[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

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

There's a word beyond melty but we're not sure what that is.

Her breath catches on the kiss and then she's kissing him back, almost trembling with it. Devotion and affection, simple and as pure as anything she could have imagined. How simple it is; one kiss can make her world turn. One kiss that has nothing to do with artifice or lust or sex or anything, but love. That she loves him.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He lets go of her hand so he can hold her properly, snug in his embrace. He keeps the kiss chaste, but lets it linger for a bit. He's sure neither of them notices when he finally deigns to move them towards the door, so he can lead them - half blindly, since he can't bear to break the kisses - down the hallways towards his room.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She doesn't so much notice as take account of the fact that they're in motion and accomodate the whole holding the kiss and embrace without falling over bit. As has been remarked upon before, she is a woman of singular grace. That includes passionate smooching in the hall while making her way to someone's bedroom.

Really, they'd get there quicker if they broke contact for a moment. But she's not willing to, either.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

They pass a startled Carson, who's on his way to his room for the night (see, he leaves the infirmary sometimes!), and he barely jumps out of their way in time. He watches them go off, brow raised at the public display and how incongruous it is for the Sheppard he knows. Hell, if Inara's normal visits were good for morale...he was definitely curious to see what tomorrow would bring.

We're sure neither of them notice the poor doctor, though, as John slowly but surely leads them closer to his room.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She definitely doesn't notice the poor doctor. Doesn't notice anything except that they're moving; doesn't even notice the direction or that they're down familiar corridors by now.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she does notice that they're acting like teenagers, which almost makes her laugh, but. Kissing. Touching. Is more important. She'll giggle breathlessly later, or something.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Well, at least it's a mostly-controlled careening down the hall while smooching, as opposed to the true, teenager impatience to finally get it on. That has to count for something?

But they get to save people from the mostly smooshy stuff because they're outside his room now and he stops. He lets the kiss come to a natural end, and then he's taking her hands in his as he gazes at her lovingly.

He smiles shyly, reaching behind him to swipe the sensor before grasping her fingers again. And while the door is open, he walks backwards into his room, leading her in and watching her reaction...

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Despite whatever fears he may have had earlier, the comparison between what he's prepared here and the little rituals of a Companion's appointments don't even come close to crossing her mind. Her eyes widen again, taking in the changed atmosphere in the room, candlelight and flowers.

It also doesn't cross her mind what it all might be in aid of, except that it's one more delightful, romantic twist on the evening. Eyes wide, smile lighting up her face, she looks at him with that same sort of goofy admiration that speaks louder than the words she can't find yet. That she loves him, so, so much.

And that he's completely adorable (adorkable?) for setting all this up.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

And the door slides shut, he reaches behind her to enable the privacy setting on the lock. Then he leads her a little forward into the room, and he leaves her for only a moment to put on a CD of soft, romantic music.

Inara will have to thank Katie for the selection, 'cause otherwise it would have been a collection of Johnny Cash ballads.

He returns her smile, pulling her into a hug and spinning her around the room once as he holds her close. And with his mouth close to her ear, he finally speaks the words they've been once more breathing to each other, "I love you."

And the undercurrent there is something she once Didn't Say to him, along with a question: The time is right, and the moment's perfect. I'm ready now, are you?

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Despite the languid romance to the whole thing, there is definitely a part of her that just wants to go 'WHEE!' with delight. Ahem.

And as she settles into his arms and hugs him back, listening to what he's both saying and not saying... she smiles. Eyes falling closed for a moment, brushing a kiss over the curve of his jaw before she speaks.

Of all the things she's ever been unsure of, this has ever so rarely been one of them. She was certain then, and she's still certain now.

And when she whispers "I love you." it's as much to say yes as it is to say I love you. And, along with that, I'm glad. Glad of waiting, of picking the right moment.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He smiles, swaying with her gently in time to the music. Now that he's here, he's not quite sure how to do this without it seeming too rushed, or too slow.

The balance needs to be right...

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She tucks her head to his shoulder, smiling softly into his collar as they more sway than dance through a song. If he has ideas about what to do now, she's more than willing to entertain them.

When he doesn't seem to, or at least doesn't move to, she takes the initiative or the lead or whatever it is they're doing. Steps back, for a moment, just to look at him and admire him. The sweetness and the not-quite-shyness and the fact that, well, let's face it, John Sheppard is a handsome man.

She brings her hands up to run down his arms, again, curling her hands over his and kissing his fingertips. And then, leaving him for a moment, attends to the practicalities before anything else. Because once they're well sunk in the moment she's fairly sure they won't want to leave the warmth of each other in the bed. There's already glasses conveniently there. It's the work of but a moment to fill one for each of them and set them in an empty space on the bedside table.

And then, smiling softly, brushing the backs of her fingers lightly down his cheek, she takes his hand and leads him to the bed. Not for anything overt. Not for anything more involved than settling down so that they're no longer standing, and closer to the surface they'll inevitably wind up on. Another step they don't have to take once they're in that moment.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He watches her as she moves around the room, letting her do her thing. He would never have thought of the water thing, really. And once he's sitting next to her, he does the only thing that seems logical to him at that point:

One hand clasping hers, the other reaching up to cup her face, he leans in and kisses her chastely. Not so much a waters-testing thing than it is a need to continue to draw this out. They've waited this long, after all, and another several minutes of doing so won't hurt them.

