From [Here]

[hattie_notqueen]

[ooc: Hattie's run is concurrent with Kitt's talk with Kobie]
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The more she ran, the longer her strides got. She opened herself along to the path that she had been carving over the months through the woods behind their castle house and by the time she broke the tree line again and came out back along Kitt's track, she was breathing really heavily.

She'd woken up after a couple of hours, not even aware that she'd fallen asleep next to him. It was really a testament that she hadn't been sleeping well without him that, as soon as he was there, she fell right to sleep. Almost like all was right in her world - or pretty close to it. And once she'd woken up, she'd felt the need to burn off the rest of the anxiety she'd been feeling, so she'd left him there, changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and dashed off on a slow jog across the back lawn until she'd hit the track in the outward direction.

Now that she was at the end of her five miles, she could feel the burn in her muscles and the need for another shower. Human. She felt human again, and, as she crossed the track, she vaguely wondered if Kitt ever felt the need to go running.

Up the hill that separated the track from the lawn, then over that before she hit the brick driveway and she slowed once again.

Breathing heavy, she pulled open the door and gave the cook a wave before heading upstairs again. Was she nervous? A little. But she felt better, and that helped.

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[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

Kitt felt the need to go driving, but he'd never gone running. Old habits die hard, and that was the oldest habit he had.

He was upstairs by the time she returned, and if he was concerned at all, he was hiding it beneath the pretense of being absorbed in a book as he sat in a comfortable chair near the window.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

Opening the double doors, her pause wasn't noticeable... much. She wasn't expecting him to be sitting in the chair. Really, she didn't think she'd been gone that long, but a glance at the clock showed that she'd been gone for an hour, maybe a little more.

"Wow," she said, catching her breath. "I didn't mean to be gone so long. Just meant to do a quick run." Stopping in the middle of the room, she asked him with genuine curiosity, "How are you?"

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

He looked up at her, committing the page number to memory and closing the book before answering.

"... Better." He nodded slowly, as if his body was catching up with his reply. "You?" He eyed her, taking note of her appearance.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

"Better," she agreed, nodding as well and stepping further into the room. She reached up and pulled her hair from her ponytail. "Running's cathartic. It makes me feel better. Refreshed. Re... juvenated."

She smiled at him. "So, you know. Better." She half-shrugged toward the bathroom. "Have to shower... will you um, be here when I get out?"

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

He nodded again. "That's how I feel about driving." He understood the human physiological response to exercise, how the endorphins could help humans to push past the pain and induce a euphoria in the person exercising.

He wouldn't know. He'd never exercised like that. It occurred to him that perhaps he should start, but that was neither here nor there at the moment. For now, driving would suffice, as it had the same sort of psychological effect on him.

He gave her a small smile in return. "I'll be here." He held up the book, flipping it back open.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

Any other time, he would have invited himself along. He didn't, so she just flashed him another smile and nodded at the book. "Must be good. Tell me about it later?"

She didn't exactly wait for an answer as she ducked into the bathroom, shimmying out of her pants and then pulling her shirt over her head. In her panties, she poked her head around the corner and smiled at the sight of Kitt sitting there.

"Really?"

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

He hoped she wouldn't keep him to that, because the truth was that he barely knew the title of the book he was supposed to be reading, much less what was actually going on.

He'd been sitting with the book in his lap, lost in thought and not really paying attention to it, but when she called out again he turned his head to look at her.

The light dawned behind his eyes as he suddenly realized what she was asking. What he'd been completely oblivious to. He smiled slowly, almost questioningly, wanting to make sure he wasn't misreading the situation. When he stood, she still had her head poked out with a smile on her face, and he decided that was all the invitation he needed.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

Something must be off, but she wasn't going to worry too much, at least at the moment. Why? Because he'd closed the distance between them with incredible speed once he'd realized what it was she'd meant and that meant that one of her hands was working at pulling his shirt from his pants and the other was curling around the back of his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

Oh, that kiss.

In the days that had passed, she had missed those kisses. And yes, he'd kissed her before they'd laid down, but not with this purpose in mind. Not where her mind was going - south. Straight down and she finally managed to get him out of both his slacks and his shirt.

"Love you-" She murmured against his lips before she resumed the kiss, backing into the shower, pulling him along.

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

"Love you too," he breathed, and he did, dammit, sometimes so much that it hurt. Even when he was angry. Especially when he was angry. But all of the residual anger melted away once he was in her arms, with the warm water splashing down on them, mixing with his lingering kiss.

