Kimberly Price (conflicted) wrote in sector9, @ 2012-09-29 00:53:00 |
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Entry tags: | » kim price, » starbuck |
Monday, September 24th, 2012
Who: Kim and Starbuck
When: Monday night
Where: Their apartment
What: A special anniversary
Over the years, Kim had come to expect the celebration of TWO anniversaries. October 27th was a bit more official, because it marked the date of the first time they had sex as well as the night he’d asked her to be his girlfriend. They’d been together ever since. It was amazing they’d lasted so long. And it hadn’t been free of some rough patches. But they’d made it. Tonight though, he celebrated something that Kim often felt a little embarrassed over. September 24th, 2007. The night Kim showed up at his door. Frustrated. And when she left, they were both frustrated.
When she got back to the apartment for the evening, Starbuck having beat her home, she’d find the movie Jaws playing on the TV in the living room and a glass of water on the coffee table. Subtle reminders of five years ago. Only now they had two children, but neither of them were around right now. Charlie was kind enough to keep the kids for the night.
He was on the couch and looked up with a grin as she walked in. “Hey,” he said softly.
---
Since they’d been at Sector 9 for about a month and a half now, Kim’s responsibilities and workload had increased. Being a staff psychologist for an organization such as this was no easy task. Not only did she have to do preliminary psychological evaluations on potential recruits, but she also had to provide therapy for those agents that needed it as well as work on psychological profiles for those targets that were brought in for interrogation. Tonight was her first interrogation and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. She was aware that this was part of what she had signed on for, but it still felt odd.
Walking into their apartment, she sighed as she dropped her keys and Sector 9 ID onto the table near the entrance. “Hey,” she responded with a bit of a tired smile as she made her way to the couch. Sitting down next to him, she gave him a kiss hello as she proceeded to unzip her boots. “For the record, I think your job easier than mine.”
---
Kim’s words and actions indicated she wasn’t aware of the date or significance of the props he’d arranged. Even the book Jaws was on the table. But she looked tired and stressed. He pulled back enough that he could help remove her boots, setting them aside one at a time.
“I believe you. Not a lot of injuries to tend to so far.” It made Starbuck worry that he was going to be suddenly overwhelmed one night. But that wasn’t tonight. Tonight was just about him and Kim.
“Soooo... movie? Water?” he hinted. Waiting for her to pick up on the hints.
---
Kim was relieved when Starbuck helped take off her boots. Granted, it wasn’t like she worked on her feet all day, but she was walking around the facility a lot and her feet were a bit achy right now. She supposed the exhaustion she felt was due to the mental stress she was under. Whether she was working for Sector 9 or not, being a psychologist wasn’t gonna be an easy job. It was a good thing she loved her field though, and the pay made up for anything else.
“Psych evals and interrogations aren’t fun at all.” Kim sighed as she leaned back into the cushions. “Well, maybe the evals are fun. Interrogations are nothing like what you see on TV or movies though. They’re ridiculous.”
When Starbuck suggested watching a movie and offered her water, she looked up at the TV then down at the coffee table. Sure enough, there was a glass of water and Starbuck’s copy of the Jaws novel. Kim chuckled as she looked over at Starbuck, catching on to what he was doing. “Today’s the twenty-fourth, isn’t it?”
---
Starbuck pulled her feet into his lap once her shoes were off. He started rubbing them, tiny bits of glowing light radiating from the tips of his fingers to soothe her soles. He had plenty of energy given that he’d not had to use it to heal anyone today, so he could use it on Kim instead.
He smiled broadly when she finally caught on. Nodding, Starbuck uttered a simple, “Yep. I’m surprised you didn’t bang down my door wanting some of this. I wouldn’t blame you. I am irresistible.” His grin was downright naughty.
---
Kim was definitely ranting a bit, so she appreciated that Starbuck was just listening. She needed that after the day she’d had. That and the healing foot rub he was giving her. He really was the best boyfriend she could’ve ever asked for.
At his response, she let out another chuckle. “You’re such a dork. And you are kinda irresistible, but I’m older and have more self-control now,” she teased.
---
Of course he was listening. He was sympathetic to her needs. Always had been. She’d had a rough day, needed to vent, and needed some physical comfort. He could provide those things. The foot rub was the least of the help he’d provide. Although, no one gave better foot rubs. Starbuck was sort of a genius at it.
“Is that so? Guess that means you won’t be pouncing on me,” he said with a pout. “We must be falling into a rut. Been together too long.”
---
“Don’t give me that pout,” she scolded slightly. The pout kinda killed her sometimes. It was one of her weaknesses when it came to him. “And we’re not falling into a rut. We had sex the other day, didn’t we? Or was that last week?” she teased again. There was no way they were falling into a rut. Kim loved Starbuck more and more every day.
“Where are the kids? It’s way too quiet in here.” No doubt Starbuck had sent them off with a babysitter, probably Charlie.
---
“Fuck, don’t remind me of how long it’s been.” They tried to make an effort to have sex at least once a week, but it didn’t always happen. That worried Starbuck, but he was hopeful that when the kids were older and less demanding of their attention, he and Kim would be able to have more private time. Like tonight. This was supposed to be a special night.
“Charlie. He and Maggie are keeping them company, probably giving them sugar and letting them stay up late.” Which was fine with Starbuck. If Charlie wanted to exhaust himself looking after them, Starbuck was cool with it. “He’s worried he won’t be able to do as good a job as you do braiding hair. The girls look forward to that every time they stay here.” That and baking. Though Maggie wasn’t a fan of the meatless meals.
---
Kim’s eyes suddenly widened at his reply. “Has it really been a week?” She had kind of lost track. Between taking care of the kids and dealing with this new job, she wasn’t really keeping track anymore. Yes, they always tried to have sex at least once a week, but that was proving difficult nowadays. It was kinda sad, but it was a reality with all the new responsibilities they had.
“If he’s giving them sugar at this hour, then he’s gonna have his hands full for a while.” Kim didn’t mind if that’s what he did either, because he was the one that had to deal with it. Now if he sent them back all hyper, it would be a different story. “I’m sure he’ll do fine. If not, maybe the girls will school him on it,” she replied with a laugh.
