Chapter Text
The kiss was heated and intense, yet oddly familiar. It was perfect. Angelica might have let it go on forever if Alex hadn't pulled away and given her the ability to think again.
"What are you…?" She spluttered, taking a step back from Alex, her brows knitting together. "What are you doing?"
Alex frowned.
"I love you." He said, as though this was something that Angelica should have known. Angelica felt her face heat up. She stared at him in disbelief. "I moved because I thought you'd never feel the same way and I was wasting my life waiting for you, but then you sent me that playlist last night, and I…"
"What playlist?" Angelica asked.
Alex's face fell.
"Jesus Christ." He mumbled. "Jesus Christ, don't tell me that Peggy sent that playlist just to fuck with me."
"Alex." Angelica interjected.
"I'm sorry." Alex continued as though she hadn't said a word. He wouldn't look her in the eyes. He shook his head, his eyes trained on the ground. "This is why I fucking left in the first place. I'm sorry. I'll just…"
He started for the door.
"Alex!" Angelica objected a second time. "I love you too."
Alex froze. He didn't turn around, but he'd at least stopped before he made Angelica profess her love for him in front of the entire building. It was bad enough having to have this conversation in front of all of her staff. She could only imagine the conversation taking place on Teams at the moment.
"I love you too," She repeated for good measure. "But I got really drunk last night and I lost my phone, so I have no idea what playlist you're talking about."
Alex finally turned around. He ran a hand through his hair and ventured a small, fragile smile.
"Whitney Huston." He replied. "I Will Always Love You."
Flashbacks from the night before spun around Angelica's mind. She remembered hearing that song at one point during the night. She remembered the way that it made her heart ache.
"Yeah." She admitted sheepishly. "I think that might have been me."
Alex's smile widened.
"Do you want to go out for coffee?" He asked. "I know you're probably busy, but uh…"
"Oh my god, I already cancelled your appointments for the day, just go!" Madge shouted from the back offices.
Angelica looked over her shoulder. She didn't see any of the staffers, but had no doubt they were all listening from around the corner, just out of sight. When she turned to look at Alex again, he was smiling that smile that she loved. Angelica found herself smiling, too.
As soon as they were beyond the bustle of the senate buildings, Alex pulled Angelica in for another kiss. His lips were soft but insistent against hers. His arm circled her waist, pulling her into him tightly. Angelica could feel the warmth radiating off of his body. His tongue found its way past her lips, brushing against hers, tentative at first, then just as insistent as his lips.
Angelica's head was spinning. She could think only of the way that his arms felt around her and the way that his tongue moved in and out of her mouth, a heated assurance of more to come. She kissed him back, placing her hands on those biceps of his.
A car honked behind them, startling them both back into reality. Angelica felt her face redden as she realized how very public their surroundings were. She'd never been one for public displays of affection before, but Alex had made a good case for it. Alex looked down at her, seemingly unashamed. His face was reddened and his breathing was ragged. Despite this, his mouth curved into the most devastating grin. His arm tightened around her waist. Angelica bit her bottom lip, already forgetting that there were people walking all around them on the sidewalk.
"Where do you live now?" Alex asked, his voice a low rumble.
Goosebumps erupted across Angelica's skin.
"I thought that we were going for coffee." She replied unsteadily.
"I don't want coffee." Alex responded. He leaned forward, his lips grazing Angelica's ear. God, why hadn't they done this sooner? Why hadn't they done this years sooner? "Do you?"
"Alex." She objected lightly.
Alex pulled back to meet her eyes. His pupils were wide-blown with lust. His lips were plump and bruised from the kiss. It only made Angelica want to kiss him some more. Still, she forced herself to resist that particular temptation, at least until she'd had the opportunity to discuss a few things with him first.
"When I was at your old place helping you move out." She started, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Alex removed his arm from her waist, shoving his hands into his pockets. His lips thinned out into a straight line and his eyes narrowed as he focused on her. Angelica loved the way that he could focus on something so intently, even when he would obviously rather be doing something else. "Your roommate told me that you had commitment issues. Mary told me that, too. I, um, I'm not asking you to propose to me or anything like that, but, um, I think that until we get some definitions on this, we should take things slow. This feels too big to fuck up. I really don't want to fuck it up."
There was nothing that she would love more than to drag Alex up to her apartment, push him down on the bed and fuck him senseless. As she spoke, she considered telling him that she had changed his mind and she'd pay for the cab. However, she knew that this was something far too special to ruin. She'd spent years loving this man from afar. Now that she had the opportunity to love him the way she'd always wanted, she did not want to move too fast.
