feels to have his hands on her.

"You need to go and get some sleep." She whispers as she breaks their kiss, knowing how much she doesn't want him to go and how much she wants to find a quiet corner of the station and keep kissing him, or drag him back to her room and spend the night with him like they have been doing. Cora sees him sigh at her idea.

"Why can't I come with you?" Scott smiles at her, making her shake her head at him and bring her finger to his mouth when he leans to kiss her again. "Cora." He sighs quietly, still smiling at her.

"You should go back to the Tempest." She laughs quietly hearing him sigh again. "Someone might see us," Cora adds and sees Scott nod reluctantly in agreement. "You'll regret it in the morning when there are even more people talking about us." She whispers, feeling his eyes meet hers and he shakes his head.

"I don't care.." He whispers, and then she sees him finally giving in. "Will you at least let me walk you to the tram?" Scott smiles and she can tell he wants to say something more, but doesn't. She notices that although she can see the alcohol making his eyes shine; she can see the familiar look of love too.

"That would be nice." Cora smiles and sees him nod. "Although I'm starting to wonder if either of us can walk straight." She whispers as she watches Scott lower his feet from his barstool and he wobbles slightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Scott chuckles as she watches him place his hands on the bar and stand, so she does the same. "Come on.." He sighs and she notices he holds his hand out to her and she feels his eyes on her. "I'll get you home safely." He grins and motions his head towards the now almost empty room.

"Just to the tram is fine." Cora smiles and feels him guiding her to his side as they begin walking towards the stairs, trying to make sure her feet land in the right places not to show how tipsy she is too.

Cora feels Scott squeezing her hand gently as they continue to walk across the venue and now empty dance floor, and towards the tram station. It's only as they move out from the dark of the party that she notices how quiet it is and that the station seems completely deserted.

"What a night.." Scott sighs at her side, noticing that the begins trying to undo his tie so he can get to his top button on his shirt. "But at least I looked the part." Scott grins at her and she notices his eyes travel down her body. "You look.." He whispers. "Wow." He smiles and she feels his eyes meet hers again.

"Thanks, Ryder." Cora smiles at him. "I'm glad you took my advice, too" She grins at him, feeling him place his hand on shoulder blades as they walk, noticing that his hand follows the bare skin until he reaches her lower back.

"Were your legs always this long?" Scott chuckles and she notices he is glancing down between them and to her legs that are on show. "They are incredible." He whispers making her giggle.

"Why are you looking at my legs?" Cora giggles when she feels Scott lean against her side and isn't sure who is holding who up. "You've seen them millions of times." She laughs when he glances at her and sees him smile which makes her stomach flutter and wish she was could press her mouth against his again.

"Well, they're perfect because they are part of you." Scott smiles at her and she feels him squeezing her hand, his eyes meeting hers. "Sometimes I just wonder how I got so lucky." He chuckles making her sigh lightly.

"You're even sweeter when your drunk," Cora whispers and sees him grin. "I'm the lucky one." She adds with her own grin and sees him laugh and shake his head. "I'm sharing a bed with Scott Ryder." She giggles again and feels him swaying so they lean into each other again.

"But not tonight." Scott sighs dramatically and she feels his eyes on her, lowering to her mouth and then back to meet hers. She knew he was thinking about kissing her again, and she wanted him to.

Cora sighs quietly knowing that she shouldn't be kissing him in public again. They weren't currently together, and trying to be friends and friends didn't kiss the way she wanted to kiss him, and they didn't think about his mouth and hands between her legs and under her dress either. Friends didn't spend every night together, and they definitely didn't sleep together like they had been doing. But, as well as that, they were supposed to be professional in public and it was entirely inappropriate for the Pathfinder to be seen with his second like they were now. Cora smiles at him when she notices the comfortable silence between them until Scott begins to hum, which makes her realise even more how much she's missed hearing that sound and being with him.

"We're nearly there." Scott smiles and she feels him let go of her hand and wrap his arm around her waist, holding her against his side as they walk and continue to bump against each other making her giggle when she almost trips over his feet.

"Good." Cora laughs. "I don't want to be anywhere near you when you wake up hungover tomorrow." She adds and hears him sigh dramatically. "I don't want to be anywhere near me either." She giggles and wraps her arm around his waist, feeling his shirt beneath her fingertips.

