#finally... executed but ONE drawing of him the way i wanted... only took 4 fuckin years

[vehemourn]

don't make me go here

[manabombs]

doing this meme for mr captain jack rackham because I think i’m finally ready to try to articulate my feelings, even if no one asked (i’m sorry this post is so long)

Why I like them:  So... here’s the thing... 

I’m kind of known for dressing like a fancy gay pirate. I’ve made a lot of cosplays over the years, but my pirate outfits are what I’m most infamous for. I met my partner over a decade ago while dressed like a fancy gay pirate. Many of my friends have seen me in pirate outfits more often then they’ve seen me in normal person clothing. Once upon a time I went to art school to study fashion design and I said “yes this is the aesthetic I’m going to cultivate” and now here we are. 

When I first heard that they were making a big budget period drama that was a prequel to Treasure Island, I knew that it was going to be My Next Hyperfixation, long before I had any notion of how much queer representation there would be or even how well-written the show would be. But it took me a couple years to finally feel like I was Emotionally Ready to delve into the series (Sometimes I’m bummed that I missed out on participating in the fandom while the show was actively airing, but I’m also glad that I was able to binge it all in its entirely, because the time waiting between seasons would have made me too crazy). 

And within those first two or three episodes, I saw that greasy rat man with his mullet and his avant garde facial hair choices and whatever the hell was going on with his wardrobe

and I said to myself “wait... Calico Jack... as in, the pirate known for his fashion sense...”

and I had one of those moments where I realized that this character was so much My Type that I was mad at myself for being so predictable. and I questioned some of the life choices that I made that led me to the point that this greasy rat man the sort of character that I immediately knew that I was going to fall in love with.

But that was only the beginning, because as I watched more of the series, I related to him more and more-- I think it was mannerisms at first, and things like “having to explain the vocabulary you just used to your coworkers” and “I would also like Anne Bonny to be my wife”, but gradually I began to relate to him for increasingly personal reasons. I first watched Black Sails after I had gone through a particularly rough couple years, and the catharsis of watching Jack go from “they pissed on me” to being the character who is ultimately victorious over the series’ main antagonist was an emotionally intense experience. I was already projecting on him by the time that he delivered the “great art has felled empires” monologue, which was the moment I knew that I was deeply invested in this character, and he hadn’t even started showing off his best looks yet. There are, of course, moments where his actions are... morally dubious, but even those instances just managed to make me more attached to him, because I respect the hell out of how well the writers succeeded in making him such a well-developed character. 

By the end of the series I realized that I related to this character on an intensely personal level, in a way that I haven’t connected with a fictional character in years, except it felt more profound than the times I’ve connected with fictional characters in the past because this time I was an Adult with a deeper understanding of the Self. I don’t want to sound like a soulbonder or a kinnie or whatever the kids are calling it these days but it really felt like this:

tl;dr I came for the wardrobe and stayed for the waxing about art philosophy and historiography

Why I don’t: ... undermining the revolution wasn’t great...

Favorite episode: I’m a big fan of 2.06 because... you know...

but also because we had to wait 14 episodes to see this pirate on a fuckin boat

Favorite season: Season three features so many of my favorite tropes it feels unreal... Jack and Charles as co-captains sharing authority and declaring their undying loyalty to each other... the way he goes full dandy the moment he has money to burn... Jack has to gain the approval of his judgmental father-in-law... his homoerotic rivalry with Rogers... getting arrested and then rescued by his significant others in the most dramatic way possible... I choose to believe that there was a brief, shining moment right before the beginning of season 3 where Jack was able to just chill and be optimistic about the future and bask in Charles Vane’s approval amidst his pile of gold and new wardrobe while Anne and Max were off doing lesbian stuff...

Favorite line: “It’s the art that leaves the mark, but to leave it, it must transcend, it must speak for itself, it must be true,” I mutter to myself as I draw vampire pirates at 1am

Favorite outfit: oof what a question...

This look is probably my overall favorite and there’s a good reason why it’s the outfit he’s wearing for the final climactic battle. He has so many amazing coats, but the details on this one make it my favorite, and I also love that gradient scarf and the pink embroidered shirt. The color and pattern mixing here is impeccable. It makes me appreciate his hot mess of a wardrobe in the first season more, seeing how his first outfit just looks like plain boring muslin and then more color & patterns gradually get introduced.

This is my runner-up just because I love the shade of blue and the prince charming vibes that are happening here, so I’m sad that we only saw this look for like 3 seconds.

OTP: I can’t remember the last time I cared about a ship as much as I care about VaneRackham.... sometimes I get mad that they succeeded in making me have these Feelings about fictional characters... I watched a show with multiple canon gay relationships and ended up fixating on the queerbait white man ship where one of the characters dies, because I have questionable taste and I love making myself suffer. 😩

Brotp: Jack and Max’s relationship means so much to me 💕

Head Canon: This might be me projecting, but because of his background in textiles I headcanon that Jack was more competent at sewing than anyone else on the Ranger and that skill came in incredibly useful on more than one occasion. The fancy coats that we see him wearing in seasons 3 & 4 most likely would have been custom tailored specifically for him, but I imagine that all of his earlier ones were acquired secondhand (one way or another) and he sometimes did patching/adjustments on them himself.

Unpopular opinion: I respect the artistic liberties that were taken with his character design, but he should have been allowed to wear some silk stockings and show off his calves at least once tbh

A wish: Obviously my #1 wish is that Jack and Charles had been permitted to kiss, but I also wish that we had been able to see them on a ship together clearly I have no choice but to assume that whenever they were on a ship together there was lots of kissing going on An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: man it would sure suck if Jack was executed for piracy within like three years of the series finale 5 words to best describe them: this adam ant looking motherfucker

My nickname for them: my guy/my dude

[davidmann95]

Comics this week (3/10/2021)?

cheerfullynihilistic said: Comics this week (03/10/21)??

adudewholikescomicsandotherstuff said: This week’s comics?

Anonymous said: Comics?

Anonymous said: 3/10 NCBD?

Non-Stop Spider-Man #1: The lead story was fun, the backup was dopey, I’ll give it another issue or two to see where it goes.

The Immortal Hulk #44: While it was too late for this week I’ve taken Hulk off my pull list, so the store won’t order any copies specifically for me and therefore my future purchase of the book won’t support Joe Bennett’s presence, just the store. This issue is typical of some of the books’ weaker installments of the last year or so - feels like well-done regular superhero comics instead of Immortal Hulk - but those last couple pages bring it back around.

Daredevil #28: Holy cow, those King In Black issues actually mattered. God this book is still so fuckin’ good in so many ways, everything every dumbass street-level superhero ‘deconstruction’ wants to be when it grows up.

Children of the Atom #1: Sucks real bad! This weird combo of ‘hip new young Marvel heroes!’ trappings and soulless X-Men lifer comics execution that feels certain to appeal to neither group.

Eternals #3: Of the listed Deviants I imagine I’d relate most to Annoyed Veug.

Commanders in Crisis #6: While I remain without the ability to weigh in on this objectively, this is the issue that to date most feels like it lives up to the promises of the series premiere.

The Wrong Earth: Night & Day #3: Little disappointed personally with the reveal of what the third world is - I assumed it was going to be more of a straight take ‘modern’ version to the other two’s flavors of throwbacks - but this series still rules. And that ending.

Home Sick Pilots #4: Okay, I think I can follow what’s happening at this point, still enjoying it.

Proctor Valley Road #1: I review these books in the order I present them to my dad since he likes DC/Marvel/Other to each be lumped together, but make no mistake: this is the last of the three Morrison books to read this week, because this is what comes next for them. A return to their roots - 70s kids way into music and dealing with the weird, girls adventure stories of the kind they apparently grew up reading - this feels like a refinement of their mid/late-00s Vertigo work in the same way they’ve been iterating on their superhero material for decades. The horror is sold excellently, whether by their own efforts or thanks to cowriter Alex Child this is their most fluid, ‘real’-sounding dialogue perhaps ever, and Franquiz with Bonvillain are instantly among their all-time best collaborators, perfectly capturing the shifting tone and character acting necessary to best put Morrison’s big ideas over in a way a number of their collaborators haven’t lived up to over the years (and speaking of the visuals, Jim Campbell does the lord’s work with that lettering trick near the end). Ritesh Babu and Sean Dillon have a lot more to say about the book and how it already acts as a darker, more honest take on your Stranger Things and the like as a commentary on its times, but I’m already loving to see this particular return down to Earth for Morrison and company and I’m glad to hear this is selling really well compared to their previous indie work.

Dead Dog’s Bite #1: This actually came out last week, but Ritesh recommended it so I figured it might be worth a look. A so far intensely low-key missing persons mystery with a touch of surreality around its edges, this already looks to be the best “look! A nine-panel grid! Fancy!” comic since Mister Miracle, really lived-in and emotional for as little happens in this debut. Very curious where it’s going.

Rorschach #6: I continue to like it.

Batman: Urban Legends #1: Glory be, a good Jason Todd comic - at last, you noble stubborn weirdoes living off of like six nonconsecutive panels all these years, you may lay down your burden. Not all you’d necessarily hope from Zdarsky tackling Gotham after what he’s been doing with Daredevil but rock-solid work regardless; the Harley story is fine, Outsiders is a letdown after Thomas’s shockingly good showing for them in Future State but it’s still fine, and the Grifter stuff is fun.

The Joker #1: I thought the advertised ‘a Joker story from Gordon’s POV’ angle was an interesting one even if I was concerned this book would in practice be pure editorial mandate, but in reality? Tynion has managed to pull the wool over DC’s eyes and do a full-on Jim Gordon book (one predicated with him being off the force to make it reasonably comfortable read in 2021) with Joker as the barest of pretexts to get it out the door and selling for as long as he wants to continue it. He even said in interviews that when the book was first pitched to him that his response was that a Joker solo book was a dumb unworkable idea until he had an idea for a ‘different way to approach it’, he knows exactly what he’s doing and I salute him. And it’s a darn good Gordon book even if the Punchline backup is predictably tepid, I’m in the tank for Gotham’s perpetual whipping boy dealing with weird noir international crime with Joker sort of hanging around in the background menacingly to justify the nominal premise.

Anonymous said: Hey, so I figure one random anon won’t change your mind, but like you I was disappointed by New Frontier’s immortal Wonder Woman, but I still got the new issue of Wonder Woman cause Wonder Woman at Valhalla still sounds great and I actually liked it! I think I’m gonna get at least the next issue, so there’s at least one recommendation for it

Wonder Woman #770: This combined with the store still putting it in my pile prompted me to give it a try after all, and whether because something here clicks better or if they’re simply not trying so hard without the pressure of doing a ‘final’ story for Diana, Cloonan and Conrad do in fact do substantially better on the main book than they did with Immortal Wonder Woman. Some fun, some fights, some mythology and intrigue, gorgeous landscapes and generous servings of beefcake from Travis Moore - this isn’t going to be sweeping the Eisners, but this is as enjoyable as a Wonder Woman comic has been in a good long time. My only concern is that the joyousness on display here might dissipate somewhat once Diana fully returns to herself, but in the meantime this was a very pleasant surprise (especially with the the Young Diana backup by Bellaire, Ganucheau, Goode, and Carey).

Superman #29: PKJ’s Superman thus far has been a story of overcoming initial worries of mine - in this case, my concern that he’d have a bad Scott Snyder-ey case of “if you’ve read the interviews you’ve pretty much already heard the dialogue of the comic verbatim”. In practice here most of what he’s had to say about these issues are distilled down really succinctly and poignantly in the midst of a fun little upper-atmosphere adventure portending something grimmer, and while I know it didn’t click with everyone I thought Phil Hester’s work here was a perfect accompaniment. The Tales of Metropolis backup wasn’t nearly as enjoyable, but hints at some interesting worldbuilding I’m hopeful will pay off in the main run.

The Green Lantern Season Two #12: The final Grant Morrison DC comic. One of two anyway, but if the next story I discuss is their broader final (non-Klaus, hopefully) statement on the superhero subgenre and a bridge to what they’re doing next, this is the one that’s about being The Final Grant Morrison DC Comic. A mélange of pretty much all their other DC finales into a shamelessly self-reflective meditation on the limits of what they can accomplish in shared universe storytelling where Green Lantern saves the universe through collective action and then fucks off to do his own thing elsewhere while the kids take over the ongoings. Weird and kinda perfect, and if nothing else this series took Liam Sharp from “really? This dude is drawing the last ever Morrison DC ongoing?” to “HOLY FUCKING SHIT LIAM SHARP”.

(The panel folks blew up over I think can be read multiple ways, but not in a ‘it’s open to interpretation!’ way so much as the storytelling/framing being unclear. I personally read it as ‘this is what neighbor versus neighbor looks like now’ rather than ‘calling someone a TERF or a Nazi is as bad as anything the other side does’, because oldster and out of touch though they may be I can’t see Morrison seriously saying that, especially after coming out.)

Wonder Woman Earth One Volume 3: At long last, after a hideous misfire kicking the series off and a second installment best described as ‘well, at least it wasn’t the first one’, this while not without elements I want to see femme and nonbinary critics discuss critically lives up to what you want to see out of ‘Grant Morrison’s Wonder Woman’. Big utopian fiction breaking the typical boundaries of superhero stories with aplomb in implicit conversation with a ton of their previous work, a bridge from what they’ve done to what they’re doing next, it’s an imperfect (especially with Paquette’s art, which while gorgeous and majestic in the way this story demands really doesn’t living up to the ‘acting’ necessary here in a way thrown into sharp contrast by Franquiz in PVR) but shockingly passionate statement of intent - if the last two volumes felt like Morrison struggling to have something to say with Wonder Woman in the same way they did with Superman and Batman, this feels at the close like them at last finding in her a way to do everything left with the cape and tights crowd they wanted to but couldn’t manage anywhere else under the Big Two umbrella. Odd and lovely, a fine sendoff.

[durrzerker]

Taskmaster: The Line. Chapter 4! Escort Mission.

"Thith was supposed to be an eathy day, Tathmather."

Slowly filing through the alleyways of Bagalia, Taskmaster, Wolverine, and Black Ant weren't making great time with their young charges. Laura had taken it upon herself to carry the injured boy, who Tony had learned was named Sven, across her back; she had the greatest stamina of the trio and was the least injured. Despite his slight limp, Taskmaster had taken point, bow in hand; he was the best shot and had the greatest chance of picking off oncoming threats silently from afar. Black Ant, meanwhile, was bringing up the rear; following behind the children, the size-shifting mercenary had another honey bun in hand, taking bites between each sentence.

Stopping briefly when he heard a cry of pain, Tony opened a pouch and back a syringe of morphine from his pouch to Laura to give to Sven. The kid had been whining from the jostling of their quick pace for awhile and Tony had ignored it, but now he was starting to sound legitimately distressed. Tony usually kept the meds on hand in case he got hurt -real- bad on a job, but he had other ways of managing his pain -- and something in him, a feeling that was as surprising as it was unfamiliar, welled up at the sight of the boy trying his best to look stoic while a bone was sticking out of his limb. Was it pity? He couldn't remember.

"...How many of those damn honey buns were you smuggling, anyways?" Taskmaster grumbled to Eric.

"I dunno. Six?"

He was too tired to even care; he had greater worries on his mind. He'd tried calling The Hub twice now, once fifteen minutes ago, and once just now -- nothing.

"She was supposed to send somebody," he complained to Wolverine, raising a hand before the ragtag caravan exited the alleyway. "Don't know why she ain't called back yet."

"Maybe she's just maintaining radio silence," Laura suggested. "Trying to keep quiet while she waits at Zemo's old place." Tony appreciated her solution-oriented mindset; it didn't necessarily put him at ease, but her matter-of-fact demeanor was a lot more confident than he felt right now. "--What's that sound?" Her head cocked like that of a canine, her enhanced senses picking up what was coming long before Taskmaster noticed.

"Oh shit, what day is it? Maybe...hold up. Oh no. I know what this is."

Damn it, he thought to himself. This is exactly what I was worried about. Not enemy mercs, not a supervillain...this. Bagalia just being fuckin' Bagalia.

It was a perverted parody of Mardi Gras: the Bagalia Freedom Festival. Dozens, maybe hundreds of bonafide supervillains, alongside all of their henchmen that were brave enough to venture into the borders of the most lawless city on earth, were marching through the streets. Those that weren't drinking were most definitely on something stronger, and all of them, from the Z-listers to the major leagues like the Wrecking Crew, were going to be doing this all night.

Peeking out from an alleyway between a strip club for Skrulls and The Bar With Fourteen Names, Tony held his bow at the ready and watched the goings-on. He only needed a glimpse to see the supervillain Piledriver turn and kick an offending car out of the way that was trying to get across the street before he made up his mind. "This is gonna take too long. We're gonna be pursued soon if we ain't already, and by the time this little 'traffic jam' goes by, it'll be nearly sun up. Look at that. Stretches all the way back to the damn docks...How did I forget this was today?"

"Is that a serious question?" Eric chimed in.

"Shut up. In fact, how did YOU forget this was today?"

"I didn't." Lifting his mask, Black Ant took another bite of his honey bun. For the first time, Wolverine and Taskmaster seemed to truly be on the same wavelength; in perfect unison, they both turned and shoved him onto his ass.

"So what's the plan?" Laura asked, glancing back at Taskmaster as Black Ant rubbed his back, rising to his feet. "You know Bagalia better than anyone...when your memory's working. Do you have an idea?"

Ignoring the crack about his memory - he'd have to file that under 'How's she know about that?' for later - Tony regarded the gathered party. "If it were just me, or maybe the three of us? This would be easy. With the little troublemakers, though..." He clicked his tongue thoughtfully behind his mask. "We'll need a distraction; the kind that doesn't draw ANY of us away. Eric...yer best-suited to this."

Tony could almost feel the lenses of his partner's mask trying to squint at that. "Why me? You know, Tony, I'm starting to feel a little over-employed. Maybe you value my skills a lot! Maybe it's time to talk rais--"

"We're...we're partners, Eric. You already get half from every job we do together." He grit his teeth in exasperation; he knew where this was going.

"Yeah! I'm thinking, I dunno...maybe I'm contributing a little more than half this mission. I'm thinking maybe this is a 70/30 cut kind of job."

"Wait. What...what do you think is going to happen here, Eric? No one's paying us for this. This is --" God, it hurt to say -- "...Pro bono."

"Yeah, but -something- is going to happen. We're gonna make a lot of money off this one, Tony. I can feel it." The smaller of the two mercenaries was bouncing in place, leaving Laura regarding him with something akin to disgust.

Taskmaster liked to think he was an open-minded guy. He liked to think that when he took a job, even if it was an informal one like saving these children, he didn't let anything get in the way of focusing on the task at hand. But 70-30? "...Okay, hypothetically, if -somehow- we make a profit off this? 60-40. That's my final offer."

"...Okay, but if I'm wrong, I still keep that cut for our -next- job," Eric insisted.

"God, you two are pathetic," Laura chimed in.

"You really are!" Akeja had caught up after scouting the back end of the alley that they were coming out of, and she looked extremely annoyed. "I thought we were the kids here."

"Hilarious," Tony commented. "It's a deal. Eric, gonna need you to go big for this one. -Real- big."

"Ooh. I never get to go big." Rubbing his hands together, Black Ant already started out of the alleyway, calling back to them.

"On my signal, you all head off towards Zemo's old place. Can't believe we're messing with the Bagalia Freedom Festival! Feels downright unpatriotic, Tony."

"I know, Eric. We all gotta make sacrifices sometimes."

"Oh my god." Laura buried her face, now fully healed, into both hands. "There are children's lives at stake here."

"Yes," Eric replied. "But they're kind of mean children, so I'm not going to be guilt-tripped. Let's do this, boys!" Breaking into a run, Black Ant hit his belt. The Pym Particles that surged through his suit came to life, his form growing with every step. By the time he was intruding upon the parade, he was easily over twenty feet tall - and still growing.

"What the fuck?!" Came a cry of alarm.

"It's that shitty Ant-Man!"

"Which one?!"

Turning his attention back to the children, Taskmaster nodded. "Best shot we're gonna get. Let's go."

"He had a point about you taking advantage of him," Laura conceded when she slipped out of the alleyway, the injured Sven still on her back. Despite his added weight, she still nimbly managed to suddenly fling herself up towards a fire escape on their side of the street, using it as leverage to swing like a gymnast back and forth until she was able to hurl herself up onto the roof of the pharmacy next door. "Come on; if we stick to the rooftops until we're behind the parade, they're less likely to see us."

"Yeah, easy for you to say," Tony murmured. "Kids, you think you can manage that mo--" He shut up as they filed past; Mara, Akeja, and the other three children whose names he hadn't caught yet methodically started to file past, perfectly executing the same swing and jump that Laura herself had done.

Too perfectly, to Taskmaster's trained eye. "...What the hell?" They weren't doing something similar - they were mimicking Laura's moves perfectly. The way -he- was about to do. Keeping this detail to himself for now, he completed the little routine and landed on the roof with the others.

By now, Black Ant fully had the attention of the parade; some were laughing raucously, pointing and cheering him on. Others were attacking, small-time D-listers trying to make their name by taking down one of the bigger - literally - criminals of the massive underworld. As always, Bagalia was diverse in both its reactions and its populace. "He going to need help?" One of the children asked, a boy with a shock of blonde hair that nearly covered his whole head.

"Not our concern, Malakai," Adeja replied. "The idiot wants to do something good for once in his life? Let him. You know what he's done for money; he owes this to the world."

"Ungrateful brats," Taskmaster snapped to Laura as he caught up to her. "You hearing this crap? Never did anything to them, but they're acting like Eric and I personally spat on their faces." He glanced sidelong at the child with the broken leg that she was carrying; he'd passed out awhile ago, thanks to the medicine that he'd been given most likely.

"We aren't friends, Taskmaster. I'm here to help you with this one mission - and then we'll go right back to me arresting you for your many, many crimes." She cast him a casually cool look that he had to admit was rather terrifying, even as he fell into step beside her. "The only reason that I didn't last time is because I had more urgent matters to attend to helping my sisters."

"Yeah, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it," Tony replied, brushing off her promise of another fight. "Point is, those kids have a -grudge- against Eric and I; but we've never done a damn thing to them. Ain't that suspicious?"

"Maybe," Laura replied thoughtfully, stopping to look back at the gathered Scions, who were milling in a circle and speaking once more in their personal language. "I'm giving you this advice for the sake of the mission: keep it professional. Don't provoke them about it. If they -do- have reason to be upset with you, trying to pry it out of them is only going to make them resent you even more." Crouching down at the edge of the pharmacy roof, she looked out over the street below. It was total pandemonium; those who weren't focused on Black Ant were fighting amongst themselves, all too eager to take any opportunity to throw their weight about or attempt to kill an old rival.

"So much for the sanctity of 'Bagalia Freedom Day', or whatever," Laura remarked wryly.

"Huh?" Tony stopped beside her, holding up a hand for the children to halt. "What do ya mean? This is exactly the spirit of the holiday. They're embracing what makes this nation-state great!" As far as he was concerned, it was beautiful. A bunch of dumbasses killing each other without an Avenger in sight to mess it up.

Shaking her head in obvious disapproval, Laura peered over the side of the building. "Dumpsters here; we can use the trash to quiet our fall. Come on." And with that, she hopped off. Covering the rear, Tony waved the kids off the building, ignoring the glares from Akeja and Mara as they passed.

Well, 'ignoring' was a strong term for the fact he casually flipped them off in response. Warranted, as far as he saw it. Still, he was starting to see the exhaustion evident in the way they moved; they might have somehow been copying Laura, but they weren't in the kind of shape that she was. They were still tired, starved, and losing motivation by the second.

"Gotta wrap this up soon," he murmured to himself, following the last of the kids off of the edge of the roof."These kids ain't gonna last."

Though they had to wait and waste some valuable time - time that Taskmaster could rather literally feel bleeding out of him - the chaos of the now-forgotten parade eventually allowed them to approach from behind. The tail end of the massive line of supervillains had exploded into a supernova of violence; by giving it a wide berth, the group was able to avoid it. At one point, it almost seemed like a group of costumed mooks that Taskmaster didn't recognize - all dressed like the individual parts of an American flag - were going to look their way...but Black Ant, catching sight of what was happening, came crashing through boot-first, kicking them out of way and scattering them like an exploding Fourth of July firework. "Hahaha! Look at me, I'm anti-colonialism!"

"That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen," Laura proclaimed when they finally managed to cross the avenue, disappearing into an old plaza that had stopped being used when a fallen statue of Baron Zemo had crushed the fountain in the center. "And I'm an X-Man."

"There's nothing more interesting than henchmen off the leash," Tony agreed. "Come on; Eric's not gonna be able to keep them distracted for much longer."

As they fled from the plaza towards the former headquarters of the Masters of Evil, a masked woman watched them from the rooftop. She'd completely ignored the chaos of the 'festival' below, her gaze never leaving the cloaked silhouette of the wounded Taskmaster.

[loserlikescomics-blog]

Top 5 - January 2017, Week 4

Sup nerds! Hope everyone is having a good week! Marvel really crushed it this week, but I naturally enjoyed everything from today’s haul. I just wanna remind anyone that if you have any comments or criticisms, I’m always open to hear them, and I’d love to talk about any comic stuff you guys have on your minds. Let’s get into it!

5) Infamous Iron Man #4 (Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev)

Gonna be honest, I actually had no idea that Doom was a sorcerer until I read Invincible Iron Man. Whoops. But anyway, I’m a huge fan of watching Doom try his best at being a hero. I honestly think that he’s changed his ways, and I’m excited to see how he’s going to go about righting his wrongs and trying to generally help people and be a better person. My favorite scene in this issue was when he went to Latveria and saw just how absolutely awful everything was, and it seemed like it took just about everything in his power to not lose his temper at the man that he left in charge.

An interesting thing that I like is that even though Doom clearly has good intentions, and people don’t quite trust him yet (for obvious reasons), he still acts the same. He’s still as blunt as a fuckin’ baseball bat, and he still just does whatever he wants. Like, he went to the Helicarrier and just popped in, so that he could tell Hill to get Grimm off of his case. And then he just bailed out like “see ya later, fuckers!” and it was great. I think Bendis is gonna have a really fun run with this, and I’m excited to see where he takes us with Doom’s character.

