Thea

Thea turned as she slept and noticed Hank was sitting in bed. "Darling," she drawled out sleepily. "Lay beside me."

"Okay."

She snuggled into him when he drew her close. Thea went back to sleep immediately and woke up with her head on Hank's chest. Hank was talking in his sleep and she looked at him when he started panting. His chest rose and fell quickly and Thea began panicking.

"Hank, darling, Hank!" she shouted while shaking him awake.

His voice was rising while he was still panting and she thought he was going to have a heart attack in his sleep by the way his chest rose and fell. She saw sweat break on his face.

"Hank, wake up."

She touched his face and his hand came out and gripped her neck tightly. He pinned her to the bed while his eyes were still closed and she clawed the hand on her neck. He started chanting something and Thea shivered. "It's Thea, Hank. You're hurting me."

His grip tightened on her neck and she began to feel light headed. Thea kicked him in the groin as hard as she could and his eyes flew open, they were as dark as a pit and blank. His grip on her neck relaxed and she dragged in enough air then began coughing.

Hank took his hand completely off her neck and sat her up. "Thea? Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," she managed to say after the coughing subsided. Hank looked defeated and Thea didn't know how to feel.

"I'm so sorry, Thea," he said then went to the bathroom.

He stayed in there for almost half an hour and Thea had to go knock on the door.

"Hank, can we talk? Please, we need to talk."

"I'll be out soon."

She heard the tap running then he turned it off and came out.

"You're bruising," he said as he stared at her neck. Thea touched her neck then hugged Hank. "I'm so sorry," he said again before returning the hug.

"Hank-"

He sat on the bed and buried his head in his hands. "I think you should go home, it's not safe here."

Thea sat by him. "It wasn't your fault, you were having a bad dream."

"I could have ki-" he cleared his throat. "I could have hurt you...I hurt you," he corrected.

"I think we should talk about it not shy away from it." Hank remained silent and Thea changed into her clothes then picked her bag. "Bye, I'll see myself out."

"I can drive you home."

"I'm not going home, it's to the office."

"Okay."

Thea waited for Hank to get dressed then she went downstairs with him. She gave him the car keys and sat beside him. They remained silent as he drove and Thea looked out the window until they arrived at her office.

"Please, stay for breakfast. I can quickly make something."

"I can't."

Thea couldn't stop the tears, she left the car and went in. Hank followed her and Thea went straight to the kitchen, she cried into the tissue until Hank pulled her into his arms.

"We can have sex and laugh about random things, but you're drawing the line here. All you have to do is literally talk about it," Thea spoke into his shirt where a wet patch was forming from her tears.

Hank caressed her bruised neck lightly. "I think I have PTSD, it's common in my line of work but you still never dream of it happening to you. I can't sleep at night because I relieve my moments from when I was on the front line. When you've killed and watched people you love be killed... you see things in your dreams."

"Don't you think you should seek professional help?" She looked up at him.

"I have sleeping pills but I don't like using them. They make me jittery and paranoid, I'm used to not sleeping anyway so I'm coping just fine...except last night. I'm not used to having someone in my bed or waking beside anyone."

"I'm really sorry for all you've been through."

"I should be the one apologizing. I don't want you involved in my mess, it's too much."

"I want to be in your mess, Hank." She sniffed and smiled. "You're the only person that has ever made me feel this good."

It was hard admitting it out loud but Thea meant what she said. Hank's presence in her life made it bearable.

"Please, stay. I don't want to be here on my own." She linked her hand with his.

"I'll stay and make breakfast, go take a shower," he said lightly.

"Do I stink that badly?" Thea laughed when she saw him smirk. His humor was back and she couldn't be happier.

Hank kissed her before responding, "No, you don't."

She took a shower and came into the kitchen wrapped in a towel. Hank looked from her tied hair to her bare feet. "Are you trying to be my breakfast?"

"What, no," she said sharply.

"Easy, babe. I was only trying to talk dirty."

"I didn't know. Did I ruin the moment?" she asked in embarrassment.

Hank shrugged and buttered the toast. "Are you really this inexperienced? How old are you anyway?"

"Going on Twenty-Eight, you were around for my Twenty-Seventh birthday."

"How many sexual partners have you had?"

"Hank?" she protested.

"You wanted us to be honest with each other."

"Okay. I lost my virginity to my childhood sweetheart, we had sex once and it was not pleasurable at all because it was a first for both of us."

"How old were you then?"

"I was eighteen. Then I had other sexual encounters in university, nothing serious and definitely not memorable."

"And your husband?"

"We've never had sex. He just wasn't interested." Hank didn't look too surprised so she asked, "Is it normal?"

"I really don't know, Thea. I do know that there's so many things you haven't experienced."

"I know. I don't even masturbate." Thea covered her mouth as the words fell out and Hank pried her hands off.

"Really? You buy so much filthy novels, what do you use them for?"

"I only read them. It's kinda fun to be honest." Thea could feel the hotness on her face, it was probably as red as a tomato. She knew should have worn a bit of foundation on her cursed skin before leaving the bedroom.

"You mean torture? You'll be all wound up for nothing."

"Are you trying to teach me a few things?" she asked gently.

"Depends." Hank got closer to her and she could feel his breath on her face when he bent. "Are you trying to learn?" He tugged on her towel and it fell to the floor. "Oppsies."

"I'm trying to learn," she said, while resisting the urge to cover herself and run for the hills.

"What would your reaction be if I said I wanted to bend you over the counter and have my way with you?" He licked her ear and her nipples became beaded. "Maybe that isn't hardcore enough for you, can I say I want to fuck you so hard you forget about every one else?"

Hank didn't need to be that filthy, she had been aroused since she said she wanted to be in his mess.

"Say something, Thea."

She gulped and tried to slow her racing heart. "I'd tell you to do it."

He toyed with her nipples and laughed. "You wouldn't say, "What, no?"?" he mocked.

"I wouldn't."

His finger trailed from her breast to her belly button and she opened her legs. "Are you trying to be my breakfast?" he asked again.

"Yes, Hank," she said in excitement.

He kissed her bruised neck gently before bending her over and having his way with her.

"I liked when you called me darling last night," he said when she came.

Thea said it again and Hank howled, pulled out of her then spilled his seeds on her butt cheek.