A Kiss is Just a Kiss - Chapter 6 Kissand Tell
Title: A Kiss is Just a Kiss
Author: tilley_girl
Characters/Pairing: Mary/Marshall
Rating: PG-13
Summary: What can a kiss tell us about a friendship? An evolving relationship traced through a series of kisses. Spoilers for season 3.
Warning: Slight sexual references
Author’s Note: Can the development of a relationship be followed through a kiss? Oh, I think so. Many thanks to RJ Lupins Kat for providing the inspiration that drew this all together and to Bujyo for her wonderful editing and encouragement !
Chapter 6 - Kiss and Tell
"Jesus H Christ, Marshall! Are you trying to scare the hell out of me?"
Marshall was working his mouth, but no sound was coming out. He was staring at her. Gaping. Mary was becoming self conscious under his intense gaze, but some stubborn sense of pride kept her from covering herself.
"You're beautiful," he finally said, voice husky with awe, admiration, desire. He glanced away, turning slightly to give her some privacy. "I'm sorry I scared you. I just needed to talk to you. You didn't answer your cell. I couldn't sleep. Guess you couldn't either."
Mary hurriedly pulled her pjs back on and waited for him to face her again. When he turned back they looked at each other for a long moment, then Mary gestured to the deck chairs. They dropped into them, Mary feeling the heat in her cheeks. Plenty of men had seen her naked. This should not embarrass her. But this was Marshall. What he thought was actually important to her. And he thought she was beautiful. She'd heard that a lot too. Only this time the speaker of those words was not angling to get into her pants. Not tonight at least.
Marshall was looking down at his hands, then focused his gaze on the pool. "I needed to know what you were thinking. About us. About me. I can't stay in this limbo, Mary. I don't want to push and I'm willing to wait, but I need to know there's something I'm waiting for."
She was silent, the breeze rustled leaves amplified in the dark night. Finally standing up, the scared little girl who just wanted to be loved looked at the man who had become everything to her and walked over, nudging him aside and sitting down beside him on the deck chair. She stretched out next to him, his long legs extending far past hers. She laid her wet head on his shoulder and placed her hand over his heart.
"I had a dream," she began softly, "it's why I couldn't sleep. I dreamt I was on vacation and I wasn't alone. I was with Faber." She felt the tension in Marshall's body. "When he kissed me, it was wrong. Even in my dream, I knew it was wrong. I wanted it to be you. That's when I woke up." She shifted, knowing her soft curves were pressing into him, feeling a sense of gratification at the low grunt that escaped him. "That's why I came out here. I had to think, I had to decide. About us. About the changing relationship we've had the last how many months now? I've been trying to tell myself it's all right for friends to be as close as we are, to kiss like we do. But we're not just friends anymore are we?"
She looked up into his face, the moonlight providing enough illumination she could see the raw want in his eyes.
"No," he said roughly, "we aren't. We can be lovers whenever you say the word." His voice wavered and Mary felt the tremble through his body. His arms came around her and he buried his face in her neck. "Please Mary, say the word. Words. I want you to say the words."
Mary felt a tug in her heart at the pain in his voice. He had laid himself out bare to her with the pleading in his request. Please say you love me. Her hands slid up to cup his face. She had come to a decision tonight before she emerged from the pool. Taking a deep breath, she took the plunge, feathering her fingers over the sharp planes of his face. She wanted to erase that pain and this time she knew she could do it.
"Marshall, I can give you the words, I can give you my heart, I can give you myself. I can give you my love. I love you." She was slowly caressing his face and she felt his lips spread in a grin. He pulled her to him and gave her a sound kiss.
"Have you any idea how long I've waited to hear you say that?" The low timbre of his voice resonated from his chest against her. "I love you, Mary Shannon, like I've never loved anyone in my life. I love you." His mouth roamed her face, his lips pressed to her cheek. "Ich lieb dich." To her forehead. "Ti amo." To her eyelids. "Eu te amo." To her nose. "Je t'aime." To her chin. "S'agapo." To herjawline. "Te queiro." To her lips. She thought at first he was mumbling. But at the last murmured words she recognized with a jolt he was saying 'I love you' in every language he knew.
"I'm just covering all my bases," he said in answer to her unasked question. Her damp head was resting on his shoulder again. He shifted slightly to position her better against him, her full breasts flattening against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist . They subsided into silence, their breathing gradually coming into sync. Mary was lazily tracking her leaf in the pool again as it swirled around with each light breeze.
Her chest rose each time he inhaled. He felt very solid under her torso. She shifted again to relieve some of the pressure on her hip and draped herself over his chest, the low strangled whoosh of air he emitted bringing a smile to her face. Mary concentrated on the sensations of his body under hers; the heavy denim of his jeans against the light cotton of her sleep pants, the soft cotton of his shirt against the flimsy fabric of her top, the press of metal from his belt buckle into her belly, the firmness of his hands clasped around her waist, the solidness of his chest under her hand.