---
Reality was a pain sometimes. Starbuck wished their celebratory trip had turned out better. But it had turned into a stressful occasion with them trying to decide what to do about the offer from Sector 9. Now they were here, after even more stress, because moving was hell. Would they be able to relax soon? He hoped so.
“Enough talking about Charlie. Gonna ruin the moment.” Starbuck didn’t want the vampire on his mind. He wanted thoughts of Kim throwing herself at him on his mind. “I thought about calling Xander earlier today. You know, to say thanks,” he teased. What? As much as he hated the guy, Kim and Starbuck might have never gotten to this point without him.
---
“Okay, no more ruining the moment.” Chuckling a bit, Kim lay her head down on the back of the couch. And now it was her turn to blush. “Oh God,” she replied, embarrassed as she covered her face though she was still amused. “The embarrassment about that needs to go away eventually.” She thought back to how incredibly revved up she was after kissing Xander the weekend before she jumped Starbuck five years ago. At the time, she had regretted losing the bet and having to kiss Xander, but if not for the side effects that came with it, she might have never gone to Starbuck. “I think that’s the only thing I’m grateful to him for,” she said before leaning in to give Starbuck a quick kiss.
---
“Likewise,” he whispered right before she moved and pressed her lips to his. Starbuck wrapped his arms around her, responding eagerly to the kiss. After all these years, it still made his heart race. If he’d known that night how great sex was with her, he might not have been able to let her leave the apartment. But not having sex that night was probably the best decision they’d ever made. They waited. They got to know each other. They fell in love. He loved her so much.
“I can’t imagine my life without you. I don’t want to,” he said softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “I’ll always be yours.”
---
Kim had wrapped her arms around him as well, and smiled once she broke away from his lips. Waiting was really the best decision they could have made. If they hadn’t, who even knew if they would be where they were right now. Five years later with two kids and completely in love. Kim didn’t want it any other way.
Smiling softly, she leaned into his touch, feeling her heart swell at his words. “Same here,” she whispered as she leaned her forehead against his. “I love you so much.” Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his again.
---
Starbuck accepted the kiss, but kept it brief. He wasn’t done. He pulled back a little and put his finger to her lips. “Hold that thought.” He’d accept plenty more in a moment, but not right now. Right now, he had a plan. A big one.
He hopped up from the couch and ran over to the TV. He had the box for the DVD on the media center. He grabbed it and headed back to the sofa to sit beside Kim. Okay, so maybe it was a lame way to go about it, but he was lame. She liked that he was a big dork, right? “Open it,” he told her as he handed over the box.
---
Kim was a bit shocked that Starbuck had pulled away, but she stayed seated regardless. She watched him as he got up, retrieved the box for the Jaws DVD and sat back down next to her. Looking at the box then back to him, she quirked an eyebrow, looking a bit confused. “Why are you giving me the empty box?” Taking the box from his hand, she did as she was told and opened it. Inside lay the most gorgeous ring she’d ever seen. It left her speechless. She stared at it for a while, eyes wide and unblinking before she finally looked up at Starbuck. “What is this?” she asked softly though she felt she knew what the answer was.
---
Starbuck chuckled at her question then plucked the ring from the box. He set the DVD case aside, taking hold of her hand. “You know what it is,” he said with a huge smile, his eyes nearly as bright as the stone in the ring. Blue diamonds were hard to come by. It wasn’t easy finding this one. But he wouldn’t settle for less. She deserved the absolute best. And as he slipped it onto her finger, he knew he’d found the right ring. “What’s the song? Put a ring on it?” he said with a little chuckle. “Figured it was time for me to get on that.”
---
Kim could feel her heart speeding up as Starbuck picked up the ring and took her hand in his. She wasn’t scared. Far from it. The time where she would’ve been terrified by this was gone. All she felt now was love. She watched him as he slipped it on her ring finger, a bright smile spreading across her lips. And then he had to go and make a corny joke and Kim couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re crazy,” she replied as she looked from the ring and then to him. “It’s about time you did,” she said with another little chuckle before leaning in to give him a big kiss.
---
Starbuck wasn’t scared either. He didn’t even need to ask her to marry him. Just like she didn’t need to say yes. It was understood. Besides, he didn’t like doing traditional stuff. Getting on one knee, offering up some sappy speech. Nope. Starbuck did it his way, and he knew Kim would appreciate that. He was a big dork. She loved that about him.
“Crazy about you,” he agreed before she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her and returned the enthusiasm. “There’s no one else in the world I’d ever want to marry.” But he wanted Kim. He wanted it to be official. He wanted that for her.
---
The way Starbuck proposed wasn’t conventional at all, but that’s exactly what Kim loved about him. He didn’t need to be traditional, he just needed to be himself. Kim wasn’t one for the traditional stuff anyway. This way suited them both perfectly.
Kim’s lips remained in a smile even when they parted from Starbuck’s. “There’s no one else I’d want to marry either.” Bringing a hand up to his face, she gently caressed his cheek as she gave him a quick peck. “How long have you been planning this?”
---
He leaned his cheek into her palm, and smooched her back. They were a perfect set. Individually flawed, but as a pair they were perfection. Nothing could tarnish this relationship. Not ever. Why not make it ‘official’ by getting married?
“Long time.” He’d been planning it since well before they left Maui, and he’d saved up for the ring for years. He’d not had all the details worked out. But he knew when he wanted to propose, and he had an idea in his mind of what the ring should look like. Finding that took the longest time. Once he did? He just had to wait patiently. It had to be tonight. This night was special to them. “No one else knows.” That had been important to him as well. He hadn’t told a soul. Not even his mother. “I wanted you to be the first.” Granted, the man who sold Starbuck the ring knew, but that didn’t count, because the dude was a stranger.
---
Kim couldn’t seem to stop smiling as she gave the ring another quick glance. Ever since Starbuck had put the subject of marriage on the table a few years ago, she’d been imagining what she wanted the ring to look like. This surpassed all expectations she’d had of it. She was never big on jewelry, but it was stunning and perfect for her.
