Who: Spence and Roxy When: evening, Wednesday, July 11th Where: Spence’s house Warning: Turns NSFW Status: Complete
It had been over a week since her nightmare about the Dark Man, and a couple of days since she’d visited the witch in the woods. It had been a truly weird experience, having her blood taken by a tiny blonde and used in some magic ritual that she didn’t understand. Roxy had prayed about it, and she hoped God would forgive her for dabbling in witchcraft in this instance. Gavin had seemed sure the O’Reillys could help, and she just hoped he was right. Roxy’s scratches had mostly healed, and she hadn’t dreamt of or seen the Dark Man again, so that was something. Whether it was something more than coincidence, she didn’t know, but time would tell, she guessed.
That wasn’t to say she was relaxed and over it, but it was getting easier to push to the back of her mind as she went about her day. The world didn’t stop because of some supernatural fuckery, it never did, and Roxy had a new job and a budding relationship to focus on. She was enjoying working at the vet’s, Marsh was nice and she was getting to know Ty better. Having been so closely tied to the Lucases made her feel a little awkward working with an ex-cop at first, but Ty hadn’t asked her a single thing about them, and that didn’t seem like it was going to change. Plus all of the animals were really cute.
Late Wednesday afternoon once the office was closed, she stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things, then headed over to Spence’s. They’d been texting some earlier, and Roxy was eager to see him, even though she was just in scrubs with her hair up in a ponytail. She intended to cook something tasty for them and then just enjoy an evening cuddled up with Spence -- and probably a night too. She’d been spending the night over there enough lately that she had a spare toothbrush and some clothes in the house, but Roxy hadn’t quite made the permanent move yet. Sometimes it was a terrifying idea, sometimes she had no clue why she was taking so long. But having a rollercoaster in her mind was nothing new.
Roxy parked and grabbed the bags, then headed up to the front door to knock.
Spence often thought about asking Roxy to move in with him, especially since she was there most of the time anyway. It just made sense. But on the other hand, she was still getting over a long term relationship and he didn't want to freak her out by trying to drive her into something super serious so quickly. Obviously he knew they would get there eventually, but there seemed to be a delicate balance to it all.
He was doing the dishes when he heard her knock and he grimaced, thinking she shouldn't have to knock. Maybe if she wasn't ready to move in he could at least give her a house key so she didn't feel like a guest. Turning off the water, he dried his hands as he walked to the front door, quickly unlocking it to let her inside.
"Hey." He grinned, always happy to see her, especially with bags of groceries. Not to mention how cute she looked in her scrubs. "Good day today?"
Spence always smiled when he saw her, and it never failed to make Roxy’s heart trip in her chest. Feeling so wanted was nicer than she could describe, and being greeted with smiles and questions like that instead of uninterested grunts. She smiled brightly back as she stepped into the house, pausing to grab a quick kiss from Spence’s lips. “Yeah, it was pretty good,” Roxy answered lightly. “Any day without a poop explosion in the lobby like last week is good now -- that poor yellow lab was so sick, ugh.” She carried the grocery bags to the kitchen to set it all down, immediately starting to unload. “How was yours?”
Spence grimaced at the phrase poop explosion as much as he laughed. "You know, I keep thinking about adopting a dog, but then you come home with stories like that and I just don't know." He chuckled and followed Roxy, wanting to help her with the groceries, but not entirely sure what her plans were for them yet. "My day was fine... same old stuff. Honestly, it was pretty laid back. Uh, you need help with the food?" He didn't want to assume she was cooking for him, but he kind of hoped she was. Roxy's meals always tasted so much better than anything Spence could make for himself, and he got tired of take out after a while.
Part of Roxy thought it was kind of unnatural to just continue living her normal life after experiencing so much weird shit recently, but what other option was there? Weird shit happened around her all the time, she supposed it had just been a matter of time before she got caught up in it too. Roxy just hoped it was over now, so she could keep living. She put the grocery bags down on the counter and started to take food out of it -- steak and vegetables and rice and other various things. If Spence was hoping for dinner, he was definitely going to get it. “Nah, I got it,” she told him with a smile. “Just need your company. Unless you really want to chop bell peppers for me.” She knew he appreciated being cooked for, so she never minded whipping something up for them, and tonight Roxy wanted to make it good. “You should, though. Adopt a dog, I mean. It would be good company for you.”
"I can chop bell peppers," he said eagerly, just wanting to be useful while spending time with her. It didn't feel right to stand by and watch her cook for him. He could chop peppers and let her make them into something delicious. Spence walked over to the sink to wash his hands, flashing her a grin as he did so. "As for company, you're good company for me. But maybe I'll think about the dog thing. There's a shelter about twelve miles out of town that I pass sometimes when I'm out getting supplies for work. Maybe we can go one weekend and just... look." He had no idea if Roxy would want a dog. They were a lot of work and she dealt with them all day, but Spence still liked the idea.
It made the pit of Roxy’s stomach feel warm and glowy that Spence wanted to help cook. Caden never did that. More and more it was feeling less like comparing them and more like Roxy was finally realizing what she really wanted out of a relationship. And it was more of this. When Spence said ‘maybe we can go,’ it just made her heart flutter in a way that was almost bittersweet. “Yeah, I’d love that,” she told him, smiling over at him for a beat. “I can keep an eye out at the office too, sometimes there are surrenders that need a home. That’s what Marsh says anyway, I haven’t seen one come through yet.” Bags unloaded, she stepped up behind him at the sink to put her arms around him and pressed a couple of kisses against his back. “We’d be the coolest dog parents,” she murmured.
