The smell of brewing coffee drifted into the bedroom as Roman began to stir. Still groggy, he instinctively reached over to grab for Lucy before quickly reasoning that she was probably in the kitchen. He also started to search for his boxer briefs to put on and then remembered that they were still on the porch after being soaked in the rain. He shrugged to himself and, after stopping to brush his teeth with the toothbrush she had found for him last night, made his way out to join Lucy.
He rounded the corner and followed the hallway down to the kitchen and found her pouring coffee from a tiny cup into a bigger mug, humming to herself. Lucy had wrapped a small black robe around herself, her hair still a riot of bedhead. She looked up when Roman approached, smiling warmly.
"Good morning, handsome," Lucy said, "how you'd sleep?" She turned back to a small espresso machine as she asked, grabbing a second tiny cup.
"The best I've slept in a while," Roman answered, his voice still gruff with sleep. Roman walked around the counter and came up behind Lucy, encircling her waist with his arms and placing a kiss on her temple. Lucy stopped what she was doing and snuggled back into him, letting out a contented hum.
"Me too" she said, spinning slowly in his arms to face him, "I could have stayed in bed all day."
Roman responded with a quiet growl, bending down to claim her lips. He had come up with some plans for them today, but the idea of spending the day tangled up with Lucy seemed like a much better idea at this moment, especially when he heard the sound of rain continuing to pour. The outside world would still be there tomorrow.
Lucy laughed softly against his lips as she rested her hand on his hip and leaned into the kiss, running her hand down to brush along his thigh and briefly cup his ass, giving Roman goosebumps. She nipped at his bottom lip lightly before pulling away and turning back to the coffee cups.
"Tease," Roman said, no malice in his tone. Lucy shot him a playful smirk, letting her eyes drift down his naked form with a glint in her eye, before walking over to the fridge and pulling out a small carton of milk.
Oh, OK, Roman thought to himself with a smirk, two can play at this game.
"So, what do we have going on here?" Roman asked, shifting his focus and gesturing to the coffee.
"Nothing too fancy, I just thought I'd make us a couple of lattes," Lucy answered, pouring the milk into a tiny silver pitcher, "I have one almost every morning." Roman watched as she placed the pitcher under a wand on the espresso machine and turned a dial, steam instantly rising from the pitcher as the machine emitted a gurgling sound. Lucy swirled the pitcher around for a minute or two before turning off the machine and pouring the frothy milk over each of the mugs, stirring them each in turn and handing one to Roman.
"Want to take these back into the bedroom? I don't know about you, but I'm still waking up," Lucy asked before lifting her mug to take a sip, closing her eyes in satisfaction, "mmm, perfect," she said after she swallowed, looking pleased with herself.
"You read my mind," Roman said with a nod, lifting his cup to inhale- it smelled heavenly. He brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. The flavors of rich coffee and just the right amount of milk warmed him instantly.
"This is delicious," he said to Lucy as he followed her back into the bedroom. Lucy placed her mug onto one of the nightstands and threw herself lazily back into the mattress, and Roman followed suit.
"Thanks," Lucy said, rolling onto her stomach and propping up her chin with her hand to smile easily at him, "I get the beans from a local bookstore that I love- it's one of the places I want to show you."
"Can't wait," Roman said, sitting up to rest his back against the headboard, reaching over to grab his mug and take another sip, "mmm, seriously, this is really good."
Lucy grabbed her own latte and brought it to her lips, being careful not to spill it. Roman watched as she sipped at it and stared off thoughtfully. She took another long sip and placed it back on her nightstand before crossing her arms on the bed, turning her head to lay on her cheek, looking at Roman fondly. He took one last sip of his drink before setting it aside and laying down on his side, facing Lucy.
"What's that look for, sweetie?" Roman asked, reaching over to run his fingers through her hair, "you've got something on your mind, I can tell." Lucy's smile grew at that.
"It's nothing really, I just…" Lucy trailed off, lifting to her head to release her right hand and reaching out to grab his, "I'm just really glad you're here is all."
Roman entwined their fingers, pulling her hand up to his lips to lay a kiss on it, before setting both of their hands down on the bed between them.
