Solitary Seventeen

Solitary Seventeen (chapter 4)
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Manga-verse Appleseed fiction (Pre-Briareos cyberization, LAPD era)
All characters are property of Masamune Shirow. This is a fan work written purely for the fun of it! Go buy the manga!


What other guy could be so exasperating as to ignore her one minute because they were in a busy and very public airport terminal, and then try for her tonsils while surrounded by taxicabs in the next? Deunan rubbed her nose against his face, highly entertained by his inconsistency. It was probably a ‘guy’ thing, she decided. _Someone_ didn’t want to demonstrate that he was capable of getting hot-and-bothered in front of his teammates. It would ruin his ice-man persona, wouldn’t it?

Seeming to read her thought, Briareos stooped to gently bump his face against hers and nipped at her chin before resuming his earlier effort to kiss her breathless. The chunky door handles on the van dug into her spine, but Deunan wasn’t about to complain. There were more important things to worry about, like tangling her fingers into his short hair and pulling him down another desperate inch, inviting the kiss to go even deeper. She sighed happily as they broke free of each other a second time, gasping for air as they leaned together forehead to forehead.

Two months was far too long to have gone without the feel of his mouth, she decided suddenly. Teenage hormones it might be, but she loved the feeling of him against her. He had teased her once before that eventually the novelty of sex with older men would wear off, but she couldn’t see how kissing Briareos would ever get dull. Stretching up to catch his lips again, Deunan slid her hands forward to frame his face. For a moment she could only stare up at the man, still bemused by the idea of him materializing from half way around the world. She wished she could tell what Bri was thinking. Reading anything useful from his dark eyes tended to be a challenge, but she’d have staked her month’s credit slip on the heat in his stare. Deunan smirked, wondering if he was feeling as horny as she was. Age didn’t decrease the novelty of sex all that much, it seemed. Pulling him back down to within reach, she brushed her lips along his in gentle greeting.

“Missed you.” She whispered against his skin, unable to help but be turned on at the way his fingers tightened on her hips as he earnestly kissed her back.

“Ahem.” Terri peered around the side of the van, blushing slightly as they paused to look at her. “If you two don’t mind. Officer Marshal wants to get home to his wife…”

“Break it up!” Big Jim hooted from the other side of the van, where he was leaning out of the door. “Get a room!”

“I think it’s cute.” Officer Arai remarked mildly, and was promptly jeered at by his teammates. “What… it is! Every hard-ass sergeant needs to have a weakness. It makes sense!”

Briareos matched Deunan’s slightly embarrassed look and shrugged, pulling her away from the van and around the side. Bracing his hands against the top of the door-frame, he stepped up into the cramped cabin with easy grace. Despite the heckling, the guys had considerately mashed themselves into the back two rows, leaving the first bench seat free for them. Sliding back against the window, Briareos wedged himself into the corner of the seat, stretching one leg along the length of the bench. He rolled his shoulders with an audible series of pops, clearly enjoying the luxury of space after a cramped ride on the international flight.

Deunan hauled the door shut and glared at him for hogging the entire bench. For a second she weighed options of pushing him over, or just settling on the floor next to him but found he had other plans. The dark tanned officer grabbed her by the waist and settled her cozily between his legs, leaving her supported half by the vinyl pad, half by his thigh. For a moment she was sorely tempted to tell Briareos to sit up and behave, but the feeling of his hand, warm and steady on her waist, was hard to say no to. The boys in the back hooted again as she relaxed and leaned against her boyfriend’s chest, letting her head fall into the natural nook between his shoulder and neck.