Spence had missed a lot about being in a relationship and that included doing the simple things together, like cooking. He wasn't as good in the kitchen as Roxy, but he wasn't completely helpless. Smiling, Spence turned off the water and reached for a dish towel to dry his hands. "We'd definitely be cool dog parents." He set the towel down and turned around in Roxy's arms to slip his own around her waist. It was tempting to say that it would be good practice, but he didn't really want to compare taking care of a dog to a baby and he definitely didn't want to freak Roxy out by mentioning kids when they weren't even living together yet. "How're things going at Mila's?" Spence asked instead, keeping her close. "Still comfortable there?"
Roxy let him turn and kept her arms around his waist, tilting her head to look up at him. Spence wasn’t alone in thinking about children at the moment -- taking care of a dog was one thing, and a child quite another, but Roxy really wanted both, and more and more she was thinking that she was finally with the right man for that kind of life. Roxy smiled a little at his questions and lifted a shoulder, her expression turning a bit coy. “It’s crowded,” she answered truthfully. “I love Mila to pieces but feel guilty being there, like I'm mooching, even if she says I’m not. And Adrian’s still there, and they’re gonna be newlyweds soon ...” Roxy pursed her lips and then grinned a little as she added, “Your bed is way more comfy.” She more or less knew that she had a standing invitation to move in with Spence, and it wouldn’t be ‘rushing it’ as much as she probably worried about, it just felt like a big step to pull that trigger.
"Yeah, I imagine with a baby coming it's gonna get even more crowded," he said, grinning a little. He had a king sized bed with a fairly new mattress and he found he really liked it when he woke up and Roxy was there. But Spence didn't want to pressure her into moving in. She had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and the last thing he wanted was for her to think he was rushing things. "You know you can stay here as long as you need to... as much as you want," he corrected, squinting one eye as he struggled with whether or not that was the right way to say it. "Or if you want your own space... I can help you with a deposit and stuff. I just want you to be comfortable."
Roxy definitely planned to be out of the Moretti-Lucas house before the baby came -- even if part of her wondered if Mila would need the extra hands ... but she could still pitch in without living on top of them. She made a sound of sweet appreciation in her throat and kissed Spence’s chin as she squeezed him a bit tighter. “I know you do,” she murmured. Roxy smooched his jaw a bit more and gave a soft sigh, looking up at him with a little wince. “I really want to be here with you. I just ... don’t want to put you through any of my crap that might ... come up, you know?” She wasn’t exactly sure how to explain what she meant, but Roxy was still recovering from her relationship with Caden, and sometimes her emotions still felt all out of whack, and she didn’t want to act crazy in front of Spence. Then again, Roxy had no idea how long it would take her to feel completely normal again.
Spence lifted his hands to brush them through Roxy's hair. "I'm here to put up with your crap. You put up with my crap too, remember?" They didn't happen often but Spence knew his night terrors were no fun to deal with. Or his PTSD. But Roxy had always been patient and he wanted to make sure he wanted to be there for her too. "It's totally up to you, Rox. You can... move in here with me, or I can help you get a place of your own. I k-know you're going through a lot, but I'm here. Oh! And if you d-don't want to move in yet, I want to at least get you a key so you can just... come and go whenever you want. If that's okay." He did want her to think of his place as her place, even if she wasn't officially living there.
Perspective was a funny thing sometimes. Spence had PTSD from a war, which was a much more serious situation than she had been in, and yet to Roxy he seemed to have his shit so much more together than she did. He’d had more time to recover, there was that, but she never felt put out or burdened by his symptoms, she just wanted to help him feel better when they arose. It was just so hard to flip it around and think that Spence felt exactly the same way -- he didn’t think she was stupid or dramatic for her emotional scars, and he wanted to help her be happy again. “Of course that’s okay,” she said with a soft laugh. Roxy rose up onto her toes to kiss him a couple of times, then pulled back enough to look into his eyes. “I don’t want you to feel like a rebound either, or like I just need a place to live and someone to mooch off of, you know? You know that’s not how I feel, right?”
For Spence, being in a relationship meant, at its core, being there for the other person. Caring. And he did care. A lot. He couldn't erase the years Roxy was with Caden, but he could help her start fresh and see what love was really supposed to look like. Spence brushed some of her hair back behind her ear and smiled. "Yeah, I know that's not how you feel. I don't feel like a rebound at all. I feel pretty lucky, actually. Especially when you show up on my door with a bag of groceries." He pressed a kiss to her nose. "Life's too short to get caught up in certain r-rules... you know? Going too fast, moving too slow... I just... people should feel how they feel and do what makes them feel good and happy. That's what I want for us too."
He was so earnest and so wise and right, it was hard for Roxy to hold onto the anxieties she had around re-starting this relationship. It wasn’t even like she’d just met Spence after she and Caden split and would be moving in with him -- they’d known each other for years. There had already been love there. Why was she letting fear hold her back? Caden had gotten fucking married for Christ’s sake -- though that was likely a disaster just waiting to blow up. Roxy could do better. Spence was better. She smiled and kissed him softly again, lingering a bit longer this time. “Maybe this weekend we can move my stuff in, then?” she murmured finally, smiling again. “I love you, Spence. You feel like home to me.”
He could understand her anxieties about moving too fast, but he had meant what he said about life being short. Having gone through the shit he'd gone through, and seen what he'd seen, Spence knew tomorrow was never a given. It felt right, getting this second chance with Roxy, and he didn't want to waste it. "Yeah, that sounds pretty good," he said with a small grin. She didn't have a ton to move over, so it wouldn't take them very long. He just hoped she would be comfortable here and make it her home too. The place still had a lot of work to do and now they could do it together. He pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you too. And anything you want to do to this place... let's do it. I want this to feel like your place as much as mine."