"Hm." Alex considered this, tilting his head to the side. His mouth curved downwards. "That's what John told you, huh? Son of a bitch."
"I asked." Angelica objected, matching his frown. "And it doesn't matter who told me - I want to make sure that we start on solid footing before we add any…extras."
Alex arched an eyebrow, his smile returning.
"Extras?" He echoed.
Angelica rolled her eyes, smiling against her will.
"Shut up." She commanded him without any severity. She nudged his shoulder with hers. "You're going to take me out to dinner tonight. It's going to be a real date. You're going to pick me up at my apartment - I'll send you my new address - and you're going to say goodnight to me at the door."
Alex's expression turned sheepish.
"I don't really have a place to stay tonight." He confessed. "I didn't put too much planning into this trip - I just got your playlist and took off for D.C."
Angelica could feel a smile spreading across her face. She didn't care. She was no longer concerned about betraying her feelings in front of Alex. Now, she was perfectly content for him to see how much she absolutely adored him.
"Fine." She said, her smile betraying any authority that her voice may have been trying to convey. "Then you are going to take me out to dinner tonight. You're going to pick me up at my apartment and you are going to sleep on my couch."
"Hm." Alex considered this. "If I proposed to you right now, would I qualify for the 'extras'?"
Angelica rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Pick me up at six." She told him. She didn't wait for an answer. She started for her apartment building, smiling to herself. Giddiness bubbled up inside her chest like champagne.
"What am I supposed to do until then?" Alex called after her. Angelica looked over her shoulder. He was grinning wider than she'd ever seen. He was lit up like a Christmas tree in the middle of an otherwise very gray city.
Angelica, too, felt brighter than she had in years.
"It's a big city." She called back. She didn't care that people were beginning to stare at them. Let them stare. She had nothing to hide. "You'll find something to do!"
She heard Alex's laugh as she started back down the street.
Alex showed up at Angelica's apartment at five forty-five. He brought flowers and Angelica's favorite brand of champagne. He hadn't changed his clothes - Angelica might have judged him for this, had she not known that he did not have an extra set of clothes to change into.
"I couldn't wait any longer." He'd explained with a rueful smile that made Angelica's heart swell.
He'd looked her over as he stepped into the apartment. Angelica had worn a short black suede dress that lazily draped itself over her every curve. It was her favorite dress, one she saved for the dates that she really liked. It had yet to fail her. Judging from the way that Alex swallowed hard, she knew that it would not fail her tonight.
She'd put the flowers in water. Her Dollar Store vase - a necessity she'd begrudgingly bought to house the flowers that her first dates brought her - hardly seemed an appropriate vessel. She would have to buy a proper vase for the flowers that Alex would bring her in the future. She had a feeling that he would send her plenty of flowers in the weeks, the months, the years to come.
Once the flowers were in water, the champagne was in the fridge, and Alex tore his eyes away from Angelica's body, he asked if she would be able to walk to the restaurant in the heels she'd chosen for the night. They were precarious but undeniably beautiful open-toed Manolos with an ankle strap thin enough for Angelica to slip a small roll of gauze in her purse, just in case. Still, walking meant more one-on-one time with Alex. Angelica would risk breaking her ankles for him.
"I just might need to hold onto you to keep my balance." She said, smiling as her cheeks heated up. She bit her lip as she grabbed her purse off of the counter. "And we'll need to take the elevator."
"Hold me as tight as you want." Alex rumbled, wrapping his arm around Angelica's waist as they started out the door. Angelica leaned against him, inhaling the warm smell of his cologne.
Angelica would have laughed if anyone else had said it, but it wasn't funny coming from Alex's lips.
They walked in silence for a moment. Angelica was happy to enjoy the feeling of Alex's arm around her. Alex seemed lost in his own thoughts. Angelica had no doubt that his mind was a loud place on the best of days - today, it was probably deafening.
"So," Alex was the one to break the silence first. He crooked a smile as he looked down at Angelica. It was a painfully sweet smile, one that sent Angelica's heart racing. "When did you know?"
"When did I know what?" Angelica asked, quirking a brow.
"When did you know that you loved me?" Alex persisted.
Angelica inhaled sharply, caught between the exhilarating thrill of finally being able to discuss this and the heart wrenching reminder of all of the years that she had wasted loving him in silence.
