chapter 15/? - FINALLY. =D
Epico - A Sorta Fairytale: Chapter Fifteen
Authors: CJ [vylentcrymz], Emilie [emilierevan], Jen [savvy_elf] and Stacy [seemedsobright].
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Dominic Monaghan/Emilie de Ravin, Ian Somerhalder/Maggie Grace, Orlando Bloom/Evangeline Lilly
Summary: Love. Friendship. Growth. Sex. Change. Drama. But mostly just sex. Sure, we have a plot… somewhere around here (now where did I put that thing?), but when broken down into its simplest form, Epico = SEX!
Disclaimer: We don't own these people. They're real, sure, but none of these events have or ever will transpire. No offense is meant and we're making no profit from this. Title taken from the song A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos.
Authors' Notes: We the writers would like to thank ALL the readers for…well, reading, of course. And commenting, and making icons and graphics and for epico_squee in general. We love writing this story and we love that you love reading it. *BIG hugs*
Please remember: Feedback is to us as sex is to Magsian, Domilie, and Orlilly. As in, very important, and something that needs to be done 24/7.
AN2: Sorry this took so long. Time differences, going out of town, RL bullshit that shouldn’t be as important as epico but sadly is. Forgive us and enjoy this chapter muchly.
Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14
---
When Maggie felt Ian’s hand slip under the sheets and his lips touch her shoulder, she grinned into her pillow and opened her right eye enough to peer at the alarm clock. “We’ve only been asleep for an hour, Ian.”
“So?” he asked, fingers tickling her hips before slipping his hand comfortably between her thighs. A long, indulging moment passed as he kissed a trail up her neck until his lips tickled the edge of her ear. “I love this…”
Maggie snagged her bottom lip briefly and reached behind her to entangle her fingers in his hair. She could tell he had a serious case of bed head and wanted nothing more than to turn around so she could see him in all his glory. But then his thumb started to massage slow circles into her leg and she forgot what her name was for a moment. “Love what?”
He smiled against her temple, even laughing a little. “You, me, here. I like waking up next to you.”
“Yeah?” She finally managed to move somewhat, turning onto her back only to have Ian’s lips find hers immediately in a nice, luxurious kiss. When he pulled away, she gathered her wits as quickly as she could with her brain already turned to mush. “I was starting to worry you thought it was a hassle.”
“Really?” he pulled away a little, a small flicker of doubt in his eyes. “How…I didn’t meant to make you think-”
“Ian?” she turned over onto her side and rested her hand on his chest, over his heart as she smiled up at him. “Sense the tone.”
After a moment an ear-to-ear smile spread across his face. “Oh, sarcasm. I didn’t think right now was the kind of moment to be sarcastic though, so that’s why I thought it.”
“When is there ever a time to not be sarcastic?” Maggie asked, brow furrowed.
“Now. I’m…I’m serious. Or…well, not really serious but,” he shook his head, hand sliding along her side until he splayed it across her back. “I’ve been thinking, Mags. You-you love me, right?”
She kissed just under his chin, hands playing with the hair at the back of his neck. “Of course I do.”
“And…well, one of these days I’m going to-I’m not saying now or tomorrow or the day after or…not that I won’t ever.” Ian stopped and shut his eyes, allowing himself a moment to collect his words a little better before rambling on like an idiot. When he opened his eyes, Maggie found herself drowning in blue. “One of these days I’m going to ask you if you wanna spend the rest of your life waking up in bed with me. And I just wanted to know-”
“You’re so cute when you stutter,” she teased good-naturedly, giving him a loving kiss.
Ian sighed, “Mags…”
“You shouldn’t have to worry about my answer,” she said to him in as firm a voice as she could manage with the smile still on her face. “If you don’t know whether or not I’d say yes then you probably shouldn’t ask me until you do.”
“Oh, okay.” He licked his lips and nodded, somewhat appeased with the answer. After a few minutes he laughed like he’d just pulled a prank, but his eyes-as always-betrayed the fact that he was still thinking about it. “I was just…it was hypothetical.”
“At three am, everything’s hypothetical to you,” she mumbled, eyes closing for a moment. Her breathing slowed and he realized she was close to falling back asleep again.
Wrapping his arm around her waist, Ian pressed his lips to her forehead, eyes closing along with hers. Against her forehead, he mumbled, “I swear it was just hypothetical.”
A moment later, she whispered back, “I’m sure it was.”
---
All he had to do was press the little green button on his mobile. Then her cell phone would ring, and she’d wake up, and hopefully, then she’d answer the phone. But did he have the courage to talk back? After the complete shite that happened to them? That was the debate he’d been running through his mind for over two hours already.
With his fingers faintly shaking, he closed his eyes and stabbed the button before he could prolong it anymore. This was something that had to be done. After everything with…
He sucked in a breath and held the small device to his ear, letting the soft, steady rings push out any unwanted thoughts. This time it was going to be different. Evi was far too great a woman for him to let go so easily. No, she was far too perfect a woman to let go of, and Orlando couldn’t bear- wouldn’t bear- to lose something so precious.
---
Well can't you see that it's just raining, there ain't no need to go outside. But baby, you hardly even notice when I try to show you...
Evi’s eyes popped open and she spent a disoriented moment trying to figure out why the hell Jack Johnson was singing to her in the middle of the night.
Oh. Cell phone. Right.
Evi’s hands groped in the darkness until she located the phone and yanked it out of its charger. Flipping it open, the screen shed bright light on her face and her eyes focused on the caller ID.
Orlando.
For a second, Evi’s heart rate picked up. It had been-she checked the time-ten days, six hours and four minutes since she’d last spoken to him. So many times she’d picked up the phone and chickened out. Did she have the strength now to answer it? She stared at the green button. Mama made a baby. Really don't mind the practice 'cause you're my little lady. Lady, lady love me 'cause I love to lay here lazy...
Quickly, before it cut to her voicemail and before she lost the nerve, Evi hit the button and held the phone to her ear. For a second, she bit her lip and just listened.
“Evangeline.” No one else used he full name. And no one else could say it the way he did. Evi shut her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping one arm around them. “Are you…are you doing alright?”
Wince. Not the greatest question, Bloom, Orlando chided himself on the other end of the line, silently cursing the fact that the first thing he said to her in over a week was 'are you doing alright?' Ten bloody days apart and he couldn't come up with anything better? She deserved better. But doing what he wanted was easier said then done, a painful lump forming in his throat and making him sound even more the bumbling fool. “I, uh…Evangeline, I wanted to talk to you…I realize it’s late. I’m sorry.”
Evi swallowed, trying, just as Orlando was, to get rid of the uncomfortable catch in her throat. “You could try to call me when its daylight, y’know.”
She shook her head, not meaning to sound so irritated. Before she could apologize, Orlando, in his sweetest voice, beat her to the punch. “I would but you seem to not answer your phone during the daytime.”