It did sound pretty good, didn’t it? Roxy had been pretty certain this was where she would end up, and she had been staying over fairly often, but deciding aloud to make the move in just a couple of days made it real. It instantly felt so damn good, and her stomach tingled with sudden excitement. Was that a sign it was the right decision, or a very stupid one? Roxy wasn’t sure she trusted herself to know for sure ... but maybe nobody ever did. It was what she wanted to do, and Spence wanted it too, and it made her feel all lit up inside. She nodded against his head, her smile widening into a grin. “I know, and it will,” she said. Roxy bounced on her toes a bit and made a high pitched sound as she hugged him tight. “Now I’m excited.”
Spence couldn't predict the future anymore than Roxy could, but he felt good about what was happening, and that was the important thing. He liked seeing her happy. It made him happy. He just wished he could have done this for her years ago. But again, life was unpredictable. He was just happy to be where he was now. "Me too," he said, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Should we celebrate by you showing me how to make whatever you're going to make? I want to be able to carry my weight with dinner stuff." He could cook, just not as good as Roxy and he tended to prefer take out.
God, it was like every time he opened his mouth, she fell in love with him a bit more. For the first time in Roxy’s adult life, she seemed to have someone who really wanted to be a partner to her, and it meant so much now that she knew too well what it was like to live without one. “Yes,” she said decisively, and pressed a firm kiss to Spence’s lips. “And once we’re finished eating, I’m going to take you to bed and do other things with your weight.” Roxy gave him a wicked smile as she slipped her hands up under his t-shirt to caress his bare skin. She was tempted to drop to her knees and suck the soul from his body at that very moment, but she was hungry and cooking together could be excellent foreplay. Roxy kissed him once more before she pulled back to get to work.
Spence cocked a brow, his skin tingling beneath her palms. "Well, that sounds promising," he said with a grin. He had offered to cut peppers for her and he could do that much. He might not be able to make the kind of food Roxy could, but he could do something. "My mom's going to be thrilled about this," he said, reaching for the cutting board. "Obviously the fact that we're moving in together, but she knows you can cook... which means she doesn't have to feed me as much." Spence chuckled and began to wash his hands. He wasn't one of those guys who went to his mom's to get fed every day, but he certainly showed up from time to time to visit... usually during dinner time.
Roxy laughed a bit as she finished pulling everything out, then stepped in behind Spence to wash her hands too. “Some mothers are not happy about that kind of thing,” she warned, glancing over at him with amusement. “Like they’re being replaced or something. But food is totally one of my love languages, so ... hope your mom isn’t like that.” She’d seemed nice enough when they’d dated years ago, but she’d been a working mother and Roxy hadn’t spent a lot of time with her one on one. Besides, a high school romance was very different than grown adults moving in together. Roxy dried her hands and went to start prepping the steak strips. Even if Spence didn’t do a ton to pitch in, it was just nice to be working alongside him.
"Yeah, I guess that's true. But I can't see her thinking she's being replaced. She's never been overly protective of me or anything." There had been moments of suffocation when he had gotten hurt overseas, but thankfully his mom had calmed down quite a bit since then. Spence took one of the red peppers to start chopping, hoping he was doing it right. "Though, once Greg moves out... that might change. I've heard about empty nest syndrome." His mom had a son to focus on at the moment, but Greg had graduated and who knew what he would be doing next. "But you two got along before... and she was happy to hear we were dating again."
“Was she?” Roxy asked, glancing over at him with a smile. “That’s good. But yeah we did, it’s just been a lot of years since then.” And a lot had happened in between. Roxy was briefly tempted to ask Spence if his mom had liked his former fiancee, but she decided she didn’t really want to know. The less they talked about their exes the better, probably. Spence already knew too much about Caden, Roxy was really working on banishing him from her mind completely. “Is Greg moving out? What are his plans, do you know?” she asked curiously. She glanced at his knife work and added, “You can just dice those. Small pieces. But leave the core out.”
Dicing. Right. Spence changed up how he was slicing through the peppers, careful to scrape out the seeds. He didn't often think of Molly these days and he doubted she thought about him... if she did, it wasn't likely to be in a nostalgic kind of way. But he had the benefit of not living near his ex, unlike Roxy. Thankfully Spence hadn't run into Caden since he and Roxy had gotten back together and he kind of hoped it stayed that way, despite the knowledge that Mila's wedding was coming up. "I'm not really sure what he's doing yet," Spence admitted. "Not college. I think he wants to become a firefighter. His girlfriend is still in high school and I think he's thinking they're going to stay together..." Spence trailed off, dicing now. "As long as he's happy, that's the important thing, I guess."
Greg had just been a kid when she and Spence had dated the first time, but she’d always gotten along with him and thought he was fun. Incredibly hyper, but fun. It was going to be interesting to see him again as a near-adult. Roxy raised a brow and glanced over at Spence again. “I hope she’s a senior, at least,” she said, slightly amused. “Otherwise you might want to have a talk with him. That’s kind of cute though, I hope they’re both happy.” Roxy almost said something about high school relationships not lasting, but she bit her tongue on it. Who knew how it would turn out? She definitely hadn’t expected to be reconnecting with this man she’d had a high school relationship with. “Being a firefighter would be great for him though, he always seemed really ... physical. And hey, he’ll still be close by.”