"Danny also said I was 'one lucky dude'," he said after several minutes of quiet, the night sounds of the neighborhood a pleasing backdrop to their personal revelations.
Mary lifted her head and gave him a confused look.
"When you saw him on campus last week. You asked what he had said to me. I told you he thought you were hot, which he does, but he also said I was one lucky dude."
"Which you are," she replied smugly.
"Why is it Danny could see what was between us and you couldn't?" The quiet question contained a hint of reproach.
Mary was silent a moment, considering all the wasted time, time they could have been happy together. A siren sounded off in the distance, then faded. Even the crickets had quieted down.
"Because Danny wasn't so scared he felt like puking at times. Scared of screwing up the most meaningful relationship of his life. Scared of hurting you. Scared ultimately of losing you, losing your friendship." Her hands tangled in his shirt. "Loving gives power to another person. I've never handed control to another person in my life. It's not that I couldn't see it, Marshall. It's that I couldn't acknowledge it. I kept trying to explain it away as friendship."
"We'll take this slow, Mary," he said, stroking her back, "I don't want to rush into anything. There is so much more to being together as a couple than the sex. I want to make sure we have everything in place, that we understand each other, before moving to a physical relationship." Mary was mirroring his long strokes down her back with her hand on his chest, running her palm from his clavicle down to his waist. Her fingers stilled on his belt.
"But I have an itch," she whispered in his ear, the heat in her breath and her words triggering an instant response in his body. She moved to straddle him and waggled her eyebrows as she felt him under her. "And so do you, I believe." He felt very nice and her hips rocked gently against him. His body once again responded immediately and Mary grinned. Oh yes, very nice indeed.
Marshall sat up somewhat awkwardly and grasped her by the hips, holding her still. "I can apply some calamine lotion, but I can not scratch your itch, not just yet." One hand moved up to cup her breast through the thin material of her sleep shirt. His fingers sank into her and Mary felt the sound of the groan that involuntarily left his throat travel through her all the way to her core. He drew a ragged breath.
"We've been on a journey of discovery, Mary, that started seven years ago. Discovery is fun, but it takes time. Exploring, retreating to discuss the days finds, staking out the next days search. Anticipating. What will the next day bring? What treasures are waiting out there? It allows us to learn about each other. It's part of the fun. It's part of becoming lovers, taking it in stages, peeling back the layers, learning what's underneath." She was staring at him, wondering if he could possibly be serious. He wanted to wait?
"For instance," he said conversationally as he tightened his hold around her breast and gave it a firm squeeze, " do you prefer this or," his hand fell open and a light caress with his open palm followed, his fingers dappling around the heavy curvature, stroking over her nipple, "this?" He was watching her face closely and he smiled as her hands tightened on his shoulders and her mouth hung open.
"See now I know and next time, I will start with that touch." Next time. Mary's stomach clenched in little waves of anticipation.
"Maybe you've got something there, doofus," she granted, ending on a sharp intake of breath as his large hand closed over her and just rested, feeling her weight, protective almost; possessive.
"There's a lot of pleasure to be had from anticipation. And we'll get there, Mary, no doubt. I certainly want to love you in every way possible. I want to claim you as my own. But I know you, Sunshine. I will provide you with every opportunity to pull back, because I know you need that space. I want you to present yourself fully open to me, completely sure, wanting to give me pleasure as much as wanting to take pleasure from me." It was the gentlest of reproofs. Saying once again, 'trust me'.
She looked into his eyes. Could she possibly let Marshall drive this? Turn over control to him? This was a test, she realized. A test of her trust. Green eyes searched deep blues ones, found the reassurance she needed there and she let go, releasing herself to love and be loved.
Sliding off him, she stretched along his side once again. Her hand once more on his chest, she slowly undid the top two buttons of his shirt and pulling it open, planted a warm kiss over his heart. The light sprinkling of dark hair tickled her lips and she realized with a small shock that she had never seen his bare chest. Yes, maybe he was right. There was a lot to discover and it may be good to stretch that discovery out. Uncover a little bit more each day. And when the payoff came...she shivered slightly. His arms tightened around her and he rubbed at the goosebumps.
"I trust you, Marshall, to protect my heart. I'll turn this over to you." She felt his lips in her hair and settled down against him with a sigh. Morning would be here soon. She smiled as her eyes started to feel heavy with sleep. And the first thing she would see when she opened her eyes would be Marshall. Every day for the rest of her life.
The End
So Mary was finally able to say those three little words. She fought it all the way, but it was impossible to resist Marshall! Thanks for reading and for your kind words.