"Where else would I be?" Roman asked, stroking his thumb across the back of Lucy's hand. "What, did you think I'd leave for a few days and forget all about you?" he joked.
The smile on Lucy's face faltered, and her eyes shifted downward, staring at their entwined hands and refusing to meet Roman's eyes. The realization dawned on him.
"Oh, Lucy, hey" Roman said, his voice laced with concern, tightening his hand around hers for emphasis, "you didn't really think that, did you?" he asked with a tightening in his chest.
"No, I didn't. I mean-" Lucy said, letting out a sigh, finally meeting his eyes again, "I didn't think you'd forget about me. I was just worried that- I don't know, you'd get back to your normal life and remember how busy you are, and maybe you'd think a relationship is too much or too distracting right now. I'm sorry, I know how that sounds. I swear," she said with a wry expression, breathing out a laugh, "I am not this insecure. I just really think we might have something here, and I don't…I don't know what to do with that, sometimes." She took a deep breath and released it again before continuing.
"Truthfully, when you left on Friday, a tiny part of me felt relieved," she said quietly. Roman furrowed his eyebrows, confused, but didn't interrupt. "I was looking forward to having a few days on my own to catch my breath, and wrap my mind around…us. I like having time to myself, and thought I'd enjoy the break from being around people as much as we were seeing each other in Orlando. And I did- for about half of a day," she said with another soft laugh, "then I started to think about you, and wondered what you were doing, and if you were thinking about me-"
"-Dean and Seth will happily confirm that I was," Roman interjected, trying his best at an easy smile, and Lucy's expression relaxed a bit.
"I haven't let myself get this tied up in knots over someone in a long time, Ro," Lucy went on with another sigh, "I guess I didn't know how to process it. You have given me no reason to think that this isn't going to work, but my head got the better of me. And now you're here, and being around you," she paused, looking deep into Roman's eyes, the smile returning to her face "it's as easy as breathing." Roman closed his eyes for a moment, letting her words sink in as relief flooded his body. Finally, he tightened his hold on her hand and pulled at her arm gently.
"C'mere, babe," he said softly, and Lucy moved over so that she was laying with her chin propped up on his chest. Her face betrayed a raw vulnerability as she looked up at him. Roman ran his hand from Lucy's shoulder down her arm, back and forth.
"That was an awful lot of words just to say that you missed me," Roman said with a small, adoring grin. Lucy closed her eyes and gave him an embarrassed smile before hiding her face in Roman's chest. He let a brief laugh escape before tapping her arm, and Lucy raised her head to look at him once again.
"I missed you, too," Roman said seriously, "so much. I was a bundle of nerves driving over here yesterday. Being here with you, in your home, it feels more real, and I was nervous things were going to change, too. It does feel different, but it's a good kind of different," he continued, and Lucy nodded her agreement.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm happy I'm here, too," Roman finished.
He really was.
"I'm glad," Lucy answered simply, squeezing his hand and looking into his eyes with a relieved expression before letting out a slightly shaky breath. Roman continued to soothe her arm and let the quiet settle over both of them.
Lucy slid her body up Roman's chest and released his hand to run her fingers through his hair, brushing a few errant tendrils off of his forehead. His gaze met her shining green eyes before Lucy leaned forward to kiss him. Roman kissed her back, bringing his arm to wrap around her waist. Lucy opened her mouth against his and Roman let her in, letting his tongue brush against hers. Roman tightened his hold around Lucy and deepened their kiss, and Lucy made a happy sound as she matched his fervor. Roman felt his cock twitch as Lucy pressed into him, and he slid his hand up the back of her thigh to run just under the hem of her robe. Lucy hummed into his mouth again before lifting up to look down at him, that heated glimmer back in her eyes.
