Bennett/Melanie, Rated M
“Are you kidding me?” Melanie groaned, burying her face in her hands as she stopped in her tracks. Her breathing was shaky, adrenaline and panic coursing through her veins.
Bennett and Javi shared a look. They’d just informed her of a minor issue that had led to a significant depletion of their battery banks.
“Mel…” Bennett started.
Melanie shook her head, taking a deep breath as she looked at them again, “I can’t deal with this right now, okay? I’ve spent all day putting out fires and I still have another three hours of doing that. Just… do whatever you think is best. I trust you. As long as it doesn’t kill anybody, I don’t care.”
They stared at her in the wake of her outburst. Once Melanie was satisfied they’d drop it, she sighed, and left. It was back to her hospitality duties for her, while Bennett and Javi discussed possible options-choosing a less dire one, so that they could discuss a long term course of action when Melanie was able to deal with it.
Bennett wasn’t entirely surprised when Melanie turned up at his door hours later. He’d seen her like that only a handful of times-and she'd always eventually turned to him, every time. The last time had gone further than it had before; the bees had died, and Melanie had all but lost it. He didn’t expect it to go that way tonight, but he’d be there for her-however she needed him to be.
And yet-as soon as the door closed behind them, he was pressed up against it. Melanie kissed him-hard and desperate-and he responded with enthusiasm. It didn’t take long at all for clothes to be shed-and before either of their brains could really catch up, she was on top of him in his bed. Her pace was rough and fast; Bennett was all too happy to let her take the lead. She leaned down to kiss him, and he relished the way it brought her bare skin flush against his. He did his best to catalogue every sensation-right down to the tickle of her long hair where it brushed his face as they kissed. When she pulled back, he tucked it behind her ears. She smiled sweetly at him, and her touch was almost tender as she braced her hands on his chest. She slowed, gentler now.
After they'd finished, she lay curled against his side. He touched her back, her hair; anywhere and everywhere that he could reach. She traced absent patterns on his chest, staring at her hand as she did so-mesmerized. She moved to kiss him softly on the shoulder.
“Mel,” he murmured, voice still hoarse.
“Shh,” she admonished into his skin, “I don’t want to think right now, okay?”
“Okay,” he agreed, then after a beat added, “What do you want, then?”
“I just want to feel,” she answered after a moment, “Being around you is the only way I'm ever at peace these days, Ben.”
He didn’t know how to reply to that, so he held her tighter to him as he considered. Finally, Bennett decided on, “You always know where to find me if you need to.”
Melanie nodded, “Thank you.”
“I’m not doing you a service,” he laughed a little, “I’m here because I want to be, too.”
She propped herself up to read his face, nodding again as she took in his words and the expression she found there, “Okay.”
Then she leaned in to kiss him, and no words were spoken for a long time after that.