4) Hulk #2 (Mariko Tamaki, Nico Leon)

My favorite thing about this run so far is that Jen is actually trying her hardest to not Hulk out. I didn’t really have any sort of story expectations before it started, but I assumed we’d be getting some ass-kicking, but I’m actually pleasantly surprised at the opposite. I really enjoy seeing Jen deal with her anger issues, because it’s more of a realistic, relateable struggle than throwing cars around and beating up some losers. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love both. 

I particularly liked the scene at the park, where Jen is just chilling on a bench and she watches some kids play, and they reenact the scene from Civil War II when Hawkeye mercy killed Bruce Banner. (But like why would kids do that? Were we like that? Yeesh.) Naturally, Jen starts to panic and lose her cool, so she rushes to the office that she works out and watches more of the cooking videos that help her calm down. She ends up staying there until the office closes, and the receptionist, Bradley, lets her know that he’s leaving, and he slides a snack under the door for her, since he noticed that she missed lunch. I really like Bradley, and I hope he’s a supporting character for Jen in these upcoming issues. This title is really delivering on my hype so far!

3) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #66 (Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz) 

Hey guys guess what I read fuckin’ TMNT because I’m a HUGE NERD. It’s actually really good, I swear. The comics have such a huge universe and it goes really in-depth with the characters and I love it. One of the characters I particularly like is Alopex, who is actually who this month’s issue chooses to focus on. Lately, she’s had some Troubles with this god, Kitsune, who wants to use Alopex as a soldier/weapon thing in her war with her other god siblings (it’s a whole thing). Because of this, Alopex ran away to Alaska, where she considered her home to be. Raphael, and former Purple Dragon, Angel/Nobody, travel there to find her, as they’re the two who have the best relationships with Alopex.

Even though most of this issue is Alopex fighting off Kitsune’s control (which is really compelling and make me grin really big), my favorite was when Angel and Raph were talking while trying to find Alopex. Angel confronts Raphael about his feelings for Alopex and he’s like “what no shut up” and she presses him and he ends up explaining that the two of them are loners, but when they’re together, he doesn’t feel lonely. Y’know, Raph. The angry one who yells all the time. He has feelings for someone and it’s AWESOME and I almost CRIED. I’m really glad that we’re finally getting more hints of a relationship between these two, and I’m excited for the book to pick back up with the next story arc next month.

2) Deadpool #25 (Gerry Duggan, Scott Koblish)

Listen. I’m a sucker for Wade being responsible and like talking about his feelings and hnnnngh. I’m not sorry. I also really love scifi and futuristic stuff in general, so the Deadpool 2099 stuff has really won me over. I think it’s really cool to see Ellie the way she is in this, and it makes me excited to see her character play out in modern times. Also maybe seeing Warda at some point? But she also seems kinda young in 2099 so we probably won’t see her in 616 any time soon. 

This was the finale of Deadpool 2099, and the big point of this issue was Wade actually talking through things with his daughters. Warda is super pissed off because she wants to know where her mother, Shiklah, is, but Wade won’t tell her. This is the reason that her and Ellie are fighting, and it’s just a huge mess. Wade has a heart-to-heart with Warda, telling her that she got his recklessness and anger, and that’s why she was doomed. He then said that because she was just like him, he knew that she was redeemable, and it was just a really touching and emotional scene. I feel like this was a really good end to the arc.

1) Animosity: The Rise (Marguerite Bennett, Juan Doe)

GUYS ANIMOSITY IS SO GOOD! Please read it! This is only the fifth issue since it started, so it’s not too late to get ‘em all and catch up! I really liked the scene in the first issue that showed The Wake, and I’m glad that they’re delivering on my curiosity so soon. The animals are just so angry, you guys. The Wake seems like it was just a huge clusterfuck, with no one knowing what was going on and just trying to survive. I was really happy to see the situation with the sea lion being saved by the group of humans, and I’m glad that it’s going to be used in later installations. 

This is just such an interesting idea, and it’s all executed so nicely. Angry crabs fighting seagulls is something I didn’t know I needed, and I finally saw the insult “shitbird” used in a comic, so I think my life is pretty fulfilled. I just want to see more and more of this world, every time I read a new issue. The writing just draws me in, and I couldn’t recommend Animosity enough. 

[munchkinxcop-blog]

Erin

It had been a long time since a phone had rang at 4 in the morning.  Things seemed to run late from time to time, but those early morning calls hadn’t seemed to interrupt their slumber in quite some time.  First, it was C.J.’s phone that would sound, then her own.  When his phone went unanswered, only barely stirring the woman, she heard the familiar ringtone of her own, signifying this was no wrong number on C.J.’s.  This was work.  This was ‘get up and get dressed now’ and she knew it before her eyes even opened.  Turning away from him in the bed, she reached out for her phone, bringing it to her ear.  “Lindsay…” she barely managed in a raspy voice made ten times worse when she was awoken in this manner.  “Yeah… we’ll be right there.”  Hanging up the phone, she turned back into him for but a brief moment, a kiss to his neck as she started to slip up, giving herself to the count of ten to wake up before the two were fully hurled into this day.  “Division Street.  Two dead.  Execution style.”  The most casual tone to her voice as such words were common place, unfortunately.  

C.J.

Some part of him knew there had been a disruption in the force as she leaned up for the phone. Maybe even hearing her. Yet, he was not awake. Being woken only at the kiss of her lips to his as he heard her announcement. A beautiful thing to wake up to, without a doubt. Groaning low. He would without a doubt put up a fight as the back of his mind fantasized about having an early morning temper tantrum worthy of his youngest son just to keep himself out of bed. Dragging the pillow over his face as his arms locked around it. Needing a new job.

Erin Watching the man’s reaction to this, it was not out of the norm.  She drew a heavy breath as she slipped from the bed, already reaching for her jeans to draw them on.  “C’monnn,” she whined, not wanting to drag the man from bed, but knowing they were on a time table now and there simply wasn’t time for this.  Once her jeans were on, still wearing the t-shirt she had long ago stolen from the man, she came around to his side of the bed, hands finding that pillow.  “You know what this means, how this works, we go in at 4, Voight gets us out by 2 if we’re lucky…”  She urged, hoping it might be enough incentive to get the man up and out of the bed.    

C.J.

"Fuck Voight. Fuck being lucky." The man muttered under his pillow, grumpy would be an understatement as he saw she wouldn't give. It was no fault of hers but he truely was not happy. "Because they are going to be anyless dead in 2 fuckin' hours." He complained again, finally pulling the pillow off his face as he looked up towards her with a pout.

Erin

While the pillow was still over his head, she leaned her head back, looking up to the ceiling.  She didn’t like the 4 a.m. calls any more than he did, but it came with the territory.  It wasn’t the first, nor would it be the last.  “I know,” she offered, meeting his pout with her own.  Leaning in, pressing her lips to his pout as her hands reached for the lower hem of the t-shirt she had slept in, needing to get it off to get finished getting dressed, already much further along than he was.  Drawing back from the brief exchange at his lips, she nodded her head.  “You’re sick today,” she decided, standing up from the edge of the bed.  “Vomiting profusely.  Take the day off.”  She was not at liberty to give him a day off as she was simply his equal, but she could attest to just how sick the man was to cover for him.  

C.J.

Shaking his head at her suggestion, it sounded too good. He had to get his shit together. She wasn't his partner anymore but he'd be damned if she walked into something without her back being covered like he did. "Fuck..." groaning slowly as he finally sat up, starting for the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth to start this whirlwind of a day that would inevitably only make him grumpier if at all possible.

Erin

As he got up and headed for the bathroom, she sat back down on the edge of the bed.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, he was alright.  But the early morning calls would never quite sit well on either of them, by far worse with him.  Drawing her t-shirt up over her head, she left it there against the bed as she leaned back for a moment, laying against the place he had just gotten up from, staring at the ceiling.  Repeating her ten count before she’d get up and find a top, then shoes, badge, gun.  Just giving herself that moment to breathe as she couldn’t stand seeing C.J. like this.  “Ten,” she whispered, hoisting herself up and making her way to the dresser, finding one of what must have been fifty solid colored short sleeved tops, pulling it on.  

C.J.

Leaving the door open as he relieved himself, nothing she had not heard before before he was at the sink. Washing his hands and brushing his teeth. Willing himself to feel better. There was no feel better at this time of the morning. Slowly slipping back into the bedroom. Choosing his attire for the day out of his dresser. A pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt. Shoes coming a moment later as he sat to the edge of the bed.

Erin

Once he came out of the bathroom, she was already pulling her own boots on over socked feet.  Hooking the triple buckles on each one, she stood up as he passed for his own clothing.  Glancing over her shoulder at him as he went for the dresser, making her way into the bathroom after him, shutting the door behind him as she always did.  Only allowing him once to watch her brush her teeth, still attempting to maintain /some/ mystery there as to the maintenance of his fiancé.  Ten minutes later, she’d emerge from the bathroom, hair in a ponytail, bobby pinned hairs in place.  Coming before him on the bed where he sat at the edge, she took his face into both hands, leaning in to press a minty-fresh kiss to his lips beyond that which she had offered him while he was waking up.  “No time for a pot to brew,” she offered, just the icing to his morning as she should have started it the second she woke up, but had been too focused on other things to do so.  “I’ll hit the Keurig, you kiss the boys for us?”  She offered, stealing his lips once more as if to convince him.

C.J.

Feeling her at his face, the man was merely mad at the world yet not at her. Never at her. Taking up that offered kiss as it came with bad news. A low growl as he heard her suggestion, a nod. "Just keep kissing me until I agree." He returned groggily, literally the only pick me up he'd get that morning. Voight be damned. Not looking for anything more than a kiss. God knows that kiss of hers worked wonders on the man for some reason he could not understand all this time later. Just as he had promised it would.

Erin

With his request made, she couldn’t turn away from it even if she knew the rest of the unit was more than likely already leaving their own homes for Division Street.  Nodding her head, she pressed her lips to his again, drawing in closer to him as her legs parted his as he sat on the end of the bed.  Slowly withdrawing her lips, yet making no attempt yet to move, she took a breath before trying again.  “I’ll work on to go cups and you kiss the boys for us?”  Her eyes searching his, somehow knowing it wouldn’t be so easy, though if he went in as cranky as he began that day, he would be of no use to the unit or the victims.  Hands down the sharpest man in the intelligence unit, she could easily write this off as her taking a few extra minutes to ensure he was at the top of his game, which everyone would benefit from.

C.J.

"Mhm." Finally giving, a little bit of Erin went a long way for C.J. Feeling her continuing to linger though he was being jipped if that was all he got as he finally stood. Not guaranteeing much but he was on his feet which was more than he'd be able to promise previously in the wake of that phone call.

Erin

Easily drawn into the man, if it had not been for the piece at her side and the badge hanging around her neck, she would have been straddled over top of him just as she had been the night before and he knew it.  It didn’t take much with the man to get her going, nor had it ever, nor would it ever.  As he rose to his feet, her eyes shifted upwards to follow him, a signature half smile at her lips as she lifted her brows suggestively.  “Goal: 2 o’clock.  You.  Me.  This bed.  Deal?”  

C.J.

Hearing her suggestion, he knew it was more about dragging him through the day. Groaning, he laid his head back up. Green eyes closed. "That's so far away." He stated, instantly remembering why he preferred a life of crime. No early mornings, just late nights. No obligations. Finally dragging his head down towards her. He nodded simply. Now making sense of where his sons had gotten their pouting antics as they were in action here. Finally sucking it up as his wallet was tucked into his back pocket.

Erin

Watching as the little Luciano’s came out in C.J., though she expected it entirely.  “I know,” she offered, a soft tone to her voice as she urged him through this.  She would continue to do so all day if that’s what it took to get the cop out of bed, out the door, to actually do their part to make the city that much safer for two little boys sleeping upstairs.  Bringing her hands to his abdomen, lifting to her toes, she stole a kiss of his lips.  “I love you,” she whispered, bringing one hand around behind him to swat his ass.  “Two o’clock.”  She reminded him before she was making that turn to exit the room for the kitchen for two halfway decent cups of coffee where she would glare at the /real/ coffee maker for the duration.

C.J.

"I love you." He returned, watching her turn off to make their coffee. If you could call it that. Following up on his side of the deal as he grabbed his badge and his gun holster. Slipping out of the room, hand passing her lowerback on the way through the kitchen and up the steps. As quiet as he could manage to not wake anyone, yet, knowing his mother would have a text on her phone waiting for her when she woke up. Slipping into the kid's bedroom slowly, two kisses to each forehead. One for him, one for her, four in total before he was making his way back down the steps.

Erin

Flashing a smile over her shoulder as his hand drug against her lower back, just one of the many things about the man she dearly loved.  He was free with his affections for her, making it far more comfortable for her to have learned to be the same with him.  No desire left unmet.  As she waited for the first cup to brew from the Keurig, she glared at the full sized pot, just as she knew she would.  Drawing her phone from her pocket, scanning through a few emails as she waited, switching out the cartridge as well as the to go cup beneath in between.  Hearing his boots down the steps, she leaned against the countertop, watching for him to round that corner, two more minutes or so remaining and they could be out the door.

C.J.

Approaching as he rounded the bottom of the steps, approaching. Atleast smelling coffee which would help him. Leaning back against the counter. Gathering himself but a brief few moments of peace before it all started. The mayhem. Always reminding himself that if it wasn't for the safety of his kids, he might be on the other side of law enforcement like he once had been. Yet, that was no place for a father. The lifestyle had already taken too much from him. Along with those who had never deserved to die by the gun when they had not lived by it.

Erin

As he took place against the countertop beside her, she reached to the counter behind her to draw forth the cup she had first prepared, slipping it into his hands.  “The boys were sleeping well?”  She asked, relinquishing control of the cup to him as she glanced over to the cup now brewing.  Half considering making a quick trip up the stairs herself, but not wanting to risk waking them as a second disturbance could do.  Coming so far from the woman petrified of meeting those same boys, little men that now held permanent residence within her heart of hearts.  The last of the coffee dispensing into her own travel mug drew her attention as she slipped the cup from beneath to place her own lid against it.  Hands touching her chest, then her side, then her pocket, ensuring she was truly ready to leave.

C.J.

"In the same position we put them to bed in." The man hummed, dragging the coffee to his lips. Taking in a slow mouthful. Unable to care less about how hot it was. Maybe it would wake him up. Watching her go through the motions before he fished off the hook for his keys. "Must be nice."

Erin

A smile took her lips as he assured they were sleeping soundly.  Just because the two of them had to be up didn’t mean the boys should be disturbed.  There were times Erin thought of asking C.J. about maybe it just being the four of them residing in the house, making their own little family work, but yet it was mornings like these she realized it just wasn’t an option for them then.  Forever more and more thankful his mother wasn’t hauling it out the door when she had arrived on scene.  “You will be too, by 2:30,” she smirked, giving him a half hour of other activities when they got home before she’d allow the man sleep, though thirty minutes would just never sound like enough to the woman.  Taking that first step for the door as she heard him with the keys, she turned back, flashing a smile over her shoulder.  “I ever tell you how I have a thing for cops?”  Tempting him with flirtation that would be fed to him throughout the day to keep him looking forward to the afternoon, suggestion flooding her hues.

C.J.

Grabbing a light coat on the way out and grabbing hers as well. Mornings were always cold. But in Chiberia? They were down right brutal regardless the season. Waiting for her to approach as he heard her flirting. Holding up the coat for her to slip her arms through. "Yeah? I'll make sure to warn Antonio." He teased dryly, stealing a kiss to her temple as it became available to him.

Erin

Shifting her coffee from one hand to the other to slip into the offered coat, a smile there to her lips as this would be but one of the millions of things the man did every day that made her fall that much more in love with him.  “Oh, aha hah hah.”  She offered dramatically, feeling that kiss to her temple as she shook her head.  “I mention I have a thing for sexy cops that help me with my coat?”  She added, as if to signify that was not Antonio, nor could it ever be.  “You aren’t so lucky to pass me off to him.  Trying to free yourself up for /Natalie/?”  The name the woman despised, forever drawing forth just as much jealousy as it had the day she heard it for the first time.  Making gagging noises as she passed him by, opening the front door as she turned around, a single finger gesturing to her mouth to accompany that noise as if there were any doubt where she stood on the matter.

C.J.

Hearing her get specific now, he shook his head. "Little late to be getting specific, Munchkin." He teased her, nearly groaning at the mention of his outside perspective. Still needing those heels on the ground meaning he did still have to touch base with her. "Yeah, no. That hickie lasted for like a month." He teasingly reminded her, intense by even his standards as he reached for his own coat and the door subsequently. Watching her attempt to shush him yet it was too late. Indented dimples greeting her instead.

Erin

“Just couldn’t leave it at that, could ya?”  She asked, flashing a smirk over her shoulder as she made her way through the door.  Neither of them behaving as cops about to face what they were, seemingly just a typical morning as they headed out into the atypical darkness standing as proof of the time of morning.  “That whole 2 o’clock promise?  Up for debate if you say anything else about anyone else leaving marks on you…” a reminder offered there wrapped in a threat as she took those few steps down to the pathway to the car.  Knowing she was the one that went there and knowing he would have taken it that much further, it was her own doing without argument.

C.J.

Hearing her reminder, he gave up a low laugh. Reaching in his pocket for his phone as they walked to the passenger side door. He opened it for her. "Guess I better be calling out then?" He teased, taking her up on that previous offer at this rate. Knowing she was kidding and willing to play along. Still willing to help her into the car. Ever the gentleman with a familiar dimpled grin. Hitting the autostart feature on the car.

Erin

“If you’re calling out, you’re calling me out too.  Better be a good reason too.  Something highly contagious.  Some kind of… national threat…. Ebola or something.”  Going with it as he opened the door, catching sight of those dimples.  Standing beside the car, she gave up a smile to the man as her free hand lifted to find that indention to his cheek.  “Do you know just how much I love you?”  She asked, finding herself more and more blessed to be with this man, not quite sure how she got so incredibly lucky.  Lifting to her toes, she stole a kiss before slipping into the car’s passenger’s side.  Placing her coffee to the cup holder as she reached for the seatbelt.  A yawn passed her lips as she tried to shake it off.  “Ya know, this whole lack of sleep thing?  That’s why I didn’t become a musician; that and the fact I can’t sing.”

C.J.

"Yeah. Maybe we need to Google a few up and coming epidemics." He speculated, assuring she got in safely after, what he assumed, was a rhetorical question. "I don't know, do I?" He posed playfully in return as he returned her kiss. Closing the door with the musician comment in his ears. Opening the drivers side where he slipped within. "Makes me miss my Costra Nostra days. Earlier call was 9 AM...late nights, no early mornings."

Erin

“Only side effect, homicide.”  She shrugged, finding the common link between his previous profession and his current one.  “Well, that and broads like Naaatalie,” she offered, drawing out the name with an annoying tone to her voice before her hand was reaching for her coffee again.  “Just think.  We would’ve still met perhaps, but you would’ve had a shitty look at my ass through bars.”  Flashing him a playful grin, she knew in truth she had just as much a shot back then at winding up behind bars as he had.  Two reformed people now donning a badge at their hip or around their neck.  It was quite amazing really, heading to work a double homicide instead of one of them being responsible for it.  A somber feeling passed over her a little too soon, a mentality she typical bore at crime scenes and not a moment before, always one to try to keep the mood light before it had to come down.  Losing her ability to do so as she felt the weight of the words ‘execution style’ come over her.  “You think that’s what we’re looking at?”  She asked him, knowing he had far more knowledge in matters of the sort than she, hence one reason he was such an asset to the intelligence unit.

C.J.

"Yeah, well...atleast we killed one another in those days. No one fucked with innocents. No kids, old people.. until a selective few fucked that one to hell." Still quite bitter, he shook his head at her. "No one would have let your cute ass rot in a cell and you know it." He reminded her. One person or another would have kept her out. Hearing her question about what they are looking at, he shrugged his shoulder. "It's possible. I'm amazed they haven't established some sort of organized crime unit in intelligence by now. I know alot but...these numbers are rising. Now that it's getting bigger, just these guys are getting sloppy. Feels like they are trying to throw us off one trail by chasing another. That's my theory but what do I know..."

Erin

Having to give him a soft smile as he found a way to compliment her even while the hypothetical had her in jail for murder.  Her free hand finding his thigh as he spoke, getting theories into the air before ever seeing a crime scene.  “Think you know a lot, actually,” she confessed, having been one thing she’d always valued as his partner.  He might have been relentless with the come ons, but he was skilled in far more than just that.  Giving her that moment of reflection on days past, she leaned back in her seat.  “If that’s what you think is going on, maybe you dig a bit on it.  A bit of a private task force within the unit to uncover something bigger might not be a bad thing,” she offered completely out of place to do so.  She knew any intelligence investigation had to be cleared through Voight, but she was also one to trust C.J. explicitly.  If he had a hunch, she would back him on it.  “You aren’t just dimples and ass, ya know?”  She offered, finding a bit of flirtation there where she could, as she would going into any case to get the both of them through the day.

C.J.

Not wanting to push his luck with Voight, it was time to keep his big mouth closed. If he needed him, he'd know where to find him. Hearing her 'compliment' if one would call it that as they made their way to hell. He had to laugh. "You sure know how to make a boy feel special..." laden in sarcasm, his hand reached from hers. "I'm glad you agreed to marry a little more than ass and dimples though."

Erin

“About that…” she offered, eyes drifting to his as her tone appeared to be quite serious, as though she may recant such agreement.  “I was thinking…” she paused, drawing a heavy breath as she turned up the dramatics intentionally.  “Maybe we say forget the whole wedding thing.  I mean, you’re happy, right?  I’m happy.  The boys seem happy.  So why mess up a good thing with all the stress that comes along with a wedding…”  Slowly a smile swept her lips, at first just a hint, before finally a full smile would take hold.  “What if we plan for a weekend off next month?  Get a license.  Me, you, and the boys just go somewhere.  A beach maybe?  The four of us and a notary…?”

C.J.

"Really, Erin..." sighing as she attempted to find her way out of this one. He was already prepared for it but he wouldn't be dragging her to the altar. He had convinced her to date him and be his fiance, to marry him would take a total vote of confidence on her part that she was already beginning to worm her way out of. Listening to her and rolling his eyes. Not picking up on her act until she changed her tune and his eyes cut at her. "You can't do that to me like that, you're going to give me a complex..." he reminded her.

Erin

Her smile only growing that much wider as a rare, full smile took the woman’s features.  It wasn’t easy to get one over on him, but she had done just that and for it, she’d allow herself a prideful moment.  “Oh, c’mon.  Like I’d just tell you I had changed my mind.  Well, I mean… I did.  I don’t want to wait until 2029 to marry you.  But, I mean, if you aren’t ready and next month is already booked for you… I can wait until June of 2029.”  She teased, tightening that grip against his thigh.  “This where I say I love you and you forgive me for yanking your chain a bit?”  She asked, lifted brows as she asked for forgiveness where she wasn’t all that sorry to begin with, but the fact she loved him would have been entirely true.

C.J.

Hearing her continue on, green eyes still cut at her. Watching her ask for forgiveness in a round about way. "You are lucky...but anyway you want to do it." He returned, knowing his mother dreamed of the more elaborate traditional ceremony for her only child and maybe his sons thought of that as well but this had to be about them. Knowing full well it had taken enough convincing to get her this far. "As long as we are together. All of us." His only request in this, as it always had been as the station approached their line of sight.

Erin

Not privy to the desires of others, she was functioning on purely gut instinct here.  She was finally ready to just do it.  The two had been living together, functioning as a unit, for more than a year now, they were more than stable and truth be told, New York solidified it all for her with the boys.  As the station came into sight, she drew in a breath.  This wasn’t the right time for that conversation and she had known it, now having to erase it from their minds to deal with what was before them.  “All of us together means we go home in one piece tonight,” she reminded him, a gentle way of saying she needed him to stay safe should shit go sideways as it so often did.  “I love you,” she offered as the car came into the lot, knowing such words were only exchanged in glances once hell broke loose inside.

C.J.

Truth be told, it might have been just the right conversation to assure he would get his shit together during that shift. Pulling into his usual spot, he heard her statement causing him to smirk. "I loved you first, I'll always love you more." He reminded her, leaning over and stealing a kiss as the woman was his heart and she knew it. His family. Literally the only thing that could get him out of that bed and through this day as he shifted into park and killed the engine. Reaching for his phone to shoot a quick text to his mother.

Erin

Grumbling at the reminder that he had loved her first, something she would forever have to live under, although she could contest the love being more.  Longer, she’d give him.  More, that was debatable.  As he drew his phone, she knew the drill, not daring to interrupt process here as she reached for the seatbelt clasp.  Unfastening it, she drew an even breath as she opened the car door to find Antonio exiting the side exit of the building, landing his hand into the side of the brick structure.  Glancing to C.J., giving him the heads up that she’d be slipping off now, at least attempting this partnership though it wasn’t quite the same as the dynamic she had shared with him at her side.  Making quick steps to Antonio, his forehead against the wall as he drilled his hand into the brick again.  “Might just be me, but a trip to Med would probably slow down progress here, don’t ya think?”  Antonio gave his partner one look before he’d walk past her, shaking his head.  Getting the distinct feeling something was more than off with this, her eyes glancing back to C.J. there at the car.  A slight shrug to her shoulders, she couldn’t pretend to be inside Antonio’s mind.  They weren’t there yet, perhaps they never would be.  Slower steps made back towards the car, she wouldn’t chase him down, nor would she think he’d want her to.  Instead finding herself turning back to the stability she knew, one she could actually read.  “So this looks like a great start to a great day,” she remarked as she came within earshot of her fiancé.

C.J.

Watching Erin walk off, he gave a nod of understanding. Giving his mother the heads up and an apology, he sent the text. Slipping out of the car a few minutes later, catching the latter end of her time with Dawson. Now his mind was reeling with possibilities. A bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Tempted to ask him if he hated mornings this much too. As Erin returned, he locked up. "No doubt...let's see what's going on here." He concluded, before they got ahead of themselves as they walked to the front of the building.

