MY HUSBAND, MY HERO
JASON
Jason stood in his living room, alone, looking around and taking everything in. He didn't know what the fuck he was going to do. He goes off to film a movie and all kinds of shit starts happening at home. Mel gets told she can't get pregnant, ends up with emergency surgery, and then Taylor is in his house for god knows how long. Was leaving Mel at home going to be a near life or death situation every time?
He knew he was being over dramatic. However, he thought he was merely coming home to a recovering wife. Not a recovering wife with brand new baggage.
Sarah was right. He hated to admit it, but she was right. Mel should have been the one to break the news. But, goddammit, he hated surprises. Especially ones that concerned Mel's health. He felt bad for putting Sarah on the spot, but he was in the moment and he couldn't help himself. He merely waited on the wrath from David that he was sure had to be following soon.
For now, however, he took one last look around the room before he retreated back into the bedroom. Mel was sleeping soundly, lightly snoring, as her arm lay draped across her chest and her head was turned toward the sliding glass door. He watched her sleep for a moment before his eyes hardened and he set out on his first order of business.
Searching the house and finding her medication on the kitchen island, he turned the bottle around and furrowed his brow. "Morphine?" He muttered to himself, confused. "The fuck..." He sat the bottle back down, making a mental note to make a phone call in the morning. He leaned his arms on the island now, though, finally feeling the effects of jet lag setting in. It was either that or he was already exhausted at the stress he'd already endured mere minutes inside his front door. He decided it was both.
Changing his clothes, he slid in bed beside his wife and lay on his side, watching her sleep for another moment. For the past month, he would have given his right arm for the opportunity to do this right here. He'd always missed her when he was away, even when she was in her previous relationship. But now that he was married to her, the missing her was like a completely different animal. It was nearly unbearable.
Several hours later, or at least he thought it was several hours, he turned over in the bed and his eyes cracked open to witness Mel making her way around the bed. Opening his eyes wider, he turned on his bedside lamp to match hers. "Hey," he said, sitting up in the bed. "Where are you going? Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Pee," she muttered.
"Um, can you--"
She looked at him, groggy. "I can pee by myself. I'm not helpless, it just takes me a little longer."
"Uh, okay," he said, rubbing his eyes and sitting up further in the bed. "I'll be right here if you need me."
He watched her baby step into the bathroom, shuffling like a 90-year-old woman, and it broke his heart. He knew it was temporary, but that still didn't keep the situation from hurting his feelings.
As he watched her come out, holding her side, his eyes narrowed. "Where are my pills?" She muttered nonchalantly.
"I don't like what they have you on," he replied.
"Nobody asked you," she huffed. "Where are they?"
"See if you can try to get through without them."
She stopped at the end of the bed and glared at him. "If I could get through without them, I wouldn't fucking be asking for them, would I?"
"Wow," he said, shaking his head. "Morphine sure does wonders for your attitude, doesn't it?"
"I just woke the fuck up and I'm in fucking pain," she said. "If you came all the way here just to be an asshole, you can pack your shit and go all the way back. I can do this by myself."
"If your medication turns you into this much of a bitch, then maybe we need to adjust your dosage," he retorted.
Shuffling a little faster, she circled to her side of the bed and jerked her pillow up and tucked it underneath her arm. Picking up her cell phone, she turned and shuffled toward the door. "Fuck you. I was glad to see you earlier, but I don't need this. I'm taking my goddamn pain pill and I'm sleeping on the couch."
Jason sighed in immediate regret. "Mel--" But it was too late. She was already shuffling out the door.
Hanging his head and rubbing his eyes in exhaustion, he lifted the covers and stepped out of bed. He ran a hand through is hair as he walked into the living room and witnessed her slowly adjusting the sofa to her liking. "Mel, come on," he said gently, his voice still a little groggy with sleep. "Just come back to bed."
"This is my bed," she replied, monotone.
He didn't want to argue with her. He also didn't want to watch her face as she winced in pain with each movement, either. Defeated, the morphine won. He beat her to the kitchen in record time, walking past her across their open floor plan. Preparing her a fresh glass of water, he then took a pill from the bottle and broke it in half. "Stay over there," he said to her as she made her way toward him. "I'll bring it to you."
Wordlessly, she turned back and he followed her to the sofa. As she made herself comfortable, he sat next to her and draped her legs across his lap. She scrunched her nose up as he handed her her pill and water. "This is half," she observed.
"Hon, it's been five days since your surgery. These pills are doing nothing but knocking you out, it's not good for you. Surely you're not in THAT much pain anymore. Just try half of one and see what it does for you." He paused and rubbed her leg mindlessly. "I promise I wouldn't steer you in the wrong direction."
She looked at him for a moment as she took his words in and then she popped the pill and turned the glass up. For the first time since he'd been home, he smiled. "That's my girl." The two were silent for a moment as they looked at each other. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry I called you a bitch. That was wrong of me."
