Timeline: After the end of season 4. Will is no longer dating Abby.

Everything That Matters

"Here you are, Will," Magnus murmured, draping a second blanket over his shoulders and hoping that would prevent him from trying to inch any closer to the fire when she wasn't looking.

He was going to singe himself at the rate he was going, but she didn't have the heart to reprimand him. The underground ocean they'd been gathering samples from, cheerfully dubbed the New Sargasso by Henry, was only a handful of degrees above freezing. And, not two hours ago, he'd managed to tumble headlong off of a rock and into one of its tidal pools. At first, he'd been so still in the water that she'd been afraid he's managed to sustain a blow to the head. But, the second, she pulled him back up onto the rocks, it became clear that he'd simply been too shocked by the freezing water to move or struggle.

He'd been responsive, but terribly quiet and unmoving. It had taken several anxious minutes before he even managed to start shivering properly. Once he had, he'd barely been able to speak, he was shivering so badly. But the shaking had managed to raise his core temperature, which was all that mattered to her. Now, all he needed was time and warmth.

Will smiled weakly up at her, mouthing a 'thank you' when he couldn't quite manage the words. He was improving, but too slowly for her taste. She didn't have much saline in her medical kit, or she would simply have heated a few units by the fire and given him an IV of the warm fluids in the first place. With only a single unit, though, the risk of infection from an IV administered on a beach by a fire outweighed any possible benefit now that he was past danger.

Kneeling next to him, she slid the last of the blankets around his shoulders, gently resting her fingers against his cheek to test his skin-temperature. Frowning at how icy he still felt, she pulled a thermometer from her first aid kit. He seemed alert and no longer sluggish, but it was best to make sure his temperature was continuing to rise.

"Open," she directed, keeping her smile gentle and soothing since he had a habit of panicking.

He obeyed without argument, trembling and only fidgeting a little as they waited. When the thermometer beeped, he hadn't made much progress since the last time she checked. It was nothing overly dangerous, but he must have been uncomfortable being that chilled.

"I'm going to have you lay down for me, Will," she directed, unrolling a sleeping pad next to the fire. "I'll need you to undress first."

He gave her a look of dull surprise, then smiled like his mind was formulating a joke about those directions. Instead of making it, though, he just mumbled assent and tugged a sweater off with shaking hands. Once she's gotten his wet clothes off and his skin dry after pulling him out of the water, she'd simply layered on every dry piece of clothing in his pack before sitting him down next to the fire. Now, it took both of them several minutes to get them all off of him again. He helped as much as he could, but his hands were clumsy, more so as the final few layers came off and the shivering grew worse again.

"Sorry," he managed, teeth chattering together as he tried to speak.

"Hush, just be still," she directed, urging his hands down and removing the rest of his clothes herself.

Leaving his boxers for modesty's sake, she spread all of the blankets over him and reached to remove her own sweater.

"What are you..." he began, staring at her in obvious confusion.

"Basic survival, Will. Just relax," she directed, smiling as he squeezed his eyes shut. She left on her panties and bra, then slid under the blanket with him, shaking her head in amusement as he tensed and started to draw back. "This is the fastest way to warm you up. You know that."

"Yeah, sorry. Just not every day a beautiful woman insists on half-naked snuggling."

She snorted softly at that, pressing close and resisting the urge to hiss at how icy his skin felt against hers. With a whispered reassurance, she wrapped her arms around him and drew him closer. To her surprise, he let out a breathy sigh and all but melted against her, his body contouring to press more completely against hers. The way he instantly relaxed without any resistance at all was startling but somehow in keeping with Will's usual style of approaching life. Whatever else was true of the way his mind worked, his absolute trust in her was an overarching theme.

"There, that's better, isn't it?" she soothed, smiling and rubbing his back.

"Much, thanks," he answered, smiling up at her with an expression that was, oddly, shy.

