[SH] The First Time - Part the Second (NC-17)

[shepcrew]

[We uh...we kinda broke the customized comment pages comment buffer. And I like having the custom comment pages because they look better. So, um, yes. Continued from here.]


He's beaming at her until she catches the slight slip of the tongue and the smile turns into an 'aw shucks/so busted look'.

Oops.

He can't lie to her now. It was easy to pretend when she had first arrived, since she had no reason to believe otherwise, and he was nervous enough that his body language masked the lie.

But now..."You, uh. You weren't supposed to find out until I took you back there. To uh...to check on the status of the paint drying."



She may or may not be suppressing a giggle; since she does it successfully it's hard to tell. But she is grinning. "Well, since you've managed to keep me out of your room, the surprise is still intact, even if the knowledge that there is a surprise isn't."

And he's being adorable again. Although, really, he's almost always adorable now, so it sort of goes without saying. So she smiles softly, brilliantly.



"Well, I hope it doesn't lose too much of its impact, now that you know there's another surprise," he says, grinning sheepishly.

And that's about the time when the music being played turns into a fair rendition of the song they first danced to. It's also when he stands and moves to her side of the table.

"May I have this dance?" he asks, holding a hand out to her.



"I can't imagine it..." Oh. Oh. "... would."

Oh.

So she stands and takes his hand, because the answer is "Of course." but it comes out in barely a whisper between smiles and shy blushing. She was way more poised when they first danced.

And then again, when they first danced, she had no idea with whom she was dancing, or what it would turn into. Knowing, now, she wonders what it will turn into this time. If she could possibly love him any more than she does at this moment, as she keeps her eyes on his and she smiles, blissfully happy.



He returns the smile as his fingers close round hers, and he tugs her away from the table. She may or may not notice Lorne call someone over so they can remove the chairs, along with the table and its contents so the couple can have the entire balcony to move around. And that marks the end of Lorne's part in tonight's festivities.

John's eyes never leave Inara's as he pulls her into the opening steps of the dance, holding her slightly closer than he had the first time.

Comments

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He holds her hand against his cheek lightly, nuzzling a little.

I think I have a fair idea is his first reply to her question, but he bites the words back and instead replies with, "Tell me?"

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Her thumb brushes a light caress against his cheek as she watches him, fair to glowing.

"Everything... the... the sunset, the shuttle, the supper..." she's alliterating. A reflexive last-ditch effort to be eloquent when she's all fluttry. It makes her giggle a bit. "It's like a fairy tale."

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He smiles shyly. "So are you," he whispers. "My very own dream come true." He turns his head to kiss the palm of her hand. "And I'm thinkin' this is where happily ever after starts..."

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Of all the emotions she had ever felt so strongly, love and happiness were not among the ones she would have thought would evoke a tearful response. And yet when he says that she can't stop either the joyful smile or the one or two tears that spring forward.

"I'm thinking you're right about that..." she whispers, because she can't make her voice any stronger. "My noble prince, come to sweep me away to a land of dreams."

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He reaches up to cup her face. "My princess, here to create the dream and make it a reality."

Here to save me from myself...

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Okay, so maybe she's blinking back tears a little. And maybe it's a cliche to cover his hand with hers, to kiss his palm. But it's a cliche because people never get tired of it, and she doesn't think she will either.

"If this is a dream I don't want to wake up," she smiled as she whispered it, whispered it because she couldn't make any louder sound the way her throat was tight. "And if this is the reality I don't want to go to sleep ever again and miss a moment of this, for no dream could possibly compare."

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

"Don't be afraid to fall asleep," he whispers back. "I'm not going anywhere."

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Okay, maybe a couple of tears did fall at that. She hugged him a little tighter, smiling to say she loved him because words were failing her at this point.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He strokes her hair as he returns the hug, kissing whatever part of her is closest to his lips at the moment.

We're pretty sure that he's run out of words at this point, too.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

There's something magical about this moment that doesn't require words. Just the intimacy of the way they touch each other communicates it all.

She really hasn't ever been this blissfully happy, she thinks. Again.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Another kiss is dropped on the top of her head, and John finally closes his eyes to settle for the night. All the things that adrenaline and euphoria had been keeping at bay are starting to reassert themselves, and a wave of exhaustion hits him.

He has a feeling he won't be haunted by nightmares tonight...

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She isn't really aware of it when she starts to drift. She's just caught in the amazement of love, of how it was so unexpected and so much better than she could have imagined and the thoughts go over and over again in her head, slower every time, until she really is drifting.

He's so warm. She snuggles up against him, weary and content. He's so warm, and so perfect.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

She's equally warm, and fits against him just so. Her weight against him is just right, and he has no idea how he ever managed to sleep alone before.

As she snuggles, he accommodates, and he has the vague sensation that she's sinking into him, body and soul.

It's that sensation that accompanies him as he finally drifts into sleep.