Erin

There was something unsettling within Erin when something was off with Antonio or Al.  They had been in the unit with her since its beginning under Voight.  They were solid in her mind and although she didn’t always connect with them, she could judge things on their reaction to them.  Antonio’s was less than encouraging.  A nod of her head to C.J. as he was the calm within her at that moment, she headed for the front of the building with him.  Deciding already there was something involving either a child or an old case, she couldn’t decide which would be better at this point.  “Two o’clock is looking better and better,” she commented, though with each step forward, it seemed further and further away.

C.J.

"Heard that." He returned at her suggestion, making their way without the station now still somewhat slow despite the early morning arrivals. Heading upstairs to the pen where he was forced to be identified to get past the gate with Erin behind him. Making their usual entrance as the rest of the unit assembled all wondering the same question. Tossing his jacket onto the chair behind his desk yet not daring to take the seat. He eyed Voight off in his office touching base with another officer. Eyes transfixed to the filling whiteboard in attempt to see if they had any background before homicide would let them on the scene.

Erin

Once within the confines of the intelligence unit, Erin was leaning against her desk.  Not willing to get comfortable, ready to get the hell out of there and get this taken care of.  Boots on the ground with 2 o’clock ringing in her mind.  It wasn’t even assured such a time would exist in the capacity she hoped, but it would be enough to urge her through this.  As her eyes landed to the white board in the center of the bullpen, there were already images being placed of the two victims.  CI’s.  One of her own.  One of C.J.’s.  Her eyes shifted towards C.J. as Al added another three images of possible suspects in known connection with the CI’s.  None of them stood out to Erin until names were added beneath.  “Al… that’s…” She began, but before she could finish her question, Al nodded his head, going on to finish her statement.  “The brother of Miguel Santos.”  A sigh left her lips as she closed her eyes, the name of the man who C.J. had killed to protect Erin a year or so back in the raid that had gone terribly wrong at the command of Hank Voight.

C.J.

Already recognizing it before they had called it, he took in a deep breath. Attempting to not get hit with that blinding wall of frustration yet this case would not go away. He had been mad then at Voight for letting it happen in the first place but now it was back and most likely with a vengeance. "Well, talk about motive..." C.J. added dryly, leaning back against his death, eyes towards Al. "Method of death was execution style, right? Anything else standing out or do we have to wait to see ourselves?" He asked, already mentally noting that a bullet to the front of the head would be more fitting for the irony of the case. Approaching the board where he attempted to answer his own question with the photos provided.

Erin

Watching as C.J. hit this with guns blazing, ready to decipher the pieces and get to it, it would take Erin a moment longer.  Voight emerged from his office, prepared to update his team on recent discoveries at the scene, but Erin was somewhere else in her mind altogether.  Lost somewhere between 2 p.m. and assured death.  The noises of voices in the room came through muffled until she felt a nudge at her arm from a late arriving Ruzek, snapping her back into reality.  A question of if she was alright and had her coffee already was light and inappropriate considering, which Ruzek would realize a moment later when he found C.J. there at the board, standing all too close to the name of the brother he had taken the life of.  A quick expletive left Ruzek’s mouth as he stopped in his tracks.  “The motive is you.”  Erin stated plainly without sugar coating her words.  One CI being her own, one being C.J.’s, it all came back to them on that date.  The brother wasn’t only a possible suspect, but in Erin’s mind the only.  “Revenge for his brother.  The CI’s, execution style.  It’s a message.”  She added, to which Al would back her up with a nod as that was the general direction being discussed, further explaining Antonio’s outrage in the parking lot.

C.J.

As Erin pieced together that which was already prevelent in the man's mind. His eyes were still on the photos, as if the answer would materialize before him. Yet, he spotted something that instantly had his head tilting. Not quite ready to speak on this as he could have been wrong. Yet, his brows drew as he attempted to make sense with this potential bit of formative evidence. Keeping it to himself as he drew back. "Erin is right..." he confessed, obviously. "Looks like either both of us have a bulls eye or just me..." though he prayed it was just him who did.

Erin

Her eyes kept firmly to C.J., she hated how bluntly she had stated the motive, regretting it the moment it had left her lips, though it had been her honest take.  When he agreed, there would be no relief for the woman as he went on with the impending threat.  More than a year had gone by since a situation that had one of them at the center of it as a target.  More than a year ago she had moved in with him essentially out of her own fear.  For one whole year, there had been peace and safety where now there was none.  It was one thing to know there were those on the streets who would do anything to kill a cop.  It was another thing entirely to feel hunted.  Voight took over at the white board, restating all the small group had already come to on their own.  The focus would be on Santos, though they were not to forget there were two other possible suspects.  The team was to divide, start bringing the suspects in, begin questioning and building timelines of where they were at the time of death slotted between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.  At which point Voight motioned for Erin and C.J. to come into his office.  Delaying a moment as Voight made the short stair climb to his glass door, Erin glanced up at C.J.  “He’s going to ask us to hang back on this,” she had already figured as a trip to that office normally meant one thing.  “I would normally refuse, but I think one of us needs to be at home with the boys…” she offered, knowing his mother would do all in her power to protect them, but something about this hitting a little too close to home for Erin.  As if they were her own children, as often times she felt they were, offering to step down from this case to protect them should he want to stay to put it to bed for the both of them.

C.J.

Watching the motion, he heard Erin speak. She was more than likely right. She had a tendency to be so yet. There was something about that picture driving him absolutely wild. He wanted at that crime scene. He wanted to work it out himself. The speculation of symbolism. The man seemed to ge rather theatrical but whether he went or she went, he'd tell her what he thought. "Well, we'll do what we have to do. We always do." Always meaning to facilitate that bond between her and his sons, he had seen the difference she had made quite drastically. Where once they were fearful and shy of females that were not their grandmother and desiring to stay home on days at school such as mother's day, they were different all together. While he'd never pin all these hopes and pressure on her, he'd been pretty hopeful on it since the two met. Seeing a maternal nature in her that was required to date him to know that he could not run from his responsibility. Approaching the office, he took up the position behind her. Allowing her to enter first as he grew quiet with thought.

Erin

Giving a nod of her head, she took his words as telling her she could do as she wished on this.  A part of her wanting to be there, never one to hide from things that came her way when it came to work, only ever taking a back burner when forced and then throwing a tantrum attached to it, this was an entirely different feeling for her.  Instantly, her mind had gone to the boys.  If the target was the both of them, the boys could easily fall into that as well.  The same went for if the target was C.J.  Everything in her said this was Santos on a revenge scheme, and in that instant, her instincts said to protect the boys.  Entering the office just before C.J., she stood with her hands to the back of the chair she was normally asked to sit within.  Just as she anticipated, Voight began on how he felt this case was pointing to the both of them, asking them to take the backseat on it, but allowing each detective before him to make their own decision on the matter.  Typically, Voight would have forced his hand, giving an order, but his offer was a serious nod to how far the trio had come in what could be considered a short time.  Nodding her head, Erin felt the ache in her hand wanting to reach for C.J.’s, yet resisted doing so.  “As much as I want to do this,” she began, already finding that almost smile from Voight letting on that his pseudo daughter had grown up a bit.  “I’ll hang back on this, from home if that would be okay.”  A singular nod of Voight’s head led him to look to C.J. for his decision to stay or hang back as well, a position neither of them had been offered in the past.

C.J.

Hearing Erin speak about taking up home, he watched Voight's eyes find his. Everyone already knew what he'd say by now. The New Yorker was no lamb to be hunted. He wasn't prey. He was the predator. "I do better protecting my family by being with you guys. I'm not going to lay back and hope we don't get knocked off." He reminded Voight. "I've faced bigger and badder. Entire organizations, made men, crime families...a little shit with a vendetta isn't going to shake me." He returned, as if Voight was truly leaving the ball in his court, that was his decision. He would not, could not back down from this.

Erin

Listening to C.J. speak, there was a part of her that knew he would be fine and could more than handle himself.  The other part of her feeling as though she were trading him for his boys in that moment as she felt he was safest when it was her gun beside his.  Biting at her lower lip momentarily, she lowered her head, respecting C.J.’s decision as he had respected her own, though it would stand as the first time the two would not be on scene together.  Voight rose from his seat, allowing the detectives to follow through on their wishes, bidding Erin the promise he would keep her in the loop.  Voight stepped out of his own office, giving the two a moment within out of sheer respect for the two as he went to brief the others.  Once the door was closed, Erin instantly drew into him with no regard for the glass walls that would reveal them to the rest of the unit below.  “I need you to come home today, okay?”  She offered, her own fear there showing itself as she feared not for herself, but for a life without him.

C.J.

Hearing the door close, he felt her draw. A magnet to his warmth as his arms slipped around her. He nodded. Lips turning to find her temple. "I will." He returned, a sharp reminder of the confidence the man had oozed since the day he stepped into the pen. Hand rubbing over her back slowly as he inhaled deeply. As if tempting himself for the subject matter. "You made the right choice, Erin..." he reminded her as he let his lips linger to her temple. "If there ever is a choice between protecting them or protecting me, you leave me and go to them. I can protect myself, what I cannot and could not handle is something happening to them. Always choose them, okay?"

Erin

As the words came forth from him, she was struggling to hold herself together.  To say she was torn on the matter was an understatement now that it was time to let him go be the cop he was.  Swallowing her emotion back, she nodded her head there against his chest as she tried not to think this could be their last moment together.  Several sets of eyes upon them from the bullpen, Al shaking his head softly as he didn’t envy their position at all.  Drawing back slightly, one hand coming up to the side of his face as tears threatened the corners of her eyes.  Letting her hand pass down the side of his face slowly, she found her toes as she pressed a brief kiss to his lips.  “I choose all three of you,” she stated for the record, her pending emotion cracking her voice further than normal before she was back at his chest again.  A tight embrace from the tiny cop before she would have to ask him for his car keys and make her way back home without him for the first time in more than a year.  “I love you,” she offered there at his chest, hating the taste of the words as they felt more like goodbye.

C.J.

“Two.” he emphasized, as a grown man he was in the position to make these decisions. He had faced worse. They had not. He needed her, but they needed her a hell of alot more. Feeling the tight embrace she offered to him, his own arms tight around her. It was hardly a parting. He had no doubts that he’d return that evening but what he had said needed to be said. “I love you to…I’ll see you later.” he stated honestly, reaching for his keys from his pocket that he guided to her own.

Erin

Feeling the metal of the keys slip into her hand, she drew back.  Lifting her chin to meet his eyes, giving him the half smile she knew he’d need today, her hand grasped his for another moment before she’d take that step towards the door.  Instantly any eyes that had observed them were instantly to the white board.  Letting her hand slip free of his as she pulled the door open, she made her way down the few stairs to the bull pen floor.  As she walked past, Al’s supportive hand found her shoulder with a promise on his lips that they’d bring him back home to her in one piece, she nodded her head.  If she had to trust anyone with him, it would be Al.  Voight’s commanding voice took the room as he ordered a unit be put on patrol outside the Luciano home.  As much as Erin didn’t want the boys to be afraid by it, she also knew it was probably for the best.  One last look over her shoulder to C.J., she took the turn for the stairwell, holding herself together as she exited the Intelligence Unit.

C.J.

Smiling softly as he caught her glancing back, she needed to be strong for him yet he felt himself more inclined to being strong for her. It was easy to be the one out there. Nature took over. It was all adrenaline and no thought. Yet, to be the one sitting at home thinking about it? That took the true bravery here. Drawing himself back to his desk where all the room seemed intent on watching Erin out before discussion of this task began. Not wanting her to worry any more than she may already have to as he knew that his home and his kids were in good hands.

Erin

Quick feet would follow as she made her way down the staircase, hearing a call out from Trudy behind the desk that a patrol car was already downstairs to follow her home.  The roll of her eyes was almost habit at this point, conceding to that which she knew was best.  “Thanks,” she offered, stepping towards the front door of the building the entire time.  Once outside in the darkness again, she was reminded it was just only past five in the morning.  Pulling out her phone, she shot a text over to C.J.’s mom, letting her know she was on her way back to the house, staying in with the boys that day with no further explanation given, only wishing not to startle the woman when the front door reopened that morning.  Once she was in the car, she would finally let herself have that moment to get it all out in the parking lot while the truck warmed up again.  Head to the steering wheel, she reached down the side of the seat to draw the seat forward.  After letting that emotion take hold, she would give herself exactly five minutes to get through it, knowing she and C.J. would both feel a lot better once she was at home with the boys.

C.J.

Settling into the case’s details once they began on, a trip to the scene was strongly welcomed and that was exactly what they would be getting as they waited for confirmation that the trooper was out of the parking lot. It was only then that he was allowing himself to speak to Al. “There’s something weird goin’ on with this one’s mouth…look…” grabbing the picture from the board and showing it to the man, the tightness of the lips was unnatural. A clench. He couldn’t help but suspect if there was some reason for it. Something binding the mouth shut. Getting it off of his chest the same way he could talk to Erin, it was hardly the same yet he hoped the man would let his mind run on this. He was seeing symbols everywhere and it would only take the scene to confirm it.

Erin

As she pulled herself together, she heard a knock at the window, finding Antonio there as she pressed the button to lower the window.  An apology offered as he gave her the same assurances C.J. had.  She was doing the right thing.  Erin nodded her head, accepting the apology as she now understood the frustration in the man.  A moment later, Antonio was back within the building and Erin was pulling out of the parking lot with a detail right behind her.  Navigating the streets she once drove regularly, she found them strangely unfamiliar in realizing it had been quite some time since she had driven them alone.  Hearing a return text from his mother acknowledging Erin was on her way back and some decent coffee would be waiting, she made the short drive to the Luciano home, feeling as though she left half her heart back at CPD.

C.J.

The 2 o’clock deadline would not be met as she had promised. No, a much later day had been in the works for the entire unit. He finally hit the front door by 6:30. One of the troopers dropping him off as his truck was outside of the house and he was happy to see it. After a particularly long day, the man should have been tired but he could not be. Still too wound up. Head working a million miles a minute but he was glad to be home as he got to the front door that was locked upon approach. Not bothering with a new of the neighbors who had found their front porches. Usually quick to speak to a normally happy and charismatic man, he wasn’t much feeling it that day. Breaching his own threshold as he closed the door behind him. Locking it as he heard voices in the kitchen suggesting that his mother was attempting to distract and keep the household busy with her lesson on the preparation of one Italian dish or another that she had on the books at the restaurant. An easy way to keep the boys collected and interested ironically and he was glad to hear their day had not been as his.

Erin

A tag team effort of Erin and his mother with the boys, keeping them occupied and interested, despite the fact they were skipping school was not nearly as difficult as imagining a knock at the door that would bring bad news; the worst news.  A day filled with video games, movies, popcorn, hide and seek, and just about anything else the boys wanted to do inside had been successful, culminating in the teaching lesson happening in the kitchen as Erin leaned against the counter, half listening, half thinking.  The sound of the door opening had her shooting a glance to his mother who had the line of sight.  The smile of the woman was enough to draw the glass of wine out of Erin’s hand to the countertop as she walked around the corner as calmly as possible, though fast feet would take her over as she got closer.  Both arms coming up and around the man’s neck as she heard a round of greeting from the boys who were none the wiser of the day’s events.  Words were no friend of hers as she held onto him, having just faced the longest thirteen hours of her entire life.

C.J.

Watching Erin come into view, he stopped in the doorway. Jacket still on as he only took another half step forward as she approached. Slipping his arms around her midsection as he was happy to see the woman as well as she merely held to him. Rubbing her back gently to soothe her. Having to only imagine what he would feel like if the roles were reversed though he was staunch on the idea that he loved her much more than she could love him. Taking the moment just for her as he held on tight. Saying nothing. No words needed as his head turned to press his lips to her temple. Speaking only as he watched two sets of smaller legs running towards the two. The larger of the two instantly forcing his arms around Erin to access his father and the smallest finding his own back. Though they were washed in laughter, not knowing what really was going on, it made him smile softly to know that their day had not been ruined or they had not known a moment of fear evident by their nature bleeding out in that moment around the two.

Erin

Feeling that kiss to her temple, a kiss she had imagined a million times throughout the day, the dampness in the corner of her eyes was now sheer joy where previously there had been fear.  The boys coming up to surround them had Erin slipping one hand back to embrace J.J. as best she could from the angle as she lifted her head from C.J.’s chest.  Easing herself down from the hold, she slipped out entirely as she let the boys at their dad.  Watching them latch onto him, as they did every day, looked a little different this time.  Everything in her wanted to know what had happened that day, but it could wait, as for right now, she was making mental images of the three most important people in her life.  Bash ratting Erin out as he quickly offered up that Erin skipped work so the boys could skip school and play video games all day, Erin had to laugh, shrugging her shoulders casually as if that’s how it all went down.  “And we had the best day ever, eh?”  She asked, to which both boys easily agreed.  

C.J.

"Oh really?" Playing along as if he did not know. Narrowing his eyes playfully at Erin as he leaned down. A kiss to both foreheads though Bash had always been the clingier one of the two. Gripping at his pant leg as C.J. rubbed his back. "Such a bad influence." He teased of Erin, a wink as his free hand reached for hers, she was part of this to. "I bet grandmah helped you guys in your bad behavior too, huh?" He asked, hearing a faint "guilty" from the other room making him smile. Not a care in the world in that moment for the meantime.

Erin

Feeling his hand take hers, she’d play along since it seemed the boys were happy, as was the biggest boy of them all.  “Yup.  I did it.”  She confessed.  “And I’ll do it again too,” she added a little threat of a promise to which the boys would happily participate in.  As his mother acknowledged her part in things that day, Erin could only offer her a genuinely thankful smile.  “You guys want to go finish helping Grandma in there and let’s let your dad get those boots off?”  Erin asked, knowing damned well how long of a day C.J. had just faced, though she’d not know exactly how hard of a day until he gave her some insight.  With two little men running back to the kitchen, the lesson resuming, Erin took advantage to finally steal a kiss from the man in official greeting, something she honestly never got to do anymore since they had moved in together.  

C.J.

Hearing the boys content to finish helping out their grandmother. He found himself instantly reminded of how lucky he was to have these women in his life who handled it all with such ease and stride. Watching Erin approaching, he pressed his lips back to hers without the threat of 'ew' looming from the background. Arms slipping back around her without missing a beat. His love for her infinite and coursing through his veins.

Erin

Giving in to a kiss she wished she had been sent off with earlier that morning, she had known it wasn’t in good taste.  But now, she’d risk the ‘ew’ that normally followed it as there was no way she could hold back any longer.  A long moment there at his lips as she felt his arms slip around her, her own coming up around his neck.  Nothing sexual about this kiss for once, as it was truly just her own expression of the truest love for this man wrapped in the fear she’d not get another as she had lived her day wondering just that.  Easing back from him, her eyes met his as she allowed her hand to pass the side of his face gently.  Her voice low, carefully in a whisper as she spoke.  “So you’re okay.  All in one piece.  Just as I left you?”  She asked, hands already coming around to work at his coat not only to help him get comfortable, but for her own need to see he was truly returned in the state she had left him in.

C.J.

Feeling her at his jacket, the man nodded. As she'd find no difference. Perfectly entact head to toe. "Just as you left me." He agreed, arms spread to allow the jacket get dragged down. Allowing her to inspect herself as his eyes wandered off to the kitchen. The scent wafting a familiar one as this time of the day always contained such a scent. Ever since he was a child. A reminder of home and all of its wonders filled with his loved ones despite that trooper out front.

Erin

With the jacket removed, she carelessly tossed it to the back of the sofa, as her eyes surveyed the fabric of his shirt.  Unpunctured in any form, much to her delight.  A smile swept her lips as her hands found his.  “You going to leave me in suspense, or…” she whispered, the cop in her showing itself as she needed to know what had happened that day before she could carry on with the evening.  “Five minutes and I’ll drop it,” she added, taking a step back as though to guide him to the privacy of their room where he could speak more freely without the fear of little ears overhearing.

C.J.

“Yeah, I’ll tell you.” he stated honestly, knowing her mind was focused on that now that she had assured his safety and that he was entirely intact and himself. Allowing her to guide him to their room. Stealing a kiss from his mother quickly as he informed her that they were going to talk for a few minutes. Slipping within with ease as he closed the door behind them.

Erin

Releasing one of his hands once forward motion had been established, she took down the hallway with him with only that momentary pause with his mother.  For once, the bedroom door was closing without Erin attempting to get his clothes off in the process, taking a seat at the edge of the bed as she looked up towards him.  Knowing if it was bad enough, he may not want to divulge everything, she would attempt to keep the hunger in her for every detail under wraps as best she could.  

C.J.

As she took a seat, he grabbed the nearby lounge chair to the corner of the room. Dragging it infront of her as he took a seat, reaching for her hands. “Well…” he began, tilting his head as he met her eyes. “Your theory was definitely right. He’s definitely making a message…but it is more for me than it is for you. Both of the C.I.’s, mine and yours, have prominent Italian tattoos. One having a tattoo, the other having a phrase. Both of them have their mouths hooked shut. They are on the autopsy table now but last I heard, they both have pieces of paper in their mouths with the word ‘Omert?.’” pausing, letting it sink in. “Now, I don’t know if this guy is all that informed. It just might be a shot in the dark figuring my name is ‘Luciano.’ But there are tons of mafia symbolism. Burnt palms…” continuing, he gave a shake of his head. “But, I’m thinking his need for theatrics out weighed his intelligence. Taking this much preptime with a body widens the chance of DNA being somewhere on them just so we can confirm what we already know.”

Erin

As his words came forward, speaking in a present tense, her breath was stolen from her.  When he returned home, she thought that meant it was over.  Instead, his words were for now, telling her this was far from over.  Theories.  Thoughts.  Symbols.  “Do we at least have the suspects in custody?”  She asked, knowing with enough evidence, all three could have been brought in for questioning paired with a twenty-four hour hold, though it would also be showing CPD’s hand.  Her own hands slightly trembling in his, her eyes firm to his, a part of her ready to grab shoes and her badge and get out on the ground to do something more, as if there were anything more she could do.  C.J. was by far calmer than she was, though he had much more time to work it through.  Lowering her head, she now understood why the trooper was still outside the house.  A sick feeling radiating through her, her teeth stealing her lower lip as she drew a heavy breath attempting not to lose her shit even though she felt the threat could be right at their door.

C.J.

“No…we are waiting for potential DNA to come back before anyone jumps.” he confessed, knowing she wouldn’t like that one much but it was true. He had come home that night to her with the information before them and not much else. Dead ends. Watching her lowering her head. “I wish I had more for you…we tried though, Erin. We really did.” he confessed honestly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he brought it to his lips. Kissing her knuckles in attempt to calm her.

Erin

She knew instantly that the call was to wait, no matter how much better she’d feel if all three suspects were looking forward to a night in lock up.  His words of trying were met with the lifting of her head as she felt the kisses to her knuckles.  “God, C.J.,” she breathed out, drawing herself into him, hating the idea that he could think he had let her down.  “I know,” she assured, knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt the unit would not rest until this was taken care of.  If there was one thing intelligence did not stand for, it was one of their own to be under fire.  “Is the M.E. calling when they find something?”  she asked, her tone taking on the hope of the unit that there would be a positive DNA match.  

C.J.

"I think she'll be in contact with Voight." He stated, and at that point, she knew the man better than he did. Pressing another firm kiss to her palm in attempt to soothe her. Ironically feeling worse for her than he did for himself as this waiting game was for the birds but he had alot of confidence in the outcome of all of this. Sadly, it wouldn't be their first time on high alert with a whole lot less than a police trooper out there in consideration of last time.

Erin

A nod of her head would return his statement of who would be called, only hoping Voight’s first call after that would be to C.J. considering it was his neck they were potentially after.  All of it just a little too real as she felt his kiss to the inside of her hand.  Well aware of his attempt to calm her nerves, she literally felt as if she had everything to lose when they were so close to having it all.  “You feel good about this?”  She asked, trusting the man’s gut even over her own as she attempted to find that comfort in it all to get through another long twenty-four hours or so.  Two o’clock long behind them, hearing the call from the hallway that dinner was on the table.  

C.J.

“I mean…” hearing her question, his eyes met hers. A shrug of his shoulders. How good could he feel in truth? Part of him wanted to isolate himself. If they were being honest, he nearly wanted to set up a safehouse and lure whoever this was out into the open. To lead a trail of breadcrumbs away from Erin and his family. If this was to be a fight, he’d face it headon. Yet, he knew that was his former self leaking out from underneath of the upstanding police officer he pretended to be. Also knowing she wouldn’t like the idea of this but it was difficult not to be forced with drastic action. “I really don’t know what else to say or do. I’m trying to be a cop like this though everything in me tells me to take the other approach.:

Erin

“You /are/ a cop,” she reminded him, as there was no trying in this.  She knew of his past.  She knew what he meant.  But for her, he was a cop through and through.  Bringing one hand free of his, she rested it to the side of his face, hating the fact there was still a threat on him.  “Let’s hope the M.E. calls soon, gives us the DNA match, and then Voight’ll call a unit in for the pick up.”  A little hope there as it didn’t have to go through to the next day or the day after that, she’d choose to find something worth hoping for there to get them through the rest of the evening.  “You don’t have to do anything but join those boys for dinner, trust the patrol outside, and maybe reschedule 2 o’clock for 8 o’clock.”  Clearly trying to draw them on track, it was a betrayal to that which she felt within her.  For him though, she’d swallow it all and put on a brave face as she had all day with the boys.  “Playing hide and seek made me forget for a while today, so there’s always that,” she teased, rising to her feet as she leaned in to press her lips to his.  “Let’s go eat, and definitely drink.”

C.J.

“Yeah, that’s right…” he sighed, as if he forgot that he was a cop. Though sometimes he still just felt like he was posing as one. When it was convenient, he was a cop. When it wasn’t, it was far easier to lapse into his former lifestyle and be the C.J. Luciano who had attracted similar amounts of attention to his family and led to the death of three. There it was, the thought he was trying to lure off the entire day. Back upon him. He had done this once again. What he had promised not to. This had to be handled away from them. As he heard her attempt to reel him back in with promises of 8 o’clock. He nodded. Pressing his lips back to hers. “Yes, let’s drink…” acting as if he had bypassed that first part straight for the alcohol, standing up with her a moment later.

