Til' Death
Part 5
by Cheryl Roberts

"Why don't we get you changed," Tommy suggested, fingering the damp cotton.

Kim nodded numbly and started tugging at the hem of her cotton tee. Tommy's hands stopped her, and she eyed him questioningly.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

She took his meaning and blushed. She hadn't been thinking, and she was completely naked underneath the oversized tee. Normally, she just slept in her clothes.

"Hang on a sec," he instructed. Tommy scrambled off the bed and collected one of the bags from the shopping trip. Rummaging around, he quickly located what he wanted and tossed it to Kim.

Kim eyed the garment with surprise. All silk and lace... it was the sweetest pink babydoll nightie; she hadn't worn anything like it in ages. Unaccountably, she felt herself blushing. Tommy seemed to be waiting for her to say something. "It's very pretty."

"I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not," Tommy said a trifle self-consciously.

Kim simply sat there staring at the rose pink lingerie as if she didn't know what to do with it. Tommy took her arm and slid it inside the sleeve of her nightshirt and did the same with the other, undressing her as if she was a small child. Kim watched, unable to do anything to help him as he slipped the fresh nightgown over her head and under the old. She wasn't quite sure how he managed it, but he had gotten her changed without seeing her at all. To Kim's surprise and discomfiture, she found herself profoundly disappointed when she realized that.

"Better?" Tommy asked.

Kim nodded.

"Why don't you try going back to sleep," he suggested, easing her back against the pillows and pulling the counterpane over her. He found Dragon and tucked him into her arms. Then kissed her gently on the brow.

"Will you be all right?" he queried.

"Yes."

"Good night, Kim."

Tommy reached for the light on the night table. "Don't!" she yelped without knowing why. She didn't need a night light. She had never needed a nightlight.

"Okay, how about I just turn it down?"

Kim felt ridiculous as he dimmed the light. She wasn't a child! She was a grown woman. She didn't need Tommy to baby her like this--to soothe her fears and tell her it was going to be all right; she had survived plenty of worse nightmares over the past year.

No, she didn't need Tommy to comfort her. She wanted him to comfort her--to make the trembling stop and chase the tears and shadows away, to tell her there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Tommy?" she called out suddenly, her voice cracking and her tone frantic. He paused in the doorway.

For so long, her wants had ceased to matter. All day long, Tommy had been trying to show her that they did, that they were important. This was something she wanted... if she could be brave enough to ask. She bit her lower lip and looked away as she made her timid request. "Stay with me?"

Tommy didn't answer right away, and Kim grew nervous. She looked up and was taken aback by the smile on his face. Her heart fluttered with hope.

"You really want me to?"

"Yes."

"Then, I'd be honored," he murmured, and Kim could scarcely contain the happiness swelling within her. She slid over to make room. Tommy lay down next to her and pulled her into his arms. Kim sighed as she settled into the nicest, warmest, safest place she had ever known.

* * *
For a second time that night, Kim awoke with her pulse pounding and her breath racing. Only this time, it wasn't from fear. Another dream, but one of bodies intertwined and desires fulfilled. Her eyes settled on the body next to hers.

Tommy had kicked the covers off so she was able look at all of him in the faint amber glow. He was as beautiful as she remembered... thick mahogany hair splayed across the pillow, lush lashes dusting bronzed cheeks, and full mouth curved in a faint smile. Her gaze swept across the smooth, hard expanse of his muscular chest and followed the line of his abs until the cotton flannel of his boxers disrupted the view. Without thinking, she reached out to touch him, thrilling at the feel of him. She had never really touched him like this before; she probably shouldn't even be doing it now, but she couldn't help herself. The silk of his skin stretched taut over steel muscles fascinated her. Her hand lingered over his chest, feeling the even rise and fall of this breathing and the steady drumming of his heart. It made her pulse quicken. Her hand slid lower, questing finger pausing at the puckered waistband. Kim swallowed nervously as she realized that she wasn't the only one having interesting dreams. She chewed her lip thoughtfully as she regarded the bulge in Tommy's shorts.

* * *

At the first delicate brush of Kim's fingers, Tommy had woken up. Noticing the once-over that Kim was giving him, he continued to play opossum, not wanting to disturb her. He was curious to see what she might do. They had never been in a situation quite like this before. They had slept together before... well, they had fallen asleep on the couch while watching a movie more than once, and there was that time they had fallen asleep as they had been talking while sitting in his 4 x 4 in Kim's driveway. This was different. They were sharing a bed with little more than a thin piece of lingerie between them, and never had Kim looked at him--or touched him--as she was now. She had scoped him out often enough with a playful giggle and eyes full of girlish fantasies---just as he had often looked at her--but never had it been so intently.

