Tony sank back into his pillow with a low sigh. He couldn't remember the last time he hurt this much. The headache alone was enough to drive him insane, never mind the swelling in his jaw. Still, when the bedroom door opened and Kelly came into the room, he found he didn't mind the pain quite so much. As long as she was near, he could handle pretty much anything.
"You're still awake? I'd have thought the Vicodin would've knocked you out," she murmured, sinking onto the edge of the bed.
"I haven't taken it yet." At her insistence, they'd gone to Robert Wood on their way home from the Hilton and x-rays confirmed his right cheekbone had been fractured as well.
"He cracked your cheekbone, Tony. Don't be a tough guy. Take the pain meds."
"I will." He laced his fingers with hers. "Are the girls still celebrating?"
"They are planning an engagement party for us."
"Who are they inviting?"
"Right now? Everyone on the football team and the trainers I work with." She smiled down at him, reaching down to smooth his hair away from his forehead. His eyes closed at the gentle touch. There would never be a time when just the brush of her hand against him didn't make his breath harder to catch. He was sure of it. "I think they're happy for us."
"Good. I'm glad all four of them are. Going to get interesting around here. Somehow, I never really thought I'd be living The Brady Bunch."
"I know, right?" Her fingers moved so lightly over his hair, he only barely felt it and yet, he had to hold back a sigh at the same time.
"What about you, baby?" he murmured, giving her hand a slight squeeze. "Are you happy?"
"Are you serious?" she whispered, the hand on his hair going still. "Of course I am."
She bent and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Are you?"
"What do you think? If it weren't for the fact that I'm still not entirely convinced my lower jaw isn't about to fall off, and I haven't had a headache this bad since my college hangover days, I'd have you out celebrating in that hotel room until neither one of us could walk." He managed to smile, which was no easy feat. The slightest movement sent fiery pain streaking through the lower half of his face and that only made his headache worse. The amber vial of Vicodin stood on his nightstand, along with a bottle of water. He sat up to pop open the vial and dumped two pills into his palm. He tossed them back, swallowed a mouthful of water, and sank into the pillows once more.
"Well, we can do that when you're a little less battered," she sighed softly, still stroking his hair. "You look wiped out, Tony."
"I know. And that's better than how I feel." He gazed up at her. The room was dark, the only light coming from the glow of the television, and in the glow, Kelly looked almost angelic. His beautiful girl. It was too bad it took him twenty-five years to find her. If he'd done so sooner, Deirdre might have green eyes instead of brown, and Shane might be smaller than an average ten year old, with golden-brown eyes instead of blue. And all four would bear his name.
But at the same time, things worked out the way they were supposed to, and he'd take finding Kelly now, when the timing was perfect.
"What's the matter, Tony? You're staring."
He smiled. A pleasant warmth spread through him. "You're so beautiful, baby, do you know that? Do you have any idea how hot you really are?"
"I think your Vicodins are kicking in."
"Maybe, but it's true." He squeezed her hand. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
"Now I know the Vikes are working."
"Stop it. You have to know. I thought you were so cute back when you were in high school." The warmth grew warmer still, and little by little, the pain faded into the darkest, tiniest recess of his mind. His filters fell down, crumbling into nothing as he said, "But if I'd done anything, Christ... I'd probably be in jail. But damn, baby, you were gorgeous back then and I remember watching you run that track and think, if only I could get five minutes alone with her."
She tucked a lock of shimmering gold hair behind her ear, her smile as wistful as it was embarrassed. "You did not."
"I did. And I should probably stop talking before I say something I regret, but Kelly, you haunted me. I was twenty-three, horny as hell and able to go all night, and there you were... this adorable little blonde who had no idea just how hot she was." He tugged on her hand, pulling her down against him. As she curved against him, he whispered, "It's probably a good thing you didn't know what I was thinking, honey. For both of us."
She snuggled against him, one hand coming to rest on his chest, where her warmth sank into him, became his. "You're so full of it."
"I am telling you the truth, Kelly. You wore those corduroy OP shorts and I'd be thinking just how your legs would feel around my waist, how your lips would feel against mine, how you'd feel as you moved with me, like you do now." He let his fingers skim along her hair. It was so soft, he couldn't resist touching it. "And while I'm thinking this, I'm trying to keep my hands from moving off your hips while helping you do a fucking pull up. Your shirt came untucked, your stomach was flat. You smelled good. Christ, I wanted you. You have no idea how much I wanted you."