Greg certainly wasn't as hyper as he'd been as a kid, but he definitely still had a lot of energy. His brother had still been relatively young when Spence joined the Marines and he had been gone for most of Greg's formative years. They were only now starting to get to know each other better. "Yeah, I know mom'll be happy about Greg being close. And I'm happy that he's happy too... I just wish he'd get out of this place for a while. See some place new... go to school, even if it ends up not being for him. Just trying something new can make such a d-difference for him." Spence shot Roxy a small smile. "And yeah, his girlfriend is a senior this year. No weird stuff going on there. You know the McCarthys? It's their daughter, Ophelia. She seems pretty nice. Smart."
“The McCarthys? Yeah I know them -- know of them, anyway. We don’t exactly run in the same circles,” she said with an amused smile. She’d maybe seen James or Brianna at the Porch a scant few times, but not many Overlook people came through there at all. But in a town the size of Point Pleasant, it was impossible not to know-of people, especially when one of them had her pretty face all around town on realtor signs. “Good for Greg though ... so you’ve met her?” she asked. It was easy for Roxy to forget sometimes that Spence -- and Greg, by extension -- came from Overlook. What sounded like an upward match to her was probably just normal to them. Of course Greg would end up with the daughter of one of the families up there. She didn’t really want to talk about whether getting out of town was good or bad -- Spence had gone off to a bigger and better life and left her behind, and Roxy didn’t want to dwell there.
Spence could understand not really knowing certain people in this town, despite how small it was. He had been born and raised in Overlook himself but he never really felt like he had much in common with anyone in the neighborhood. He was much more comfortable down here on Cedar Lane. "I met her a couple of times when he'd bring her around when I was visiting mom," Spence said. "You know teenagers, they don't really want to hang out with family when they've got a girlfriend or boyfriend around, so it's usually brief hello and stuff like that. But yeah, she seems nice enough. She's gotta be the p-patient type to date Greg." He motioned to the diced up pepper. "That look okay?"
The patient type, Roxy huffed a bit at that. Spence probably wasn’t wrong. She stepped in closer to look at his pile of diced peppers and smiled. “Looks perfect,” she told him, leaning over to kiss his shoulder. Roxy gestured to the small pile of vegetables that was sitting on the kitchen island and gave him some instructions on cutting those up as well.
It freed her up to work on the meat and mixing up the sauce, and before too long the kitchen was smelling pretty good. In between some more chatting, Roxy talked Spence through pitching in on a few more things until it was time to eat. She set the table and felt a deep happiness suffuse through her system as they sat down together. “I hope you like it,” she said with a little smile as she picked up her fork. Men’s stomachs were usually pretty easy to please, but Roxy had always had the instinctual drive to feed her loved ones well.
As soon as they sat Spence had to resist shoveling forkfuls into his mouth. He was hungry and it smelled amazing. Roxy had obviously done the majority of the cooking but he felt pretty proud of himself that he'd contributed, even a little. "I like everything you cook," Spence said, shooting her a smile before he took a bite. It was amazing and he had to admit this was so much better than whatever take out he would have ordered himself that night if Roxy hadn't come by. "Next time, I'll cook for you. It won't be as good as this, but I can usually manage the easy stuff. Spaghetti? Chicken?" He grinned at her and reached for his drink. "You can cut the onions."
Roxy laughed softly as she forked up her first bite. It was a recipe she’d made a couple hundred times, so she wasn’t blown away by her own cooking, but it had turned out tasty. Spence’s gratitude made it taste even better, too. “Spaghetti with chicken? Best of both worlds?” she teased lightly, shooting Spence a grin in return. “I don’t mind cutting onions though ... do they make you cry? I swear I thought that was a made up thing when I was a kid, it never happened in my family.” Roxy supposed that was probably chalked up to different cultural cooking styles, but she’d never really gotten the jokes as a kid. She would happily slice his onions for him, but she thought it would be kind of cute to watch Spence get all teary-eyed. He was pretty fucking cute all the time, really.
"My mom used to put shredded chicken in our spaghetti instead of beef. It was pretty good," Spence said with a grin. "I know how to make chicken at least, so I bet I could do both without any major catastrophes. But no, I can't do the onion cutting. Whenever I'd help, or try to cut onions for burgers... faucets." He gestured to his eyes with his fork. "I looked like I was weeping like a big 'ol baby. So if you think it's a myth, you'll be in charge of all onion cutting from now on. I think that's fair, yeah?" It wasn't anything that embarrassed him. It was more amusing than anything else. He wasn't a chef, but he wasn't a complete disaster in the kitchen either. It felt like he and Roxy would do all right there, at least.
“Fair,” Roxy agreed with a little laugh. She reached a foot out to nudge him under the table, also amused by his honest confession. “I’ll protect you from those mean old onions, don’t worry.” She was kidding, of course, but it felt unspeakably good to be able to joke around like that without worrying about Spence taking it wrong and suddenly getting pissed. She’d gotten so used to living with a violent man with a short fuse, Roxy hadn’t even realized how tense she’d been all the time. Spence was relaxing. She didn’t know if he really understood what that meant to her. Roxy kept her toes braced lightly against his calf, enjoying the warmth while she ate some more. “Did you have any favorite foods as a kid? Stuff your mom made? Maybe I can ask her for some recipes.”
Spence thought over her question as he took another bite of food. He had always liked his mother's cooking, no matter what it was. But Spence was a big fan of food in general, which was probably why he had to go to the gym as often as he did. "I always liked her lasagna," he said after taking a sip of his drink to wash down his food. "She also makes this chicken and rice dish? With like... cream of mushroom soup, or whatever it's called. It was really simple, but pretty damn good. What about you? What did you like to eat growing up?" He knew she hadn't had the best upbringing, but she was a fantastic cook, so surely she had to have learned from someone.
