OOM: Upstairs with Sam, take two.

[isaysimplewords]

The last time Cal brought Sam up to his room, he was nervous and a little tense and couldn't seem to shake it for more than a few minutes at a time. Of course, Sam wasn't a woman last time.

It makes all the difference. After all, when it comes to - bringing women upstairs, he knows what he's doing. (Tina made damn sure of that. No second-rate lovers for her, thank you very much. And Cal can be a good student, when the subject is its own reward.) It's not new. He's got experience on his side.

(That's not all that's going on - far from it - but thinking too much is what nearly spoiled everything last time. It's much easier today not to make that mistake.)

Comments

[necessary_child]

A little tense?

Sam smiles up at Cal, mischievous and... not precisely unsure, but not quite as sure of himself as usual. He's only done this once before in this form, after all, and even if that was the kind of once that lasted twelve hours or so it was still a few years back.

"If you go quiet on me after this," she informs him, lightly, "I'll kill you. You know that, right?"

Not that Sam thinks it's really likely by now, or otherwise she wouldn't have come upstairs.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal smiles back, closing the door behind them and then reaching over to brush Sam's hair gently back from her face.

"I think that's fair," he says, and leans down to kiss her.

It's exactly like kissing Sam, and completely unlike kissing Sam, all at once. Either way, it feels entirely natural.

[necessary_child]

"Good," Sam says firmly, before Cal kisses her.

Mmmm, Cal!kissing.

[isaysimplewords]

It has been a little too long, hasn't it? That's the conclusion Cal's starting to reach, anyway.

He strokes his fingers through Sam's hair, murmuring, "How long did you say you were going to be like this?"

Kissing Sam without that underlying sense of strangeness, that awareness that he's kissing a man - Cal could very, very easily get used to this.

[necessary_child]

"I don't know," Sam admits softly, looking up at Cal. "Till it wears off. If I don't change back in a day or two I'll find Lyssa or someone else and get them to change me back."

Sorry, Cal, but Sam likes being a man.

[isaysimplewords]

"I can work with that," Cal says. He was wondering about a much shorter time limit. That would have been depressing.

[necessary_child]

She shrugs a little. "I honestly don't know, though. It's Lyssa, she's crazy by nature. So it could be any time at all. But at a guess I'd say twenty-four hours, at least."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal nods. "Okay."

Then, with a smirk: "That'll probably be enough."

[necessary_child]

Sam smirks right back at him.

"You sure? You did promise me I wouldn't be disappointed..."

[isaysimplewords]

"Oh, you won't be," Cal says. He runs his fingers along the side of her neck down to the hollow of her throat, continuing, "Far as I can tell, the best part of being a woman - much quicker recovery time. It's efficient. You get to come more often in less time."

Cal believes in using his time wisely.

[necessary_child]

Smugly, "It's not a problem I've ever much encountered."

Having a biology that errs on the superhuman side of the force: it's useful for more than just not dying.

"Although, if you really want to test this out, far be it for me to stop you."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal snorts softly, amused.

"Thanks for indulging me."

[necessary_child]

Sam grins unrepentantly. "It's one of the many sacrifices I make in the name of education."

And while she's in the sacrifice-making mood, she leans up and kisses Cal again, slowly.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal is more than happy to assist her in making those sacrifices. Just in case she needs some help. He's a generous and giving soul that way.

He runs a hand down her back, winding the arm around her waist.

[necessary_child]

Mmm. Sam shivers lightly as his hand runs down her back, beginning to undo the buttons on his shirt, Done, she uses the two sides of his shirt to tug him over towards the bed.

[isaysimplewords]

Ah, yes, that. Cal traces the fingers of his other hand down her spine as they move toward the bed.

This time, it will be very easy to keep the promise his hands are making.

[necessary_child]

Sam can live with that.

---

Rather later, Sam finally lets herself fall back against the bed, grinning and looking entirely like the cat who's got the cream, albeit slightly sleepily. One pale hand reaches up, tracing the line of Cal's jaw.

