samantha ross ✪ natasha romanova (oweadebt) wrote in thereincarnates, @ 2018-01-19 11:17:00 |
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Entry tags: | !backstory, nicholas bauer, samantha ellis |
Who: Samantha Ellis & Nicholas Bauer
What: A glimpse into the past, part one (part two)
Where: Sam’s apartment in Brooklyn, New York
When: Backdated to Monday, January 2nd, 2012
Warnings: Some groping, otherwise pretty PG-13
Status: Complete
Even after three months, Samantha still wasn't totally used to having Nick in her apartment. Not because she didn't want him there, she did. It was just... strange. She'd always been a solitary person, used to having her own space even when she'd been living under her family's roof. She wasn't used to sharing the same living space with anyone, even part time, and she definitely wasn't used to waking up in the same bed with the same person most mornings. Sam didn't do sleepovers. In fact, she usually didn't do anything that qualified as something more than a one night stand. That is until Nick, apparently.
She was only a little bit bitter about that.
Yes, she’d finally become a cliche. She’d become the kind of girl who met some guy with nice eyes and a smile that made your knees actually weak, and she started to change parts of her lifestyle. It was just little things at first. She didn’t do things like go on real dates, either, but she had with him. Actual dinner and a movie dates, as gross as that was. Then she’d started inviting him over to her place regularly, and she’d eventually gotten pretty accustomed to not sleeping alone. She’d even started leaving a toothbrush at his place, whenever they ended up crashing there. It was all very domestic and...
normal.
Nick was a good guy. She hadn’t expected that, when they’d first met, but first impressions weren’t always correct, no matter who you worked for. He was also surprisingly charming, because she’d like to think that under any other circumstances with anyone else, it would have taken a lot more for her to say yes to that first date, when he’d finally asked. Sure, she’d still made him sweat a little, but the truth was, she was already embarrassingly into him. Maybe it just took the right person to make you soften around the edges. As much as Samantha was still a shark with a lot of walls up in her job, she’d let Nick in a long time ago.
The sleeping thing, though. The sleeping thing she was still getting used to. Mostly because Samantha had never been a very good sleeper in the first place, she knew she often tossed and turned all night, and that was when she wasn’t just awake until all hours with insomnia. It was weird to share a bed with someone who didn’t seem to have her problem, or at least, whenever she was awake, he still seemed to be fast asleep, and for at least a few hours at a time. Here she was, it was almost seven in the morning and she’d already been awake for at least an hour, just lying in bed staring at the ceiling while he slept soundly next to her. It was fascinating. And, honestly, a little cute. God, she really was turning into a sap.
Huffing quietly in frustration because her stupid brain wouldn’t let her go back to sleep, Samantha rolled over onto her side facing toward him. He just looked so peaceful, she didn’t know how he managed it. Pushing herself gently up by her elbows, Samantha got a little bit closer until she was more or less hovering over him, peering down at him curiously. If he woke up right now, this would be hard to explain.
It was the shift of the mattress when she turned that finally started pulling Nick out of sleep.
Sleeping with someone else hadn't exactly been normal for him either; he hadn't expected flirting with some cute girl that walked into the boss's office to turn into waking up next to her in the morning a few months down the line. Nick didn't have the kind of job where you got to go home to a cute girl who kept a toothbrush in your bathroom every night... not that he and Sam ended up together every night. More nights than he'd ever expected to be comfortable with though. Something about Sam softened the edges and made Nick think sometimes, in the quiet moments, that this was something he could do after all.
The twitch of his lips gave him away before he even opened his eyes. He could feel the heat of her body closer than it would have been if she'd just been laying in bed next to him. Being watched while he slept should have been a little creepy but god it was adorable when she did it. There was a chance that she could have been looking for the opportunity to murder him in his sleep but after three months Nick was pretty sure he could take his chances with that.
His smile was just as soft around the edges as she made him and barely there at all. He didn't have the energy for a real one yet, while the world was still foggy and not quite real. "See something you like?" His voice was rough with sleep and still mostly a mumble. "If you're looking for intelligent life you're in the wrong bed."