"You know, I meant to put your clothes in the washer when I got up this morning," she said, her voice dripping with faux innocence as she sat up onto her knees, running one of her hands up from her thigh to her hip, sliding it over to rest on the tie of her robe, "but it must have slipped my mind. And if you don't have anything to wear," she began to loosen the tie, "I guess it's only fair if I don't either." Lucy let her robe fall open, confirming Roman's suspicions that she wore nothing underneath it. Roman released a small groan as he slid one hand up her soft, full thigh, letting his eyes wander from her stomach up to the large curves of her breasts, her pink nipples begging to be touched. He sat up and shifted both of his hands to slide the soft black cotton from her shoulders, tossing the robe off the bed and running his hands down her back, feeling goosebumps forming on her skin. He settled his left hand on her lower back, pulling her closer to him, running his right across the back of her neck. Roman slipped his fingers into the soft brown curls, wrapping his hand to snugly cradle the back of Lucy's head. He bent his head to place featherlight kisses along her jaw and up to her ear, holding her firmly in place, his cock throbbing.
"Oh, you forgot? I don't buy it," he spoke into her ear, his low voice rumbling just above a whisper, "I think this was your plan all along. What was that you were saying about staying in bed all day?" he nipped gently on her earlobe before licking a stripe across her pulse point. Lucy let out a short gasp, her hands quickly moving to grip at his back.
Roman left a trail of kisses along Lucy's collar bone, eventually placing an open mouthed kiss on the other side of her neck. He could feel Lucy melting into his touch, the tension almost instantly leaving her body as she released soft mewls. Thinking back to her playful teasing in the kitchen, an idea sparked in Roman's mind.
Experimentally, Roman slid the hand cradling Lucy's head down to wrap around the back of her neck, tightening his hold there, placing another kiss against her neck, this one firmer than the previous gentle kisses. Lucy moaned softly and leaned into his hold, her body relaxing even further. He wrapped his left arm more completely around her lower back, his hand gripping at her hip. His cock was aching to be touched, but he ignored it for the time being.
"I want you to lay down," he said darkly against her skin, before nipping softly at the delicate skin of her throat, soothing it immediately with a kiss. He lifted his head to meet her eyes, searching for any concern or objection before raising his eyebrows pointedly at her. Lucy's eyes were wide, her expression curious- intrigued. Slowly, but without any hesitation, Lucy shifted to the empty side of the large bed and laid down her back, stretching out her legs in front of her and resting her arms at her sides. She held his gaze, looking up at him expectantly. Roman's heart pounded in his chest, but his confidence was growing. He gave her a small grin of approval, running his hand along her soft stomach.
"Now," he said, his expression growing serious, "reach up and grab the headboard." Lucy's eyebrows lifted in slight surprise, but her eyes were sparkling, and she quickly schooled her expression and reached up to do as she was told, wrapping her fingers around the wooden bars, her arms bent at the elbows and coming to rest on either side of her head. She continued to hold his gaze, her chest rising and falling as her breathing intensified. Roman stroked his thumb over the smooth skin over her ribs, sending a shutter through Lucy, and bent down to kiss her softly before pulling back up to meet her eyes.
"Anything happens that you don't like, you say 'red light,' and we stop, OK?" he said, his tone soft but firm, watching her expression carefully.
"Mmm, yes sir," Lucy said with that coy smile of hers, her voice thick with want. Hearing those words from her lips, Roman's cock twitched and his body grew warm all over, thrilled that his intuition had been right on the mark.
Ooh, someone is definitely into this, he thought to himself.
"Good girl," he said, placing another quick kiss on her lips and watching as her eyes closed briefly at that (he could see a smile hinting out at the edge of her lips) before she opened them again to watch him- waiting. Anticipating.
He stood up and walked to the end of the bed, holding Lucy's gaze as he slid one hand down his chest and stomach, finally reaching down to give his cock a few slow strokes, closing his eyes at the sensation. When he opened them Lucy's eyes were following his every movement, and she shifted her legs together slightly. Roman gave himself another few strokes, letting out a soft moan for emphasis.
"Ro…" Lucy breathed, her eyes fixed on his, her hands gripping tighter around the headboard. Roman gave her a cocky grin. He moved back to the bed, sitting on his knees at her feet on the mattress and running his hands slowly up the outside of her legs. He slid his hands beneath her thighs, opening her legs and placing one on either side of himself. Roman kissed up and down each one, paying special attention to avoid her pussy, which he could already see was dripping wet. He smoothed his hands tantalizingly up to her hips and back down to her ankles. As he bent his head to place another kiss on her hip bone, Lucy gently thrust her hips up towards him.
