by Cascade and Alicia McKenzie
Dana squeaked in surprise as Sam swept her off her feet and into his arms while the bellhop opened the suite's doors for them and carried the luggage inside. "You don't have to do this, Sam," she said, glancing abashedly at the bellhop as he watched them and grinned.
"Paige would never let me live it down if ah didn't, her being 'keeper of the traditions' and all." He smiled at her as he carried her across the threshold. She wriggled in his arms as she worked some money out of her pocket and tossed it to the bellhop, who gave them both a knowing look as he pocketed the tip, and left, closing the big doors behind him. "'Sides," Sam said, wondering how many other newlyweds the man had carried out this same little 'ritual' with--and if any of them had been quite as blissfully happy as he was at this moment. It didn't really seem possible, he thought contentedly. "You only get one chance to do this stuff. Ah might as well do it right."
Dana frowned in thought. "I thought it was the threshold of the place you were going to live. Doesn't that mean we should do it when we get back to the mansion, instead?" She giggled. "Paige might not approve of you bending the rules."
He lowered her gently to the ground, but kept his arms tightly around her. "Ah thought ya'd know by now that ah'll use any excuse ah can to get ya in my arms." It came out a little more seriously than he'd intended, but he didn't mind. It was the honest-to-God truth, after all.
Dana smiled at him, but he thought he felt her trembling slightly. The link was too new to be of any help. He just couldn't interpret it yet. Should've asked Cable for some pointers, ah guess-- The tremble could have meant fear, excitement, nervousness, or just that she was cold. Her body language was confused, and he could tell she was carefully controlling her expression.
At his bachelor party he'd heard, much to his red-faced embarrassment, the pros and cons of lights being on or off, various positions, and examples of foreplay from reading her poetry to tying her to the bed. Some of the suggestions had been downright--improper, for lack of a better word. Ah bet the ladies weren't as bad with whatever advice they gave Dana-- He decided he would do his best to ignore most of the 'advice' for tonight. He was of the opinion that they could both figure it out as they went along. After all, people had probably been guessing their way through it for centuries. It must be hereditary knowledge. It was a biological imperative. Oh, yeah, that sure sounds romantic, Guthrie--
There was an uncomfortable silence. Dana was looking at him wide-eyed, obviously waiting for him to do something.
He decided to start with something they had done before. He kissed her. Softly at first, working his way toward a more passionate kiss, her mouth open beneath his, his tongue touching hers like his hands were gently caressing her body.
They parted breathlessly, and Sam pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were still closed, her mouth parted slightly in what he hoped was desire. Her hands roved over his back and worked through his hair. He pulled her close again and kissed her mouth briefly before tracing a line of kisses down her neck.
"I love you, Sam," she breathed into his ear, and then whispered something else, in Askani, he thought. He didn't ask her to translate--he thought he could probably pretty much guess what it had been, from her tone.
He straightened and looked at her again. Her eyes were open this time, and she smiled up at him softly. He smoothed a hand over her hair. "Ah don't want to rush you. If there's anything you don't like--"
She hushed him with a gentle kiss. "Sam, I want this. Please," she said as her lips left his and their eyes locked.
He picked her up again and carried her to the foot of the bed, setting her down on it. Sliding off his jacket, he sat next to her, watching her closely the whole time. No rush, not tonight. This wasn't the Middle Ages or something--he wasn't going to tear off his clothes and make rushed love to her just to 'consummate' their marriage. He was going to do this as slowly and as gently as he possibly could. He would not fall asleep tonight until he knew every inch of her body as well as he knew his own.
He loosened his tie and slipped it off as he touched her face gently with one hand, smoothing some of her hair away from her face. With his other hand, he undid the top button of his shirt. Her eyes were wide in the dimness of the room, and he worried for her nerves, but when he returned his hand to touch her cheek again, she turned her head into it, kissing the palm lovingly and then nipping slightly at the base of his thumb.
He undid another two shirt buttons and then pulled her close to kiss her again. He felt her heart racing under his fingertips resting on her neck. His own heart was going at least as fast. He pulled away again when he'd finished undoing the last button. His shirt hung open and he caressed her face again. With tentative hands, she pushed his shirt over his shoulders and with increasing boldness let her hands drift over his chest.