Roxy’s knee-jerk reaction was that it sounded like boring, bland white people food, but she knew that was rude and unfair, so she definitely wasn’t going to say so. Maybe Ms. Wheeler spiced her lasagna up deliciously. Roxy still wanted to learn to make it how Spence liked it. Food was one of the few things her family did well together, and cooking with her mother in the kitchen made up most of Roxy’s more peaceful memories. Her father wasn’t going to do anything to fuck up the meal he was always waiting for, and her siblings hadn’t been too interested, so they’d stayed away. “My mom’s discada was to die for,” she answered with an appreciative hum. “Ooh and she would make caldo azteca when it was cold out? So good. That’s probably my favorite comfort food, it’s like tomato soup, but way better.”
Spence cocked a brow, grinning a bit as Roxy described her favorite foods growing up. He always loved it when she slipped into Spanish. It had always been sweet and sexy at the same time. "Okay, you've got to tell me what discada and caldo azteca is," he said, taking another bite of food. "Don't get me wrong, both sound delicious, just from the way you say it, but... what are they?" Maybe he could learn how to cook one of them on his own and make it for her some evening. It wouldn't be as good as her mom's food, obviously, but he would still try. Spence knew his mom's cooking may not be as good to others as he found it, but a lot of that was just nostalgia. Memories of growing up and having someone take care of him.
Food was an intimate part of any family, and left a lasting impact, whether good or bad. Roxy’s home life had been a disaster in a lot of ways that had scarred her, but she’d never gone hungry. Feeding her was one of the few ways her parents could show love. She grinned a bit, finding it cute that Spence assumed they were delicious just by how they sounded. Part of her secretly hoped he would want to learn Spanish one day, since Caden had never been interested. “Well discada is really just a bunch of meat cooked together? But there’s a certain way to spice it, my mom’s is perfect. We always ate it as tacos, but you can really do anything with it. Caldo azteca is tortilla soup. So good. I’ll make you some when it starts to get cold again.”
"Then I have at least one reason to look forward to cold weather," Spence said with a chuckle. He knew he'd never cook as well as Roxy, but he would do his best. There was a part of him that wanted to show Roxy what an equal partnership looked like, because he knew she'd never gotten that from Caden. Hopefully he wouldn't disappoint her. Despite how solid they felt right now, he knew that she was still healing from that relationship and he wanted to be there to support her through it. Spence looked down at his plate, which was nearly empty now. "Wow, I just keep talking about food. I swear I love you for more than your cooking skills."
Her relationship with Spence was already more equitable than things with Caden had ever been, and it was like living in a dream to Roxy. She wasn’t going to know what to do with herself once she moved in, living with a man she didn’t have to walk on eggshells around, no easily-bruised ego hanging out in all directions. Part of her was afraid she was going to suck at being in a healthy relationship and tank it all herself, but she was trying not to worry about that before she crossed that bridge. She was at least secure in the idea that Spence would have more patience for her than she was used to. His last comment made her laugh, and she arched her brows at him. “It’s okay, you know what they say about men’s hearts being in their stomachs and all that,” she said lightly, then nudged him with her toes. “What else do you love?”
Spence nearly made a joke about a man's heart being somewhere else too, but that was more of a "brain" joke and probably a bit immature. But she was right. Food was definitely one way to win him over. Roxy's question prompted him to grin a little and he deliberately focused on his food for a moment, then pretended to think about it as he took a bite. Finally, when he swallowed, Spence caught her eye and smiled. "I love your passion for things, and your strength. I also love your smile and the color of your eyes, the way they crinkle up when you laugh. Oh, and I also love your laugh." He nudged her beneath the table. "I love that you're doing that a lot more now."
Roxy had been pretty shamelessly fishing for compliments, but the sincerity in Spence’s voice and what he chose to focus on caught her off guard. She stared at him for a couple of heartbeats, then pressed her lips together before she gave him a watery little smile. “I love it too,” she murmured. Roxy put her fork down and reached for Spence’s hand. She wanted to cry and laugh and climb into his lap all at once. “You’re a big part of that, you know?” Leaving her abusive relationship was probably what deserved the most credit, but Spence had helped her through that -- he was still helping her through it. It probably would have taken her a few more years to do it on her own. It wasn’t perfectly smooth yet, but Roxy felt more in love and happy than she had in a long time. “C’mere,” she added, leaning over and tugging him toward a kiss.
Spence went willingly, smiling before their lips met. She could fish for compliments all day if she wanted to, he would always have some to give her. He certainly hoped he was part of what made Roxy happy, but he also knew she was finding her footing. She had a new job and seemed more focused these days. It would take a while to put her past behind her, but Spence knew she was strong enough to do it. "Remember you said that when you're living here permanently and I start to drive you crazy," Spence murmured against her lips.
“Oh I will,” she murmured back with a soft huff. It had been a long time since she’d been with anyone but Caden, obviously, but Roxy was inclined to think that history would make her even more likely to appreciate Spence, the longer they were together. Not that she expected things to be perfect -- they never were for anybody -- but she already knew they were going to be so much better for her. Unless Spence’s personality turned on a dime in some bizarre way, Roxy really felt like they were going to be happy together, and she was eager to get started. She kissed him a bit more, then sat back to finish the meal.
Molly had been the only other woman Spence had ever lived with and he knew it would take some getting used to to have someone here every day, but he wasn't feeling apprehensive about it. He and Roxy had the luxury of having known each other for years, even if they'd been apart for several of them. He felt like he could read Roxy well enough to know when she'd want space, or company. Hopefully he wouldn't do anything to fuck it all up. After they finished eating, Spence stood to gather their plates and take them into the kitchen. "You know," he said, once he'd set them into the sink. He could load the dishwasher later. "Is it a sign of extreme insecurity if I ask what you love about me?"