She blinked a couple of times before she replied, "I'm sorry I called you an asshole."
"I'm just concerned about you, that's all."
"I know."
"And I'm jet lagged and Sarah told me what was going on and--"
"Wait, what? What exactly did she tell you?"
"Everything."
The blood drained from Mel's face and she was getting visibly upset. Desperate to put out the fire before it started, he pleaded, "No, no, no. Mel. Listen, I made her tell me. Okay? She didn't want to. Don't be mad at her."
"How did you even know there was anything to tell?"
"Because you mentioned Taylor and then you said you had something to tell me before you went to sleep. I got impatient so I dragged it out of Sarah. I'm sorry."
Mel sighed. "So you know about the doctor."
He nodded. "Yeah. I do."
"I'm sorry."
He looked at her, confused. "For what?"
"You ended up with a crap deal. I mean, I didn't, like, trap you or anything."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I can't have kids, Jason."
"That doesn't matter to me."
Her jaw dropped and he realized how it sounded. "That's not what I meant," he said, rushed. "I mean--I didn't marry you for your child-bearing skills. I married you because I love you. And everything that comes with you. And, well, if being unable to have children happens to be who you are, then I love that, too. I didn't get a crap deal here, Mel. Don't you ever think that." He paused for a moment and then he asked, "You're not gonna shut down on me again, are you?'
Mel shook her head. "No. I'm not going anywhere, I just--I'm too old to start having kids now anyway. You know?"
"Uh, no, you're really not..."
"I am," she said, defeated. "At least by my standards. It's too late now to get upset over it. We'll be happy together without children anyway, right?"
"Of course," he said quietly. "But will you?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I think so." Then she looked around the room and sighed. "Go ahead and come on out with the other part."
"Huh?"
"You know what I'm talking about. You want to hear all about Tay's visit."
He shook his head in thought. "I don't...I know he was here, but I don't really think I need the details..."
"Seriously? The idea of him being here doesn't piss you off?"
"Well, I mean, it did earlier. But in the grand scheme of things, at least to me, you and your health are more important than the fact that he came to visit for a couple hours."
She looked at him sleepily, a smile creeping across her face. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you, too, gorgeous."
"The truth is, I don't know how long he was here," she continued. "I don't even know how he knew what was going on. I didn't call him."
"I know."
"I just--woke up and he was there. He stayed for a little bit. I told him about the miscarriage--"
"Seriously?"
Mel nodded. "It kinda slipped out. We were talking about hospital visits and it just--came out. He didn't stay long after that."
"Didn't take it well, huh?"
"He wasn't supposed to know to begin with."
Jason sighed and squeezed her leg. He hadn't wanted to say it out loud, but he did it anyway, for her sake. "He's not going anywhere, you know."
"I know," she replied. "Or at least--I think I know..."
"He's not."
She looked at him silently for a moment. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Me, too."
"I don't want you to leave again in two days."
"Let's not think about that right now."
"I'm supposed to be coming with you, you know. I'm supposed to already be in Europe."
"I know."
Tears welled up in her eyes all of a sudden and her voice cracked. "This is so stupid, I hate this."
His heart broke. It was too late for this. Or too early. Truth was, he had no idea what time it was, he just knew it was dark outside. "Babe, don't cry. Please. I'm here now. Okay?" He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand to see her cry.
"It's just so frustrating," she said through her tears. "I don't have a follow up for another week. Another week, Jason!"
He had to admit, the thought of one more week without her hurt. He couldn't deny it. But he didn't want her to travel if she was supposed to be recovering, either. He decided to be the strong one here. "It'll fly by," he said. "I promise. And, look, I'm here part of that time so, really, it's only just a few days. Right?"
She sniffed, seemingly drying her tears up as she nodded. "Yeah. I guess that's true."
He smiled warmly. "That's not so bad, is it?"
She shook her head at him and she sniffed one more time. "Is it okay if I come back to bed?"
He couldn't help himself when he chuckled lightly. "I didn't want you to get out of bed to begin with."
As she got off the couch and he helped her to the bedroom, he asked her, "How's that pill treating you?"
She nodded as she shuffled. "It worked. We'll just see for how long, though."
He shook his head in silence. There was no pill in the world that would ever affect her hard-headedness.
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"Because I'm her husband and I'm telling you, her fucking dosage is too high. All it fucking does is knock her out. It either needs to be lowered or she doesn't need to be on that shit at all. Find her something else. She has one goddamn incision, she wasn't hit by a Mack truck. Who the fuck prescribes morphine for a fucking appendectomy?"
Jason was hot. Fuming. Mel was in the bed asleep, and he was getting the runaround from the pharmacist over the phone. When the woman finally got back on, telling him just one more thing he didn't want to hear, he went off. "Then why the fuck don't you point me in the direction of someone who CAN help me!"