He pulled her back onto the bed and they lay down close to each other. They worked together to slowly unbutton her blouse as they kissed, alternating from long, passionate kisses, to short nips at any exposed skin. She finally slipped her blouse off and he noticed what she was wearing underneath.
The bustier caught him by surprise. To put it mildly. He stopped his kissing for a moment, unable to help staring at her chest. After he recovered from the shock a slow grin spread on his face. He never expected anything like that. Not from her. But he had to admit that he appreciated it immensely.
She was blushing. "You--um, like?"
"Uh--yeah, ah think you could safely say that--" He ran his hand down her side and delighted in the feel of the satin stretched so tightly along her skin. He looked back up at her face and hoped she could see his hearty appreciation in his eyes, or at least sense it, because he couldn't say anything else. Not now, anyway. He had to give some attention to her recently uncovered décolletage.
They undressed each other slowly, caressing each other tentatively at first, unsure about what was allowed. Sam wondered if he was being too hesitant, but he wanted her to be totally comfortable, and some of the conversation last night had instilled in him a gnawing worry about losing his manners and acting like a complete sex-fiend or something. As the night progressed, however, it became obvious that she was very appreciative of anything he did.
He rolled over on top of her, supporting himself over her on his elbows. She smiled up at him, the soft, somehow dreamy look on her face like nothing he'd ever seen there before. His mind was on fire trying to interpret the new sensations of the link. It had grown in the last few minutes, it seemed, from a tickle in the back of his mind to something stronger, a pure, shining silver river running between them, totally open, totally honest.
He continued to just caress and kiss her until he could hold off no longer. Still, part of him felt bad about advancing it to the next level, when she was obviously enjoying their current activities so much. Dana seemed to notice his quandary, and moved her hands from his back, taking his face between them and meeting his eyes with her own. She nodded faintly, before pulling his head down to kiss his mouth with as much passion as he'd ever felt from her. He figured it was her way of saying it was all right to proceed, and he took it as such. The fact that she wrapped her legs around his waist with enthusiasm only a few moments later, merely confirmed his suspicion.
***
Logan, carrying a stack of chairs, stopped in his tracks, staring suspiciously at Sulven and Cable, who were standing off a little ways, just beyond the half-cleared tables. They could've doubled as two statues, with how still they were standing. Whatever they were concentrating on, it had to be pretty interesting--
He heard a little gasp from behind him, and turned in time to see Jean, her cheeks flaming crimson, catch a pile of plates telekinetically before they could drop to the ground. She wasn't the only who reacted to--whatever it was. Standing by the head table, Emma nearly choked on the coffee she was sipping. Betsy tripped, falling into Warren's arms, and Meggan suddenly stopped in the midst of walking over to help Brian and Kurt stack more chairs, a beatific smile spreading her lovely face as she looked up at the night sky. Over in the little cluster of kids, Gina had a hand over her mouth, and had turned even redder than Jean, while Monet simply arched one eyebrow and went back to talking to Jono, who had tilted his head and started the same perusal of the starry sky as Meggan.
Logan shook his head slowly. O---kay. "Bish?" he asked, keeping his voice casual.
"Yes?" Bishop grunted, manhandling a sizeable stack of chairs.
"What do you suppose that's all about?" He gestured, trusting Bishop to have picked up on the same thing he had. Always nice to have someone around who paid as close attention to their surroundings as he did.
The timelost X-Man gave a grating chuckle. "Do we really want to know, Logan?" The question was entirely serious.
Logan thought about it for a moment. Decided Bishop was probably right. "Guess not." Better not even to ask, sometimes.
"Good call."
***
Dana blinked her eyes open. Her heart was still racing, and her chest heaved as she breathed, the heat of their completed lovemaking just starting to leave her body. She felt Sam's lips touch her collarbone.
"Sam--" she breathed.
"Yes?" he asked quietly, punctuating the word by kissing her jaw. He lay beside her, leaning over her. His hair was dark, damp with sweat, and hung down in his face.
