A Sky Without Zeppelins: Chapter Fifteen
Sep. 23rd, 2008 10:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amberfocus
Chapter Fifteen
Rose wakes up slowly to find Jonathon has been watching her sleep. Somehow this feels more intimate even than what they did the night before and she blushes furiously under his heavy-lidded gaze. “Good morning,” he says and his voice is thickly accented, far back in his throat, deeper than normal and full of passion.
“Good morning,” she says in a voice she can’t quite stop from squeaking. With as much grace as she can manage she rises from the bed and stumbles sleepily to the loo. She uses the facilities, brushes her teeth and washes her face. After a few minutes of time wasting activities she realizes she’s procrastinating going back out there, going out to face him after what they’d done the night before.
They were moving so fast and she wanted to move faster, knew she really ought to be finding a way to put the brakes on instead, but not wanting to. A painful throb in her hand reminds her that she needs to change the dressing on her wound and take some more paracetamol. She retrieves the medicine from his cabinet and swallows down a couple pills.
She tries to remember where Jonathon put away the gel for her burn and the dressing supplies the previous night but her mind is still a bit hazy. It’s not in the medicine cabinet so she starts rooting around in the drawers. The first is his, the second one has the toiletries he had bought for her, and the third has a box of condoms. Not a small box like a three pack, either. Although there was one of those in there. But no, this was a big box. A very big box.
Had he gone to one of the hypermarkets? Or perhaps he’d driven up to the Costco in Watford for the super industrial supply pack. It has 48 condoms. 48! What does he think she is made of? And oh, won’t it be fun to find out? she thinks rebelliously. She quickly tries to squash that errant thought but it isn’t going away.
Still, it is kind of nice to realize that she won’t be expected to provide them herself when she has to pay for the pill she’ll soon be starting. She likes the idea that he wants to take responsibility for birth control as well. That is very much in his character. She examines the box again and realizes they are for the larger-sized male. Not the king-sized ones, but large enough to give her pause.
It’s not enough to scare her off, even if there is a tiny voice in the back of her mind that is edging towards panic at how quickly she is thinking about throwing away every life decision she has made up until this point to not get so seriously involved with a man until after she has graduated from Uni and has established herself in a career. It’s Jonathon and she just can’t wait that long anymore. Not for him.
“Rose? Are you okay?” Jonathon’s fingers brush against the bathroom door and his voice is heavy with concern. She slams the drawer shut and then opens the door so quickly that he stumbles into her. He steadies himself.
“Where’d the Savlon gel get to?” she asks him. “I need to redress my burn and I can’t find it.”
“Oh, sorry,” he says. He reaches around her to a small square box that sets to one side of the sink. “I keep that sort of thing in here.” He pulls out the supplies and picks up Rose’s hand. He unwraps the cotton bandage and slowly loosens the old dressing. He studies it dispassionately for a moment than picks up a wash cloth, wets it, and washes her palm gently. He pats it dry, smears on the gel, and then covers the injury with a fresh Melolin pad, tapes it in place and then rewraps the cotton bandaging around her hand again.
He presses a light kiss over the back of her hand then, his thumb caressing the thin skin across the inside of her wrist and says, “All done.” Rose sighs. How is it that even something as small as his taking care of her hand makes her want to make love to him? It isn’t even a passionate heat that is rising in her that’s causing the flush of want. It’s his simple act of caring for her when he doesn’t have to, this amazing, wonderful man.
She really needs to put some distance between them so she can clear her head, get some perspective. She’s going to move away from him right now. Any second she’ll back away. Any second. Instead she finds herself drifting into his arms, finds herself tangling her good hand in that marvelous mane of his and pulling his head down so she can kiss his lips. Her injured hand rests on his shoulder.
Jonathon’s hands go to her waist, pulling her firmly into him and he tickles her mouth open, taking possession with his tongue. Slow, teasing strokes quickly become heated and he backs her into the door. It slams shut and then she is pressed tightly between him and the door and his hands are seeking bare flesh beneath her camisole. As his hands find her breasts she tears her lips from his and takes in a deep breath, her chest heaving into his eager fingers.
His mouth finds her throat and she moans. It echoes embarrassingly loudly in the bathroom’s gorgeous acoustics. She needs to stop this, needs to keep it from going any further, before it gets out of hand, before--oh, good heavens, he’s so hard. She whimpers as his teeth scrape her skin on the way down to her shoulder, one of his hands rising to move aside the little strap. The other hand is busy at her nipple, twisting lightly, rolling gently, and she cries out again, her hips pushing forward.
He chuckles into her skin and she almost wants to smack him at his male pride in undoing her, only she fears it would make him stop what he’s doing and wait, didn’t she want him to stop what he was doing a minute ago? Where had that girl got to? Oh, don’t stop. Don’t ever stop, is all she can think. His free hand slides down her body and comes to rest on her bum, cupping the cheek in his large fingers for a moment before making gentle circles. She’s dizzy between the actions of his mouth and his hands.