“Shut the hell up.” Briareos advised the peanut-gallery with cheerful menace. “I don’t _have_ to let you lot go on leave right away, you know. There’s plenty of paperwork…”

Deunan grinned against his jacket at the sudden flurry of protests and cries of ‘not fair.’ It was a little mean, she supposed, for him to flaunt the fact that he could hold his girl right away when the rest of the gang had to wait until they at base, or their various homes. Still, if Briareos wanted to do a 180 from his initial stand-offish pose, she wasn’t going to be the one to demure. Working a hand between his jacket and shirt, she pressed her fingers against his neck and curled up against his solid bulk. The arm he had casually propped over the back of the seat soon draped across her shoulders instead. Deunan wished she had the nerve to kiss him again, audience be-damned. But good sense prevailed. She contented herself with rubbing his shoulder under his jacket a little, unable to not touch him now that she had the chance.

“Got plans for tomorrow, hellcat?” He murmured into her hair as the van pulled onto the highway.

She shook her head, “Nothing special. Watering your plant. Laundry. The usual.”

“Fun fun.” Briareos snorted softly. “Can I convince you to leave the laundry for a day or two and spend your weekend with me instead?”

“I’ll bribe Terri to do it for me.” Deunan smirked. “If you can think of something better for me to spend my Saturday on, that is…”

“I’m sure I can come up with _something_.” He chuckled. She couldn’t help but be turned on by the low sound, even more so by the feel of his fingers as they drifted along her waist. Did he know how much of an effect he had on her? Deunan wondered. Turning to press her face into his neck, she dared to press a light kiss against his skin before forcing herself to behave. Shifting to look out the window at the city skyline, she felt the unmistakable bulge of interest where her hip pressed against his groin. Deunan suppressed a smile at the discovery.

“You want to go out? Get a late dinner after dropping off your stuff?” She couldn’t help but ask innocently, as she snuggled up against him, wanting to tease him a little more. Briareos automatically tightened his grip on her, happy to keep her close.

“Breakfast, you mean.” His voice betrayed none of his distraction, calm and disinterested even as his fingers resumed their steady caress of her side and lower back. “You forget. We’re all jetlagged as hell.”

“We could go to that all-night diner on Melrose.” She retaliated in kind, rubbing her calf against his leg as she mused aloud. “I’ll have something off the grill. You can have the omlette.”

“If you want.” Briareos shrugged noncommittally. “If it’s all the same to you, we can just order in?”

“I could kill for some tacos.” Big Jim voiced his opinion, oblivious to their subtext. Deunan hid her grin against Briareos’ collar as she fought not to laugh. Pressed against him as she was, she could feel the sharpshooter’s sigh of resignation. The ensuing argument amongst the guys about where they should eat, and whether it was appropriate to want breakfast at 9:30pm at night lasted most of the ride home.

By the time they pulled into the garage at HQ, the team had mostly resolved on the WaffleHut, conveniently on the way to Steve’s tiny bungalow in the hill country. Deunan bowed out of the invitation, pleading the need to close out her shift properly. Somehow Briareos also avoided the friendly mob, citing time-sensitive paperwork as his excuse. Left standing in the garage, with Terri playing awkward third wheel, she stared speculatively at him.

“How important is that paperwork of yours?” Deunan tapped her chin.

The dark skinned officer simply shrugged his bag up onto his shoulder. “So important in fact… that it can keep until tomorrow morning. You have a lot to do to finish your shift?”

Deunan turned to Terri, “You going to take those keys up?”

“I’m meeting Paul by the lab.” The woman nodded, jingling the objects in question. “I’ve got it covered.”

“I’m done.” Deunan matched her boyfriend’s seemingly bored shrug with one of her own. “Let’s go?”

“Thank you, Cadet Sanders. She’ll make it up to you later.” Briareos nodded at her classmate before hooking his free arm over Deunan’s shoulders and steering her towards the dormitory buildings.

*****

It wasn’t until she’d buzzed them into the sleepy lobby of the men’s ward, followed him up the tedious flights of stairs, and into his room; that the full weight of the evening’s surprise really sank in. Briareos was actually _home_. With hours to spare until her birthday even. It was nothing short of miraculous. Distracting herself with fussing over his plant as he methodically unpacked, she forced her suddenly rebellious emotions to settle down. Bursting into tears was the last thing she wanted to do. Mature, worldly girls of seventeen didn’t just start crying because their boyfriend’s came home early. Not to mention that tears would undoubtedly freak Briareos out. The rare occasions she had let herself cry in front of him as a kid had usually ended up being inadvertently hilarious as he floundered over what he should do.