Erin

As he jumped at the drinking part, yet only nodded to the 8 o’clock mention, she knew there was something more going on within his head.  With yet another call that dinner was on the table and getting cold courtesy of a short stack, she slipped her hand from his if only to go open the bedroom door.  Offering a glance back to him, she couldn’t judge considering she had started drinking about a half hour before he arrived home, the abandoned glass of wine on the kitchen counter to prove it.  As she headed down the hallway, her eyes met his mother’s for a brief moment, long enough to exchange the unsettling feeling she had within her, thus turning his mother on to the uncertainty lying with the case and more specifically, her son.  Snagging the glass of wine from the kitchen counter, she finished it off in one sip before grabbing for the bottle and another glass should C.J. like to join her in polishing that bottle off and going on to another.

C.J.

Not meaning to bypass the 8 o’clock bit, god knows he could use the distraction and closeness to her. Allowing her to guide him and miss the exchange of looks between the two. He was landing a kiss ontop of Bash’s head as he took a seat for dinner before grabbing himself a water bottle from the fridge. Guided to take a seat and not help his mother serve as he might normally do and doing just that. Cracking open the bottle of water that would come before the wine and taking a strong mouthful. Eyes flickering back up towards Erin, trying to keep it all in perspective yet the longer he looked at this set up, the more he feared losing it before he could do something drastic and eliminate the threat all together.

Erin

An exchange of her eyes with his mother followed by his eyes capturing hers, if only all of those exchanges could have been put into words.  The only noise seeming to come from two little men with stories to tell their father of their adventures with grandma and ‘mom’.  Pouring herself another glass of wine, she did the same for C.J. for whenever he would want it before taking her seat at the table.  Feeling the stress radiating off the man, she slipped her hand beneath the table to find his thigh.  Bringing her glass to her lips with her free hand, all sound becoming muffled to the woman again as it had that morning in the precinct.  The sound of closing car doors outside the house signifying an impromptu round around the house, she swallowed the mouth full of wine as she offered a gentle squeeze at his thigh.  Distractions galore at the mouths of the children, and yet all she could focus on was the sounds of two officers rounding the exterior of the house.  “Tell him who won that game,” she prompted, flashing a quick smile as she attempted to rejoin the conversation there at the table as both kids vented their frustration that Erin had finally beat them at a video game.

C.J.

Hearing the door as well, the man was always on high alert yet that night especially. The flickering of flashlights, eyes following towards one of the windows as he heard the sound of a radio telling him all that he needed to know. Hands lifting to the wine glass as he took a strong mouthful. Hoping to pull out a bit of a buzz before food was introduced. His mother still at it behind him in her last stages of setting out the food on the table. Attempting to make sense of that conversation for a moment, getting back onboard at Erin’s prompting as he felt her hand against his leg. Smirking softly. “Only took her long enough…looks like it’s time for a new game.” he teased as he glanced back towards her to see just what she’d think of that. Only able to think that this would be a bonding experience if nothing else.

Erin

“Hey.  I think five months is a completely reasonable amount of time to get a handle on things,” she offered, a laugh there at her lips as the boys were completely on board with the idea of a new game making its way into the household.  “Have /you/ beat them yet?”  She asked, judgy eyes coming across to him.  Another sip of the wine, she’d have this glass polished off in no time as well, certainly finding herself in a far more entertaining state by the time the boys were slipping off for their showers and bed after dinner.  As the food was brought to the table, Erin couldn’t fathom eating at that point, having eaten far more that day than she usually did; a side effect from being at home with boys who seemed to constantly be hungry.  “Did you know, if you let them, they eat about eight meals a day?”  She offered, counting every snack as a meal, certain she had doubled her typical daily caloric intake.

C.J.

“Not in that game in particular…” bringing the wine glass to his own lips to get him out of that conversation as he knew he had beaten them in a few things but now, they were entirely too good at things to outthink them as he might have once done. Working at his own glass as he watched the food brought to the table. No appetite himself but he would and could never turn down a meal. It was too great an insult as he thanked his mother taking her own seat. Hearing Erin speak bringing a light laugh out of him. “You don’t say…” he added figuratively, as if he had not accomplished this much. “Are we counting fruit snacks as meals then?”

Erin

“I do say,” she returned, a significant dramatic nod there at her head, eyeing the culprits across the table.  “Those fruit snacks?  They might be the greatest things ever made…” she confessed, having snuck a pack or two in between the eight meals the boys had that day, but not speaking to such a thing.  “Might need to replenish the stock on those too, by the way…”  A toothy grin there at her lips as she brought her hand up from beneath the table, instantly thanking his mother as the plates were placed before them.  “And the roll up fruit stuff?  I think those are pure sugar,” she added, to which the boys were instantly disagreeing for fear they’d be stripped of the household entirely.

C.J.

“Pure sugar you say? I did not know that…I’ve been lied to. They aren’t ‘fruit’ at all…” he alleged, as if he had been lied to. Eyeing the two across the table as the culprits. His hand reaching out for one of the plates as he loaded food onto one plate and then the other. A penne with red sauce, vegetables and chicken. The dish so good that he even managed to bypass the vegetables as he filled both plates. Watching them watch him as it was traditionally in the rulebook that they didn’t start eating until he did as he would be refilling the plate before he even started. “Easy…” he stated, holding up his hand as if talking down a vicious animal. J.J. the biggest culprit to this one as he glanced over towards Erin. Reaching for her plate. Figuring, while he was at it.

Erin

“Yeah… they told me it was a healthy snack…” she offered honestly, having played along with the boys even though she strongly suspected otherwise.  “Thinking we’ll have to replace it with apple slices or celery roll ups,” she teased, gesturing two fingers towards her eyes then back to them as though to remind them she was watching them, a commonality throughout their day together that day.  As C.J. took her plate, she flashed him a thankful smile before whispering, “Eight meals.  Take it easy on me.”  In truth, she wasn’t hungry.  She was stressed.  But for appearances sake, she’d at least eat some if for no other reason but to not offend his mother, although Erin had spent most of the afternoon complaining about how full she was.  Taking her plate back from him once there was food against the surface, a smile seeming to be part of her dinner attire.  “So… think we should read the boys in on that plan of ours this morning?  See how they feel about it?”  She asked, thinking all of them might benefit from a bit of good news, or so she thought it was, only standing to further prove just how serious she was about marrying the man in the next few weeks if she was willing to let the boys in on it, giving all honors to C.J. on this one, though it had been eating away at her half the day.

C.J.

“Or tofu.” he offered at the mention of healthy alternatives, seeing that the two had entirely too much fun teasing the kids as he did not take it easy on her and filled her plate. Getting his mothers before his own, adding significantly less than his normal as he grabbed his fork. Hearing her speak about their plan, raising a brow at her as it took a moment to remember that conversation they had had in the car. Remembering, he nodded slowly as he glanced over them and his mother as well who was already looking at him expecting news of another grandchild by this point. “We were talking about maybe just going ahead and getting married, getting the license followed…taking the boys with us. Making it official…” glancing down towards the boys, telling J.J. was trying to work it all out. “Does this mean we don’t get to see Erin in a dress?” he asked, causing C.J. to snort. Having to realize that they probably never saw her in one before. “Erin only wears jeans.”

Erin

Listening as C.J. laid out the plan there, bringing the glass of wine to her lips as J.J. piped up with his question, instantly causing her to choke on the wine as she was mid-swallow.  Putting the glass down quickly, hand covering over her mouth as she coughed her way through that one, a laugh having come forth while trying to swallow, overall a bad combination.  As C.J. answered that she only wore jeans, she cut her eyes at him as she reached for his bottle of water to take down a mouthful.  Shaking her head no, she ratted C.J. out to the boys.  “Erin actually doesn’t only wear jeans,” she began, shaking her head as she returned the bottle of water to C.J.’s place setting.  “Sometimes she wears yoga pants.”  She teased, though C.J. had seen her in a dress a couple of times over the last year and a half.  “Ya know what, J.J., I’ll wear a dress just for you.  How about that?”  She offered, wanting whatever it was they did to be everything the boys wanted too as they were very much so involved in the decision making of this in her own opinion.  “And what should your dad wear?”

C.J.

As soon as Erin had an answer, Bash was instantly leaning over. Seemingly displeased and in J.J.’s ear. Giving him a thorough chewing about something yet he was not quite sure to work it out. J.J. seemed ot regard it for a moment before he nodded at the offer. Still, Bash was not pleased with whatever had happened at mention of what he should be wearing. “Not a dress.” C.J. returned with a slight smirk. “I’m thinking a dress shirt and my nicest pair of jeans…”

Erin

Noting the sidebar between the boys, it was lost on Erin, but something to look into.  “What if everyone wore anything that made them happy?”  She offered, eyes darting from C.J. to the boys, throwing it out there, knowing what a risk that could be, but thinking it might just take care of whatever it was going on between the boys at the other end of the table.  “Who knows, I might just wear a cape and a mask…” she teased, scrunching her nose as she finally lifted a fork full of food to her lips as her eyes drifted to C.J.’s mom, hoping she’d be alright with her son not going the full on wedding route.  

C.J.

“You have no right to wear a cape or a mask. I am Batman.” he reminded her honestly, eyes slipping from his mother who was already ready to draw her opinion. “I think it’s a good idea. Do it before she changes her mind, C.J.” cutting his eyes at her, he shook his head. Not the response he expected but he should have known as his mother became increasingly lax through the years. Yet, his eyes were back at Bash. Attempting to work out what was going on with him. “Hey, bud? Come here and tell me what’s wrong?”

Erin

Erin’s own eyes would widen as his mother urged them to do it that way before she changed her mind.  She was definitely not changing her mind, though it had taken her a while to get the 2029 date out of her mind.  As C.J. called for Bash to come to him, Erin got an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.  If Bash wasn’t okay with this, the brakes would be on faster than anything.  “Think I heard my phone in the other room,” she offered, rising from her seat as she slid her chair closer to C.J. for Bash to take should he want it, excusing herself to the bedroom where she’d sit on the edge of the bed, taking that moment to call Voight for an update on the M.E.

C.J.

With Bash approaching him, he coached him to tell him what was wrong with it. Too fast? Was he feeling uncomfortable? The boy’s eyes swelled with tears. A shake of his head each time before he finally whispered in his ear what was wrong. “J.J. called her ‘Erin.’” he confessed, it took a moment to piece it all together but as he looked the boy over, he finally understood. Like he had gotten the label and it was being pulled away. “I’m sorry, bud. Old habits die hard sometimes. Doesn’t mean anything.” he explained, wiping a fallen tear as he pulled him onto his lap. Sensing he needed a little more attention and he had no issue giving it to him as his eyes swept out towards towards the hall and door of the bedroom. Knowing it had not been what she expected as he guided Bash to get back to eating. Doing the same as well as he reached for his phone. Shooting her a quick text. “Not what you think.” he wrote quickly, sending it. “Got upset that Bash called you Erin.”

Erin

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she listened as Voight promised that she or C.J. would be his first call when the M.E. report came in, she raised her voice in response.  “Is there nothing we can do to hurry this along?!”  Her nerves from the dinner table being displaced onto Voight in that moment as he tried to calm her over the phone, reminding her they were doing all they could, but for right now they just had to sit tight.  Hanging up the phone, she set it to the side before she’d hear it chime with the texts from C.J.  “Ahh okay.”  She returned, giving herself a moment within the room to take several deep breaths as she tried to bring herself back to a calm to enter the dining room once more.  It would take but a couple of minutes before she would emerge from the room, coming back to her own chair which she adjusted back to her seat.

C.J.

Watching Erin return, he smiled softly as he glanced down towards Bash who was getting another sloppy forkful of food to his mouth. “You alright?” he asked as he watched her, detecting that a little something more was off. “We were just talking about it and…they agree. They’d like to see it but i think they might like to see you in a dress more.” he added, attempting to brighten her spirits a bit as the issue had never been the idea of them getting married but merely the way she had been addressed in that moment. A badge of honor if anything at all.

Erin

“Yeah,” she offered, quick at her lips though he would know otherwise.  Hearing where things stood with the boys and the pending nuptials, she eyed both boys.  “Well then… I suppose the two of you would love nothing more than to go dress shopping with me?”  She teased, not at all serious, though lacking her typical teasing tone of voice she held with the boys.  Reaching for her wine glass again to consume the last of the contents, needing to erase the Voight call from her mind as all it had done was effectively kill her mood entirely.  “I mean if they want to see me in a dress… there’s always the red one in the closet,” she reminded him with a slightly devious smirk as she recalled the last time she had worn it lacking undergarments for an entire evening only for him to discover it in their hotel staycation.  

C.J.

Smirking instantly at the mention of that dress which he remembered well, surprised it still was capable of hanging in a closet considering the manner of things it did to him. He shook his head. “Nah, I’m sure they’ll guide you in the right direction. What do you think?” Met with huge resistance at J.J.’s part, Bash seemed either alright with this or distracted by his food. Reaching out, he finished his wineglass. Reaching for his own fork, he finally began to eat. Fighting past the general lack of hunger to attempt to atleast finish his plate. Only wondering what she had been doing in that other room.

Erin

As C.J. dismissed the idea of her putting on the red dress, she couldn’t help but agree, though it had been meant purely to try to tempt C.J. at this point.  Refilling her wine glass, she took another bite of her food, more or less just moving the food around at this point with the occasional bite here and there.  “I will not torture you boys with dress shopping, but I will torture you both when it comes time to go buy your dad a groom’s gift.”  A nod there at her head as she eyed the both of them, a little hint they should start thinking of something they’d like to give their dad that day.  Finding the planning of this to be rather seamless as it could be anything they wanted, with the things they wanted, more or less willing to give the boys complete creative control in the matter.  With the last drop of wine from the bottle there in her glass, she rose to her feet to retrieve another bottle from the kitchen counter where she already had it set out knowing it would more than likely be gone by the end of the evening as well.

C.J.

“Uh oh.” he stated instantly at the idea of a gift, especially with them putting their hands in this. He could only imagine as he watched her going for another wine bottle. Finishing his own plate thankfully as he watched both his kids polishing it off and going for seconds which were readily given. Yet, he found himself increasingly looking forward to a little alone time with her. With his own head. Not that he didn’t enjoy them, he just needed to think. To debate his options. Getting Bash a second plate as he guided him to take his own seat now that they had worked out their little miscommunication.

Erin

Hearing C.J.’s reaction, it was rightfully so, as Erin would give no guidance in the matter, only the use of her credit card for whatever it was the boys thought they would like to get their father.  Flashing him a devious grin, she drew up what would be her last bite of food as she simply couldn’t make a dent in the plate and was giving up on it entirely even as nearly everyone else had a second serving on their plate.  The day having taken too much of a toll on her nerves, still riding into the present as she struggled there at the plate, but did rather well at the glass.  Her mind slipping to what the next day would hold, not quite sure she could handle another such as today had been, but already knowing if given the choice, she’d still stand with the boys to be sure they were safe.  Releasing a heavy breath as the car doors outside shut once more, flashlights killed, perimeter secured.  Knowing this would be the routine periodically through the night, meaning sleep either wouldn’t be happening or she would have to get to the point of drunk to force the knock out.

C.J.

As the dinner came to a close, the man was quick to jump up. Insisting on the dishes as was his duty, his mother was quickly following up. Insisting she get the boys washed up and off to bed, wanting him to get some rest. He allowed this only after getting his hugs and kisses from the boy on their way off to shower leaving them just there in the kitchen that night amongst the dishes and two rapidly emptying wineglasses as the two seemed to be thinking the same damn thing.

Erin

As he began at the kitchen duties, her own typical place of rinsing and drying was left vacant.  “What if we scraped the plates, rinsed them off, and I’ll do them in the morning?”  An offer there at her lips as she slipped behind him, hands taking to the man’s sides as the wine finally took hold of her.  “We take this bottle of wine to the bedroom and let the boys in blue outside hold down the fort for us.”  Her offer coming disguised as her realization that without a call from the M.E., tomorrow would look the same as today had.  Lifting her hands at his shirt, untucking it from his jeans, fingertips seeking contact with his sides.  “Unless you’re too tired?”  She asked, at least attempting to be considerate.  Raising the shirt up higher, pressing a kiss to his bare back as her fingertips softly grazed his sides.  

C.J.

Gasping dramatically at her as he suggested the unthinkable. “These things are gonna’ be so gross by tomorrow morning…” he reminded her, just to see if she knew what she was getting herself into as he felt her at the bottom of his shirt. Familiar hands slipping underneath as he felt her lips at his skin. As if he could deny her. As if she didn’t already know his answer as he washed his hands after his progress so far. Grabbing the hand towel as he dried off and nodded. “All yours, baby.” he promised, a recently dried hand finding her hip as he enjoyed her touch and thoroughness to an area of the body rarely paid any attention to. It was that attention that made their encounters different all together. It was a full body experience. Completely and totally intimate. One of the biggest reasons he’d never be able to pull away from her. The connection she provided him to another living being was never something he didn’t need. Something that he wouldn’t clamor for at any hour of the day as they locked into one another entirely and he’d feel at home.

Erin

“I don’t care,” she managed while still pressing another kiss to his back, continuing to lift that shirt up, threatening to strip him there in the kitchen where they could so easily be caught.  “I’ll throw them all away.  Buy new ones.  Who needs dishes anyways when we can just live off fruit snacks?”  She asked, taking a slow step back as she broke free of the man, turning around to eye the table of plates and very few leftovers.  Finding the bottle of wine there in the midst of things, the only part she actually cared about in that moment.  Making steps to the table, she’d snag the bottle of wine as well as both glasses, holding them slightly upward as if she had found treasure amidst the chaos of the table.  Taking steps towards the bedroom, in her tradition backwards way she did when trying to entice him to join her.  

C.J.

Finding with his urge to be a responsible adult, he’d lose this fight pretty easily with her in control. “Fruit snacks and paper plates.” he hummed, thinking it sounded like the life they needed to be living and promptly so as she grabbed the wine and the glasses. Smirking softly at her, not quite sure whether she was actually feeling the alcohol or not but needing the break after the day he had regardless as he followed her down that small hall into the bedroom. Closing the door behind him with his eyes still on hers where they remained locked whenever he had the chance to truly just look at her and wonder how he had gotten so lucky in comparison to what he had come from once before.

Erin

Once within the confines of the bedroom, she placed the bottle atop the piano in the corner of the room, directly followed by both glasses.  Catching his eyes there at her, she offered up a soft smile as she slipped her hands to the bottom hem of her shirt, tempting it upwards as she kept her eyes fixed on his.  Slipping the shirt up and over her head, letting it fall to the floor beside her, several feet between them as her hands went for the button of her jeans.  A completely serious look there on her face as she was completely in the moment with no chance of leaving it any time soon.

C.J.

Keeping his eyes on her as she lost her shirt, glad she was continuing as he'd literally gesture for her to continue had she not. Leaning back against the door where he hit the lock. A step away from it as he still kept his distance which would allow him to watch her undress. To take her in completely as he did not dare disrupt progress yet. Lips pressed tight, dimples accidently flaring as a result.

Erin

Shifting her hips to aid the removal of her jeans, she drew them down at the guiding of her hands until finally she could step from within them.  Standing before him in matching black lace undergarments, frozen for just a moment before she would turn around, affording him the view of her nearly bare ass as she reached for the wine bottle to fill both glasses again.  Lifting both glasses in her hands, she brought one to her lips as she held the other out towards him, as though she were done undressing for him and now simply going to enjoy another glass of wine as she leaned back against the piano, inviting him to come take his glass of wine if he were so brave to come in close proximity to the woman.

C.J.

Watching her turn for him, his teeth found his bottom lip. Biting back a smile as she extended the wine glass. Watching her to his piano as he approached. Taking the wine glass with one hand as his other took to one of her sides. "What's the occasion?" He asked, yet, tone suggesting that no occasion at all was plenty occasion for him as he brought the wine glass to his lips.

Erin

“Would you be disappointed if I told you the occasion was simply that I want you… to play for me?”  She asked, a smile sweeping her features as she slipped to the side, fingertips lifting at the cover over the keys of the piano.  It had been far too long since the man had played for her and she could think of nothing more that she would love in that moment than for him to sit down and play something for her, anything, with complete control as she had given him a very long time before.  Bringing the glass to her lips, she took a sip from within, slowing her drinking considerably now that she had a very nice buzz rolling.  Her free hand slipping forward to lift at the front of his shirt, selfishly so as she brought her fingertips to graze just behind the button of his jeans.  “Just don’t hold me accountable for what happens… Told you I have a thing for cops?  I really have a thing for secret musician cops with banging dimples.”

C.J.

Hearing her mention that she wanted him to play, he understood now. Though it probably would be good for him after the day he had. Feeling her at the front of his shirt, he set down the glass. "If this is what I get when you want me to play, I might have to never play without being asked again." He challenged, helping her get his shirt off. With the cover of the piano gone, who was he to resist? Hearing her lay it on thick, he had to laugh. "I'll try not to judge you too harshly." He decided, both hands now at her hips.

Erin

His agreement was met with a smile to her face as she felt his hands take her hips.  Drawing her own wine glass to rest atop the piano with his, her hands found his upper arms as she lifted her chin to take in the man visually.  “Good, because I don’t want the music to stop,” she dared, fingertips tracing the form of his arms, throwing down a challenge of her own as she rose to her toes, one hand finding the back of his neck as her lips found his for what would easily stand as the first real kiss of the entire day.

C.J.

"The.music never stops." He assured her, for while he was there, it would not stop. The music was always alive in his head, in his body. One look at her inspired a melody. That kiss inspired an entire symphony as she landed her lips to his. Arms winding around her midsection. Inhaling slowly as he breathed her in. Tasting like wine and the deep placed affection he so needed to keep his head on straight.

Erin

Humming against his lips as he assured her the music never stopped, she truly could not fathom a world without him in it; something she had unfortunately thought of several times that day, always bringing her to one conclusion.  As his arms came around her waist, drawing her inward to him, her own hands gripped firmly to his upper arms, allowing herself that moment to truly get lost in his kiss before she would be easing back to flatter feet, yet not escaping his hold.  Not allowing that kiss to last too terribly long as she knew she’d never get his ass on the piano bench if she did.

C.J.

Feeling her against his arms as he remained locked to her in a kind of embrace many would kill to be part of yet that which came naturally to them. Feeling her easing down from him. Smiling softly as she attempted to pull back. Seeing if she'd really manage it with him. If this song was worth that much to her.

Erin

As she drew back, her hands slipped down his arms as well, eyes set on his with a soft smile on her face.  A far cry from the woman who had returned to the dining table completely stressed out.  “You have to let go if you are going to play me something,” she reminded him, brows lifting as she tilted her head towards the piano.  She knew if he held her much longer, the piano would be out entirely as her willpower only went so far with him.

C.J.

Hearing her reminder as his eyes landed at her smile, glancing back towards the piano bench with a contemplative nod. Arms slowly unwinding from her showing how not a single part of him desired it for himself. Taking a seat as he patted the spot beside him. "Going to have to teach you how to play so I can spectate."

Erin

Watching as he released her, it felt as though he was doing so begrudgingly.  A heavy breath left the woman as that was not at all what she desired.  As he patted the spot beside him, it seemed he had a far different idea than she had.  “Oh, I don’t play anything.  Not a musical bone in my body.”  She offered, slipping around to sit beside him as she reached up for her glass of wine.  Wine, she was good at.  Taking a solid sip from within, using her free hand to steal his arm, pulling it behind her as she flashed him a grin, moving in closer and closer until her ass found his lap.  “You can do it like this?”

C.J.

"Nonsense. You have a musical bone in your body almost everynight." He pointed out, feeling her do exactly what he hoped she might and slip into his lap. Helping her find her position there with an arm at either side. He nodded. "I can...might not be able to do it well but I can do it." He promised, lips settling to the back of her shoulder as his fingertips glossed over the piano keys.

Erin

“That is not even what I meant,” she remarked at his musical bone comment, though finding it quite comical as it was partially true.  Another strong sip from the glass of wine as she felt his lips coming to her shoulder, she realized then that this might not have been exactly what she had in mind to seduce him.  Instead, she was the one feeling seduced.  Reaching forward, she returned the glass of wine to the top of the piano, turning her head to the side to catch a glimpse of his kiss to her shoulder.  As she leaned back into him, her hands slipped over top of his, resting gently against his fingers.  A soft, hidden smile gracing her lips.  She’d not pretend to learn, but she would allow him the opportunity to play her something while she felt it through her fingers as well.

C.J.

Feeling her leaning back into him, he smiled as he could definitely get used to this. Lips pressing for a firmer kiss to the back of her shoulder as he attempted to focus his fingers on the keys. Having not the slightest what he was supposed to be playing for her. A moment of thought before he began the beginning of a typical guitar intro of "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton.

Erin

As the song took form beneath their combined fingers, a slow smile took her features though he wouldn’t be able to see it.  Remembering easily the first time she ever heard the man play as she stood to the side of that same piano, finding it to be quite fitting as it was the first night she told him she loved him and this was the first night they had a clear time frame of when they would become husband and wife.  The bout of emotion welling in the woman was beyond comparison even to that night as she sat upon his lap, her fingers guided by his, the kiss of his lips to her back.  Leaning her head to the side to rest against his, her seduction plan had gone awry, but this was so much better as was anything led by C.J.  

C.J.

Feeling her head to his, unknowing that he had disrupted any plans. Continuing to play, leaning there to her structure. Knowing she'd feel each breath as he let his wayward concentration focus on the melody. Approaching the vocal break, still not sure whether he'd sing it to her or not.

Erin

As his head leaned into her own, she was torn between keeping this moment just as it was or turning her head into him to steal his lips.  Staying the course, she was committing it to memory, as it would easily go down as one of the most intimate times she could remember in a while, even in the midst of potential disaster.  Her fingers remained gently over his own until she eased them back, rounding his wrists as she slipped her own hands beneath his.  Limp and under his control, her hands lifted slightly upward to allow the shift in keys to still take place.  Not quite sure if he could guide her through it, but wanting to feel the music through her own fingertips more strongly than before.  

C.J.

Allowing her hand down onto the keys, he guided her to the backing chorus. Taking another few measures as he decided on the vocal option. Showing her how the sound of one hand coincided with his other in this song. Both parts needed. Sounding incomplete by themselves yet perfect with one another to form something intricately layered. Guiding each of her fingertips down. Knowing eventually she'd get that rhythm for it. Clearing his throat, still not trusting it but allowing it to happen. "It's late in the evening she's wondering what clothes to wear..."