“Really?” Her smile seemed to brighten more upon hearing that no one else knew yet. “Not even your mother or Kamea?” Starbuck told his mother everything, so that was a bit of a surprise. Still, Kim liked that this was like a little secret they had all to themselves right now.
---
Red diamonds were the rarest apparently, but Kim looked better in the blue. She wasn’t a fancy sort of girl, but given how she was looking at the ring, he knew she was still a fan of the idea of having an amazing engagement ring. “You’re such a girl,” he teased with a chuckle while watching her check it out. “It’s already insured. So don’t worry. And I’ve got all the paperwork on it if you wanna gush to your girlfriends later.” 7.03 carats. Fancy vivid blue. Flawless like their relationship.
“Kamea can’t keep secrets,” he interjected, which she knew. “And I thought it would be nice for us to tell mom together. She’s gonna be so excited.” It was a miracle Starbuck had managed to not tell his mom. He’d been tempted a few times.
---
Even though she wasn’t big on jewelry, she knew she loved this blue diamond. After all, blue was her favorite color. “Shut up,” she retorted with a chuckle as she looked back up at him. Kim had to raise her brows at his next statement though. “Me? Gush to my girlfriends?” she repeated with amusement. “Oh yeah, I’m totally the type to do that. Maybe I should run down the halls screaming about my ring.” Kim definitely wasn’t that type of girl, but maybe a teeny bit of gushing would happen.
“Yeah, I know,” she acknowledged. “Your mom really is gonna be excited. We’re probably gonna get a repeat performance of when we told her about Reed.” Kai had been so excited then. “I’m surprised you could hold it in.” Starbuck was pretty bad at keeping secrets sometimes. Kim paused for a moment to look down at the ring again. “It’s gorgeous. Thank you,” she whispered before giving him another kiss.
---
“Of course. You’re totally the type,” he teased. “You’ll call them up and be like, O-M-G!” His voice changed, expressing his silliness. He was just so happy right now. Starbuck didn’t think his life could get any better. Well, maybe another kid eventually, but not now. He could wait a few years. They both could.
Kai was head over heels when she heard about Reed. Starbuck didn’t know if this would excite her as much, because it was expected, and they weren’t giving her another grandbaby. “We can Skype her tomorrow. I want it to stay our secret tonight. Just you and me.”
---
Kim let out a big laugh when Starbuck changed the pitch of his voice to mimic her. “Oh my God, don’t ever do that again,” she said, giving him a playful shove. “That was the scariest thing I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth.” Kim was beyond happy right now. It wasn’t like she never thought this day would come, but now that it was here, it felt so much better than she could have ever imagined.
“I like that. It’s a good plan.” Smiling, she scooted towards him a bit more as she snuggled into his side, her arms coming to wrap around him. “You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”
---
“Really? Huh. I should do it more often then. Like, totally,” he teased with a valley girl inflection. He was a nerd. She knew that. And she loved it. He pulled her to him more when she shoved him. He was nuts about this woman.
“Go on...” he urged as he squeezed her. “I wanna hear about all my awesome qualities. You know, now that I’m about to become Mister Price.”
---
Kim attempted to narrow her eyes at him, but she couldn’t keep the amused look off her face. “Don’t be mean,” she stated with another playful shove. She did love how nerdy he was though. It was an endearing quality of his and only made her love him more.
Laughing again, she shook her head as he continued on his nerdy path. “Someone’s being incredibly modest today,” she said as she leaned into his embrace. “Are you really gonna take my last name?”
---
Kim wouldn’t have fallen for Starbuck if he was all arrogant or ‘too cool’ to goof off. She would have been turned off immediately if he’d been obsessed with his looks, his image, his status. He was simple, sweet, and silly. It made him a good father and boyfriend, soon it would make him a good husband.
“No, I’m good with my name alone. I don’t think I’d know what to do if I had more than one name. It would be weird.” He thought about it for a second and then shook his head. “Nope, don’t want it. But I like the kids having it.” He squeezed her. “Kamea is gonna be excited to have a fancy dress for the wedding. I bet Maggie will be too.”
---
“Then you must think I’m incredibly weird having three names. You might have to be careful though. People might start calling you Mister Price anyway,” she teased. Giving him a squeeze back, she continued to smile as she thought about how excited their little family was going to be about this. “Oh, I know they will be. I’m sure Kamea will have some opinions on what she wants to wear.”
Sitting in silence a moment, she pictured what she wanted the wedding to be like. It had to be laid back, just like them. “I still want to get married in Maui. On the beach.”
---
Starbuck shrugged. “They can call me whatever. Doesn’t bother me.” He’d be okay with people assuming. He’d been called Mister Price before, actually, by handymen and the like. If Kim called to schedule an appointment or delivery or something of that nature, and they arrived when Starbuck was around, they called him Mister Price. He never corrected them.
“Me too,” he said with a smile. Starbuck was glad she’d held onto that idea. He loved San Francisco, but it couldn’t hold a candle to Maui. He wanted to get married there. And Henri would be able to attend!
“Do you wanna tell Ed tomorrow too?” Starbuck felt like it was only fair. If they were going to tell his mom, they should tell Ed.
---
Kim smiled and turned her head to give him a quick peck on the cheek. “Guess we have to start planning that now then, don’t we? I don’t even know the first thing about planning a wedding.” She had really come to love Maui in all the time they lived there, and she missed it. It would be nice to go back and have their friends and family join in on the celebration.
“Yeah, suppose we have to.” Things with Ed were much better nowadays. Ever since their parents had come looking for Kim, he’d been able to set aside his differences with Starbuck to help protect her and Starbuck did the same. Ed wasn’t exactly friendly towards Starbuck, but he was at least civil. He even acknowledged Reed as his nephew. “Doubt he’ll be as excited as everyone else, but at least he’ll be better about it than he was when he found out I was pregnant.”
---
“Neither do I, but I bet we could con my mom into doing a lot of the planning for us.” She’d be willing. He knew it. She’d see it as a fun project. While she and Bardsley had never married or wanted to get married, she’d be supportive of Kim and Starbuck making it legal.
Starbuck had to chuckle at her ‘have to’ comment. “I’m not forcing you to do anything. You know me, I don’t have any great need to talk to your brother.” Yeah, they were civil, but they weren’t friends. They’d simply learned to not argue and leave each other in peace.