Staring at the fern did the trick of squelching her fit of nerves. Its cheap plastic planter was a welcome reminder of the humdrum of their usual daily routine. At least she hadn’t killed it. Deunan looked over the glossy green leaves approvingly and added a little water to the pot. If anything, it looked better than usual. Briareos wasn’t a gardener by any stretch. Even the hardiest house plants didn’t tend to last more than a year under his lackadaisical nurturing, for all he seemed to like having one or two around.

“I should have you babysit my fern more often.” He remarked, settling his hands on her shoulders as he came up behind her, admiring her work. “It looks like a proper plant for a change. What did you do?”

“Watered it regularly.” She snorted in amusement. “For such a smart guy, you don’t pay attention to the obvious at times. God help any dog you decide to take home.”

“Nah. Dog’d be smart enough to whine if it wanted something from me.” Briareos pulled her back a little, encouraging her to lean against his chest. His big hands chaffed her shoulders gently before sliding down to cover her arms as he bent to nuzzle her hair. “You look good. Been worried about you.”

“Think I’d pine and fade without you?” Deunan let her head fall back, trusting him to keep her from overbalancing, as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of him. “We Knutes are made of sterner stuff than that.”

“I suppose that’s true.” He kissed her forehead. “Probably didn’t even notice I was gone.”

“I noticed.” She opened her eyes and stared up at him, amazed all over again at how desperately happy she could be just to be near the man.

Briareos wasn’t to everyone’s taste, she supposed. Dark skinned, closer to Arab or Black than true Greek. He was built along solid, business-like lines, rather than the current metrosexual-glam look sported by the models. His face wasn’t particularly beautiful as a whole; his eyebrows maybe, his thick eye-lashes, but nothing that could – or should – have stood out as stylish to someone who didn’t know him. The overall impression he gave tended to be rather grim. His lips had a habit of turning down at the corners. Perhaps it was due to years of yelling at hotheaded police recruits with cheese-for-brains? She smiled ruefully, knowing she was one of them.

There were easily a dozen officers in SWAT alone that could claim to be better looking – young bucks with perfect chins and baby-blue eyes – but for all that, the sharpshooter had something undeniably charismatic about him. Beautiful? No, but sexy? Definitely. It was almost painful, the affection she felt for him at that instant. A year since she had first confessed that she’d loved him? If anything, she loved him even more now.

He caught her look and returned it in full measure, staring down at her with customary solemnity. Deunan wondered idly if she was being too obvious. She’d told him how she felt year ago, but it wasn’t something they ever really talked about since. She hadn’t wanted to make him uncomfortable if he didn’t feel the same.

“Hey there.” She smiled up at him.

“Hey yourself.” His lips twitched up at the corners, just slightly, an almost-smile.

Using one hand on her shoulder to turn her slightly he cupped her cheek with the other, studying her face thoroughly. Closing her eyes as he leaned down, she stretched up to meet his mouth, wanting the kiss with every fiber of her being. Hot and eager, their renewed reunion was able to excite her right down to the marrow. Somewhere in the middle of it she felt him take the fern away from her, blindly setting it on the corner of his small desk before using both hands along her back and neck. Deunan clung to his shoulders in retaliation, playfully capturing his lips in a series of wet kisses before relaxing under his demanding pressure and letting his tongue slide along hers once more.