"How do you remember that?" She lifted her head to gaze at him, a hint of a smile at her lips. At least, he hoped it was a smile. It was entirely possible he was creeping her out now. He certainly wouldn't fault her if he was, he was almost creeping himself out.
He bent slightly to kiss the top of her head. "Because a guy remembers certain girls and the effect they have on him. And you had an effect on me." He pulled her closer. "You definitely had an effect on me."
He remembered it as clear as yesterday. After giving him attitude about doing the pull ups, she finally relented and tried to do one. However, she just hung there. "I don't think I can do this, Mr. Marino."
He sighed, moving around to stand in front of her. It was better than being behind her, because like the other girls, she lived in OP corduroy shorts and the purple ones she wore fit her a little too well, put thoughts in his mind that no teacher should ever have about a student.
But he tried to ignore them as he caught her hips and lifted. She was light, which made sense considering how tiny she was. She couldn't have weighed more than a hundred and ten pounds.
A hint of something floral teased him. Perfume. Light. Sweet. Damn it. She smelled so good. He closed his eyes briefly. This wasn't good. His blood grew hot, slowly changing direction.
Oh.
Shit.
No. No. No. Christ, he wasn't a kid. He had more control over his own damn body than this.
"How many of these do I have to do?"
He looked up.
A total mistake.
He almost groaned out loud. Her white tee shirt had pulled from the waist of her shorts and he found himself looking right at her bare midriff. Her stomach was flat. Tanned. And he had the wildest urge to lean in and sweep his lips against that smooth-looking skin, to flick his tongue into her navel.
"Mr. Marino?"
He jerked his head back. "What?"
"How many do I have to do?"
Was it his imagination or were her eyes sparkling? "What?"
"How many pull ups do I have to do?"
He shook his head. "You're done, Kelly. That's enough."
"Two is enough?"
He nodded, bracing himself for her to let go. "Yeah. It's enough. You can let go."
She did and he lowered her. Maybe it was instinct, or maybe it was intentional, but her hands came to rest on his shoulders and without thinking, he tightened his hold on her hips. She was only a few inches shorter than he was, so it wouldn't have taken much effort to lean in and kiss her. And for one wild moment, he considered it.
"If I wasn't your teacher." He hadn't meant to say it out loud, and thankfully it emerged as barely a whisper. A whisper he didn't think she heard, since she smiled as she stepped back.
"Thank you," she said.
Thank God she was the last one to do the pull ups. The rest of her class was scattered about the gym, chatting, lounging, thanking whatever god they believed in that fitness unit was over.
He cleared his throat. "You're welcome." He managed to raise his voice to its normal level. "Okay, everyone, go get changed."
As everyone headed towards their respective locker rooms, he breathed a sigh of relief. No one knew what he was thinking.
Then Kelly glanced at him over her shoulder. And smiled.
She knew.
"Kelly, you knew, didn't you?"
"Knew what?"
"When you did the pull ups." His thoughts were coming slower now. The Vicodin was taking over.
"What are you talking about?"
"I was this close--" he held up his hand, thumb and forefinger almost touching--"to kissing you when you came down off the bar. But you know that, don't you?"
She nodded slowly. "I always wondered if it was just my imagination or not."
"Am I freaking you out, baby?"
"No. I don't freak out that easily and you are completely stoned."
He smiled and nodded. "A little. But I love you. I think I've loved you since you were sixteen years old, honey."
"I think you just wanted to nail me when I was sixteen."
She said it with a smile, her hand curving against his cheek. His eyes didn't want to stay open, so he let them close, sighing as he said, "I wouldn't have minded, Kelly. You probably would've been worth risking my job for."
"I don't know about that."
He nodded, leaning into the hand on his cheek. "You are now, you would've been then, honey. A guy would give his right ball to sleep with you, Kelly."
"Yep, you are totally stoned." Her lips brushed his cheek. So innocent and yet, the room felt a little warmer. Her voice softened, her lips grazing his ear as she added, "You should get some sleep, Tony."
"I don't think... I have... a say in the-the... matter."
She curved against him. "I love you, Tony. And if I'd known you were really interested, I'd have tried a little harder."
"Baby, you did... enough... without even... trying..." He squeezed her closer. "And if we'd done anything then... the odds of us... being here... now.. are... are slim to-to none..."
"I'll take here and now over then any day," she whispered, her head coming to rest on his chest.
"Me, too, honey," he managed to murmur before sleep clubbed him over the head.