Cora feels him loosen his hold on her when they reach the tram station, and watches him as he approaches the panel and calls it to come and collect her. She sighs for a moment and lowers her eyes from him, knowing that they were going to have to say goodbye now and he would hopefully be able to get himself back to the Tempest and back to his room. She could tell he was going to be sore in the morning, both his head and his body and a good nights sleep would do him good. Cora raises her eyes when she feels him move to stand at her side again and notices he is watching her.

"Goodnight, Cora." Scott whispers and she feels his eyes on her and then he lowers them to his feet and sighs, she notices he slides his hands into the pockets of his smart trousers.

"Goodnight, Scott." Cora replies and reaches to place her hand on his bicep to get his attention back on her, she notices his eyes meet hers and he gives her a small nod. "Thank you for walking me back." She whispers and hears the tram arrive behind her.

"What are friends for?" Scott smiles then looks past her at the tram door opening, making her remember she'd said the same when they'd had their date. "See you tomorrow." He whispers and Cora nods lightly, suddenly realising she was going to have to be brave for both of them if she was ever going to feel his mouth on hers again, and how stupid she was being for even considering letting him leave her tonight when all she wanted was him.

Cora fixes her eyes on him as she lifts her hand and reaches for his tie, wrapping her fingers around it and using it to quickly pull him closer to her so that she can press her mouth against his in a hard kiss. She feels that he is surprised at first but then notices that he wraps his arms around her and starts kissing her back. She sighs when she feels his tongue teasing her lips open, tasting the liquor on his mouth when they both begin trying to get closer to each other. She feels his hands sliding down the bare skin of her back so she slides hers around his neck, feeling his warm body against her as they cling to each other.

She feels him break their kiss when he lowers his hands to her hips so that he can guide her backwards and into the tram, she notices that his eyes are on her and knows he wants her as much as she wants him. Cora giggles when they stumble against the back wall and he is suddenly pressed against her and his mouth captures hers again, she feels his hands trailing down her body so she lifts hers to his hair desperate to be touching every part of him, feeling very glad that the tram is empty.

"Please touch me.." Cora moans into their kiss when she feels his hands come into contact with the bare skin of her thighs, glad she'd chosen the short dress to wear when he starts lifting it higher and his fingertips begin searching for her underwear.

"No underwear?" Scott pants as he removes his mouth from her. She watches his eyes running down her body and then back to her face when she gives him a flirtatious smile. "How naughty." He whispers as she lowers her hand to his and helps him slide it under her dress, hearing a quiet rumble in his chest when his fingers come into contact with her.

"Ryder." Cora bites her lip to stop her moaning when she feels his fingers teasing her, making her whimper when he presses his mouth against hers again and shudders when he slides them into her.

Cora sees him grin and then feels him pressing their bodies together against the wall, making her ache when she can feel him hard against her hip. She lets out a huff when he removes his fingers and slides his hands back onto her thighs so that he can lift her dress higher and then she feels him moving them onto her behind and squeezing gently. Scott groans quietly making her giggle when she slides her hands down his front, feeling him moving beneath her palms as she does and her fingertips come into contact with his waistband and she begins unbuckling his belt.

"Fuck me.." Cora hears him huff and feels his eyes on her when she uses her fingertips to unfasten them, watching his eyes close briefly when she wraps her hand around him and releases him from his trousers.

"Mmm, yes please." Cora whispers and then giggles when she feels his eyes meet hers and hears him groan when she strokes him, knowing they are both feeling braver now from the alcohol, hormones, and the adrenaline pumping around their bodies.

Cora hears herself whimper when Scott presses his mouth against hers again, his tongue teasing hers and making her legs feel weak beneath her when his hand tangles into her hair. She gasps when she suddenly feels him gripping hold of her hips and turning her, pressing her chest against the cold metal wall of the tram and trapping her with his hard body. Cora feels his breath hot on her ear, tugging at her lobe with his teeth before he lowers his mouth to her neck and continues sliding his hands down her body.

She feels his hands moving lower until they reach her bare skin again, her body feeling like it's on fire with every touch as he slides them up under her dress and holding it above her waist. She feels how close he is to her body, making her nerves throb when she knows he's going to be inside her. She bites her bottom lip as she pushes herself back against him, making him groan when she rubs against him. Cora feels him take hold of her hips and the weight of his body suddenly forcing her against the wall when he quickly enters her, making them both moan in unison. She feels his fingertips gripping her tightly as he begins to thrusts into her, making her gasp with each movement he makes. She reaches her hand to his face, dragging his mouth towards her so she can kiss him and moans when their tongues meet. She feels the blue light surround them and her biotic charge spreading through their bodies.

