A/N: Nothing much to this, really. Just some pointless fluff. Enjoy!
Summary: A simple afternoon nap leads to an important conversation
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Characters/canon belong to Pixelberry
Maya stretched her arms lazily as she sat up in bed, reveling in the bright, afternoon sunlight refracting through the window. As she moved to get up, something held her back.
Damien’s arms were wrapped around her waist and his cheek pressed into her shoulder. She smiled softly as she took in the blissful look on his face. After the cluster of stress that had been the last couple of weeks, it was nice to see him relaxed for once.
After exposing Eros, they’d all gone on a well-deserved vacation at the expense of the government – an actual vacation that didn’t involve hiding from psychotic corporations – in a famous resort, staying in a deluxe suite. And after all the hell they’d been through and the taunting they’d endured from the public after that TV show fiasco, everyone had been more than happy to accept it.
The pleasant aroma from outside brought her out of her reverie and she knew it was time to get up and meet everyone for lunch soon. Maya turned slightly to kiss Damien’s forehead. “D, wake up.” There was no response from him. “This is the longest afternoon nap we’ve ever had,” she muttered, gently prying at his fingers to loosen his hold. As she scooted away, Damien’s features twisted into a frown and his arms pulled her back, securing their hold on her again.
“Umm . . . Damien?” She stifled a giggle when he grunted in his sleep and nuzzled into her neck. Maya stayed like that for a few more moments, feeling his steady heartbeat against her, his chest rising and falling evenly as he sighed contently.
She watched him adoringly for a few more minutes, then at some point, remembered why she’d wanted to get up in the first place. Maya reluctantly placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him awake. “Huh . . . what?” He opened his eyes to find her grinning at him. “Morning,” he said with a sleepy yawn.
“Nope, still afternoon.”
“Right,” Damien chuckled, pulling her even closer to him. “A whole afternoon with you; I could get used to this. Holding you in my arms, not worrying about anything else . . . just you and me.”
“Pfft. And you say I’m the corny one.”
“Can’t help it,” he replied. “Spending time with you would do that- hey!” He dodged her attempt to elbow him. “What was that for?”
Maya bent down and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “It’s time to get up.”
“No.” Damien buried his head back in his pillow. “We stay in bed.”
“You can stay here if you want. I am going to go get ready for lunch.”
“Fine!” he huffed, shooting her a mocking look of hurt. “Leave me all alone in here, then.”
She raised an eyebrow at his pouting. “Oh. My. God. Are you sulking?” This time he didn’t answer. Gods, he is so whiny when sleep deprived. Maya shook her head at him, then proceeded to coax him; she found herself crooning softly as if she was consoling a child. Damien merely took another pillow and plopped it over his head as if to block her out.
“Ugh, fiiiine. But you just remember one thing.” Then she smirked and leaned into him, brushing her lips against his ear. At such a close distance, she could see him opening his eyes curiously. “I liiiiiike you,” she whispered cheekily.
His eyes narrowed. “Okay that’s it,” he growled. “C’mere!” Damien lunged at her just as she turned away from him, pinning her to the bed and settling his full body weight on her.
“Damien-!” she squealed. “You’re gonna- ahh!” Her protests changed to laughter as he tickled her with one hand, holding her wrists behind her back with the other.
“You’re all sorts of trouble, today.” Damien whispered huskily in her ear.
“Getting overwhelmed, Nazario-ohhh . . .” Maya lost all train of thought as his hand slid under her shirt. He let out a deep chuckle that she could feel in her skin as his fingers brushed over her chest.
“Interesting rendition of my name. Care to say it again?”
“Damien . . .” Maya whined. “We gotta go soon!” She squirmed, albeit halfheartedly, losing herself in his touch.
“Nice try,” Damien released her wrists and turned her face towards his. “You’re mine now, Park.” He captured her lips in a fierce kiss and she responded just as fiercely, turning in his arms so she was on her back and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Her breath hitched when his lips brushed against her ear. “Mmmm, I love it when you take charge.” He nipped her earlobe gently and a breathy moan escaped the back of her throat. She turned her head and forced his mouth back on hers, swiping her tongue along his bottom lip and drawing him in.
Damien hummed contently, his soft kisses turning rough as he trailed down her neck towards her collarbone. Maya felt her back sink further into the mattress as he pressed his body flush against hers. Her fingers weaved into his soft hair and gripped him more closely, intoxicated by the feeling of his lips on her neck, teeth grazing here and there, nibbling softly.
“Damien . . .” Maya gasped, breathless.
