When he feels the change in her body, his arm snakes around her waist to hold keep her against him as he tumbles over the edge after her, following her lead with a groan. It feels like forever since he's felt anything like it - oh sure, there have been partners in the interim, girls he's liked and kissed and dated, but none of them have ever quite measured up to Natalie or the way she can make him feel.
His breath comes in soft pants as the warmth passes, holding onto her so he doesn't fall back against the seat in exhaustion. His hand falls from her hair, trailing from her neck and down her spine to settle on her hip. After a moment, he remembers her hands, and reaches up to unhook them, idly untying the fabric as he leans his head against hers.
Natalie slowly lets her hands drop, rubbing the marks left by the binds. She kisses him softly, resting her hands on his chest as they both recover from this afternoon's activities. "It's getting dark," she whispers against his lips.
"We should head back," she adds, nuzzling her nose against his. And clean up and curl up until tomorrow, when he can love her again before she leaves him with his heart in her hands. She's still catching her breath, not wanting to leave this position so soon, at least until he's ready.
"Are you sure we can't stay here?" he mumbles, finally leaning back against and pulling her with him. They can go back anytime; his place will always be there. Natalie, on the other hand, won't, and he doesn't want this to end too soon. "No one's missing us."
"Leo," Natalie chuckles, burying her face in his neck, "you have me tomorrow, too. I have a few days off."
"But if you wanna stay in my car, I've got blankets in the back." It's a roadster, which means little wiggle room, but Natalie can maneuver a few things so he's comfortable. "We missed the sun set," muses, lifting her head to glance out the foggy window.
Leo huffs and finally opens his eyes, wondering where his clothes have gotten to. He'd pretty much lost track of everything that wasn't her in his lap, blindfolded or bound and really, there's little of what came before that matters.
"Fine," he sighs, the picture of reluctance. "We can go back. You probably want a shower, right?" He probably needs it, too, but he's dealt with worse just from working. Getting dirty is not a big deal for him. "We can always try to catch the sunset again tomorrow." If you're still here.
"Shower with me," she suggests idly, concentrating on something else. Blink once and you're already dressed, thanks to Natalie's mastery of the quick change. She doesn't do it often, not minding manual dressing, but it helps from time to time.
She lightly touches his cheek before opening the door, rolling out to stretch all her muscles, arms over her head as she curves her back to hear a satisfying click of her spine.
Blink he does, and blink again when he finds himself dressed. Muttering something about convenience, he climbs out after Natalie, following her lead and stretching his muscles. It doesn't get him such a good result as hers, but it's good enough for to serve his purposes. He does find himself a little off balance, however, lilting a little as he stands and using the car to balance.
"Shower sounds good," he agrees. "Though I do like how you look with a layer of sweat on you."
Natalie reaches into the car to lower the top again, airing it out though it isn't necessary when she's already instantly cleaned it. Well, except for the lingering smell of him in her seat, which is a pretty pathetic thing to do, she realizes, but she won't discuss that ever.
"That felt really good," she murmurs when she rights herself again, facing him though with her eyes fixed on the city below them. "Having sex in the car, I mean, though my stretch was pretty good too."
"Glad to know that I have appeased you," he says with a soft laugh, pushing off of the roadster to wrap his arms around her from behind. The city below is lit brightly, sprawling but clearly organized with the the careful streets and structures Annabeth had laid out years ago. The Bunker, of course, is still out of the way, in a different direction from where they are now, but his apartment is pretty much a straight shot, right down the main street.
"So, did you want to go now, or do you like looking down on the city?"
"I like looking down," Natalie murmurs, leaning her head against his.
"It looks beautiful from up here." And she still likes standing with his arms wrapped tightly around her like that. It feels secure, something she lacks nowadays. It doesn't feel like home, but she can appreciate it, knowing all the hands and hard work that went into the city.
Even with Festus repaired, it's not often that Leo sees the city from above. More often than note, he's holed up in the bunker, tinkering away at whatever his latest project is.
Even so, he doesn't spend much time admiring the view. Instead, he buries his face in Natalie's neck, taking in the feel and smell of her before she vanishes into the Mist again. It's only a few days, and she insists that she'll still be there tomorrow, that he'll still have her for at least one more day, but with the way she's left without a word in the past, he can't help but feel paranoid that she'll do it again. Maybe it wouldn't matter so much if he at least got a goodbye, but without that, it feels like they'll never be over, that there'll always be something lingering there, hanging on.
"We could grab something to eat before we head back," Leo suggests suddenly. When was the last time either of them had gotten food, he wonders? After that workout of theirs, he could probably go for a bite, anyway.
She inhales slowly when he buries his face in her neck and her arms tighten over his. "I think it's beautiful there too, but I always like looking at cities from above. Maybe it's 'cause I grew up in the mountains or something," she says thoughtfully.
