Lemon Grass and Sleep

SHAMELESS PLOT PAUSE

I let out a slow sigh as I felt Fred's hands drift down my sides. My hands grasped the edges of the pillow tightly as my eyes opened halfway to watch him slowly back away from me.

His brown eyes glistened gold in the candlelight as he smiled up at me, his fingers digging into my waist appreciatively.

"Have I ever told you I'm jealous of you?" Fred commented nonchalantly, dipping his fingers below my waistband and running them along the strip of skin.

"What?" I said quietly, "What for?"

"You're so..." He closed his mouth, eyes running along my body as if searching for a word etched into my skin. "Pretty."

"Pretty?" I choked, "Don't call me that. Call me handsome or something."

"Mm," He hummed, a playful smile on his lips, "You don't like being pretty?"

"No," I said sourly, pressing my lips into a thin line.

Fred hesitantly pulled down my briefs, the fabric brushed against my skin and made me grimace at the uncomfortable feeling. Involuntarily, my body flinched at the sensation of Fred's hand running along my inner thigh, the other one sitting patiently on my hip.

"A shame," he muttered, "You really are pretty."

He leaned up and gave me a gentle kiss, before tilting my head to the side and placing his lips on my neck.

"Merlin," I breathed out, my back arching and my head tilting back against the pillow as Fred hovered over me. His hands slid over my skin and I could feel familiar tension building up in my back.

"What-" I gasped, sitting up as I felt Fred get off me and leave the bed. Any pleasure that had been steadily building suddenly ceased, leaving my body tingling and shaking uncontrollably. Warm tears I hadn't noticed before spilled over my eyelids as I watched in shock as Fred left the bed area altogether.

"Fred?"

All I could hear in response was some shuffling, the sound of his satchel opening.

"Yeah, just a minute," he called back faintly.

"This isn't really a good time to take a breather," I complained irritably. I sat up all the way, shivering as the cold air hit my hot skin.

"Yeah, yeah, but I just remembered something." He pushed through the curtains holding a few things in his hands. "I hope you'd be fine with trying something?"

"Ugh," I rolled my eyes, falling back on the bed and looking at the ceiling, "I'm getting sick of you and your big brain."

"Sorry, my intelligence has that effect on people," he said arrogantly. "Now, give me your hands."

"The tie again? Fred, this-" My eyes widened as I looked down to see a piece of red fabric wrap around my wrists instead of Fred's tie. "Is this ribbon?"

"Yeah," He muttered, focusing on tying it tightly. "I need this for something else."

Fred took the familiar tie from behind him and lifted it toward my face.

"I-" I sputtered out, my vision going dark as the fabric brushed against my eyelids.

"What's the safe word?" He quizzed me quietly as I felt a knot form at the back of my head.

"Apple," I whispered, feeling Fred raise my hands above my head and probably tie it to the headboard. "Fred, I don't know about this."

"That's fine," he comforted, a warm hand drifting down my sides. "If it's too much, just let me know and we stop. Okay?"