Letting out a small sigh, Evi picked at a stray thread from her sweatpants. Part of her was wondering why she even answered and the other part of her just wanted him to keep saying her name, over and over and over. “I’ve been busy.” It was a lie but a believable one; at this point it was all she could do. Did she want him to know how crappy her life had been the past few days? Did he deserve to know, after what he'd accused her of doing?
“Can we please talk?” he asked quietly, his voice almost completely drowned out by the rain pattering loudly against her roof and window. “Please?”
Evi bit her lip, shutting her eyes at the sound of his voice and question. She could’ve sworn his voice cracked when he said please, and for a second, she felt her resolve about this entire situation begin to crack as well.
“Well, we are right now, aren’t we?” she quietly replied, hoping it didn’t come off as irritated as her previous responses.
“Yeah, we are,” he laughed sadly, and Evi frowned at how empty his voice sounded. “But…I meant face to face, Evangeline. Not just over some bloody connection that’s being worsened by this sodding rain.”
“How fast can you fly to Hawaii?” she tried to joke, miserably hoping that it’d lighten the indescribably heavy mood of their conversation. Then the realization of his words and what they meant dawned on her. She could feel her mouth falling open in a silent gasp. Wait…did he just say…
Her train of thought was cut off by his reply, which only confirmed what dawned on her at that very moment.
“It depends,” Orlando said, taking one deep breath before continuing on. “How fast can you get to your front door?”
Her eyes widened and darted towards her bedroom door. “Orlando, I…I thought you were supposed to ask what my favorite scary movie was first,” she managed to say, slowly getting out of bed.
Orlando chuckled softly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he looked nervously at her door. With jokes as lame as that it almost felt like it was back to the beginning.
“I don’t have to do that,” he told her, running his fingers through his hair. “It’s Jeepers Creepers 2.”
That brought certain levity to the situation as she padded down the hallway, her free hand tugging nervously at the hem of her tank. “So isn’t this the part where you start quizzing me on horror movies?”
He shook his head, stopping himself when he remembered she couldn’t see him. Yet. “Love, I’m not enough of an expert. To me the Wizard of Oz is scary.”
She rested her palm against the front door, as if willing to sink through to touch him again. “It was the munchkins, wasn’t it?” Her fingertips brushed the latch. Hesitant. “There is one question you can ask,” she began softly.
“And what question would that be?”
The door swung open and they found their eyes locked as Evi lowered her cellphone first.
“You can ask me my name so you know who you’re looking at,” she said quietly, not daring to move as they stood opposite each other. Her brain was hardly functioning and the rip-off of Scream was the only thing that came to mind to keep her from swallowing her tongue before opening the door; it took her a moment to realize it was pretty high on the lame-scale and, under different circumstances, they'd be having a good laugh over it.
But they weren't in different circumstances. As much as she wanted them to be, they weren't. Orlando was standing outside, in the rain, staring at her with sad eyes while she remained motionless in the warmth of her home. An invitation was at the tip of her tongue, but she wasn't ready to ask him yet. She was still trying to figure out if she was looking at her boyfriend or the man who didn't even trust her enough to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Orlando snapped his phone shut, pocketing it without taking his eyes off Evangeline’s. A dripping wet lock of hair fell into his eyes and he shook it away, sending tiny droplets flying off his hair.
“But I already know your name, Evangeline,” he said, his voice low and his eyes intense. “Why would I need to ask about something I’ve been thinking about for a week and a half?”
Evi bit her lip and leaned against the doorframe unconsciously; a previously unknown instinct ringing and telling her if she didn't her legs might give in underneath her. Tearing her eyes away from his, she studied the raindrops that were dripping off her gutter. Finally, with nothing else to do without falling apart completely, she spoke in a whisper. “You’re soaking. How long have you been out here?”
“Uh, an hour or so.” Orlando shoved his hands in his pockets before they reached out on their own to touch her. She was so close, so goddamn close…
“Well, come inside then, you’re going to get sick.” Evi let him walk past her and shut the door, pausing to press her forehead against it for a second before she turned around. “You’ll need a towel or something, just go in the living room.” Evi went down the hallway to her linen closet, hearing his footsteps echo through the empty house.
Whether subconsciously or on purpose, she grabbed the fluffiest, softest towel she owned and went back down the hallway. Orlando was standing in the middle of her living room, his back to her when she entered and draped the towel over his shoulders.
“Thank you.” Orlando looked at her when one of her hands remained on his arm, then sighed softly when she looked away and stepped back quickly.
“So, you came all the way to Hawaii to talk to me…then stood in front of my house for an hour in the rain?” Evi pulled on her tank top again, feeling more awkward than she ever had around Orlando.
“I know it’s a little…crazy.” Orlando rubbed the towel over his hair and down his body, not noticing the way Evi’s eyes followed his movements. “I just…I need to talk to you, Evangeline. I couldn’t stand leaving things the way they were for another day.”
They looked at each other for a moment. Outside, the rain continued to pour and both of them jumped a little when the thunder cracked. It seemed to jar Evi into movement, her discomfort of the situation being overshadowed by a need to make sure he was alright.
“You must be hungry.” She motioned to the door leading into the kitchen. Where we met, her mind added. “We can talk in there, yeah? I’ll get you something…” Evi started to walk past him, then stopped when she felt his hand on her arm.
“Evangeline, you don’t have to do this.” He couldn’t mask the emotion in his voice when he added, “If you don’t want me here…say it. Don’t dance around it…just tell me if you’d rather I go back to the airport and just…leave.”
Evi blinked away the tears, not daring to face him as she spoke. “Would you? If I told you I never wanted to see you again, would you just up and leave? Just like that?”
Orlando stumbled over an answer but when Evi finally spun around she didn’t give him a chance to speak.
“It’d hurt to hear that wouldn’t it? Like getting slapped in the face and punched in the stomach at the same time, except it isn’t some random person doing it to you,” this time she couldn’t blink away the tears, letting them leave a stinging trail down her cheeks as her voice cracked and quieted. “It’s someone who you trusted more than anything. You’d hate it, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” he could barely manage, and when his eyes moved to her trembling hands she immediately fisted them. He stepped forward, not afraid of getting a fist to his cheek in response. “I want this to work, Evangeline, you have to believe me. You have to.”
“I want to,” she replied, choking on a sob. “I honestly do, Orlando. But…”
“But I was stupid,” he said, finishing her sentence. “I was a sodding idiot who should’ve known better…and now I feel like I’ve destroyed the most important thing in my life.”
Before he could stop himself, Orlando’s hand reached out to wipe a tear that was rolling down her cheek. Not knowing what else to do, Evi quickly moved away, shutting her eyes tightly.
“At this point…I don’t care about anything else, Evangeline.” A sad laugh escaped his lips, and before he knew it, his own tears were threatening to fall. “I want to fix this. I want to fix us.”
“You should’ve trusted me,” she sniffled. “You knew…you know me better than that.”