---
“Yes, please,” she said as she lay her head on Starbuck’s shoulder. “I’m totally down with her taking the wheel on this. Besides, it would be easier for her to do it since she’s actually there, right?” She trusted Kai’s judgment on pretty much everything.
“I know, I know. I really do have to tell him though. I can’t leave him in the dark. It might make him all angry again and then we’d lose all the progress we made.” Kim looked over at Starbuck then. “I know you don’t wanna talk to him, so I can do it myself. No problem at all with that.” She was just happy that Ed and Starbuck were past the arguing phase. She didn’t need them to be best friends.
---
“And it’s not like there will be a lot to plan. I’m assuming we need some sort of permit to have the wedding on the beach. Other than that, we just need to invite people and book a place for a party, right?” Simple. He didn’t want some big, crazy wedding. But if Kim wanted more, he’d oblige. He wanted her to be happy.
Starbuck stiffened. “He’s gonna want to kill me. Again. Stealing his baby sister.” Ed still didn’t like Starbuck. He probably never would.
---
“Not a lot to plan?” she begin in all seriousness. “I have to get a dress, and flowers, and Kamea’s dress, and Reed’s suit, and someone to officiate, and more flowers, an organ player, a professional photographer, a caterer and a massive hall for our five hundred guests.” Kim kept a straight face throughout even though she knew Starbuck would see through all that. She didn’t need anything more than him and their little family on that day.
Kim stroked his arm, feeling him tense at the thought of Ed being angry. “He’s not gonna want to kill you, baby. You’ve already stolen me away anyway. It’s not like this is any different. He’ll probably just grumble and say ‘oh’ or something.” She supposed that would be his way of accepting it. “And you know I wouldn’t let him do anything to you. He’s gotten better. He even asked how Reed was the last couple of times we talked on the phone.”
---
“Kim.. breathe,” he said as calmly as he could. Shit, was she turning into a psycho bride already? He totally believed her. And it was freaking him out a little, which would have been noticeable to her, since she knew him so well. He tried to hide it, but she’d see.
“He better be asking about Reed! It’s his family too. I can understand him not caring about Kamea, because she’s not his blood, but Reed is. That should matter to him.” Family was important, at least when that family was good. It was alright for Ed and Kim to hate their parents and Will, but not the new generation. Reed was too freaking cute to not love. He might even be a lycan. They just had no way of knowing yet.
---
Kim just couldn’t hold back anymore, cracking up when Starbuck told her to breathe. “Aww, Starbuck,” she began as she noticed that she was freaking him out. “Did you really think I was serious? Did the part about the massive hall for five hundred guests not tip you off?” She couldn’t help but keep chuckling as he so obviously tried to keep his calm. “You’re a little too easy to fool sometimes,” she said with a kiss to the tip of his nose.
“Reed matters to him. Sure, I don’t expect him to be cool Uncle Ed, but I know he cares.” Ed just showed he cared in his own way. He was never big on normal expressions of love, but Kim knew that her brother loved her and Reed, and accepted Starbuck and Kamea as part of the family.
---
Starbuck pulled away from her slightly and gave her a small shove. “That’s not cool. You know I’ll agree to anything you want.” He wiped his nose where she’d kissed it, pouting and glaring, but it was all in fun.
“I guess,” Starbuck said with a sigh. He accepted Ed as family too, reluctantly. He wouldn’t allow any harm to come to the guy, mostly because Starbuck liked knowing that there was someone else who had Kim’s back if necessary.
---
Even after he gave her a small shove, Kim kept chuckling and wrapped her arms around him again, pulling him in tight. “I know you will. Just had to do the whole bridezilla thing once just for fun though,” she replied as she kissed his nose again. “You know you love me.”
“He does. But don’t worry about him, okay? Things are fine with him now, and we can focus on being happy and healthy.” And that’s all Kim wanted to focus on. She just wanted her family and friends to be happy and healthy.
---
“I do love you, but I might have to reconsider marrying you if you turn into a psycho bride to be. I can’t handle that.” He pulled her to him, into his lap, needing her to be closer. “Now give me a proper kiss. My lips are getting jealous of my nose.”
He put thoughts of Ed aside, because it would only make him grumpy. He didn’t want to think about Ed anyway, or anyone really. Just Kim. “This ring looks right on you,” he said, holding her hand up and then kissing her fingers one at a time.
---
Kim just kept chuckling as he said he couldn’t handle a psycho bride. “I’m sorry, I won’t be a psycho bride. I might get a little stressed, but I won’t be like those crazy women on TV that scream that everything has to be perfect.” Letting Starbuck pull her into his lap, she rested her arms over his shoulders. “Your lips don’t have to be jealous anymore,” she replied before leaning in to give him a kiss.
Her lips were still curved into a smile as Starbuck held her hand up, and her smile only became wider as he kissed her fingers. “That’s because you picked the most amazing ring ever. I’d ask how much it cost, but I’m almost afraid to know.”
---
Starbuck’s arms enveloped her. At the same time, his lips parted for hers, tasting her mouth. He knew Kim’s body as well as his own. She was as familiar to him as the back of his hand. He loved every curve, line, dip. It was all spectacular. “It will be perfect so long as I’m there and you’re there.”
“Oh no, I’ll never tell you that. You’d make me take it back,” he told her with a mischievous smile. She would object to him spending that much money on her. But it hardly mattered. They weren’t hurting for money, and he’d been saving for a long time. Kim was worth it.
---
After he pulled away from her lips, Kim rested her forehead on his, her hand coming up to caress his cheek. “That’s all that matters to me,” she whispered before pressing her lips up against his again. She was so completely in love with him.
“Okay, and that face is making me want to know even less now. I’m never asking. Ever.” Kim really didn’t want to know how much it cost, because if she found out it was really expensive, she’d feel bad about having it and make him take it back. He was definitely right on that front.
“I just had a thought. I probably can’t wear it out of the apartment tomorrow. Don’t we want your mom and Ed to know before everyone else? Well, at least your mom. Ed can wait.” While the engagement was a big deal to Kim, she didn’t think that it would be as crucial to let Ed know like it was when she was pregnant.