Samantha had started to notice a change in his breathing patterns right before his lips twitched, but that could have just been him coming out of his last REM cycle. Samantha was a keen observer by nature, it’s part of what made her such a good P.I., though it was also true that she noticed more about Nick than she did most other people. All of his little personality ticks, the tiny specks of green in his otherwise unfairly blue eyes, the way he breathed in his sleep. If the Sam from a year ago could have seen herself now, that Sam would have been embarrassed by just how grossly nauseating the thoughts in her head were right then, but Nick Bauer? He made her a little sappy. Just in her own head, though. Obviously.
She'd really tried to stop it at first. When she'd first realized that there was more between them than just a genuine physical attraction, she'd honestly tried to stay away. She’d told herself over and over again that getting involved with him would be a huge mistake, that mixing business and pleasure always ended badly no matter the situation. Even after his boss had been cleared, she still could have found a thousand more reasons why she should have said no when he'd eventually asked her out. Her own boss would probably still have her hide for getting involved with someone from a previous case, but in the end, Samantha just couldn't seem to help herself when it came to him. Everyone had a weakness, even her.
If she didn’t admit it out loud, it was almost like that weakness didn’t count, right?
Almost as if in answer, that soft smile on his face caused an involuntary one to spread slowly across hers, her own only widening as he mumbled at her incoherently. She might not be much of a morning person, but with Nick, that didn't seem to matter. One, because he was pretty out of it first thing in the mornings anyway, and two, along with the previously mentioned nauseating grossness, his mumbling was pretty cute. Lowering her head closer to his ear she whispered teasingly, “I've known that since the day we met.” Yes, apparently Samantha Ellis was capable of being playful too. Hell had officially frozen over.
Nick's laugh was barely a breath but it still make the outer corners of his eyes wrinkle. "Ow." He didn't even regret setting himself up for that one; her breath was warm against his ear and he figured he'd set himself up for way worse than that just to draw that teasing tone out of her, especially this early in the morning. Waking up was always a little more rewarding when he was waking up with Sam there as a reminder that there was something in his life that was worth waking up for at all now.
Unintentionally dark. It wasn't like Nick had been in some kind of despair before he met Sam. It was just that she made him happy enough to realize that he hadn't had all that much going on that made him happy at all before. Not like he did now. Not like he did with her here in the bed with him and knowing that there was a good chance that they were going to find some excuse to see each other again that night. Not that they needed an excuse. They were two grown adults and if they wanted to see each other almost all the time then there was nothing saying that they couldn't. He got the feeling that Sam wasn't any more used to wanting that from someone than he was though. Maybe the two of them weren't all that good at this but Nick thought that they were getting better at it all the time.
"Can't get up," he told her. "Nicked an artery with that one. Only one thing can save me now."
Just in case she had some kind of doubt about what that one thing was, Nick tilted his chin up and puckered his lips in the most ridiculous kissy face he could manage when he was still half asleep... or maybe that just made the ridiculous kissy face an extra level of ridiculous. If Nick was a little more awake he might not have been relaxed and silly enough for something like that. If he'd been waking up next to anyone else he definitely wouldn't have relaxed so easily into teasing and playing, especially not until he was awake enough to be completely conscious of the game that he was playing. This was Sam though and somehow Sam had started to mean safety and Sam had started to mean that it was okay to let go of a little of that dignity and be the kind of guy who acted a little ridiculous sometimes.
He couldn't see the mock look of judgment she fixed on him with his eyes still closed, but that was okay. It was still pretty cheesy what he did, sure, and with anyone else the look she shot him probably would have been more genuine than playful, but apparently not with Nick. She found the look on his face completely and utterly ridiculous, but that didn't make her want him any less. It was actually pretty disgusting how much she still wanted him after seeing something like that.
There was still a small part of her that warned her constantly not to drop her guard the way she frequently did with him, but the crazy thing was, it was the bigger part of her that wanted to. Trust didn't come easily to her, it never had, but Nick had somehow managed to blow right through most of her defenses once she'd made the conscious decision to let him in. Making that decision for herself alone had been huge, not that she'd ever said as much t him, but she had a feeling that this might be as new to him as it was to her, and that was at least comforting. It made her feel a little less self conscious about really letting go with him.