"You first." She responded. She still could not quite believe that Alex loved her back. She needed proof, details. She needed to know if she had loved him first, or if he had preempted her.
Alex chuckled.
"That St. Patrick's Day when you were still working in Clinton's office." He replied. He smiled at her affectionately. Angelica's breath caught in her throat. She returned his smile, lacing her hand through his. It felt absurdly indulgent, being able to touch him like this. "Watching you take shots in between arguments about policies…I could've watched you forever."
Angelica looked him over, wrinkling her nose.
"I don't know if I should be flattered or offended." She teased him.
"Both, probably." Alex admitted, grinning. "Now, come on. When did you know that you loved me?"
Angelica considered telling him that she knew much, much later than he did, but she found that she didn't want to lie to him. She wanted to share everything with him, even the embarrassing stuff.
"That first gala you brought me to." She confessed. She looked up at him, smiling wryly. "I invited you up to my apartment on St. Patrick's Day. I thought we were going to have sex. You made me do budgeting, instead. I think I'd have rather had the sex."
"Me too." Alex agreed lightly. "You don't know how many times I almost…how many times I thought about going over to your place after work with a bottle of wine and telling you how I felt. God, that night that Peggy brought over that moonshine and you kissed me, I…"
"Wait, what?" Angelica stopped, looking at Alex in surprise. "I didn't kiss you that night."
"Yes, you did." Alex argued.
"I think that I would remember kissing you." Angelica said, shaking her head.
"And I would remember kissing you." Alex countered. "We were both shitfaced, but maybe you were more than I was. I just can't believe you don't remember any of it. You called me cute, you climbed in my lap, and you kissed me."
"Oh my god." Angelica said, frowning. "We didn't…?"
"No." Alex replied quickly. His cheeks colored. "I knew you were drunk. I won't say that I didn't want to, but not like that. I'd rather you remember it."
Angelica felt her own cheeks heat up.
When she finally had sex with Alex, she wanted to remember it, too. She had the distinct feeling that Alex would make the occasion plenty memorable.
"Why didn't you tell me that it happened the next morning?" She asked, rather than focusing on all of the ways that Alex would make sex memorable.
Alex looked down, frowning. Angelica nudged his shoulder with hers. They continued walking, their pace slow.
"I guess I was afraid you'd say that it was just a drunken mistake. I wasn't ready to find out that I cared about you more than you cared about me." He admitted.
"I can understand that." Angelica said, smiling up at him. "I tried to talk myself into telling you how much I loved you at least a dozen times, but the president was always calling you, or you had a gorgeous blonde girlfriend that made me feel like a swamp monster in comparison, or the president's stupid dog got loose…"
Alex barked out a laugh.
"Right. Natasha." He chuckled, amused. "She's, uh, she's a lesbian."
"What?" Angelica looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah, we never really dated." Alex admitted, his amusement fading into sheepishness. "She just pretended to be my girlfriend because you were dating Henry and I didn't want you to think that I was some pathetic loser who was pining for you. Besides, she needed an excuse to blow off all of the men who try to hit on her at all those stupid charity events."
"Oh my god." Angelica said, looking at him in a combination of irritation and amusement. "I was so jealous of her."
"Yeah, well, I was jealous of Henry." Alex shot back, his smile returning. "He isn't gay, is he?"
"No." Angelica couldn't hide her amusement. God, she loved this ridiculous man. "Sorry."
Alex gestured towards a restaurant a few feet away. Angelica followed him towards it.
"Hang on." Alex stopped short just before they reached the restaurant.
Angelica looked at him, her mouth tugging down into a frown.
Alex's hand tightened around hers as he leaned forward. His free hand rose to cradle the back of her head as he pressed his lips to hers. Angelica's eyes fluttered closed as he pressed a series of kisses to her lips that were both chaste and shockingly erotic all at once.
"I love you." He murmured as he pulled away. His hand remained in place for just a second longer as he gazed at her. Angelica resisted the urge to fidget under his gaze. He smiled softly. "Let's go to dinner."
Angelica bit her lip and followed Alex towards the restaurant.
Once they were seated and had ordered their dinner, Angelica turned to regard Alex with an expectant smile. He smiled back at her, one brow arched inquisitively.
"What?" He asked.
"I'm waiting." Angelica replied, as though it were perfectly obvious.
Alex's smile faded.
"Waiting for what?" He asked.
Angelica shook her head vaguely.