"None of that, now," Roman said, placing his palm against her stomach and pushing it firmly toward the mattress, giving the flesh of her hip a pinch for emphasis, "maybe this will teach you not to tease me over coffee next time," he stage whispered, meeting her eyes with a dark, self satisfied gaze. Lucy groaned and muttered something under her breath that sounded like "motherfucker," drawing a sharp laugh from Roman. He circled his finger around her navel and dragged it downward slowly, inch by inch, until he finally ran his finger tip along her clit.
He brushed it softly, slowly at first. Lucy cursed and threw her head back, obviously aching for more friction. Roman increased the speed of his finger incrementally until he finally reached his usual pace. Lucy bit her lip, lifting her hips again- Roman let it go this time, too enamored by the sight of her laid out before him, surrendering all control. He increased the pressure and Lucy moaned, her toes curling- a sure sign she was getting there.
Roman bent down and replaced his finger with his tongue, lapping slowly on her clit. He slid his finger down through her wet folds, teasing her entrance with his finger as he licked more intently at her clit. Lucy moaned out his name, sending a jolt right to his cock.
"I want to know when you come, Lucy," Roman said, lifting his mouth for a moment and reaching his free hand up to pinch at one nipple followed by the other, making her moans grow even louder, "let me hear it when you do." Not that she had ever been quiet about that, but a little encouragement never hurt. He returned his tongue to her clit while he massaged each of her breasts, rolling her nipples in between his fingers, sliding the finger teasing her pussy inside, moaning at the feeling of her wetness and sending the vibrations into her clit. He curled his finger inside, feeling around for- there. Right there. His finger found its mark and stroked her g spot, his tongue continuing its work on her sensitive nub.
"Roman, Ro, I'm-" Lucy gasped out in between breaths, "Roman, I- yes, oh my god-" she broke off into a long moan and her thighs shook, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the headboard, her orgasm rolling over her like a thunderwave. Roman's cock was almost painfully hard now, precum leaking from the tip as licked her softly through her release. Once Lucy's moans died down to soft whimpers, Roman stroked his hand along her side to steady her. He climbed up the bed to check in with her, giving her a soft kiss and lifting her chin with hand.
"You're doing so great," he told her huskily, and watched as a blush filled her cheeks, "how are you doing, baby? Are you ready for me?" he asked sincerely. She opened her eyes and nodded, giving him a slightly wrung out but eager smile, her eyes glazed. Roman stroked his thumb down her cheek before grabbing her hips and angling her so that her legs drifted off the side of the bed. He wrapped her legs around his waist before leaning his knees on the edge of the mattress and lining himself with her wet entrance, sliding his cock inside her in one swift motion.
Lucy let out a deep moan and Roman held himself there for a minute, letting her adjust. He pushed in and out of her a few times, groaning as the tight, wet heat swallowed him. Lucy moaned again and he picked up his pace, gradually fucking harder and deeper into her, his loud moans joining hers. He watched as Lucy's mouth hung open, her eyes squeezed shut in pleasure, large, soft breasts bouncing in time with his thrusts. Roman pulled her legs from his waist to rest her ankles on his shoulders, leaning forward to pound even harder into the perfect grip of her pussy.
The thrill of Lucy submitting to him- trusting him- gave Roman a surge of pride, making his head spin. His heart swelled as he continued to be enveloped by her- the sound of her growing moans, the feel of her skin against his- and he looked down at her to take in the moment as best he could, relishing every single sensation at once.
She was so incredible, and she was his.
He pushed into her harder, deeper, striving to get as close to her as he possibly could.
"Roman, fuck, yes," Lucy cried, strangling the wooden posts, and he felt the heat building in his stomach. Roman's thrusts picked up, pushing his cock as deep as it could go and, hearing his name moaned once again from Lucy's lips, he came undone.