“Mmmm . . .” He increased the pressure on her neck, sucking on a soft spot. Every sound he made vibrated through her, sending warm tingles south. “Maya . . .”
Knock! Knock! Knock! The door’s knocking snapped them both out of their trance.
“If you two are done banging, it’s time for lunch!”
“Nadia!”
Damien immediately climbed off of Maya and sat up. “We’re not-”
“Nooo worries, D . . .” she giggled. “Your mom just sent me up here to tell you that lunch is ready.”
Both of them scrambled off the bed, mumbling in agreement. Once they’d thrown some new clothes on and smoothed their hair, Maya was heading for the door only to stop when she felt Damien tug at her wrist.
“Damien if we’re late again, Nadia’s gonna have a field day . . .” She went silent when she saw that his expression had changed. His eyes had softened and he was looking at her with a vulnerability that she definitely knew meant that he had something to say. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, more than okay. Actually, I-” he cleared his throat quickly and then took her other hand in his. “I’ve been thinking about this, about us for sometime now and especially this morning. And I like where we are.” Damien looked into her eyes earnestly as he spoke. “I’ve had a chance to date you for real these past few weeks. Even though it hasn’t been that long . . .”
“I know,” she said smiling. Maya wasn’t exactly sure where this conversation was going, but she could already feel her nerves tingling in anticipation. “Although honestly, it doesn’t feel like that for me. Maybe ’cause we’ve known each other so long that we’re already way past that getting-to-know-you phase. I’m already so comfortable with you, I don’t feel the need to slow down.”
“You’re right. I thought that us having a key to each other’s apartments-”
“And saying the ‘L word’,” she piped in.
Damien grinned bashfully. “-was enough at that time as far as taking things to the next level.” Then he stepped closer to her. “I wanted to experience what it’s like just being with you like we’re just ordinary people who aren’t in danger. But now I realize I actually want more. I want more than just having our homes open to each other.” He then took a deep breath, bracing himself. “I want to be your home.”
Maya was dimly aware of her hands shaking as she held his more tightly, watching him with widened eyes. “Damien . . . are you asking me to . . .”
The shining spark of joy in her eyes emboldened him to keep going. “I love waking up with you in the morning, watching you come out of the bathroom half dressed because you ‘forgot your shampoo’, when you answer my door wearing nothing but my shirt every time my neighbor brings my mail, taking the subway home together after work . . . and so much more, but I think you get the point.”
Tears were forming in the corner of her eyes. “Damien . . .”
“I’d like for us to move in together.” When Maya didn’t answer right away, he quickly added. “But if you’re not ready yet, I understand. There’s no rush. Just saying that whenever you are, I’m ready too-” He was cut off by her crashing her lips to his, her arms wound tightly around his neck. She then stepped back, giggling.
He quirked an eyebrow, amused. “What’s so funny?”
“Damien Nazario, you are so cute.” She chuckled. “You did that entire speech just to ask me to move in?! For a second there, I thought you were proposing!”
“Maya, we’re half asleep, just out of our pajamas, inside a hotel suite and I don’t even have a ring. You really think I’d plan a proposal this way?”
“I know, I know.” She wrapped her arms around him, reveling in his warmth.
“Well when I do, believe me when I say I’m gonna make it count.”
‘When I do’. Not ‘if‘, but ‘when‘. That choice of words was all she could fixate on as her mind raced with endless scenarios of the life she’d always wanted with this man. The life she’d already chosen for herself long before this conversation even took place. “Yes,” she said without any hesitation.
“Hmm?”
“Let’s move in together.”
He stepped back, shocked. “Really?” His lips spread into a wide grin.
“Yes, really!” She jumped right back into his arms, squealing and laughing as they both stumbled back onto the bed. Their limbs tangled with each other and the sheets as they kissed again and again, not caring if anyone heard them this time.
“Maya . . .” he mumbled against her lips at some point.
“Yes, roomie?”
Damien let out a low chuckle at that, gently running his hands up her waist as she straddled him. “Weren’t we supposed to go to lunch not too long ago?” She paused and drew back to find him grinning smugly at her. “Thought you said we were gonna be late.”
“Ah who cares?” She surged forward to kiss him again. “You’ve already sidetracked me.”
He laughed and quickly maneuvered to the side. “Come on, let’s go. We can finish this later.”
“Oh fine.” Maya huffed, getting out of bed and following him to the door. “I’m gonna hold you to that, you know.”
Damien stopped just as he opened it, a challenging smirk on his face. “Is that a threat or a promise?”
She stood on her tiptoes, balancing herself with a hand on his shoulder, then tilted her head up to brush her lips against his.
“I think you already know, Sir.”