---
“Good. Because it was somewhat obscene.” Again, she was worth it. Starbuck didn’t hesitate for a moment to spend that kind of money on her. He loved her more than anything (save for maybe the kids). She deserved the best ring, and he was proud knowing that few men spent that kind of cash on a diamond. He felt good knowing that he could. Besides, Kim never indulged in her appearance. She looked lovely all the time, but she didn’t pamper herself. She didn’t buy anything expensive. She deserved something that was spectacular. Plus, he liked that it matched her eyes.
He considered it. Looking at the ring. “I don’t want you taking it off, but I don’t want anyone finding out before our family. They should know first.” She could leave it off one day he supposed. “How ‘bout... you put it on a necklace or something tomorrow. So you still have it, but no one is able to see it,” he said with a grin.
---
“Ugh, don’t say that,” she protested, though she chuckled as she covered her ears. “You can’t say stuff like that, okay? Be nice. You can tell other people what you spent if they ask, but tell them to never tell me.” Kim was never big on buying herself expensive things. She had never wanted for material things while growing up since her family was well off, but that didn’t mean that that translated into her adult life. She bought what was reasonable and what was needed. If she did splurge, it was usually something for Starbuck or the kids or some new gym gear. That was it. This ring was amazing though, and she wanted to allow it to be the exceptional splurge.
Kim looked at the ring as well, thinking the same thing. Already she felt attached to the ring and didn’t want to take it off. She smiled at Starbuck’s suggestion to put it on a necklace. “You’re so smart. I’ll do that tomorrow, but after we tell them, you’re putting it back on my finger and it’s never coming off.” With that, she leaned in to give him another kiss. Everything just felt right with the world now.
---
He chuckled and nodded. “Alright. I’ll make sure you never learn how much it cost. But don’t stress over it, okay? I’ve been saving, and we’re making incredible money now. It’s not going to hurt us.” They could manage this splurge. Just once. “I’ll make sure the wedding rings are cheap pieces of shit. How ‘bout that? Good trade off?” he teased.
“Never ever? What about.. when you spar with Charlie? Because this,” he held it up to let it sparkle in the light, “Would fuck up that pretty face of his, and we both know how much he loves his reflection.”
---
“I won’t stress. Promise.” She even did the little cross over her heart and held her hand up in a scout’s honor pose. Her mouth fell open in mock shock though when Starbuck said that he’d find cheap pieces of shit for their wedding rings. “Don’t you dare joke like that,” she retorted as she gave him a shove. “They need to be good, because I won’t have my husband wearing a piece of shit ring. If I get something pretty, then you get something pretty too.”
Kim chuckled as Starbuck held up her hand. “Oh yeah. Would definitely fuck up his face. Maybe I should only hit him with my right then.” The sparkle of the ring was mesmerizing and Kim couldn’t help but stare at it. “But it’s so pretty. I don’t wanna ruin it though, so I guess I’d resort to wearing it as a necklace just so it doesn’t get dented on someone’s face,” she finished with a laugh.
---
“Pretty?” he asked while making a face. “No. I’ll settle for a simple band. I don’t want something weird. It’s gonna be odd enough wearing jewelry.” Because Starbuck only wore handmade items from time to time, stuff with shells and sharks teeth. That was it. He had a feeling a ring would feel strange for awhile.
“This baby will not dent,” he stressed, tapping on the diamond. “It’s a diamond. I promise you it’s not some cheap stone.” He kissed her cheek. “But for the sake of Charlie’s face, put in around your neck whenever you spar.”
---
Kim laughed at the face he made. “Nothing weird. I promise. I just want you to have something nice too.” She felt like that was the least she could do in the ring department. “I’ll even let you pick it out,” she said with a final chuckle before giving him a smooch.
“Yeah, you’ve already let on that it’s not cheap,” she replied with a smile as he kissed her cheek. “For Charlie’s sake and any of my future opponents, I promise to put it around my neck when I spar. Other than that, never coming off.”
“So, uh, about that whole it having been a week thing...” she began with a bit of a sheepish smile. “It hasn’t really, has it? Because I can totally pounce on you if it has.”
---
“I just want a silver band. Or titanium maybe. I’ve seen those. They’re cool.” He could be okay with that. And titanium didn’t weigh much either, so it might not feel as awkward.
He was happy to hear that she wanted to wear it so badly. He’d done good! And then she brought up the possibility of sex. YES! He really had succeeded. “Sooo.. if it hasn’t been a week, you won’t pounce on me?” He needed to know, because he’d totally lie if that was what it took to get her naked right now.
---
Her eyes widened slightly when he mentioned one of his choices. “Silver? Are you trying to scar me or are you just not gonna touch me again after we’re married?” Titanium she was fine with though. That wouldn’t leave a mark on her.
Kim grinned slightly, shrugging at his words. “I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not. How ‘bout you tell me how long it’s been and we’ll see?” she requested before giving him a quick kiss to satisfy him for now.
---
“I meant the color. You know I wouldn’t wear actual silver.” The ring was set in platinum. He’d get something similar for himself. “Silver is a color, right? I mean, you own a top that’s silver!”
“I think it’s been two weeks, which means...” he sighed as though bothered by the possibility, “That this might take all night. Gotta make up for lost time. I’m not happy about it, but, you know, we have to do it. For the sake of our relationship.”
---
“You better not wear actual silver,” she replied with a mock glare. Kim knew he never would though. “Yes, silver is a color, and I own a top in that color.” She had to chuckle. Most guys would’ve said silver was a metal, not a color. Leave it to her nerd to say that it was a color as well.
“Two weeks? There’s no way it’s been that long.” Or had it been? Dammit, Kim couldn’t keep track right now. She was sure the last time had been last week at the very least. Right? Ugh, damn being so busy between the kids and working that she didn’t know for sure. “I don’t know if I believe that it’s been two weeks, but I’ll make it up to you anyway.” Closing up the space between them, Kim crushed her lips against his, the kiss a lot more passionate than the others had been.
---
Well of course silver was a metal. Science was about all Starbuck had been good at in school. Though he did struggle with chemistry since it involved a lot of math, but he liked the theory stuff, just not the number crunching. Formulas were evil. But that aside, silver was also a color.