"Oh- baby- Lucy!" was all he could get out in the way of warning before coming deep inside of her, giving her a few more deep thrusts before he was spent. Roman legs shook and he leaned forward, letting Lucy's legs fall on either side of him. He caught himself on the bed with his arm, still buried inside of Lucy.
"Ro?" Lucy asked softly, her breathing heavy. Roman lifted his head to meet her eyes, finding her staring at him with a blissful expression, "can I…?" she asked, wiggling her fingers where they still grabbed the headboard. Roman gave her a big smile and nodded, still panting himself- he'd momentarily forgotten she was still holding on. Lucy lowered her arms, reaching one out to stroke the back of Roman's hair. He gently eased out of her and lowered her legs down, scooting up to lie his head on the pillow and wrap Lucy up in his arms. She laid her head against his chest and draped her arm over his stomach, and Roman felt warm all over, overcome with a sense of calm euphoria.
"You did so good," Roman murmured against her hair, holding her tightly, and felt her preen against him. He ran his hand in soft circles soothingly on her back.
As their breathing returned to normal, Lucy lifted her head to look at Roman, still wearing a blissed out smile.
"That," she said, running her finger down Roman's sternum, "was amazing. And unexpected, and- wow," Lucy finished, punctuating her words with a peck on his chest.
"Yeah?" Roman asked, his cheeks heating a little bit. Lucy nodded and gave him an appraising look- Roman could practically feel the gears in her head turning.
"You figured me out pretty quick there, Rome," she finally said, her eyes sparkling, "we haven't even talked about that kind of stuff, yet."
Roman grinned, grabbing her hand to intertwine their fingers.
"I took a swing," he said, adopting a casual tone, emphasizing with a shrug, "just call it a hunch, I guess. Seemed like something we could try and if you weren't into it, no harm, no foul."
"Just a lucky guess?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow at him skeptically.
"OK, well, maybe it was a little more than that," Roman admitted, and Lucy fixed him with a curious gaze, "you are many wonderful things, Lucy, but mysterious is not one of them," he said with a small chuckle.
"Hey! That's not true," Lucy said with a surprised laugh.
"Baby, you wear your heart on your sleeve, it's one of my favorite things about you," Roman said, giving her hand a few gentle squeezes for emphasis, "And, I don't know, you talking about a wanting night with Mr. Shield Enforcer…it seemed like a safe bet."
"And you say I'm the one who's full of surprises," Lucy said, shaking her head fondly, a blush staining her cheeks. "You read me like a book," she finished with a softer laugh.
"So that was all OK?" he asked, the slight blush returning to his own face, "I haven't done a whole lot of that, so I was just following my instincts."
"It was perfect," Lucy answered emphatically, letting her eyes close for a moment, biting her lip at the memory. When she opened her eyes, she narrowed them back at Roman with an intrigued expression. "So…define 'not whole a lot.'"
Roman took a deep breath and then did just that, briefly explaining his relationship with his first serious girlfriend that he'd met in high school and stayed with through his freshman year of college. He fiddled with Lucy's fingers nervously as he spoke, watching her eyes carefully- broaching the subject of exes was brand new territory, and he knew it could potentially be a minefield.
"So one night, things were getting hot and heavy and I got a little too excited, forgot my own strength," he said with an embarrassed chuckle, "and pushed her up against the wall a bit harder than I meant too. I backed off and apologized right away, but she kind of stopped me and said 'wait- do that again.' And so we went from there. She transferred schools the next year and we broke up not too long after that, but I, uh, learned a thing or two before we ended things," Roman finished.
Lucy stared off again, a neutral expression on her face, considering everything he'd just said. Finally she turned her face back to Roman.
"Well, as long as she didn't break your heart," Lucy paused, making eye contact with him and raising her eyebrows in question. Roman smiled softly and shook his head in response, "I might have to track her down and send her a thank you card," she finished.
Roman grinned and released a breath, and he felt the tension in his shoulders relax. Lucy seemed content with that, no signs of uncertainty or jealousy, to his relief. He grabbed a soft throw blanket that was hanging off of the end of Lucy's bed and dragged it to drape it over her. Lucy took it and wrapped it around her shoulders, giving him a thankful grin.
"Water, babe?" he asked, standing up from the bed.