"I could go for some fries," Natalie adds, smiling down at the lights. The glow post sex still lingers on her skin and she's a lot cheerier than she normally is, more agreeable to date like things with him today.
"I grew up in Houston," he muses, extricating himself from her to stretch again. "There were parts of it that definitely weren't as beautiful as it might look from far away."
Leo digs in a pocket of his belt for a moment, making sure he's got some cash. He does, thankfully, and tucks in back into his pocket in satisfaction. "There's a good place a few blocks from my apartment," he tells Natalie. "Takeout, but better than, like, McDonald's, and I kind of don't want to hang out on the town much right now, anyway."
"Okay, sure. I'm good with eating in," she agrees, giving his arm a squeeze before she slides into her front seat.
"Hop in." She grins, shutting the door and leaning out her opened window. And in an instant, she's his friend again, eager to pretend that this is okay. Her smile, however, is genuine when she waits for him to join her.
The sudden change in mood is a tiny bit jarring, but Leo pretends not to notice as he climbs in the other side, grinning right back. It isn't often that he does takeout, being a cook and preferring to have halfway decent food when he does remember to eat, but once in a while, it doesn't hurt.
"I figured you'd prefer that to hanging out in public and smelling up the place," he says teasingly.
"We smell like fucking," Natalie snorts, starting the car.
"So, the place by your place or do you have other ideas?" she wants to confirm as she pulls away from the lookout point. The breeze picks up her hair and she shakes it out, still a mess, but a pleasant one at least. There's a good reason for the mess, anyway.
He rolls his eyes skyward, shaking his head as if only the gods could know how to deal with her in times like these. "It’s not like it’s a bad smell; I just thought you wouldn’t want people getting all up in your business."
Our business, he almost said, and is both disappointed and grateful that he caught himself first.
With a shrug, Leo continues, "I don’t really mind either way. If there’s somewhere else you like better, that’s cool, too. This place has rosemary fries, so I guess it depends on what you want."
"No, no, we can do there. We both look fine," Natalie says.
She wonders how many people have actually deduced what they have both been up to over the last -- however long it's been since they first started sleeping with each other again. It makes her stomach flip, worrying about what they, their friends, must think of her if they do know. She swallows the worry.
"Rosemary fries sound amazing," she sighs, her head hitting the headrest when she lets her head loll backwards.
"They're basically the best fries in town," he assures her, smiling. "I tried recreating them once - bad idea, let me tell you. I must've missed a step or a special seasoning or two; they were probably the worst thing I've ever cooked."
It's kind of weird, talking about fries of all things as if they didn't just have awesome sex just a minute ago. Frankly, acting like they're best of friends still feels weird sometimes, after they started getting back together again, a quick fuck here or there - though it's always been more than just that to him. It's hard not to think about what they used to be, and what he still wishes they could be now and then, but he has to ignore it.
"Anyway, it's right across the street from that 'organic' grocery store, so it's literally right around the corner."
"You cooking something bad?" Natalie laughs incredulously, shaking her head. "Perish the thought."
In her continuing efforts to not actually discuss Them and what they do together, Natalie fiddles with her stereo, chewing her bottom lip as she searches for a song in her vast collection of music, landing on several bombastic movie soundtracks, skipping an old recorded cover she and Enjolras performed, and hesitantly settling on a quiet piano instrumental.
He spreads his hands helplessly. "I know it's hard to believe, but apparently even I am not perfect.,
Watching as she fiddles with the radio, Leo tries not to think about how cute Natalie is when she bites her lip like that, like she's hyperfocused on whatever task she's set her mind to, no matter how small. Hearing the one song, he can't help but snort. "You still have recordings of you and Enjolras?"
"Duh," she barked, rolling her eyes as if that was such a ridiculous question to ask her. The car rests at a stop light and she turns her smile onto him again.
"They're always a surprise on long trips," she continues. "Sometimes, I just burst out laughing in surprise, especially with that cover of 'Let It Go' we did with the kids toys."
"That was pretty ridiculous," he says with a laugh. "But that was like, forever ago. Do you usually keep souvenirs like that?"
He's just going to pretend he doesn't still keep those protective stones she used to give him in his tool belt, or that bracelet from the court thing back at camp. That is completely irrelevant.
Natalie lightly touches her neck, under her denim shirt, where one necklace sits with her old camp beads and a peculiar pendant. She says nothing, only shrugging a shoulder and maintaining that cheeky look of hers.
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His breath comes in soft pants as the warmth passes, holding onto her so he doesn't fall back against the seat in exhaustion. His hand falls from her hair, trailing from her neck and down her spine to settle on her hip. After a moment, he remembers her hands, and reaches up to unhook them, idly untying the fabric as he leans his head against hers.
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"We should head back," she adds, nuzzling her nose against his. And clean up and curl up until tomorrow, when he can love her again before she leaves him with his heart in her hands. She's still catching her breath, not wanting to leave this position so soon, at least until he's ready.
