A/N: **Steamy scene below--avert your eyes to the next chapter if you'd like ;) **

<><><><>

I stand outside JP's door staring at it.

After a few minutes of debating with myself on leaving him alone or not, I decide to do a quick check-in; that's the least I can do, after all he's done for me the last month.

I knock, but no answer comes.

I knock again and turn the door handle, hoping it's unlocked; I'm thankful that it is, and peek my head around the door. JP looks over at me from his bed.

"Hey. Can I come in?" I ask him quietly, and he nods.

I walk in, closing the door behind me, and make my way over to his bed. The room's main lights are off, but his lamps are on, casting a soft glow. He has music playing softly in the background.

JP's huge music collection consists of many of his mom's music of older bands and musicians. She passed her love of classic songs to JP and even named him after two musicians from one of her favorite bands.

They were before her time, but their music is still listened to and resonates with several generations today.

I climb on the other side of the bed and sit next to him. "I'm so sorry, John Paul. I've been so wrapped up in my own head; I didn't realize what today is. Are...are you okay?"

"It's okay, Char, and yes, I'm okay." He tells me, giving me a sad smile.

"Did you go see her?" I ask quietly. He nods, telling me he did in the morning. It must have been during one of my naps.

I look down and see that he's looking at a photo album; it's the same one he looks at every year on this day. His mom had put it together for him before she died, and it holds all the pictures she took of JP as a baby; several are with her, up until she died.

"You're not drinking today?" I observe as I move closer to him and see he has dry tear stains on his face.

JP shakes his head. "I made a promise to Carmela not to drink my problems away after I got drunk that night, last month." He looks at me, "But I gotta tell you, I'd really like a drink right now." A smile grows on his handsome face, and I smile back at him.

We go through the rest of the album, chuckling over some of the outfits his mom dressed him in. "It's good to hear you laughing again." He tells me, but I don't say anything.

"How are you feeling today?" He asks me, gauging my reaction cautiously.

I clear my throat and give him a slight shrug, pursing my lips. "Mostly the same...but better, I guess. I know I need to start getting myself going again—into my old routine, eventually.

It's hard waking up every day, knowing he's gone now, too. Both of them are gone. Uncle Timo told me today he wants me to see someone, like a therapist or something. I don't think I'm ready to talk about it all, especially to a stranger, you know?"

JP doesn't say anything and responds the way I did by nodding.

"Quite a pair we make, right?" I chuckle, shaking my head, while I pat his hand that's sitting in between us.

JP turns his hand over under my hand and interlaces his fingers with mine. The action makes me look down at our hands, our fingers intertwined together. The gesture feels so intimate as he rubs his thumb over mine.

My eyes move back up to his face; he's watching me, and I take notice of how close we are sitting to each other. I feel that familiar pull towards him, and as we continue to stare at each other, I look down to his lips as they part a little, and I find myself moving forward, and I brush my lips against his lips lightly.

I pull back a little to look at him, his dark eyes are on my lips now, and I lean in again. I move my lips against his tentatively, and the same feelings from the night he kissed me start flowing through me.

A slow-burning heat starts building within my body. I lick JP's bottom lip, and he opens his mouth slightly; my tongue starts exploring and caressing his mouth, slowly.

His hand moves to my face as he pulls away a little bit. "Char, what are you doing?" I've never heard his deep voice sound so husky, and it sends a shiver through me.

I smile shyly at him as I bite my lip. "I'm living in the moment, JP." Repeating his advice to me from a few weeks ago. I move closer to him and brush my nose against his before I kiss him again and this time he kisses me back and I love how he moves his lips over mine and his tongue moves so sensually and slowly sending an eruption of butterflies deep within my stomach.

My body moves on its own as I shift and place myself over his lap, straddling him. I slide my hands up his broad shoulders and around his neck, pulling closer to me. The kiss is now more heated and passionate, and I run my hands up his neck and through his soft, thick hair.

Despite the soft music playing, I focus on the sounds of us kissing, our breathing, the gasps and the air we take as we move against each other. 

I don't know what's come over me. I don't usually do things on impulse. So even though I'm unsure where all my bravery is coming from, all I know is I don't want to stop.

It's like there's an electric current running between us and I feel energized for the first time in weeks. It feels good, really good. This is the best I felt in a long time.

The sound of him groaning into my mouth causes a fluttering tightness in my core, and I moan softly in return. I feel his excitement growing under me, and my body instinctively reacts as I push myself down on him, moving against him.

JP groans again when he feels me grind against him. I don't know what's happening with my body; this is all new to me, but I like how I feel in his arms, and I don't want this burning within me to end.

I like the heat that is surging throughout my body, and I welcome it willingly. It makes me feel alive again, instead of the constant emptiness and pain that I've known too well since my dad's death.

JP breaks the kiss and starts to move his lips along my jawline, kissing and licking my neck in a way I never imagined would be so erotic, and my body feels like it's on fire. The feeling is foreign yet exciting to have his mouth on me the way, like he's savoring my skin.

My breathing accelerates as I press myself against him; I don't recognize my own voice or the sounds I'm making as he moves his lips over me. I pull back slightly as I reach for the bottom of his shirt to lift it over his head.

I look down at the tattoos scattered on his chiseled chest and hard stomach. I run my fingertips down slowly and back up; his muscles tense under my touch. I want to keep the connection between us; I pull his face towards mine, and I press my lips on his again.

JP's fingers grip on to my hips tightly before I feel his hands travel up above my shirt and over my chest, and when he gasps in my mouth, I know it's because he realizes through the material that I'm not wearing a bra. I reach down to pull up on the hem of my shirt, keeping my eyes on his as he watches.