It was impossible to keep quiet when it felt so good. Deunan couldn’t entirely disavow the breathy noises she made, but blushed at how girly she sounded just the same. Luckily Briareos didn’t seem to mind. He soon surrendered her lips in favor of kissing a line along the edge of her jaw. Deunan leaned back into the supporting grip of his hands, letting him taste along her throat as much as he pleased. He nuzzled a particularly sensitive spot below her ear, causing her to sigh again. Where did such a grim-seeming guy get such a knack for knowing a girl’s hotspots? It was a mystery that someday demanded solving. The last thing she wanted to do however, was distract him from his very pleasant pastime. She burrowed her fingers into his hair and focused instead on just enjoying his touches. Traces of desert grit tickled her fingers, giving credence to his story of jumping on the plane at the last minute. She chuckled and ruffled the wiry hair, shaking loose some of the lingering sand.

“Don’t remind me.” He abandoned his exploration of her neck in favor of slowly standing up straight again, rolling his shoulders with a wince. Several faint cracks and pops hinted of knotted muscles along his back. “I feel filthy. Barely had time to change before jumping on the plane; and the layover in the EU was so tense thanks to the damn US sanctions that we didn’t dare leave the airport for the entire four hours we were there. I was lucky to find a convenience store that took dollars so I could buy a razor. Barely got in a piss and a shave before they crammed us onto the flying deathtrap we rode to get over the ocean. Surprised you’re not screaming and kicking my ass into the shower.”

“You’re fine.” Deunan grinned up at him, stroking the soft skin of his neck with her thumbs. “No worse than our usual post-morning-run condition, and we’ve made out plenty then.”

“True.” He conceded, bending down to claim her lips briefly. “But I think I’m going to grab a shower just the same.” Smirking wickedly, he gave her an appraising look. “Join me?”

“Oh no.” She grinned wider and let go, pushing him off. “Your shower is no bigger than mine! We’ll get stuck in the stall trying for something kinky and then have to explain to the EMT exactly how it was we came to need a rescue. I’ll wait here, thanks just the same. Be a good boy and hurry back, and I’ll give you a shoulder-rub though. That’s the third time you’ve cracked your spine in the last half hour! It must be really sore.”

“I’m taking you up on that, girl. Five minutes.”

“Go on.” She laughed, admiring his bare chest as he stripped off the top half of his outfit on the way into the closet-sized bathroom.

Left alone in the room while the shower hissed to life, Deunan slid a finger absently along the top of the desk, making a note to herself to dust for him before the weekend was over. Not having been home for months, he was probably exempt from inspection for a little while, but she had kept up with most of it for him while he was away.

His tidy space was practically as familiar to her as her own, if slightly larger and better kept. Briareos had only moved dorm rooms once or twice since first arriving on campus, she remembered as she pulled a small photo album off the shelf and flipped through it nostalgically for a moment. All the images contained within were of life at the Police Academy, his rare vacations, pictures of her as a kid. Like the rest of his belongings, there was next to nothing exhibited of his life before SWAT. Almost six years he’d called the dormitory home? He could have moved into an apartment in the city any time he wanted after the first six months. Briareos always claimed he’d stayed at the training grounds because of the subsidized rent, and convenience of never having to cook for himself. She wondered if that was all it was. Would he ever consider moving into an apartment with her after graduation?

Deunan peeled off her uniform jacket and folded it over the back of the desk’s chair, settling her hat on top of the piled fabric before starting on her pants. No sense denying that she wanted into her boyfriend’s bed at this point. She conceded to herself with a smile. The least she could do was provide a little visual encouragement in case he actually needed convincing.

The idea of Briareos, shower fresh and sexy beneath her, made her fingers itch to touch him again. Resolving to be patient, she folded her shirt on top of her slacks, and pulled off her socks. The old mirror on the back of his closet door was, if possible, even worse than her own. She rolled her eyes at the obvious warping in her reflection even as she twisted to inspect the relative sexiness of her underwear. It could be worse, she supposed. Hardly her slinkiest set, but at least the green high-cut wasn’t too drab. Stretching to relieve her own lingering backache from weeks spent hunched over books, she winked at her reflection and turned away.