"An apology." She replied.
"All right." Alex responded gamely. "I apologize. What for?"
"For leaving the city without telling me that you liked me and for ignoring me once you were gone." Angelica replied, arching an eyebrow. "I thought that I didn't mean anything to you. You sure acted like it."
Alex's brows furrowed.
"Didn't mean anything to…?" He echoed in disbelief. He shook his head. "Angelica, I left because I was constantly on the verge of tearing my fucking heart out of my chest. It was killing me to pretend that I was happy just being your friend while you dated assholes who weren't anywhere near good enough for you. I had to get away from you. I thought that you'd never love me the way that I loved you and I needed to give myself a chance to move on."
"Why didn't you just tell me how you felt? I don't think I was being subtle about liking you. We almost kissed, like, one hundred times." Angelica argued.
"You also told everyone - my family, your friends, Natasha, me - that we were just friends and there was nothing romantic about our relationship." Alex reminded her, looking at her pointedly. "What was I supposed to think?"
"Well," She said, hoping that she was not wrecking their date before it had even begun. "For someone who was in love with me for years, you sure didn't wait around."
Alex raised his eyebrows. After a beat, an amused smile spread across his face.
"Neither did you." He reminded her. "I already told you, Natasha and I were never…we didn't see each other that way. You, though, you dated Henry, Jack, and all of those Tinder guys that you were always talking about. You were busy."
Angelica rolled her eyes.
"Jack and I never dated. We went to the inaugural ball together once. That was it." She reminded him. "And you and I both know that I went on maybe a handful of Tinder dates and they were all a disaster. From what I've heard, though, you were sleeping around D.C. from the time you arrived to the day you left. I saw some pictures of you out with other people in New York, too."
Alex cocked his head to the side.
"Are you slut-shaming me?" He asked, amused.
Angelica narrowly resisted the urge to roll her eyes again.
"Alex." She pressed.
"What do you want me to say?" He asked, leaning back in his chair. He didn't look away from her as the waiter deposited their drinks in front of them. "I'm decent-looking and I make a good salary. I had a stressful job. I enjoy sex and there are enough people in the city that it wasn't too difficult for me to find willing partners. I'm assuming that you weren't entirely abstinent while I was whoring around D.C."
Angelica did not resist rolling her eyes this time.
"I didn't say that you were whoring around." She objected.
Alex grinned.
"Didn't you?" He countered.
Angelica huffed and took a sip from her drink. She leaned forward, meeting Alex's gaze again.
"How do I know that this isn't that?" She finally asked. "I won't just be another notch in your bedpost. I can't be."
Alex's smile evaporated.
"Angelica, I love you." He said, all traces of amusement gone. "I can be accused of a lot of things, but I'm not a liar. I've never told someone that I love them just to fuck them. I don't think I've ever told someone that I love them, period. I want to have sex with you. I won't lie about that, either. I've thought about it for four years and I would chew off my left hand for ten minutes with you in bed, but if you want to take things slow, we'll take things slow."
Angelica felt her face color. She took another sip of her drink, giving herself time to consider how to respond to Alex's honesty.
"I don't know that I'd want to fuck someone who just chewed off their left hand." She remarked dryly.
Alex grinned.
"Do you have a girlfriend back in New York?" Angelica asked, fidgeting with her drink stirrer.
She thought of the faceless woman with the dark, curly hair. She thought about the way that Alex's arm had been snaked around her waist, a possessive gesture for all the world to see.
"No." Alex replied without hesitation. "I don't know that I've had a girlfriend since college."
"A boyfriend, then?" Angelica was just torturing herself, now. She looked up from her drink and cocked her head to the side.
Alex exhaled.
"No," He said. "No boyfriends, either."
"I, um…" Angelica dropped her eyes back down to her drink. "If we do this, I would want to be exclusive. I don't think that I can date you casually. I don't think that I can deal with hearing that you've been…"
"I agree." Alex agreed immediately. "No one else."
Relief bloomed in Angelica's chest.
"Good." She said. She spotted the waiter approaching them with their food. "Now that that's taken care of, have you been keeping up with The Ancient Scribe of Dew Grass, or do I need to get you up to speed?"
After dinner, Angelica and Alex returned to her apartment. The air between them crackled with electricity as Angelica struggled to remind herself that she wanted to take things slow with him. Sure, she knew him better than she knew herself, but she'd only gotten to know him as his friend. She needed more definition to their relationship. She needed to know what she was getting herself into.