“I’m sorry, Evangeline,” Orlando whispered, his voice choking up again. “I was just stupid…and afraid.” Her look told him she questioned his last remark and he exhaled, looking into her eyes and showing her how honest he was. “I was afraid of losing you, Evangeline.”
“Losing me? To Foxy?” Evi shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut in a futile attempt to prevent anymore tears from falling. “How could you even think that?”
“I wasn’t thinking, obviously, and that’s the problem.” Orlando ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself. “All I knew was…I’d already lost her like that. And you…you’re more important to me than she ever was, Evangeline. Damn it, I just…” he reached for her again, tentatively allowing his hand to touch her cheek. She didn’t move closer, but she didn’t move away. “I was wrong. I know I was wrong.”
“Yes, you were.” Evi turned her head when he started to brush away her tears again. Taking a step away from him, she turned her back and folded her arms across her chest. “Orlando, if you can’t trust me, how can this work?”
This was hard. So damn hard. It was going against every instinct Evi had to separate herself from him. She heard him step towards her, felt his presence at her back. His hand swept her hair away from her neck and she felt his breath ghost across her skin. “Evangeline, I do trust you, and this will work. I won’t let my bollocks ruin it. That’s why I came all the way to Hawaii and stood outside your house in the rain for over an hour. It’s why I haven’t been able to concentrate since you left the hotel. Don’t you get it, Evangeline? I know I fucked up but I can’t let it end like this.”
His hands gripped her shoulders and she let herself be pulled back against his chest. She could feel his pounding heart and knew that hers matched it, beat for beat.
“Why?” she whispered, keeping her eyes squeezed tightly shut. It pained her to ask it, but she went on anyway. “Why can’t you let me go?”
“Let you go?” he repeated disbelievingly. “Just let you go? I couldn’t. Ever. Evangeline, I love you.”
The words were out before Orlando had time to process them. As soon as they were out, they hung in the air between them, heavy and still. Orlando’s jaw snapped shut and he took a step backwards, sure she was about to kick him out. He’d picked the worst possible time to say those words, and even though he meant it with everything he had, he wasn’t so sure she was ready to hear them yet.
“Orlando.” Evi turned around, the moonlight coming in through the windows reflecting on the tears still shimmering in her eyes. “God, Orlando…”
He didn’t know what to do with his hands all of a sudden, stuck between shoving them in his pockets or just letting them hang at his sides. “I…”
Slowly but surely, Evangeline’s face melted, every last ounce and sharp feature disappearing into the night as she let out a small laugh, her lips turning upwards for the first time that night. A myriad of emotions passed over her face in the span of a few seconds; shock, surprise, is this really happening, did you really say that?. Most of all: relief and love. Before he could prepare himself, her body came crashing into his, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly, pulling him close with no intention of ever letting him go. Feeling like he was in a dream, he slowly brought his arms around her waist and hugged her closer, his body molding perfectly against hers and sharing her warmth.
“Oh my god,” she whispered thickly, pulling back to reveal she was crying. This time, though, they were tears of what Orlando could only assume was joy before her lips met his. He fell back onto the nearest couch, Evi shifting so she was in his lap but never breaking the kiss.
After a moment of pure bliss, something he’d been wanting for, God, so long, Evi broke away from the kiss and held his face in her hands. “You know I feel the same way, right?”
Orlando nodded, at a loss of words. There weren't any right ones at this point, he'd already said all there needed to be said. He loved her. And, his stomach tightened and his arms tightened around her waist, she loved him. His lips made contact with the skin of her neck, making her head fall back as her eyes shut. Fuck, she tasted just as bloody fantastic as he remembered.
“God…Orlando…”
“Ssshh,” he quickly murmured, moving his way up her neck until his lips were right at her ear. “Let me take care of you.”
Quietly nodding, Evi let herself get carried up and off the couch, and Orlando wordlessly carried her into her bedroom. As he gently placed her on the bed, Orlando couldn’t help but sigh out and give her a small smile. “Missed you, y’know.”
Evi tugged at his shirt, quickly pulling on top of her. “Starting from this point…no more words.”
“No offense, love, but you’re quite vocal in bed,” Orlando smiled, because it felt so damn good to. He slipped his finger under her tank top and lifted it enough to bare her stomach so he could press a butterfly kiss just below her bellybutton. His thumbs hooked onto the top of her sweats and gently slid them down, savoring how slightly her body trembled as he took his time.
As each small portion of skin was revealed, he placed another kiss to her, humming against her warm stomach, and then against her hip, and then along the fabric of her panties. Her hand reached out and ran through his hair, her stomach falling and rising sharply when he snagged the fabric between his teeth.
“Oh…” she breathed, warmth spreading from her stomach to the end of her limbs. Her hips lifted instinctively when he pulled her panties down her legs, along with her sweats. The fresh air felt great against the inside of her thigh but what felt better was when his hands tickled the sensitive skin there, pushing her legs open. His lips tickled her as he whispered her name, which sounded so fucking good at the moment.
“Tell me you love me again,” Evi choked out when she felt his fingers brush along her entrance. She hadn’t meant to say it but once the words left her mouth she desired nothing less than to get what she wanted. His finger slipped inside of her and she snagged her bottom lip between her teeth. “Please.”
Orlando rested his cheek on her stomach and breathed out, “I love you so much, Evangeline. You have no idea.”
“Oh god,” Evi sucked in a breath when he pressed another finger inside of her, spreading her. “Fuck.”
“And you’re the one who wanted to be quiet,” Orlando mockingly chided, moving along her body so his lips were against her chin. “Not that I mind. You have the most beautiful voice. Ever.”
On ever he started to pump his fingers and Evi’s heart jumped into her throat. God, she missed this. Her imagination just wasn’t enough of a substitute for the real thing. There was something so amazing about having Orlando, any part of him, inside of her.
His other hand pushed up her tank top until it was bunched up beneath her arms and before Evi could prepare herself he took her nipple into his mouth. She let out a guttural cry, one hand still in his hair and the other fisting the comforter beside her.
“I…I love you too,” she panted, her hips rocking in sync with his fingers. And when his thumb pressed against her clit, her brain lost entire control of the bottom half of her body. “God, I love….!”
She lost all sense of speaking a full sentence ever again as she got closer and closer, his thumb manipulating her clit as he worked a third finger inside of her. He moaned against her breast which only drove her further and harder until finally, it was there. “Oh god…oh god, oh yes….yes, right there ….YES!”
After a few moments, when she finally came down from her high, Evi found that Orlando was breathing nearly as hard as she was. His fingers were still inside of her but his thumb continued to gently move against her clit, giving her small aftershocks.
“Bloody hell,” he breathed against her neck, lifting his head to press a kiss on her eyelid. “Have I ever told you that I love it when you come?”
“No, but I appreciate it,” Evi offered, her voice pathetically quiet as her breathing finally settled. “It’s been too long since we’ve done this.”
“And it’s gotten better, yeah?” Orlando asked, giving her a chaste kiss before falling beside her, his fingers slipping out of her. He licked off each finger, slowly and patiently despite the explosiveness of the taste, trying not to smile in smug delight as she watched him intently.