"Yes, please," she nodded, and Roman made his way to the kitchen. After pouring them each a glass of water, Roman saw Skipper watching him from where she was sunbathing on her bed - the sun had cut through the gray clouds temporarily, though it was still lightly raining- her tail wagging lazily. He patted his leg and called her over.
"Here, girl!" he said, kneeling down to pet her as she ran to him, "oh, you're so sweet. Good pup. Want to come lay with us? Come on!" Roman stood up and grabbed the water, patting his leg in hopes that Skipper would follow him to the bedroom, and sure enough she padded right behind him.
"Think we've got room for an extra cuddle buddy in here?" Roman asked as he handed Lucy her glass and took a sip from his own.
"Always room for my sweet girl," Lucy said, patting the mattress next to her. Skipper immediately jumped on the bed and collapsed on Lucy's lap, rolling around on her back as Lucy darted her hands around the pup playfully. Roman smiled to himself and climbed back into bed, resting his arm around Lucy's shoulders. Once Skipper had calmed down, she stretched out and settled herself across Roman and Lucy's laps. Lucy let out a contented sigh, letting her head rest against Roman's arm and petting Skipper's fur absentmindedly.
"So, I was thinking," Roman began, and Lucy turned her head to look at him, "I was planning to take you to the beach today, but…" he gestured to the sliding glass door and the rain that had resumed heavily pouring outside. Lucy smiled and burrowed deeper into his side.
"I was hoping you'd say that," she said. Roman grinned, happy she was as up for a quiet day together as he was. He didn't get time like this very often with his busy schedule. It was something he knew they'd have to talk about eventually, but that discussion could wait.
For now, Roman simply placed a kiss on her forehead, settling in for a day all to themselves.
Late morning turned into afternoon as Roman and Lucy lingered in bed with Skipper, watching a movie they'd both already seen and taking turns nodding off for a few minutes. They'd ordered brunch and as they got up to eat, Lucy confessed that she actually had washed Roman's clothes and went to put them in the dryer.
"You might have to pay for that later," Roman had promised her with a wink. Lucy's sly smile let him know she would happily make it up to him.
Now they found themselves walking around the lake in Lucy's complex with Skipper in tow, the rain letting up for the moment. Roman wore his clothes from last night while Lucy was wearing a cozy green cable knit sweater with a pair of dark brown leggings and boots. Roman held Lucy's hand in his, closing his eyes for a second to appreciate the cool breeze as they walked.
"This place is nice," Roman said, gesturing to the scenery around them, "have you lived here long?"
"A few years," Lucy answered cheerfully, "I wouldn't mind moving into a house or a bigger apartment someday, but this place is pretty cozy and staying here lets me keep saving. And it's the first place I've ever lived on my own, so it feels like home. I'll leave someday, but I'm happy here for now."
Roman nodded his understanding, letting a comfortable silence settle over them as they walked. As they turned down a tree lined walking path, he spoke up again.
"What are you saving for? Anything special?" he asked, curious.
"Not really," Lucy said with a shrug, "finally traveling a bit, maybe, but mostly it's for a rainy day. I love my job, but with journalism being kind of a dying industry, I like to keep a safety net in case something happens. You never know."
"You could always open up that coffee shop," Roman said with a sincere look, "I'd pay for one of those lattes you made this morning."
"It might be a while before I have that kind of savings," Lucy said, meeting his eyes with a bashful grin, "but thank you. Like I said, you never know."
They circled through the trees and across a tiny bridge over the lake that led back to Lucy's building and made their way back inside. They opened all of the windows to let in the cool fresh air, and Lucy lit a fire in a small fireplace that Roman hadn't noticed yesterday, and the two of them settled on the couch.
"Do you ever roast marshmallows in there?" Roman asked, pointing to the fireplace, where Skipper had curled up on a blanket to warm herself.
"I have, once or twice. Why? Want to make some s'mores?" Lucy asked him with a smile, a mildly teasing tone in her voice.
"I'm pretty sure you're making fun of me," Roman said, giving her a gentle kick under the blanket they shared, "but yes."