“Oh yeah?” he asked, but he didn’t get a verbal response. Instead, Kim launched herself at him much as she had the very first time they kissed. He didn’t push her away though. And there was no way he was going to ask her to leave. That first month together had been hell. He’d craved her so bad. Now she was his, and he took full advantage of that fact. He picked her up to ensure she was straddling him. Starbuck’s hands went to her ass then. He rocked up against her, pulling her to his groin. He wasn’t hard yet, but he would be soon enough.
---
Normally one to get distracted by science, Kim wasn’t thinking about that right now. She was too busy focusing on her boyfriend. Wait.. fiance. That was gonna be a bit weird to say and think about it. That thought distracted her for a bit, but she was back to focusing on Starbuck soon enough. With his help, she straddled him, her lips never leaving his as she rocked against him. “This doesn’t count as taking advantage of you, does it?” she asked in between kisses. “Because I’m not sure I could leave now if you asked me to.”
---
Starbuck shook his head as he took a breath. “I’m begging you to take advantage of me,” he teased before pressing his lips to hers and pulling her to him again. He continued to rock his hips under her, letting the friction get him excited. A night without kids. Kim with a ring. It was all good. And he wasn’t tired either. He hoped Kim wasn’t too exhausted from her stressful day, because he didn’t plan on letting her sleep anytime soon.
He slipped his hands up the back of her sweater and pushed it up. Tearing his lips away for only a few seconds, he tugged her sweater to pull it off. “When was the last time we used the couch?” he asked before kissing her again.
---
Kim was pretty sure he wasn’t gonna say no to being taken advantage of, and that made her grin even through the kiss. She had been exhausted when she got home, but with all the excitement of the proposal and the ring, she was wide awake now. Besides, they really did have to take advantage that the kids weren’t around.
Humming into his mouth, she shivered as Starbuck’s hands moved up her back. Leaning away, she lifted her arms to assist in getting her sweater off. Once that was done, Kim set it to the side and kissed him again. “I don’t think we’ve ever used this couch. We’re usually too worried about the kids coming out here. But then again, I’m starting to get worried about Kamea coming into our room now.” She was kinda getting off topic, but talk of the couch made her train of thought go in that direction.
---
Being caught by the kids was a risk they took. They couldn’t stop having sex. But they’d have to get more creative and learn to be quiet. Or just ship the kids off to Charlie’s more often. Starbuck was willing to help their friend in return. Charlie had a sex life too. They could kid swap so that everyone got laid on a regular basis.
“Stop talking about the kids,” he said in a mumble against her lips as he continued kissing her, his hands working on the hooks of her bra. He’d become a pro at it, so the garment came free easily. Pushing it up, his hands took the place of the lace cups. Her tits were still amazing. How’d she manage that after having a kid? How’d she keep this entire body after Reed? She was still the sexiest woman he’d ever seen.
---
It wasn’t just the kids that kept them from having sex sometimes. It was also dependent on how busy they got with work and how exhausted they were at the end of the day. Shipping the kids off to Charlie’s every so often wouldn’t hurt though.
“Sorry,” she mumbled back. It was easy enough for her to stop talking about the kids once her bra was off and his hands were on her breasts. Kim sighed into his mouth and went to work on his shirt, her hands grabbing the hem and pulling up.
---
He kissed her in return for as long as he could before his own shirt needed to be pulled off. Starbuck put his arms up and let Kim remove it. Then he pulled her to him. He preferred the feel of her skin against his over an old t-shirt any day.
“Honeymoon?” he mumbled, wondering if she had any ideas. That was the best part about getting married, right? You got hitched and then went on a sex-filled vacation somewhere amazing. Kai could watch the kids for a week or so to let Kim and Starbuck get away from it all.
---
Kim was quick to get Starbuck’s shirt off with his assistance, dropping it over into a pile with her sweater. She could feel her heart begin to beat faster as Starbuck pulled her to him. It never stopped feeling amazing to be with him like this.
“Hmm,” Kim mused for a moment and gave him a quick smooch before leaning back a bit to contemplate. “Somewhere different... where we can surf and go on other adventures. Maybe Thailand? Or some other island in the South Pacific? Or maybe even South Africa?”
---
When Kim leaned back, considering their options and rolling off ideas, he leaned forward to capture one pert nipple (yes, the one that usually got more attention) between his lips. He mumbled against it as he swirled his tongue around. “South Africa.. definitely.” They had great surfing and sharks. And the thought made him look up suddenly, releasing her tit. “You still haven’t met a great white. We need to make that happen.”
---
Goosebumps immediately spread out over her entire body, sending a shiver down her spine as Starbuck teased her with his mouth. Her eyes were beginning to flutter closed when he mumbled against her, but then he just as quickly let go to look back at her. Kim chuckled at his enthusiasm about the great white. “No, I haven’t. Why’s that so crucial? I’m not really in a hurry to possibly get nibbled on.”
---
“Oh no?” he nibbled lightly on her nipple. “You’ve never complained about a little nibbling before,” he teased with a grin before drawing a line up her chest with his tongue and starting to kiss her neck. “It’ll be fun. They’re incredible up close. And they’re smart. Much smarter than scientists give them credit for.” He squeezed her ass tightly as his hips jerked up. He was hard now.
---
Kim shivered slightly, chuckling a bit even while he was nibbling on her. “Okay, maybe I should’ve been more specific. I don’t mind when you nibble on me.” Her hands found their way up his back to tangle themselves in his hair. “So how would that work? Would we go on a tour to see them? Because you know those people won’t let us get in the water with them.”
---
“Tour?” he said after a groan as she played with his hair. It caused him to bite on her neck a bit harder, though he was quick to soothe with kisses. She was driving him nuts already, and they weren’t even naked yet. “We don’t need a tour. I can find them. We’ll go snorkeling.” Kim seemed to have forgotten these things. Maybe it was because of what he was doing to her right now. Easy to get distracted.
---
Her body tensed up when he bit her a little harder, but she appreciated that he was quick to make it better. “I know you can find them. Still a little nervous about it though.” It wasn’t that she had forgotten. She was just pretty distracted right now. “Can you really keep them from attacking us? Have you ever swum with them before?”