Erin

Not daring to add to the words as he sang, though the lyric ran through her mind freely in unison with him.  Feeling his hands guiding her own, she let her eyes fall closed as she simply enjoyed the way it felt to experience the music as close to it as she would ever be.  Her body at rest there against him without an ounce of tension within, it was a rare moment to find the tiny cop so at ease, especially with that which had weighed upon the both of them that day.  Continually fighting the urge to turn into him as she felt the need growing deeper within her.  

C.J.

As he spotted her eyes falling closed, knowing she was in a place of complete and utter relaxation and muscle memory, removing his hand from the top of hers. Knowing her muscle memory would take over as his free hand took to her bare skin. Resting over her abdomen. "She puts on her make-up and brushes her long...brown...hair." changing the lyrics a bit, he smirked. And then she asks me, 'Do I look all right?'  And I say, 'Yes, you look wonderful tonight.'"

Erin

As one of his hands lifted from her own, coming to rest against her stomach, she drew in a breath as she did her best to maintain that which he had guided thus far.  Getting him through just that part before her hand would still, unable to go any further as that desire had taken hold of her entirely.  Bringing that hand to the back of his neck as she turned into him, her lips pressing to his the second after he completed the lyric.  Shifting where she sat to turn sideways, slipping her other hand free from his to bring that arm around the back of his neck, abandoning the piano entirely as she left his one hand there on the keys.

C.J.

Feeling her hand lift, he suspected she either lost her place or said the hell with it. As she turned, he then understood which was which. Hit suddenly with that kiss as he pressed his own lips firmly back to hers. Abandoning his own hand from the keys as he slipped back around her. Finding the side of her neck where he held her position comfortably for the rising intensity of the kiss. Sending his tongue to glide over the part of her lips to ask for the entrance desired.

Erin

Now sitting sideways against him, she drew her feet to rest against the bench beside him, her lips fused to his as she felt his hand to the side of her neck.  Wine stained lips met with the smoothing of his tongue to which she would easily give into him as she granted the silently requested parting.  Her hand easing from the side of his face to find the back of his neck, intensity flowing through her as her tongue passed the part of her own lips to meet his halfway within the confines of joined lips.  A tilt of her head as she allowed further access, leaning against the feel of his hand.  Too far away from him, yet wrapped in his arms all at the same time, her nearly bare frame pressed into his.  An edge rounded off by wine, relaxed by the close proximity to the man she loved, soothed by the music he offered her, all resulting in a heightened desire to surpass that which traditionally resided within their relationship.  

C.J.

Feeling her lips part and her own tongue smoothing against his, giving him exactly what he wanted. That intimate access to the woman and the taste of wine on her. The smooth flow of alcohol and it’s gentle burn put against his need for yet more intimacy from her. To shed the day. To get out of his head and be himself again knowing that was achieved through her as she reminded him of what he needed to be. For her, for his kids and for their future. He needed to be diplomatic, a good cop, a man of the law. He needed to make sure that this woman of his could look him in the eyes and not question who or what she was going to marry. His thumb was passing down her jaw as his free hand smoothed up. Fingertips dancing with temptation over the clasp of her bra.

Erin

The amount of time it took Erin to truly trust someone was almost insane in terms of typical relationships, but once someone was within that inner circle, they were there for life.  She could forgive faults and hold no grudges, for she could truly see the best in someone even when it was difficult to find.  The day had been hard, knowing C.J. was there in the line of fire and she was safe at home with the boys, but her trust in him said two things; he would hold to who he was and he would come home safely at the end of the day.  Though she couldn’t know just how tempted he was to flip, her faith in him was stronger.  Reacquainting herself with his taste, though masked in the taste of wine, she found solace in him that she had been needing longer than she’d be willing to admit.  The feeling of his fingers to the back of her bra were welcomed, needing to get closer to him, to feel one with the man as she had nearly every night for nearly two years.  The piano bench keeping them close as she would barely move for fear the wrong move would send a terrible sound echoing through the room, she remained still in his arms, giving in entirely to the feel of his tongue against her own aided by the melody of a song jointly played of his choosing to set the tone for that which transpired between them now.

C.J.

Unclasping her bra, his hand at the side of her neck drifted down. Guiding the sides down even as his eyes remained closed and his lips were occupied with hers entirely. Not daring to move but by this point, his mind was wandering on how to relocate them. Feet pressing to the floor, guiding the piano bench back a few inches so mobility was made possible without running into the piano. A sure fire way to make both of them laugh and some heinous kind of song, he was sure. His hands pulled down her bra straps as far as he could manage without her help. Fingertips pressing back up her upper arms as he hummed low to her lips. Entirely in love with this woman and she had to know it.

Erin

Feeling the shift of the bench, she didn’t flinch, putting every bit of faith in the man as she always would; with the exception of perhaps the first time her feet left the ground and she was sure he’d drop her.  As his hands eased the straps of her bra down, stopped by the hold she had around his neck, she slowly drew her arms down, allowing the fabric to pass as she leaned back slightly, though never leaving the confines of that kiss.  Slipping the fabric off to the side, intending for it to rest against the piano bench, though it would slip off to the floor.  Bringing both arms around his neck once more, a hum there to her lips as her bare upper body found his, allowing her to feel that much closer to the man as she would never have enough of.

C.J.

Feeling her pulling into him, his arms slipped tight around her body. Luring her as close as two human beings of the flesh could be yet he would never feel close enough to her. His hands traveling down her lower back as he inhaled deeply into the kiss. Tasting her hum, a suggestion that this was all getting to him. Weighing on him. Making it all entirely too much to bare as he felt his cock throb underneath of his jeans without a single touch of her hand to draw it out of him. Mouth still pressed to hers before he was detouring, finding the corner of her lips and against the side of her neck. Pressing firm kisses to her flesh, his lips close to her neck as he spoke. “Tell me what you are thinking.”

Erin

As his lips ventured free of her own, she drew a full breath as they found the side of her neck; a warmth there where there had been none just a moment before.  His request was met with the release of that breath, not quite sure there was any one thing she was thinking about as she had been completely in the moment with him without need for thought for once in her life.  “I’m thinking absolutely nothing.”  An honest statement passed her lips, though if he gave her another moment, her mind would surely take hold over that which her body was controlling up until now.  Easing her hands from behind his neck, slipping slightly back from him, her hands grazing down his chest as her eyes found his once again.  “I can’t think when you kiss me like that,” she confessed without a second of pause.

C.J.

Hearing her answer, it was the one he was after as his hands slipped over the sides of her legs. Pulling her better within his lap. Adjusting her so her legs were on the side of his. Straddling him perfectly. “Good answer.” he returned, suggesting he had been fishing for one or another as he felt her over his chest. Meeting her eyes at that follow up confession, a light and breathless smirk. Swallowing hard as he glanced down over her. “You are so fuckin’ beautiful.” The man confessed, leaning his head forward where it met the base of her throat.

Erin

Having no idea what it was he was after, having only answered honestly, his reaction said it was what he had wanted from her though she was still quite unsure what she had offered to deserve such a reaction from the man.  As he drew one of her legs between them, situating her as he saw fit, the position afforded her even more closeness than they had a moment before.  Feeling his tightened jeans beneath the thin black fabric of her laced panties, she couldn’t help but shift her hips lightly against him.  The next words from the man would steal her breath as he pressed his head to the base of her throat.  Reaching back, she lowered the cover over the keys, drawing herself back that much further to rest her back against the surface, hands to the back of his neck to draw him there with her.  Slowly her hands would leave the back of his neck for the curve of his upper arms as she allowed her eyes to close feeling the man’s breath against her bared flesh.  “You make me feel beautiful,” she confessed, the first time she would ever acknowledge any part of such a compliment, customarily going unnoticed and unresponded to as she lacked the words to offer, but in this moment, it was the God’s honest truth.

C.J.

The grind of her hips stole his breath just as hers vacated her, lips still pressed to the base of her throat as she drew at his neck. Not even noticing her recovering the piano before she was back at his arms. Lips drawing up her neck where he pressed his firm kisses. Hearing her confession. “That is what you should always feel like because that is what you always are.” he specified honestly, not a moment in his mind that didn’t land her such an adjective. Lips trailing down to her shoulders as his hands found her ass. “Even when you are brushing your teeth..."

Erin

Her back leaned against the closed piano as she felt his lips leaving a trail of kisses against her neck.  His words hard to believe, yet spoken with enough conviction to have her nearly sold on the matter until he added the part of her brushing her teeth which had taken her more than a year to allow him to view.  A slow smirk took her lips as she allowed the tension in her upper body to evaporate from her, relaxing against the cover of the piano as the path of his kisses ventured against her shoulder.  “Mmm, or maybe you just like it best when there’s something in my mouth…” she teased, hardly appropriate as the moment dictated softness, yet unable to keep herself from speaking the words.  

C.J.

Hearing her last teasing statement, he had to smirk softly yet it was inspired him to action. “That is not a complete lie.” he reminded her as his hand slipped down to the back of her thighs, feet planting and standing. Bringing her along whether she liked it or not as he walked them to the edge of the bed before he was slipping her ontop of it all in one swift and easy motion.

Erin

Feeling her weight being shifted into his capable arms, the harsh edge of the piano casing was replaced by the feeling of their made bed at her back.  As he came over her, complete freedom now granted to the both of them as they were no longer confined to the small space of that bench.  “Do you really like it best when there’s something in my mouth?”  She asked, not starting her mind in another direction as she wondered if that was truly his favorite experiences with her.  She might have thought something else, but now that the question was posed, she’d wait for him to tell her just how it was he liked having her best.

C.J.

"Are you asking me if I like it?" He asked, careful if his wording there though he thought this much to be just about obvious. Yet, snagging the word 'best', he cocked a brow. Hands finding the sides of her panties as he remained standing. "I quite like it, yes..." he paused, trying to work this one out the best he could. "It's a nice appetizer and occasionally an amazing entire meal but...I do love my entre." He clarified with a low smirk, letting her work that one out for herself. Lips drifting down over her chest.

Erin

As his hands found the sides of the delicate undergarment, she was all too entertained watching as he attempted to make sure he didn’t find himself in trouble there before her.  Always careful with his words, though it was the process of getting to his conclusion that would bring the real smile to her face.  Feeling his lips there over her chest, she drew a sharp breath as she suddenly lost any and all interest in what he liked best, knowing she’d always find her way through that just fine.  Far more undressed than he was, she’d not dare to lift up to attempt to remove his pants as she would let him have free reign over her, knowing the day had been hell, knowing 4 a.m. didn’t look good on either of them, having promised him 2 p.m. and though that had to be altered, she was making good on such promises now.  “Think you’ll still want me this much when my name changes?”  She asked, giving indication to her own thought on the matter, but perhaps also revealing a small fear and perhaps delaying factor in her own flawed thought process, considering that perhaps once she was married to the man, and all newness had worn off, that perhaps he would desire her less.  Never wanting to lose such a thing, now that she had finally worked through the idea of the two marrying in the coming weeks, promising this by way of speaking with the kids; who she would never want to disappoint, she finally brought forth in a round about way where her 2029 thoughts had always been rooted within.  Not for fear of marrying the man, nor for fear of commitment, but for fear of losing something they had that didn’t need fixing.

C.J.

Hearing her question, he heard the slight tremor in her voice. The worry. He glanced up towards her after pressing another firm kiss to her skin before he was slipping up to face her. Knees pressed to the bed as he gave her his complete attention, brushing the back of his fingers over her cheek as he met her eyes. “Want you this much? I don’t know how I could ever want you more but I trust I’ll find a way when that name changes.” he stated honestly, not having much thought to the idea of her changing her last name as he would never force that on her. God knows he’d be alright with what she decided. Yet, he knew, for whatever reason, that idea appealed to him. “Hell, you get your new name tags in and I’m going to get a boner everytime I see one. Never going to see a man so turned on at the prospect of his own last name.” he teased, yet, not sure he was joking all at once. There was something about that which would be surreal to him. Not to mention, it was territory that no one had ever trekked with him. He had had girlfriends before, he had been engaged before. Yet, he had never been married before. She would be his first and last, for better or worse.

Erin

As he came over her, his tone as serious as her question had required. It was a real fear for the woman as things had been so good between them up until now. With the idea that they may lose any fire between them, it had brought forth her reservation, though the idea of being his wife had grown on her to the point she couldn't let her fears dictate the future any longer. As he continued on, he stole any chance for further questioning from her. If she couldn't find comfort in his words, she wouldn't be able to find it anywhere. "I really can't wait to be your wife," she confessed honestly as the thought had stolen her mind over the past few weeks. A part of her wishing they could just do it now without the wait, but knowing these things took time. "Cesare and Erin Luciano..." She teased, stealing a rare moment to use his given name paired with her own.

C.J.

Hearing her speak about wanting to be his wife, the man had to smile slowly. Never thinking she'd breathe the words. She had scared him there with her fear of marriagr. Whereas he had been open about his intentions since that first date. He wanted long term. Stability. She was afraid. Yet, as soon as he put down the feeling of pressuring her, she came right along. "There are words I always prayed you'd say but never thought you would..." he confessed, hearing her phrase his last name giving him a bit of something. "No, introduce yourself..." he desired, knowing that was what would do it for him as just that alone had his fingers slipping down to peel off her panties.

Erin

Hearing him confess he never thought she’d say such things, she didn’t know if she should be pleased by this or disappointed.  She never meant to scare him with her fears of commitment, she just needed to see them, feel them, taste them.  She knew of loss.  Of betrayal.  Of everything being temporary.  She learned to guard herself and not let anyone too close for they would only disappoint.  But with him, he broke through every wall she put up, time and time again, until the woman felt the need for no more walls.  The last one was crumbling to the ground as she spoke her name paired with his, admitting to him she wanted to marry him sooner rather than later.  There were no more defense mechanisms in place as all she wanted was a life with him and two boys she felt as though were her own.  “Erin Luciano.”  She offered, feeling his fingertips there in the sides of her panties.  Drawing a breath, the name tasted foreign on her lips, though she truly could not wait until the day she could actually use it.  Strange as it may seem as even she believed she’d keep Lindsay.  

C.J.

He knew the woman had every right to be hesitant. He hadn’t taken it personally. Or atleast tried not to. Yet, greeted with the knowledge time and time again that she didn’t want to marry him, it was hard to keep things in perspective. He had managed for the most part. Deflecting. Understanding Yet, ever now and again it had penetrated the bulletproof armor and snuck under there leaving him with this subtle surprise. He’d never blame her for it. Hearing her offering, he smirked softly. Drawing down her panties but stopping just at her thighs. “A little more confidence this time.” he requested.

Erin

As she felt the fabric passing down, stopping at her thighs, her eyes were set on his as he requested her to say it more confidently.  She couldn’t help the smile that would take her features as she was quite literally trying his name on for size there.  It wasn’t her name, but soon it would be, and for that reason alone she would entertain the man however many times he needed to hear it.  “Erin Linds…” she began, already fucking it up, so accustomed to saying her own name, it might take the next month to get it right.  A laugh slipped past her lips as she drew her knees upwards, encouraging the continued removal of the fabric as she sought to help him out a bit.  “Erin Luciano.”  Stating it somewhat more confidently, it was perhaps the best he might get through her laughter.  “I don’t know if I like it by itself, but I like it with Cesare before it,” she confessed, as she had originally offered it.  “Don’t you?  C.J. and Erin Luciano.  Cesare and Erin Luciano.  Mr. and Mrs. Luciano.”  Giving it to him in a variety of ways, though now her laughter had truly taken her over.

C.J.

“Erin!” hearing her fuck it up, he tried to act upset with her yet had to laugh softly. Feeling her attempt to lure the fabric down herself as he pushed it further down. Hearing her rephrase it and continue, having to raise a brow at her. “For one, there will not always be something before it…two, I’m pretty sure that is the first time I’ve ever heard you say my real name and you didn’t call me Caesar or Cheese-are. This whole thing has been very shocking tonight…” he confessed, thinking he was just walking into an encounter with his betrothed only to be shocked so many times his heart might not be able to take it as he guided her panties down towards her ankles. Leaning up slightly to pull them off of her entirely.

Erin

As he yelled at her, she only laughed harder.  It had been an honest mistake, but the timing had been oh so perfect for it.  “One, there could always be something before it.  Two, I’ve said your name twice, actually.  Maybe I’ll stop calling you C.J. altogether.”  A shrug of her shoulders as casual as if she were talking about running by the grocery store, she flashed him an innocent smile.  Once he had the fabric of her panties gone entirely, she suddenly leaned up to meet him, her hands finding either side of his face as her eyes met his.  “I’m going to tell you something.  It’s really important and I need you to understand me when I say it.”  Her tone all serious as it had been earlier that night, her intent to instill fear in the man though her smile was all too revealing.  “I, the future Erin Luciano, am really… really… drunk.”

C.J.

“Yeah, that’ll be the day.” he stated when she mentioned not calling him C.J., something that would last until they got to work and C.J. would be back on. He wasn’t sure his coworkers knew what his real name nor would they ever unless she slipped. Yet, he wouldn’t be surprised if someone was attempting to pay her off for the intel. Though he hardly minded hearing it from her. For whatever reason, from her lips, it was intimate. Hearing her attempt at a confession and the reveal, he had to laugh. “Yes, I can see that.” he promised, slipping his lower body between her legs as he played along. Lips gently finding hers. “and I…Cesare Luciano…am really, really horny.” he followed up just for emphasis. Another brief kiss to her lips.

Erin

A hum found her lips at his confession as that was easily something the very drunk woman would take care of.  Bringing her hands to either side of his face, she pressed back against him to steal the kiss away as she nodded her head.  “Meee tooo,” she offered, the nod remaining.  Her laugh never too far off when she reached this point, she held no defense against it in the slightest.  “But you still have clothes on,” she reminded him as her hands eased down from his face to fumble there at the button of his jeans.  Once it was free, she’d do the same with the zipper before bringing her hands back entirely, resting them to either side of her head as though she were simply incapable.  “Tell me about this tomorrow?”  She asked, reminiscent of their first night together without being together, as it stood to be the last time she was this drunk.  “And NO twerking lies!”  She added, as she still didn’t believe that one had gone down, but wouldn’t be buying a round two of it at all.

C.J.

“Because you are letting me wear clothes.” he reminded her as he felt her slipping down at his jeans, hearing her question as he gave up a nod and a slow smile. “Twerking truths.” he stated simply, waiting until she got the bottom as he reached down and finished that work. Leaning up as he pushed down his jeans. “See, that takes a true gentleman. I didn’t jump your bones after seeing you twerk.” he reminded her, as if that was really what did it for him as his fingers found the tops of his boxers as he was finally ready to meet her in that state of nothingness.

Erin

“You didn’t jump my bones because I wouldn’t have let you!”  She declared with a decisive nod of her head, believing her version of what happened that night.  “I let you sleep in my bed with me, but only because you didn’t fit on the sofa,” she recalled as he lowered his boxers.  Lifting herself up on bent arm, she made no secret of stealing a view of his already hardened cock, a shameless grin there to her lips as she backed up on the bed a bit, allowing for the taller man to have a bit more room should he choose to come with her.  “And you didn’t get turned on after my twerking, because it never happened, hence the reason there was no jumping of bones.”  Nodding her head, she felt her argument was quite solid and completely not up for debate.

C.J.

“Oh yeah, that’s right…” he stated playfully, as if he had forgotten that she didn’t want him that night. He wouldn’t have pushed his luck. He respected her then, he respected her now. She knew that. Hearing her recall, watching her smile as she stole a sight of him and he pulled down his boxers entirely as he leaned over her. Reaching out with his free hand where he brushed his fingers through her hair. “It did happen…though again, I’m a gentleman so I kept my hard on to myself.” he teased with a soft smirk, stealing a kiss of her lips once again before he was positioning himself between her legs. “The best part of that though? Even if you wanted to, I wouldn’t have done anything with you that night anyway. I don’t do drunk girls…” he stated, knowing he wasn’t making a very good case of himself given the obvious but she knew what he meant. Girls he had never slept with before whose consent wasn’t unmistakable and repeated day in and day out.

Erin

As he came over her, his hand to her hair, she listened as he told her it had happened, yet it wasn’t in all that he said beyond it that would get a reaction from her, but in that first sentence.  Feeling him there between her legs, she drew herself back slightly, halting progress for there was something she wanted to know that in her very drunken mind, it couldn’t wait.  Pushing herself to sit before him, even as he was still leaned over as though she were there beneath him, using her size and quickness against him in the moment.  “Wait… you… you had a hard on that first night?”  She asked, her laugh following suit.  “And you got in my bed and /still/ didn’t try to do anything about it?”  Her shock was clear as honestly that first night, she couldn’t be sure if he actually liked her or not, granted half the night was pretty much a blur, but still. “I so wanted you to,” she offered, realizing she’d never quite said such a thing, but drunken honesty was getting the best of her left and right tonight.

C.J.

Groaning as she disrupted progress and he leaned up from her as she sat, hearing her question and the laugh that followed. Hearing her put it together. He nodded. “No, of course not. You were putting me at an arms length for one because you didn’t want anything else. Two, you were drunk and I refused to be something someone regrets. Three, you trusted me in a moment of great vulnerability and I wasn’t going to be a typical man about it. Four, I respect you…shall we continue?” he asked, knowing he could list off another list. He heard her statement about wanting it but they were better off for it. “Face it, Erin. I wasn’t /all/ toothpicks and bad pickup lines…” he teased with a telling smile, laying down on his side beside her.

Erin

Hearing his list upon list of the reasons he did nothing about the problem in his jeans that night, her laugh subsided to respond, but before she did, he was moving off to the side of her, completely sending her in another direction.  “You /were/ all toothpicks and bad pick up lines, but that didn’t mean you weren’t super cute at the same time,” she offered as her way of making up for saying such a horrible thing to him.  With him there to the side, she shifted down beside him, taking up a position much like that he was in.  Bringing her hand against him, curling her fingers around his cock as she kept her eyes to his as though she were doing nothing at all.  “But you wanted me to do this,” she returned, deciding to play around with what that night could have looked like.  “When you closed your eyes in my bed that night, is this what you saw?”  She asked, bringing her hand up his length as she leaned in to steal a kiss to the side of his neck.  “Did you think about how it would be if only I weren’t so drunk?  I mean… I’m drunk now, but now you don’t have a problem doing a drunk girl…” she teased, lips passing the side of his neck as her words slipped through her lips.  

C.J.

Not meaning to give her the wrong idea, only attempting to get comfortable. He shook his head. He was far more then toothpicks, bad pickup lines and cuteness and they both knew it. Feeling her reaching out for him. Meeting her eyes yet knowing that gaze grew heavy as she stroked him. Hearing her question, he gave up a nod before her follow up one. "Yeah, well...now you are /my/ drunk girl." He reminded her, feeling her to the side of his neck. "I don't know...I don't think it would have gone any differently but I'd like to imagine otherwise." He confessed, his own hand smoothing down over her stomach suggesting that they'd both be playing this game if one played.

Erin

“I /am/ your drunk girl,” she confirmed with a nod of her head as her hand continued to stroke at his piece.  A smile swept her lips as she drew back from there at his neck, eyes finding his as he agreed to imagine it another way.  “Okay, so you won’t fit on the sofa.  I invite you to my bed… okay, demand that you lay in my bed…  You are…”  Glancing down, she signifies with her eyes that he’s hard before continuing on.  “My hand is in yours and you…?”  She asked, giving him the open door to recreate it in her mind as she drew in slightly closer to him, drawing her lower lip between her teeth at the passing of his hand over her stomach.  She’d continue on with the idea that whatever he said next was what he imagined and thought about as he laid in that bed beside her that night, even if she was just letting their minds wander on this.

C.J.

Trying to get into this alternative universe scenario for her sake, he did have questions. Why was he there if she wasn't drunk? Was she coming onto him? Watching her draw her lower lip between her teeth, he leaned in. Pressing his lips firnly to hers. Letting them stay somewhere between reality and fantasy. "And I let you feel how hard you make me." He confessed to her lips in a brief break. His fingertips skirting underneath of her navel and flirting over her pubic  bone.

Erin

The drunken state of his soon to be wife wouldn’t sustain the idea for long as she felt his kiss stealing the bite she held on her own lower lip.  Giving it up freely to him as her lips met his in a full kiss only broken by his indulgence in her fantasy world that was already quickly closing.  A hum to her lips as his kiss returned, his hand felt there travelling lower as she drew her leg over his, opening herself up to him as she continued that stroke of her hand against him.  Her own tongue easing forth this time, tempting the part of his lips as his phrase was more than enough for her to move away from the fantasy and jump clean into the reality which was the most perfect union she could have imagined, drunk or not.

C.J.

Feeling her drawing her leg over him, his lips parting for her as his tongue greeted hers. An intensity matching that moment as his hand traveled lower. Grazing her anatomy but not seeming to stick to it. She was so close. He could nearly feel the heat radiating off of her as his hand found himself. His free one pulling her leg further over him where he guided himself to her entrance. Hips slowly smoothing forward as he kept his lips to hers despite the loosening of the kiss just so he could hear her reaction.

Erin

When his hand replaced her own, she’d bring her hand to his upper arm, feeling him there to her entrance as her tongue met his.  Flooded with his taste once more, it would be short lived as she felt the draw of his hips forward as he took within her inch by slow inch.  The sigh at her lips would end the kiss altogether, though her lips remained there at his with no action behind them.  Forever needing that moment to just breathe, just as she had the first time to the last.  Her focus instantly shifting from teasing the man to feeling the man all at once.  A walk down memory lane transformed into a series of what ifs into the now all at once as she stole a single kiss to his lips before finding the side of his neck where she’d burrow into him as things got completely serious in a hurry.  A soft whine at her lips as she drew in closer still, aiding his attempt at taking her from the more difficult angle of laying side by side.  Heated breaths falling to the curve of his neck as sober words passed her lips.  “I love you.”

C.J.

Hearing her need to breath breaking the kiss, tasting her sigh as he felt her to the side of his neck. Always giving her this time she needed after she had taken him in and one of his hands found the side of her leg strewn over him. "I love you more." The man challenge, breathless and equally fearless as he felt her body tight and warm around him speaking to the conclusion of the day from hell.