By the time he got off the phone, he felt a little foolish. Of course he should have called the surgeon's office first. What the fuck could the pharmacy do? However talking to the receptionist wasn't getting him what he wanted, either. "All I fucking want," he said through his teeth as calmly as he could, "is for SOMEONE to do something about this bullshit my wife is putting into her body. I mean, do I need to come up there? Do I need to pay the doctor a visit myself? Because I have no problem with that."
Fifteen minutes and two more threats later, Jason was shoving his keys into his pocket and flushing the remainder of Mel's morphine down the toilet. "I'm headed to the pharmacy," he told Martina. "When Mel wakes up, tell her where I am. Make sure she eats and see if you can get her to walk a lap around the house. It's been nearly a week since her surgery, this is ridiculous. She needs to start trying to function again. I need her well so she can fly to Europe."
Martina nodded solemnly. "Yes, sir, Mr. Jason. Might not be easy, though."
He cracked a knowing smile. "I know. Just tell her I said she needs to do it for Europe. If that doesn't get her going, I'll deal with it when I get home. She's gonna get well, Martina, and I'm gonna make sure it happens."
With that, he was out the door.
Normally, he would have felt remorse, walking into a place and facing a person after chewing them out on the phone. But not today. Today, and for the remainder of his short time at home, Jason's main concern was Mel. The fact that these were the people who filled the prescription to begin with made them just as bad as the surgeon who prescribed it.
Jason didn't like pills. He didn't like narcotics, namely. He'd had a bad experience once, an allergic reaction, back when he was much younger and he'd witnessed an old friend of his overdose on painkillers. Those two experiences put together left a bad taste in his mouth and he avoided prescription medication at all costs. He knew some of it was necessary. But he also knew that, if abused, morphine was one that could become addictive. And after five days, with Mel still taking it and having the reaction she was, he knew it was time to get rid of them. The medication was well into her system by that point and she shouldn't have needed them as often as she was still taking them. If his wife ever ended up abusing anything she was prescribed, there was a gravestone reserved specifically in the doctor's honor. And that was a promise.
When Jason came home an hour later, he heard noise. Surely this was a good sign. It had to be. As he stepped into the living room, he wasn't disappointed. Surprised was more like it. Mel sat on the sofa in the living room, giggling at some random morning television program, a bowl of cereal in her hand. He smiled, his heart melting. He crossed the room and laid her new prescription down on the end table as he peeled off his jacked and draped it across the arm chair. Taking a seat beside her, he couldn't help but gaze at her with pure joy. Her hair was in a wet pile on top of her head and she smelled of fresh soap. She looked over at him and grinned, her eyes sparkling. There was his Melokia. She was back. God how he'd missed her.
"Hey, gorgeous," he smiled. "Looks like you're feeling better."
Mel nodded. "The pain is still there but it's tolerable. I think you were right about the pain meds, I guess I didn't need them as much as I thought I did. Martina's been on my ass this morning. She even got me in the shower and helped me wash my hair. Did you know I'm allowed to shower with this glue stuff on my incision?" Her voice was filled with shock and wonder. "I still gotta be careful of the incision, though."
He continued to smile, unable to resist the urge to run the back of his hand down her arm. "Do you have any idea how happy that makes me?"
Mel scoffed. "You?" She spooned a spoonful of cereal in her mouth, having no qualms talking with her mouth full. "Imagine how I feel."
"Good?"
"I feel fucking awesome this morning." She swallowed and looked back at him. "Thank you for coming home and lighting a fire under my ass. Once again, you're here for less than 24 hours and you're already changing my life."
He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. "Mel," he said, matter-of-factly.
"Call it corny if you want to. Cheesy, romantic, melodramatic, whatever. But it's true. If it weren't for you, I'd be wasted, asleep right now."
"Don't remind me. So, uh, listen, speaking of lighting fires under asses and shit..."
Mel let her spoon drop in her bowl and she looked over at him. "Jason," she said, warning in her voice. "What did you do?"
"It might be a good idea if you fill your own prescriptions from now on. Or maybe change pharmacies."
"Jason..."
Embarrassed, he rubbed his hand across his face. "Yeah. I, uh, was asked not-so-kindly to not return to that location."
"You showed your ass."
"I didn't even want to leave you here!"
"Martina was here."
"Not even the point."
Mel sighed. "You know what? I don't even know why that turns me on, but it kinda does."
A smile crept across Jason's face. "Yeah?"
She turned her nose up in disgust. "Yeah. Dammit."
He could feel his own breathing already starting to stagger. "You know it's been over a month now..."
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "If you can think of a way we can finagle that with this slash across my side, be my guest."
He reached over and lifted the bottom of her shirt, revealing the incision. "That's gonna be a sexy little scar there, you know that?"
She finished her last bite and put her bowl down on the coffee table. "Are you fucking crazy? It's gonna be ugly as shit."
He shook his head. "No. I kinda can't wait for it to scar."
"You're such a freak."
"You married me."
"Yeah. I did, didn't I?"
"You love me."
"I kinda do, yeah."
"Kinda?"