She realized her hands were still clenched around fistfuls of the bed sheet and let go, to brush his hair back. She felt tears forming in her eyes and she swallowed. "I don't-- I don't have the right words--" The knot in her throat choked off anything else she might have said. Her vision blurred.
"Shhh," he soothed, kissing away a tear that threatened to spill down her cheek. "Ah know. There aren't any words. It's not something you can express like that." His voice was soft, utterly content.
She sniffled and a few tears of frustration chased after the tears of joy that had traced paths down her cheeks. There had to be some. There had to be some way to put words to the feelings that were pounding in her head and heart. The way he made her forget all of her inadequacies with the touch of his hand--it hardly seemed real. She felt beautiful in his arms.
And she'd just been changed somehow, in no way she could easily define. Something about the trust and love they had just demonstrated to each other had made her a little stronger, a little less self-conscious. She felt like she could do anything--anything but express her thoughts in concrete words.
Cable had warned her, warned her with a strange little smile she'd never seen from him before. The physical part's going to be overwhelming enough, I'd think, he'd whispered during that second dance she'd begged and cajoled him for until he'd given in. But as--enjoyable as you're undoubtedly going to find it, there's more to it than that, just because of what you are. More to it for both of you, really. I'm not sure how much different it'll be for you as an empath, rather than a telepath--but I thought I'd mention it anyway.
You're a lot of help, she'd chuckled, a little nervously. One always worried, just a little, when Cable got vague. That's the best you can come up with for an explanation?
It--defies explanation, Dana. All you can do is live it. The odd little smile had grown. And try to claw your way back to the realization that there actually is a world beyond the two of you, afterwards.
"A poet would know," she said stubbornly, furrowing her brow. She had to--ground this, somehow.
"You don't need any words," he whispered as he ran his hand along her side.
"No. There has to be words." She searched the ceiling as if the answer could be found written on it. Why was she being so stubborn about this? A wiser part of her mind chuckled, pointing out how ironic it was than an empath couldn't quite manage to turn off the logic and just FEEL. "Maybe in another language. English isn't strong enough--isn't passionate enough. Maybe Askani--" A telepath's language, a language that had countless words to describe every shade of the emotion. And yet, that wasn't working, either.
"Nothin' is strong enough," Sam said, and Dana heard the quiet conviction in his voice, felt the gentle yet passionate intensity along their newborn link. "Any words ya used wouldn't--couldn't come close. Human beings can't deal with that kind o' raw honesty on a day-to-day basis. There can't be words."
*Trust him to see it.* She was openly crying now, the sheer weight of what she was feeling taxing her self-control beyond its limits. Sam pushed himself up and pulled her into his arms, trying to soothe her. "Dana, ya don't have to tell me," he said reassuringly. "We've got the psi-link. Ah can't understand it all yet, but ah got that."
"Trial and error, huh?" She looked up at him and sniffled, wiping her red-rimmed eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Nothin' is wrong with you, girl. In the last 12 hours, we married, got a psi-link, and made love for the first time. It's emotional overload. Poor little empath like you needs an outlet to drain some of that off." He grinned at her surprised look. "C'mon, Danes, ah haven't been in love with you for two and a half years without pickin' up some of the nitty-gritty details of how your power works."
She turned in his arms a little and ran her fingers over the strong muscles in his arms, the arms that made her feel so safe. "What about you?" she asked, forcing herself to relax, to let it all sink in. A chuckle started deep in her chest, almost involuntarily. "Must be a bitch, dealing with my 'overload' on top of what you're feeling yourself--you probably need to vent just as much as I did."
He smirked. "Ah managed a few emotional outbursts a little bit ago-- or were ya too distracted to hear me shouting your name?"
She let a small embarrassed smile touch her features. "I heard." she said quietly, feeling the smile grow and blossom, almost in spite of itself.
He kissed the side of her head. She leaned against him and closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his skin touching hers. He stroked her back. "Ah think you're a little tired too. As-- exciting--as it was, it was a little exhausting." He examined her face. "Do you want to go to sleep?"
