USE THAT

by JoAnn Baca

(mild R)

There’s never anything so bad that you cannot use that difficulty…if you can use it a quarter of one percent to your advantage, you’re ahead, you didn’t let it get you down.

     ~ Michael Caine

“Why is it so hard?”

Devin snickered at her wording.

She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “You can take the juvenile delinquent out of the Tunnels but…”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry…not sorry!” He smirked. “You’ve got to admit, given the circumstances, that’s a pretty funny double entendre.”

“There was only one ‘entendre’ and you know it! You are the most incorrigible…” She lifted her arms in a gesture of defeat. “Never mind, forget I asked. I do not need this kind of…”

He grabbed her flailing hands and hugged them to his chest. “No, really. I am sorry.” He looked properly abashed. “You asked for my help, and I know how you feel about each other. I should have…” His eyes twinkled merrily, and she cringed in anticipation as he finished with, “ignored the obvious joke and pretended to be serious!”

She snorted, which set him off into gales of laughter. He was still chuckling when she pulled her hands from his grip, turned in disgust, and walked out of his chamber.

He caught up to her a few tunnel lengths away. “Hey, I’m sorry. Really this time.”

She wouldn’t look at him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of believing him and thus letting herself be the butt of yet another joke. Her stride lengthened as she tried to leave him behind.

He jogged a few paces and caught up to her again. “Here’s the secret I learned long ago about Mr. Fur-face.”

“Would you stop? And go away. I must have been temporarily insane to come down here for advice from you.”

The ice in her voice would have frozen a lesser man. He schooled his face to solemnity. “Whatever you decide to do, he will look appalled, but inside he will be so, so happy.”

She slowed down and turned to him, hope shining so brightly in her eyes that for a moment he regretted poking such fun at her.

“He struggles; you know that. To believe. To accept. It’s not natural for him to deal with such…intimate…matters. You must have noticed how he finds ways to change the subject, or ‘misunderstand’ you, or use pretty speeches in place of action.”

She finally stopped and took a deep breath before saying, “Is this an elaborate set-up for yet another stupid joke?”

He had a momentary flash of regret over how flippant he’d been so far. He needed to be serious. He owed it to her…and to his beloved brother.

“It’s how he operates. Redefine or redirect, and if necessary, retreat or refuse. So you need to find a way to eliminate every objection.” He couldn’t help himself, he had to smile and add, “Because he’s hard as a rock whenever he’s with you, and that’s not a euphemism, it’s plain fact.”

This time she didn’t chide him. She just considered his prior analysis. He was right, and she was complicit because she had always allowed him to reframe any discussion of their future or, through her own exhaustion over getting anywhere with her attempts to move him, simply gone along with him standing on the brakes.

“He needs a shock to the system. A re-set. His birthday is the perfect time.” His eyes lit up as an outrageous idea surfaced. “And I’ve got the perfect plan.”

* * *

Devin had insisted that Vincent drink a glass…or two…of bubbly in a late-night pre-birthday celebration. They had rung in January 12^th on the last of the bottle. Unaccustomed as he was to drinking, Vincent felt the effects of the alcohol when he went to bed just after midnight, his head spinning as he pulled the covers over himself.

Now, as the pipes tapped out 5 a.m., he was startled to realize he had over-slept. A momentary rush of adrenaline subsided only when he recalled that Cullen had taken his shift in the kitchen so that he could sleep in on his birthday.

He groaned, head achy from drinking numerous toasts with his brother. Maybe a brisk shower would clear the fog. But as he began to throw off the quilt covering him, he noticed a weight was holding it down. Turning to find the source, he was shocked to see Catherine lying beside him, an arm thrown over the covers. Her pale skin glowed in the candlelight, the curve of her bare shoulder…

His mouth dropped open in alarm. “Catherine?”

What was she doing in his bed? And apparently…not wearing much?!

“Hmmmm?” She woke lazily and smiled at him. “Morning! I’m surprised you’re up so early, after all that happened last night!”

He lifted the covers and gazed down at himself…and realized he wasn’t wearing much. Just pajama bottoms, in fact. Which – that quick peek had also revealed – was more than Catherine was wearing.

“What’s happened? Are you all right?!”

His alarm spiked so high that Catherine could feel it shuddering through their Bond.

“I’m more than just all right.” She rose on one elbow, the quilt slipping down to reveal her to the waist.

He wanted to scramble out of the bed but he was wearing nothing to cover his chest and arms, and Catherine had never seen him so…so…naked before. He couldn’t risk it. Hunkering down again beneath the quilt, he attempted to pull it to his chin.

Catherine seemed not to notice as she edged closer to him. Before he could think to stop her, she was snuggled against his tensed body, her cheek resting upon a heavily furred pectoral, one arm slithering around his bare waist.

Thank you for last night,” she murmured, her warm breath tickling the sensitive flesh of his throat.

He couldn’t tense his muscles any more than he already had, but her words made him shift away from her until he was clinging to the very edge of his mattress.

She rose on one elbow again…baring her upper torso to his gaze…again.