"I'll go get settled on the couch." Alex murmured as they lingered in the doorway. He glanced in the direction of the couch. Angelica followed his gaze, reminding herself that this was for the best. "I, uh, I had fun tonight."
Angelica's heart jumped up to her throat, thumping at a reckless rate.
"Me, too." She agreed with a wry smile.
She wrapped her hand around the lapel of his jacket and tugged him forward. Alex grinned and leaned forward, placing one hand on the doorframe by Angelica's head. Angelica ran a hand through Alex's hair as their lips met. Alex let out a small groan. Angelica's breathing quickened.
Let him sleep on the couch, she reminded herself as his tongue brushed against hers.
Let him sleep on the couch, she reminded herself as his free hand found its way to her waist, gripping it possessively.
Let him sleep on the couch, she reminded herself when that hand slid its way up the length of her body and slipped the flimsy dress straps from her shoulders, exposing the curve of her breasts.
Let him sleep on the couch, she reminded herself as he moved his lips down to the sensitive skin of her neck.
Let him sleep on the couch, she reminded herself as his fingers brushed against the swell of her breast.
Oh hell, she thought as his lips followed the same path as his fingers.
She closed her eyes and tipped her head back against the door as his wandering hand brushed the last remaining piece of fabric away from her breasts. She bit her lip as she felt his breath against the sensitive skin. Her knees buckled when he pressed a gentle kiss on her nipple. Alex dropped his hand from the doorway and wrapped it around Angelica's waist, supporting her weight. Angelica tried to bite back a moan as he swirled his tongue around her nipple.
Alex's free hand slid up her thigh as he kissed at Angelica's breast. Angelica let out a ragged breath, but did not make any move to stop him. She bit down on her bottom lip as his hand slipped up under her dress, his fingers tracing along her panty line.
Oh god, she thought as the palm of Alex's hand pressed against her clit through the cotton of her panties. Let him sleep wherever the fuck he wants.
Alex's hand eased her panties down her thighs. Angelica knees wobbled beneath her. Alex kissed across Angelica's chest until he reached the breast that had, until now, been neglected in favor of the other. His breathing was ragged against her skin.
His palm continued to apply pressure to her clit as his middle finger circled her opening. Angelica knew that she was already wet - she could feel Alex's fingers growing slicker with each circle.
He pressed the tip of his middle finger into her entrance, his intentions unmistakable. This time, a moan slipped through Angelica's lips unimpeded. Encouraged, Alex used the heel of his hand to rub against Angelica's clit as his finger slid into her.
"Alex." She whined, rolling her hips.
She didn't know what she was asking of him, but he seemed to. He licked a stripe over Angelica's nipple, sending another inhuman sound tearing from her throat, before dropping to his knees.
He didn't give her the time to overthink it. The hand supporting her moved around her waist, pinning her to the door. He carefully removed his finger from her entrance and pulled her panties down to pool at her feet. He kissed each of her thighs in turn as he carefully unbuckled the thin straps of her shoes.
"I'm going to take these off." He rumbled, his voice unsteady. "They're sexy as hell, but I want you to enjoy this without worrying about your feet hurting. Is that okay?"
Angelica nodded, not opening her eyes. She was afraid of breaking the magic of the moment, afraid that she would overthink everything the moment she looked around.
"Angelica." Alex's voice was gravely, but stern. "Baby, I need you to tell me if you're okay with this."
"Yes." She rasped. She would have agreed to anything after hearing him call her 'baby'. She would have sold her soul to the devil and not given it a second thought. "Oh my god, yes."
That was all that he needed. He removed each shoe in turn, Angelica dutifully lifting each foot when instructed. He kissed each thigh as he worked. Once her shoes were off, his hand crept up the back of her left thigh. He seized the opportunity to grab her ass before pressing against the top of her thigh. He kissed the sensitive patch of skin between Angelica's thigh and her crotch as he did. Angelica's mouth fell open, her breathing growing more erratic by the second.
"Baby," Alex removed his lips from her skin after a second, his voice heavy. He was breathing unsteadily. He pressed his fingers into the soft flesh of her upper thigh. "Please. I want this over my shoulder."
Yes - yes to that, absolutely.
Angelica threw her left leg over Alex's shoulder, too aroused to even consider being embarrassed.
"Thank you." Alex hummed, pressing another kiss to her thigh.