"Maybe I kinda do a lot."
"Maybe?"
"It's a strong possibility."
"Just a possibility."
"Okay, I love you."
"That's better."
"You're supposed to be figuring out how to fuck me."
"Oh yeah. That's right."
"You must not want it that bad."
"Who's crazy now?"
"I need a pain pill first."
"Are you serious?"
"I said I was having a good morning, I didn't say I wasn't hurting."
At this point he was damn near willing to do anything. When he came home, sex wasn't even in the realm of possibilities. It didn't even cross his mind. But, hell, if she was willing, he was more than happy to make it happen.
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MEL
Mel couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the fact that he'd done nothing but wait on her hand and foot since he'd gotten home last night. He had to be exhausted. She watched as he took her bowl to the sink and poured a glass of ice water. Quickly, excited more than anything that she was finally getting laid, she reached beside her in the drawer of the end table and quickly popped a breath mint in her mouth. Cereal breath was horrid and she did not want her first kiss with Jason in a month to be laden with it.
She successfully had it chewed up and swallowed by the time he presented her with her water and her pill. "What is it?" She asked.
"Prednisone."
"Prednisone? I might as well not take anything at all."
"Just take it. I got thrown out of a fucking pharmacy just to get you off of that morphine bullshit."
He had a point and she couldn't object. Besides, she was so excited to sleep with him, she would do whatever he told her to do if it got her laid faster.
He sat back down on the sofa beside her as she downed the pill and then she put her glass down and immediately pulled him close by his shirt. She felt her body melt as she kissed him, the way he felt and the way he tasted intoxicating her more than any narcotic ever could. It had been a month since she'd had the opportunity to kiss him and it had felt like an eternity.
As he kissed her back, he slid his arm around her waist and braced his other one on the back of the sofa. She felt herself beginning to lean backward as he kept coming forward and, gently, he laid her on her back. As he looked down at her, his eyes full of fire, he let his hand slide up her shirt and suddenly the realization hit her and she grabbed his hand to stop him. "Jason!" She hissed. "We can't do this here. Martina's still here!"
Jason huffed and hung his head for a moment, glancing down at his current situation. "Fuck," he muttered.
Realizing his predicament, she volunteered to get up and send Martina home. "No," he said, defeated. "It's, uh, it's okay now. Nothing like having a housekeeper handy to ruin the moment." He stood up off the sofa and adjusted his clothes. "Be naked when I come back," he commanded before he walked away.
Mel bit her lip and smiled. She couldn't help herself. She'd missed him so much that anything he told her to do made her feel like an excited school girl. Unfortunately, was still moving slower than normal and so she was just stepping out of her pants when he came back in the room. He smiled as he looked her over. "Goddamn, you're fucking gorgeous."
She felt herself blush at the compliment, delivered in a tone only Jason could deliver it in. He peeled his own shirt off and she sucked in a breath at the sight of him. Apparently all he had done in Europe was film and lift and it showed. She couldn't help herself when she reached out and ran her hands along his torso in wonder. "How do you always look so much more amazing every single time I see you?"
He lifted her chin and looked down at her. "Inspiration," he replied softly.
"I can't stretch to reach you," she whispered helplessly.
Jason sat himself on the sofa and pulled her toward him by her hand. "Come here, baby." She straddled his lap as he helped her adjust her legs on either side of him. He reached up and gently pulled the hair tie out of her hair, letting her damp hair fall down her back. "How's that?"
"It's perfect."
She kissed him again, chills running down her body as his hands gently explored her. Unable to handle the anticipation, she let her hands fall to the button on his pants. "I'm sorry, I don't have time for this romantic shit anymore."
A devious grin spread across his face. "Now you're speaking my language."
After a moment of maneuvering, he exposed himself and she wasted no time taking advantage. A groan escaped his throat as she lowered herself on him. When she found her rhythm, he whispered, his breathing staggered, "Take it easy. Be careful."
Her heart melted. Even in the heat of the moment, he was trying to take care of her. Against her will, knowing she should take his advice, she slowed down and savored the way he felt. He felt so good inside her, she nearly wanted to cry. As she rode him, he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her, his mouth covering her neck. The way his hot breath felt against her skin only amplified what she felt below and she couldn't stop the moans from leaving her lips.
As Mel peeled herself off of his chest, she could tell he was losing control quickly. More quickly than usual. His hands dropped to her hips and he gripped her tightly against him, his excitement only making it better for her. He started letting out short, rough breaths as his eyes fell below their waists, watching her keep her pace on him. His brow furrowed in concentration and his hips began to rock underneath her. He looked back up at her, near desperation on his face. "Mel. Baby. I can't--"
"It's okay," she whispered.
He let out a breath and a light grunt followed it. "Shit," he whispered. "I'm sorry--"
"Come on," she coaxed him. "You can come, it's okay. I want you to."