The question provoked a decidedly wicked feeling. "Sleep? I don't think so."
Sam smiled. "Ah was hopin' you'd say that." He slowly leaned her back onto the bed.
"I love you," she whispered.
Sam smiled down on her softly brushing her mussed hair out of her face. "Ah love ya, too, Dana," he responded. His hands were drifting lazily over her body again. His lips moved back down to continue a line of kisses across her collarbone.
She closed her eyes and focused on the sensations he was causing just by touching her. Already she could feel his desire coming through the psi-link and affecting her. She hesitated, just for a moment. She loved Sam, and she couldn't wait to repeat what they'd just finished, but it was a little scary to lose control like she had, her body reacting without her telling it to. Control, control, control--you can sure tell who trained me, can't you? Even with those instincts stubbornly refusing to take the night off, the experience of being unable to even think about anything but the way Sam was making her feel was wonderful at the same time that it was terrifying. It was a paradox--the feeling that she'd burst if it continued any longer, at the same time she knew that she'd do him serious bodily harm if he even THOUGHT about stopping.
Sam raised his head to look at her again. She could have cursed herself for what she was undoubtedly leaking down the psi-link. The last thing in the world she ever wanted to do was inhibit him. "Are ya all right? Do ya want ta stop?" he asked quietly, lifting his hand away from where it was tracing the outlines of the muscles of her stomach.
"No!" She said it a little too forcefully, and blushed as he grinned. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something." She took a breath. "Thank you," she said simply. "I'm glad we waited."
He lowered his head and kissed her lips gently. "Ah should be thankin' you," he said, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her again, his tongue tasting hers, and she felt that intense desire again in the pit of her stomach. She thought about Sam's gentleness the first time, even when she knew that it must have been killing him to not to rush. He'd been so slow, and when the pain had come he'd stopped entirely and just held her, waiting for her to make the next move.
Her heart raced thinking of the physical act, but something deeper was touched, thinking of the love and patience behind it. She couldn't think of anything to do or say to express her appreciation and thanks adequately, and she frowned in frustration until he found a particularly sensitive spot.
At which point she gasped, arching her back. Desire flooded her, and she could no longer think of anything but of how to satisfy it.
***
"That way, chica--"
"If she catches us sneaking off, Espinosa, we're dead--"
#Children. There are a limitless number of tasks to be done before we can leave Mrs. Guthrie's lovely farm in the same shape as we found it. Would you prefer me to assign you both jobs--?#
"Um, no, s'okay, Frosty--I think we can make ourselves useful."
#Splendid.#
***
"Tabitha?" Roberto asked tentatively, going over to stand behind her where she stood at the edge of the tent, staring out at the Kentucky hills. "You all right?" he said softly, laying his hands on her shoulders.
"What? Oh--fine," she said, her voice flat and tired-sounding after that first surprised question. She craned her neck around to look up at him, and he was surprised when she gave him a slight smile. "See? I behaved."
He kissed the top of her head. "I never doubted it."
"Liar," she snorted, folding her arms across her chest. "At least Cable was honest about watching me like a hawk. The rest of you have just sort of been sneaking around--"
"Tabitha--" He sighed, and swallowed what else he'd been about to say. There wasn't much point in arguing with her. They were all tired, and Sam and Dana were happily on their honeymoon, so there was really no point in pursuing the subject any farther.
"They looked good," Tabitha said in a much softer voice, reaching up and squeezing his hand. "It was a nice wedding."
Roberto blinked. "Yeah," he said cautiously. "It was." He wasn't sure quite what to make of this sudden switch in attitude--not that he was knocking it!
Tabitha looked back up at him, that slight smile grown into a wry grin. "I'm really not as bad about holding grudges as I used to be, you know."
"But you're not going to tell THEM that, right?" Roberto shook his head with a half-amused, half-exasperated sigh.
"Hell, no. A girl's gotta have her pride, after all."
***
Dana sighed contentedly as she rested her head on Sam's chest. His arms were around her tightly and their legs were intertwined. She lifted her head to look at the peaceful expression on his face, and smiled. A few more moments, and she'd join him in sleep. After the wedding and the wedding night it was amazing she was still conscious.
