Home Is Where the Heart Is

Warning: Love Scene

When they finally pulled up to Jason's house hours later, Jason stopped Luke as he walked around to take back the drivers seat. "Look man, if you really do love Alisha, why don't you just talk to her about getting a place together? You wont know until you ask."

Luke smiled at the sinking sun, his mind drifting to thoughts of Alisha. "I think I will, she's somethin' special and I wouldn't mind havin' her around every night."

"Every morning is better, trust me," Jason said with a grin and gave Luke a firm handshake to send him on his way home. "See ya at work tomorrow, bud." He turned quickly up the path to his house and hurried inside. Kelsi's text a few hours ago had left him with a racing heart and a strain in his jeans that could only be solved one way. When he looked down the hall, he caught a glimpse of exactly what he hoped would be waiting for him. As promised, he found her lounging on the couch in her favourite jeans with two cold beers on the table, his bright red Wildcats t-shirt hanging loose on her shoulders. She jumped off the couch and ran into his arms, jumping into his embrace and wrapping her arms and legs around him.

"There you are! Welcome home, baby!" She said gleefully, peppering his cheeks with wild kisses.

Jason managed to catch her lips in a long kiss, pulling her petite frame tight to his chest. "It's so good to be home, Kels. I missed you!"

"I missed you too, J," she said, hopping down to the floor, "Why don't you tell me everything about the trip while the beers are still cold."

Jason settled onto the couch with her, regaling her with all the cool tech they had seen, even if it was all irrelevant for the ship now. Kelsi filled him in on her week, another new student testing her patience before she had an amazing time at the concert with Martha. She showed him some more pictures, casually sipping on their beers as they caught up from their week apart.

When Jason tossed back the last of his drink, he took Kelsi's from her and brought the empties to the sink. He quickly stepped back to the couch and scooped her into his arms, hurrying towards the stairs.

"What's your hurry, Gearhead?" She giggled as he kicked the door of their room open with a loud crack against the wall.

Jason dropped her down onto the bed with a low growl, his desire for her pushing aside any thoughts that could be considered sensible. "Well I did just study diagnostics all week, so I wondered if you would mind if I run a diagnosis on you?" he said, pulling her to the edge of the bed by her waistband. She nodded, giggling at the playfulness of the moment, eager to play along. "It would seem you need to let me take these pants off."

"That's pretty specific advice," she smirked, "but go ahead."

Jason ran his hands down her leg, tenderly massaging and working his way down to her feet. "True, but in my experienced opinion, I believe it will be quite good for you." He lifted her foot and slowly rolled her sock down her ankle. "First, what colour did you paint those cute toes?"

Kelsi snapped her toes back and gave him a seductive smile. "Guess," she purred.

Jason smiled and thought hard. "Orange?"

"Always guessing his favourite colour." She rolled her eyes and let him pull her sock off to reveal a soft robin's egg blue.

"Very nice," he said, running his fingers tenderly over her toes. "Every colour you pick looks good on you." He paused for a moment to pull off her other sock and give her feet a gentle massage, something she always accepted eagerly.

"You should really watch your mouth, Gearhead," she moaned, enjoying the firm pressure he applied to the always aching arches of her feet. "You won't be very good at diagnostics if you're making recommendations like that and then not following through."

He recoiled, feigning offence at her comment. "Hey now, I was about to follow through, just getting you relaxed. Warming you up."

She sighed and pulled her feet back to sit up, grabbing his shirt and yanking him close. "One way to warm me up will be to take that shirt off and let me get a good look at you."

"Alright, but these go too," he replied, stripping off his shirt before tugging her jeans down. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said you'd have nothing underneath." He ran his hands back up her legs, caressing her soft skin and following the curve of her bare hips to pull her closer. "I love kissing your legs," he whispered as his lips made a trail from her ankles to her thighs. "They're so smooth and sexy."

Kelsi giggled while she enjoyed his touch, easily turned on as usual by his magic lips. She sank deeper into the rumpled bedsheets that she hadn't bothered to make up that morning, his lips finding their way to her dampening heat. "Mmm, come get me, Cross," she murmured before drawing a sharp gasp at the swipe of his tongue over her sensitive clit. As usual, the movements of Jason's tongue, the perfect pressure he supplied sent her into a tailspin of pleasure, certain to send her crashing to the finish.