Not used to being served or even really helped much with housework, Roxy grabbed their glasses to follow Spence back into the kitchen. Just sitting around while someone else did it all felt unnatural, even though she had done most of the cooking. Hopefully it would become something for her to get used to. She set them down on the counter next to the sink, then moved to slip her arms around Spence’s waist, gazing up at him warmly. “Of course it’s not,” she said, rubbing one hand against his back. It hadn’t seemed like Spence thought her asking it earlier had come out of extreme insecurity -- though that wasn’t far off base. Considering both of their histories, Roxy thought insecurity was pretty understandable in both of them, honestly. “I love your kindness. And you have this quiet strength that ... like you don’t have anything to prove to anyone, you know? You’re always thinking about other people, you’re generous. You’re funny and I love talking to you about anything and everything ... and you’re hot, of course.” Roxy grinned a little and squeezed one side of his butt.
Spence's lips quirked into a small smile. "Whew, I was starting to get worried that being hot wouldn't make it onto the list." He brushed his hands through her hair and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. He honestly didn't need reasons why Roxy loved him. All that mattered is that she did and that she believed he loved her too. "I can load the dishwasher later," he murmured. "You want to change out of your work clothes?" That was usually the first thing Spence enjoyed doing when he got home, unless he was planning on working on the house for a bit.
There was absolutely no denying that Spence was hot to her in every possible way, Roxy just wanted him to know that she valued a lot of other parts of him over his body. Maybe that was silly to worry about since they’d known each other so long, but really she just wanted him to feel truly loved, because she did. She didn’t feel like she was really good at it yet, there were things she still had to work through, but with Spence’s sweet patience, they could get there. Roxy smiled against his lips and hummed a little. “Mmhmm ... you want to give me a hand?” she murmured back, a promising lilt to her tone. “These scrubs, y’know ... so hard to get out of by yourself.” Then maybe she could coax him into a shower with her and they could finish off their evening on a high note.
Spence definitely felt desired and loved. He knew Roxy had a lot to work through, but he didn't feel as though she was holding back from him, and that was something he appreciated. He would continue to do his best to make her feel desired and loved too. It may be a rocky road ahead, but he was definitely committed to the journey. "All those buttons and zippers?" he asked with a teasing grin before pressing a kiss to her lips. "I'm here to help with whatever you need." He placed his hands on her hips to guide her back out of the kitchen and in the direction of the hallway.
Roxy laughed softly as she started to shuffle backward, fully trusting Spence to direct her without running her into any walls. “Mmm, such a handy man,” she cooed with her town teasing smile. They were flirting, but Spence was an exceptionally generous guy, and Roxy fucking loved how much he wanted to take care of her. As they reached the hallway, Roxy turned in his arms and slipped her hand into his to enter the bedroom. She was glad that it hadn’t been the kind of day that had gotten her sweaty and gross, she didn’t feel like she had the patience to endure a shower before she got to feel Spence’s hands on her. Roxy turned back to him once they were close enough to the bed -- soon to be their bed -- and pulled Spence in close again, tilting her face up for his mouth.
Spence wouldn't have cared if Roxy had come home sweaty from work. God knew he had those days too. All he cared about was getting his mouth and hands on her. He kissed her back, deep and slow, his hands roaming down her sides and over her hips. In his mind, this was already their room, and their bed, though he knew it would probably feel more balanced once Roxy moved her stuff in. But she had stayed there enough times that Spence already hated it when she didn't sleep over. His cock had begun to strain against his jeans and it was difficult not to press himself against her. Instead, he slipped his hands up beneath the top of her scrubs and began to push the material up, wanting to get it off of her body.
She had quickly gotten addicted to the sensation of Spence’s hands on her body, and Roxy could feel that delicious heat blooming in her lower belly as his palms skimmed against her bare skin. She lifted her arms so Spence could strip her shirt off, only breaking the kiss when absolutely necessary. Roxy cracked her eyes open and gave him a dazed little smile as she reached to tug his shirt up as well. She wanted to feel his skin against hers and enjoy the way he always made her feel so wanted ... and not just for her body. Spence wanted all of her and she could feel it. Once his shirt had dropped, Roxy ran her hands over his bare chest, giving a little hum of appreciation. She dipped in to nuzzle and nibble at the side of Spence’s neck. “You smell good,” she murmured.
Her body was amazing but of course Spence wanted more from her than just that. They had been seeing each other for a while now, but he still found himself a bit dumbfounded that he managed to luck into Roxy being a part of his life again. Her ex was an asshole but he was also definitely an idiot. "Do I?" Spence grinned faintly as his hands moved over her hips and back up to slip his fingertips into the waistband of her scrubs. "Must be my soap... or just my natural musk. Is that an off putting word? Musk." He chuckled and moved her further back toward the bed to nudge her down so he could pull her pants off.
Roxy tittered a bit as she backed up where Spence was leading her, happy flutters in her stomach. She loved how laughter was welcome in their lovemaking, how it could be hot and fun at the same time. It was pretty novel for her. “No, I think it’s a hot word, it’s a manly word.” She grinned and pressed a couple of kisses to Spence’s collarbone before she sat on the bed and leaned back on her hands. Roxy smirked at him and lifted her hips as he pulled her bottoms off. “You’ve got good musk.” Her tone was teasing, but it was true -- Roxy loved to smell him when he was just off work, or after he’d mowed the lawn ... she took that as a good sign, like their chemistry worked well together.