Dana laid her head back down and relaxed. She loved how she felt lying next to him like this, liked the security she felt even when he was asleep. She let her eyes flutter closed and listened to him as he slept. His chest rose and fell under her as he breathed, his heart beating in a steady, strong rhythm. His side of the psi-link leaked a mix of pleasant, contented, relaxing emotions to her.
Her body was still tingling pleasantly in the aftermath of their latest session. She yawned and stretched in Sam's arms. She was going to be sore in the morning. Haven't had this much exercise since that last Danger Room session-- Almost a full month ago. Good grief, no wonder she felt like she was out of shape. Then again, many more nights like this and she wouldn't be--
She lifted her head again, and tried to straighten his hopelessly mussed hair. She didn't even want to know what hers looked like. Probably could pass for the Medusa's, at this point.
It was odd, she reflected. *Thinking again, Dana?* that wry voice teased, but she firmly shoved it away. The simple fact was, she was lying next to Sam, completely naked in body and soul, and she SHOULD feel vulnerable, or insecure. She should want to pull away, close off from him and protect herself, but she didn't. All she wanted to do was show him more, lay it all out on the table--gambling metaphors, oh, that's cute--
Sam mumbled in his sleep and tightened his grip around her. She smiled and touched his face gently before returning her hand to his chest, and laying her head down next to it. She let her eyes fall closed. Her breathing and heart rate almost matched his, as she fell asleep, feeling more content than she ever had before.
***
The stars were beautiful out in the country, Domino thought, laying on the grass and staring up at the sky. Clean-up was all taken care of, down at the house, and she and Nathan had sneaked away into the hills to steal some time for themselves while the bulks of the guests dispersed to 'overnight quarters'. There were still far too many tired people down there, though. Maybe they should just sleep out here tonight--the weather was certainly just right for it.
"Sounds like a plan," Nathan said wearily from where he was lying beside her, studying the stars just like she was. "I wouldn't mind, and we've both slept rougher--"
She thought about it a little more, and wasn't so sure it was a good idea. Tyler's grave wasn't far from this very spot, and Nathan had very notably avoided even looking in that direction when they'd climbed up here. She knew he'd visited the gravesite last night. He had also, when he'd finally come to bed, all but crawled into her arms and then clung to her all night. "What do you suppose they're doing right at this moment?" she asked, deliberately changed the subject. "Sam and Dana, I mean--"
He snorted, a little more life in the sound. "Dom, I think we can both GUESS what they're doing--"
"Oh, shut up." She poked him in the ribs, and he gave a mock 'oof'. "I suppose you KNOW, don't you, considering what you and Sulven were doing out there a few hours ago."
Nathan actually blushed. Domino pushed herself up on one elbow and regarded him with some fascination, having seen him do that only a handful of times in all their years together. "We were--just checking to make sure they were all right," he said defensively--and rather lamely. He knew it too, from the feel of what was coming along their link. "Just for a second--"
"Bullshit. You were eavesdropping, admit it." She chuckled wickedly. "Handing me blackmail material on a silver platter, now, are you?"
"You wouldn't."
"Try me. I think it'd be pretty cute, watching the two of you trying to explain your way out of this one--" If Sulven hadn't been so clearly--and utterly--devoted to Logan, Domino might have been hard-pressed to fend off a little jealousy at how close she and Nathan seemed to get whenever they spent more than a few hours in each other's company. It was sibling behavior, of course, and damned funny at times.
Nathan grimaced at her. "Hah, hah. Very funny." He turned over on his side, his back quite resolutely to her, and Domino chuckled again.
"Don't pout," she said, trailing a hand down his back suggestively, tracing the line where techno-organic metal met flesh made unusually sensitive by that very fact.
He didn't just shiver, but actually jumped. "Witch," he muttered, still not turning over to face her.
"Flatterer," she purred. There was humor leaking up the link, mingled with a tiny bit of embarrassment and a hefty dose of good, old-fashioned lust. "So?"
"So what?"