Erin

Hearing his returned sentiment with the addition of a word she would forever disbelieve, she let her teeth argue for her for a split second as they sunk against his shoulder.  “You do not love me more,” she whispered a moment later.  It could easily be argued that he did, as he had to fight for her affections in a way she never had, as well as the fact he had loved her longer.  But what he missed was how deep her love ran for him and how she would try to push it away at every turn, all the while loving him more.  He missed the inner wars with herself and the fear of vulnerability that ran through her the night she finally said it to him, even if it did take a fight to get them there.  She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that  she loved him more, even if she could never prove it.  “Can we just agree to loving one another the same for just tonight?”  She offered, far too taken by the feeling of him within her walls to have a justified argument on the topic as she drew back from his neck, her head leaning against the bed as she drew in another deep breath before her eyes would open and a soft smile would sweep her features.

C.J.

Hearing her actually giving up a fight, the man bad been hoping to win this one. To distract her enough to just let him have it. He didn't doubt her love, yet, he knew himself to be champion in this arena. His was a love that nothing or no one could shield. Not himself, not his insecurities. Catching her smile, he smirked in return as one hand found the side of her neck. "To be continued..." he returned, pressing his lips back to hers.

Erin

As his lips found the side of her neck, there would be an instant gasp at her lips stolen all too quickly as he put a pin in the conversation, which she would take as them loving one another equally for the rest of the night.  As his lips met hers, she was all too eager to now show him the depths of her love as it flowed through that kiss as her hand found the side of his neck.  Supposedly putting down that competition for the night, it was still alive and well in the detective as it would always be, hating for it to be challenged as though he loved her more because he had loved her longer.  Shifting against him, she pressed him easily to his back as she went with him, stealing the power as if it were the same as proving the depths of her love for him as her lips remained firmly to his, now paired with the shifting of her hips over his.  A clear win in her book, though she’d not make it known out loud that which she was up to.

C.J.

Feeling her shifting against him and pressing him to his back, he allowed her just that. Helping to pull her overtop of him. Loving when the woman took power as you’d never catch him complain. As one would remember, his birthday fantasy which seemed like a century ago had entitled such similar wishes. He’d allow her this victory even though it felt like a bigger one for him as his hands found her hips. One slipping up to skirt along her back as his eyes pressed upwards towards the woman.

Erin

Feeling his hands to her hips, then the travelling up her back, she stole the hand at her side to draw it upwards, pinning it against the bed.  Knowing he could steal it back at any time he wished as she may have speed over him but he held strength over her, she’d go with it for the moment anyways.  Letting him keep that hand to her back as honestly it felt too good to stop, she shifted her hips forwards and back against him, a soft whine leaving her lips with each motion.  Her lips slipping free of his as she lifted slightly upwards, giving herself that much more mobility to shift against him.  A bite stealing her lower lip as she looked down at the man she loved more than life itself, having spent far too much time that day attempting not to entertain thoughts of what a life without him could look like.

C.J.

Feeling her pin his hand back to the bed, he smirked softly. Dimples preceding him by a mile as she had to have already seen that smirk coming a mile away. Feeling her lips leaving his as he felt her shifting to him. The bite to her bottom lip instantly wishing it was his teeth instead as he met her eyes. Hand smoothing up to the back of her neck to make that happen. Leaning up slightly to snag her bottom lip between his teeth as she would not have to entertain such thoughts today and hopefully tomorrow. He was there with her. Completely and totally dedicated to this and what they were and what they someday would be. Only stronger.

Erin

Only sitting upwards of the man for a moment before his hand was at the back of her neck, willing her back to him as he stole her lower lip for his own possession, met with a grumble of the woman as she released the hold on his wrist in exchange for the back of his neck, drawing him up into her instead.  Determined to take that seated position over him for the depth it allowed, needing his kiss just as badly.  Both hands finding the back of his neck, drawing him upwards and then securing him there before her, enjoying this position far better anyways.  The day falling away from the both of them, at least for now.  The sounding of her phone would not tear her away from him, even if she did know they were waiting on results from the medical examiner’s office.  A negative response there at her lips as the tone of her hum would indicate that phone should get no answer.

C.J.

Leaning up for her as she willed it so. In that seated position she so desired. A recently freed hand pushing down her side as his other swept down to her ass. Tasting her hum to his lips. Taking a moment to even hear her phone ringing wherever it had found up. He hummed his returned response. Also a negative sound regardless of how important the call. It could wait. Hand firmly gripping her ass, giving her a sharp and playful smack against her flesh to assure she was keeping her concentration solely on him.

Erin

The joint refusal of the call was quite unprofessional of them, and yet in times like these, neither of them could be deemed professional in the slightest.  As the palm of his hand came in firm contact with her ass, the kiss was stolen for the scream to leave her lips as he had caught her completely by surprise.  A shocked expression to her features as her eyes met his, a light flashing through them as she brought both hands to his shoulders.  Pressing against his frame, lifting herself only to drop against him again, no longer playing around if he wasn’t, drawing her lower lip between her teeth as she leaned back from him slightly, stealing his ability to kiss her away as his slap ignited something within the woman.

C.J.

Hearing her response to that smack that worked better for him than previously expected, he met her eyes. Cool and confident as ever as she pulled away. His ability to access her lips gone as his hand roughly gripped the area of the smack. Tempting him to get rough with her as he saw how well it worked to his benefit. The phone call now a thought of the past with the looming threat of another smack at the surface. Feeling her dropping down over him bringing a low and breathless groan to his lips.

Erin

The sting of the slap was only intensified by the tight grip he held in the exact place his hand had reddened.  The look in his eyes held sheer confidence within, as he should be.  Quickening the pace of that rise and fall as she heard that groan at his own lips, now using her body to steal further reactions such as this from the man as it meant she had him entirely.  A moment later, it would be his phone that would ring, in reverse order from what had occurred that morning.  Barely muffled by his jeans on the floor where his phone resided, she offered a shake of her head as she declined this call as well.  “If they ring twice more, we need to grab one,” she offered, knowing it could be the M.E. report, but also knowing it could be another case at the same time.  Being irresponsible wasn’t their thing, but when it came to intimacy, a little irresponsibility seemed to taint the both of them, especially in evidence lockers, showers, and the front seat of SUV’s.

C.J.

His free hand gripped her hip, as if keeping her there and locked into him as she rocked her hips ontop of him. Leaving him in awe of her, able to do nothing but watch until he heard his phone ring again. Becoming increasingly disgruntled with it as he just wanted this day to end yet it refused and was now taking up and possibly ruining time that he did not want ruined. Hearing her decision, he nodded reluctantly. He knew it was the right thing to do but that didn’t mean that it was what he wanted. Yet, whether he’d let the woman crawl away from him for long enough without him would be another story. Keeping his free hand tight to the grip of her ass, feeling the skin heated from that smack as his lips were seeking out the line of her jaw. “Fuckers got spidey senses or some shit…” he complained aloud as it always seemed to be in the worse time.

Erin

There was no chance she’d be attempting to move any time soon, though she’d not let it on as she was quite enjoying that possessive grip he held over her.  As his lips came to her jawline, she had to crack a smile at his choice of words.  “You think they know you’re getting some?”  She asked, no filter through her drunken state as she returned to that shifting motion over him.  Knowing damned well it was more than likely Voight, which made that statement all the more entertaining to her.  Of course it was known, but to interrupt it would be an entirely different game altogether.  Half tempted to reach for that phone, just to tempt fate a little, just to put it to C.J.’s ear and see if he could maintain a professional call as she was in no way fit for such a thing.  Her hand sweeping into the lower hairline at the back of his neck, dark and grey strands alike separating her fingertips as she found that intimacy still there between the two, seemingly unaltered from the two interruptions as his phone alerted to having a voicemail.

C.J.

“They do. The same /some/ I’ve been waiting to get all day…” he reminded her honestly, feeling her continuing to shift her hips against him and as long as she continued with that. He’d be alright. He could get through just about anything. Feeling her hand sweeping through his hair, his greatest source of insecurity as of late but he’d allow it of her as his lips trailed down to her chin. Nudging his nose against the structure of her jaw to access the base of her throat. The end of the call welcomed as they were once again eclipsed in the silence of the room and left to their own devices with a silent prayer to whatever god that he believed in that it would stay that way.

Erin

The nudge of his nose to her jaw would instantly prompt her to lift her chin to him, familiar with the antics of the man by now.  A hum found her lips as she attempted to make sure he was there, with her, entirely.  “What’s my name to be next month…?”  She asked, having offered it to him twice over, but yet not hearing it on someone else’s lips as of yet.  The shifting of her hips would not come to a pause at any point in time, regardless of whether there was a phone to his ear or not.  As much as he had been waiting for this, she had as well, having had it planned for 2 p.m. and now rapidly approaching 9, it would take a lot more than two phone calls to stand a chance at interrupting her in the slightest.  Feeling his breath against her neck, running down the column of her throat just from that simple adjustment of her chin had her feeling the warmth race through her body as the temperature in the room seemed to only increase by the moment.

C.J.

Hearing her speak as his lips passed down the column of her throat, tracing down until he felt the vibrations of her voice speaking directly to his voice. A loaded question that was and it just so happened he was feeling especially grateful to her in the moment. “The same thing your name has always been…the love of my life, the only woman I see, the best lay in the continental U.S. and I don’t got a passport…” he continued, smirking softly against her skin before he gave in. “And my wife.” he continued as the hand previously on her hip trailed down to her ass. Both hands landing abruptly and sharply against her once more as he gripped the source of the pain. “Erin Luciano…”

Erin

The softness in the names he offered her had a smile stealing her lips before he got to the ‘best lay’ which would have her lowering her chin to gasp at the man.  Before she had a moment to rightfully react to it, there was a title given.  His wife.  A phrase that just a few months back might have sent fear racing through her, though now she only felt excitement to hear those words attached to her.  Never having thought she’d see the day, and yet now it didn’t seem so far away.  Allowing herself to get lost in her thoughts for a moment there, she wouldn’t feel his hands rising from her body until they had planted firmly against her ass again, this time the both of them.  Her entire body jolting into him as the scream passed her lips, this time loud enough she’d bring a hand to her own mouth to muffle the sound as her name paired with his passed his lips.  A smile met her lips once more as she lowered her hand from her mouth, bringing it to the side of his face, quite liking the way it sounded from him more than she did when it came from her own voice.  “I’d do it now if I could,” she confessed honestly.

C.J.

Using that smack to lure her from her own thoughts had been a productive decision as he met her eyes, hearing her confession drawing a light smile out of him. Hands still possessing the heated flesh. “Soon.” he stated honestly, as if all of these plans went as scheduled, it would be very soon as he had envisioned this life with her from the start and they were now upon the marker that would represent a finish to their previous life and the beginning of the next step. The dating, the engagement. it had all been a beautiful thing growing to know one another and love one another but now? They both seemed to hunger for that which they had fought for. She would be his in name sooner before later. “And you’ll be mine in name.” he stated, remembering not so long ago that she couldn’t even be his in public.

Erin

A hum found her lips as he said she would be his in name.  A slow nod of her head as her smile spread, liking the sound of it very much as she leaned into him, stealing a soft kiss before drawing back.  “I’m yours,” she offered, a throwback to a night at a piano when everything changed before.  Apparently the night of many nods to their past, she was transported to an entirely different mental space with him, more than likely prompted by their separation on the case that day.  Never before had the woman willingly backed down, and yet today she had, finding out just what it meant to be a cop’s wife, at home, worried sick, while trying to make things appear as normal as possible for the little people in their lives.  Another shift of her hips and she was easing up from him, her knees pressing to either side of his thighs as she brought a single hand there between them to wrap around his base.  Leaving him without her for several moments before she would bring his tip to her entrance once more, flooding him with her warm walls once again, clearly now abusing her power.

C.J.

Feeling the pausing of her hips, he did not detect the teasing that he was in for. No clue what she was up to as he remained in that void. Too distracted to complain for once, a low groan leaving him as he was reintroduced to those slick walls. It only seemed to get better with each pass. Allowing her the reaction she more than likely wanted out of him. Lips stealing to hers once again. Stealing a strong kiss from her lips in form of retribution as she had finally rendered him speechless as he heard one of the phones go off again yet hardly registering it as such.

Erin

Immune to the ringing of the phone on first ring as her hand left his shoulder for the side of his face, drawn into that strong kiss of his lips to her own before she was easing upwards to do the same again.  Keeping her lips to his, her free hand around the base of his cock, holding him there at her entrance longer this time, giving no indication as to when she would allow him within her again.  Her smile slipped through that kiss as she was enjoying this entirely too much as the second ring of the phone flooded the room, distracting her as she withdrew from his lips with a sigh, burying her face into his shoulder.  Already two calls and a voicemail between the two phones, now another.  It was either really good news or really bad news, but either way she knew it wasn’t going to stop.  Violating their deal, she eased back, allowing her hand to release him altogether as she laid back against his legs, hand dropping off the side of the bed to find his jeans where she assumed the sound was coming from.

C.J.

Feeling himself being removed from her once again before she became distracted. He was huffing something dramatic as he watched her searching for his phone somewhere within his pocket. Laying back dramatically against the bed as he pouted in a way similar to the way he had this morning. "I wonder if the Gambinos are hiring..." he teasingly threatened as this job was officially cutting into his personal time and as his hands roamed over the side of her legs, he was doing his very best to behave.

Erin

Feeling his hand against her leg, a sigh was there at her lips as she stretched towards the phone, yet quite unable to reach it. Her feet found the bed to either side him, pushing herself still further until she was bent completely back over the edge of the bed, C.J.’s phone in her hand.  Swiping the feature on the screen to answer the call, she held the phone back up over the edge of the bed while remaining in that position, slipping it to his hand as she did her best to remain quiet for the moment.  A deep breath at her lips as she waited to hear what it was that had prompted the series of phone calls, declaring in her mind that if he wasn’t back inside of her within minutes, she might be throwing a worse tantrum than the one C.J. was presently displaying.

C.J.

Inhaling slowly as she had retrieved the phone and held it to him. Attempting to find his center and to retrieve his ability to think as he answered the call after a hesitant moment. Pressing the phone to his ear. Pressing it to his shoulder, allowing him his hands as he reached down to help her return to where she had been. "Hello?" Quickly answered with the gruff tone of Voight, apologizing for the call as he figured C.J. would be asleep by now. If only. The M.E. results were back. No DNA. He nodded to himself. Thanking Voight and wishing him a good night before ending that call though it had hardly dampened him. It could never be that easy but they still had a little something to run off in the way of motive.

Erin

As C.J. had his ear pressed to the phone, Erin took his offered hand, slipping back upwards with a bit of a blood rush to her head.  It wouldn’t stop her from wrapping tiny fingers around his hardened cock to keep things moving in a forward fashion even while he was on the phone.  Her touch gentle, careful not to draw forth the hitch in his breath that was always there with a touch such as this.  Slow movements of her hand as she anxiously awaited the end of that call.  The moment she heard him thanking Voight, a light flashed within her eyes.  A verbal green light, or at least she was taking it as such, bending her knees beneath him as she took him within the confines of her mouth, no longer taking anything easy on the man even before the end call button was pressed fully.

C.J.

Feeling her hand find him, his eyes were on her. She knew exactly how receptive and sensitive she was to his touch. That could have blown up badly. Eyes still on hers as he agreed to see him tomorrow, a brief run down plans as he was now desperate to get off that call as he watched her take position. Feelings her mouth over him forcing his lips to part, no sound leaving him as he hummed his agreement. Wishing Voight a good night before ending the call. Phone tossed onto the bed as his fingers were brushing through her hair. Finally letting his pleasure be known as his breath caught.

Erin

Hearing him bid Voight a good night, she rushed the man off the phone without a word spoken.  Once the phone hit the bed, she felt his hand there within her hair, prompting her eyes to shoot up to him.  No apology resided behind her hues as she brought him as far within her mouth as she could before drawing back up again, her tongue massaging against him as she did so.  Her hand there at his base, working in unison with her mouth to keep the man stimulated, she could have easily pulled off now, returning to where she had been before they were interrupted, but now with their joint taste against him, she wouldn’t stop until he drew her off entirely.  

C.J.

Feeling her relentless to him, meeting her eyes as he swept her hair back. Refusing to look anywhere else than upon her and what she was capable of. Feeling her mouth and hand both, teeth finding his bottom lip as she drove him insane in all of the best ways. Inhaling a sharp breath as he knew the name of this would be to see how he could take before he stole control for himself. Something that would hardly be taking anytime at all at this rate. Teeth held at his bottom lip as his free hand raked his fingers through her hair.

Erin

A shift of her hand against him mimicking a tilt of her head as she took to a mission of feeling and tasting every inch of him that she could manage, her free hand finding his inner thigh as she gripped firmly to his flesh as she pushed herself deeper against him.  Feeling him to the back of her throat, not allowing him to pass any further, drawing back up his length as she drew in breath, sucking against him as she built resistance there between them.  A hum radiating through her as she did so, intent on erasing any thoughts of Voight from this bed as her hand tightened against his inner thigh.

C.J.

"Fuck, Erin." Letting it be known from his lips how exactly he was feeling about this. Feeling her grip to his thigh match the strength of the suction from between her lips. It felt entirely too good to pull back from. A little too good. Yet, he wouldn't get complacent. He couldn't. They both needed that joint release together and he'd be damned if he didn't give her that. Leaning up from his position on his back, returning to that seated position as he watched her. Struggling to keep down on the bed despite his urge to grind his hips forward.

Erin

Feeling him sit before her, paired with the tone in his voice, she knew she was quickly getting to him.  All thoughts of phone calls and work were assured to be gone by now, which was exactly what she wanted.  Bringing her hands to his ass, her eyes shot upwards to his as she eased off of him, dead set on getting the man to come over her before her lips would fully return to where they had been a moment before.  Turning to her side, she eased him towards her, her tongue traveling the length of his cock as she lured him with her, giving him a moment of reprieve before her hand would tighten at his ass, prompting him to come with her, yet all the while knowing this shift would replicate the act of sex for him in ways she couldn’t do on her own.  Still not through with him, refusing to stop until he had enough, eyes set on him the entire time.

C.J.

"Never taught you how to save some for later, huh?" He teased, as he knew he didn't know how to either. All about the immediate gratification, feeling her mouth lift from him as he watched her. Moving at the direction of her hands. Willing to allow her to show him what exactly she wanted even as he understood the direction this was headed. Allowing the shift before he felt the warmth of her tongue to him. Hips shifting forward at the willing of her hand, his own still against the back of her head. Needless to say, the phone still rested on the bed was literally the last thing on his mind.

Erin

As the position was achieved and she had him over top of her entirely, her mouth lingering there to the side of his cock, she offered a soft “Huh uh,” as it was entirely true.  He had the control here to stop it should it get him too close, but until then she’d pull out every trick in the book to satisfy the man she loved.  “I can stop if you want,” she offered, though that smirk on her face said it might take more than just his words to stop her.  Her hand replaced her tongue, drawing up his length as she brought her lips back to his tip, never allowing him to go more than a second without that stimulation.  One hand still at his ass, tightening as she drew his hips forward, leaning her head back against the bed as she took him within her mouth once again.  

C.J.

Hearing her offering, his brows shot up. Amused by the suggestion as he pressed a palm into the bed. His other one slipping over the side of her neck. "No, I don't think you can." Calling her bluff as she seemed far too in her element at the moment to have it called out on. Neither of them seemed to able to stop one another, let alone themselves. Feeling her mouth back over him which effectively shut him up, guiding his hips forward smoothly against her. Allowing him to do most of the work here as he was slowly smoothing back and forward once again. The thorough pace assuring that every nerve ending was alive in him and he felt that fire entirely as it raced through him. Stamina still intact but clearly enjoying himself.

Erin

After all of their time together, she would have said they had tried everything, until now.  It wasn’t until he brought his hips forward that first time, feeling his head pressing to the back of her throat that she would realize this had never been touched between them.  With one hand still to his ass, feeling the tension there as he drew forward, minding her teeth more so than when she was in full control.  Lips firmly wrapped around him, waiting until he was as deep within her as she could handle before letting that hum sound at the back of her throat again.  Her free hand stroking the lower half she could not contain within the confines of her mouth; her eyes cut upwards to catch a glimpse of the man as she heard him falling silent.  He was absolutely right.  She couldn’t stop, nor would she until he deemed it necessary.  Feeling the edges of his phone beneath her back, she’d make no attempt to move it yet as the only thing that mattered in the world at that moment was satisfying the man she would soon marry.

C.J.

Always happy to throw another thing into their repetoire, the man definitely did not mind this one. It required trust on both ends to pull off yet he had nothing but it for her and hoped she had the same in him. Eyes meeting hers before they fell closed, concentrating on the feeling of her. Hearing her hum which he would take as enough, hips withdrawling before repeating the process. He was being good now but only with the knowledge that he'd pace himself now, once he had gotten her back where he wanted her, it would be a different story entirely. Taking in a sharp breath as his eyes opened once again.

Erin

Overachieving ran through the woman’s blood, but here she would push herself no further.  Simply receiving that which he offered her, trusting him entirely with the process as she resisted the urge to push things further.  Her tongue applied pressure against him as he withdrew, allowing herself to draw a full breath before he shifted his hips forward again.  Her eyes remained upwards, watching as the man closed his own, taking that as a very good sign that he was feeling it, knowing the action of his hips would have him wanting for more than the combination of her mouth and hand could provide, yet maintaining for just as long as he desired it.  Slipping her hand from his ass, raising it above her head to find his hand pressed into the bed.  Turning her hand over, palm upwards, she slipped her own hand beneath his, attempting to engage him and remain close to him throughout.  Lifting her chin slightly, allowing the trajectory to alter only by a minimal degree, though with it giving her the ability to take him just that much deeper without engaging a gag reflex, only providing a deeper tension in the back of her throat.

C.J.

Feeling her against his hand, he gave her own a firm squeeze as he watched her. Teeth at his bottom lip as the tension between his fingers showed exactly where he was in that moment. A hitch in his breath and he knew that was enough. "We're going to revisit this sometime." He seemed to promise her as his hips withdrew, free hand reaching for the side of her leg. Negotiating her around him as his own knees slid back. Working them swiftly back into position.

Erin

“Yeah?” She asked, feeling his hand there to the side of her leg, drawing it around his hip as she was well accustomed to.  A promising look there in her eyes as she knew that he now held the reigns completely.  “I might hold you to that,” she added, one hand still there in his, fingers separating his own as she drug her lower lip between her teeth.  The position had been one that took a moment to negotiate, but with it being seemingly successful, she’d take it as a win.  Her free hand finding the back of his neck as she lifted herself into him, her lips taking a pass at his shoulder, a place she once had asked permission to mark, though now she’d hold no such request at her lips.

C.J.

"Hold me to it, won't take long." He promised, as now that he knew she did not mind it and had prompted it. They'd revisit it. "As long as you still like it when you are sober." He playfully returned, feeling her lifting against him as his knees dug into the bed. Her placement at his shoulder leaving him knowing exactly what she was after. Feeling her taking to the place she wouldn't dare mark some months prior. His hand slipping between them where he was returning himself into her. Forcing his hips forward none too gently as he was now increasingly impatient.

Erin

A smirk found her lips even as she was at her shoulder, recalling a night on a kitchen counter in an apartment on the other side of Chicago where a girl terrified of being picked up ran her fingers against his skin for the first time, bringing her lips there to the same place she held them now, nervous of the lines they were crossing, yet not holding the will power within her to stop.  Now, nearly two years later, it was hers to mark as she saw fit and she held no reservation in doing so.  The force of his hips forward would take her by surprise, bringing her lips free of his shoulder as her chin replaced it.  A fully open mouthed gasp at her lips as her hand tensed in his, her other grasping tightly to his shoulder.  “Fuck…” she complained, having somehow forgotten in the last twenty minutes how it felt to have him inside of her as the woman who had stood only to satisfy him over the last period of time was now completely off track and at his mercy.  

C.J.

Feeling the jolt of her surprise and the gasp at her lips was a kind of music that even he could not recreate. Harmonious and organic in its conception. All her own. Feeling her grasp as his hands smoothed over her hips. Quite proud of himself for illiciting quite a response as he paused. Allowing her to anticipate the next in an entirely off rhythm and odd interval of his choosing. Enjoying his newly fangled power entirely too much.

Erin

One deep thrust within and she felt his hips stall, pausing there, holding her in this place of blissful anticipation as she lowered her head back against the bedding beneath her.  Her eyes drifting over the mark already developing at his shoulder before they would once again find his hues.  “Holding out on me, Luciano?”  She asked daringly, a cock of her head as she tightened the leg wrapped around his torso.  “Need me to ask nicely?”  She asked, a smirk taking her features as she lifted once more, her lips close to his, yet not touching.  “Cesare, your fiancé, the future Erin Luciano, would very much like you to fuck her.”  Her words were drawn out, intentionally pairing his legal given name with her future legal name to elicit a response from the man’s hips before her lips would take to his unforgivingly.  

C.J.

Hearing her question, he shrugged. He wouldn't mind and as her lips neared his, he was already close to giving. Yet, her spoken words got her reaction not a half second later after her sentence ended. Suddenly and recklessly jolting his hips forward. Slamming back into her and knowing that kiss would loosen due to it yet he was building a place. Still relying on that rough movement that would eventually even out with the wave of his pace.

Erin

The sheer force of his thrust forward had a cry at her lips of complete satisfaction as noted by the smile that would follow.  Full, uninhibited, thoroughly pleased.  The cry would be the force that lost the kiss, followed by that smile as she laid her head back abruptly, drawing a sharp breath as her hand slipped from his upper arm to the back of his neck.  Her eyes set on his for as long as she could manage before they were falling closed with a full bite to her lower lip.  Having finally pushed him to it, she could now simply reap the benefits.  Her tight walls giving way to his force, a wave of satisfaction drowned out the intoxication for the moment as she felt completely drunk on nothing else but him.  Suddenly lifting her head once more, stealing his lips for her own as she slipped her tongue through the part of her lips, requesting his to do the same.

C.J.

Meeting her eyes, he had never thought such a shade could be in anyway appealing as her eyes were similar to his own. But there he was, utterly infatuated with them. Gazing into them as if they held the keys to his future which they undoubtedly did. Watching her lift as their lips joined once more, parting his lips for her tongue as his own smoothed over hers. One of his hands slipping up where his palm pressed over her throat. Feeling her pulse against his fingers as his hips landed another rough thrust to her before he began that process of cooling the intensity of them down. Finding his pace as he rocked into those tight and contracting walls still recovering from the impact, a trick he’d have to remember in the future.

