A/N: another story based on artwork by rain1940. What can I say, she's a bad influence and I love her for it LOL I only hope this story evokes the same loveliness as her drawing does!

View "Wordlessly" here (minus the spaces): http:/ rain1940. deviantart. com/ art/ Wordlessly- 290965357

Buzz's eyes opened of their own accord as the cold, pale light of pre-dawn spilled over the window ledge and into the room. He felt a pressure on top of him and tilted his head down, smiling at its source. Jessie lay across him, her legs entwined with his, her arm curled around his right side, and her head nestled against his chest. The bed sheet draped across her bare back, and was indeed the only covering for either of them. He ran his fingers lightly through her fiery tresses and his smile grew in giddiness as he recalled the activities of the previous night.

Woody had been called away from the house on Sheriff's duties, leaving Buzz and Jessie alone to clean up the dinner dishes. They had become friends easily, but Buzz found himself constantly flustered when they were alone. Oh, he flirted with her and she with him, but if things took a more serious turn, or he was caught off guard, or if she looked at him in just the right way with those brilliant green eyes, he could not manage a sentence without stuttering. His problem, if it could be called that, was that he loved Jessie, but had no idea if she felt the same towards him. And for all he could let his instinct take over in the heat of battle, it abandoned him in the moments when he was most in need of it.

One of those moments had happened as they were washing the dishes. Buzz had his hands submerged in the soapy water as Jessie took care of the drying. They were sharing a friendly chat, full of good natured teasing. He remembered Jessie joking that this manual labor was good for him, since he did not have to worry about this sort of thing at Star Command. Buzz retorted that doing dishes was not really a worry, because what were the odds that the enemy would be a dirty plate and, if it was, he would just destroy it with his laser. Besides, he had added with a grin, cleaning dishes was better practice for her, since she was always covered in dirt as a cowgirl. Jessie had laughed and splashed him with the dish water. He reciprocated and a small battle broke out, although it did not last long, mainly because they were laughing too hard to maintain it. She had looked at Buzz and reached over with corner of the towel, wiping a swath of suds from his cheek. The next thing Buzz knew, her face was before his and her lips were brushing his lightly. He stood completely still, frozen as she kissed him and then backed away. When he still made no movement, her face fell and she let out a small, breathy laugh of humiliation. She dropped the towel on the counter and turned from him, hastily walking away.

His brain finally registered what happened and the look in her eyes as she took it for rejection. Buzz intercepted her quickly, taking her upper arm and turning her back towards him. Without a word he took her face in his damp hands and kissed her. The forcefulness of it must have taken Jessie by surprise, because Buzz felt her stiffen slightly before she relaxed against him, her arms wrapping around his neck. He lost all sense of the outside world as he deepened the kiss. He felt her hands slide down his sides, slip under the fabric of his shirt and tug it upward. Buzz shrugged out of the offending garment as he pressed his lips on Jessie's neck. They broke apart with a gasp as they gently bumped against the wall. Buzz looked into Jessie's eyes and saw the question within them. In response, he kissed her again, scooping her up in his arms.

They ended up falling onto Jessie's bed, a tangle of arms and legs, caresses and kisses as their clothes came off piece-meal. Buzz remembered the delight he felt as he saw the freckles that were sprinkled over her body as his lips lightly dotted her bare skin. All of the tension that had built up between them disappeared as their world exploded into bliss. Buzz had fallen back on the bed, breathing heavily. He had only a brief moment to catch his breath before Jessie had straddled him, determined to prove that turn-about was indeed fair play. The back and forth continued for hours until exhaustion claimed them both. Now he was awake with Jessie in his arms, and he knew for certain she loved him just as much.

Buzz's hand paused on the crown of her head and his smile slipped as one thought entered his mind: Woody. Buzz had been his best friend for ten years, and the attraction between him and Jessie had been there from day one, it was only now that they had finally acted on it. Surely Woody had been expecting something like this; how often had he teased Buzz about his crush? But was he going to accept it or be furious?

As if she sensed the sudden tension, Jessie sighed in her sleep. She pressed her arm against his shoulder blade in a tight embrace and burrowed her cheek further into his chest. Her cheeks were still flushed from the night's exertion, and a peaceful smile played across her lips. Buzz felt the same serenity drape over him and he rested his chin atop Jessie's head. Let Woody think what he would, he thought as his eyes fluttered closed. Jessie and I belong to each other now. And he knew that neither of them would be willing to go any way but forward.