"So, are you going to sit there visualizing what you'd like to do, or do it? Always thought you were a man of action, Summers--"
He laughed and turned over swiftly, expertly pinning her beneath him. "What have I gotten the two of them into?" he said, shaking his head and giving her a look of mock disapproval. "They may find themselves cursing my little wedding gift once they find out what a psi-link's all about."
"Oh, I dn't know," Domino said slyly. "It has its uses. I'm sure they'll figure that out pretty quickly."
"They are pretty creative, I guess."
"Speaking of creative, what about--"
"--I was just thinking that myself."
"What a small world."
***
Sam blinked his eyes open, and smiled down on the form of his sleeping wife. The morning sun was filtered through the curtains of their hotel suite and lit the room in strange, quiet colors. Sam glanced around himself wondrously. Was it just a trick of his mind, or did the world really look different today? Perhaps it was the position from which he was looking at the world. He glanced down at his left hand and at the ring Dana had slipped on his hand the previous afternoon. The ring that meant that as long as she was alive, he would never be alone. He looked down at the matching one on Dana's hand, which was laying possessively on his chest. It was surprisingly reassuring. He hadn't expected it to feel this different, this permanent. He stroked her hair and then let his hand trace down the graceful contour of her back. He'd woken up next to her before, but this was much better. Her skin pressed against his, the morning sun making her skin glow, the constant warmth that came from her over the psi-link. The psi-link by itself was incredible, and the fact that Dana was now his wife, and lying next to him was almost more than he could take. A tiny, suspicious part of him wondered if it was really right, to be this happy here on earth.
He reached down and moved a lock of hair off her face gently. He ran a hand over her hair again. It was a little mussed, but soft and thick, spilling over her shoulders and onto his chest. She stirred slightly, and he felt the tickle of her eyelashes on his chest as she opened her eyes. She looked up at him and smiled. Her eyes sparkled at him enticingly, and it took him a moment to find his voice.
"Good mornin'." He said simply and quietly as his fingers lightly explored her back. In response she slid her body along his until her head was level with his and kissed him sweetly. She pulled away and looked deeply into his eyes.
"Your eyes are almost gray in this light," she observed at a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the stillness of the morning.
He stroked her cheek. "How do you feel?"
She smiled. "Wonderful."
He took her in his arms and slowly rolled over, supporting himself over her on his elbows. He wanted to say something, but couldn't really come up with anything applicable. She smiled enigmatically at him and sent him a wordless statement of her love. She moved under him and he looked down at her hand as she lifted it in front of her as if offering him a handshake. He looked at her in confusion.
She grinned at him. "Mrs. Dana Guthrie," she introduced herself. "Pleased to meet you."
He looked at her oddly for a moment until he realized that she'd used his last name. He looked at her in surprise. "Not Hawkes-Guthrie?"
She shook her head and pulled him down on top of her. "No. Call me old-fashioned," she said, and kissed him lingeringly.
He blinked in amazement. He'd wanted her to take his name, but hadn't expected her to. It seemed passe` now a days. Even Jean had hyphenated her name, and he'd figured that's what Dana would do. "Really?" he asked, breaking away from her lips.
"Well, I'd tell you to get my wallet and check my new driver's license to prove it, but it's all the way over there in my pants pocket." She pointed at the item in question at the spot where it had been thrown the previous night. He turned his head to look, but she put a hand on either side of his face and pulled it back to face her. "Do you really want to get out of bed right now?"
He grinned. "No, ma'am!"
Her smile turned seductive, and he let his lips meet hers. He let his hands explore the curves of her body, even as hers traced the muscles of his back.
***
"I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life," Jean said with a deep sigh, flopping down into the nearest chair. "Oh, it's good to be home--not that Mrs. Guthrie's hospitality wasn't beyond description."
"Of course," her husband said, closing the door of the boathouse behind him. "I'm impressed that she managed to keep everything running so smoothly last night. Wish I had her organizational skills--"
"Don't sell yourself short." Jean closed her eyes for a long moment, simply relishing the quiet, the sensation of almost-unoccupied space. "It was a lovely wedding," she said contentedly, opening her eyes and looking back at Scott. "Wasn't it? Just really lovely." She knew she had a fatuous smile on her face, but didn't really care.