Two minutes and she had the bed turned down properly. Listening to the shower, she sighed and climbed between the sheets, sprawling out on her stomach. It was a marvel how such a big guy could tolerate the institutionally sized mattresses. If they did move out and get a place together, she’d convince him to buy a _big_ bed. Big enough that they could both sprawl out if they wanted, or not, she grinned. His five minutes were definitely up. Deunan curled on her side and waited as the sound of the shower abruptly stopped.

“Make yourself at home, why don’t you.” He emerged from the tiny bathroom still toweling his hair, only pausing to smirk at her antics.

“Thank you, I shall!” Deunan sprawled artistically across his mattress a moment, admiring the short towel he had twisted around his waist before she pushed herself up and out from under the sheets. Kneeling at the end of the bed she playfully stretched a second time, deliberately arching her back as she worked the kinks out of her arms, inviting him to admire her new underwear. “You still want that backrub?” She teased, noticing he’d forgotten all about his dripping hair.

“If you don’t mind.” He blinked, and shook his head, smiling ruefully as he resumed scrubbing his head. “That’s a good color on you.”

“You think?” She deliberately cupped her breasts, still shamefully petite despite the progress made since last year, and made a show of investigating the stripy green pattern of her bra. “I wasn’t sold on the top, but the panties were perfect... And at two-for-twenty bucks, I figured I might as well.” Looking up, she caught Briareos staring again, and posed like one of the mannequins in the department store to give him an eye-full. “I’ll wear the orange set for you tomorrow, shall I? Then you can pick your favorite.”

“Have I told you yet this month what an evil woman you are?” He discarded his towel on the window ledge and sat beside her on the mattress with a sigh. “You are, you know.”

“Evil?” She raised an eyebrow, mimicking his semi-infamous interrogation stare. “Me? Spread out on the bed, sexy bastard, and let me dig my ‘evil claws’ into you. We’ll see if you still complain about me when I’m done.”

Briareos complied with a snort of laughter that promptly became an ‘umph’ as she swung a leg over his back and settled her weight on his hips. Before he could muster a criticism about pushy women, she slid her hands over the warm skin of his back and dug her thumbs aggressively into the muscles at the base of his neck. The policeman made a sound like a wounded thing as she applied herself to the task of loosening the harp-string tight tendons and knotted muscles, methodically working her way down his spine with no-nonsense pressure from her knuckles. Amateur she might be, but it was amazing the things a girl could pick up from books, provided she read the right ones. Briareos certainly hadn’t minded being her practice dummy, and it felt good to be useful.

Leaning down, she planted a kiss on his shoulder as her hands worked on his lower back. “Feel good?”

“I take back every mean thing I’ve ever said about you, girlie.” He sighed, “Just don’t stop.”

“Poor baby, where does it hurt?” She kissed him again, enjoying the feel of having him at her mercy, even if only for a little while.

“Right shoulder, under the blade.” He twisted his head against the pillow, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she found the knot in question. Digging in with her thumbs again, she kneaded at it until the stubborn bundle of muscle slowly untwisted. He flexed his arm when she was done, sighing in relief. “I forgot how good you were at that.”

“Well I’m glad I didn’t get too rusty, what with you being away.” Deunan rubbed her hands idly over his back, feeling for any other trouble-spots, watching his eyes slowly close as he relaxed into her touch. As nice as it was to know he trusted her enough to be comfortable falling asleep under her, she still felt a moment’s annoyance. Deunan tickled his side slightly to get his attention. “Don’t you dare fall asleep on me, lover boy. I have plans for you, you know.”

“Do you now.” He laughed, “And what might those be?”

“Not entirely sure.” She lay down against his back, kissing the nape of his neck and shoulder as she rubbed his arms. “Figured I’d make it up as I went along. Feel free to join in. Audience participation always welcomed.”

“Can’t say no to that.” Briareos chuckled again, twisting as she rose so that he could wrap an arm around her. “Shift over a little, hellcat. Let me get a good hold of you, at least.”

