Title: Josie and Physics Books

Author: Rose With Thorns

Rating: M

Summary: And she was naked…Josie's fiancé comes home to what he thinks is a empty house, but gets a pleasant surprise instead. Oneshot.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Do I need to say more?

He took his keys out of the ignition and looked at his condo's doorway with a tired sigh. On their own accord, his eyes made their way through the pouring rain to her car's parking spot. Empty. Like his house.

Josie was only in Philadelphia, he reminded himself as he sprinted to his doorway. She'd be home tomorrow from her interview: excited from her interview, leaving bags all over his place and having no clue how much he'd missed her the night before, spending it eating something greasy in front of the TV. He always resorted to that when she was gone.

Technically, she didn't live with him - she was still coughing up rent for the small apartment she and Corinne had shared during Penn- but she spent so much of her time at his place that it was positively lacking when she wasn't there. That would be remedied soon when they both moved into that house outside of the city, after the wedding, though. Each with their own history of domestic problems, they held the idea of a home sacred.

The door opened in on the house; he shook the few remaining droplets from his hair, which was longer now, by a little, than it used to be, and propped his umbrella against the wall. In a movement with years of practice, he kicked off his shoes-only to have them bump into something.

There, lazily slumped against the wall, were her heels. The weird wedge ones that she wore with dresses a lot.

He grinned.

With a burst of speed that even surprised himself, he was up the stairs and at his-rather their- bedroom door. There, lying on his bed, were his two most favorite things in the world: Josie Trent under the covers of the thick white comforter, and under her critical gaze, a physics textbook. And she was naked.

"Welcome home," she said casually, as if completely oblivious that her creamy shoulders were cresting the top of the thick tome. Josie didn't look up. He made his way over to her and she picked up some papers from their bedside table, which was covered with quite a few photographs: the two of them with the rest of the science club at their little reunion, the others slightly surprised at their close proximity; at the convention where he proposed to her; her sprawled out on the stairs of the home they'd already purchased, with its large wooden staircase in the foyer…

"Scientific American sent this back. They said we need to make a few drastic revisions."

The warm glow of the lamp made her hair look like gold, and it cast deeper shadows on her face. She was beautiful, as always, but had matured into something that was only hinted at during her years at Blake Holsey. There was a grace to her, and even then, he used to catch himself watching her. The paper was put into his hand, but he couldn't help but stare at her.

Sometimes, late at night, he'd wake up, hold her closer and stare at her; remembering when he'd thought he'd lost her and any chance to be with her also. She'd sigh in her sleep and say his name. In the morning he would know she had been awake, actually, just pretending for his sake. Josie looked at him now, an eyebrow raised. And naked.

"You okay?"

He nodded, tearing his eyes away from her and down to the paper. Josie had added his last name to the end of hers when they became engaged, and consequently their regular biography that was tacked on to the end of their papers had to be rewritten. His was just fine, but hers...

"'Upon completion of this article, she will proceed to have mad, crazy sex with Dr.-'Josie!"

His fiancée responded by looking back up at him, nonplussed as she bookmarked her page with the dustcover sleeve (a habit that drove him insane). "It was the truth, if you recall that day."

He nodded, remembering it all too vividly. Good times.

She was up and kneeling on the bed, arms around his neck and giving him a lazy kiss.

"I missed you," she sighed against his lips, naked.

"Didn't you have an interview today? What magazine was it again?" Josie was too busy with his shirt, reaching back up and kissing him in between each button.

"They sent me back here." Kiss. Another button undone.

"Why?" Kiss. Another button undone.

"They didn't appreciate my attire. What do you think?"

He was now nearly devoid of all his clothes. Josie was very good at that. And being naked. "I can't find anything wrong with it."

She laughed. A very feminine one as she flopped back onto the bed. "I remember a time when you would have probably passed out if I showed up to something like this."

He couldn't help but smirk a little as he sat on the edge of the bed next to her. "Since I know you didn't, I'm not worried. And "that time", was quite a while ago. Circumstances were slightly different, if you recall."

She shrugged. Not much had really changed, and he knew it. "Except for you, things are the same."

"You are such a liar."

"Come on, you have to admit I have corrupted you. Recall our flight to that conference in California and our induction into the Mile High Club?"

"My idea!" Honestly, it had been a joke. The two hadn't seen each other in a week and he'd suggested it humorously, since she'd suggested right there in their seats. Something had told him the little boy in the seat behind them might have minded.

"But would you have ever thought of that before I corrupted you?"
He rolled his eyes. She did the same in response. Did he mention she was naked?

"Earth to fiancé." He looked back up at her freckled face. Apparently his eyes had wandered southward.

"Yes?"

She sighed, and put the book on the nightstand. "Even though you're a genius, it appears that five second rule applies to you too."

He laughed. Pure Josie. Pure naked Josie. "I missed you." He said, and he meant it.

"I missed you, too. Now get up here and properly greet me you virile, science geek of mine."

And he did exactly that, because he was the luckiest man on Earth and would do anything Josie Trent-Zachary, PhD asked him to.