Her tongue darted out to lick her lips briefly when he finished the third and final finger, her hands trailing along his belt, tugging it open wordlessly. She unbuckled and unzipped rather quickly, turning him onto his back and straddling his legs, sliding his jeans underneath and behind her, not even bothering to wait for him to kick them off.
“No,” he said abruptly, voice husky and firm as his hands gripped her waist and turned her over so that she was beneath him, his leg slipping between hers, spreading them. She protested half-heartedly and he quieted her with a slow, savoring kiss. When he pulled away, she followed, and a smile ghosted over his lips. “Would it be the end of the world if you weren’t on top this time?”
“It might just be.” Evi’s nose wrinkled and she laughed shakily, fingers tracing the corded muscles in his arms. The feeling of his stomach pressed against hers, of looking up and meeting his eyes, was addicting she admitted. “Or not.”
“We’ll just have to see.” He kicked off his pants and kissed a path down her neck to the valley between her breasts as he positioned himself between her legs. “We have all night.”
Evi’s fingers ran through his hair and he could hear the trepidation in her voice when she asked, “You’re leaving in the morning?”
He pressed into her just slightly, enough to cause her breath to hitch. “I'm never leaving, Evangeline.”
“Never?” She choked out a moan as her nails dug into his arms and he stilled inside of her.
“Never.” Orlando’s hands dropped to her waist to keep her from moving before she could try and his lips left her skin. A second later and his hair tickled her cheeks as he kissed her, deep and indulging. Thumbs pressed into her hips and a delighted spark appeared in his eyes at the way her entire face melted. “I love you.”
And when he pushed himself deeper until he was fully inside of her he found he couldn’t even keep his eyes open.
“Say it again,” she kissed his nose, eyes opening just enough to look at him.
“Mmmm, I love you.” He moved a little faster, control quickly slipping away from him. He kissed her blindly, finding her lips through habit. In the mash of lips, teeth and tongue, he said it again. “Love you so much.”
Evi’s eyes closed when his thrusts became fast and hard, catching her off guard. Their bodies hardly separated but each time it felt like a freight train. Flashes of light exploded behind her eyes and her nails threatened to break skin, her heels digging into the back of his thighs like the world was ending and Orlando was all she had left.
It was true, at that moment, all that mattered was Orlando. All that mattered was that he was inside of her and his lips were on her skin and he was whispering 'I love you' in time with each thrust. She could picture them, years from now, still saying I love you and it still carrying the same amazing weight to it. Years from now, she knew without a doubt that Orlando would still be the best sex she'd ever had because he loved her and she loved him just as much, if not more.
Snagging his earlobe between her teeth, she keened against him, meeting his thrusts with a roll of her own hips, fingers leaving red, half-moon marks on his shoulders. "I love you," she choked out, and he moved faster in response, like an instinct. "Jesus! I love...you. So much. Oh....GOD!"
Orlando's arms - glistening with a sheen layer of sweat she felt as her hands fell down to hold on - wrapped around her waist tightly and lifted her up suddenly. His tongue ran across her bottom lip as he leaned back on his legs, kneeling on the bed while Evi automatically pressed her knees against his side. In a shaky voice, he swore without thinking against the corner of her mouth; hands drifting down to slip under her thighs and lift her up slightly so he could push into her harder, faster, making each thrust better than the last.
Evi rocked her hips in time with his in reckless abandon and Orlando's hand flew out to press against the wall when the concept of holding onto her, onto anything was lost on him and he came close and closer. Too long, he thought. It'd been too long since they'd been able to be together like this. No way was he going to waste it. Bringing his hand from the wall, he reached between them to press--hard and desperate--his thumb against her clit. It was like a switch being turned on, a side of Evi he hadn't seen before. Her head fell back and her inner muscles tightened over him as she came with a sudden cry.
Orlando was in heaven when she came, bringing him to the edge and shoving him off before he could even prepare himself. Out of nowhere he could feel Evi's teeth digging into his shoulder and it just made the entire experience even more fucking fantastic.
A few minutes passed, after they both calmed down and their breathing slowed, before either dared to move. Evi's nose was buried in his neck and Orlando was kissing the top of her head. His hands were shaking as he tried to keep a firm grasp on her so she wouldn't fall off of him if she fell asleep. When he spoke it was a mumble, weak voice, lethargic almost. Right now, with her, there was no need to rush anything. "Did you...?"
"Enjoy that?" she smiled against his neck, kissing his pulse point. "Only a little."
He laughed, "I was actually going to ask something else, but--"
"What?" She pulled back a little to look him in the eyes, moaning when she remembered he was still inside of her.
"Did you...bite me?" he asked, amusement in his voice. When she blushed--as much as she could with her cheeks already flushed--he laughed good-naturedly.
Placing her hands on his shoulders and lifting herself up and off of him, she pulled him down with her so that they both rested on their sides, facing each other. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." He brushed his thumb over her lip and gave her a sincere look, despite the amused smile that lingered. "I had no problem with it, Evangeline."
"Oh, really?" She looked surprised and just as amused. "I think I've unearthed a kinky side in you, Mr. Bloom."
"Mmm, so says the kettle." He pulled her closer. "I take it the biting is a byproduct of being a Canadian Mobster?"
Evi bit her lip. "Actually, just from being Canadian. It's in our blood."
"God bless Alberta." He kissed her nose. "They were idiots to let you leave the country. Should've taken some of your DNA to make future generations."
"Then I wouldn't be so unique," she noted. After a moment, the smile lifted off of her face and her eyes glazed over. The afterglow wasn't as she expected it because the memories of the past week were still there and, goddamnit even if she didn't want them to, they resurfaced. "Orlando..."
"I love you, Evangeline," he told her with emphasis. "I was an idiot then."
“I want you to promise me,” she said to him as firmly as she could, hand squeezing his arm and trying to keep his eyes on her. She realized a moment later she didn’t have to try - Orlando had no intention of ever looking away. When she continued, she cursed herself silently for the shakiness of her voice. “Promise that you’ll never do that to me again.”
“I promise,” Orlando said without hesitation, pulling her closer against him. He tenderly kissed the spot between her nose and her upper lip. “The second biggest mistake of my life was not trusting you, Evangeline.”
“Second?” She sighed against his chin, eyes fluttering shut. “What was the first?”
Orlando’s fingers dragged up her side and then fell under the slope of her breasts like it was the most natural thing in the world. He kissed her again, a myriad of paradoxes. Soft yet firm, passionate but patient; her stomach tightened against his yet it felt as if her entire body was melting when he pulled away. “The biggest mistake of my life was waiting till now to tell you I love you.”
Evi smiled wryly, eyes opening to look at him when she laughed breathlessly. “You really know all the right things to say, don’t you?”
"I studied up on cheesy lines during the flight over," he gave a faint, barely-there nod, contrasting with the big and bright grin that spread across his face. “I have to make up for lost time, princess.”