Author: tilley_girl
Characters/Pairing: Mary/Marshall
Rating: PG-13
Summary: What can a kiss tell us about a friendship? An evolving relationship traced through a series of kisses. Spoilers for season 3.
Warning: Slight sexual references
Author’s Note: Can the development of a relationship be followed through a kiss? Oh, I think so. Many thanks to RJ Lupins Kat for providing the inspiration that drew this all together and to Bujyo for her wonderful editing and encouragement !
Chapter 6 - Kiss and Tell
"Jesus H Christ, Marshall! Are you trying to scare the hell out of me?"
Marshall was working his mouth, but no sound was coming out. He was staring at her. Gaping. Mary was becoming self conscious under his intense gaze, but some stubborn sense of pride kept her from covering herself.
"You're beautiful," he finally said, voice husky with awe, admiration, desire. He glanced away, turning slightly to give her some privacy. "I'm sorry I scared you. I just needed to talk to you. You didn't answer your cell. I couldn't sleep. Guess you couldn't either."
Mary hurriedly pulled her pjs back on and waited for him to face her again. When he turned back they looked at each other for a long moment, then Mary gestured to the deck chairs. They dropped into them, Mary feeling the heat in her cheeks. Plenty of men had seen her naked. This should not embarrass her. But this was Marshall. What he thought was actually important to her. And he thought she was beautiful. She'd heard that a lot too. Only this time the speaker of those words was not angling to get into her pants. Not tonight at least.
Marshall was looking down at his hands, then focused his gaze on the pool. "I needed to know what you were thinking. About us. About me. I can't stay in this limbo, Mary. I don't want to push and I'm willing to wait, but I need to know there's something I'm waiting for."
She was silent, the breeze rustled leaves amplified in the dark night. Finally standing up, the scared little girl who just wanted to be loved looked at the man who had become everything to her and walked over, nudging him aside and sitting down beside him on the deck chair. She stretched out next to him, his long legs extending far past hers. She laid her wet head on his shoulder and placed her hand over his heart.
"I had a dream," she began softly, "it's why I couldn't sleep. I dreamt I was on vacation and I wasn't alone. I was with Faber." She felt the tension in Marshall's body. "When he kissed me, it was wrong. Even in my dream, I knew it was wrong. I wanted it to be you. That's when I woke up." She shifted, knowing her soft curves were pressing into him, feeling a sense of gratification at the low grunt that escaped him. "That's why I came out here. I had to think, I had to decide. About us. About the changing relationship we've had the last how many months now? I've been trying to tell myself it's all right for friends to be as close as we are, to kiss like we do. But we're not just friends anymore are we?"
She looked up into his face, the moonlight providing enough illumination she could see the raw want in his eyes.
"No," he said roughly, "we aren't. We can be lovers whenever you say the word." His voice wavered and Mary felt the tremble through his body. His arms came around her and he buried his face in her neck. "Please Mary, say the word. Words. I want you to say the words."
Mary felt a tug in her heart at the pain in his voice. He had laid himself out bare to her with the pleading in his request. Please say you love me. Her hands slid up to cup his face. She had come to a decision tonight before she emerged from the pool. Taking a deep breath, she took the plunge, feathering her fingers over the sharp planes of his face. She wanted to erase that pain and this time she knew she could do it.
"Marshall, I can give you the words, I can give you my heart, I can give you myself. I can give you my love. I love you." She was slowly caressing his face and she felt his lips spread in a grin. He pulled her to him and gave her a sound kiss.
"Have you any idea how long I've waited to hear you say that?" The low timbre of his voice resonated from his chest against her. "I love you, Mary Shannon, like I've never loved anyone in my life. I love you." His mouth roamed her face, his lips pressed to her cheek. "Ich lieb dich." To her forehead. "Ti amo." To her eyelids. "Eu te amo." To her nose. "Je t'aime." To her chin. "S'agapo." To herjawline. "Te queiro." To her lips. She thought at first he was mumbling. But at the last murmured words she recognized with a jolt he was saying 'I love you' in every language he knew.
"I'm just covering all my bases," he said in answer to her unasked question. Her damp head was resting on his shoulder again. He shifted slightly to position her better against him, her full breasts flattening against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist . They subsided into silence, their breathing gradually coming into sync. Mary was lazily tracking her leaf in the pool again as it swirled around with each light breeze.
Her chest rose each time he inhaled. He felt very solid under her torso. She shifted again to relieve some of the pressure on her hip and draped herself over his chest, the low strangled whoosh of air he emitted bringing a smile to her face. Mary concentrated on the sensations of his body under hers; the heavy denim of his jeans against the light cotton of her sleep pants, the soft cotton of his shirt against the flimsy fabric of her top, the press of metal from his belt buckle into her belly, the firmness of his hands clasped around her waist, the solidness of his chest under her hand.