Suddenly, his head fell back on the back of the sofa. Squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a satisfied moan, he lifted his head again and bucked one more time into her. Not bothering to take the moment to calm himself, he maneuvered underneath her, pulled out, and immediately replaced himself with his fingers. She gasped as he slid his fingers inside her and she nearly went mad when he instantly hooked his fingers firmly and pressed hard, directly massaging her g-spot as if he were on a mission. Her body began to shake and her mouth hung open as she cried out uncontrollably.
"Mmm," he moaned quietly. "That's my girl."
Between his fingers working inside her and his rich, deep voice coaching her, desperation didn't describe what she felt. Violently, she balled up her fists against his chest and her head collapsed hard against his shoulder as she cried out, her teeth digging into his skin as she came. When she finished, she released her tension on him and let her body relax as she fell limp against his chest. "Oh my god," she said, breathlessly, her body heaving as she took in the air. "Holy shit, I love you. I need a nap."
He chuckled lightly into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her back and kissed her cheek. "Yeah. So do I."
JASON
Jason stood in his living room, alone, looking around and taking everything in. He didn't know what the fuck he was going to do. He goes off to film a movie and all kinds of shit starts happening at home. Mel gets told she can't get pregnant, ends up with emergency surgery, and then Taylor is in his house for god knows how long. Was leaving Mel at home going to be a near life or death situation every time?
He knew he was being over dramatic. However, he thought he was merely coming home to a recovering wife. Not a recovering wife with brand new baggage.
Sarah was right. He hated to admit it, but she was right. Mel should have been the one to break the news. But, goddammit, he hated surprises. Especially ones that concerned Mel's health. He felt bad for putting Sarah on the spot, but he was in the moment and he couldn't help himself. He merely waited on the wrath from David that he was sure had to be following soon.
For now, however, he took one last look around the room before he retreated back into the bedroom. Mel was sleeping soundly, lightly snoring, as her arm lay draped across her chest and her head was turned toward the sliding glass door. He watched her sleep for a moment before his eyes hardened and he set out on his first order of business.
Searching the house and finding her medication on the kitchen island, he turned the bottle around and furrowed his brow. "Morphine?" He muttered to himself, confused. "The fuck..." He sat the bottle back down, making a mental note to make a phone call in the morning. He leaned his arms on the island now, though, finally feeling the effects of jet lag setting in. It was either that or he was already exhausted at the stress he'd already endured mere minutes inside his front door. He decided it was both.
Changing his clothes, he slid in bed beside his wife and lay on his side, watching her sleep for another moment. For the past month, he would have given his right arm for the opportunity to do this right here. He'd always missed her when he was away, even when she was in her previous relationship. But now that he was married to her, the missing her was like a completely different animal. It was nearly unbearable.
Several hours later, or at least he thought it was several hours, he turned over in the bed and his eyes cracked open to witness Mel making her way around the bed. Opening his eyes wider, he turned on his bedside lamp to match hers. "Hey," he said, sitting up in the bed. "Where are you going? Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Pee," she muttered.
"Um, can you--"
She looked at him, groggy. "I can pee by myself. I'm not helpless, it just takes me a little longer."
"Uh, okay," he said, rubbing his eyes and sitting up further in the bed. "I'll be right here if you need me."
He watched her baby step into the bathroom, shuffling like a 90-year-old woman, and it broke his heart. He knew it was temporary, but that still didn't keep the situation from hurting his feelings.
As he watched her come out, holding her side, his eyes narrowed. "Where are my pills?" She muttered nonchalantly.
"I don't like what they have you on," he replied.
"Nobody asked you," she huffed. "Where are they?"
"See if you can try to get through without them."
She stopped at the end of the bed and glared at him. "If I could get through without them, I wouldn't fucking be asking for them, would I?"
"Wow," he said, shaking his head. "Morphine sure does wonders for your attitude, doesn't it?"
"I just woke the fuck up and I'm in fucking pain," she said. "If you came all the way here just to be an asshole, you can pack your shit and go all the way back. I can do this by myself."
"If your medication turns you into this much of a bitch, then maybe we need to adjust your dosage," he retorted.
Shuffling a little faster, she circled to her side of the bed and jerked her pillow up and tucked it underneath her arm. Picking up her cell phone, she turned and shuffled toward the door. "Fuck you. I was glad to see you earlier, but I don't need this. I'm taking my goddamn pain pill and I'm sleeping on the couch."
Jason sighed in immediate regret. "Mel--" But it was too late. She was already shuffling out the door.
Hanging his head and rubbing his eyes in exhaustion, he lifted the covers and stepped out of bed. He ran a hand through is hair as he walked into the living room and witnessed her slowly adjusting the sofa to her liking. "Mel, come on," he said gently, his voice still a little groggy with sleep. "Just come back to bed."
"This is my bed," she replied, monotone.
He didn't want to argue with her. He also didn't want to watch her face as she winced in pain with each movement, either. Defeated, the morphine won. He beat her to the kitchen in record time, walking past her across their open floor plan. Preparing her a fresh glass of water, he then took a pill from the bottle and broke it in half. "Stay over there," he said to her as she made her way toward him. "I'll bring it to you."