To Be Continued.
Authors: CJ [vylentcrymz], Emilie [emilierevan], Jen [savvy_elf] and Stacy [seemedsobright].
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Dominic Monaghan/Emilie de Ravin, Ian Somerhalder/Maggie Grace, Orlando Bloom/Evangeline Lilly
Summary: Love. Friendship. Growth. Sex. Change. Drama. But mostly just sex. Sure, we have a plot… somewhere around here (now where did I put that thing?), but when broken down into its simplest form, Epico = SEX!
Disclaimer: We don't own these people. They're real, sure, but none of these events have or ever will transpire. No offense is meant and we're making no profit from this. Title taken from the song A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos.
Authors' Notes: We the writers would like to thank ALL the readers for…well, reading, of course. And commenting, and making icons and graphics and for epico_squee in general. We love writing this story and we love that you love reading it. *BIG hugs*
Please remember: Feedback is to us as sex is to Magsian, Domilie, and Orlilly. As in, very important, and something that needs to be done 24/7.
AN2: Sorry this took so long. Time differences, going out of town, RL bullshit that shouldn’t be as important as epico but sadly is. Forgive us and enjoy this chapter muchly.
Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14
---
When Maggie felt Ian’s hand slip under the sheets and his lips touch her shoulder, she grinned into her pillow and opened her right eye enough to peer at the alarm clock. “We’ve only been asleep for an hour, Ian.”
“So?” he asked, fingers tickling her hips before slipping his hand comfortably between her thighs. A long, indulging moment passed as he kissed a trail up her neck until his lips tickled the edge of her ear. “I love this…”
Maggie snagged her bottom lip briefly and reached behind her to entangle her fingers in his hair. She could tell he had a serious case of bed head and wanted nothing more than to turn around so she could see him in all his glory. But then his thumb started to massage slow circles into her leg and she forgot what her name was for a moment. “Love what?”
He smiled against her temple, even laughing a little. “You, me, here. I like waking up next to you.”
“Yeah?” She finally managed to move somewhat, turning onto her back only to have Ian’s lips find hers immediately in a nice, luxurious kiss. When he pulled away, she gathered her wits as quickly as she could with her brain already turned to mush. “I was starting to worry you thought it was a hassle.”
“Really?” he pulled away a little, a small flicker of doubt in his eyes. “How…I didn’t meant to make you think-”
“Ian?” she turned over onto her side and rested her hand on his chest, over his heart as she smiled up at him. “Sense the tone.”
After a moment an ear-to-ear smile spread across his face. “Oh, sarcasm. I didn’t think right now was the kind of moment to be sarcastic though, so that’s why I thought it.”
“When is there ever a time to not be sarcastic?” Maggie asked, brow furrowed.
“Now. I’m…I’m serious. Or…well, not really serious but,” he shook his head, hand sliding along her side until he splayed it across her back. “I’ve been thinking, Mags. You-you love me, right?”
She kissed just under his chin, hands playing with the hair at the back of his neck. “Of course I do.”
“And…well, one of these days I’m going to-I’m not saying now or tomorrow or the day after or…not that I won’t ever.” Ian stopped and shut his eyes, allowing himself a moment to collect his words a little better before rambling on like an idiot. When he opened his eyes, Maggie found herself drowning in blue. “One of these days I’m going to ask you if you wanna spend the rest of your life waking up in bed with me. And I just wanted to know-”
“You’re so cute when you stutter,” she teased good-naturedly, giving him a loving kiss.
Ian sighed, “Mags…”
“You shouldn’t have to worry about my answer,” she said to him in as firm a voice as she could manage with the smile still on her face. “If you don’t know whether or not I’d say yes then you probably shouldn’t ask me until you do.”
“Oh, okay.” He licked his lips and nodded, somewhat appeased with the answer. After a few minutes he laughed like he’d just pulled a prank, but his eyes-as always-betrayed the fact that he was still thinking about it. “I was just…it was hypothetical.”
“At three am, everything’s hypothetical to you,” she mumbled, eyes closing for a moment. Her breathing slowed and he realized she was close to falling back asleep again.
Wrapping his arm around her waist, Ian pressed his lips to her forehead, eyes closing along with hers. Against her forehead, he mumbled, “I swear it was just hypothetical.”
A moment later, she whispered back, “I’m sure it was.”
---
All he had to do was press the little green button on his mobile. Then her cell phone would ring, and she’d wake up, and hopefully, then she’d answer the phone. But did he have the courage to talk back? After the complete shite that happened to them? That was the debate he’d been running through his mind for over two hours already.
With his fingers faintly shaking, he closed his eyes and stabbed the button before he could prolong it anymore. This was something that had to be done. After everything with…
He sucked in a breath and held the small device to his ear, letting the soft, steady rings push out any unwanted thoughts. This time it was going to be different. Evi was far too great a woman for him to let go so easily. No, she was far too perfect a woman to let go of, and Orlando couldn’t bear- wouldn’t bear- to lose something so precious.
---
Well can't you see that it's just raining, there ain't no need to go outside. But baby, you hardly even notice when I try to show you...
Evi’s eyes popped open and she spent a disoriented moment trying to figure out why the hell Jack Johnson was singing to her in the middle of the night.
Oh. Cell phone. Right.
Evi’s hands groped in the darkness until she located the phone and yanked it out of its charger. Flipping it open, the screen shed bright light on her face and her eyes focused on the caller ID.
Orlando.
For a second, Evi’s heart rate picked up. It had been-she checked the time-ten days, six hours and four minutes since she’d last spoken to him. So many times she’d picked up the phone and chickened out. Did she have the strength now to answer it? She stared at the green button. Mama made a baby. Really don't mind the practice 'cause you're my little lady. Lady, lady love me 'cause I love to lay here lazy...
Quickly, before it cut to her voicemail and before she lost the nerve, Evi hit the button and held the phone to her ear. For a second, she bit her lip and just listened.
“Evangeline.” No one else used he full name. And no one else could say it the way he did. Evi shut her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping one arm around them. “Are you…are you doing alright?”
Wince. Not the greatest question, Bloom, Orlando chided himself on the other end of the line, silently cursing the fact that the first thing he said to her in over a week was 'are you doing alright?' Ten bloody days apart and he couldn't come up with anything better? She deserved better. But doing what he wanted was easier said then done, a painful lump forming in his throat and making him sound even more the bumbling fool. “I, uh…Evangeline, I wanted to talk to you…I realize it’s late. I’m sorry.”
Evi swallowed, trying, just as Orlando was, to get rid of the uncomfortable catch in her throat. “You could try to call me when its daylight, y’know.”
She shook her head, not meaning to sound so irritated. Before she could apologize, Orlando, in his sweetest voice, beat her to the punch. “I would but you seem to not answer your phone during the daytime.”