Then again, he was almost naked and she she wasn't wearing much, either. In a way, his reticence wasn't so surprising. As close as they were, he held himself in arm's length from her in that one regard, acting like he'd never noticed that she was attractive. Other than the occasional joke or look, or stolen glance that turned into a dewy-eyed gaze... So he had noticed and just done his best to maintain appropriate professional and personal boundaries. Of course he'd be unsure now. The situation was so loaded and, Will being Will, he was clearly reluctant to make the kinds of missteps that could create awkwardness or ill-feeling.

She would just have to distract his attention away from things. Fortunately, Will was always eager to fill a silence with friendly chatter.

"Good," Magnus said, smiling down at him. "Tell me, though, Will, what were you doing that far out in the shallows? All the samples we needed should have been attainable much closer to the shoreline..."

It had been nagging since she saw him slip into the water; first a sense of disbelief that he could have blundered so foolishly, then outright confusion over the whole ridiculous situation. It just wasn't like him to lightly take a risk like that.

"I, uh... I thought I saw something interesting," he answered quietly, pressing his cold nose into her shoulder and making her jump a tiny bit. He instantly drew it back with a sheepish, "Sorry."

"It's fine. Your nose may still be like ice, but the rest of you seems to be warming up nicely, which is what matters. What did you see?"

"Just something interesting."

She had to chuckle at his continued evasion. Whatever he'd been bent of retrieving, he felt silly over the fact. "Pretty seashell for your desk?"

"No," Will laughed, grinning at her and shaking his head faintly. "My luck, any seashell I'd grabbed would have contained an abnormal hermit crab intent on taking up residence in my cranium..."

She laughed, too, smiling warmly down at her cheeky friend. "All right. If not a shell, then what?"

His answer was halting, his manner embarrassed enough to imply much more impropriety than he was actually describing. "Just... there was this oyster that had been smashed open by some animal or other and all that was left was the shell fragments and this pearl..."

"A pearl? You risked your life for a bauble, Will?" she asked, obscurely disappointed in his judgement even as she wondered what woman he considered important enough to nearly kill himself over.

He coloured badly at her words, squirming and not looking at her. "I wasn't going to keep it. I just..."

"Will," she sighed, softening at his obvious unease and contrition. "Next time, just ask for help," she advised, smiling sadly and touching his cheek. "Now, tell me, who's the lucky girl?"

"Huh?" His attempt to play dumb shouldn't have been as endearing as it was. It probably helped that he wasn't so much lying to her as he was, clearly, just trying to avoid touching on an embarrassing topic. An unrequited crush, perhaps, or one on someone he wasn't sure she'd approve of.

"That is, I assume it's meant for a woman," she teased gently, unable to resist a grin at the look on his face. "Unless you've been keeping secrets from me? Oh, don't tell me it's that lovely young empathic gentleman from the western caverns? Or that hermaphroditic reptilian psychologist you've been corresponding with?"

"What? No!" Will squeaked, turning adorably flustered. He hesitated for a moment, chuckling and shaking his head before looking down and whispering haltingly, "It was beautiful and... an amazing specimen from a species we've never encountered before. And... I thought you might... you know, for your desk..."

Her mirth faded at that, and she felt very foolish for having been disappointed in him a minute ago. It hadn't been jealousy, really, just surprise that he'd take a risk like that for a relationship that, to the best of her knowledge, he wasn't involved in yet. There hadn't been many women since Abby, and none of those had seemed remotely serious. Him meaning the pearl as a gift to her, though... well, their friendship had already lasted far longer, and run much deeper, than any of his romances to date. It was flattering and, more than that, touching, that he would have seen such a rare specimen and wanted to gift it to her.

"Thank you for the thought, Will," she whispered, reaching up to cradle his cheek in one hand to soothe away his disquiet. "I'm sorry you got doused trying to do something nice for me."

For some reason, he blushed worse at that, and started to squirm. "Yeah, well..."

"Suddenly shy, Will?" she asked, giving him a gentle, curious smile.

He bit his lip at that, not answering for such a long time that she finally felt obliged to break the silence herself.

"If it's the near-nudity that's making you uncomfortable, I can put some clothes on now. You're already far warmer."

"I, uh... you... I mean..." he began voice shaky and expression an uncomfortable mixture of awkwardness, embarrassment, and something else she couldn't quite define.

