&fic;

 

Walking Underwater

by sugargroupie

NC-17, 814 words

Summary: he vows to be smarter in the future.

Disclaimer: Not mine; O'Bannon, Henson, Kemper, et. al.

Notes: Unbeta'd and in the rough. Set during Terra Firma, first part of the cheat!smut verse. Sequels are B/Side and No Chaser, also archived here.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

John is drawn to the pool because he's missed the smell of chlorine in the air.

Or so he tells himself, in the middle of the day when the distance is substantial enough to uphold the lie. But not now, not with her directly in his line of vision, sitting on the edge with her feet dangling in the water. John is drawn here because he can't look away, because it's something else of earth Aeryn is experiencing that he's missing out on.

He watches and hopes she won't acknowledge him -- because he knows Aeryn senses his presence -- so that the denial continues and he can resist the laka for one more day.

The black sky and muted lamps around the pool seem to be working in John's favor, leaving him to lurk in shadows for a moment longer. He risks one more glance and the lie splinters when Aeryn meets his gaze. She doesn't say anything, just turns back to stare at the pool and he nearly chokes on the relief.

He could do the smart thing and haul ass out of here, pretend this whole night never happened and analyze why it shouldn't happen again. He could, and he vows to be smarter in the future, but right now he just wants to share this space with Aeryn for as long as she'll allow.

The concrete is damp, his bare feet padding gently on the ground as he closes the distance. John rolls up the legs of his jeans before sitting down next to Aeryn on the edge, flexing his toes in the cool water. One deep breath followed by another, and he still can't find the right words, if any, to say. And when Aeryn lifts one foot out the pool and turns bodily to face him, he's fascinated by the water decorating her pale skin; on her chest and arms and the ends of her hair. He wonders if she splashed herself with child-like abandon -- if she smiled when she did it, and he wishes he'd arrived sooner just to find out.

Aeryn licks her lips, fixes her mouth to say something and he stops her by laying his hand on the curve of her neck and collarbone. Her skin is wet here as well, and just as soft as he remembers. John slides over until his thigh touches her knee, leans in closer for a kiss that lingers on too long and not long enough.

When he opens his eyes Aeryn is staring at him again, and John is almost certain that she's challenging him to not run away like his instincts are telling him. So he kisses her instead and she meets him halfway, easing her tongue into his mouth as she curls her fingers into his hair. She tastes of oranges, and funnily enough, of rain, that makes him deepen the kiss and pull her flush against him.

Their lips smack as Aeryn pulls away, and then she's breathing in his mouth as she sits on his lap, squeezes his waist with her thighs. Callused fingers seek out the skin beneath her singlet, ghosting along her sides and to her belly. She moans low and deep in his ear when he palms her breasts and rubs his thumbs over her nipples. John licks and sucks the salty skin of her neck, and suddenly making out with Aeryn rolls into him with visceral clarity. Her tongue is really in his mouth, and she absolutely smells this frelling good; and he's so damn hard right now that rubbing his cock against her ass offers only the barest relief.

Time slows down in his mind, and John's touch is deliberate and hesitant, as if he's moving under a deluge of water. He kisses Aeryn like it's the last time, and he wants to savor her taste to the end. She grabs his right hand with her left, threads their fingers together, and slides them deftly underneath her loose pants and underwear. She grips his shoulder with her free hand as he glides one finger, then another, deep into her sex and starts to stroke her slowly. Aeryn's hips sway into him like liquid and she flicks her tongue over his bottom lip, her own fingers teasing her center in rhythm with the movement of his.

John is acutely aware of the sounds of outdoors, the lapping of the pool against his ankles and the rapid breathing of Aeryn as she gasps her release in his mouth. She flows back to herself in pieces, and he steals another kiss because it feels like they've crossed a line they should have avoided. Aeryn's hand brushes across his erection as she rises from his lap, intentional or otherwise he isn't sure. But he follows her back into the mansion, thinking about temptation and the smell of chlorine on her skin.

*

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