He deftly juggled her as he repositioned himself, and she resumed her seat astride her boyfriend’s waist with only minimal confusion. Only this time he was looking up at her, hands sliding appreciatively along her thighs. Bending down, she bestowed a playful kiss on his lips which under his guiding hands soon became a series of more serious interludes. Fingers no less nimble for their size slipped beneath the back of her bra, releasing the eyehooks even as she gained the upper hand in the latest kiss. Feeling the sudden change of pressure against her chest she pulled back with a grin. “Impatient?”

“I got the impression you might be.” He smirked, watching with dark eyes as she stripped off the scanty covering and flicked it towards the pile on the desk. Reaching up with reverent hands, he caressed up the sides of her chest until he could cup the exposed mounds, letting his palms drift over her soft skin. She ground her hips against him, unable to stop herself, enjoying the feel of his hands sliding over her breasts. Raising her own hands to cover his, she laced her fingers together with his, guiding his touch. Lifting one of his hands to her mouth, she teasingly kissed the first few fingers, suckling momentarily on the last two. It was worth it to hear his breathing grow ragged.

Turning his hand to kiss his palm, she then guided it down her chest to her hip reminding him of her last bit of clothing. “I wouldn’t say impatient.” She smirked, feeling as on-edge as Briareos looked. “Desperate, perhaps. But not impatient. If I had my way, I’d make this last all night.”

“Jesus, girl, at this rate I’ll be lucky if I last three minutes.”

“You’ll make it up to me.” Deunan kissed him for good measure, “I know you’re good for it.”

“Your four-year implant give you any trouble?” He sat up slowly, pulling her forward at the same time to nuzzle her neck.

She laughed that he could be so practical, even when sporting the mother of all hard-ons. His second towel was lost somewhere in the twisted sheets. “Doc Fredrick checked me out last month and said everything was right as rain. There’s a box full of rubbers in the drawer, if you don’t believe me.” Reaching down she pinched his chin to get his attention. “I don’t care either way. Unless of course you’re worried about having _caught_ something from some overseas bitch when you were supposed to be jerking off alone and dreaming of me?”

“As if I’d dare.” Briareos grinned and kissed her. “Hellcat that you are? You’d smell another woman on me and dig out my spleen with your claws.”

“Probably.” She purred as he worked her panties down over her hips, “I know I agreed to let you see other women, Bri… but I think I’m the jealous type after all.”

“No kidding.” He rolled her sideways to work the fabric down her legs. “I’d have never guessed.”

“You don’t seem to mind.” She arched against him, running a hand down his chest to tease the trail of fine hairs below his navel. He nipped her shoulder in warning as she caressed the head of his eager cock.

“Maybe I just happen to think you’re adorable when glaring death at women who chat me up.” Briareos returned her teasing twofold, hands now able to slide from thigh to hip without obstruction. He wasted no time in cupping her ass, squeezing her firmly and sliding his fingers in and down, to her overheated box. She bit her lip as her body responded to the incidental caress, mewling despite her best efforts.

Rolling her fully onto her back, he shifted his hold on her until he could dedicate one hand to teasing and exploring the welcoming heat between her legs. She was more than ready for him. She blushed, silently acknowledging that she had been ready since their first kiss at the airport. So she was easy when it came to Briareos, so what? Better that than the alternative, especially given their relative sizes. His fingers slipped easily into her wet pussy, sliding over her clit and further down to her hole with sure strokes. Deunan let her head fall back against the pillow, gasping with how good it felt. Months of only her own fingers for company was no where near as sexy as Briareos’ knowledgeable touch. Muscles moving of their own accord, she bucked slowly against his strokes, looking up to find him watching her intently.

“Letch.” She accused him playfully, pushing herself up off the mattress slightly to kiss his forehead. He kissed her cheek and shoulder in return, increasing the pace of his fingers until it was all she could do to hang onto him. “Fuck me?” She pled breathlessly, feeling the undeniable heat building between her legs, his fingers were good, but she wanted to feel the rest of him too.