"Mmm-hmm." Scott seemed distracted, though, and Jean raised an eyebrow.
"Hon?"
He shrugged. "Just seems TOO quiet, that's all," he admitted ruefully. "After how hectic things have been the last few weeks with all the wedding preparations--" He chuckled, shaking his head. "I know, I know, I need to relax--"
"Well, we could arrange for another Prime Sentinel outbreak or an FOH riot if you're really determined to do something productive?" Jean suggested, winking at him.
"That's quite all right, Jean."
"I thought so."
***
Kitty made a face. "I always hate leaving," she complained, taking one last, long look at the mansion.
Pete Wisdom snorted, wondering if anyone would notice if he made a mad dash for the Midnight Runner--just in case the ladies changed their mind about staying. "Pryde, this lot's been rehashing every detail of the bloody wedding for three days now--I think Muir's looking pretty soddin' good at the moment, myself."
She mock-scowled at him. "Such a romantic."
"Bloody hell, I'll admit it was a nice wedding. But I'd rather be back in our own room in Scotland, doin' what Hawkes and her farmboy are probably doing right now--" Pete grinned at the sparkle in Kitty's eyes. "Sound tempting, Pryde?"
"Not at all," she said with a perfectly straight face. "Why don't I go collect Rahne and the rest, and you can get the Runner warmed up? And Pete?" She put a hand over his mouth, grinning. "No lewd comments." She indicated, with a brief jerk of her chin, Storm where she stood saying goodbye to Kurt. "The two of you have been almost too nice to each other for a full three days--let's not jeopardize the record now, shall we?"
"Got no faith in me at all, do you?"
"Not a bit," Kitty said, with a wink.
***
"Well, people to see, things to blow up," Roberto said lightly. It was a very traditional sort of X-Force farewell, usually good for a laugh. It got a chuckle out of Domino, but only a faint smile from Cable. "I bet the X-Men'll be glad to see us go so they can get their nice, quiet mansion back again."
"What are you two planning?" Dani asked Cable and Domino. As always, more direct than him, Roberto thought wryly. He'd been working up to the same question, albeit a little more gradually.
Cable shrugged. "We're going to stick around for a while--help with Dana and Sam's apartment. Then I guess it's back to--" he shrugged, "wherever."
Roberto didn't like the way Cable was looking at all of them. So intently, as if he was trying to memorize their faces--just in case. He started to say something, but Terry beat him to it, her green eyes troubled as she folded her arms across her chest.
"We all know the two of ye are very busy," she said softly. "But it would nae hurt for ye to stop in every so often, would it? Just t'let us knew ye're both still well."
Domino turned a deadpan look on Cable. "What a wonderful idea, Nate," she said sweetly. "Now, why didn't I think of that? Wait--I did, didn't I?"
Cable's mouth quirked in a smile, and he looked back at Terry. "No, Theresa, it wouldn't," he said quietly. "I suppose I just figured you wouldn't want the old man looking over your shoulders--"
"Yeah, well, it's not as if you'd be some kind of damned imposition," Tabitha scowled, hugging him. "We love you and Dom, big guy--"
Rictor raised an eyebrow. "Figuratively speaking--"
"Shut the fuck up, Ric," Tabitha glared at him. She'd been in better spirits the last couple of days--she'd been acting almost like herself, actually, which Roberto found very refreshing. She went over and hugged Domino, as well. "We miss you, both of you. We know you've got your own lives, now--it's not like we're asking you to come back and ride herd on us--"
"Ride--herd?" Shatterstar asked bemusedly. Jimmy sighed and grinned ruefully. Cable smiled again.
"That one stumped me for years, 'Star," he said dryly.
"We know what you mean, Tabitha," Domino said, giving Cable a reproving look. "No changing the subject, Nate."
"I wasn't--" Cable rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, very pleasantly. "Sometime in September, how does that sound? Or maybe October." He blinked. "Subject to change, of course. Bright Lady only knows what'll be going on by then--"
"Of course," Terry said warmly, following Tabitha's example and embracing Cable warmly. "Who knows what WE'LL be doin' by then, either. For all we know, we might be on the run again--"
"Perish the thought," Domino said wryly. "You all yearning for the old days, or something?"