He swallows hard as his eyes focus, moving down and inhale sharply.

"Fuck," JP breathes out. From how he's looking at me, taking me in, I don't feel self-conscious. Instead, he makes me feel desired...wanted. I reach for his hand slowly and start to bring it up, keeping my eyes on his. But he resists, pulling against me.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Char?"

I grip his hand firmly, so he won't pull back again and place it on me. I breathe in quickly at the feeling of his warm yet rough hand on me, and I shudder as he starts to squeeze and massage my breast gently.

JP's eyes never leave mine, and I feel a pulsing in between my legs begin. He moves in to kiss me, and he kisses me softly, yet I sense the emotion behind the kiss, and it sends fire through my veins.

I reach for his shoulders and neck to pull him flush against me, loving how it feels to be pressed against him, skin on skin. His hands are on me again, taking one of my breasts in his large hand, slowly kneading and then focusing on my nipple, pinching slightly.

I gasp at the sensation, and he starts giving me open-mouth kisses down my neck. And then he takes one of my breasts into his mouth, his tongue lapping over my hardened nipple, and starts suckling on it; I moan his name, gripping onto his shoulders.

My nails dig into him, completely lost in the sensations he's making me feel. He moves to the other side, giving the same attention, causing me to press myself more onto him.

I feel as he starts to push me back carefully, so I'm laying on the bed with him hovering over me; the silver chain hanging down from his neck feels cold against my warm skin.

JP holds most of his weight on his elbows, but I feel as he presses his hardness on me. His lips move down again, taking his timed, before taking my nipples in his mouth again.

He's so good at what he's doing, and for a moment, I stop to realize he's probably done this before.

Then I feel his hand as he places it over my stomach and his finger grazes the waistband of the shorts I'm wearing, bringing my full attention back in the moment and of what is going on.

"Can I touch you, Char?" JP's deep voice fills my ear as he kisses my neck and gently bites my earlobe.

The smart-ass part of me wants to respond by saying he already is, but I know he means something completely different, something I've never done before, but then I chuckle internally, realizing I've never done any of this before.

He's observing me, waiting for my response, while tracing me with his finger lazily, giving me goosebumps, and I bite my lip as I look at him.

A small part of me wants to stop and talk this out with him, but I push that part away quickly and nod my head in response.

JP brings his hand back up to my face; his thumb pulls down on my lip to release it from my teeth. "I need you to say it, princess."

I look up at him," Yes."

He leans down to kiss my lips, but all my focus is now on his hand as it moves back down my body, lingering again at the band of my shorts before he pulls them down slowly, and I lift my hips to help.

My attention is completely locked in on his hand again as he moves it back up my thigh slowly, his touch makes me shiver, and I'm grateful I shaved today.

His lips are on my neck, but I'm only registering what his hand is doing as it moves over my panties and then gently pulls the elastic band as he slips his hand in, finding my wet sex, and my heart is beating erratically.

JP groans into my neck, and I realize my breathing has accelerated, too. "Damn, Char, you're so wet." His voice is raspy and incredibly sexy; I don't know if what he's saying is a good thing but I only focus on what he's doing with his fingers now.

He presses his fingers against my clit, and I jolt at the sensation. "Oh--"

His mouth swallows my moans as he starts moving his finger in a circle but then begins moving his finger up and down teasingly, and I'm a panting mess at this point, anticipating what he's going to do next.

"Do you want me to stop?" JP asks me; his dark eyes appear dilated as he watches me.

My chest rises and falls with how hard I'm breathing. "No," I breathe out, shaking my head and lift my hips to press myself into his fingers. "No, please don't stop."

I gasp as he plunges his tongue into my mouth, kissing me so desperately, while at the same time, he slides a finger inside of me, moving it in and out of me, and I tense for a moment before I relax, enjoying the building tension in my lower stomach as it rises deep inside me.

I return the kiss with just as much desperation, clinging on to his shoulders. My mind cannot focus on one thing, and I revel in being at his mercy while his finger fills me, and I moan out his name.

"Look at me, Char."

I open my eyes and meet his. They look darker than usual as he watches me, and he starts moving his finger in and out of me faster.

My legs start to tremble, and I feel a tightness growing in my lower stomach; when we hear a loud knock, and his bedroom door swings open, our movements stop immediately.

"Hey, JP. Timo wants— HOLY SHIT!"

Joey stands at the door staring back at us; his mouth hangs open, with his eyes wide. JP leans himself over me, covering me with his body, not wanting me more exposed than I already am.

Joey stutters, "I... I'm... I'm sorry! I...I didn't see anything!" He says, backing out of the room quickly, and slams the door shut.

JP looks down at me breathing heavily, before moves off of me to lay beside me; I'm still panting myself, and I feel lightheaded.

"Do you think he knows what we were doing?" I ask breathlessly.

JP turns his head to look over at me and chuckles, "Yes, Char, he knows exactly what we were doing."

I bring my arm over my face covering my eyes. I feel as JP shifts next to me, and he sits upon his side quickly, then moves my arm away from my eyes; his warm fingers turn my face towards him.

"Char, it's okay. Let me see what Timo wants, alright? I'll be right back." He leans over her and kisses me slowly, and I return the kiss willingly before he pulls away.

He hands me my shirt, and I sit up to put it back on, and then he grabs his shirt and slips it over his head; he leans over me, placing his hands on either side of my face, and kisses me again.

It feels so natural, so easy like it was always meant to be like this with us.

JP pulls away and pecks my lips again before he lifts my chin to look up at him since he's standing at his full height now. "Wait here for me?"

I nod, smiling at him shyly; he smiles in return and then turns to jog out of his room.

***