Angelica didn't try to respond. She wasn't sure what words might fall out of her mouth. She wasn't sure that she remembered any words at the moment. And, anyway, it didn't matter. Alex shouldered her leg, hitching it up just enough, before ducking his head beneath her dress.
He pressed a kiss to Angelica's clit. Angelica rolled her hips, biting down hard on her bottom lip to keep from making too much noise. That quickly went out the window when Alex flattened his tongue against her, licking a long, hard stripe over her slit before returning his attention to her clit. Angelica let out a strangled moan, her knee wobbling beneath her.
She pushed her hand down to tangle in his hair as Alex began to do things with his tongue that seemed to defy biology. Angelica found herself moaning variations of his name without pause as he traced her clit, teased her entrance, and licked along the length of her.
The pleasure began to build in the pit of Angelica's stomach. This would be over quickly if Alex continued lavishing this attention on her like a man possessed. Angelica was torn between never wanting this to end and wanting more, wanting all of him.
"Alex." She gasped, trying her very best to return to reality. She cracked her eyes open, only to see that the room was spinning around her. She lifted her head off the door. "Alex, stop."
Alex froze. Angelica let out a small whine as he pulled away from her, removing his head from beneath her dress and looking up at her in confusion.
His hair was disheveled, his pupils were the size of dinner plates, his lips were glossy and swollen, and a large erection tented his pants between his legs.
"What's wrong?" He asked between heavy breaths. "Did I do something wrong?"
Angelica might have laughed, had she not been so desperate for him.
"I want you." She breathed, looking pointedly at the erection straining against his pants. "All of you."
"Christ." Alex dropped her leg from his shoulder and surged up to press her back against the door. He pressed his lips to hers roughly, his tongue tangling against hers. One hand tightened against her waist while the other palmed at her breast, causing another whimper to escape Angelica's lips. Alex pulled away after only a few brutal seconds. "You're so fucking perfect. I love you."
Angelica smiled at him dazedly.
"I love you." She replied.
"Bedroom?" Alex suggested, his mouth crooking into a dangerous smile.
Angelica nodded, not trusting herself to say much more.
Alex bent down and scooped her up in a fireman's carry. Angelica let out a small squeal of surprise, then dissolved into a burst of laughter as he carried her down the hall. He kicked open the bedroom door and set Angelica down on the bed, her legs dangling over the edge of the bed. He shrugged off his jacket, throwing it carelessly on the bedroom floor. Seconds later, his shirt followed. Angelica wriggled out of her dress, which had already been pulled halfway down her body by Alex, while Alex stepped out of his pants. Angelica sat up just enough to pull him in for another searing kiss. She scooted up the bed towards the headboard as he climbed onto the bed after her, both of them moving slowly enough to maintain the kiss. His erection brushed against her as he held his weight just above her.
Angelica wrapped her legs around his waist, earning a loud groan of approval from Alex. She rolled her hips against his, both of them letting out gasps at the sudden jolt of pleasure the movement caused, before shifting her weight to roll him onto his back. She sat astride him, smiling down at him dreamily. Alex placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her down for another kiss, his tongue pushing in and out of her mouth in a promise of what was to come. Angelica ground down on Alex, causing his breathing to stutter.
Angelica stopped the kiss only to lean over towards her nightstand. She opened the drawer and pulled out a small, foil packet. She handed it to Alex before pulling him in for another kiss.
Alex broke the kiss and gently tapped Angelica's hip. Angelica took the hint and crawled off of his lap, unable to take her eyes off of him as he peeled off his briefs. A wicked smile lit up her face. She was certainly in for a good time, judging from the size of him. Alex rolled on the condom with a practiced hand and gave himself a few indulgent strokes. His eyes fluttered shut and his mouth hung open and Angelica couldn't wait any longer. She needed to be the one to make his face look like that. She climbed back onto his lap, forcing his eyes to snap open again.
"Hey, baby." He said easily, almost lazily. Lust made him sound drunk. Angelica liked that very much.
"Hey." Angelica replied, leaning forward to kiss him again.
His hips rolled beneath her as her tongue wound around his. Angelica let out a small whimper, wriggling her hips against his before reaching back to take his dick in her hand. She held him as she lifted her hips and pressed back against him, easing him into her.
Alex let out a groan, throwing his head back against the pillow as Angelica lowered herself onto him. Her body didn't resist the intrusion at all, not with how slick and ready she was. He was fully inside her in seconds, her ass resting against his pelvis.