"Not me," Jimmy said with a snort, to general agreement. Roberto nodded, along with the others, but inwardly, he wasn't quite sure. All he could think about, looking at Cable and Dom, was how--complete life had seemed with them all back together again for the wedding. And about the hole that would be there, once they went back to San Francisco.
They'd all moved on, that was how life went. Still, it was just a little bit depressing, and judging by how subdued Cable seemed, Roberto wasn't the only one who felt it.
***
"Should we be talking more?" Dana asked.
Sam raised an eyebrow at her and wondered which of those bridal or women's magazines his wife had gotten this one out of. He shrugged. "Ah dunno. Why?"
She frowned. "It just seems like a honeymoon is a time to really get to know each other without any interruptions. It just seems like I haven't learned anything new about you." She thought for a moment before adding, "Well, besides which--ah," She paused and smiled wickedly, "buttons to push."
"And ya can push 'em any time ya want." He grinned at her.
She looked up at his face. His hair had been perpetually mussed ever since the first night of the honeymoon, but it was still somehow attractive. It was a little different from that clean-cut persona he always put forward. It hinted at that sexy side of him that he was just starting to let come out and play. A few golden sections hung down over his eyes, but not enough to completely obstruct them.
His eyes were at least as expressive as the psi-link. They could be the color of the bluest sky she ever remembered seeing or the color of snow-laden clouds. They could be hard and angry or soft and loving, and every emotion in between. They were the kind of eyes you could get lost in-- she could have studied them for hours on end if he'd have let her.
The memory of the first time she'd really looked him in the eyes and discovered how captivating they could be made her believe in love at first sight.
He shook his head. "You're so beautiful," he said, almost in awe.
She blushed and raised an eyebrow at him. "Compared to who?"
"Compared to anyone. You're too good for me. Ah don't deserve you."
"Oh come on. That is such bull." She sighed, folding her arms across her chest and giving him a half-amused, half-irritated look. "Okay, Guthrie. We're married now and insanely happy. We're not allowed to be self-deprecating anymore." She took a step forward, locking her gaze with his, pushing every bit of sincerity she was feeling out across the psi-link. "Sam, you are deserving of anything you want. You are a genuinely kind and good hearted person, which should count for a lot more than you think it should. As an empath that's what I was attracted to first. I wanted to surround myself with your good emotions. It helps me deal with the bad ones I come across."
He took the lecture remarkably well. A strange little sigh was his only response. "Well, now ah just feel shallow."
"Why?" Dana asked, worried. Had she said something wrong? She hadn't meant to upset him--
"Here ya are, first attracted to me because of my goodness of spirit, or somethin' like that, and ah was just first attracted to you because of your spectacular legs." His expression stayed perfectly seriously for a full five seconds, at which point it dissolved into an enormous grin.
She started to giggle. "My legs?"
"Yeah." He reached down to run his hand along her thigh. "So much for my pureness of soul. Turns out ah'm just as bad as 'Berto."
"Really?" Why was she giggling like a schoolgirl?
"Yes, really."
"I didn't think they were anything special before," she said innocently, wondering if he'd catch on to the fact that she was fishing for another compliment.
But he seemed to take her perfectly seriously. His look was almost incredulous. "Are ya kiddin' girl? Speaking from a male perspective, I'd say you have the best legs on the team--long, muscled, not too skinny, well proportioned--"
"Not that you're biased or anything--" she scoffed. He laughed, and she kissed him soundly, grinning. "If it helps your conscience any, the whole 'attracted to your good soul' thing on my part was followed almost instantaneously by a 'lusting after your Calvin Klein model-type body' thing."
"Calvin Klein model? Yeah, that does help. In fact, that helps so much ah only have one more thing to say to you."
"And that is?"
"Do you want to be on top, or is it my turn again?"
She laughed and pulled him on top of her. "I think it's your turn, you photogenic stud, you."
to be continued...