"I love you." Scott pants against her mouth when she feels his hands gripping her tighter, increasing the speed of his thrusts when he hears her moans.

Cora feels him leaning against her when the tram slows and their unsteady feet don't hold them in place, noticing that Scott lifts his hands to rest either side of her head to keep them steady. She bites back a moan when he presses his mouth against her neck; his teeth coming into contact with throat when she hears his breathing become laboured. She feels him lower his hand from the wall and wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her back hard against him making her cry out in pleasure when he does. Cora begins moving her hips to meet his movements, hearing him groan when she rocks against him and feeling his body tense.

She feels him tighten his hold around her waist, drawing her back against his body and she can feel him moving faster behind her, can hear his body meeting hears until they are both breathless. Cora feels him lift his hand to her hair, stroking his fingers through it and tilting her head back so he can draw her lips to his again muffling both of their moans with his kiss. Cora closes her eyes tightly, feeling his movements dragging her towards the edge until she feels her body shaking and pleasure rock through her and into him.

"Scott!" Cora cries as she finds her release, feeling him holding her against him when he feels her writhing against him and her body shaking.

Cora hears him groan as he holds her beneath his arms and he gives some final hard thrusts, pressing his mouth into her neck when he joins her. She hears his pants behind her as she tries to steady her own breathing, noticing that he loosens his hold on her and makes sure she is stable on her feet before he unwraps his arms from around her.

"You're right. We just can't keep apart.." Scott pants and she glances over her shoulder at him and notices he begins straightening his clothes, and tugging his trousers back up and buckling his belt. Cora smiles when his eyes meet hers.

"We're just drunk." Cora sighs and turns to face him, she presses her back against the wall so that she can quickly take hold of the bottom of her dress and wriggle it back down onto her thighs.

"Must be it." Scott nods and she sighs when he is suddenly pressed against her again, and feels him lifting his hand to her cheek and guiding her mouth to his.

"Do you want to come home with me?" Cora whispers between soft kisses, feeling him smile against her mouth and then nod. "Then never leave me." She giggles when she feels him holding her tightly against his chest and deepening their kiss.

—/—

Cora lets her eyes open slowly, immediately feeling how much her head is pounding and the room is spinning, so closes them tight again. She lets her mind go back to the party last night, and more importantly the amount she had drunk to try and take her mind off of how awful the night had been and how much it had hurt her when she'd seen Scott with someone that wasn't her. It had been awful seeing how badly his speech had gone, and seeing him fighting after someone had insulted her. It was no wonder the whole world now felt like it was moving and she felt sick to her stomach. She notices that there is a heavyweight holding her to the bed and a warm body next to her that she doesn't remember being there before or bringing anyone home with her. When Cora glances to her side, her eyes settle on a sleeping Scott Ryder and realises it's his arm around her.

She quickly sets her eyes up and above her towards the ceiling, closing them tightly when the room starts spinning faster, and she tries to remember what could have happened for Scott to be in her bed as she was sure she'd sent him back to the Tempest. Cora lifts the covers, looking down and letting out a quiet groan when she spots that she is naked, and so is Scott and even if she didn't think she could remember they'd obviously slept together. Cora sighs lightly and settles back onto her pillow, letting herself look at Scott as he sleeps beside her, thinking how gorgeous he looks first thing in the morning even though she can see one of his eyes is purple and his lip is split from the fight.

"I'm never drinking again." Cora whispers as she lifts her hand to her face, rubbing her fingertips against the bridge of her nose to try and ease her pounding head before lifting her Omni to administer some pain relief.

"Me either." Scott mumbles at her side, drawing her eyes to him when she notices he is awake. She watches him unwrap his arm from around her and lift his hand to rub against his temple. "Never again." He whispers and then she feels his eyes meet hers when he realises she's next to him.

"Hey Scott.." Cora sighs and notices that he briefly looks around him, trying to figure out where he is. She gives him a small smile when his eyes are on her again.

"Did we?" Scott begins and sees him lift the covers and nod lightly. "Well, this is an unexpected but pleasant surprise." He chuckles, making her smile when she hears it. "I'm sure I was headed back to the Tempest.." He whispers.

