A/N: This story is set about 2 or 3 years in the future, after Betty and Gio have been living together for a while and both have established careers for themselves. This story is not at all related to my Up All Night fiction. I've never published a love scene before, so please leave reviews and let me know what you think! Hope you all enjoy this! :)

"I can't believe you!" Betty Suarez cried. "You had the nerve to miss it!" She stomped across their living room floor, her eyes wide with anger and pain.

"Betty, I'm so sorry--"

"No." Betty looked up at Gio, holding a hand out in front of her to signal him to stop. Tears were ready to spill down her cheeks. "I… I don't want to hear it, Gio."

Earlier in the evening, Betty had attended an awards dinner to be recognized for one of her short stories that had been published in the New Yorker. Gio had been so proud of her when she told him that the prestigious magazine was including her story. He'd promised that he would be beside her the whole night to share in her moment. But he didn't come.

Betty folded her arms across her chest and began pacing in circles. "How do you think it felt to stare at an empty chair beside me all night? Do you even know how hard it was to lie to everyone and tell them that you couldn't make it because you were too sick to come?" She slid her thumbs under the rim of her glasses and wiped away warm tears that were burning her eyes.

Gio took a step closer to her and tried to reach for her hand. He felt like someone had punched him in the stomach each time he saw another tear slip down her cheek. He knew that he had screwed up really bad this time. He'd just opened up his new sandwich depot in the trendy Meatpacking District two months ago and was already facing more emergencies and chaos than he could handle. Tonight, one of his employees cut his hand on a knife and ended up going to the emergency room. Gio just couldn't bear to leave his new business understaffed, so he did what he thought made sense: he called Betty at the last minute and told her he couldn't leave work to come to her dinner. He had guessed from her short, caustic responses on the phone that she'd be upset, but he had no clue it would be like this.

"Betty, look at me, please..." he pleaded. Her glassy eyes glared fiercely at him. "You know how much time and money I've put into my business. I just couldn't leave it there with no one to run things..."

"So I haven't put time and money into my career, too, Gio? You know what? Forget it," she spat as she turned and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door on her way in. Betty leaned against the cool tile on the bathroom wall and choked back a sob. She hardly ever fought with Gio, but what he did tonight was more than hurtful. She knew that his career and his "five year plan" were important to him, but she hated feeling like she was always competing with a sandwich shop for his attention. Her career and her plans were important, too, and she just wanted him to be there to share her big moments.

'Is that too much to ask?' Betty thought and sighed sadly as she turned on the water to the shower. She adjusted the hot water and let the steam cloud the room until she could barely see her hands in front of her face. Betty miserably dropped her dress to the floor, took off her glasses, and stepped into the steaming shower. She leaned back into the pulsing stream of water and tried to calm her senses.

'You're being selfish,' a voice inside Betty's head scolded.

"But I miss him," she blurted, responding to her own thoughts. "Is it selfish to want to spend time with someone you love?" She felt fresh tears spring from her eyes, mixing with the warm shower water running down her face.

Betty heard a muffled knocking on the door. She ignored it and continued to wash away her resentment under the soothing water.

"Betty..." Gio's voice was suddenly right beside her. She forcefully pulled back the shower curtain and came face to face with him. His eyes were red and teary and his voice cracked as he tried to talk. "I know I've been caught up in work," he started. "And I'm sorry. I made a shitty decision tonight. But I can't stand seeing you upset at me, B. Please..." He ran his hands over his face, trying to knead away the stress and pain.

Betty felt her heart ache at the sight of him looking so miserable. "I'm sorry, too," she spoke softly. "I know you've been busy with work but--"

Gio pressed his fingertips lightly against her lips, stopping her in mid-sentence. "No. No one should ever make you feel like you're second priority. Especially me of all people."

All of a sudden, Betty looked down, as if recognizing for the first time that they'd just had this conversation while she was in the shower. She glanced back up at Gio and watched his jaw tighten as his eyes finally took in her body gleaming under the stream of water. He swallowed hard and met her gaze directly with his own.

Betty was the first to move. She leaned past the shower curtain and wrapped her arms around his waist, soaking his gray t-shirt with her wet body. Gio held her close, stroking her back affectionately despite the water soaking through his clothes. He finally pulled away and realized that his shirt was now damp and clung to his chest.

They both stood still for a moment, looking intently at each other. The sound of the pounding water was the only noise in the room.