Erin

Feeling his tongue there to her own, a whine passing through joint mouths as he thrust into her once more, feeling him slowing beyond it.  A moment of reprieve.  Her heart raced within her chest as she felt his hand over her throat.  Her tongue smoothed against his own, her hand easing from behind his neck to the side of his face.  Something even more intimate than it had begun.  Withdrawing from that kiss only to go back in again, resuming as if there had been no break at all.  Her fingers still thread through his gripped firmly to him, her engagement ring pressing against his middle finger.  Drawing back from his lips once more, forever lost between wanting to see him and wanting to kiss him, there was never an easy solution.  As the dimpled man came back into her view, her eyes met his once again as a smile swept her face.  “You are the love of my life,” she promised, a heavy breath beyond the words as her thumb traced the scruff at his jaw.

C.J.

Feeling her slip from his lips once more as he met her eyes, hearing her words as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. One day his own finger would be occupied instead of just hers. He could only imagine it to be a tiny victory for the woman thankfully without the need for a ‘mangagement’ ring. Glad to have dodged that bullet as he heard the breath in her words reflected in his own. “Even one day when I’m not salt and pepper anymore and all salt?” he asked playfully as if it was taxing on a heavy mind, hips pushed forward and rocking against her.

Erin

Her body working together with his, receiving and reacting to each draw of his hips forward, nearly a singular machine at this point, conversation sparking a deep smile from the woman as he showed her his own fears.  “Mhm,” she offered, eyes drifting to his forehead to steal a glimpse of what she referred to as hot.  “Even when it’s all salt… but only if you still love me when I am as well,” she offered, already knowing that would be the damned day.  As long as there was hair color, she’d be alright.  But she’d offer it still for the sake of argument.

C.J.

Shaking his head as he already knew that she would not allow that to happen. Especially not anytime soon. “Better start sprouting them soon if you are gonna’ keep up.” he challenged as she had some making up to do as his thumb drifted down the column of her throat. Swallowing hard as his hips forward once again. Allowing him to access her depth before he rocked his hips against hers. “We’ll see when the grey hits the downstairs whether you’ll stick around…”

Erin

“And then, when I stick around, will you finally believe I’m not going anywhere?”  She asked, tilting her head to the side as his thumb passed the column of her throat.  She’d never quite understand what it was he liked about it even though she knew what she liked about it.  Feeling him deeper within her, she drew her leg up on his side a little higher, affording him that depth she knew he was after.  The rock of his hips there against her own had her quite unable to offer any further banter with the man as deep breaths had taken her over.  The building within her was obvious in the tension of her stomach, always one to come apart when his movements focused in that manner.  Drawing her lower lip between her teeth, if there was one thing the woman was now a master at, it was holding out on him.  Blatantly. Unapologetically.  All the while knowing when she did, the release was that much better for her, and she imagined for him as well.  Pressing her foot to the bed, one leg remained around him as she pushed upwards against him, maintaining that pressure as her eyes fell closed.

C.J.

Hearing her confession, he was well past the point of asking or answering. His mind was somewhere else entirely. Stuck between them. The physicality taking over. “We’ll continue this later.” he seemed to promise as he knew he couldn’t give her a decent answer as his hips withdrew, sharply drawing back forward. Beginning to take the shape of his previous rough pushes into her as the speed along with the roughness began to mingle. Leaving her no option but to give into him, feeling her pushing against him as her eyes closed once again. Forehead pressing to hers as he seemed to breathe with her.

Erin

As his forehead met her own, paired with the increased pace once again, she was onto him.  She knew the man well and she knew he would not be allowing her to hold back, yet she was with everything in her tiny frame.  Soft sounds flooded her lips as she began to lose that ability right before his eyes.  Heated breaths falling against one another’s lips, every muscle in her body seeming to grow tighter.  Tight walls surrounding him as the threat of her release hung in the balance between him until just the right drive of his hips met her, forcing her to come apart at the seams.  The pulsing of her walls around him had her hands grasping to both his hand and his neck at the same time, slipping one hand from the side of his neck to the column of his throat as she knew he enjoyed.  Her grip tight as her back arched, the sweet nectar flowing over his length buried deep within her.

C.J.

Feeling her cumming for him having finally hit the right buttons in the right order, he felt the tight grip of her walls around him. He gave up a low groan as he felt her arching into him, she had to know the effect she had on him. Made even better with her clutching at his throat nearly like he did to hers only she allowed an actual grip. Encouraging it. His free hand at the side of her thigh as each dive within those clenching walls only made it better while he refused to let up on her.

Erin

Beyond her release, everything was amplified and he knew it, making each relentless drive into her force her hand at his throat tighter.  A place she had once feared to hurt the man, she now trusted he would remove her hand if her grip grew too tight, based purely in assurances he had given her long before that there was no such thing.  With no opportunity to come down from the high of that release, she was kept there, forced to remain in the state of the rapid heart rate, erratic breaths, and soft whines at her lips as each drive forward had her just as on edge as they had before her release.  Pleading resided in her eyes, though she’d not make a single word of it with her lips, the bite at her lower lip only becoming stronger by the second.

C.J.

Feeling her hand tighten at his throat, she only made it better. He had meant what he had said to her once before. There was no such thing as too tight of a grip. She couldn’t hurt him or scare him as he pressed roughly into her. Hearing the whines at her lips as his fingers pushed back, brushing his digits into her hair. Meeting her eyes as with one further thrust, his face was digging into the side of her neck. A low groan leaving him as he pushed his hips sharply back against her. The conclusive last few pumps as he came hard within her. Hitting that orgasm’s peak head on just as he had forced hers and prolonged it.

Erin

Her own feeling of release had continued forth throughout, easily standing as the most powerful she had experienced to date.  Quite unsure if it was due to the alcohol or them having to stop mid-way for the telephone, or just the fact that this man knew her like no other; she would waste no time trying to figure it out.  As his face found her neck, she knew he was there as well, joining her in the height of a release that had been a show of his own stamina, despite his insecurities on salt and pepper hair.  Her hand eased from his throat to find the back of his head as she held onto him throughout, feeling his hips still against her own.  “Don’t move,” she whispered against his ear, pressing a kiss just below, as she loved the feeling of him simply within her, never feeling as complete as she did in those moments beyond.  

C.J.

Hearing her speak, he had no intentions on moving. The intimacy achieved in that moment was one you held onto and he was hellbent on holding onto her. Allowing himself to enter that post-release euphoria against her as he felt her against his ear and the back of his head. Breath heavy to her skin, knowing she could feel the considerable heat even against the warmth of her skin as his hand swept up the side of her leg. The only way he was moving here as his fingers traced over her side.

Erin

Feeling the pass of his fingers against her leg, she drew in their combined scent there at the curve of his neck.  One leg still wrapped around him, though far more lax now than it had been before.  Finally lifting her side slightly if just to steal the phone from beneath her back.  “Lose something?” she asked, holding it up beside her head before she tossed it towards the foot of the bed, a smile to her lips as her fingers threaded through his short hair.  The release had been much needed, but beyond it she’d only be faced with the reminder that she didn’t know what had happened on the phone call, but she had enough about her to realize it more than likely meant another day like today.  The boys kept home from school, and Erin spending the day worried about this man.  Trying not to speak of it was against her nature, as she was fairly free spoken with her thoughts, but she would bite her tongue in the moment as she pressed another kiss against his neck.

C.J.

Hearing her question as he lifted his head, watching his phone being lost. He shook his head. “No, but I’d like to lose it.” he confessed honestly, breath still slightly heavy in his throat as he met her smile with a dimpled smirk of his own. Leaning into her touch to his neck as he settled his chin back to her shoulder. Taking in an even breath as the air around them was thick with their joint scent. “Even better then what I was hoping for…that is pretty impressive considering I had been hoping all day.”

Erin

Hearing his confession, a smile took her lips.  Before she could say anything, he was going on, only standing to brighten her smile there at his neck.  A hum found her lips as she leaned her head back against the bed, her hand coming to the side of his face.  “Good.  I’m glad,” she stated honestly as she knew he would have held onto it throughout the day, thus facing her with the task of making it better than what he could have imagined.  “As for losing the phone… what if we did?”  Something dangerous flashed through her eyes as he was now in bed with Erin Lindsay, The Rule Breaker; a woman who didn’t much exist professionally before him.  “Voight said we could both come off the case if we wanted to…” she reminded him, knowing he had chosen to stay on, but hoping maybe after the day they all had, perhaps he might opt for a little rest and relaxation at home with his family with a few troopers outside of the house to keep them out of harm’s way.  “Stay in bed with me half the day.  The boys will play video games.  No pants… all… day… long…”

C.J.

Hearing her suggesting that he lost his phone, he sighed low. It sounded entirely too good for him. Especially as she reminded him that he could technically get off of this case. It was tempting. Part of him thought he could protect his family better if he was with his family, another part of him thought something different. At the end of the day, he didn’t know what to think as she mentioned Voight and attempted to sweeten the deal. He smirked softly. “I like no pants.” he reminded her, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips before a thoughtful expression overtook the man, fingertip drifting over her bottom lip. “if you were in my situation as a cop and as a parent, first and foremost…what would you do with this?”

Erin

Feeling his kiss to her lips, she knew he liked no pants.  It was of no coincidence that she threw it into the offer as it might’ve been the most tempting part.  As he withdrew, giving her the question, asking her what she would do, she drew her lower lip between her teeth.  She wasn’t a parent, and yet she was all at the same time.  Though they weren’t her children, she felt as though they were.  Yet the question could still be posed, reminding her she was not.  “I suppose I don’t know what I’d do…” she whispered, an uneasiness setting over her.  That morning, she felt she had done what she would do as a parent, and yet now she was left to wonder if that was as a parent or as a girlfriend to a man with children.  “I’ll support you no matter what you do,” she promised, quickly finding her way out of that discussion, out of that feeling, feeling entirely too sober in the moment.

C.J.

“That isn’t what I’m asking…” he reassured her, knowing she still had hesitation to take up that motherly role as it was evident in the way she returned that question. Maybe more hesitation than she thought she might have initially now that she was knee deep within it. It was what it was. He couldn’t expect her to adopt this entirely new identity in a year and a half. She knew what he was asking. “If you were in my situation and if you had two kids in the other room that were /your/ blood…” he specified, letting that statement set in. “and you were being threatened by someone who  clearly has no issue taking up innocents, what would you do?” he asked, feeling like he couldn’t get anymore specific then that. “Would you stay a cop? Would you leave your boundaries? Would you protect them from up close or a far? Would you draw them out into an open field knowing you have a better chance of taking them out or being taken out with less casualties?” he asked, not meaning to get heavy on her but he literally needed the guidance

Erin

Every question coming from his mouth fell heavier and heavier on her shoulders.  Beginning with a reminder she knew he didn’t mean to give, the boys were not hers.  Each question seemed to be bigger than the one before and she knew why.  She knew he wanted her opinion, but she literally felt she had no right to give one in this matter as she did not know what it must feel like to have children, children of her blood.  The emotion behind his questions had her stealing to the side of his neck, partially to support him and partially to hide all at the same time.  Her hand still there at the side of his face, trying to find an answer for him, but nothing.  “I can’t tell you what to do.  I’ve been a… I don’t even know what I am… for what?  A little more than a year?  That in no way says I know what to do… but I do know what I did do and I know what I’ll do again tomorrow, and the next day, and as many days as I have to.  I will play video games with a gun to my side.  With that, I’m doing all I know to do, and it might not be much, but it’s all I’ve got… you gotta do what you’ve gotta do.  Whatever it is that is going to let you close your eyes tomorrow night and the one after that.  Whatever choice you can live with.  There’s a part of me that says I would be the cop.  I’d follow the trail.  I’d beat down doors.  I’d do what I had to do.  And then there’s another part of me that says there is an entire unit behind you, willing to do the same to protect you and those boys.  So a part of me would say if they were going to take me out, I’d want to spend my last hours with the ones I love, not shot in the middle of a field.  But I couldn’t do that if I didn’t trust my unit.”

C.J.

Yet, the boys were hers. More hers then they had ever been anyone else’s. Even their biological mother. While J.J. was old enough to remember traces of her, she had never been a force in his life. She had been around so rarely in his life even when they lived in New York that he knew nothing else. Neither had ever called anyone else mother and while J.J. may occasionally slip, his brother was quick to catch his slack. However, when he had answered his question as what she would do as a parent and she returned it as not knowing as she was not a parent, he couldn’t pluck her on the forehead and remind her that she was one in their eyes if she did not feel it in her heart. Hearing her mention that she didn’t know what she was, he cocked a brow. She knew better. Hearing her continue and more or less tell him what he needed to do, it wasn’t trusting a unit that would let him close his eyes at night. Yet, he was making up his mind slowly yet surely. Now it was just to be decided if he was going to tell Voight. “Alright.” he stated conclusively, letting the cement dry on that one. He’d trust her to protect them and he’d lure the threat away. Probably was not what she was going for but that was what he was taking from it. Stealing a quick kiss from her, he met her eyes. “By the way, you know what you are…they call you it every single day. One little screw up doesn’t erase months of progress. They’ve never said that word to anyone else, Erin. It was like a curse here. I didn’t even call my own mother ‘mom’ around them. Now they say it and they are happy to say it. Maybe you don’t feel it like they do but you have two boys down there that were /very/ excited to have someone other than their grandmother to have someone to write mother’s day cards to at school. You ever need that reminded, it’ll be on the fridge.”

Erin

Hearing him focus in on what she had said, she had fucked it all up.  She was functioning purely from his emphasis on /blood/ moments before, taking it as a reminder of that which she was not.  Instead of arguing it with him, she simply nodded her head, feeling almost like he didn’t believe her when she said she loved the boys.  Her head was spinning there beneath him, yet she’d make no mention of it.  If she didn’t feel those boys were hers, at least as much as they could be, she wouldn’t have come off that case that day.  She would’ve protected C.J. above them.  Feeling that so much progress had been made only for it to come undone had her feeling sick to her stomach.  Perhaps even out of place in a world she had become a part of.  She drew a heavy breath as she offered another nod of her head, entirely too trapped in her own mind to manage a single word.

C.J.

Watching her, the man was literally amazed with his own ability to fuck things up in all of a minute flat. Seeing her nod, he knew he had really done something past his attempt at explanation. Thus, he was left with the options of explaining further, pushing or leaving it alone all together. Sighing low, disappointed in himself. He lifted up from her, falling flat onto his back beside her as this was definitely not how he wanted this night to go. Sitting up slowly as he glanced over towards the piano where that wineglass sat. Needing it to return them to that place that he wanted to be.

Erin

When he withdrew from her, falling over to his back, her eyes fell closed.  Drawing her lower lip between her teeth, wishing she had said something, anything.  The reaction from the man was obvious to her, knowing him as well as he knew her.  As he sat back up again, his eyes towards the piano, she knew she needed to do something, but she didn’t know what.  She was too far fucked in her own head at the moment, lost somewhere between wondering if C.J. believed she did feel like the boys’ mom or if he felt she didn’t feel like the boys’ mom.  The entire subject sensitive to her as it had taken so much time to get there, and she thought she was there, but now she couldn’t help but wonder if C.J. felt she was somewhere else with it.  It had been a long time since tension had risen between the two, yet she knew it was always over something big and there wasn’t more that got any bigger than this.  “I love our boys,” she whispered, her hand reaching over to rest at his thigh.  “I know I’m mom to them and I do feel like they are mine… otherwise, I wouldn’t have stayed home with them today.  I would’ve been with you,” she offered, emotion there in her words, yet not accusation.  

C.J.

Hearing her whisper, he turned his head to feel her over his thigh. "I know, baby." He answered without hesitation. He knew she loved them. He knew she was there for them. Hearing the strength behind her conviction, he was back to laying beside her. They couldn't turn on one another. Emotions were fresh but they had to stay strong. Brushing a piece of hair behind her ear, lips pressed to her forehead. "I know..." he repeated, taking in a slow breath as he let his lips linger. "It's just when I ask you what you'd do as a parent and you tell me that you aren't a parent so you can't tell me...it's a little difficult to grasp for me because I know you are one and I know you are capable of thinking like one just as you did today."

Erin

As he turned back into her, his hand there in her hair, feeling the pressing of his kiss to her forehead, she knew all was not lost here.  Drawing in a slow breath, her eyes closed for just a moment before he began to speak openly.  A slight nod of her head signified she understood.  “You said my blood,” she reminded him, having been the point she had lost her ability to speak on the matter, drawing her lower lip between her teeth.  As much as she loved those boys, they didn’t share her blood, nor would any amount of love in the world change that.  “So I had to say I didn’t know.  I don’t know if that’s different.  I don’t… have a point of comparison for it.  I just know I love them and I know that I could not go through the day at work thinking they were in harm’s way.  I know I’d lay down my life for them, as I would for you.  So when I said I wasn’t a parent, it was because my blood does not run through their own… even though sometimes I feel as though it does.”  In truth, since the boys approached her about calling her ‘mom’, everything had been different.  A place she had been nervous to go turned out to feel like a place she never had before.  A place where she actually belonged instead of being linked in through someone else.  That told her the boys wanted her as much as she wanted them, so to feel for the last few minutes as though she weren’t, it had taken a visible toll on her.  

C.J.

“I said my blood after you told me that you didn’t know what you’d do. Then I misspoke and mentioned blood.” he reminded her, as it was that hypothetical ‘I don’t know what I’d do’ that made him wonder in the first place if she backed down at the premise of being a parent given wording. Yet, he had misspoken and he knew it. “But blood doesn’t make you a parent. Their blood is across this country and wouldn’t even know if they were alive or dead. Blood is easy.” he stated as he watched her honestly, a tilt of his own head. “I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. You and I both know what it feels like when your own blood fails you…but you came into something and you learned to care about them not because you felt like you had to but because you wanted to. You will be as good as blood to them. They have never called anyone else ‘Mom’ before Erin, how fucking crazy is that when you think about it…” he reminded her, the sheer gravity of that amazing to him still. “That is the first time I’ve ever heard them use those letters together. You aren’t filling shoes, you aren’t taking up a gap because there was nothing there in the first place. You’ll share their last name someday and with luck, they’ll have another brother or sister to beat at video games someday and there will be no seams. No ‘you love them more because of blood.’ Not to mention, my kids tend to come out like I reproduced with myself anyway…” he teased, attempting to break the tension in the best way he knew how.

Erin

As he spoke, at first heavier before he found a way to transition into something she honestly never knew she wanted, she released a sigh as things didn’t feel quite so impossible.  Bringing her hand from his thigh to rest at the side of his face, she offered a nod of her head.  “I want all of that,” she assured, which was more than he might have gotten from her a short time before.  “I want your dimpled children here on this earth, and I want to feel one grow inside of me, even if it does wind up looking nothing like me and everything like you.  I want to share their last name someday /soon/.”  Pausing a moment, this all came back to the decision he was facing for the next morning.  Her thumb softly grazed against his cheek as her eyes remained focused on his.  “But I can only do those things, build that life, have that baby, take your name… if you’re here.”  With the root of her fears laid out before him, the confession that if he went to work the next day, if he went out in the field to draw out the man after him, all of it could be gone in an instant.  

C.J.

“It will.” he stated, willing to put money on any child between the two of them looking like him. Of course, he would love to be proved wrong. He would love to see a child of his with Erin Lindsay’s features. Her eyes, specifically yet anything and everything would suffice as he found the woman complete perfection. Feeling her against his cheek as she spoke. She was right. He nodded. A moment to take that in. He wanted those things but he did need to be alive for them. “You’re right.” he reminded her as his eyes returned back to hers.

Erin

Her hand never moved from the place against his cheek, not turning away from him, not closing her eyes, not allowing a moment of separation there on her side of things as she spoke honestly to the man as he had to her.  Leaning into him, she pressed her lips to his for a brief moment as she laid on her side towards him.  “So let’s do this one of three ways.  First, we stay home together tomorrow.  We trust Voight, Al, and Antonio to take care of us.  Two, I go in and you stay here with these boys where you belong.  Or three, we go in together and we take care of this head on where you can protect me and I can protect you.  I love those boys and I know they love me, but they /need/ you.”  She already knew he was going to do what he felt strongly towards and she wanted him to trust his gut on things, but without the information of that which he wanted to do, she was only speaking from what she thought was best; all of them resulting in the boys keeping their father no matter what.

C.J.

Pressing his lips gently back to hers, he heard her options. The concept of trusting anyone to ‘take care of us’ was not one he subscribed to. Yet, he was quickly shaking his head at the 2nd option and again at the third. “If anyone goes in, that needs to be me. I need you hear to guard the homefront. I know it seems like babysitting but…if I was out there and didn’t think they were safe here, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate anyway.” he reminded her. “I’ll consider laying back in the cut tomorrow but if nothing breaks tomorrow and into the following day, I’d like to do what we did today…but we’ll take it a day at a time.”

Erin

Hearing him negotiating this with her, she was quick to shake her head.  She couldn’t be the one to alter his gut instincts, not after she had relied on them for so long now; not after he had used those same instincts to save her life on multiple occasions.  His instincts as a cop were good, and should always be trusted, which would be the one thing she would lean on even if she didn’t like where his head was at on something.  C.J. had something most cops didn’t.  He had smarts they didn’t teach in academy.  “It doesn’t feel like babysitting,” she offered first and foremost.  It didn’t.  She truly felt they were her children as well and therefore it felt every bit like protecting her loved ones.  “But listen… your gut is saying something else?  You listen to it.  You tell me where it’s at and I’m going to support you completely.  You want to go in tomorrow, you do that.  You want us to go in, then we do that.  This has to be you, all the way.  Your gut has always been better than mine.”  Releasing a breath beyond it, she knew she was opening this up to whatever the man felt, but in the end, she trusted him more than she trusted herself, which was a lot for the girl who once didn’t believe in trust at all.

C.J.

"Because I used to be a bad guy." He reminded her, he knew these men because he was one. He knew how their mind worked, he knew the intimidation tactics, he knew the levels people would go to for revenge. He had revenge killings on his own hands and maybe this was why he took this so seriously. Taking in another smooth breath, he looked over towards her thoughtfully. "Is there ever a moment where you feel like you're tired of being on high alert all the time? Tired of your work potentially killing those around you? Hell, sometimes it does..." he added, knowing his first job certainly had.

Erin

Hearing him out, she understood him perfectly.  It was easy to forget where he once had stood which made him such a great cop.  It was easy to just see him as always having been this way with this skill set as it was.  The reminder wasn’t unwanted, but it was always one she couldn’t quite imagine.  As his asked his questions, she wasn’t sure where he was going with this, but would go along with it just the same.  “Yeah, but I guess I figure after all we’ve seen and done out there, I’ll be on high alert until the day I die; badge or no badge, it doesn’t matter.”  She wasn’t sure if that’s where he was heading with it, but that’s how she took it anyways.  Knowing that sure, the risk would be lower, it wouldn’t be gone.  There were still going to be ones that would want revenge for being put away by the two of them.  There would still be every terror in the city that they faced every day, but then they would have to trust it in the hands of someone else to keep them and their children safe.  Leaning in closer to the man, she brought her hand to the side of his face as she leaned in to press her lips softly to his.  “It’s not the job that isn’t safe.  It’s the world we live in.”  Her words were whispered there against his lips.  She knew the man could do great things in anything he put his mind to and she would support him in such if he ever didn’t like being a cop anymore, but the cop in her knew a good cop when she saw one.  

C.J.

"Yeah..." he agreed as he pressed his lips gently back to hers, his mind was racing. He didn't know whether he was coming or going. He was a liability regardless. A difficult pill to swallow. That others had died so he might live and still may do so. He let out a low hum, suggesting he was ready to turn his head off for the evening. "All I know right now is that I love you...everything else is fucking blurry." The man confessed, yet, she was his clarity in this moment as his hand swept to the side of her neck.

Erin

“I love you too,” she returned without a moment of hesitation.  She couldn’t put everything together that he had said that night as she was functioning on mostly pieces, but her trust in him would dictate that he would open up to her entirely when he was ready to do so.  Feeling his hand to the side of her neck, a soft hum passed her lips as that touch seemed to keep their intimacy from before alive and well between them, even if they had turned from one another for a moment and even bore the weight of heavy conversation between.  “I don’t know what all is going on in that head of yours, but you don’t have to decide anything right now except what time you want to get up in the morning,” she offered, attempting to minimize his stress by bringing everything down to one simple question.  If he wanted to sleep in, he could do it.  She’d make the call to Voight for him even.  If he wanted to get up early, he could, then go in to work this case if he deemed it to be so.  But beyond a plan for the morning, the rest would simply work itself out, or so she imagined to be true.  There had been many times she considered putting the badge down.  She’d even handed it over a time or two in anger.  But those were decisions left for another day and another time as a badge or no badge would hold no bearing on changing their present situation.  If anything, they were safer for the fact they were cops, protected by cops, living with cops.  “And after you tell me what time you’d like to get up in the morning, I’ll get up, crawl over you, grab that bottle of wine from the piano, and we’ll make everything super blurry,” she seemed to promise.

C.J.

"You don't want to know what is going on in my head." The man seemed to promise her. It would worry her. The whirlwind. Things coming and going. She would know when he did. For now, he just had to trudge through and get to the other end. To make sense of it somewhere and someway. Tomorrow would afford him that time to figure out his exact plan of attack with all things considered. Hearing her plan though, he had to smirk as she definitely knew how to get a smile out of him. "Guess it'll depend on what time we get to bed tonight, huh?"

Erin

Eyeing the man, she could see his mind working, even if she couldn’t see the contents of it. As he offered her an open ended answer to the question she had offered, she took that as a go ahead for the bottle of wine.  Pressing her lips to his, she drew one leg over his, pushing the man from his side to his back, taking her with him in the process as she made her way closer to the piano, allowing herself to get trapped there in that kiss perhaps longer than she had initially planned.  Finally drawing back, her eyes met his as she offered him a soft smile.  “Wine it is,” she stated before easing off of him, begrudgingly so, to go for the bottle and glasses on the top of the piano.