Wordlessly, she turned back and he followed her to the sofa. As she made herself comfortable, he sat next to her and draped her legs across his lap. She scrunched her nose up as he handed her her pill and water. "This is half," she observed.
"Hon, it's been five days since your surgery. These pills are doing nothing but knocking you out, it's not good for you. Surely you're not in THAT much pain anymore. Just try half of one and see what it does for you." He paused and rubbed her leg mindlessly. "I promise I wouldn't steer you in the wrong direction."
She looked at him for a moment as she took his words in and then she popped the pill and turned the glass up. For the first time since he'd been home, he smiled. "That's my girl." The two were silent for a moment as they looked at each other. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry I called you a bitch. That was wrong of me."
She blinked a couple of times before she replied, "I'm sorry I called you an asshole."
"I'm just concerned about you, that's all."
"I know."
"And I'm jet lagged and Sarah told me what was going on and--"
"Wait, what? What exactly did she tell you?"
"Everything."
The blood drained from Mel's face and she was getting visibly upset. Desperate to put out the fire before it started, he pleaded, "No, no, no. Mel. Listen, I made her tell me. Okay? She didn't want to. Don't be mad at her."
"How did you even know there was anything to tell?"
"Because you mentioned Taylor and then you said you had something to tell me before you went to sleep. I got impatient so I dragged it out of Sarah. I'm sorry."
Mel sighed. "So you know about the doctor."
He nodded. "Yeah. I do."
"I'm sorry."
He looked at her, confused. "For what?"
"You ended up with a crap deal. I mean, I didn't, like, trap you or anything."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I can't have kids, Jason."
"That doesn't matter to me."
Her jaw dropped and he realized how it sounded. "That's not what I meant," he said, rushed. "I mean--I didn't marry you for your child-bearing skills. I married you because I love you. And everything that comes with you. And, well, if being unable to have children happens to be who you are, then I love that, too. I didn't get a crap deal here, Mel. Don't you ever think that." He paused for a moment and then he asked, "You're not gonna shut down on me again, are you?'
Mel shook her head. "No. I'm not going anywhere, I just--I'm too old to start having kids now anyway. You know?"
"Uh, no, you're really not..."
"I am," she said, defeated. "At least by my standards. It's too late now to get upset over it. We'll be happy together without children anyway, right?"
"Of course," he said quietly. "But will you?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I think so." Then she looked around the room and sighed. "Go ahead and come on out with the other part."
"Huh?"
"You know what I'm talking about. You want to hear all about Tay's visit."
He shook his head in thought. "I don't...I know he was here, but I don't really think I need the details..."
"Seriously? The idea of him being here doesn't piss you off?"
"Well, I mean, it did earlier. But in the grand scheme of things, at least to me, you and your health are more important than the fact that he came to visit for a couple hours."
She looked at him sleepily, a smile creeping across her face. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you, too, gorgeous."
"The truth is, I don't know how long he was here," she continued. "I don't even know how he knew what was going on. I didn't call him."
"I know."
"I just--woke up and he was there. He stayed for a little bit. I told him about the miscarriage--"
"Seriously?"
Mel nodded. "It kinda slipped out. We were talking about hospital visits and it just--came out. He didn't stay long after that."
"Didn't take it well, huh?"
"He wasn't supposed to know to begin with."
Jason sighed and squeezed her leg. He hadn't wanted to say it out loud, but he did it anyway, for her sake. "He's not going anywhere, you know."
"I know," she replied. "Or at least--I think I know..."
"He's not."
She looked at him silently for a moment. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Me, too."
"I don't want you to leave again in two days."
"Let's not think about that right now."
"I'm supposed to be coming with you, you know. I'm supposed to already be in Europe."
"I know."
Tears welled up in her eyes all of a sudden and her voice cracked. "This is so stupid, I hate this."
His heart broke. It was too late for this. Or too early. Truth was, he had no idea what time it was, he just knew it was dark outside. "Babe, don't cry. Please. I'm here now. Okay?" He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand to see her cry.
"It's just so frustrating," she said through her tears. "I don't have a follow up for another week. Another week, Jason!"
He had to admit, the thought of one more week without her hurt. He couldn't deny it. But he didn't want her to travel if she was supposed to be recovering, either. He decided to be the strong one here. "It'll fly by," he said. "I promise. And, look, I'm here part of that time so, really, it's only just a few days. Right?"
She sniffed, seemingly drying her tears up as she nodded. "Yeah. I guess that's true."
He smiled warmly. "That's not so bad, is it?"
She shook her head at him and she sniffed one more time. "Is it okay if I come back to bed?"
He couldn't help himself when he chuckled lightly. "I didn't want you to get out of bed to begin with."
As she got off the couch and he helped her to the bedroom, he asked her, "How's that pill treating you?"