It wasn't really like him at all. Normally, when he was embarrassed, he deflected with some joke or other, or else openly admitted that he felt awkward with a situation. It wasn't typical of Will to grow quiet and not even attempt to explain himself. That pointed to something deeper than simple shyness, more akin to downright humiliation. They'd shared beds and sleeping bags in the past, out of necessity, and he'd never reacted like this. She'd have suspected it was the added nudity and proximity, but he was pressed close and obviously not experiencing the kind of physical reaction that might have accounted for additional awkwardness or anxiety.

So what was going on in his head to make this so unnerving for him?

It took surprisingly little reflection to reach what could be the only correct conclusion. It was almost obvious and there was no need for him to voice it. He didn't have to speak now, not when he'd been practically screaming it at her in their last year on the surface and during their year since. Hell, he had more or less spoken the words already. In a fit of anger, no less, hurt and furious with her but still feeling the need to make the scope of his dedication and attachment clear.

Imagine having one lifetime to do everything that matters... I only get one set of days. I think you need to appreciate what it means if I give them all to you.

How had she missed something so clear? His feelings were there in the quiet care he took of her and the way he always knew when to challenge her, his exasperation and his tolerance. In his forgiveness. She'd let him grow so close, then risked everything on a calculated toss of the dice, pushing him away so his genuine hurt would fool everyone on the Surface. He'd had every right to be furious and, in his way, he had been. But it hadn't changed things between then nearly as much as she'd thought it would, except to make them more equal and, from that, paradoxically and perfectly, closer.

Just lately, that closeness had been tinged with so bloody much affection that it was a wonder she hadn't noticed the change earlier. Not that he'd ever been lacking in that regard, but it was different now. Sometimes more flirty, but mostly just lacking in the almost childlike reverence that had once tinged his interactions with her. He had started to see her as an equal at some point., to be fond of her as more than a mentor. And, it seemed, with equality had come an entirely new form of affinity.

It wasn't just dedication to her and her cause any more, probably hadn't been for awhile now.

She didn't mean for her quiet, "Oh my," to be out loud. Will's answering expression was startled, then evasive and almost ashamed as he looked away. She let the silence stretch, knowing he'd break it when he could no longer bear it. It was, come to think of it, a trick she'd learned from him. Textbook, he'd said. Which didn't stop him from falling prey.

"Magnus, I can..." he began abruptly before trailing off again.

"It's all right," she soothed, taking his face in both hands and pressing her lips to his forehead. At his startled, searching look, she explained gently, "At first, I thought you must just be enjoying our proximity a little too physically. But that's not it at all, is it, Will?"

"Not really," he admitted, looking sheepish yet again. "It would be easier to laugh off if it were just... reflex."

"I'm sure it would," she agreed, resisting the urge to smile. "I always thought that the worst thing about being male must be the inability to stifle or hide one's physical arousal," she offered, hoping to earn a smile from him.

"Well, puberty's a little worse than that, but..." he answered, smiling weakly and giving a soft, nervous laugh.

"Duly noted." Biting her lip, she asked gently, "Will?"

"Magnus?" he answered, tone and manner cautious.

"If arousal isn't the source of your discomfort with this situation, then it would seem to suggest that..."

Tone brusque, he informed her, almost-shouting, "I know!"

"Don't be like that," she murmured, touching his cheek with a soft sigh. "Will, look at me."

Blushing terribly, he did look up at her, expression almost ashamed. "Magnus, listen, this won't effect my work or..."

She kissed him gently before he could protest or apologize further. He didn't need to take it as romantic if he was still uncomfortable with the idea. She knew him well enough to know that, when it suited him, he was more than capable of disregarding the bloody obvious, explaining away what he couldn't admit. But, if he truly was interested in changing the terms of their relationship, then the kiss should leave no doubt in his mind that she wouldn't object. It was lunacy, but it made a kind of sense, too, felt right when she considered it.