"My vocabulary could use more manly words," Spence teased as he dropped her bottoms to the floor. He left his jeans on for the moment, despite how desperately his cock strained against the denim, and leaned over Roxy to kiss her properly. She tasted amazing, but that wasn't a surprise. She always tasted amazing. One hand roamed free down her side, enjoying the feel of her silky skin against his fingertips. His body was so eager to just shed his jeans and drive his cock into her, but he wanted to focus on her for a bit first. After fanning his thumb against her hard nipple, Spence kissed his way down her body, taking his time, nuzzling and licking here and there on the journey. When Spence reached his destination, he settled between her thighs and nuzzled her mound before giving her clit a soft lick.
She didn’t think that was true, Spence had plenty of masculinity running through his veins, but Roxy was far too distracted to argue about it. The only thing that really mattered at the moment was the heat Spence’s hands and lips stirred up in her, and that delicious fluttery anticipation. She parted her legs for him as he moved further down her body, her cheeks and chest already starting to feel flushed. “Oh my god,” she whispered quietly at that first contact. Roxy leaned back on her elbows, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth for a moment as she watched him. She pulled her knees up higher and braced her toes against his shoulders, more than happy to sink into the sensual haze he was so good at putting her in.
There was a sense of contentment, settling between Roxy's thighs and feasting on her. He had always loved doing this, especially when it was Roxy. The desire to give her pleasure, to pull those breathy sounds from her lips, overwhelmed his own urges and Spence was more than happy to ignore his aching cock at the moment and give Roxy everything she deserved. He ran his tongue over her for a moment, using slow, firm strokes before he pulled her clit between his lips to suck. Slipping one hand from her thigh, he teased her opening with his finger, groaning at how wet she was for him already. Roxy hadn't officially moved in yet, but Spence was already imagining how amazing it would be to wake up beside her every day and maybe even wake her up like this.
The one thing Caden had been generous with had been sex, so Roxy hadn’t been deprived of receiving this kind of pleasure ... but it was different somehow. Beyond the fact they were two different men, the vibe wasn’t the same. Caden had eaten her out like he owned her pussy, and he was usually quick to move on to fucking her. She never got that same sense of possession from Spence, it was more like he just really enjoyed giving her pleasure. He was damn good at it too, even if sometimes Roxy wished he was more rough with her. It still wasn’t something she knew how to ask for. At the moment his tongue was perfect though, and she let everything else drift away as that hot pleasure bloomed wider in her lower belly. Roxy’s breathing got heavier and she rocked her hips up a little into his mouth, one hand reaching to bury fingers in his hair. “Fuck, Spence ... that feels so good,” Roxy whispered.
He loved hearing that it felt good because it tasted good too. Amazing, even. He groaned his appreciation and slipped two fingers inside of her, curling them just so before he began to thrust. She was so goddamn wet that his cock ached and he couldn't help but reached down to give himself a stroke or two. Making Roxy come was one of his favorite things to do and as badly as he wanted to bury himself inside of her, he wanted her breathless and squirming against him first. Sucking her clit firmly between his lips, Spence finger fucked her a little harder, ready to hear her moans fill the room.
With skills like those, he certainly didn’t have to wait long. Roxy’s body had always been extremely sexually responsive, and orgasms came fast and easy for her. The combination of Spence’s mouth and fingers hitting her G spot sent her flying in only a handful of intense seconds, her hips bucking underneath him as she cried out wordlessly. Roxy pressed her head back against the mattress, her fingers tight in Spence’s hair for a moment as she trembled and throbbed, everything in her mind wiped away by the intense climax he’d given her. God, sometimes she genuinely forgot why they couldn’t stay in bed and just do this all day every day. She eased up with her fingers once her body started to unclench, panting lightly and rather enjoying that greedy, ravenous feeling that followed. Roxy lifted her head to look down at him, her eyes dark with desire. “I need you inside me,” she told him, her voice low and velvety.
God, he could've just come right there, listening to those breathy cries, feeling Roxy's body tremble and pulse around his fingers. He barely noticed the sting in his scalp from where she gripped him. If anything, it felt good, making his cock ache with an intensity he hadn't felt in a long time. Giving her clit one last firm lick, Spence lifted himself up and over her before capturing her mouth in a deep kiss, wanting her to taste herself on his tongue. His heart was a jackhammer in his chest and not for the first time, Spence wondered how he'd gotten this lucky. "Turn over," he murmured against her lips before pulling back and gripping her hip to help move her onto her stomach. He wanted to run his hands over her ass and see her curves. He knew she liked this position and Spence wanted to give her whatever she wanted.
Roxy’s mouth was eager and hungry when Spence kissed her, the taste of herself adding to all of the heady lust. She brushed her hands over Spence’s skin where she could reach him, and let her eyes crawl over his body when they broke the kiss. God, he was sexy, and the way his cock seemed to be reaching for her made her mouth water. She did love to be fucked from behind though, so it she rolled as he prompted her and pulled her knees underneath herself. Roxy stretched like a cat, her ample ass lifting into the air -- she knew her best angles and what Spence wanted, and the desire to please him was just as strong as the other way around. She hummed as she settled her knees and arms in against the mattress, glancing at him over her shoulder with a little smile. “Please, baby,” Roxy murmured and gave her hips a wiggle. “Give it to me.”
Roxy's ass was like a magnet for his hands and he reached for her, running his palms over her skin just to appreciate the sight for a moment or two. His entire body seemed tight with anticipation and Spence lined up his cock with her pussy before he thrust inside with little resistance. He already knew she was still wet for him and he released a low groan as he gripped her hips, holding her tight and still to keep at bay the urge to rut against her to completion. She felt amazing, as always and unable to help himself, Spence ran his hands over her body again, slowly, but firmly, starting to thrust his hips. Her curves drove him wild, and so did the sounds he was usually able to draw from her when they were having sex. He wanted to hear them again, and preferably work them both into a sweaty frenzy before it was over.