Besides, he intends to thoroughly enjoy the foreplay, since he's dying to explore her body...

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She smiles briefly against his mouth before kissing him back, fingers sliding through his and back away again only so she can gently caress her fingertips over his palm before taking his hand in hers again. Her other hand rests, light and innocuous, on his knee.

Drawing things out in their proper time will only make the consumation of the desires they've been allowing to build all the sweeter. And rushing now would spoil the moment, she's well aware. And besides, she enjoys the simple pleasure of those soft kisses, just the touch of his lips to hers. Just the kiss, chaste as it is, makes her sigh and melt.

Also, perhaps more than that, the easier they both sink into this equally rather than her taking the lead, the easier it may be for him. The question he asked towards the beginning, after she told him what she was, still echoes a little.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

And if he knew about that echo, he'd tell her that after this long, he isn't terribly worried about her deception any longer. It's part of the reason why he waited, after all.

And besides, the chaste kiss is something he knows they've had no problems with taking farther and deeper, and the gradualness of it is usually staggering in and of itself.

Once she's sufficiently melty, he brushes his thumb across her cheek lightly, and eases into a deeper kiss, coaxing her mouth open.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

It's a perfect place to start, really. Starting slow, easing into it, through territory they've crossed before and into new. Not that it does anything for the nervousness more than take the edge off it, make it internal instead of visible or tangible.

It's not nervousness that makes her sigh, lips parting for his kiss, fingertips stroking lightly up and down just above his knee. Definitely not nervousness that makes her taste the wine, the dessert in his mouth, gently exploring again. Long practice lending itself to expertly including, this time, the little nuances and catches of breath that he can feel as they kiss and little movements of lips and tongue that make it more sensual, just a bit. In more ways than she's expressed before, except maybe once or twice.

There's a difference, she reminds herself, between the artifice of skill and the artifice of pretense. She has skills. No reason not to use them.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He moans ever so softly into the kiss, totally focussed on the now instead of the what's to come. And right now, he decides to bring the kiss to an end, lips still hovering close to hers, eyes half-shut. Half-shut becomes open, as he gazes at her, pulling away to take her in, then he's reaching up to try and figure out how to unpin that hair...

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Her eyes slowly open as he pulls away, relaxing and smiling softly, almost shyly, as she catches his expression. Her hair is easy enough to unpin, requiring only a little feeling around for the pins, and then the circlet is a simple clasp to undo.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Which is what he figures out after a few minutes of gently running his fingers over her hair. He takes the same amount of care pulling each pin and the circlet out as she did putting them in. No need to cause undue pain, after all.

Each bit that comes out gets put on the bed-side table, and once it's all gone, he runs both hands through her hair carefully a few times before cupping her face and kissing her, this time with a little more ardour.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She smiles a little more, soft and relaxing, closing her eyes again as he runs his fingers through her hair. With the exception of only one person, everyone she's ever met with long hair has enjoyed having their hair played with. She is certainly not the exception.

Her fingers trace softly above his neck over his collar as she kisses him back, letting him take control of the kiss, pliant and most willing without being too eager. Down the collar of his shirt and down to unbutton the few outer buttons. And then, letting that gesture stand, sliding her fingers through his hair because she loves to do so.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

And that unbuttoning makes him realize that the jacket is stupid. Whoever decided that a jacket needed to be a part of the dress uniform ought to be shot.

Which is why he's letting his hands fall from her face to get rid of the damn thing. Once it's gone, one hand resumes its post cupping her chin while the other slides around her waist.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She smiles against his mouth, doesn't quite chuckle as she settles into his arm a little more.

Since he's lost the jacket it makes it easier for her to rest her palm over his heart, feel the warmth of his chest through his shirt. Little gestures, little things that add up into big things, flushed and pleasurable things.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He has an idea of what he'd like to do next, and he gives her a taste of it by leaving her mouth to nibble up her jaw to her ear and finally nuzzling her neck very lightly. The hand under her chin trails down, fingers lightly brushing over her skin to the top of her bodice.

They linger there for a fraction before he smooths his hand over the side of her breast and around to her back, gently moving her so he can lay her down on the bed.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Mmm, and she does like the way he's thinking, if the soft little whimper as his fingers brush over her skin is anything to go by.

She settles back on the bed as he lays her down, her gaze somewhere between amused and intrigued. Her fingers move to play at his buttons, then undo the tie, then back to the buttons. She suddenly has a desire to see what's under there. Not necessarily his entire nude body (although he's certainly indicated that's on the agenda) just, what he looks like stripped bare to the waist.

It puts a brief impish flash in her eyes as she smiles up at him, one hand abandoning his shirt to brush a caress over his cheek.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Her indecision on whether to go for the tie or the shirt has him amused, and he grins down at her. He uses one hand to loosen the knot on the tie for her, so she can do with it what she will.

And he won't take away her privilege of unbuttoning the shirt, so if she wants to go exploring in that direction, she's more than welcome to.

And he's a good boy and make no comment about how ties are not leashes, or something.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

It's probably a good thing. If he made a comment like that she'd be off in a fit of giggles at least for a moment.

She grins back up at him playfully, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. And, well. Since he's already started, she goes ahead and undoes the tie and slides it off his neck. Slowly, gently, a little forward so that the fabric just brushes over the back of his neck and makes that a caress, too.

And then she tosses it over where he left his jacket. Stripping down is as much about the small things as about the large, after all.