Letting out a small sigh, Evi picked at a stray thread from her sweatpants. Part of her was wondering why she even answered and the other part of her just wanted him to keep saying her name, over and over and over. “I’ve been busy.” It was a lie but a believable one; at this point it was all she could do. Did she want him to know how crappy her life had been the past few days? Did he deserve to know, after what he'd accused her of doing?
“Can we please talk?” he asked quietly, his voice almost completely drowned out by the rain pattering loudly against her roof and window. “Please?”
Evi bit her lip, shutting her eyes at the sound of his voice and question. She could’ve sworn his voice cracked when he said please, and for a second, she felt her resolve about this entire situation begin to crack as well.
“Well, we are right now, aren’t we?” she quietly replied, hoping it didn’t come off as irritated as her previous responses.
“Yeah, we are,” he laughed sadly, and Evi frowned at how empty his voice sounded. “But…I meant face to face, Evangeline. Not just over some bloody connection that’s being worsened by this sodding rain.”
“How fast can you fly to Hawaii?” she tried to joke, miserably hoping that it’d lighten the indescribably heavy mood of their conversation. Then the realization of his words and what they meant dawned on her. She could feel her mouth falling open in a silent gasp. Wait…did he just say…
Her train of thought was cut off by his reply, which only confirmed what dawned on her at that very moment.
“It depends,” Orlando said, taking one deep breath before continuing on. “How fast can you get to your front door?”
Her eyes widened and darted towards her bedroom door. “Orlando, I…I thought you were supposed to ask what my favorite scary movie was first,” she managed to say, slowly getting out of bed.
Orlando chuckled softly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he looked nervously at her door. With jokes as lame as that it almost felt like it was back to the beginning.
“I don’t have to do that,” he told her, running his fingers through his hair. “It’s Jeepers Creepers 2.”
That brought certain levity to the situation as she padded down the hallway, her free hand tugging nervously at the hem of her tank. “So isn’t this the part where you start quizzing me on horror movies?”
He shook his head, stopping himself when he remembered she couldn’t see him. Yet. “Love, I’m not enough of an expert. To me the Wizard of Oz is scary.”
She rested her palm against the front door, as if willing to sink through to touch him again. “It was the munchkins, wasn’t it?” Her fingertips brushed the latch. Hesitant. “There is one question you can ask,” she began softly.
“And what question would that be?”
The door swung open and they found their eyes locked as Evi lowered her cellphone first.
“You can ask me my name so you know who you’re looking at,” she said quietly, not daring to move as they stood opposite each other. Her brain was hardly functioning and the rip-off of Scream was the only thing that came to mind to keep her from swallowing her tongue before opening the door; it took her a moment to realize it was pretty high on the lame-scale and, under different circumstances, they'd be having a good laugh over it.
But they weren't in different circumstances. As much as she wanted them to be, they weren't. Orlando was standing outside, in the rain, staring at her with sad eyes while she remained motionless in the warmth of her home. An invitation was at the tip of her tongue, but she wasn't ready to ask him yet. She was still trying to figure out if she was looking at her boyfriend or the man who didn't even trust her enough to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Orlando snapped his phone shut, pocketing it without taking his eyes off Evangeline’s. A dripping wet lock of hair fell into his eyes and he shook it away, sending tiny droplets flying off his hair.
“But I already know your name, Evangeline,” he said, his voice low and his eyes intense. “Why would I need to ask about something I’ve been thinking about for a week and a half?”
Evi bit her lip and leaned against the doorframe unconsciously; a previously unknown instinct ringing and telling her if she didn't her legs might give in underneath her. Tearing her eyes away from his, she studied the raindrops that were dripping off her gutter. Finally, with nothing else to do without falling apart completely, she spoke in a whisper. “You’re soaking. How long have you been out here?”
“Uh, an hour or so.” Orlando shoved his hands in his pockets before they reached out on their own to touch her. She was so close, so goddamn close…
“Well, come inside then, you’re going to get sick.” Evi let him walk past her and shut the door, pausing to press her forehead against it for a second before she turned around. “You’ll need a towel or something, just go in the living room.” Evi went down the hallway to her linen closet, hearing his footsteps echo through the empty house.
Whether subconsciously or on purpose, she grabbed the fluffiest, softest towel she owned and went back down the hallway. Orlando was standing in the middle of her living room, his back to her when she entered and draped the towel over his shoulders.
“Thank you.” Orlando looked at her when one of her hands remained on his arm, then sighed softly when she looked away and stepped back quickly.
“So, you came all the way to Hawaii to talk to me…then stood in front of my house for an hour in the rain?” Evi pulled on her tank top again, feeling more awkward than she ever had around Orlando.
“I know it’s a little…crazy.” Orlando rubbed the towel over his hair and down his body, not noticing the way Evi’s eyes followed his movements. “I just…I need to talk to you, Evangeline. I couldn’t stand leaving things the way they were for another day.”
They looked at each other for a moment. Outside, the rain continued to pour and both of them jumped a little when the thunder cracked. It seemed to jar Evi into movement, her discomfort of the situation being overshadowed by a need to make sure he was alright.
“You must be hungry.” She motioned to the door leading into the kitchen. Where we met, her mind added. “We can talk in there, yeah? I’ll get you something…” Evi started to walk past him, then stopped when she felt his hand on her arm.
“Evangeline, you don’t have to do this.” He couldn’t mask the emotion in his voice when he added, “If you don’t want me here…say it. Don’t dance around it…just tell me if you’d rather I go back to the airport and just…leave.”
Evi blinked away the tears, not daring to face him as she spoke. “Would you? If I told you I never wanted to see you again, would you just up and leave? Just like that?”
Orlando stumbled over an answer but when Evi finally spun around she didn’t give him a chance to speak.
“It’d hurt to hear that wouldn’t it? Like getting slapped in the face and punched in the stomach at the same time, except it isn’t some random person doing it to you,” this time she couldn’t blink away the tears, letting them leave a stinging trail down her cheeks as her voice cracked and quieted. “It’s someone who you trusted more than anything. You’d hate it, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” he could barely manage, and when his eyes moved to her trembling hands she immediately fisted them. He stepped forward, not afraid of getting a fist to his cheek in response. “I want this to work, Evangeline, you have to believe me. You have to.”
“I want to,” she replied, choking on a sob. “I honestly do, Orlando. But…”
“But I was stupid,” he said, finishing her sentence. “I was a sodding idiot who should’ve known better…and now I feel like I’ve destroyed the most important thing in my life.”
Before he could stop himself, Orlando’s hand reached out to wipe a tear that was rolling down her cheek. Not knowing what else to do, Evi quickly moved away, shutting her eyes tightly.
“At this point…I don’t care about anything else, Evangeline.” A sad laugh escaped his lips, and before he knew it, his own tears were threatening to fall. “I want to fix this. I want to fix us.”
“You should’ve trusted me,” she sniffled. “You knew…you know me better than that.”
“I’m sorry, Evangeline,” Orlando whispered, his voice choking up again. “I was just stupid…and afraid.” Her look told him she questioned his last remark and he exhaled, looking into her eyes and showing her how honest he was. “I was afraid of losing you, Evangeline.”