"Consider yourself explained-to."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal is looking pretty damn satisfied himself, if thoroughly worn out. (Well, he's only human. And he did put in a lot of hard work. So to speak.)

He kisses Sam's fingers and says, "I think I definitely get it now."

Then he rolls off and onto the mattress next to her, giving a deep and very comfortable sigh.

[necessary_child]

"Sure?" Sam shifts closer, sliding an arm around him. "You won't be needing me to go into more detail later?"

[isaysimplewords]

"Well." He shifts onto his side, draping an arm over her. "If you feel like there are some nuances I missed . . . never hurts to be thorough."

[necessary_child]

"Refresher courses," Sam agrees, kissing him briefly. "They're important."

[isaysimplewords]

"Mmm," Cal murmurs, stroking her back. It's just idle petting now. Which, at the moment, seems just as good to him as anything else might. "Very."

[necessary_child]

"Mmmm." Sam stretches luxuriously under Cal's touch, smiling at him. She suspects she may not be able to sit down properly for an hour or two, but that's okay. She'll find a way to cope.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal smiles back, tired but contented. He's aware, far in the back of his mind, that there are other issues that will need dealing with

(Sam's not going to stay a woman)

but that can wait for later. Much later. As later as is humanly possible. Cal is so good at putting things off. Right now, all he wants to do is stay in the moment, pleasantly weary and exchanging nothing-in-particular remarks with Sam until they fall asleep.

"So I take it you're not disappointed."

[necessary_child]

She chuckles, squirming closer. Cal is pleasantly warm.

"Did you really think I would be?"

[isaysimplewords]

"Knew you wouldn't be." Cal's smile is briefly a grin. "I've gotten too much positive feedback to think otherwise."

[necessary_child]

Snicker. "Tart."

Pot, meet kettle. Hint: you're both blacker than Sam's hair.

[isaysimplewords]

"Nope, I'm a guy," Cal corrects. "That makes me a stud."

Then he snickers, because for all that irony can fly right over his head at times, even he knows when a word absolutely cannot be used seriously anymore.

[necessary_child]

"Nope!" Sam shakes her head. "You're not a teenaged boy. Definitely a tart."

[isaysimplewords]

Cal laughs.

"In that case, you're still wrong," he says. "I'm an American, so I'm a slut. Tarts are pastries."

[necessary_child]

"But I'm not American, and I'm the one calling you it," Sam counters, then smirks.

"Strictly speaking, I'm Heavenly."

[isaysimplewords]

"In that case," Cal says, "you're wrong twice, since you're trying to use slang that's not even yours."

So there.

[necessary_child]

"Nope! Since none of them are mine, I get to appropriate them as I choose. Which means I make the rules."

So there!

[isaysimplewords]

Cal smirks triumphantly.

"How American of you."

[necessary_child]

She sticks her tongue out at him. "No, you just appropriate what you think it is."

And then she kisses him, just to make certain of victory.

[isaysimplewords]

. . . well. If she's gonna put it that way. It is a pretty solid argument. Hard to find the flaws. Cal kisses back, stroking her cheek. He can handle losing this one.

[necessary_child]

Sam? A shameless cheat?

...Well, maybe.

He intends on making sure Cal doesn't complain about it, though.

[isaysimplewords]

Cal is okay with dastardly master plans that involve him getting to kiss hot women.

"So," he murmurs, "I know you're all magical and probably only sleep for fun, but you're kind of alone on that one. I think I'm gonna pass out here in a few."

[necessary_child]

That may have been all part of Sam's masterplan.

Muahahahahahahahahaha.

She laughs softly, kissing his chin. "I could live with sleep. Go on."

[isaysimplewords]

"Mmm. Kay." He tugs the blankets up around them and curls comfortably with Sam, closing his eyes.

He doesn't know who Lyssa is, but he's going to have to come up with a way to find her and thank her.