She nodded as she shuffled. "It worked. We'll just see for how long, though."
He shook his head in silence. There was no pill in the world that would ever affect her hard-headedness.
---------------------------
"Because I'm her husband and I'm telling you, her fucking dosage is too high. All it fucking does is knock her out. It either needs to be lowered or she doesn't need to be on that shit at all. Find her something else. She has one goddamn incision, she wasn't hit by a Mack truck. Who the fuck prescribes morphine for a fucking appendectomy?"
Jason was hot. Fuming. Mel was in the bed asleep, and he was getting the runaround from the pharmacist over the phone. When the woman finally got back on, telling him just one more thing he didn't want to hear, he went off. "Then why the fuck don't you point me in the direction of someone who CAN help me!"
By the time he got off the phone, he felt a little foolish. Of course he should have called the surgeon's office first. What the fuck could the pharmacy do? However talking to the receptionist wasn't getting him what he wanted, either. "All I fucking want," he said through his teeth as calmly as he could, "is for SOMEONE to do something about this bullshit my wife is putting into her body. I mean, do I need to come up there? Do I need to pay the doctor a visit myself? Because I have no problem with that."
Fifteen minutes and two more threats later, Jason was shoving his keys into his pocket and flushing the remainder of Mel's morphine down the toilet. "I'm headed to the pharmacy," he told Martina. "When Mel wakes up, tell her where I am. Make sure she eats and see if you can get her to walk a lap around the house. It's been nearly a week since her surgery, this is ridiculous. She needs to start trying to function again. I need her well so she can fly to Europe."
Martina nodded solemnly. "Yes, sir, Mr. Jason. Might not be easy, though."
He cracked a knowing smile. "I know. Just tell her I said she needs to do it for Europe. If that doesn't get her going, I'll deal with it when I get home. She's gonna get well, Martina, and I'm gonna make sure it happens."
With that, he was out the door.
Normally, he would have felt remorse, walking into a place and facing a person after chewing them out on the phone. But not today. Today, and for the remainder of his short time at home, Jason's main concern was Mel. The fact that these were the people who filled the prescription to begin with made them just as bad as the surgeon who prescribed it.
Jason didn't like pills. He didn't like narcotics, namely. He'd had a bad experience once, an allergic reaction, back when he was much younger and he'd witnessed an old friend of his overdose on painkillers. Those two experiences put together left a bad taste in his mouth and he avoided prescription medication at all costs. He knew some of it was necessary. But he also knew that, if abused, morphine was one that could become addictive. And after five days, with Mel still taking it and having the reaction she was, he knew it was time to get rid of them. The medication was well into her system by that point and she shouldn't have needed them as often as she was still taking them. If his wife ever ended up abusing anything she was prescribed, there was a gravestone reserved specifically in the doctor's honor. And that was a promise.
When Jason came home an hour later, he heard noise. Surely this was a good sign. It had to be. As he stepped into the living room, he wasn't disappointed. Surprised was more like it. Mel sat on the sofa in the living room, giggling at some random morning television program, a bowl of cereal in her hand. He smiled, his heart melting. He crossed the room and laid her new prescription down on the end table as he peeled off his jacked and draped it across the arm chair. Taking a seat beside her, he couldn't help but gaze at her with pure joy. Her hair was in a wet pile on top of her head and she smelled of fresh soap. She looked over at him and grinned, her eyes sparkling. There was his Melokia. She was back. God how he'd missed her.
"Hey, gorgeous," he smiled. "Looks like you're feeling better."
Mel nodded. "The pain is still there but it's tolerable. I think you were right about the pain meds, I guess I didn't need them as much as I thought I did. Martina's been on my ass this morning. She even got me in the shower and helped me wash my hair. Did you know I'm allowed to shower with this glue stuff on my incision?" Her voice was filled with shock and wonder. "I still gotta be careful of the incision, though."
He continued to smile, unable to resist the urge to run the back of his hand down her arm. "Do you have any idea how happy that makes me?"
Mel scoffed. "You?" She spooned a spoonful of cereal in her mouth, having no qualms talking with her mouth full. "Imagine how I feel."
"Good?"
"I feel fucking awesome this morning." She swallowed and looked back at him. "Thank you for coming home and lighting a fire under my ass. Once again, you're here for less than 24 hours and you're already changing my life."
He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. "Mel," he said, matter-of-factly.
"Call it corny if you want to. Cheesy, romantic, melodramatic, whatever. But it's true. If it weren't for you, I'd be wasted, asleep right now."
"Don't remind me. So, uh, listen, speaking of lighting fires under asses and shit..."
Mel let her spoon drop in her bowl and she looked over at him. "Jason," she said, warning in her voice. "What did you do?"
"It might be a good idea if you fill your own prescriptions from now on. Or maybe change pharmacies."
"Jason..."
Embarrassed, he rubbed his hand across his face. "Yeah. I, uh, was asked not-so-kindly to not return to that location."