Smiling coyly, Sam leaned away from his ear and pushed herself back up into an easier position to hover over him, making a show of playing along and slowly lowering her head until their lips were mere centimeters apart. He could probably feel her breath on him as well as the ends of her hair tickling his face, long enough that they were forming a curtain on either side of his head.
This close to him, it was always tempting to just give in and kiss him, but that would be giving up the game too easily. After half a second where it seemed like she was going to close the distance between them and ‘cure’ him with her kiss, she suddenly rolled away from him and onto her side again, her back to him as she bit back a grin. “Maybe later, if you survive your injuries.”
The thing about Sam was that Nick was never quite sure what he was going to get; maybe that was what was making this work in spite of everything in its way and even though nothing had ever worked out before. He wondered if she was going to kiss him right up until the second she rolled away and left him to groan, the smile on his face a little more actual smile and less exhausted twitch of his lips. "You drive a hard bargain." Nick relaxed, body going limp enough that he could almost be falling back asleep...
Until he was rolling over and slinging an arm over her side, hauling her back against him. His lips found the curve of her ear. "What d'ya know, looks like I'm all healed up."
He spread his hand over her stomach and smoothed it down to her hip, curling his body around hers to fit them together even more perfectly. If he'd been a little better with words or a little more sure that what he was thinking wouldn't sound completely stupid out loud, he might have said that they fit like they were made for each other. There was only so far he could go when it came to being that little bit soppy and ridiculous though.
Maybe someday. If she was still around in another few months.
“Imagine that,” Samantha responded with a sly smile that he couldn’t see. She was good at reading people, half of her job was anticipating a stranger’s next move, and Nick? He was easy to read. She figured that’s exactly what he was going to do, but the real surprise was that instead of turning the tables on him again, she just let it happen. The more time they spent together, the less Sam felt the need to play the sort of games where she always landed on top. Well. Depending on the game they were playing.
The smile on her face only spread further as he got comfortable against her, unable to stop herself from shivering a little at the touch of his lips to her ear. Any other man and Samantha might resent that she’d actually let him learn some of her weaknesses, but with Nick, she just couldn’t find it in herself to get too mad about it. It was good with Nick, good enough that she always found herself coming back for more. Another first in a long line of firsts for her with him. Samantha Ellis, who usually got bored with a guy the second she knew what he was like in bed, couldn’t seem to get enough of being in bed with Nick.
It was increasingly hard not to think about giving up the charade and just kissing him, especially once their bodies were fit so closely together. It didn’t help that she was only wearing boxers and a tank top, which just made her want to retreat even more into the warmth of his body and away from the cold morning air. Finding the hand on her hip and entwining their fingers together, Samantha craned her head back towards him so that their noses were just barely touching. “What are you going to do about it?”
Nick wasn't wearing much more than she was but he'd always run warm; his body was a furnace against hers. If Sam wanted to get away from him Nick didn't imagine that there was much that he could do to hold her still no matter how much larger than her he might be—and that might not have been much in height but as far as bulk went he had her beat by plenty. Nick was a bull in a china shop compared to the woman in his arms and yet he had no doubt that between the two of them a fight would be a hell of a lot more even than anyone might expect on first sight.
Not that there'd been much call for them to fight yet aside from the normal couple kinds of things about who left the toilet seat in what position and whose shoes were left right where anyone could trip over them. Not that Nick had ever kept anyone around long enough to have that kind of fight with before but he assumed it was normal if you were judging by sitcoms on TV.
"Think I'm gonna have to claim my prize," he told her with a face as straight as he could manage. They both knew that wasn't how they thought of her; he assumed she did at least. He couldn't imagine Sam putting up with a man who actually treated her like one or a man who said that kind of thing and meant it. Strange as it was Nick thought that maybe they trusted each other enough to joke about the kind of thing that they'd never actually accept in a relationship. He guessed he'd see if she kicked him instead of letting him have the kiss that he was leaning in for.
Sam kissed him readily, not bothered by the slightly awkward angle of it while she was still mostly turned away from him, with only her head craning back to meet his. She was already being lured in by the enticing heat of his body, thoroughly enjoying the way he felt against her shamelessly and making no secret of it in the way she curled her own body back against his while finding a comfortable enough angle to reach his mouth without pulling a neck muscle. That would really get in the way of things.