"I would never," Lucy said, her smile growing as she batted her eyelashes, "OK, maybe just a little. But s'mores do sound pretty good. Let's see what I've got," she finished.
Roman followed her to the kitchen, giving her a playful smack on the ass, earning him a surprised, gleeful noise.
Lucy rifled through her pantry and handed Roman the graham crackers, bars of chocolate, and marshmallows as she found them.
"I also have tea or hot cocoa to go with them, if either of those sound good to you. Or I can make some more coffee," she suggested, holding up a few options.
"I think cocoa for me," Roman said, deciding to go for broke on his cheat day. He'd make up for it at the gym tomorrow.
Lucy filled up a small brass kettle with water and set it on the stove, and the two of them joined Skipper on the floor in front of the fireplace. They each fixed a marshmallow on a long skewer and held it over the fire. Roman rotated his regularly, pulling it out when it was an even golden brown all over and sandwiching it carefully on top of a piece of the chocolate between two graham crackers. Lucy waited until her marshmallow was practically ash before pulling it out of the fire and assembling her s'more.
"Heathen," Roman quipped before taking another bite of his treat. Lucy shot him a playful glare.
"I'm not the one with marshmallows sticking to my beard," Lucy said, reaching over to gently pull out the sticky goo, pulling a chuckle from Roman.
The kettle began whistling and Lucy stood up to prepare their drinks, and Roman fixed another marshmallow on a skewer. She came back with a cocoa for him and a ginger tea for herself, handing him his mug before settling back down on the floor. Roman's marshmallow was now perfectly browned, and he pulled it out of the flame and began assembling. Lucy took a sip of her tea before sticking two more marshmallows in the fire, leaving them both until they were blackened and crisp.
"Here," she said, making two s'mores and holding one out towards him, "just try one this way."
Roman set down his cocoa and took the s'more from her with a good natured eye roll, taking a large bite. He swallowed and considered the combination of the crunchy, smokey taste on his tongue as the nearly liquified marshmallow combined with the melty chocolate.
"OK, fine," Roman said, throwing his hand up in defeat, "you win. This is actually way better."
Lucy punched a fist in the air as she sipped her tea and the two of them laughed together.
"Just you wait until tomorrow night, though" Roman said, wagging his finger at her, "I'm going to cook you one of my favorite meals and then we'll see what's what."
"You're going to cook for me?" Lucy asked, her face lighting up.
"There's a new recipe I've been wanting to try out for a while," Roman said with a nod, "I don't get much practice cooking on the road, but I try to fit it in whenever I'm home. I think you'll like it," he finished with a grin. He'd cooked for Seth and Dean and his family many times over the years successfully, and he was looking forward to sharing this with Lucy, too.
"I'm sure I'm going to love it," Lucy said, a smile splitting her face. The two of them finished their drinks and another s'more each before bringing everything back into the kitchen. After setting their mugs in the dishwasher, Lucy turned to Roman.
"So, I think you said you wouldn't mind helping me pack while you're here? I could use some ideas of what to bring" she asked, bouncing on her toes for a minute. She seemed excited, if a little anxious.
"Sure, babe, whatever you need," Roman nodded, and he followed as she made her way back to the bedroom. She disappeared into her walk-in closet and Roman took a seat in the reading chair across from the bed, appreciating the deep orangey glow of the sun beginning to set outside of her window, drops of rain still occasionally dripping from the roof onto the porch.
"OK," Lucy said, dragging out a suitcase that came up to her waist, letting it fall open on the floor, "this is what I have so far."
A soft laugh escaped Roman as Lucy ran back into the closet, and Roman pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture of the already overflowing suitcase.
'Send help', he typed out and sent both the message and picture to Dean. His phone buzzed in his hand a moment later.
'Oh lord, not another one,' Dean answered with a laughing emoji. Roman chuckled at the message as Lucy came back out with an empty carry-on suitcase. A moment later it buzzed again.
'Guess great minds think alike. Do we know how to pick 'em or what?' Dean wrote. Roman smiled and turned his attention back to Lucy, who had begun to hold up different outfits to show him.
Yeah, he thought to himself, I think we do.