"Oh, god." Alex groaned, his hands running up the length of her body. He couldn't seem to decide if he wanted to hold her hips, fondle her breasts, or palm her clit. He variated between the three as Angelica sucked in a sharp breath and made a few experimental movements. As she lifted her hips and rolled back down on him, she achieved an angle that made her eyes roll back. She let out a moan and hastened to repeat the movement with more force.
Alex groaned, rolling his hips up into her as she pressed down onto him. They quickly settled into a fast, nearly violent rhythm, Angelica pushing down onto him as Alex thrust up into her.
"Baby," Alex rasped, sounding totally unlike the wry, composed individual that he usually was. "I'm not going to last much longer."
He reached down to rub Angelica's clit in time with their joint thrusts. Angelica threw her head back and moaned.
"Me neither." She agreed breathlessly.
Their pace quickened, each of them focused on their own base pleasure. After what felt like a few seconds and a few years simultaneously, Alex gave a few hard thrusts and let out a loud groan. Angelica slowed to a halt and leaned over, holding him through the aftershocks. When Alex recovered his senses, he wrapped his arms around Angelica and rolled them over. He pulled out of her, both of them wincing slightly, replacing his dick with his fingers. Angelica let out a sigh, throwing her head back as the pleasure that had been coiling in her abdomen returned. Alex leaned forward to kiss her neck as he pumped his digits in and out, the heel of his hand rubbing her clit.
"Alex," She whispered. "Alex, I'm going to…"
The remainder of her sentence morphed into a cry of pleasure as she hit her apex, all of the tension floating away from her body, bliss taking its place. Alex worked her through the orgasm, kissing and nipping her neck until Angelica slumped back against the pillows, boneless. Alex collapsed next to her.
They were both quiet for a moment, each of them regaining their breath and control of their limbs.
After a while, Alex inhaled deeply before sitting up. He removed the condom and tied it off. He looked at Angelica in askance.
"Where should I…?" He asked.
"Bathroom trash, across the hall." Angelica replied automatically.
"Thanks." Alex murmured, heaving himself off of the bed and leaving the room.
In his absence, Angelica stared at the ceiling, breathing heavily. She didn't regret not sticking to her 'take it slow' idea - sleeping with Alex had been even better than she'd imagined, and god, she had imagined - but she didn't quite know where to go from here.
Alex returned after a few minutes with two glasses of water. He set one on the nightstand beside Angelica before sitting at the edge of the bed. He afforded Angelica a grin.
"Do I still have to sleep on the couch tonight?" He asked.
Angelica let out a sigh and returned his smile.
"No." She replied with a small laugh. "You don't have to sleep on the couch tonight."
"I hope that I didn't pressure you into moving too fast. I didn't mean to - I swear, I meant to follow your instructions to a 't,' but then you kissed me and you were wearing that fucking dress, and I…" Alex rambled, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.
"You didn't pressure me." Angelica assured him. She hoisted herself off of the bed with great difficulty. She couldn't ignore the way that Alex's eyes swept over her naked form, taking everything in. "I don't know who I was kidding with that rule. I have been trying to get you into bed for four years."
Alex smiled vaguely as Angelica staggered to the bathroom to pee and brush her teeth before she fell asleep.
"I hope that you know, I don't usually put out on first dates." She added from the bathroom.
She heard Alex chuckle from the bedroom.
When she returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, he was still sitting on the edge of the bed. He watched as she slipped into her pajamas.
"I hope you know that I am serious about you." He said, his expression morphing into a serious one. He looked at her earnestly, his mouth curving into a slight frown. "I, uh, I mean, that was…Angelica, I won't lie to you, I think that was the best sex I've ever had, but that's not why I'm here. I want…everything. I want everything to do with you and I want to do everything with you."
Angelica smiled as she crawled into bed. She patted the empty space beside her, hoping that Alex would join her. He obliged her readily, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. Angelica closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She finally understood what it meant when people referred to their 'happy place'. Hers was Alex.
"I want that, too." She hummed. "Let's start with falling asleep together."
Angelica woke up in the middle of the night. She blinked against the darkness, waiting for her eyes to adjust. She turned to look at the unfamiliar hand grasping hers. When her eyes fell on Alex, she smiled. She could scarcely believe that he was here, fast asleep, in her bed. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, couldn't resist staring at the way his long eyelashes dusted his freckled cheeks.