Kissing Nick was always one of her favorite ways to pass the time. Not that she didn’t enjoy spending time with him doing other things, but for all that Samantha thought she’d evolved a little since they’d gotten together, talking still wasn’t her strongest point. At least when it came to being sincere. She could talk circles around just about anybody if she was hell bent on using her words against them, otherwise she'd always been better at showing how she felt instead of telling, and that hadn’t changed just because they’d found a way to each other that seemed to stick.
Because of the angle of the kiss it still wasn’t the most on target, but she was able to slide her lips teasingly against his until she found enough purchase in order to slot their mouths together and softly press into it. She was lying down and somehow she still already felt a little light headed, and like her skin was tingling from the way his entire body was wrapped around hers as their lips made contact.
Objectively it wasn't the world's best kiss. Nick knew that if he was feeling the strain from it then Sam had to be even more uncomfortable, twisted like she was. It shouldn't have been ideal in the least but for Nick it was pretty near perfect.
When she pressed into the kiss he followed her lead, lips gentle against hers. That was another thing that he'd never done much of before, those gentle kisses that weren't meant to demand anything or lead into anything. Nick didn't even know if they'd have time for anything if they did get started but that didn't matter. There'd be time later; right now all he cared about was this kiss and this moment. He wrapped his arm around her even more securely, twisting and propping himself up on the elbow pressed into the bed enough that she wouldn't have to turn quite so far herself. Lazy morning kisses meant working together.
That was something else he hadn't learned until now. He was kind of a fan of them, honestly. He could stand to do a little more of it—or a lot more of it. As much more of it as Sam would let him get away with before she pushed him aside to get up and start her day.
His hand at her hip crept back up her stomach again and then even further than that, over her ribcage and cupping her breast through the tank that she was sleeping in. So maybe he cared about a little more than just kissing but she was warm and comfortable and her lips felt perfect against his no matter how off-center the kiss might be.
Samantha had grown to appreciate the small things too, lazy morning kisses being one of them. Before she’d met Nick, it took nothing short of an act of God just to get her to sit still for more than two seconds. She was always on the move, always had somewhere to be. Technically, she still had somewhere to be, she was supposed to go into the office this morning. She could get away with being a little late, though.
... Or a lot late. The kissing had already been nice enough, but as soon as she felt Nick’s hand smoothing over the tender area of her ribcage and onto her breast, Sam’s priorities immediately shifted. A small noise escaped the back of her throat and died on her lips as she pressed a little more insistently into the kiss now that she wasn’t kissing him at such an awkward angle. For someone who didn’t make it a habit of working with anyone else professionally, she and Nick were pretty good at teamwork. At least when it came to this, and she’d take it. She’d never met anyone else who kissed her the way that Nick did.
Pulling lazily at his bottom lip, Samantha ran her hand down the length of his arm and back up to wrap her hand around the back of his neck, enjoying the closeness while also keenly interested in the suggestion his hands were making. Not much was worth being late to work for her, but this always was. Breaking the kiss momentarily, Samantha smiled wickedly against his lips, already having made up her mind. “Not sure we discussed the fine print of your winnings. We can make it up as we go, though.”
“I love winging it,” Nick muttered against her mouth. Not true usually. Nick would be pretty damn bad at his job if he didn't have plans A through Z mapped out in case something went wrong. With this though, with Sam, he was learning to relax and take it as it came. If that meant a little making out and then thinking about her all day he'd look forward to the night ahead of him. If that meant having to skip a few steps when it came to getting ready for work so he wasn't running too far behind… she was worth it. This was worth it.
That little noise she'd made had him thinking that option number two was a little more likely. They both had self control. They could stop if they really had to. It was just that Nick really didn't see much of a reason. There was time. Not much of it but still time. And there was definitely precedent for it being pretty important to enjoy those little moments while he had them. Not that there'd been many of those before.
Nick's hand didn't move from where it had settled. If he'd been a little less interested in getting back to kissing he might have made some kind of crack about a point for negotiation when he teased her nipple through the thin fabric. It would have been a pretty good line and he was hoping it was as persuasive as he thought. Since he really was more interested in kissing her more deeply this time, lips parting against hers, he skipped the quip. He figured that was a more persuasive use of his tongue anyway.