Betty's hands trembled as she reached out and slid her fingertips under the hem of Gio's shirt, tugging it upward. He raised his arms as she pulled the thin fabric over his head and dropped it to the floor. Betty dipped down and softly brushed her lips across his now-bare chest, her soaking wet hands gliding over the muscles straining in his arms and back. He closed his eyes and exhaled through parted lips as he felt his arousal growing by the second. He abruptly grabbed one of her hands and guided it down below his waist. Despite her being with him for years now, Betty still blushed at his openness, smiling shyly as she felt his excitement. She fumbled with his jeans and boxers and finally pushed them off his hips.

She pulled him into the shower with her, bringing him under the gentle spray of the steaming water. She couldn't help but let her eyes roam over every inch of glistening olive skin. She watched his chest rise and fall as he took shallow breaths and followed the beads of water snaking down into intimate places on his body.

Gio brushed away strands of wet hair that clung to her face before placing his hands on both sides of her head and kissing her urgently. Betty moaned his name softly into his lips as her entire body went ablaze from the sensation of his wet skin pressed against her own. Gio couldn't think of anything except how her body fit so perfectly against his. Betty felt him pull away from her lips to kiss her nose and forehead.

When she felt his touch totally disappear from her body, she reluctantly opened her eyes to find him lathering a washcloth. Gio smiled brazenly as he began to bathe her, starting with her arm and slowly moving upward, massaging her shoulders, neck, and back. She closed her eyes as the velvety cloth continued to slide across her skin, engulfing her body in the smell of fresh citrus soap. He moved from her back to her chest and stomach, working in small circles, watching as the suds slid between her breasts, down her abdomen and between the deep v of her legs. She gasped softly as he moved lower on her body, teasing her skin just inches from her hot center. He paused and then slid the washcloth down the sides of her hips and legs before stroking the cloth slowly up the insides of her thighs. She parted her legs as he moved the cloth higher between her thighs, practically begging him for satisfaction.

Betty let out another soft sound of pleasure and Gio looked up to see her face exuding complete bliss. He put down the washcloth and guided her under the hot cascade of water, sending the soap toward the drain in silky streams down her body. He then turned her around so that her back was pressed against him and her breasts were directly under the warm spray. He ran his fingers through her matted hair, pulling it to the side, and softly kissed the nape of her neck while teasing her already-hard nipples with his thumbs.

Betty leaned back into him, closing up the space between their bodies as her hips intuitively began to pulse into his. "Gio," she pleaded, her raspy breath barely coming out above a whisper. "Please…"

He closed his eyes and tilted his head down, gently nipping at her earlobe with his teeth before whispering, "I love you," in her ear.

"I love you," she managed to breathe, lost in a state of intense pleasure. With that, he slid his hands down to hold her hips, positioning himself against her from behind. He rubbed against her, teasing her, feeling the heat radiate from her most intimate place. His grip tightened on her hips as he entered her slowly, pressing himself deep within her warmth. Betty trembled as he filled her completely, his hips coming to rest against her bottom. She pressed her palms against the tile in front of her, trying to steady herself in her fevered state. He waited until he felt her hips begin to push into him, pleading for more, before he started moving inside of her.

"Sei il mio mondo.." he murmured against her neck, gently kissing the supple flesh behind her ear as he slid in and out of her in long, deep strokes. Betty arched back and met each of his thrusts with her hips, every nerve in her body tingling from the eager, affectionate way he was loving her body. She whimpered as he reached around to her front and began rubbing the sensitive rosy bud between her legs. The pleasure she felt was so intense that it was almost excruciating. Gio's breathing became labored as her body gripped his manhood even tighter. He lost the last bit of his restraint that was remaining and began to rock into her with complete abandon. When he felt her hot center begin to contract and throb around him, he pumped into her hard, feeling every part of him release deep within her. She cried out his name as she came with him, the steaming water pounding against their bodies as she convulsed in his arms.

When their breathing had finally slowed, he slipped out of her, running his hands up and down her sides. She turned around to face him and kissed him longingly on the lips, still shaking from their encounter. Gio smiled contentedly as he cradled her close one last time before turning the shower water off. He reached over and grabbed a towel, wrapping them both up in the downy fabric.

"So," he teased in a low, amorous voice. "The question of the day is this: Is Betty Suarez still mad at me?"

Betty cracked a small smile. "Mad? Me? What are you talking about?" she joked.

He looked at her earnestly. "Betty, my five year plan's important to me. But I wouldn't even be where I am now if you weren't in my life. I promise you, the next time you need me by your side, I'll be there. And I'm sorry we even had to fight about this." He paused for a second before breaking into a big grin."But if this is what happens after we fight, I might need to do stupid stuff more often!"