Her own hand leaves his hair and travels over his naked torso, the smooth skin of his back rippling under her greedy fingers. Her groin aches with want and she is thinking about what it would be like to have her first time with him be in the shower, the mechanics of it, how messy things might be because of her monthly, and she yet again curses her body because she’s not quite brave enough to suggest it, let alone do it, though if he keeps up with what his teeth are doing to her shoulder and his hands are doing to her body…
The intrusive sound of the alarm clock infringes on their passion and Jonathon pulls away from her first. She’s no longer sure she can. He rests his forehead against hers, his breath coming in heavy pants. “Work,” he says. “Have to…get ready…for work.”
“And school,” she manages to force out, having forgotten in the heat of the moment that she has two classes this morning before a full shift at Temmel’s. It’s that thing called real life that she should want to get back to. For once in her life she wants to play hooky, say hang the sense of it, throw away all previous caution, and make love to this beautiful man.
But suddenly there is space between them and he’s leaning against the sink, his breathing coming back under control. Her eyes fall to his pajama bottoms and she can see his erection straining against the fabric and part of her wants to reach forward and touch him and part of her wants to kneel before him and--.
Rose flings open the bathroom door and backs out of the room. “You…you should shower,” she says and then she flees, pulling the door shut behind her. She hurries to the alarm clock, turns it off, then heads to the kitchen where she turns the cold tap on full force and dunks her head under water. The icy impact returns her to her senses and slowly her hormones begin to calm down.
Slowly she wrings out her hair and grabs a nearby kitchen towel from a drawer, scrubbing it vigorously over her scalp to rid her hair of excess water. The phone rings and she eyes it nervously wondering if she should pick it up. The answering machine picks up and she hears her mother’s voice coming over the line.
“Rose, sweetheart, it’s Mum. The estate’s been reopened. I’m going to be moving back home today. Can you call me and let me know what time I should expect you tonight? Love you.” The line goes dead and a few seconds later the machine shuts off.
Rose just stands there staring at the telephone. She doesn’t want to go home. Not yet. Maybe not ever. She leans against the counter, a hitch in her chest at her mind’s violent reaction against leaving Jonathon’s side, leaving his bed. She knows this is only a temporary thing, that he’s in no way ready for a permanent house guest and she’s in no way ready to live with a man she’s only known, has it even been two weeks yet?
She can’t remember. She can barely even remember what her life was like before he came into it. Shadows of work and school and home and no social life to speak of unless Shireen and Mickey dragged her out to a club or the cinema or she went with Georgie to the shops.
But living with him, full time? Yes, she’s in…she likes him very much, more than any other man she’s ever known, and yes, she sees her future tied very intimately to his, possibly for the rest of her life even, but moving in for good? What is she thinking? Even if it wasn’t too soon, he certainly hasn’t asked her. And even if he does, she can’t by any breath of sanity left in her mind, possibly accept such an invitation. Can she?
Her hands ball into fists and she pushes herself away from the counter and heads back into the bedroom at the telltale signs of him emerging. He makes no comment at the state of her hair or the soaked front of her camisole. Rose retrieves clean clothing, smiles at him softly and edges around his body so she can dash into the shower.
Jonathon senses Rose’s newfound skittishness and doesn’t try to touch her as she escapes into the bathroom. The fire that had been generated between them in just those few brief moments of kissing and touching had worked him up quite badly and he’d had fifteen minutes in the shower with which to soothe himself afterwards. Poor Rose was probably still on a hormone high, he thought ruefully, still unable, quite to deal with the powerful emotions being generated by their…feelings for each other.
He sighed and dropped his towel, walking naked to the bureau and pulling out boxer briefs and socks. The phone rang as he started dressing and he decided to let it go to the machine and finish putting on his clothes. When he did walk out to the kitchen the little light was blinking. Hopefully it wasn’t important. It was probably just Lumin needing a bit more handholding, as had been the case last night. He sighs.
James Lumin is a good man and the benefits of working at Illuminate are amazing, but sometimes having a slightly paranoid boss can get rather intrusive. Like last night. Still, he ought to see if it is important. He hits the retrieval button and is surprised to hear the rough accent of Jackie Tyler fill his kitchen. He frowns at her message, a feeling of dismay washing over him. He doesn’t want Rose to leave, doesn’t want her to go home.
As the short message ends and the machine clicks back off he stares at it with a rapidly rising feeling of dread. His finger hovers over the delete button. If Rose never gets the message she certainly can’t go home tonight, can she? But he can’t quite bring himself to erase it. He doesn’t want that kind of dishonesty between the two of them no matter how badly he wants to keep her with him another night or two. Or every night.
Damn it! He runs his fingers angrily through his damp hair. A horrible feeling of loss sweeps through him. He wants his Rose here. His Rose? Well, he is certainly getting possessive of the girl awfully quickly, isn’t he? But…she is his. It is obvious she is, in mind already, if not in body, and that is only a matter of time. The way she’d been last night, her responsiveness to his advances this morning. No, she is close to surrender or he is no judge of women. He only hopes when she does it is not against her better judgment. He wants her to be sure.