He tried…and succeeded only with great difficulty…not to let his eyes wander over her. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

And speaking of hard things…

Closing his eyes, he groaned, unable to stop himself from making the sound. So he never saw her close the gap, never saw her mouth descend to his until her lips were pressing gently…so gently…

His groan turned into a growl, something that shocked him but seemed to delight her.

“You made that same sound before, when we…” She blushed then, her gaze lowered. “I love it.”

He had no clue what she was talking about. And how could he even ask?

His nightwear was feeling uncomfortably confining, but he couldn’t do anything about it, not with her right next to him. Yet how could he leave his bed without her seeing her effect on him?

Suddenly he felt a warm hand on his bare stomach. The muscles there shivered at her touch…and inches below where her hand was, the response was even more pronounced than it had been.

“Catherine…please…”

She smiled, a sultry, knowing look on her face. “OK. We could probably sneak in one more lovemaking session before everyone comes in to wish you a happy birthday.”

“One…more?!” He thought perhaps he had had a stroke. He both could and could not understand her.

“One…now. And later tonight…as many more as you’d like, up in my apartment,” she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. She nuzzled him there, sucking lightly on his earlobe.

He was nearly bursting at the seams, unable to think rationally. Catherine appeared to think they had made love during the night, and she also seemed ready to make love again now…and later, too. Was he dreaming? He would think so, but no dream he’d ever had felt this…realistic…in so many ways.

Blinking hard, he turned and took her face between his palms. “This isn’t…”

“Whoa! I thought you two would be dressed by now! I’m just the vanguard. Practically the entire community is about to descend on this chamber to wish my baby brother a happy day. Up you go!”

Devin. Vincent couldn’t recall hearing footsteps, but he had been so preoccupied with a naked Catherine offering herself to him…again?…that he likely wouldn’t have noticed a marching band approaching his chamber.

Devin yanked his brother out of bed by one arm, careful not to stare at the incredibly large erection barely being contained inside Vincent’s pajama bottoms. Instead, he gazed over Vincent’s shoulder at Catherine, who was wrapping herself in a chenille robe. Their eyes met – his dancing with mischief, hers with a little guilt mixed with a lot of gratitude. She gave him a quick wink and grabbed her clothing to dress before the others arrived.

Vincent, too, managed to dress, anxious to put more layers between his uncomfortably erect self and the discerning eyes of those – like Father – who might wonder at Catherine’s early arrival Below.

* * *

The day passed in a blur for Vincent. Greetings from friends, handmade gifts from those closest to him, a special recitation of his favorite Shakespeare soliloquies by the children, a lovely dinner of his favorite foods, and finally…retirement to his chamber. Catherine had gone Above once the birthday cake was eaten, but only after planting a tender kiss to his cheek in full view of the community.

Devin dropped in just as he was sitting down to write about the remarkable, confusing morning he’d had. His pen was uncapped and poised over a fresh journal page when his brother grabbed the pen and slapped the journal shut.

“Don’t you have a date to get to?”

Vincent shook his head.

“I distinctly recall hearing Catherine invite you to her apartment to continue what you were doing before everyone else arrived to wish you happy birthday.”

Frowning, his brother said, “How do you know what she said?”

“I came in while she was inviting you. Don’t you remember? I mean, you were kind of lost in her eyes at the moment, probably reliving the previous hours, so I can’t fault you for that. In fact,” he smirked as he pounded his brother on the shoulder, “I thought you might growl at me for interrupting what was obviously an intimate moment!” He chuckled. “Quite the birthday gift you got from Chandler!”

“I didn’t…we didn’t…” Vincent’s protests died on his lips. He wasn’t sure exactly if they…hadn’t. He remembered only being tipsy, falling asleep, then waking up to find Catherine in his bed…naked.

“She seemed real sure you had. Maybe you ought to take her word for it, if you can’t remember. Although, if I were you, I wouldn’t tell that gorgeous woman who loves you like there’s no tomorrow that you can’t remember her making love to you! Nope, best to just…go along and be grateful at least one of you recalls it.” He tugged Vincent up. “Come on, I’ll get your cloak. You put on your boots and go to your lady love.”

Still shaking his head, Vincent allowed himself to be guided by Devin’s confidence. But he walked the tunnels to the threshold in a daze, trying and failing to recall one moment of the time between falling into bed and awakening to Catherine by his side.

Ruminations continued as he navigated his way Above until he dropped down the few feet to her balcony. But by the time Catherine threw the doors open to him and then herself into his arms, he had decided that Devin was right, that he should accept that something wonderful had occurred between them, and all had been well.

And from then on, everything felt so natural, he had no choice but to believe it was the champagne that had stolen his memories of what making love to Catherine had felt like the first time.

But this night…he would remember forever.

It was perfect.

Each bewitching embrace, each tantalizing touch, each murmured pledge of love, each delicious kiss, the exquisite glide of skin on skin…

each moment…

each time…

It was the best birthday gift ever.

As the clock chimed midnight, he was wrapped within his Catherine’s arms as she helped him celebrate another year…and a new beginning.