She let out a small, satisfied smile before flopping back down against the pillows and pressing herself a bit closer to Alex and all of his glorious body heat. She felt Alex rouse from his sleep behind her. Before she could turn around, there was a hand on her waist and a pair of lips against his ear.
"Maybe you should've made me sleep on the couch after all." He murmured in her ear, his voice low and drowsy. "I don't know if I can be trusted to lay next to you all night long."
His hand drifted down to her flimsy cotton pajama shorts. Angelica let out a small gasp as his fingers pulled down the waistband.
"May I?" He asked, his fingers dancing across her bare skin, agonizingly close to the area she most wanted them.
Angelica looked over her shoulder at him, mustering what she was sure was a shaky smile.
"You’d better." She replied.
By the time Angelica's alarm went off the next morning, Angelica would estimate that she had slept a cumulative total of two and a half hours. She would also estimate that she had enjoyed seven orgasms. Alex had three. All in all, it had been a very good eight hours.
"Do you have to go to work today?" Alex asked, wrapping an arm around Angelica to prevent her from getting out of bed.
Angelica groaned but allowed him to pull her back against him.
"I have to go." She argued without much conviction. "I didn't get a single thing done yesterday. If I miss two days in a row, Madge is going to kill me."
"But if you stay home, we can stay in bed." Alex countered. Damn, he was good at arguing. "I could have meals delivered to your front door. We wouldn't even have to put clothes on - as a matter of fact, I'd forbid it."
Angelica rolled her eyes and struggled against his hold. She couldn't suppress a smile as she did.
"You should call work, too, shouldn't you?" She wondered, finally wriggling out of his grasp. She winked at him as he groaned and flopped back onto the pillows, throwing his arm over his eyes. "I'm sure that Wall Street is falling apart without you."
"Let it fall apart." Alex replied.
Angelica stepped into her closet, appraising her clothes for a moment before poking her head out of the closet. She eyed Alex, whose arm was still covering his eyes.
"What?" He asked after a moment.
"What?" Angelica echoed.
"You're staring at me." Alex accused her. "What are you staring at me for?"
"How did you know?" Angelica asked.
"Why are you staring at me?" Alex persisted, removing his arm from his eyes. He studied her for a moment. "What's wrong?"
Angelica knew better than to lie to him.
"Your job." She said, leaning against the doorway of her closet. She frowned.
"What about it?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrows.
Angelica sighed.
"Alex, when are we going to see each other? I'm in D.C. most of the time, and I can't commute from New York City to Albany when I'm up in New York. That would add hours - maybe days - to each trip. I don't have hours and I definitely don't have days." She explained.
"What do you want me to do? Do you want me to quit my job? I'll do it." Alex replied. He propped his head up to look at her better. There didn't seem to be a trace of sarcasm in his voice. His expression was entirely earnest. "I thought about it the entire time that I was driving down to D.C. If you want me in D.C., I'll use the connections I have left in the city to find something. If you want me in New York, I can talk to my boss about working remotely. If that's a no-go, I'll take PTO when you're in Albany. I've got two months' worth. It might run out before the year is over, but I figure there will be some weeks where you're too busy to want me hanging around your apartment and there's holiday weekends and bank holidays. I, uh, I'll do what I can to make this work, but to do that, I need to know what you want."
Angelica hadn't expected him to have already given the matter so much thought. Alex was the more impulsive of the two - Angelica had imagined that she would have to do most of the problem-solving, at least at the beginning.
"I did tell you that I was serious about this." Alex reminded her, flashing an amused, borderline arrogant smile that made Angelica roll her eyes.
"I can't ask you to give up your job." She remarked, returning to her closet to grab a blouse and a skirt. She grabbed her Marc Jacobs heels - the ones that did not send her into fits of agony after ten minutes of walking - and set to work getting dressed. "I know that your work is important to you. We're not really the type of people who give up jobs on a whim."
"You're not a whim." Alex replied firmly. "Look, I know that this job is not one that I'll have for the rest of my life. The money is good and the benefits are decent, but I worked for one of the most popular presidents in recent decades for eight years. I can find something equally rewarding without too much difficulty."
"I don't want to be selfish." Angelica huffed, poking her head into the bedroom to frown at Alex.
"I want you to be selfish." Alex argued.
"Alex, if I could spend every second of every day with you for the rest of my life, it wouldn't be enough for me." Angelica threw back, annoyed. "Is that selfish enough for you?"
Alex grinned.
"All right." He said. "I'll see what I can do about that."