Can he in all good faith just not tell her about the message? Pretend he hasn’t checked the machine, hasn’t heard her mother’s words? If neither of them ‘heard’ the message before he picks her up from work that night, if she doesn’t get it before she’s back with him in the evening, perhaps she’ll stay just one more night with him. Just one more night, that isn’t asking too much, is it? One more night to sleep with her in his arms, to hold her and maybe have a repeat performance of the night before. Is it terribly wrong of him to want that? It probably is if it requires deception to get it.
He must have been standing there longer than he realizes because suddenly Rose is behind him, her arms wrapping around his lean torso and her cheek pressing into his back. “My…my mum called,” Rose says slowly as if she can barely drag the words out. “The…the estate’s reopened. I…I can go home tonight.”
He wilts under her words. “Please, don’t go.” The words escape him before he knows he’s said them. He turns around in her arms and pulls her into his. “Rose, stay. One more night. Just one more night.” He kisses the top of her head and her arms tighten about his waist.
“I…Jonathon, I…” His body tenses as he feels her impending rejection. But the words she’s trying to say obviously won’t come. “I,” she tries again. “All right.”
“All right?” He pushes back from her, tilts her head up so he’s looking into her eyes. He can’t stop the smile that cracks his face. It’s almost manic in his ridiculous joyousness.
“Yeah,” she says shyly. “One more night. Just…let me call my mum; let her know where I’ll be.”
“Yes, yes, of course.” She reaches for the phone but he doesn’t let go of her, instead scoots with her still in his arms over to the device. She picks it up and punches in the digits. He holds her close with one hand, runs the other up and down her side in feather soft strokes.
“Hello, Mum?” Rose says. “Yes, I got your message and I’ll be home tomorrow night.” There’s a pause. “Because I’m staying one more night here, that’s why.” Rose bites her lip and he can hear Jackie’s voice rising a bit on the other end. “No, we haven’t done, not that it’s any of your business,” Rose replies in exasperation. “Yes, we will, but we aren’t yet. Mum. Mum. I have to go to school now. Yes. Yes, I know. Hanging up now. Love you. Bye.”
Rose clicks off the phone and hangs it up then pulls back from Jonathon a little bit. She rolls her eyes. “She can be so intrusive.”
“She means well.”
“I suppose, but I’m not a child. I’m nearly twenty-two. I think I can decide when to take a lover and to be smart enough to be careful about it,” she huffs.
“And when do you plan on taking me as your lover?” he asks before he can stop himself. She blushes furiously. “Sorry, Rose, I didn’t mean to put pressure on you. I--.”
She stops him with a kiss, but pulls back before he can deepen it. She bites her lip and looks into his eyes. Her amber orbs are deeply serious and she says, “In a couple of days, when my period’s over, I’d like…I’d like you to…make love to me.”
“Really? Rose, I thought…I thought you wanted to wait.” His heart jumps with hope but he tempers it.
“I…I want to be with you,” she says on a rush. “I just…I really want you.”
“You’re sure?”
“I—I think so. I’m scared, but I…I can’t see the point to waiting any longer than we have to. Not anymore.”
He smiles softly at her. “Okay.”
“Okay.” She smiles back.
Neither one of them can concentrate enough to cook so he takes her out for breakfast. They are both suddenly shy and conversation is hesitant. He wonders if it’s all she can think about, too, that in a few more days they’ll be lovers. His heart races as he glances at her. He wants this woman more than he’s ever wanted anyone in his life.
He is ashamed to admit that his feelings for her seem to be far stronger than his emotions for Elisabeth ever were. He was with her for six years, married to her for her two years, in love with her, they’d had a life together, a—well, a life and he’d been happy, but it wasn’t like this. It doesn’t even approach this kind of passionate desire, this desperate neediness he feels whenever he’s with Rose or the sense of loss when they’re apart.
It feels somehow a betrayal of his dead wife’s memory and yet he can’t bring himself to care. He’s with Rose now, will be with her fully soon, and he’s never going to let her go. He loves her too much. He rocks back from the table, stunned at the revelation that he’s already fallen in love with this woman.
“You all right?” Rose asks eyeing him quizzically. He can’t speak for a moment, is only able to open and shut his mouth like a gold fish. “Jonathon?” Her hand slides over his and her eyes are wide with concern.
He pulls himself together. “Yeah, yeah,” he says hastily. “When I’m with you, Rose Tyler, I’m always all right.”
Ch. 16: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/146421.html
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-24 02:12 pm (UTC)Love the new chapter! And yay! Rose is not going home tonight - we get another night with Jonathon and Rose together!
no subject
Date: 2008-09-24 04:05 pm (UTC)we get another night with Jonathon and Rose together!
Or it's possible everything's about to go sideways with the aliens for three chapters which is what leads up to the sex. I'm just saying.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-24 06:17 pm (UTC)*refresh* *refresh* *refresh*
*glares at computer*
*refresh* *refresh* *refresh*
More Jonathon and Rose, please! NOW!!!