“Losing me? To Foxy?” Evi shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut in a futile attempt to prevent anymore tears from falling. “How could you even think that?”
“I wasn’t thinking, obviously, and that’s the problem.” Orlando ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself. “All I knew was…I’d already lost her like that. And you…you’re more important to me than she ever was, Evangeline. Damn it, I just…” he reached for her again, tentatively allowing his hand to touch her cheek. She didn’t move closer, but she didn’t move away. “I was wrong. I know I was wrong.”
“Yes, you were.” Evi turned her head when he started to brush away her tears again. Taking a step away from him, she turned her back and folded her arms across her chest. “Orlando, if you can’t trust me, how can this work?”
This was hard. So damn hard. It was going against every instinct Evi had to separate herself from him. She heard him step towards her, felt his presence at her back. His hand swept her hair away from her neck and she felt his breath ghost across her skin. “Evangeline, I do trust you, and this will work. I won’t let my bollocks ruin it. That’s why I came all the way to Hawaii and stood outside your house in the rain for over an hour. It’s why I haven’t been able to concentrate since you left the hotel. Don’t you get it, Evangeline? I know I fucked up but I can’t let it end like this.”
His hands gripped her shoulders and she let herself be pulled back against his chest. She could feel his pounding heart and knew that hers matched it, beat for beat.
“Why?” she whispered, keeping her eyes squeezed tightly shut. It pained her to ask it, but she went on anyway. “Why can’t you let me go?”
“Let you go?” he repeated disbelievingly. “Just let you go? I couldn’t. Ever. Evangeline, I love you.”
The words were out before Orlando had time to process them. As soon as they were out, they hung in the air between them, heavy and still. Orlando’s jaw snapped shut and he took a step backwards, sure she was about to kick him out. He’d picked the worst possible time to say those words, and even though he meant it with everything he had, he wasn’t so sure she was ready to hear them yet.
“Orlando.” Evi turned around, the moonlight coming in through the windows reflecting on the tears still shimmering in her eyes. “God, Orlando…”
He didn’t know what to do with his hands all of a sudden, stuck between shoving them in his pockets or just letting them hang at his sides. “I…”
Slowly but surely, Evangeline’s face melted, every last ounce and sharp feature disappearing into the night as she let out a small laugh, her lips turning upwards for the first time that night. A myriad of emotions passed over her face in the span of a few seconds; shock, surprise, is this really happening, did you really say that?. Most of all: relief and love. Before he could prepare himself, her body came crashing into his, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly, pulling him close with no intention of ever letting him go. Feeling like he was in a dream, he slowly brought his arms around her waist and hugged her closer, his body molding perfectly against hers and sharing her warmth.
“Oh my god,” she whispered thickly, pulling back to reveal she was crying. This time, though, they were tears of what Orlando could only assume was joy before her lips met his. He fell back onto the nearest couch, Evi shifting so she was in his lap but never breaking the kiss.
After a moment of pure bliss, something he’d been wanting for, God, so long, Evi broke away from the kiss and held his face in her hands. “You know I feel the same way, right?”
Orlando nodded, at a loss of words. There weren't any right ones at this point, he'd already said all there needed to be said. He loved her. And, his stomach tightened and his arms tightened around her waist, she loved him. His lips made contact with the skin of her neck, making her head fall back as her eyes shut. Fuck, she tasted just as bloody fantastic as he remembered.
“God…Orlando…”
“Ssshh,” he quickly murmured, moving his way up her neck until his lips were right at her ear. “Let me take care of you.”
Quietly nodding, Evi let herself get carried up and off the couch, and Orlando wordlessly carried her into her bedroom. As he gently placed her on the bed, Orlando couldn’t help but sigh out and give her a small smile. “Missed you, y’know.”
Evi tugged at his shirt, quickly pulling on top of her. “Starting from this point…no more words.”
“No offense, love, but you’re quite vocal in bed,” Orlando smiled, because it felt so damn good to. He slipped his finger under her tank top and lifted it enough to bare her stomach so he could press a butterfly kiss just below her bellybutton. His thumbs hooked onto the top of her sweats and gently slid them down, savoring how slightly her body trembled as he took his time.
As each small portion of skin was revealed, he placed another kiss to her, humming against her warm stomach, and then against her hip, and then along the fabric of her panties. Her hand reached out and ran through his hair, her stomach falling and rising sharply when he snagged the fabric between his teeth.
“Oh…” she breathed, warmth spreading from her stomach to the end of her limbs. Her hips lifted instinctively when he pulled her panties down her legs, along with her sweats. The fresh air felt great against the inside of her thigh but what felt better was when his hands tickled the sensitive skin there, pushing her legs open. His lips tickled her as he whispered her name, which sounded so fucking good at the moment.
“Tell me you love me again,” Evi choked out when she felt his fingers brush along her entrance. She hadn’t meant to say it but once the words left her mouth she desired nothing less than to get what she wanted. His finger slipped inside of her and she snagged her bottom lip between her teeth. “Please.”
Orlando rested his cheek on her stomach and breathed out, “I love you so much, Evangeline. You have no idea.”
“Oh god,” Evi sucked in a breath when he pressed another finger inside of her, spreading her. “Fuck.”
“And you’re the one who wanted to be quiet,” Orlando mockingly chided, moving along her body so his lips were against her chin. “Not that I mind. You have the most beautiful voice. Ever.”
On ever he started to pump his fingers and Evi’s heart jumped into her throat. God, she missed this. Her imagination just wasn’t enough of a substitute for the real thing. There was something so amazing about having Orlando, any part of him, inside of her.
His other hand pushed up her tank top until it was bunched up beneath her arms and before Evi could prepare herself he took her nipple into his mouth. She let out a guttural cry, one hand still in his hair and the other fisting the comforter beside her.
“I…I love you too,” she panted, her hips rocking in sync with his fingers. And when his thumb pressed against her clit, her brain lost entire control of the bottom half of her body. “God, I love….!”
She lost all sense of speaking a full sentence ever again as she got closer and closer, his thumb manipulating her clit as he worked a third finger inside of her. He moaned against her breast which only drove her further and harder until finally, it was there. “Oh god…oh god, oh yes….yes, right there ….YES!”
After a few moments, when she finally came down from her high, Evi found that Orlando was breathing nearly as hard as she was. His fingers were still inside of her but his thumb continued to gently move against her clit, giving her small aftershocks.
“Bloody hell,” he breathed against her neck, lifting his head to press a kiss on her eyelid. “Have I ever told you that I love it when you come?”
“No, but I appreciate it,” Evi offered, her voice pathetically quiet as her breathing finally settled. “It’s been too long since we’ve done this.”
“And it’s gotten better, yeah?” Orlando asked, giving her a chaste kiss before falling beside her, his fingers slipping out of her. He licked off each finger, slowly and patiently despite the explosiveness of the taste, trying not to smile in smug delight as she watched him intently.