His answering kiss was surprisingly intense, somehow just shy of desperate at first. She froze for a second, shocked by the near-possessive way he clutched her arms as his lips moved hungrily over hers. So quickly she might almost have imagined his hunger, though, the whole nature of the kiss changed entirely into something that seemed a precise reflection of Will himself. Eager, gentle, curious, and oh-so-thorough, the kiss stole her breath away far more than the first, more passionate one had managed to. Not that she minded passion, not remotely, but it felt like Will was exploring her, right now, gathering reconnaissance before he began in earnest. The idea left her breathless, and just a bit desperate for what was to come.

"Will," she whispered against his lips, nodding faintly and resting her forehead against his as the kiss ended. Her lips, a little tender from his initial show of hunger, tingled with the need for further attention from his. "Dear Lord, how long have you been wanting to do that?"

"Too long," he groaned, panting and letting his tongue dart out to lick his lips. "Kind of don't want to stop..."

"Then don't," she breathed, swallowing hard at the idea of where this was going. She'd considered the idea before, her and Will as more than just friends and professional associates, and it was an enjoyable one. Unnerving, given her own personal history and Will's, but something told her that it could be well worth the risk. Always one to trust her own gut instinct, she pointed out, "In case you haven't noticed, young William, I'm not trying to deter you."

His jaw dropped a bit at that, and he looked adorably nonplussed, as if she had not just been happily returning his rather enthusiastic attentions. He opened his mouth, looked ready to question her but, after that kiss he'd given her, she was in no mood for conversation. Kissing him again seemed only natural. After all, it had worked well enough the first time.

This time, too. With a sound between a gasp and a whimper, Will returned her kiss, panting a little as his arms wrapped around her and one of his legs gently nudged its way between hers. It wasn't how she's imagined their first time together and she doubted it was how he had imagined it, but it seemed fitting enough. She'd expected to have to reassure him that it wasn't casual for her, that he wasn't just one of a litany hundreds long. Given his usual relationship insecurities, the fact that he wasn't asking her for those reassurances was comforting, implied that he knew exactly how important he had become to her in a few short years. That he knew how much he would mean to her, even after his own set of days ran out.

Her protégé, her monkey, maybe even her eventual successor. And her closest, most committed friend since dear James...

It had always seemed natural to compare him to James, they were so similar in so many important respects. It was, perhaps, fitting, that James had also been the lover she'd held to longest and cherished most. Their styles would likely be completely different, but probably still beautifully similar in every way that counted.

Will had always struck her as the type to be a vaguely passive lover, so she tried to urge him onto his back, eager to share this with him after everything else they'd experienced together. He surprised her by shaking his head faintly and, grinning, gently pushing her onto her back. It was unexpected but not remotely unwelcome. If anything, the fact that she hadn't seen it coming made it more exciting. Years ago, she'd fallen into the habit of still seeing Will as the protégé, as that young boy he'd been to her, even into adulthood. But he'd grown beyond that stage of his life and, judging by his assertion now, he intended to remind her of that fact.

"How long have you been trying to get me alone and naked," he asked abruptly, voice rasping just slightly.

"Mmm, since before you dodged your last physical?" Smiling against his lips, she let her fingertips hook under the waistband of his boxers. "Which reminds me that we need to reschedule."

"You want to play doctor? Kinky," he answered, voice catching and rasping the tiniest bit.

"Mmm, I'll have to be extra-thorough this time since it's so belated," she informed him, smiling sweetly and leaving it to him to figure out whether she was speaking of an actual medical exam or something much more enjoyable. "Still, you aren't quite naked yet."

"You'll just have to fix that," he answered, grin downright impish.

Part of her wanted to shove him onto his back, strip those boxer-briefs off of his muscular form and do wicked things to him. She settled for sliding them down his legs and bringing her hands to his bum, firmly squeezing his well-toned runner's glutes. His hips jumped at that and the hunger in his face only increased. She moaned softly, wondering how long it would take to strip away the rest of his composure and self-control.

"Much better. Shame you haven't had as much success getting me naked..."

"Is that a challenge?" he laughed, staring down at her with a downright calculating expression.