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"But if you wanna stay in my car, I've got blankets in the back." It's a roadster, which means little wiggle room, but Natalie can maneuver a few things so he's comfortable. "We missed the sun set," muses, lifting her head to glance out the foggy window.
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"Fine," he sighs, the picture of reluctance. "We can go back. You probably want a shower, right?" He probably needs it, too, but he's dealt with worse just from working. Getting dirty is not a big deal for him. "We can always try to catch the sunset again tomorrow." If you're still here.
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She lightly touches his cheek before opening the door, rolling out to stretch all her muscles, arms over her head as she curves her back to hear a satisfying click of her spine.
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"Shower sounds good," he agrees. "Though I do like how you look with a layer of sweat on you."
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"That felt really good," she murmurs when she rights herself again, facing him though with her eyes fixed on the city below them. "Having sex in the car, I mean, though my stretch was pretty good too."
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"So, did you want to go now, or do you like looking down on the city?"
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"It looks beautiful from up here." And she still likes standing with his arms wrapped tightly around her like that. It feels secure, something she lacks nowadays. It doesn't feel like home, but she can appreciate it, knowing all the hands and hard work that went into the city.
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Even with Festus repaired, it's not often that Leo sees the city from above. More often than note, he's holed up in the bunker, tinkering away at whatever his latest project is.
Even so, he doesn't spend much time admiring the view. Instead, he buries his face in Natalie's neck, taking in the feel and smell of her before she vanishes into the Mist again. It's only a few days, and she insists that she'll still be there tomorrow, that he'll still have her for at least one more day, but with the way she's left without a word in the past, he can't help but feel paranoid that she'll do it again. Maybe it wouldn't matter so much if he at least got a goodbye, but without that, it feels like they'll never be over, that there'll always be something lingering there, hanging on.
"We could grab something to eat before we head back," Leo suggests suddenly. When was the last time either of them had gotten food, he wonders? After that workout of theirs, he could probably go for a bite, anyway.
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"I could go for some fries," Natalie adds, smiling down at the lights. The glow post sex still lingers on her skin and she's a lot cheerier than she normally is, more agreeable to date like things with him today.
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Leo digs in a pocket of his belt for a moment, making sure he's got some cash. He does, thankfully, and tucks in back into his pocket in satisfaction. "There's a good place a few blocks from my apartment," he tells Natalie. "Takeout, but better than, like, McDonald's, and I kind of don't want to hang out on the town much right now, anyway."
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"Hop in." She grins, shutting the door and leaning out her opened window. And in an instant, she's his friend again, eager to pretend that this is okay. Her smile, however, is genuine when she waits for him to join her.
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"I figured you'd prefer that to hanging out in public and smelling up the place," he says teasingly.
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"So, the place by your place or do you have other ideas?" she wants to confirm as she pulls away from the lookout point. The breeze picks up her hair and she shakes it out, still a mess, but a pleasant one at least. There's a good reason for the mess, anyway.
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Our business, he almost said, and is both disappointed and grateful that he caught himself first.
With a shrug, Leo continues, "I don’t really mind either way. If there’s somewhere else you like better, that’s cool, too. This place has rosemary fries, so I guess it depends on what you want."
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She wonders how many people have actually deduced what they have both been up to over the last -- however long it's been since they first started sleeping with each other again. It makes her stomach flip, worrying about what they, their friends, must think of her if they do know. She swallows the worry.
"Rosemary fries sound amazing," she sighs, her head hitting the headrest when she lets her head loll backwards.
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It's kind of weird, talking about fries of all things as if they didn't just have awesome sex just a minute ago. Frankly, acting like they're best of friends still feels weird sometimes, after they started getting back together again, a quick fuck here or there - though it's always been more than just that to him. It's hard not to think about what they used to be, and what he still wishes they could be now and then, but he has to ignore it.
"Anyway, it's right across the street from that 'organic' grocery store, so it's literally right around the corner."
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In her continuing efforts to not actually discuss Them and what they do together, Natalie fiddles with her stereo, chewing her bottom lip as she searches for a song in her vast collection of music, landing on several bombastic movie soundtracks, skipping an old recorded cover she and Enjolras performed, and hesitantly settling on a quiet piano instrumental.
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Watching as she fiddles with the radio, Leo tries not to think about how cute Natalie is when she bites her lip like that, like she's hyperfocused on whatever task she's set her mind to, no matter how small. Hearing the one song, he can't help but snort. "You still have recordings of you and Enjolras?"
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"They're always a surprise on long trips," she continues. "Sometimes, I just burst out laughing in surprise, especially with that cover of 'Let It Go' we did with the kids toys."
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He's just going to pretend he doesn't still keep those protective stones she used to give him in his tool belt, or that bracelet from the court thing back at camp. That is completely irrelevant.
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"I have a lot of stuff," she says finally.
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