Now, he wasn't angry. Now, he was simply desperate, all hands and mouth and teeth and lips until he'd hitched her up, his body pressing her into the tiled wall behind her.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

The cool tile caused her to arch her torso back against his. Cupping his face with her hands, she wrapped her legs around his waist and gasped when she felt him enter her. She was so ready for him that all she felt was pure pleasure and she dropped her forehead to his shoulder, not caring that the water was running over her face.

Once Hattie was able to move, she rocked against him slowly, sliding her arms around his neck. She brought her lips to his jaw and nibbled her way back to his mouth before her kisses became frantic again.

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

It was going to be fast and dirty. Or maybe fast and clean, considering where they were. He strained against her, his lips pressed hard to hers, groaning into her mouth before he lowered his face to sink his teeth into her shoulder, unable to control himself as his climax overtook him.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

The sharp bite on her shoulder combined with his groan made her feel desired, possessed. His. And though it was over just that quick, Hattie was just as satisfied as he was, maybe more.

She clung to him for an extra moment, before she let her toes touch the ground again and then she kissed him again, this time as sweetly as she had the very first time she'd ever kissed him.

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

It took him a moment. His body was trembling from the exertion, his hands still gripping her upper arms, his teeth still sunk into her shoulder, his eyes closed.

Almost as soon as he relaxed, releasing her, bringing his eyes slowly up to meet hers, she was kissing him again, a little explosion in his brain that reminded him of how good they were together.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

The water was still running, and at some point she should probably take an actual shower, but Hattie didn't care. HE was there with HER, touching and kissing and she could have (and would have) stood there until the water ran cold.

"Stay."

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

He brought up a hand to her cheek, his fingers brushing a lock of drenched hair behind her ear. One side of his mouth quirked up into a tiny, confused smile, along with a half-shake of his head. "Stay?"

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

"Shower."

She reached behind her without looking and fumbled along the ledge for her shampoo. She didn't want him to go. Knew he didn't really need to stay again, but didn't want him to go anyway.

With the shampoo bottle in hand, she squeezed some into her hand and began to work it into her hair.

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

"I don't either." He knew what she was going to say, or close enough, and he'd meant it that way too. He was already shushing her next words with his lips, nibbling at hers. "I know." He didn't want to talk about it. He much preferred putting it out of his mind, concentrating instead on how she tasted. Except...

"Kobie needs a driver." He said it almost as an afterthought, in between licks to her neck just below her ear.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

You know, it was funny that Kitt had said so. It was NOT funny that he had said so whilst nibbling at Hattie's neck and she let her head fall back so she could open her eyes and look at him.

"That reminds me," she said. "There's a woman, her name is Meg Thatcher. She's with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police but she's here now. Anyway, she's looking to stay with law enforcement and I kind of told her that you might talk to her? And if Kobie needs a driver... you might wanna see on what level she freaks out."

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

He lifted himself up with one arm to look down at her, disappointed that she'd pulled away. Still, what she'd said intrigued him, especially the way things seemed to be falling into place.

"Really?" He frowned, considering. "Does she seem the type to freak out over something - someone - like Kobie?" He would more than happy to speak with her, if Hattie thought she might be a likely candidate.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

She hadn't pulled away so much as moved so that she could concentrate. Besides, he'd kinda changed the mood mentioning Kobie anyway.

"She seems smart. Really smart. I told her I was an archaeologist and that you were the CEO of Knight Industries. She didn't ask too many questions except how an archaeologist became interested in law enforcement." Hattie smiled. "Mom was CIA, and you know, the Air Force." She gave a shrug, even though she was laying on her back. "I think you should talk to her. She seems open minded, if nothing else."

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

"Not to mention a husband who's programmed for law enforcement." He smiled, nodding. "If you think I should, and you think she seems reasonable, I trust your judgement. Give me her info and I'll get in contact with her and set up a meeting." He followed that statement with a kiss, to let her know he had no intention of changing the subject for long.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

"Exactly, but I didn't want to tell her that. Not at first. I mean, 'oh yeah, and said husband is actually a car that's human sometimes'? No, thanks. We'll induct her slowly." Hattie grinned at the kiss and then held him close. "She'll be here tomorrow."

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

"Good thinking." He laughed at her initiative, at the fact that they were both thinking along the same lines there, too. "Oh, I see. I should be ready to get out of bed by then." But not before then. Not by a long shot. He cuddled her to him, picking up where he'd left off.

[hattie_notqueen.insanejournal.com]

And now Hattie was giggling, too. Especially when he did that thing with his lips and his tongue right there against her neck. She promptly forgot all about that Meg Thatcher woman and began to concentrate on what Kitt was doing.

"Not before then, though, please because..." And she gave an appreciative moan.

[ki2k.insanejournal.com]

"Not before." He breathed it against her neck, right before nibbling on her earlobe, tugging at it gently with his teeth.