"Apparently not." Cora sighs with her own smile. "It's not funny, Scott." Cora shakes her head when she sees him grin, trying to keep her smile from her face. She couldn't believe he was laughing, and not worrying like she was that they might have been seen. "What if someone saw us? How did this happen?" She whispers.

"I don't think you need me to explain that." Scott smiles and she watches him rubbing his head and then press his finger to his lip. "I imagine alcohol was involved." Scott chuckles and she watches him laying on his front again so that he can slide his arms beneath the pillow and bury his face into it. "I think I need to sleep this off." He yawns making her smile.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cora smiles and sees him glance at her as she settles into her own pillow and draws the covers over herself. "If you're staying, you need to at least make me a coffee." She whispers and sees him sigh dramatically.

"Fine, I'll make you a coffee." He smiles as she watches him lean towards her and press his lips against hers. "You look beautiful this morning." Scott whispers making her sigh as he lifts himself with his arms and climbs out of the bed. "Where are my clothes?" He mumbles when she watches him stand and start searching for them.

"Why are you asking me?" Cora giggles when she notices he gives up and steps away from the bed and towards the kitchen, stretching the sleep out of his muscles as he walks and she notices he shakes his hands and stretches his fingers.

"I'm guessing you took them off of me." Scott begins and she can hear the smile in his voice and then she sees him glance at her and smile at her. "SAM administer 15mg of medi-gel." She hears him mumble and sigh when she knows his head will be feeling better, and so will his face and hands.

Cora sighs and lowers her eyes for a moment when she feels the flutter inside her again when she sees him smile, wondering how she was going to ever let Scott leave again how they were ever going to be able to pretend to be friends when she loved him so much and she wanted was for them to be together again. She watches him opening the cupboard with his palm to retrieve some mugs and the coffee, noticing that he begins to hum to himself as he scoops the coffee into the mugs and fills them with hot water. Cora sits up and lets her bare back rest against the headboard, knowing she has to put some space between them before he climbs back in with her because she was very tempted to let him wrap himself around her and take her.

"Here's your coffee Miss Harper." Scott smiles as she watches him stepping carefully back to the bed with a mug in each hand, and a bottle of water tucked under his arm.

"Thanks." Cora smiles at him when she notices he moves around to her side of the bed and holds it out to her, so she takes it from him and lifts it to her lips but then winces lightly when it burns.

"Too hot?" Scott chuckles and she notices he places his own mug down on the bedside table and she feels him take hold of hers again.

"Yes, but I really need it." She giggles. "Give it back." Cora sighs and tries to take it back from him but he swats her hands away, she watches him open the water and pour some into their mugs.

"Patience." Scott grins and she watches him dip his finger into her mug, nodding and handing it to her. "Perfect temperature." He nods and she feels his eyes on her.

"Did you just stick your finger in my coffee?" Cora giggles and she sees him smile when she takes a sip and finds that it is indeed perfect, so she takes a big mouthful.

"Are you questioning my methods?" Scott grins and she watches him lower himself to the edge of the bed next to her thighs. "Baby, I'm the Pathfinder I know exactly what I'm doing." He chuckles and she notices he turns towards her and places his hand on the bed beside her legs.

"Oh, I know you do." Cora giggles as she places her mug down and lifts her hand to let her fingers stroke through the front of Scott's hair and feels their eyes meet, she gently touches her palm beneath his swollen and black eye. "Does it hurt?" She asks and notices he glances down at his hands and then back to her.

"A bit." He nods and she sees him smile. "Doesn't feel like anything is broken though," Scott adds and she watches him stretch his fingers again. "A kiss would help." He grins at her before she leans closer and kisses him, feeling him lift his hand to the back of her head and his lips moving against hers.

"Makes everything better." Cora smiles against his lips before he leans back and fixes his eyes on her. "This, and coffee." She giggles. "You know Scott if this Pathfinder thing doesn't work out.." She whispers. "You could always be a barista like James." Cora giggles and gives him a mischievous smile and notices he shakes his head at her.

"James." Scott sighs making her giggle. "I'll add it to the list." He chuckles so she smiles when she hears it, but then notices he lets his palm rest on her leg and she can feel how warm his hand is through the covers. "I was thinking of being a naked butler." He grins at her making her giggle.