"Maybe it is?" Randy or not, she was suddenly feeling rather playful. And more than a little curious about how he'd approach things. Smirking, she folded her arms over her chest, hands covering her breasts to 'prevent' him from removing her bra.

"Magnus!" Will protested, staring down at her with a startled grin for a moment and then, abruptly, reaching down and tickling her sides.

"Will!" she gasped, staring up at him in breathless shock for a moment before she remembered to try to push his hands away.

She'd expected him to use the opportunity to touch her breasts. Will, damn him, took the opportunity provided by her repositioning her arms to go straight for the sensitive axial region, fingers moving relentlessly. Yelping and jerking under him, she grabbed at his hands, panting in shock. It had been decades since a lover had tickled her in earnest and she's almost forgotten how delightful it could be. The way only relentless tickling could be, it was nearly unbearable, but still pleasurable enough to take her breath away.

"Stop," she panted. "Lord, Will, would you just..."

"Say the magic word," he 'ordered' her, grinning and bending to steal another kiss.

She moaned softly, shaking her head and nipping playfully at his tongue when it tries to push into her mouth. Groaning and laughing, Will kept trying to wriggle his tongue past her lips and teeth, hands squirming under her. 'Resisting' the kiss, she arched her body towards his, lifting her back from the ground so he could reach the clasp of her bra more easily.

"Will," she whispered against his lips as he eased the bra off of her, lifting her hips and sliding down her underwear as he did. "Make love to me."

"Are we, uh... protected?" he rasped, wetting his lips and staring hungrily down at her.

"Oh, yes," she assured him, nodding eagerly. "Don't worry about that."

He groaned softly at that, giving her a breathless smile and urging her legs apart. He took a moment to caress her inner thighs with his cold fingertips, making her quiver and ache for more, and then eased down to lay between her legs, bending and kissing her hungrily. Arousal prodding urgently at folds long since swollen with desire, he gently caught hold of one of her legs, urging it up around his waist.

"Magnus..." he rasped, panting against her lips as still-icy hands moved to clumsily caress her breasts.

His desperation was obvious, and she accepted it eagerly, wrapping her legs firmly around him and arching into hands. The cold hands were such a delicious contrast to the heat of his body against hers, compelled her to imagine him dragging an ice-cube over her skin and watching her react. He'd know exactly where it would be most welcomed, too, she was sure. However innocent he was in other respects, this would not be one of them. He was bound to be an attentive, observant lover, practiced enough to steal the breath from any woman.

"Please, Will," she whispered, squirming against him and feeling as though her body was on fire.

They could explore everything else later, at home in a large, comfortable bed. For now, she just wanted to feel him in and against her, revel in how alive he was. She hadn't let herself be frightened for him when he'd tumbled into the water, but something under the surface had been twinging ever since, the way it always did when he came near death. She'd always hover near Will after such events, ostensibly to comfort him, but drawing reassurance herself, from talking to him, seeing him, even peeking in as he slept off his latest misadventure. Feeling him warm and vital inside of her would lay that to rest much more firmly than any amount of time spent in his company ever could have. She could wrap herself around him, let him wrap himself around her, and just enjoy the way he felt. And the way he made her feel.

He stared down at her, for just a second like he couldn't quite believe that she wanted him enough to actually ask. Then he smiled against her lips, almost nuzzling her face as he reached between them and pressed his head lightly against her opening. She gasped as he slowly pushed into her, panting at how pleasantly... filled the welcomed intrusion made her feel as she stretched to accommodate a rather impressive girth. The pleasure was beyond sexual, even if the molten heat of his presence inside her was intimate in the usual way, too. It had been so long since she'd allowed herself to feel so close to a lover, or so vulnerable.

It had been years since she allowed a partner to take the dominant position during sex. Will didn't even seem to notice that he was 'in charge' of the encounter, or that she was behaving with far less assertion than usual. He just smiled eagerly down at her, hands braced on the ground on either side of her head as his hips rocked gently. The position bore a passing resemblance to standard missionary, but his body was canted at an angle that must have been hell on his back and definitely took some extra effort and movement on his part to do its job, even if he was rocking more than thrusting. It was a wonderful variation, though, left her wanting to sob. Every slide of his hips created the delirious sensation of hot, hard flesh rubbing firmly against both her g-spot and her gorgeously over-sensitive arousal. It felt wonderful, sending jolts of raw pleasure shooting through her body every time he moved against her.