***
Kelly lay there, curved against Tony, dozing peacefully with her head on his chest, listening to the deep, even draw of his breath and the soft thud of his heartbeat. It was funny, how things she'd made fun of herself for thinking at the time, were actually the truth. She hadn't realized how intuitive she'd been back then. Everyone made fun of her for her crush on Mr. Marino. What would they say now if they knew he actually had a crush on her as well?
She remembered the pull ups, remembered how she wanted his hands to stay on her hips forever. They were warm and strong, and yet so gentle as they curved about her. She remembered hearing what she thought was a sharp intake of breath, followed by a soft groan when her shirt pulled free from her shorts.
"If I wasn't your teacher."
She never told anyone what Tony whispered when he helped her down, as she hadn't been entirely certain she'd even hear him correctly. It wasn't until now that he confirmed those five words that made her heart skip a painful beat at the time.
"Well, it doesn't matter now," she murmured, shifting to peer up at him in the darkness.
The door opened slightly. "Mom?"
Kelly rolled over. "What's the matter, Lyssa?"
"Nothing. Is Tony sleeping?"
"Yeah. The painkiller knocked him out." Kelly carefully moved, getting to her feet to walk to the doorway.
"I'm glad he's okay," Alyssa said softly. "I was so scared Mr. Chisholm was going to really hurt him."
"Me, too, Lyssa." Kelly's throat tightened as she cast a glance over her shoulder at Tony. It could have been so much worse.
"And I'm glad you and him are getting married, Mom." Alyssa slid her arms about Kelly's neck and hugged her. "He makes you happy and Shane and I think that's the best thing ever."
"I'm glad you guys are okay with it."
"We are. And so are Dee and Amy. You should see the size of our guest list."
"Not too crazy, Lyssa, okay?"
"Nah. It'll be fine. We've got this, Mom." Alyssa kissed the top of her head. "Why don't you go back and snuggle? We're going to watch a movie since there's no school tomorrow. Wonder if we'll go back this week?"
"I don't know. I do know Tony won't be."
"I don't blame him."
"I don't either." Tony talked about going back as soon as school reopened, but she was hoping he'd take at least the rest of the week. The Vikings' last game was Friday, though, and she knew he wouldn't want to let his guys down by not being there.
Alyssa kissed the top of her head once more and then whispered, "'Night, Mom," and let herself back out.
"Good night, Lyssa," she called softly before padding back to the bed.
As she slid next to Tony, he sighed in his sleep and reached for her. He rolled onto his side, pulling her tight against his chest. She snuggled against him, her hand coming down atop his. She'd never been as frightened as she was that afternoon, when Alyssa texted chisholm has a gun. And now, as Tony's breathing grew deep and even, skittering across the nape of her neck, she squeezed her eyes shut as they clouded with tears once more.
The pillow grew damp beneath her cheek, and she fought to keep the sobs as quiet as possible, but then the arm about her tightened and Tony whispered, "Honey?"
"G-go back to sleep, Tony," she managed to whisper.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. J-just a little b-backed up emotion."
"I'm okay, Kelly," he murmured, his hand slipping beneath the hem of her tee shirt to brush her stomach. "Or, I will be... in a few-few days."
"I know. I was just sc-scared."
His arm tightened. "Don't be." He tugged her closer still, adding, "Go to sleep, honey."
She gingerly rolled in his arms to face him. His eyes were mere slits and in the glow of the television, the bruise on his jaw looked almost black. "He will never pay enough for this."
"Don't worry about him. Forget him." Tony's voice grew a little stronger. "Fuck him. I've half a mind to visit him in the hospital and tell him you're marrying me."
"Please promise me you won't go anywhere near him."
"Kelly..."
"Promise me, Tony."
He sighed, his eyes closing, his, "I promise," thick.
"Good."
"Now, go to sleep. You have to wait on me all day tomorrow."
"I have to work, Tony."
"Damn."
She smiled, stretching to kiss the tip of his nose. "But I'll wait on you until I leave and when I come back, okay?"
"Will you do a striptease for me?"
"Tony!"
"What?" His eyes opened a little once more. "I like the way you look naked. Shoot me."
"Never." She kissed him again, adding, "Maybe. If you're really good."
"I will be an absolute angel, baby," he replied, a sleepy, somewhat giddy smile briefly lighting up his face. "I love you, Kelly."
"I love you, too, Tony. Now," she rolled away, snuggling back against him, "go to sleep."