**Snick**

A soft sound woke Paladin Danse.

He opened his eyes slowly, without panic. He knew where he was. Home Plate. Nora's home in Diamond City.

In the months that they had been combat partners with the Brotherhood of Steel he had spent many many nights here. So much so that she had even put in a bed for him on the ground floor. He had protested, of course, saying that the couch was just fine and this was unnecessary, but he had secretly loved it. He had his own bed at her home. The next best thing to sharing her bed, as far as he was concerned.

In the darkness he could make out her form, sitting on the edge of his bed, leaning forward slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice still thick from sleep.

"Danse? Do you trust me?"

"You know I do," he yawned, coming more awake. "What's this about?"

"You know I would never, ever do anything to hurt you, right?" She asked, one hand coming to rest against his cheek.

That's when he tried to move. To sit up, and found both his wrists were handcuffed to the bed. He felt the uncomfortable tickle of panic settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Knight, what's going on here?" He demanded, jerking against the short, strong chains that held him.

"Danse, calm down. It's just me. Remember?" She said quickly.

"But.. what the hell are you doing?" He snapped, sitting upright as much as he could.

"You have to listen to me and you have to trust me. You've said you could trust me with your life. So, please. Just listen to me now."

Danse quelled the rising anger and sense of betrayal he felt and glared at her.

"Explain. Now." He growled with a frown.

Nora hung her head and sighed softly.

"This won't be easy, but the reason you're handcuffed is so you have deniability."

"And just what do I need deniability for?"

"For what's about to happen."

Danse waited, glaring at her expectantly.

"You and I both know what we want. We've wanted it for a long time but there is one thing stopping us. You are my mentor. Even though you've said there is nothing more you can teach me about being a Brotherhood soldier, even when you are no longer my mentor, you'll be my superior officer. Which means as much as you want me and I want you, as much as I ache for you. I can't have you. You wouldn't allow it."

Danse nodded at her.

"Unless, it was out of your control."

Nora ran her hand along his arm to the handcuff that sat loosely around his wrist.

Danse's eyes widened in understanding.

"You can't be serious. You handcuffed me to a bed to have sex with me?" His voice rose in anger, part of him couldn't believe how absolutely ludicrous this was. But another part of him felt a strong stirring of arousal.

Danse couldn't deny that Nora was beautiful. He dreamed about her often, and even fantasized about her in those rare moments when he let himself be just a man instead of a soldier. But this... This was like an adolescent fantasy.

"Listen to me, Danse. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want me." She leaned forward and turned on his bedside lamp, a tiny silver key lay beside the lamp, twinkling in the light.

He looked at her face, then glanced down at her body, relieved to see she was still dressed. Albeit in one of the short nightshirts she usually slept in.

He looked right into her blue eyes... and couldn't say it.

She knew. She knew he wanted her.

"That doesn't make this right," he mumbled instead.

"It's what we both want... And this way if it's ever discovered your career is safe. I came down here in the middle of the night while you were asleep. I handcuffed you to the bed, you woke up, but were unable to stop what was going on. No one would even blame you if you never reported it. Think about it."

The bad thing was, he was thinking about it. She was right on all counts. If he reported it she would be charged with sexual assault of a superior officer. Her career with the brotherhood would be finished as well as facing some harsh disciplinary action. Not to mention the fact that there would be a tribunal where he would have to explain in front of all the proctors how a five foot nothing brunette got the best of him. He would never hear the end of it.

Joshua Danse could never be called a playboy or a romeo type. He'd had a few encounters with prostitutes when he couldn't sate his own needs any longer. He prided himself on being a good soldier, and to him that meant burying his baser needs deep inside and focusing only on the Brotherhood. So that's what he had always done.

He still had the needs and desires of a man, he just forced them down.

Nora made that infinitely harder. There was just something about her. She was completely capable of taking care of herself, yet whenever she was around he wanted to take care of her. To protect her. To always keep her safe.

"Are you so sure I won't report you for it?" He asked with a scowl.