"Will!" she gasped, clinging and sliding her legs higher up his back so those wonderful thrusts could take her even deeper. "Oh, yes!"

He let out a low moan, almost as if he realized exactly how high she was, and bent to kiss her urgently. Panting and nodding, she returned the kiss just as hungrily, clinging to him and squirming to increase the sensation against her aching g-spot.

"Mmm, you like that?" he all but demanded, leering down at her and rocking harder. He was a glorious sight as he moved against her, pink in the face and covered with sweat despite the chill in the air.

"Yes!"

Nodding eagerly, Will shifted position and gave a couple slow, hard thrusts, deep into her aching body. Panting, he eased a hand between them, grinning breathlessly and teasing her throbbing arousal as his hips picked up speed. Letting out a keening cry, she jerked against his hand, clenching his length inside of her and nodding desperately. It was beyond wonderful, had her vision swimming and her whole body singing with delight. In any other circumstance, given this level of pleasure, she might have thrown a partner down on his back and simply ridden him until they both climaxed. But there was something almost painfully sweet in forcing herself to be passive while he took her higher.

It was probably a first in their relationship. Will Zimmerman: powerful, competent, and in complete control. Helen Magnus: breathless with wonder, anticipation, and delight.

The sense of role-reversal was intoxicating, fleetingly reminded her of some of the games she'd shared with James when they'd both been young, randy, and curious to try everything. It had, at first, been terrifying to give up her sense of control over an encounter. Later, she had learned to embrace that sort of thing, exactly as she was now. In many ways, with a trusted lover, it was a relief not to have to take charge. And there was no one she trusted the way she trusted Will.

He was a wonderful lover, as she had expected given his considerate, observant nature. What was really startling to her was his pure confidence as he carried them both higher. He knew where she needed his touch, and how, and he knew that his instincts were correct. He was quick to satisfy her needs, changing his speed or force without missing a beat, every time her body switched gears. More than that, he seemed to enjoy the way she reacted to his glorious attentions. It went on for far too long, though, pleasure building and building until it became almost unbearable.

He obviously wanted it to last, seemed to be making a point of not bringing her to climax yet. That, too, reminded her of games played in much younger days, of the way James would try to make her beg. Will would have a harder time making her beg. Even if she had given in to that need once or twice when she'd been young and silly, she was now the head of the worldwide Sanctuary network and she issued orders, not pleas.

"Harder! Damn it, Will, harder!" she half-sobbed, rocking desperately against him. Stifling a shriek when that reaction only seemed to spur him on, she gasped, "Yes, Will!"

He smiled hungrily down at her, expression almost feral as he drove again and again into her aching heat. Starting to tremble as pleasure turned to ecstasy, she slid her legs further up his back, panting and nodding desperately.

"Oh, fuck," she groaned, barely audibly since it was hardly dignified.

Right now, she couldn't have cared less about dignity, but she didn't want to shock Will out of the moment with the 'uncharacteristic' language. Heaven knew that, later, the rogue would probably do his best to tease the word out of her during sex. Once he got over his shock that she was like any other woman in that respect, he'd probably take secret delight in how low and common her speech and accent became when she was truly randy. He might even come to enjoy the feeling of power that came with being able to make her abandon her usual sense of propriety.

Not that propriety had any place during a moment like this. Her build was almost painfully intense, gorgeously powerful as every muscle in her body tensed in anticipation. She let go with a scream, shocked in spite of herself by the raw power of the climax. Clinging to Will with both her arms and legs, she spasmed under him, again and again as waves of pleasure and release continued to break over her.

"Will!"she sobbed, choking as he continued to move over her. Her orgasm had passed but she was still gloriously tender and the continued thrusting had her dizzy, every nerve singing. "Oh, Will! God!"

