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-50- Morning Love

Luke "Coach Mo" Morrison

"We need to wake up like that every morning." I tell Ava who's wrapped in our sheets.

She rolls onto her side, planting a kiss on my cheek.

"Talk to my boss so I never have to work nights."

"Done. What's their number?" I ask, one hundred percent serious.

She snorts and slaps my chest playfully, pushing herself up on her elbow. As she does the sheets that are wrapped around her expose more of her skin. "I love you."

"I love you more." Because I do.

She rolls her eyes, knowing that if she tries to argue this statement she won't win. I pull her close to me, even though I think she was planning on getting up. But I need her close, right now, for a minute longer.

The past few days have been hard.

Ruby has started chemo, apparently they're not sure they got all the damn cancer with the surgery. She's been sick from it, trying to hide it because that's who she is. But I can see it's already wearing on her, it's wearing on Barry too.

Barry's a good guy and I like him. I think he does love Ruby but I still pulled him aside the other day after I stopped by to check on Ruby. She was finally sleeping. Barry said something about how he wasn't sure if he was the right person to do this, that I could handle it better. I almost lost my shit then. Told him he had to get over himself, that he didn't have a choice and if he backed out now I'd kill him.

I've been on the phone with Ian's dad, the principal and Rhett more than I'd prefer. So far everyone's on my side except for Ian's dad, though the principal is trying to seem neutral about the whole thing.

It doesn't help either that Holt's in the hospital. It's obvious to me the kids gone through some massive abuse and maybe the doctors are doing something about it and the Lincoln's haven't told me but it seems like not.

Ava's fingers run along my forehead bringing my attention to her.

"What's got you so serious?" She asks, eyes searching mine.

"Just thinking about Holt." I answer honestly.

He's all Birdie's been talking about too. She went to the hospital one day after school to see him. Kendra had called me when she left to tell me exactly why she didn't let Birdie in. It wasn't because she didn't think Holt seeing Birdie would help both of them, it was she didn't want Birdie to see how bad he was doing.

"How's he doing? Any better?" Her fingers draw circles on my chest leaving a warm, tingling sensation in their quake.

"I think they're releasing him tomorrow if everything goes okay today." At least that's the last thing I heard from Rhett.

"Good." I don't miss the way her hand stills for a moment and the way she releases a breath. She's about to touch on a subject that we don't often talk about. "I love how much you care about the kids Luke, I do. But Holt has people who are trying to help him. You don't have to."

"That's not the problem." I defend, knowing she's thinking about my own past.

"Then what is?"

I blow out a heavy sigh. "Someone's gotta show him that that's not how life is supposed to be."

"So let the Lincoln's." She pushes.

I shake my head, frustrated I can't quite articulate myself the way that I want to.

"I just want him to know that he's not alone. That I understand. And that's not how a real man treats people." I say.

"His abuser was a man?" She lifts her head to study me.

I look away, not wanting her to see the distress I feel as old memories flood in. I've gotten good at filing them away. And I'm good, that was such a long time ago, it's all in the past. I'm at piece with it but it doesn't change that I wish my father hadn't been who he was.

"They still don't know for sure but it seems pretty obvious to me." I explain.
I swear I'm not projecting.

She plants a kiss on my cheek again. "Just make sure you take care of yourself too. We need. Your family."

I watch her climb out of bed, leaving the sheets behind in a crumpled mess as she pads naked across the floor.

"Or you could just take care of me." I smirk, all the old thoughts lost as lust fills my mind.

She throws me a look over her shoulder as she picks up my shirt from the floor. "I need nourishment."

But I can't take it, seeing the hem of my shirt graze just below her butt as she pulls her hair back into a ponytail. I climb out of bed, quietly making my way to her just as she's finished with her hair. Her neck is fully exposed and I waste no time leaving a trail of kissing from her shoulder up her neck to her ear. She tips her head to the side to allow me easier access and warmth spreads through me as I gain a low, husky hum of approval from her.

"Luke." She mumbles in a weak protest.

"Ava." I answer back, my arms wrapping around her, hands trailing the material of my shirt. "Come back to bed baby."

She spins in my arms, her hands snaking around my neck and I pull her close, lifting her into my arms until she's straddling me.

"You're terrible." She whispers.

I kiss whatever skin is exposed to me, anything I can reach.

"You like it."

Carrying her back to our bed, I push the ball of covers to the ground as I lower her down. Her ponytail splays our across the pillows, her eyes closed as she welcomes the intimacy.

"I'm so in love with you." I whisper before we lose ourselves in each other.

                            ————————

Alright so there's a real chance that Safe won't be posted immediately following the end of this because you know me. I like daily updates which requires me to have a fair amount of the story written and laid out and I'm just not sure I can pull that off in seven days. You have been warned.