"No," She shrugged, lifting the edge of the dark green blanket that covered him and sliding her hand beneath it to rest on his thigh.

"You might," she continued, her fingertips lazily stroking up and down the inside of his leg.

"And you're willing to risk that?" he asked incredulously.

"To feel you inside of me? Just one time? Yes. I am."

Her answer sent a tingle through his whole body that settled in his traitorous cock. The whole time she had been explaining things he had come to full hardness. It was impossible not to, he reasoned. What man didn't fantasize about a beautiful woman seducing him?

Well, maybe, handcuffs optional.

Her hand slid a little higher up his thigh until he could feel her fingertips barely brushing against his testicles. That sent another jab of excitement racing through him and his cock jerked in response. She had no way of knowing that his balls were so sensitive to touch.

"Nora.." He said, his voice sounding gruff and foreign to his own ears. "I.. I won't deny that.. This feels.. really.. good, alright? I'm a man, no man is going to.. object to a gorgeous woman touching him, but..."

"Danse, we've been criss-crossing the commonwealth for almost a year now. Want to know how many times you've socialized? Or done anything to seek out the company of a woman? Zero. I've been paying attention. You need this every bit as much as I do. Just admit that."

"I... I..." he mumbled quietly. He couldn't concentrate on forming a valid reply with her hand doing that.

"Just relax and remember that I'm not doing this to hurt you in any way." She whispered to him quietly.

Nora pulled her hand back from his thigh and stood up. In one smooth motion she pulled the nightshirt over her head as Danse watched.

He could see her full breasts, bare to him for the first time and the hard peaks of her nipples. He couldn't take his eyes off them even as she leaned forward and drew the blanket back from his body, pooling it around his ankles.

She reached for the waistband of his boxers and began to lower them. Before he even realized it, he was lifting his hips to help her.

Nora laughed softly at that and Danse couldn't help but grin at the sound. He loved her laugh.

"Goddamn you." He muttered, trying to hide a smile. There was no denying it. He really did want her.

Nora ran each hand up his legs, from his ankles to his hips, after she removed his boxers, she ended up sitting on his thighs.

"Look at you," she whispered softly, reaching down to trace her fingertips along his scrotum and then slowly up the underside of his shaft. His cock throbbed at her touch, making Danse look down at himself and mutter, "Traitor."

Nora laughed again, leaning forward to lay against his chest. Danse instinctively moved his arms to encircle her, but was brought up short by the cuffs.

He forgot about them a moment later when she kissed him. He plunged his tongue into her mouth when he felt her lips part, but Nora was in control and kissed him thoroughly as Danse began to squirm beneath her.

When she pulled away a moment later Danse whined softly in spite of himself. His whole body tingled pleasantly from just one kiss.

"Again." he whispered.

Nora smirked in the half light and kissed him again. Danse met her lips with the same passion, indulging himself in the taste of her as his eyes drifted close. Her tongue glided against his own, searing his senses as she stretched out her body to lay full on top of him.

When she pulled away several minutes later they were both breathless and shaking.

Nora spread her thighs straddling his hips, the soft curls at her apex making him groan aloud as she rubbed against him for a moment.

When she reached for his straining cock to guide him inside her Danse objected.

"No. No, not yet." He shook his head. "Turn around, first."

Nora's eyes widened in surprise, but she complied, slipping her feet and legs through the bars of his bed frame and settling her apex over his face.

"That's my girl," Danse murmured as she lowered herself down.

She gasped loudly as Danse thrust his tongue between her slick lips. A deep groan rumbled from his chest as he laved her clit with rapid strokes.

"Fuck.. Danse," she moaned above him, a low sexy chuckle was his only response.

His tongue slowed on her clit as he switched from rapid movements to lazy teasing licks.

Nora leaned down and gently licked a drop of pre-cum from the head of his cock and Danse froze. She took the head into her mouth, tightening her lips just behind it and sucking gently. Danse thrust his tongue into her as she sucked him deeper into her mouth. He struggled to block out the most delicious feeling he'd ever felt on his cock and focus on her. He couldn't keep from moaning against her as she worked him in and out of her hot mouth. After what felt like an eternity of heaven and hell, Danse felt her hips began to tremble as she came, whimpering around him. The simple sounds of her and the vibration on his cock proved too much.

