The Dance A/U Part 1: Crash Into Me

...And Sweet To Roll

Santa Monica, California

February 2, 1997

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Stevie's bedroom was exactly how he imagined it would be. The lightning in the sky outside the windows illuminated the otherwise dark room every few seconds, and he could make out a huge Victorian four-poster bed that was so tall he wondered how five-foot-one Stevie climbed up into it every night. There was an open walk-in closet with a pile of clothing on the floor near the door, a big pink dog bed surrounded by stuffed toys, and several stacks of journals and sketch pads and a big wicker hamper filled with colorful yarn, various crochet hooks sticking out of the balls. It was clear that Stevie had made herself at home in Santa Monica in the short time she'd been back, and her bedroom was lived in, warm, a little old-fashioned and casual but beautiful. In a nutshell, it was Stevie.

Lindsey followed Stevie to the foot of the bed, where he took her in his arms again and kissed her gently, his hands cradling her face, and then she was slow to open her eyes when he was done, dizzy from the sensation of his mouth on hers. He was still holding her face in his hands as he said, "This is what I've been dreaming about since that weekend, angel."

"Me too." She smiled up at him, and even in the dark, her eyes gleamed. His hands moved on to her hair, brushing it gently away from her face and just taking a moment to admire her in the blue light of the storm outside the windows. Finally, she took his hand again and said, "Come to bed with me, sweetheart. It's been too long."

Lindsey nearly cried; he couldn't remember the last time she had called him sweetheart. He followed her around the four-poster bed to the side, where she sat down and then scrambled to the middle of the bed and beckoned him with her finger to join her, her other hand tugging him along with her by the collar of his shirt. Lindsey could barely contain his grin as he climbed onto the bed and backed her down onto the fluffy down bedding and crawled over her to kiss her again. Their mouths locked together in a kiss, hungrier and more passionate than the ones they had already shared since he'd been in her home, and her fingers laced together at the back of his neck as his hands began to travel up the sides of her body and to her hair.

Stevie sucked in a breath as his mouth moved to her neck, remembering how she loved for him to suckle her delicate skin and even leave a bite mark because, as she'd always said when they were together, it gave her something to remember him by when she looked in the mirror. He did just that, his teeth picking up just the tiniest bit of skin beneath her ear, moving her hair out of the way to sink into her neck and drink in the smell of her - a touch of gardenia but a warm, spicy perfume he couldn't name, different from what she'd worn years ago when she was still his, but somehow, as he brushed kisses with his lips and his tongue from her neck to her breasts, smelled inexplicably like home. He diligently began to undo the buttons of the emerald silk blouse she wore, thinking of how it reminded him of the nightgown she'd worn during "Twisted" that was just the same color. His lips followed his fingers as he kissed his way from the middle of her black lace bra down to her belly button, her hands tangled in his salt and pepper curls which she hoped he would keep natural this way as the gray came through.

Lindsey lingered for a moment when he reached her middle, turning his head and resting it for a moment on her, her fingers still playing with his hair. He whispered against her skin, "You have no idea how long I've been wanting this, Stephanie. I used to just sit and daydream about your skin, your hair, your beautiful eyes..." He lifted his head and kissed his way back up her body until he was looking into her eyes again. "Stephanie Lynn Nicks, I am so in love with you."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she reached up to run her fingers through his hair some more...God, she'd missed just being allowed to touch him...his hair, his face, his skin...