Her tongue darted out to lick her lips briefly when he finished the third and final finger, her hands trailing along his belt, tugging it open wordlessly. She unbuckled and unzipped rather quickly, turning him onto his back and straddling his legs, sliding his jeans underneath and behind her, not even bothering to wait for him to kick them off.
“No,” he said abruptly, voice husky and firm as his hands gripped her waist and turned her over so that she was beneath him, his leg slipping between hers, spreading them. She protested half-heartedly and he quieted her with a slow, savoring kiss. When he pulled away, she followed, and a smile ghosted over his lips. “Would it be the end of the world if you weren’t on top this time?”
“It might just be.” Evi’s nose wrinkled and she laughed shakily, fingers tracing the corded muscles in his arms. The feeling of his stomach pressed against hers, of looking up and meeting his eyes, was addicting she admitted. “Or not.”
“We’ll just have to see.” He kicked off his pants and kissed a path down her neck to the valley between her breasts as he positioned himself between her legs. “We have all night.”
Evi’s fingers ran through his hair and he could hear the trepidation in her voice when she asked, “You’re leaving in the morning?”
He pressed into her just slightly, enough to cause her breath to hitch. “I'm never leaving, Evangeline.”
“Never?” She choked out a moan as her nails dug into his arms and he stilled inside of her.
“Never.” Orlando’s hands dropped to her waist to keep her from moving before she could try and his lips left her skin. A second later and his hair tickled her cheeks as he kissed her, deep and indulging. Thumbs pressed into her hips and a delighted spark appeared in his eyes at the way her entire face melted. “I love you.”
And when he pushed himself deeper until he was fully inside of her he found he couldn’t even keep his eyes open.
“Say it again,” she kissed his nose, eyes opening just enough to look at him.
“Mmmm, I love you.” He moved a little faster, control quickly slipping away from him. He kissed her blindly, finding her lips through habit. In the mash of lips, teeth and tongue, he said it again. “Love you so much.”
Evi’s eyes closed when his thrusts became fast and hard, catching her off guard. Their bodies hardly separated but each time it felt like a freight train. Flashes of light exploded behind her eyes and her nails threatened to break skin, her heels digging into the back of his thighs like the world was ending and Orlando was all she had left.
It was true, at that moment, all that mattered was Orlando. All that mattered was that he was inside of her and his lips were on her skin and he was whispering 'I love you' in time with each thrust. She could picture them, years from now, still saying I love you and it still carrying the same amazing weight to it. Years from now, she knew without a doubt that Orlando would still be the best sex she'd ever had because he loved her and she loved him just as much, if not more.
Snagging his earlobe between her teeth, she keened against him, meeting his thrusts with a roll of her own hips, fingers leaving red, half-moon marks on his shoulders. "I love you," she choked out, and he moved faster in response, like an instinct. "Jesus! I love...you. So much. Oh....GOD!"
Orlando's arms - glistening with a sheen layer of sweat she felt as her hands fell down to hold on - wrapped around her waist tightly and lifted her up suddenly. His tongue ran across her bottom lip as he leaned back on his legs, kneeling on the bed while Evi automatically pressed her knees against his side. In a shaky voice, he swore without thinking against the corner of her mouth; hands drifting down to slip under her thighs and lift her up slightly so he could push into her harder, faster, making each thrust better than the last.
Evi rocked her hips in time with his in reckless abandon and Orlando's hand flew out to press against the wall when the concept of holding onto her, onto anything was lost on him and he came close and closer. Too long, he thought. It'd been too long since they'd been able to be together like this. No way was he going to waste it. Bringing his hand from the wall, he reached between them to press--hard and desperate--his thumb against her clit. It was like a switch being turned on, a side of Evi he hadn't seen before. Her head fell back and her inner muscles tightened over him as she came with a sudden cry.
Orlando was in heaven when she came, bringing him to the edge and shoving him off before he could even prepare himself. Out of nowhere he could feel Evi's teeth digging into his shoulder and it just made the entire experience even more fucking fantastic.
A few minutes passed, after they both calmed down and their breathing slowed, before either dared to move. Evi's nose was buried in his neck and Orlando was kissing the top of her head. His hands were shaking as he tried to keep a firm grasp on her so she wouldn't fall off of him if she fell asleep. When he spoke it was a mumble, weak voice, lethargic almost. Right now, with her, there was no need to rush anything. "Did you...?"
"Enjoy that?" she smiled against his neck, kissing his pulse point. "Only a little."
He laughed, "I was actually going to ask something else, but--"
"What?" She pulled back a little to look him in the eyes, moaning when she remembered he was still inside of her.
"Did you...bite me?" he asked, amusement in his voice. When she blushed--as much as she could with her cheeks already flushed--he laughed good-naturedly.
Placing her hands on his shoulders and lifting herself up and off of him, she pulled him down with her so that they both rested on their sides, facing each other. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize." He brushed his thumb over her lip and gave her a sincere look, despite the amused smile that lingered. "I had no problem with it, Evangeline."
"Oh, really?" She looked surprised and just as amused. "I think I've unearthed a kinky side in you, Mr. Bloom."
"Mmm, so says the kettle." He pulled her closer. "I take it the biting is a byproduct of being a Canadian Mobster?"
Evi bit her lip. "Actually, just from being Canadian. It's in our blood."
"God bless Alberta." He kissed her nose. "They were idiots to let you leave the country. Should've taken some of your DNA to make future generations."
"Then I wouldn't be so unique," she noted. After a moment, the smile lifted off of her face and her eyes glazed over. The afterglow wasn't as she expected it because the memories of the past week were still there and, goddamnit even if she didn't want them to, they resurfaced. "Orlando..."
"I love you, Evangeline," he told her with emphasis. "I was an idiot then."
“I want you to promise me,” she said to him as firmly as she could, hand squeezing his arm and trying to keep his eyes on her. She realized a moment later she didn’t have to try - Orlando had no intention of ever looking away. When she continued, she cursed herself silently for the shakiness of her voice. “Promise that you’ll never do that to me again.”
“I promise,” Orlando said without hesitation, pulling her closer against him. He tenderly kissed the spot between her nose and her upper lip. “The second biggest mistake of my life was not trusting you, Evangeline.”
“Second?” She sighed against his chin, eyes fluttering shut. “What was the first?”
Orlando’s fingers dragged up her side and then fell under the slope of her breasts like it was the most natural thing in the world. He kissed her again, a myriad of paradoxes. Soft yet firm, passionate but patient; her stomach tightened against his yet it felt as if her entire body was melting when he pulled away. “The biggest mistake of my life was waiting till now to tell you I love you.”
Evi smiled wryly, eyes opening to look at him when she laughed breathlessly. “You really know all the right things to say, don’t you?”
"I studied up on cheesy lines during the flight over," he gave a faint, barely-there nod, contrasting with the big and bright grin that spread across his face. “I have to make up for lost time, princess.”
To Be Continued.