He had her close to climaxing again, but she forced herself to look at his face as his breath started coming in choked whimpers. He was beautiful, his expression a perfect combination of awe, love, and unbridled lust. Most men couldn't quite manage that middle one, not during this moment, and it was vaguely frightening that he could feel so deeply that affection even overrode his body's instincts. That impression didn't last long, though. He'd always struck her as a sensualist and, when he climaxed, the impression was reinforced as she watched him react.

He sobbed loudly, head falling back and body bowing as his build started. The way he trembled during it, every muscle must have been clenching almost painfully and, from the ecstatic smile on his face, he was revelling in the feel of his arousal as it moved inside of her slick depths. He took a few more moments to just enjoy, thrusting hard and fast and then orgasming with a howl that must have been audible miles away. Whole body jerking over hers, he braced both hands on the ground, sobbing with every fresh jolt as he filled her with wave after wave of heat and moisture.

"Will," she breathed, hips moving quickly and muscles clenching him hard to help him ride it out. "Oh, yes. Oh, God, look at you..."

She'd expected him to be a restrained lover, not one who sobbed and choked out her name, again and again as it kept taking him. She certainly hadn't expected to hear him breathe one or two choice profanities of his own during particularly powerful jolts of pleasure. She'd have to tease him about it later but, for now, she just let herself enjoy the way he gave a few more weak thrusts and then collapsed against her chest, pressing his face into her throat and whimpering softly.

She tangled a hand in his hair, about to urge his face up so she could kiss him. But she hesitated at the feel of hot tears against her neck, gently caressing his scalp and kissing his hair instead.

"It's all right, darling," she soothed, rubbing his back and snuggling up against him. "I do it sometimes, too. Bloody hormones."

He looked up quickly at that, eyes wide and cheeks tear-streaked. He was smiling at her, giving her a love-struck, ear-to-ear grin, but he still whispered a little nervously, "You... don't mind?"

"Sometimes, it's such a relief to let go completely that there's nothing else to do," she assured him, leaning up and kissing him tenderly. "Those are happy tears, right?" she whispered against her lips, smiling faintly at his mumble of assent. "Then it's fine, Will. You think I've never wept during or after sex?"

"I, uh... hadn't really thought about it," he admitted quietly, voice still a little shaky. "I mean, you're... you."

"I suppose I am," she chuckled, shaking her head faintly and giving him a warm smile. "And you're you. I wouldn't have things any other way."

"Good to know." Biting his lip, he added quietly, "You'd have loved that pearl..."

"Probably. I'm sure it would have looked lovely on my desk, but... I think I'd much rather have you on my desk," she answered, smirking as it took a moment for that to sink into his pleasure-fogged brain.

"Magnus!" he protested with a laugh as he finally took her meaning.

"Hmm?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"You're so..." He trailed off, shaking his head and beaming at her.

"I have my moments. Now get some rest," she directed, pushing him off of her and onto his back. Her body quietly protested his sudden absence inside of her, but he was too heavy for them to have slept in that position and he had worn her out. Climbing on top of his chest and snuggling close, she sighed happily. "Much better. Now, let's get some rest and then head back with our samples?"

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed, tangling a hand in her hair and smiling shyly. "I, uh... Magnus, I..."

"I know, Will," she soothed when he faltered. Pressing her lips to his forehead, she whispered, "Likewise. Now get some rest?"

"Don't want to. Might wake up and realize this was all a dream..."

She chuckled at that, snuggling down against his chest and closing her eyes. "You must have some interesting dreams about me. You'll have to tell me about them some time."

"Some are shocking," he warned, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Mmm, so are most of the dreams I have about you, cheeky. If you're a very good boy, I'll share one or two of them with you soon."

He moaned softly at that, the hand tangled in her hair tightening gently. "That sounds..."

"Doesn't it, though?"

Smiling and sighing happily, she pressed an ear to Will's chest, listening to his heartbeat and letting it lull her. With any luck at all, in a few hours, she'd wake up from one of those scandalous dreams. Still tangled in the blankets with Will, no less. Grinning and wetting her lips, she let herself drift into what was likely to be the soundest sleep she'd had in years.

The End