Tommy waited as Kim paused uncertainly while studying his imprisoned erection. There was something in the way she looked at him... the way she was leaning up... the strap of her lingerie had slipped down her right shoulder, revealing the gentle swell of her breast without baring it completely. It was a compelling sight. The silky pink gown rode high on her thigh, and Tommy's heart raced. The urge to take her was strong, yet he resisted. Not because it was what he should do, but because he wanted to. What happened next--if anything--was wholly up to Kimberly. If she wanted to explore him further, he was willing. If she wanted to curl up in his arms once again and go back to sleep, that's what he'd do without a qualm. Kim's hand drifted closer to his groin, hovering just above the distended cotton indecisively. For a moment, he saw a flicker of nervousness in her eyes. At least it wasn't fear.

He recalled her eyes when she had first come out of her nightmare. He had never seen her look so terrified--small, fragile, vulnerable--in all the time that he had known her. He had never looked at Kim as someone who was weak and helpless and needing to be protected, although the urge to protect was strong. He had seen fear in her eyes, but only a fool never felt fear. Kim was no fool. She had always radiated such confidence and strength of will; her bravery ran deeper than she knew. It had shaken him to see that stripped from her, and it made him ache for her to watch her struggle to regain her equilibrium, to master her fear by herself. The loneliness of it reminded him of his own dark times, struggling with memories of losing his powers and his own fear and helplessness then. Kim had stood by him, had offered him her strength, compassion, understanding and love. That's what Tommy had tried to offer her, and thankfully, she had accepted.

* * *

Almost without thinking, Kim settled her hand over the rise under the soft cotton. Her fingers trembled at the intimate contact. Tommy stirred slightly, and she quickly withdrew her hand. Still, she continued to gaze at him, filled with emotions too numerous to count and too powerful to explain.

She looked at him now with vision unclouded by girlish fantasies. She had no illusions--she had lost those when she had lost the life she once led. She knew Tommy wasn't perfect, wasn't the knight on a white horse that she had raised him up to be. He was forgetful and terminally tardy; he could be as full of himself as anyone. He had a temper, was moody and stubborn... but he was also steadfast and loyal, generous, warm and caring. He could make her laugh and make her feel things no one else ever could. It was as Tommy had said: somewhere along the way, they had become a part of each other. She couldn't even say when it happened, but when he hurt, she hurt. When he was dark and moody, she was light and cheerful. When she despaired and felt fear, he brought her hope and courage. She hadn't even realized it until she had let him go to save him; she had torn out a part of herself--the very thing that had made life worth living--leaving behind an empty shell. How had either of them survived that cold, lonely half-life?

_We're both too stubborn for our own good._

As she looked on him now, Kim knew more than ever that she didn't want to live without him again--even if it should be only for an hour or two more. Tommy was her life, and though they had reclaimed the missing parts of their souls, there was still an emptiness within. She still wasn't complete. The girl had become a woman in the time since Florida, the gymnast a warrior; however there was still a shadow of her former innocence tucked away, carefully preserved, waiting to be brought into the light and transformed.

She knew Tommy had felt that same sense of incompleteness. She had glimpsed it in his eyes earlier: a hunger, a need to be truly whole, completely one. She gazed up at him with eyes that were no longer innocent. She was not surprised to find him watching her. His eyes reflected the same depth of maturity and feeling back at her. Time seemed to stand still. Kim watched as his gaze flickered over her body and noted the catch in his breath. She was conscious of the fallen strap and the way it tugged the lacy bodice down enticingly. She made no move to correct that.

"Tommy," she whispered, almost afraid to speak.

"What is it, Beautiful?"

"Make love to me."

"Are you sure?"

In reply, Kim leaned forward, pressing her lips to his, searing his mouth with a passionate kiss torn from the depth of her being. As she savaged his mouth, she felt Tommy's hands at her waist, moving her until she straddled his stomach. When Kim pulled away to catch her breath, the left strap of her nightgown had slipped off her shoulder. She sat up, her breasts dangerously close to spilling out of the lacy confines. Tommy's eyes were riveted to where the forces of nature worked their laws against her scant clothing. She leaned forward oh-so-slightly, the bodice falling forward, slipping down, baring herself to Tommy's smoldering gaze. This time when she sat back, the pink silk lay bunched around her waist, and her answer flashed in need-filled eyes.

Part VI

The early morning sun hit Kim full in the face, waking her. Instead of going through her usual ritual, she immediately opened her eyes. She had to know... Tommy's bronze chest was smooth and warm beneath her cheek, and she inhaled deeply, savoring the tang of sex that touched his usual musky scent. She traced the scratches on his shoulders that she had made in the throes of her first climax. It hadn't been a dream after all.