---
Starbuck continued to lick, suck, and bite her neck as he fumbled with the button and zipper of his pants. He’d changed out of his scrubs when returning from the infirmary and into jeans and an old t-shirt. No need to get dressed up for the proposal. Not when he had a feeling he’d be naked soon after. Though not soon enough, because it was more than a little difficult to free himself with her straddling him. He managed it though. Reaching into his boxers to start stroking his erection.
“Shortie, you’re always safe with me.” Yes, he’d been swimming with great whites before. Lots of times. Bull sharks were actually more troublesome. But great whites could be downright docile so long as you weren’t around them when they were eating. He knew what he was doing. “It’ll be exciting,” he said with a groan.
---
Kim didn’t need him to be dressed up for the proposal. Yes, he looked damn fine in a suit, but it wasn’t necessary tonight. That just wasn’t part of who they were as a couple. And he had also been right that he’d be naked pretty soon after he popped the question. Starbuck had gotten her to wake from the exhausted state she had been in when she got home. He was always good at that.
“I know,” she whispered against his lips before kissing him. “Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna worry sometimes. You know it’s in my nature. I am excited about it though.” Looking down at his boxers, she pulled back a bit as she pushed his hand aside. “And this is my job, not yours.” Her hand took hold of him then, beginning to give him long, hard strokes before pressing her lips against his again.
---
He moaned loudly and rested his head on her shoulder as his insides twisted from her touch. God, she was better with his dick than he was, and that was really saying something for any man. “You worry too much, babe... fuck... there.” He nipped at her shoulder as his abs tightened and his dick twitched. It was hard to kiss her between these actions, because he kept moaning.
---
“I’ve gotten better at not worrying so much though,” she replied casually, still stroking him as she left kisses all along his neck and shoulder. “Wouldn’t you agree?” She doubted he could talk right now because he was too busy moaning, but she thought she’d ask anyway.
Letting go of him, she stood up, beginning to unbutton and unzip her slacks. “Those need to come off,” she said with a grin, gesturing towards his boxers and jeans.
---
No, he couldn’t talk. Not easily anyway. His brain was shutting down. Blood loss and all. Yes, it had definitely been a week. And he was ready to pop. So it was a good thing when Kim released him, otherwise their fun might have been over prematurely.
When Kim stood up, Starbuck did as well and quickly pushed off his jeans and boxers, kicking them to the side. He immediately sat down again, not giving a shit that his bare ass was on their couch. He’d showered when he got home! Maybe he could shower again with Kim. But not before fucking. He hooked his fingers in her slacks and pulled her to him, kissing her abdomen as he unfastened the pants. “Dessert before dinner,” he mumbled against her hip bone as he started pushing the pants and underwear down.
---
Grinning, Kim let Starbuck pull her towards him, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. Her fingers found his hair once again, nails scratching through his scalp as pushed her slacks and underwear down. Once they were down halfway, she crouched down to push them off completely. Now that that was all taken care of, she was back to focusing on Starbuck. “I like dessert,” she replied, taking his chin in her hand to lift his face up for a kiss. “But unless you have a condom out here, that’s gonna be a problem.”
---
Starbuck groaned, and not in a good way, when she asked about a condom. Dammit! If he didn’t want more kids, he’d consider getting snipped. Because worrying about wrapping it up all the time was a major pain. Unfortunately, it wasn’t optional. Because they weren’t having more kids now, and given Starbuck’s history, more protection was always necessary.
“You’re gonna have to get up. I didn’t expect this to happen on the couch.” He should have brought some condoms out here. Bad planning.
---
“I thought you anticipated me pouncing on you as soon as I got home,” she teased before giving him another kiss. “Thought maybe you’d have some condoms stashed in the novel since you had my ring in the DVD box.” Kim gave him another quick kiss. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll go get them. You stay here.”
Jogging to the stairs, Kim headed up to their bedroom and rooted around their bedside table for a few condoms. Once she had them in hand, she made her way back down the stairs, holding them up with a grin as she went back to Starbuck’s side. Instead of straddling him like she had before, she plopped down beside him as she tossed the condoms on the coffee table. “Did you miss me?”
---
“I did, but thought you’d drag me to the bedroom,” he said back with a chuckle. She could be really aggressive and take charge during sex, and he loved that about her. And her offering to go get the condoms was evidence of that side of Kim. He smiled and leaned back into the cushions, hands behind his head.
“So very much,” he said as he leaned forward to grab one of the condoms and unwrap it. They sure did go through a lot of these, though not as many as in the past. But Starbuck had a feeling they were doing better than most couples of five years with two young children. The passion was always there, it was just the time and energy that was lacking at times. And privacy.
---
Kim ended up chuckling as well. “Yeah, I guess that could’ve been possible.” She did have a bit of a take charge attitude during sex, but that wasn’t to say that she didn’t let him take charge sometimes! Actually, she really liked it when he did. It usually got a really good reaction out of her.
Smiling, she turned to face him better, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving a trail of kisses down his neck. “I think we’re gonna have to get the couch cleaned after this,” she mumbled against his collarbone. Or at the very least, cover it with blankets so the kids wouldn’t sit on it before it was cleaned.
---
Starbuck let Kim wield the power most of the time, because it was more in her nature. But he wasn’t afraid to take charge, he just didn’t do it often, and the rarity of it probably was what she liked more than anything. It was a pleasant surprise when he insisted on being in control.
He nodded lightly while working on rolling the condom onto his cock. “I’ll clean it.” They sold cleaners for sofas, right? He could do that. The couch needed to be broken in!
With the rubber in place, Starbuck grabbed hold of Kim and pulled her onto his lap, making her straddle him. “So let’s make it dirty,” he said with a grin while rocking up to tease her.
---
Returning his grin, Kim let him pull her into his lap. “Sounds like a good plan to me,” she breathed out, her hips rocking against him even more to feel the friction. After a moment, she reached down to grab him so she could lower herself down. Nothing felt better than being with him like this. She attempted to kiss him as she did so, but it was difficult. Sighing, she let her body adjust to him again before developing a rhythm.