C.J.

Going with her for as long as he could, equally caught in the crosshairs of her kiss before she was actually drawing his. Lips tightening to medicate the kods as he heard her speak. Watching her at the glasses, he shook his head. "Can probably just drink from the bottle unless you are afraid that I have cooties or something..." the man teased, not sure whether drinking wine out of the bottle was a solo activity or he was just uncivilized.

Erin

Slipping off the side of the bed, she glanced over her shoulder as she was reaching for the bottle.  “Really?  Wine out of a bottle?”  She asked, never having thought of it, even when she lived alone, which seemed like a million years ago anymore.  “Okay, wine out of the bottle it is,” she conceded, willing to give the man just about anything at that point in time if it meant he would relax completely and just breathe for a minute.  Returning to the bed, she held up the bottle in one hand as to not spill it in the process as she crawled on her knees to sit over him again as though it were the only available place on the entire bed.  Slipping the bottle into his hand, giving him first dibs, she leaned down to press her lips to his chest briefly.  

C.J.

"It is so weird?" He asked, amazed she had never done it or maybe he had just been single for too long and used to that sort of thing. Taking the bottle as she returned, feeling her crawl ontop of him and her lips back to his chest. Leaning up, his hand at the neck of the bottle as he brought it to his lips. Taking a strong mouthful as he swallowed it down. Eager for it to take his edge off. Offering her a sip, or a mouthful, more accurately as his free hand swept her bare back.

Erin

A hum found her lips as she pressed a kiss to his chest, her response to  his question that yes, it was weird.  Feeling his hand to her back, she drew up slightly, meeting the opening of the bottle with her mouth where she’d lean her head back, feeling entirely too much like she were drinking a beer instead of savoring a glass of wine.  Coming off the bottle, she nodded her head as she swallowed it down.  “Yes, it is, but don’t worry.  I won’t judge you too hard for it.  Maybe just a little bit, but not too hard.”  Flashing him a flawless smile before she was moving slightly up the man, finding the side of his neck with her lips, hoping to aid the alcohol to relaxing the man as she had him not too terribly long before.

C.J.

Hearing her conclude that it was indeed weird, he found himself glancing at the bottle. Still not sure why but he’d let her have it if she insisted. Hearing her mention her lack of judgement, he had to laugh softly. “Hey, you really can’t judge me. As weird as I could ever be, you choose to stay with me.” he reminded her, feeling her against the side of the neck as his fingers curled around the neck of the bottle. Placing it down on the sidetable as he felt her to his skin. His own lips dipping forward for her shoulder. Skin now tasting of that light perspiration that had formed previously and the wine staining his lips.

Erin

Hearing his theory on why she couldn’t hold judgment against him, she had to offer a soft laugh there to his shoulder.  He was right, though she’d not give him the pleasure of hearing it.  As the bottle was heard meeting the wood of the nightstand, she felt his lips finding her shoulder.  A hum was there at her lips as she tilted her head against his own.  “You are supposed to be relaxing and getting very, very blurry,” she reminded him, finding his lips to hers to have quite the adverse effect.  If given too long there, a seemingly innocent quest to relax her man could quickly turn into something of a round two.  Pressing her lips to the side of his neck, then just below his ear, a whisper fell from her lips.  “Turn over and I’ll give you a massage.”  Of course this would work to her own advantage, as there wasn’t much he could do if he was face down, but yet she’d be able to relax him which was now completely her mission.

C.J.

"I am relaxing." He argued, as he could not lay beside her or even near her without touching her. He wasn't capable of it and displayed it regularly. He loved the woman to pieces. Feeling her to his neck and ear, her whisper there in attempt to render him incapacitated. Having to laugh softly at her attempt. "Too much for you?" He teased, leaning up as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before he gave. Slowly pulling himself onto his stomach where his arms barred under his pillow that was pulled under his head.

Erin

“This from the man who once thought round two was a myth,” she reminded him, a smirk there to her lips as she allowed him to turn to his stomach, giving in to her request.  Taking that brief moment to eye his body without getting caught, the smirk to her lips would have spoke volumes.  Slipping over his back, sitting against his ass, she brought her hands first to his upper shoulders.  Massaging against the muscles there while finding this might’ve been a bad idea as all she wanted to do in that instant was bite the back of his shoulder.  Instead, biting her lower lip for self-control, her hands continued at the tense muscular structure of the man.  “You might be relaxing, but I promised super blurry,” she reminded him, as was the purpose of the bottle of wine.

C.J.

"I didn't think round two was a myth. I thought round two approximately 6 seconds after round one ended was a myth." He pointed out to her, feeling her over his back as he closed his eyes. "And now the monster is off the chain and you don't know what to do with it." He teasingly suggested, feeling her against his shoulders still slightly elevated with the position. Hearing her reminder causing him to open his eyes. Glancing over towards that wine bottle. "I don't even remember the last time I really felt wine that much...might be time to change it up."

Erin

Sitting over top of him, slightly surprised at the fact he thought /she/ didn’t know what to do with it, she lifted up on her knees slightly, easing her hands down his back as her lips found his shoulder blade.  “I don’t know what to do with it?” she asked, her voice clearly suggestive as her hands found his ass, gripping against his flesh as her teeth found that place at the back of his shoulder she’d been eyeing.  “Mhm,” she offered, not making it clear if it were for his suggestion of changing things up in the alcohol department or if she was still focused in on her not knowing what to do with his potential interest in more.

C.J.

Hearing her question, he felt the grip of her hands a moment later. A telling and dimpled smirk as he kept his head pressed to that pillow. Truth be told, he was teasing her. If there ever was a woman to keep up with him, it was her. Yet, he wouldn't show his hand this quick. Hearing her hum, he glanced back to see her against his shoulder blade. Teeth digging out to his bottom lip as his hand reached back and rounded the curve of her knee. "I love you." He reminded her honestly. "More than you ever gave me permission to."

Erin

Feeling his hand there against her knee, she caught his eye with her teeth against his flesh.  His ‘I love you’ had her lifting back from the grip of her jaw, resting her chin instead against his shoulder before he went on.  Hearing the rest of his statement there, she literally felt herself melt for the man all over again, as if she hadn’t already done so a hundred times over during the course of their relationship.  A soft sigh at her lips spoke in place of her as he truly left her speechless.  Releasing the grip of her hands as she brought her hands to his lower back, resting against his ass once more as her body pressed to his back.  A soft press of her lips to his shoulder before her eyes would meet his again.  “You know you already got the girl, right?” she teased, lifting forward to nudge her nose to his before her lips were stealing away to his there over his shoulder.

C.J.

Feeling her shift to his lower back, he heard her statement making him smirk softly. "Yeah, and I'm going to keep the girl..." he reminded her, as these things spoken were not to bide her over, to convince her. "Not to mention I'm not in the habit of holding things back." He reminded her, he held it and he said it. It just so often happened that his love for her was what he felt more often than not. A driving force. Breathing new life into old bones. Pressing his lips back to hers, he gave her knee a firm squeeze. Not quite sure he could deal with loving the woman anymore than he did already and knowing one day he might be too full on it to do much else but love her day in and day out.

Erin

There in that kiss, his words were settling in on her.  Heavy in comforting weight, wrapping tightly around her, binding him to the man, security.  Things she never thought herself capable of feeling and yet she was almost two years in to just that, standing on the edge of forever with this man who thought nothing of such outpourings of his soul.  Their kiss accidentally broken by the smile to her lips before she’d rest her forehead against the very shoulder she had previously bitten.  Without lifting her head, a whisper found his flesh.  “Then maybe you should take the girl away...  Pack up two boys.  Let’s let the unit handle things here.  And go make the girl yours forever.”  Knowing well what she was suggesting there, although she didn’t know what his decision for the next day had been, the idea of running from the threat hadn’t been one they talked about, yet what if it wasn’t running from the threat at all?  What if it was that they were finally making good on a question asked ten months prior?  Slowly lifting her head from there at his shoulder, finding his eyes as she gave only a moment of pause to see what his thoughts were.

C.J.

Her idea sounded good but her idea sounded better with the cherry on top. She had to know she could get anything with just the suggestion of being able to put a ring on her finger. Feeling her raise up to meet his eyes, he did the same to her. Flashing her a telling smirk. “Maybe I should…” he remarked, yet part of him felt like he was running away from the problem. The other part of him thought back to that cabin they had stayed in before. The boys would love that. Fishing, hiking, a place to stretch their legs outside of the city. Yet, another part of him considered that it could be taken as running away from it all. “I think you may be onto something there…” he confessed, as the good definitely outweighed the bad. If there was anything that could make him consider doing things differently, it was that suggestion.

Erin

His return had a soft smile there at her lips.  They’d played with the idea long enough and the circumstance said it would potentially be a good time to do it.  “Maybe,” she whispered, pressing another kiss to the back of his shoulder.  “Maybe,” she repeated, another kiss laid slightly closer to the base of his neck.  The idea of marrying the man had become a lighter decision for her over time, not sounding nearly as terrifying as the first times they had joked about it.  The woman who previously joked for 2029 was now suggesting they run off for the weekend and do exactly that, not driven by her fears of that which Chicago held for them at the moment, but purely on the desire to marry the man as soon as possible.  Already knowing many may view it as a shot gun wedding, yet not even caring what anyone else thought.  They now had means, motive, and opportunity, which together could conjure up just the right makings of forming this family once and for all.  “Maybe,” she whispered once more as her lips moved lower down his spine, following the line as she continued in some fashion this massage, though it had clearly taken on a much different look within a very short time period.  “Maybe you should take me up on it before I change my mind,” she teased to his mid-back, as though there were any chance of her changing her mind.  Her mind had been made up since the day she accepted his proposal.  It was never a matter of ‘if’ since then, but a matter of ‘when’.

C.J.

Hearing her mention changing his mind, exactly what he needed to hear in that moment. That he had to shackle her before he ran. He rolled his eyes gently. “Maybe.” he returned, giving into her choice word here. Hand smoothing up her knee, fingers curling over her thigh. Only able to wonder that if this had the potential of making things worse. Yet, it would help him clear his mind. Give the department time to work this out and if the threat remained when he came home, he’d know exactly what he had to do. Defend this newly formed unit of his or die trying. “Maybe I say ‘yes.’” he returned conclusively. Green eyes seeking out hers.

Erin

Once a ‘hypothetical’ led them to their relationship status, now a ‘maybe’ would lead them to their marriage.  The thought brought a smile to her face as she easily remembered the night of hypotheticals used to figure out where they stood with one another.  Another kiss placed to his lower back as she heard his final decision on the matter, instantly stealing her attention.  It wasn’t too often Erin Lindsay completely ‘girled’ out, but here, she would do exactly that.  Leaning off to the side of him, meeting his eyes with her own hazel hues with a beaming smile that couldn’t be stopped.  No halves about it, her full on smile was on display there before him as her hand found the side of his face.  “Maybe I say ‘yes’ too,” she added, nodding her head convincingly as she stole his lips for a brief exchange.  “Maybe I’ll say ‘I do’,” she added, brows lifting.  “Maybe I  l o v e  you and can’t wait to be your  w i f e,” she whispered in a raspy tone, dragging out the word wife as she emphasized it equally with the word love before pressing her lips firmly against his again, her body coming in close there to his side, unable to complete the promised massage as her attention was elsewhere entirely.

C.J.

Feeling her to the side of his face, his eyes met hers before her lips were back at his. Hearing her own hypothetical ‘maybe.’ Another maybe and another maybe after that yet her saying two words that she had run away from had him forgetting about the way the statement began in the first place. Feeling her slip off of him only to find her place at his side. His hand reaching up to push his fingers underneath of her chin to hold her lips there to place. Pressing his own back to hers as he inhaled slowly. “Lose the ‘maybe.’” he requested, sweetening the deal as his tongue brazenly swept her bottom lip without the sealing of their lips.

Erin

If it wasn’t his words that stole her breath, it might’ve been the passage of his tongue to the part of her lips while their lips weren’t touching.  Either way, her lips parted, a sigh already at them as she kept finding herself fall more deeply in love with the man than she was a moment before, forever intrigued as to how in the hell it had all happened.  “Maybe I will…” she offered quietly, keeping that theme alive for only but one last phrasing.  “I  l o v e  you,” she whispered, her eyes never parting from his as she drew in a slow breath, letting the full gravity of all she was saying settle in on the both of them.  “and I can’t  w a I t  to be your wife.”  Exchanging her emphasis there as her hand slipped from the side of his face to the back of his neck, resisting the urge to dive into his lips as she wanted him to get every ounce of her words there in voice and in the light behind her eyes.  Feeling her love for him radiate through every vein in her body as she spoke things lacking hypotheticals, laying them out for him from the depths of her soul, completely unafraid of what may come next for the two.

C.J.

Cocking a brow at that next ‘maybe’ before she gave up the goods, hearing her whisper before her hand was at his neck. Giving up a satisfied grin at the concept as it sounded much better without the ‘maybe.’ Breathing in her words as they remained close. His own lips tightening as his nose nudged hers. Not giving in and kissing her just yet. Breathing her in. feeling her without words or notions or even without his lips on hers yet still connected. Smirk steadily growing as his hand found the back of her neck. Pulling her in closer and him in as well until their lips were brushing yet still not quite giving in.

Erin

The tease of the kiss, knowing it was there, close and yet contained all at the same time would draw a soft sigh from the woman’s lips as she felt just the hint of his lips brushing to her own.  Impatient fingers gripped firmly to the back of his neck, yet she’d not press into the kiss no matter how badly she wanted to feel that heat against her own once more.  Her lips parting, teeth lightly grazing at his lower tier, delicately passing over his, threatening and inviting all at the same time as her eyes remained set to his.  Catching but a glimpse of the dimple to his cheek, aided by that smirk though it required no help at all.  A slow inhale filled her with their combined scent, sex still wafting through the air around them.  From monumental decisions to pure silence, she couldn’t be sure which spoke more loudly in that instant as it was here that she would find pure peace with the man.  Intending to get him blurry, yet suddenly it was she that would find the edges lost.  Everything seemingly meshing together in the room, one thing bleeding into the next, the only thing to remain crystal clear to her was the man before her and the desire to feel her lips forged with his.

C.J.

"Say the 'w' word again." The Italian insisted. Needing to hear it. Having wanted to hear it since looking at her and thinking how badly he wanted her at his side. At his hand, in his life. A crazy thought. Borderline creepy if it had never worked out yet the man believed in fate. He quite liked rubbing it in now that he had these thoughts first. This need that transcended all logic. All reminders that his last serious relationship had just about killed him. The scar to his shoulder proof of it where a bullet had come and gone. Eyes still bleeding in to hers as he laid out his demand.

Erin

A demand there on the metaphoric table between them, though the space between their bodies allowed for not even the smallest of tables to reside.  Passing a soft hum there at her lips as though she’d think it over, the lingering possibility of his lips there at her own, barely brushing, tempting, teasing, collateral for the word he wished to hear pass her lips.  Knowing if she uttered it, perhaps she could feel the fullness of his lips to her own, his hand to her leg, dragging her thigh against his side.  It was all right there, and yet she’d torture him in the moments she’d make him wait.  Her hum filling space, as she wagered within her mind how much leverage he held over her in that moment, and yet she was the one holding the ace.  Desire radiated through her hazel eyes, remaining fixed on his in close proximity.  The tightened fingertips to the back of his neck easing, ghosting along the side of his neck, the curve of his shoulder, only to drift back along the same voyage they had just undergone.  Hers.  Everything she touched was hers and she well knew it by now.  Even that word at the tip of her tongue was in her own possession.  A slow smile took her features, silencing her hum as her teeth took to her own lower lip.  Waiting him out, forcing him those impossible silent moments before finally her voice would slip past her lips.  Quiet.  Barely a whisper.  Her lips brushing to his as the words eased forth, deliberately so.  “The ‘w’ word again,” she offered, knowing it was not what he wanted from her, yet she’d fuck with him just the same.  “Tomorrow morning, we are going to pack our bags, take our boys, and get in your truck.  A short while later, I will stand before you and our boys and take vows that will result in you being /my/ husband and I being /your/ wife.”

C.J.

Hearing her give after what seemed to be minutes, it came down to these subtle showings of power that reminded him that it was she who held him. Just when he thought he wore the pants here, he'd remind her quite the opposite. Barely able to let her get those words out before he was giving. Pressing his lips strongly and firmly to hers. A low moan finding the back of his throat showing she didn't even need to touch him or barely so. Just that word alone brought him deep, innate, sensual joy.

Erin

The moment the word escaped her lips, strategically placed to the very last word that would leave her lips, holding him in limbo until she was ready to give it to him, torturing him for the duration as to if and when it would form and be released, she felt the firm fusing of his lips to her own.  The groan to the back of his throat standing as her primary reward, knowing just what she had done to him in that span of time, though she’d make no apologies for it.  She needed to know he wanted her.  She needed to feel it seeping from his pores.  She wanted him to bleed it out, to feel it to his very core in the same way she did.  A woman who had been steady in her career, with no need for a relationship had every wall broken down by this man, one at a time, with the patience of a saint.  There would be that residing fear in the back of her mind that he would bore of her the way he had teased he would should she ever give in to him.  A shelf life of seven days he had given her, promising to be on to the next.  She could only think every other woman had faded into oblivion in such a time period and so with that feeling, she’d do her best to keep him on his toes, wanting more from her when in all actuality, she wanted to give it all to him from the jump.  The instant his lips met her own, the softness in her hand faded, gripping instantly into his shoulder where her fingertips had been passing.  Grasping onto the man as she rewarded him for his patience with her, tugging against him to press her body firmly to his as their lips did the same.  Passion transcended only by her love for him, both intermingling to fuel this kiss built by the man as he had made her wait for it much in the same way she made him wait for that word.  A push and pull there, give and take, and yet no one lost when one of them caved.  

C.J.

He had scornfully given her 7 days when he got tired of trying to give her the word only to be swept aside like he was nothing. Not his proudest moment yet she had injured his pride and dwindling confidence so often in those days, he needed to convince himself. That he wasn't going to give her everything just for her to decide it wasn't for her. The option of him walking out never was one. There wasn't anything that she could do to him to stop him from loving her. This was for life. Feeling her at his shoulder as his lowerbody was swiftly finding it's place between her legs with a push of his knees into the back of her thighs to manipulate her with hands pressed over her flesh.

Erin

The force of their lips to one another would surely leave the most pleasant ache beyond the kiss, a semi-permanent reminder of how his lips felt to hers.  If she had known the word ‘wife’ would light such a fire under the man, she might’ve said it earlier in the night when things had felt tense there between them as they attempted to find their way through their present situation.  Now, as his knees urged between her own, laying there to her side against him on his side, she wouldn’t dare keep him from that which she knew to be his.  A sharp move of her leg to hook around his thigh, tightening her own leg behind his as she drew him towards the heat of her own sex already bearing his mark from a short time before.  Her lips exchanging for a firm bite of her teeth there at his lower tier as her eyes opened to find the man she had every intention of marrying.  Setting the tone there for that which he had done in his game of not kissing her, amplifying her already heightened constant desire for the man as she tugged back on that tier only to separate their lips from one another entirely.  Drawing in a full breath before her free hand was lifting there between them.  A soft fingertip to the place she had just claimed as her own, barely passing against his lower tier as her eyes set to his as her teeth took to her own lower lip.  Seeming to brace herself for the force of his hips, knowing it had been well instigated on both of their parts.  Feeling his protrusion to her inner thigh as a reminder of that which was hers.  “Fuck your fiancé one last time?” she offered, her smile stealing the bite of her own lip as her finger remained softly passing over his.

C.J.

Feeling her lips pulling back from his, he met her eyes once again. The look of a woman who knew what she was doing. Whose known what she's been doing this entire time. Feeling her free hand slipping down between them. Her offer heavy in the air as he flashed her a telling smile. "Can't make any guarantees there." He remarked, as there was still a night for them both to get through. "At this rate, you might need to commodore a pillow fort to protect yourself." He stated simply as his hands swept down. One to the side of her thigh, feeling her positioning him perfectly as his hips smoothed forward. Guiding him back into euphoria with ease.

Erin

“No?” she asked, not quite following him at first mention, but as he continued on, she knew what he meant there.  It was true and she well knew it, though the idea of withholding from him in this capacity was beyond her comprehension.  She simply didn’t know how to do it.  “That’ll be the damned day,” she returned, her fingertip passing off his lower lip as she felt him filling her once again.  Possibly the best way to silence this woman of his, at least for a few moments.  The pressure within would forever be monumental, no matter how many times he found himself within her walls.  Only a short moment would pass before she’d lift her eyes once again, nearly wanting to dare him, to see just how many times he could in fact fuck his fiancé before he married her.  To make a game of it.  Something for the memory book.  A slow smirk stole her features as the thought passed her, though she’d not let him in on that little secret.  “If I make a pillow fort, I’m taking you inside it,” she stated honestly as there was no way she’d separate herself from him until sleep took over.  Feeling his hand there to the side of her thigh, she’d lure her leg up higher, vacating his own upper thigh for his hip, pushing her own hips forward in the process as she attempted to steal all the man had to offer her there.  A sigh at her lips as she felt his depth, something she hoped she never became too accustomed to, quite liking the surprise of it that flashed over her every time.  “Tomorrow night, you can fuck your w i f e.”  An honest statement there at her lips as she emphasized that word to him, seeking to use it for everything it was worth in this venue.

C.J.

Feeling each inch of him slipping within her, knowing to give her time. Hell, even he needed tine with how good she felt around him. It was mutually assured patience. Meeting her eyes as she gave the go ahead as he swept deep within her. Hearing her mention this alleged pillow fort, allowing the push of her hips to guide the rest of him within her. “You really must not want to leave this bed…” he reminded her, as each statement made it a strong possibility that he may not let her get that far as his lips found the corner of her mouth, lingering there as his hips withdrew only to slowly press back deep within her. Assuring she felt every detail of him on his way within.

Erin

“I most certainly have no plans of leaving this bed anytime soon,” she offered as he withdrew from her only to fill her once again.  Stealing her breath as it would take her but a moment of her eyes closed, silenced again, feeling his lips there to the edge of her smile.  “You’re teasing me,” she challenged, feeling weak there against him, the room fading into blurs and streaks beyond him.  Her hand grasped to his upper arm as her teeth stole his lower lip, attempting to do to him as she had accused him of doing to her.  Shifting her own hips against his as she felt him deep within her center once more, tightening her leg around him so another withdraw might be more difficult or even impossible.  Stealing control only to see if he would take it back from her.  

C.J.

Hearing her challenge, he was merely treating her to a taste of her own medicine as he felt her at his lower lip and arm. Smiling softly before she was shifting and the vice grip lock of her legs. Finding a different approach here. To torture her with her own devices. Rocking his hips forward as she had potentially ruined his ability to pull back from her though he didn’t find himself making the attempt. Pulling from her grip if only to press his lips firmly to hers. Speaking in between fusing. “You haven’t seen anything yet, keep it up.”

Erin

The rock of his hips against her own said he would not be going down so easily, stealing a shift there in his hips that got her every time.  Ruining herself at her own doing.  As he stole the bite she held on his lower lip, she immediately felt his lips firmly on her own once more.  Heated.  Controlling.  Every bit what she knew the man to be capable of.  As his words came forth between passes in that kiss, a smirk stole her lips.  “You threatening me or promising, eh?”  A question from her lips, telling him she was more than interested in whatever the man thought he had to offer there.  Challenging him intentionally, attempting to draw forth all that resided within the man, fully intending to make their last time together before marital vows were taken to be monumental and exhausting for them both, thus concluding their courtship in exchange for the promise of eternity.  Her own lips stealing his this time, hands coming behind his head as her tongue was tempting the part of his lips, beckoning for her own entry as the struggle for power ensued there between them, knowing full well if she played her own cards right, he’d take her places only he could get her to.  

C.J.

"Both." He returned on her question as they both loved to incite one another. In terms of love, passion, jealousy. You name it. They both played off of one another. Thankfully, it was usually for the positive. His lips parting for the draw of her tongue as he not only allowed it but challenged it. Letting her have this bit of ground but she was on thin ice. Rocking firmly against her hips in the way that he knew drove her absolutely wild in the best of ways. Willing her undone right there underneath of him.

Erin

A one worded answer before his lips were allowing the passage of her tongue within which she would take with no hesitation.  This was now his fault entirely, laying none of the blame on herself as he had awoken her in this manner, teasing at her lips minutes before, withholding the full thrust of his hips from her, and now she would take what was rightfully hers.  Both of her hands there to the back of his head, fists filled with his dark hair as she tightened her grip within the short strands.  Her tongue hungrily searching for the wash of his taste over her own as he stuck to that stroke within he knew drove her mad.  Pulling her leg from around him, planting her foot firmly against the bed beneath her, giving him room to move away from this rotation of his hips as she lifted her own against him.  Tempting him away from that which he had taken up there, knowing she couldn’t sustain it, though she was completely unwilling to come undone so quickly.

C.J.

Feeling her against his hair. It wasn't too often he earned himself quite a response. Speaking to her state more than anything else could as he drove his tongue over hers. Feeling her unlatching his hip forcing the need to join her leg back at his hip. Not giving up for a second as it was her payback for playing hard to get with him. Inhaling slowly to her lips, fighting a smile as he rocked his hips against her. Each deep rotation assuring she felt him in places not easily accessed.

Erin

With her leg brought back where she had taken it from, she was surprised by his audacity to do such a thing, yet turned on by the maneuver all at the same time.  Her tongue in the depths of his own mouth, feeling the battle there within against his, her fists only tightening as she felt the relentless rotation against her.  The stimulation within as well as externally due to the grind of his hips had her failing and he’d know it as she drew for breath through his lungs.  Trapped there at his lips, unable to turn from him, she was done for.  An attempt to withhold would fail almost instantly as the feeling rushed over her too quickly.  His continued pace driving her forward with no ability to stop herself.  The grip of her hands that once only tightened now pulled back against the strands as her muscles within tensed around him.  Feeling her entire frame draw into itself for a long moment before all at once it would release, bringing forth the coating over his cock deep within her as her walls pulsated against him.  Her hands drawing down to his arms, hands gripping against him as her cry fell into the confines of his mouth.  Tongue retracted, though her lips remained spread to his.

-May 10, 2016