Happiness swelled within her as she lay next to Tommy, idly playing with his hair. She had never felt so wonderful; it was all she could do to keep from laughing, from jumping up and dancing around the room for the sheer joy of it. Last night had surpassed her fondest dreams; the first time they came together... it was so right. It was as if they had ceased being two people--they had become a part of each other physically as well as spiritually. Kim shuddered with delight. Tommy had taken her to heights she had never before imagined... he had seemed to know just what to do to make her feel good.

He had known too well.

With a pang of hurt, Kim realized that last night couldn't have been Tommy's first time. He had been a little hesitant initially, but now that she thought about it, it hadn't been the uncertainty of not knowing what to do but more not having used a particular skill in a long while. She supposed it didn't really matter; they were together now. That's what was important, wasn't it?

Kim slid out of bed, wiping her eyes as she wandered across the room to where Tommy had left her bags. She fought the urge to sniffle. She was being ridiculous. She had given Tommy up; he hadn't known that the letter was a lie, so she had no right to expect him not to move on. She had wanted him to be alive and happy; that was the whole purpose of her sacrifice. So he had found happiness in another woman's arms--probably Kat's. Yet, he had said that he and Kat hadn't been a couple for a while, that they hadn't clicked the way she and him had. It hurt to think that Tommy would have made love with another woman if he hadn't truly loved her. It hurt to think of him sleeping with another woman period.

"It wasn't Kat," Tommy said softly.

"Huh?" Kim hadn't even heard him get out of bed, but suddenly she felt the warmth of his presence right behind her. When she turned, he gently ran his finger across her cheek, brushing away tears she hadn't even realized she had shed.

"You're wondering who the other girl was," Tommy responded, smiling slightly at her bewildered expression. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Tommy ran a hand through his hair and lowered his eyes. "It was pretty obvious that last night wasn't my first time."

"It... doesn't matter," Kim choked out, also unable to meet his gaze. "What you did... who you dated after I sent you that letter isn't any of my business."

"Kim, my first time happened before I ever met you... before we ever moved to Angel Grove, and it wasn't exactly something I chose for myself."

Curiosity got the better of Kim. "What do you mean?" Then, she blushed at her boldness. "You don't have to explain...."

"I've nothing to hide from you," he began. "It was when we lived in Houston... one of the short stays we had before coming out here. She was a woman from one of my classes at the dojo... older than me--college age, I guess. She needed some help picking up some of the moves and asked my sensei to recommend a tutor. I got the job. At the time, I had no clue what was going on; you know how dense I can be sometimes. I didn't realize she was hitting on me until she pinned me to the mat and kissed me."

"She took advantage of you?"

"Not quite," Tommy confessed awkwardly. "She asked me to have sex with her; I had the chance to say no, but she made it damned hard to refuse." He shrugged. "She was a knockout, and I was a horny kid; I don't think I could have said no. She taught me an awful lot."

"You were a very good student," Kim murmured shyly. Tommy tilted her chin up. "All that was between her and me was sex. You are the first woman I have ever loved; you're the only woman I've ever wanted to make love to. You have no idea how often I wished I hadn't fooled around with Cara... that I could have waited for you."

"You couldn't have known... and I can understand how you couldn't have said no--after all, that's kind of what happened to Jason...."

"You know about that?"

"Uh huh, but Jason doesn't know I know. I sort of overheard when he told Zack about it," Kim confessed. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist and burrowing her face into his chest. "It's probably for the best that it wasn't your first time, too. Lord knows I had no clue what to do last night; I think the fact that you did made it a lot easier on me."

"Thank you for understanding," Tommy said, relieved. "I always wanted to tell you but I never quite knew how." He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. His hands slowly wandered down her body. Kim sighed deeply, losing herself in the gentle caress. "Would you like to...?"

She wanted to, desperately, but she knew that they shouldn't. The mercytes would be back; she could feel it. Twenty-four hours was the usual interval between attacks. Sometimes, she felt as if whoever wanted her dead was watching her. She had had her one day; today she would pay for it.

"Maybe later," she demurred, her smile softening the rejection somewhat. "Aren't we supposed to be somewhere first thing this morning?"

"Yes, and if we're late, I'm gonna catch hell for it," Tommy sighed, disappointed. Still, he took a step back so that he could truly look at her. "You really are beautiful."

"And so are you," she added with equal appreciation. Neither wanted to move. Finally, Kim nudged Tommy's arm. "If we don't get some clothes on, we are going to be here all day."

"And that's a bad thing?" he teased.

"Only if my lethal friends show up to trash your parents' bedroom."

"Good point." Tommy made as if to retrieve his boxers then paused, his face scrunching up in an expression of revulsion.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you realize that we made love in my parent's bed?" The thought sent shivers up both their spines.

* * *

rule

backhomeNext