----
Starbuck hissed as he felt wet, tight muscles slide down his length. “I love being inside you,” he whispered to her, also struggling to kiss Kim because he was so overwhelmed by the sensation of being squeezed. Kim’s pace was slow, and that was just fine with Starbuck. He wasn’t in a hurry to get off. He wanted to stay like this. In her. As long as possible. That was actually a deterrent to having more kids, because Reed had really put a strain on their sex life. Starbuck didn’t want to go that long without getting laid again. He would miss this too much.
He squeezed her ass as he rolled up to meet each of her downward movements. “Every room but the kids’ tonight?” They needed it. They needed to just have a wild night of fucking.
---
Kim loved having Starbuck inside of her, but she couldn’t exactly verbalize that right now. All she could manage to do was moan as she kept a slow pace for now. She felt bad that it had been over a week since they’d had sex, but she was more than willing to make up for lost time tonight. It sucked going for that long without sex. They’d already had to deal with that once Reed arrived, but Kim didn’t want that to happen again anytime soon. She wanted to enjoy being with Starbuck like this as often as they could.
While Starbuck’s hands were busy with her ass, hers were busy raking through his hair. God, she just loved his hands so much. They were enough to make her weak in the knees. “Every room but the kids’,” she agreed, leaning down to nip at his bottom lip before kissing him full on.
---
A week was nothing compared to the months without sex after Reed’s birth. That was agonizing, at least for Starbuck. Kim didn’t have the sex drive. Starbuck did. It never went away. She was sexy without trying. He craved her constantly. Though it wasn’t just the sex. He craved the deep emotional connection they had. When they were alone, able to talk, share their thoughts and feelings, laugh at stupid TV shows, or just fall asleep together. It was the full package. Why had it taken him so long to propose?
He groaned into her mouth and pushed up harder inside of her. Definitely not as good with the condom, but she’d have to be pregnant again for him to get to go without. Damn shame. He’d manage though. Kim was still the best sex of his life. With or without a rubber. “What time you gotta be up in the morning?” he asked while placing kisses down her throat, his hands sliding up her sides, thumbs coming to rub over her nipples. He had to be in the infirmary at nine, but he could go without sleep if necessary. This was worth it.
---
The months of abstinence after Reed’s birth had to have been hell for Starbuck. Kim felt bad about it, but her sex drive had been pretty much non-existent. And on top of that, she was exhausted from taking care of a newborn. Her mind and body hadn’t been ready for a long while after giving birth. But right now, none of that was an issue. Kim was back to her normal self.
Biting down on her bottom lip, she rolled her hips a little faster as she clung onto him. “Eight,” she replied with a whimper. She didn’t care if she got little to no sleep. This really was worth it. As long as she had copious amounts of coffee in the morning, she’d be able to function. Besides, she didn’t want to pass up a single moment of this, especially when his hands began to work their magic on her. Letting her head fall back, she sighed and closed her eyes. “I don’t care about sleeping. I just want you.”
---
That was the answer Starbuck had been hoping for, and he kissed down her throat with increased enthusiasm in response. He didn’t care about sleeping either. Granted, he actually needed rest to be able to heal properly, but he could get by just this once on maybe an hour or so. And juice. Lots of juice. Carbs too. He could survive.
Starbuck grabbed her ass and pulled her harder onto him. “Fuck, you feel good.” This was Starbuck’s drug. He’d been told in the past that he was a surf addict, but his obsessive need for Kim was far greater. He kissed up her throat to claim her lips, his right hand sliding back into her hair, holding her to his mouth somewhat aggressively. Starbuck could hardly believe she was his. And now they were getting married. She’d be his forever.
---
Rest wasn’t as essential for Kim to work properly as it was for Starbuck. Still, she figured she was going to be a zombie tomorrow during psych evals, but she didn’t care. She was on cloud nine right now. While they had talked about getting married in the past, it still came as a surprise to her, and an extremely pleasant one at that.
As a matter of fact, this whole experience was extremely pleasant. Kim could feel her heart beating faster and whimpered as he pushed harder into her. Her breath was becoming shallow, but she couldn’t deny his silent command for her lips. A shiver went down her spine as his hand slid into her hair and she responded to his kiss with enthusiasm. Her hands held his face tight to hers as their lips crushed together in a bruising kiss. She just couldn’t get enough of this man. All of it spurred her on to move her hips faster against his, bringing her closer. “Are you close?”
---
He was very close, and he nodded to let her know before resuming kissing her. One hand was still tangled in her hair, but not for long. Starbuck grabbed hold of her ass firmly, clutching it tight with all ten fingers to help as she bounced on his cock. He wasn’t religious, but Starbuck imagined heaven felt a bit like being inside of Kim. Best feeling there was.
And then the tightness threatened inside of him. “I’m gonna come,” he warned her, hoping she’d come with him. But even if she didn’t, he’d make sure she was taken care of. He always did.
---
She was very close as well as her lips moved against his. Kim couldn’t help but moan into his mouth, moving her hips faster against his and driving her closer to her climax. There honestly was no better feeling than being with Starbuck like this. It made her feel complete.
Closing her eyes, she grabbed one of his hands and moved it around to tease her sensitive spot, pushing her towards the edge. Concentrating on his hand and the feel of him inside her was enough to make her hit her peak. Resting against him, her breath was hot on his neck as she rode out her orgasm.
---
Starbuck took to instruction quite well, and so he did just as she wanted, coaxing her to climax with him. When she did, when they did, it was so intense he felt like he was at risk of passing out. Instead, he shuddered and then lost all control of his muscles. Starbuck felt like jello. “We... we can’t... wait that long again.” They were pushing the limits lately, going too long between nights like this. They needed to have sex more. It would be a crime not to!
---
“I know,” she replied, breathing heavily as she essentially melted into him. “I’m sorry. I feel like that’s my fault.” In all reality, they were both really busy people with their new jobs and raising their family. But Kim still felt as if she could do something more, to make an effort to have time for herself and Starbuck. Turning to rest her head on his shoulder, she leaned in to leave a trail of kisses along his neck. “We’re totally making up for lost time tonight.”