"That could be a good choice." Cora giggles. "You look good naked, and that six-pack will get you a lot of clients.." She nods and sees him smile. "But I'd like to think I get to enjoy that body all to myself." She whispers and feels his eyes meet hers.

"It's all yours." Scott smiles and she watches him wrinkling his nose at her. "I guess bare-knuckle fighter is out of the question." He smiles lightly at her making her sigh and shake her head at him. "Just kidding." Scott nods.

"No more fighting, please." Cora whispers. "I'm sure he's in a worse state than you." She sighs and sees him nod. "Scott, don't worry about that.." She adds and notices his eyes are on her face. "They provoked you, they were in the wrong." Cora sighs quietly and notices Scott doesn't look convinced.

"But I definitely hit him first." Scott nods lightly and she watches him lower his eyes to his bruised hand. "And that's not who I am." He adds and she places her hand over his. "I messed up.." He nods lightly. "We'll never get people on my side now." Scott whispers.

"We will.." Cora gives him a small smile, trying to comfort him. "The Leaders will understand, they saw what happened." She adds and sees him nod lightly. "What do you always tell me? We're human, we fuck up." Cora whispers and notices he nods.

"I know." Scott nods lightly. "I just seem to be making a lot of mistakes" He smiles so she lifts her hand to his face, stroking it gently to not hurt him. "Being here with you isn't one of them." Scott adds and she can see the real smile return to his face.

"I agree.." Cora giggles and sees his smile. "Are you feeling any better?" Cora smiles and hears him sigh when she places her hand on his shoulder and then slides it down to his bicep. "Or do you want to get back in here for a cuddle?" She adds and sees that idea makes him beam.

"That would make me feel better." Scott smiles, making her do the same when she sees how much he wants to. "Are you sure you want me to stay?" He asks as he glances at her and nods.

"Yes, please stay." Cora nods, maybe a little too enthusiastically when she sees Scott laughing. "Stay.." She whispers when he leans closer and presses his mouth against hers. "I can't send you back to the Tempest in this state." She giggles when he breaks their kiss.

Cora feels his eyes meet hers when she pulls back the covers for him and pats the space beside her, deciding she didn't want him anywhere more than she wanted him in her bed. She sees him grin before he crawls onto the bed and moves into the space beside her, sliding under the covers and settling back into the pillows. Cora can't help but smile when she shuffles down into the bed again, turning to face him as she pulls the covers up to their waists again.

"Come here." Scott whispers when she notices he lifts his arm to reach for her, placing his hand on her waist and drawing her closer to him until she is almost against his chest and she can feel his body heat.

"Now I remember we're naked." Cora giggles when he grins at her and she feels him pull her closer to him so that he can wrap his arms and himself around her. She sighs when feels his hands on her back and can feel their bodies pressed against each other, noticing that he slowly slides his hands onto her hips. "What are you doing?" Cora whispers as Scott pulls her tight against his body and lifts his hand to her chin.

"Showing you that I'm sure this is what I want." Scott smiles and she feels him leaning closer, his eyes on her until he presses his mouth against hers in a gentle kiss that makes her whole body warm. "I don't care what anyone says." Scott adds and kisses her again. "Do you want me to stop?" He whispers and she feels him pull back and look at her.

"No." Cora sighs when she feels his hand on her body and the other lifting to her hair, dragging her mouth against his again and kissing her until she is breathless. She wraps her arms around him, trying to pull his body closer to her letting her own fingers tangle in his hair.

"Even if it is inappropriate." Scott smiles against her lips making her giggle when she hears it and breaks their kiss, smiling at him when he continues to stroke her hair. "I'm so in love with you, Cora." He whispers and she feels his eyes meet hers.

"I'm in love with you, too." Cora smiles and lifts her hand to his cheek and presses another soft his against his mouth. "So completely in love." She whispers and kisses the edge of his lips and he smiles.

"How can that be a bad thing?" Scott smiles making her do the same. "What are we going to do about this?" Scott sighs and she feels him cuddling her closer to him. "I want us to be together again." He whispers and she nods.

"I know, I do too." Cora sighs and shakes her head lightly. "I guess for now we just enjoy this.." Cora nods and holds him tighter. "As often as we can." She whispers and hears him chuckle.

"We're going to have to tell the leaders." Scott sighs making her nod in agreement.