She melted into Spence’s touch, arching her back further like a stretching cat, a moan already on her lips as he pushed himself inside her. A thrill of pleasure ran up Roxy’s spine and her breath caught a little. Spence was a sweetheart to her almost twenty-four-seven, she thought he would probably rather die than hurt her, but when they were together like this she loved any sign of assertiveness from him. She wanted to feel how badly he wanted her, how crazy she drove him. Those strong hands gripping her hips just made her feel more full and achy, eager for more. Roxy let out a soft cry when he started to thrust, her fingers curling in the sheet underneath her hands. It was such a relief not to worry about who might hear her, or come home and catch them. This was their place now, and she could be as loud as she felt like being.
Just the sounds that came from Roxy's lips made his balls throb. It was nice having privacy because there was nothing like being the one to make her cry out like that. He held onto her hips as he built up a steady, firm rhythm, enthralled by the way her ass rippled with each thrust of his cock. Groaning, Spence ran his hands over her back before he gripped a fistful of her hair, tugging her head back some as he pushed his cock deep and ground his hips against her. Pleasure streaked down his spine and Spence didn't think he would ever get enough of that feeling. He didn't want to hurt her and he was sure at this point that if he did, she would tell him.
The sound Roxy made as her head snapped up came right from her gut. It was like someone twisted the volume knob up on her pleasure. She ground back into Spence, her hips rolling to relish the feel of every inch of him inside of her. “Fuck, baby,” she breathed, leaning against Spence’s grip on her hair a bit. It made her whole back tingle with good feelings. This was exactly the sort of thing Roxy wanted to encourage, if Spence was into it. And she didn't think he would be doing it if he wasn’t, at this point. His cock sure seemed to be enjoying it, and Roxy fucking loved it. “God, you feel so good.”
Knowing he was pleasing Roxy was immensely pleasing for Spence too. His free hand slid up over her shoulder, gripping her tight as he began to pound into her. He couldn't quite help himself, letting his body's desires take over. Roxy definitely sounded like she was enjoying it and Spence grunted with every thrust, his eyelids too heavy with pleasure now to stay open. Her pussy was so tight and wet around him, sending intense waves of ecstasy rolling down his spine. "Fuck," he groaned, tugging her hair a bit harder as the pleasure ramped up in his system. Every slapping sound of their bodies coming together only intensified it, but he wasn't ready to come just yet. Spence just wanted to hear those noises coming from Roxy for a few moments longer.
Roxy felt like she could get mindlessly lost in the feelings thrumming through her body for as long as they could last. Her brain was happy static, every part of her focused on the pleasure tightening in her lower belly and how it radiated out to light up everything else in her. She wasn’t even really aware of her noises anymore, soft moans coming out of her with every breath, sharper cries escaping as Spence pulled her hair tighter and pounded that perfect spot. The pleasure spiraled sharply upward and Roxy lost all control -- not that she was trying to hold onto it in the first place. She squealed and bucked as another orgasm slammed into her, eclipsing the whole rest of reality for those few moments and filling her with nothing but ecstasy.
Roxy's orgasm drew a loud groan from Spence's lips and he found himself leaning over her back, pressing his lips to her shoulder as he thrust harder, wanting to make it good for her for as long as he could. And then he lost control himself, letting his body finally do what it craved to do, fucking Roxy mercilessly for several more moments before his own bliss overwhelmed him. Without really thinking about it, he bit gently into her shoulder as he rutted, a deep moan forming in his throat when he finally spilled inside of her. His body trembled from the release, but he was still mindful enough to know not to collapse on top of her. Instead he stayed put, panting against her skin as he tried to gather himself. "Fuck," he breathed, turning his face to nuzzle her neck.
Everything Spence did seemed to draw Roxy’s climax out and heighten it, and her sounds only got louder and higher pitched as he kept fucking her. She went through several more rounds of intense clenching, but the pleasure never really stopped, so it was hard to tell if there were multiple orgasms or just one huge long one. It was bliss. “Oh yeah baby, give it to me,” Roxy managed to pant when she felt Spence starting to peak. The way his cock drove deep and throbbed inside of her gave her another internal shudder, like her body wanted to milk his cock for everything he had. She never got tired of that feeling. Once it was all over, Roxy shifted her weight to reach one hand up and back to stroke her fingers through Spence’s hair. She was grinning but wordless as they caught their breath, rolling her hips gently just to keep feeling him inside her for as long as she could.
Everything was ultra-sensitive now and the way Roxy moved her hips sent another shiver down his spine. He pressed a kiss against her skin and nuzzled her hair for a moment before letting her go and carefully pulling back. A part of him felt like he could just plop down and drift off to sleep for the next twelve hours, but he didn't want to call it a night just yet. "Want to join me in the shower?" he suggested, flopping down beside her on the bed with a lazy grin on his face. "I'll wash your hair for you. Or back. Or breasts. Anything you want."
Roxy gave a light laugh as she dropped down onto one hip at Spence’s side, propped up on one elbow. She ran her fingers lightly over his slick cock as it relaxed, just enjoying the intimate closeness. “You’re so generous to offer,” she said with a smirk. “Such a hardship, I know.” Giving a soft snicker, she leaned over to kiss him a few times, humming against his lips. “I think I’ll take all of the above -- you can wash everything for me.” She grinned, then patted Spence’s chest and moved to get up so they could actually do that cleaning up. Roxy wanted to be further spoiled and then turn it around to wash every part of Spence too.