He followed the wild movements of her hips until she climaxed with a deep groan of satisfaction, punctuated by whimpers of delight as she begged for more without words. "I'm coming for you, baby," he said softly as he grabbed a condom from the nightstand. He caught it between his teeth and threw his jeans to the floor. With his strong arms he shifted her back to the centre of the bed, quickly ripping the condom open to suit up. The slow strokes he used to make his way to her core brought her hips straight off the mattress, her hands gripping his toned forearms.

"Oh, honey," she breathed, "we're so good at this, I don't ever want to stop."

Jason thrust hard and pulled Kelsi even closer. Their bodies trembled as they shared in their ultimate connection, their very hearts and souls melding with every kiss, every touch. "We won't, Kels," he promised. "You and me, baby…" He paused as he felt his climax barrel forward, erupting with a satisfied groan, "…always."

Kelsi sighed and stretched as he left for the bathroom, her heart fluttering at the emotions that swirled within her. She thought about the idea of "always", the implications. Things they may or may not be ready for. Thankfully, Jason returned before her mind had the chance to work the matter over too hard. The sight of his naked body, her firm and strong basketball star, flooded over any other thoughts she might have.

Meanwhile, as he snuggled back in beside Kelsi, Jason's mind went haywire and he thought about the way she often called him by his last name when they were about to make love. A desire bloomed in his heart for her to share it with him. He replayed the intimate moment they'd shared. The way her voice softened when she whispered his last name, it wasn't just a calling card; it was something else they could share. The desire to make her a permanent part of his life, to build a future together, was growing steadily and becoming overwhelming as he tried to shut his eyes.

The insistent chirping of crickets outside the window was the only sound that dared pierce the quiet of the night. Jason shifted in his sleep, a low groan rumbling in his chest. Kelsi, nestled on her side of the bed, slept soundly, blissfully unaware of the turmoil brewing in her lover's dreams.

His brow furrowed, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead. He mumbled incoherently, his voice a hushed whisper lost in the darkness. A flicker of unease crawled over Kelsi's skin, her sleep growing lighter. Jason tossed and turned, the murmurs growing louder, punctuated by sharp intakes of breath. Finally, her eyes fluttered open, concern etched across her features.

She reached out, gently touching his arm, trying to relax him. "Jason," she whispered softly, "it's okay, babe, you're okay."

He jolted awake, his eyes wide with fear, heart pounding like a drum. For a moment, he was lost in the remnants of the nightmare, the terror still clinging to him. He snapped his head left then right, until he saw Kelsi, her face a grounding sight as the world came back into focus.

"Hey, I'm here, babe," she murmured, her hand still resting on his arm.

He slowly sat up and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "Sorry," he rasped, his voice thick with sleep. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"It's alright," she assured him as she groggily sat up beside him, planting soft and comforting kisses on his shoulder. "Did you have another nightmare?"

He hesitated, a shadow passing over his face. "Yeah… Andrew," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kelsi's eyebrows furrowed. This wasn't the first time Jason had woken in the night, the phantoms in his mind disturbing their sleep more and more in recent weeks. "Your brother? Was he hurt?"

Jason shook his head. "No, just… caught in a fire. I couldn't… I couldn't get to him." He looked away, embarrassment creeping into his voice. "I know it's dumb. He's a great firefighter, he knows what he's doing… Damn, I hate this."

Kelsi shifted closer, her warmth a comforting presence. "It's not, Jason. It's normal to worry about the people you love, especially when they have dangerous jobs."

He looked at her, surprised by her understanding. "I used to have them about my dad all the time when I was a kid," he confessed. "When he was deployed overseas… I was always terrified something would happen to him."

"And now it's Andrew?" Kelsi said softly.

He nodded. "Not just him, pretty much everyone I care about has been in my dreams lately. It usually gets worse when I'm stressed, with work being so crazy and…" He trailed off, shaking his head as he stopped himself from mentioning the ring hiding in his drawer that was also stressing him out. "I'm sorry."

Kelsi cupped his face in her hands, meeting some resistance as he tried to avoid her gaze. "Jason, look at me," she said firmly and he finally turned to meet her eyes. "This is not a problem. We're in this together, remember? The good, the bad, nightmares, insomnia and everything in between. We're here for it all."

Her words washed over him, a wave of relief and gratitude. He leaned into her touch, a small smile gracing his lips. "Thanks, Kelsi," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity. "For everything."

They kissed softly, a simple reminder of their love for each other. As they settled back into bed, Kelsi held him close, her presence a comforting anchor against the lingering fear. The crickets continued their serenade, but now, their chirping seemed less insistent, a gentle lullaby to a couple finding solace in each other's arms.