"Danny also said I was 'one lucky dude'," he said after several minutes of quiet, the night sounds of the neighborhood a pleasing backdrop to their personal revelations.
Mary lifted her head and gave him a confused look.
"When you saw him on campus last week. You asked what he had said to me. I told you he thought you were hot, which he does, but he also said I was one lucky dude."
"Which you are," she replied smugly.
"Why is it Danny could see what was between us and you couldn't?" The quiet question contained a hint of reproach.
Mary was silent a moment, considering all the wasted time, time they could have been happy together. A siren sounded off in the distance, then faded. Even the crickets had quieted down.
"Because Danny wasn't so scared he felt like puking at times. Scared of screwing up the most meaningful relationship of his life. Scared of hurting you. Scared ultimately of losing you, losing your friendship." Her hands tangled in his shirt. "Loving gives power to another person. I've never handed control to another person in my life. It's not that I couldn't see it, Marshall. It's that I couldn't acknowledge it. I kept trying to explain it away as friendship."
"We'll take this slow, Mary," he said, stroking her back, "I don't want to rush into anything. There is so much more to being together as a couple than the sex. I want to make sure we have everything in place, that we understand each other, before moving to a physical relationship." Mary was mirroring his long strokes down her back with her hand on his chest, running her palm from his clavicle down to his waist. Her fingers stilled on his belt.
"But I have an itch," she whispered in his ear, the heat in her breath and her words triggering an instant response in his body. She moved to straddle him and waggled her eyebrows as she felt him under her. "And so do you, I believe." He felt very nice and her hips rocked gently against him. His body once again responded immediately and Mary grinned. Oh yes, very nice indeed.
Marshall sat up somewhat awkwardly and grasped her by the hips, holding her still. "I can apply some calamine lotion, but I can not scratch your itch, not just yet." One hand moved up to cup her breast through the thin material of her sleep shirt. His fingers sank into her and Mary felt the sound of the groan that involuntarily left his throat travel through her all the way to her core. He drew a ragged breath.
"We've been on a journey of discovery, Mary, that started seven years ago. Discovery is fun, but it takes time. Exploring, retreating to discuss the days finds, staking out the next days search. Anticipating. What will the next day bring? What treasures are waiting out there? It allows us to learn about each other. It's part of the fun. It's part of becoming lovers, taking it in stages, peeling back the layers, learning what's underneath." She was staring at him, wondering if he could possibly be serious. He wanted to wait?
"For instance," he said conversationally as he tightened his hold around her breast and gave it a firm squeeze, " do you prefer this or," his hand fell open and a light caress with his open palm followed, his fingers dappling around the heavy curvature, stroking over her nipple, "this?" He was watching her face closely and he smiled as her hands tightened on his shoulders and her mouth hung open.
"See now I know and next time, I will start with that touch." Next time. Mary's stomach clenched in little waves of anticipation.
"Maybe you've got something there, doofus," she granted, ending on a sharp intake of breath as his large hand closed over her and just rested, feeling her weight, protective almost; possessive.
"There's a lot of pleasure to be had from anticipation. And we'll get there, Mary, no doubt. I certainly want to love you in every way possible. I want to claim you as my own. But I know you, Sunshine. I will provide you with every opportunity to pull back, because I know you need that space. I want you to present yourself fully open to me, completely sure, wanting to give me pleasure as much as wanting to take pleasure from me." It was the gentlest of reproofs. Saying once again, 'trust me'.
She looked into his eyes. Could she possibly let Marshall drive this? Turn over control to him? This was a test, she realized. A test of her trust. Green eyes searched deep blues ones, found the reassurance she needed there and she let go, releasing herself to love and be loved.
Sliding off him, she stretched along his side once again. Her hand once more on his chest, she slowly undid the top two buttons of his shirt and pulling it open, planted a warm kiss over his heart. The light sprinkling of dark hair tickled her lips and she realized with a small shock that she had never seen his bare chest. Yes, maybe he was right. There was a lot to discover and it may be good to stretch that discovery out. Uncover a little bit more each day. And when the payoff came...she shivered slightly. His arms tightened around her and he rubbed at the goosebumps.
"I trust you, Marshall, to protect my heart. I'll turn this over to you." She felt his lips in her hair and settled down against him with a sigh. Morning would be here soon. She smiled as her eyes started to feel heavy with sleep. And the first thing she would see when she opened her eyes would be Marshall. Every day for the rest of her life.
The End
So Mary was finally able to say those three little words. She fought it all the way, but it was impossible to resist Marshall! Thanks for reading and for your kind words.