“In a bit.” Briareos kissed her shoulder again. “Unlike certain nymphomaniacs I know, I’ve only got so much to give. You said you wanted this to last, so, ladies first.”

Breath hitched with every motion of his hand in her pussy, she fought to put together a rational counter argument. It was no good, her thoughts scattered with each thrust of his fingers, feeling him stretching her wide in a foreshadowing of what she hoped would come soon. Second base had no business being this good. It had to be the two-month abstinence that made it so hot. She moaned softly as she surrendered to the sudden climax he coaxed from her body; a silvery flash of pleasure racing along every nerve. Blushing beneath his stare, she arched and bit her lip, choking back a cry, unable to stop the incredible sensation, or her body’s eager response.

“Guess you were telling the truth when you said you missed me.” Briareos’ joke was strangely humble sounding to her tired ears. Opening her eyes she met his eyes again, with a weak smile and a nod. Somehow they’d forgotten to turn the damn lights off in their rush to get to bed, she noticed fuzzily. The utilitarian ceiling fixture wasn’t the most romantic thing in the universe, but it allowed her to study nuances in her boyfriend’s face that she otherwise might have missed. She blinked, too addled to puzzle it all out quite yet, but feeling that she ought to. As if knowing he was being read, he bent forward to kiss her again, only giving her a moment between explorations to catch her breath. “Need you, girl.”

“I’m here.” She offered, muscles buzzing from her fading excitement, but more than willing. A gentle yank and he had her deposited half on top of the pillows, her thighs lifting to rest outside of his own. As wet as she was, he all but fell into her; meeting only the barest resistance as he slid home between her legs. Slippery or not, she arched at the invasion, body obliged to remember that he was not a small man in any sense. She shifted slightly, hooking her ankles behind his thighs, squeezing him with her inner muscles as she quickly adapted to his bulk.

“God damn.” He rested his forehead against the headboard, breathing through his nose in short, regulated breaths. “God damn.” He repeated himself, slowly shifting his hips to thrust a little, testing himself against her tight channel. She couldn’t reach his lips. The best she could manage was to kiss his shoulder and throat. Deunan pressed her cheek against his hot skin and wrapped her arms tightly around his chest, offering silent encouragement as she recovered from her own recent climax. He shifted again, starting a slow rhythm of in-and-out that rocked them both against the pillows. Feeling that he was thinking too hard about it, Deunan nipped his shoulder.

“You don’t have hold back.” She teased softly. “I wasn’t serious about the ‘all night’ thing… Unless of course, you turn into a bat and fly off at dawn?”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” He laughed breathlessly.

“So just… relax.” Deunan kissed his shoulder again. “We’ll get another go in before breakfast. You can dazzle me with multiple orgasms then.”

“Witch.” He growled. “Maybe I just want to go slow for selfish reasons.”

“Feels good, does it?” She snickered.

“So good.” He confessed roughly.

“Bet I can make it better.” Deunan released him from her hug in favor of sliding her hands down his back, squeezing his ass as he had done hers. His gasp was all the encouragement she needed as she kneaded and encouraged him to thrust deeper.

Soon it was his turn to groan and sigh. Never much of a talker during sex, he closed his eyes and rocked within her body, panting with every bed-shaking jolt. Deunan scratched her blunt nails lightly down his back, enjoying the shiver of lust it inspired, doing it again as she felt him twitch and swell. His hands slid to her hips to guide his strokes as he came in a silent torrent. Deunan felt a distant shiver of renewed excitement at the sudden heat of his ejaculation pooling in her body. She rode the last few tired thrusts with a quiet pleasure, wishing she hadn’t encouraged him to spend himself quite so soon.

It was for the best, she decided. As early as they’d be getting to sleep tonight, there’d be plenty of time for another go the morning. She would take her time unwrapping her birthday present this year. She grinned evilly against the warm skin of his chest. He’d said he wanted to spend the day with her, anyway. So why not in bed?