"Oh, God... Stop, sweetheart. God.. Stop!" He groaned, his body going taut as she ignored him and sucked him deeper.

"Fuck! Jesus Fucking Chri-" Danse's voice became one long yell as he came hard. His ears ringing with the force of his release.

It was still a few moments before Nora could slide off him, sitting slumped by his side, both of them breathing raggedly. She reached for the silver key she had placed on his bedside table, but Danse stopped her.

"We. Are. Not. Done." He said between quick breaths.

"Oh, really?" Nora laughed in surprise.

"Yes, really. Mount up, Soldier." He grinned, flexing his muscles to make his still hard cock bounce against his belly.

Nora giggled at him, but straddled him once more. This time when she reached to guide his stiff cock into her he didn't object. He murmured softly as her hand gripped him and the heat of her slowly engulfed him.

"Lean forward and put your hands here with mine," he whispered. Nora interlaced her fingers with his, the rail of the bed pressed between their palms.

Danse planted his feet flat against the mattress and slowly rolled his hips up to meet her as she rode him. This was a dream he'd had too many times to count, Nora naked on top of him, her breasts swaying gently as she rode his cock. He was able to pull up just enough to tease her nipples with his tongue, sucking one into his mouth hungrily. It slipped from his mouth a few minutes later as she began to whimper, moving faster now.

"Danse... I.."

"I know baby. Do it. Come on... Cum all over my cock." He couldn't believe the things he was saying right now. He had never spoken to a woman like this in his life, except in fantasies. Nora didn't seem to mind as she threw her head back and cried out his name, her muscles clamping him tightly.

The sound of her voice, saying his name in just that way, set Danse's nerve endings on fire. His own release crashed through him unexpectedly, his hips bucking wildly as he came just seconds behind her.

"Lay down, sweetheart," He said softly, and Nora lowered her body down, laying her head against his shoulder.

"That was... Nothing like I expected it to be." She said quietly.

Danse tensed, not liking the sound of her words.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I just.. Didn't expect it to be so.. intense, so sweet. I'm feeling really bad about tricking you now." With each word she spoke her voice had gotten softer and softer, as if she were fading away from him.

"You need to unlock these now," Danse said abruptly, rattling the cuffs for emphasis.

Nora sat up, nodding in agreement and picked up the silver key from the nightstand. She unlocked the cuffs, not meeting his eyes now. Danse rubbed his wrists for a second once he was free. As Nora bent to retrieve her nightshirt from the floor his hand shot out and grabbed her arm.

"Come here," he said, his voice low.

She turned toward him, but still wouldn't meet his eyes.

Danse physically hauled her onto his lap as she squeaked in surprise.

"You're right. It was wrong to trick me," he said, tilting her face up with one hand so she had to look in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry-" Nora began, her eyes shining too brightly now.

Danse continued. "But, again, you're right. If you hadn't taken control on this it might never have happened and I know now that would have been a damn shame. If I can't feel any guilt over what happened then you aren't going to either."

Nora gaped at him, "You aren't... mad?"

Danse pulled her down onto his chest again, wrapping her in his arms.

"I was shocked. I've never had anything like that happen to me, but.." His voice dropped a little lower and a light blush crept up his neck. "It was also the... single most erotic experience of my life, so it's a little difficult to be mad at someone for that."

He felt Nora's arms tighten around him with a surprising strength and the sweet feeling that she never wanted to let him go settled deep into his heart. He slid lower into the bed, taking her with him until they were spooned tightly together. Nora reached down for the blanket at the foot, drawing it up over them.

"Next time," Danse said with a sleepy yawn. "Can you only cuff one hand? I really would like to be able to touch you... And to cuddle. Can't cuddle in handcuffs."

"Yes, sir." Nora laughed.