Shifting himself slowly, Briareos pulled out and off of her with a shaky sigh. “Alright?”

“Fabulous.” She stretched one leg at a time, raking her hair back from her face as she reflected on the half-hour well spent. “You?”

“Well worth coming home for.” He chuckled, kissing her shoulder. “Thank you, girl.”

“My pleasure.” She closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling the bed shift as he got up and made for the bathroom. It was early enough that she probably ought to go back to her own room and sleep, avoid some of the incessant gossip that fed the lunch conversations at the academy. But she really didn’t want to. Hearing Briareos finish up in the tiny cubicle of a wash room, she pushed up off the mattress and staggered over to take her turn, cleaning up a little in the sink rather than trying to find the ambition to take a shower.

The lights were off by the time she came out. Briareos lay in a sprawl on top of the messy bedding, naked and relaxed as he rubbed his face with both hands. His body was visible only thanks to the weak moonlight from the window. She admired the rare sight, leaning against the bathroom door a moment before silently picking her way across the room to sit next to him. Deunan smiled down at her policeman as he slid his palms up to rub his forehead, noticing her with a slow grin of his own. He looked exhausted, but happy. “Long day?” She asked.

“For one that started yesterday?” He laughed softly. “Yes, girl. Long day.”

“Sorry to make you exert yourself.” She kissed him, not feeling particularly sorry at all.

Briareos’ reply was a wordless grumble as he fluffed his abused pillows back into some semblance of plushness and crowded over on the bed, pulling her along with him. Following his lead, she curled against his side, sighing with contentment as he petted her hair. The draft along her spine gradually became annoying as her blood cooled. Weighing her options, she wondered if she had the energy to sort out the sheets and decided that she didn’t. Rolling over, she sandwiched herself between the mattress and her boyfriend’s side, taking full advantage of the warmth of each to minimize her exposure to the breeze. He let her settle herself before resuming his idle caress, this time rubbing the part of her shoulder within easy reach. Pillowed against his bicep, Deunan let herself drift; enjoying the rare bit of peace and quiet.

“You’re not going to throw me out, right?” She nuzzled against his arm, body pleasantly sore and sated. “I can sleep here?” Briareos shifted beside her, somehow pulling the tangled sheet free of where it was pinned behind him and up over her body. His hand slid over the thin cloth, back down along her side to squeeze her hip gently.

“Stay.” He pressed his face against the back of her head, nuzzling her hair a moment before rolling back, stretching slightly to get comfortable against the mattress. “You’re exactly where you belong.”

“In bed with you?” She couldn’t help but giggle sleepily.

“With me. At any rate.” The arm beneath her cheek shifted slightly as he tucked his hands behind his head, leaving her pressed against his side but otherwise unencumbered. She smiled to herself as she rolled back a little, increasing the contact with his body down the length of her spine. Cuddling while awake was one thing, but he never tried to hold her in his sleep. Briareos always preferred to nap with his hands by the pillow or behind his head. Probably a quirk from his freelancer days. She had no doubt that there was at least one weapon under the pair of worn down pillows. Old habits were hard to break, even in the heart of police-central.

Tired as she was, it took a long minute for his words to really sink in. The initial warm glow from the tacit permission to stay and snuggle was slowly replaced by genuine pleasure. She blinked, feeling awake again despite the afterglow of amazing sex. Saying that she belonged with him? Of course she agreed. And to an extent, knew he - at some level - had felt that way… but to say it so unreservedly? It was strange. She wondered if she should call him on it. It wasn’t like him to be so obviously possessive. Deunan rubbed her cheek against his arm and wondered what he was thinking. Perhaps it was just the sex talking. God knew she always had to suppress the urge to say absurdly mushy things after they finished, maybe he was susceptible too. He had been away for months after all.

“G’nite, Bri.” She was too tired to deal with his strangeness. Whatever it was, would keep until morning.

*****