"You showed your ass."
"I didn't even want to leave you here!"
"Martina was here."
"Not even the point."
Mel sighed. "You know what? I don't even know why that turns me on, but it kinda does."
A smile crept across Jason's face. "Yeah?"
She turned her nose up in disgust. "Yeah. Dammit."
He could feel his own breathing already starting to stagger. "You know it's been over a month now..."
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "If you can think of a way we can finagle that with this slash across my side, be my guest."
He reached over and lifted the bottom of her shirt, revealing the incision. "That's gonna be a sexy little scar there, you know that?"
She finished her last bite and put her bowl down on the coffee table. "Are you fucking crazy? It's gonna be ugly as shit."
He shook his head. "No. I kinda can't wait for it to scar."
"You're such a freak."
"You married me."
"Yeah. I did, didn't I?"
"You love me."
"I kinda do, yeah."
"Kinda?"
"Maybe I kinda do a lot."
"Maybe?"
"It's a strong possibility."
"Just a possibility."
"Okay, I love you."
"That's better."
"You're supposed to be figuring out how to fuck me."
"Oh yeah. That's right."
"You must not want it that bad."
"Who's crazy now?"
"I need a pain pill first."
"Are you serious?"
"I said I was having a good morning, I didn't say I wasn't hurting."
At this point he was damn near willing to do anything. When he came home, sex wasn't even in the realm of possibilities. It didn't even cross his mind. But, hell, if she was willing, he was more than happy to make it happen.
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MEL
Mel couldn't help but feel a little guilty at the fact that he'd done nothing but wait on her hand and foot since he'd gotten home last night. He had to be exhausted. She watched as he took her bowl to the sink and poured a glass of ice water. Quickly, excited more than anything that she was finally getting laid, she reached beside her in the drawer of the end table and quickly popped a breath mint in her mouth. Cereal breath was horrid and she did not want her first kiss with Jason in a month to be laden with it.
She successfully had it chewed up and swallowed by the time he presented her with her water and her pill. "What is it?" She asked.
"Prednisone."
"Prednisone? I might as well not take anything at all."
"Just take it. I got thrown out of a fucking pharmacy just to get you off of that morphine bullshit."
He had a point and she couldn't object. Besides, she was so excited to sleep with him, she would do whatever he told her to do if it got her laid faster.
He sat back down on the sofa beside her as she downed the pill and then she put her glass down and immediately pulled him close by his shirt. She felt her body melt as she kissed him, the way he felt and the way he tasted intoxicating her more than any narcotic ever could. It had been a month since she'd had the opportunity to kiss him and it had felt like an eternity.
As he kissed her back, he slid his arm around her waist and braced his other one on the back of the sofa. She felt herself beginning to lean backward as he kept coming forward and, gently, he laid her on her back. As he looked down at her, his eyes full of fire, he let his hand slide up her shirt and suddenly the realization hit her and she grabbed his hand to stop him. "Jason!" She hissed. "We can't do this here. Martina's still here!"
Jason huffed and hung his head for a moment, glancing down at his current situation. "Fuck," he muttered.
Realizing his predicament, she volunteered to get up and send Martina home. "No," he said, defeated. "It's, uh, it's okay now. Nothing like having a housekeeper handy to ruin the moment." He stood up off the sofa and adjusted his clothes. "Be naked when I come back," he commanded before he walked away.
Mel bit her lip and smiled. She couldn't help herself. She'd missed him so much that anything he told her to do made her feel like an excited school girl. Unfortunately, was still moving slower than normal and so she was just stepping out of her pants when he came back in the room. He smiled as he looked her over. "Goddamn, you're fucking gorgeous."
She felt herself blush at the compliment, delivered in a tone only Jason could deliver it in. He peeled his own shirt off and she sucked in a breath at the sight of him. Apparently all he had done in Europe was film and lift and it showed. She couldn't help herself when she reached out and ran her hands along his torso in wonder. "How do you always look so much more amazing every single time I see you?"
He lifted her chin and looked down at her. "Inspiration," he replied softly.
"I can't stretch to reach you," she whispered helplessly.
Jason sat himself on the sofa and pulled her toward him by her hand. "Come here, baby." She straddled his lap as he helped her adjust her legs on either side of him. He reached up and gently pulled the hair tie out of her hair, letting her damp hair fall down her back. "How's that?"
"It's perfect."
She kissed him again, chills running down her body as his hands gently explored her. Unable to handle the anticipation, she let her hands fall to the button on his pants. "I'm sorry, I don't have time for this romantic shit anymore."
A devious grin spread across his face. "Now you're speaking my language."
After a moment of maneuvering, he exposed himself and she wasted no time taking advantage. A groan escaped his throat as she lowered herself on him. When she found her rhythm, he whispered, his breathing staggered, "Take it easy. Be careful."
Her heart melted. Even in the heat of the moment, he was trying to take care of her. Against her will, knowing she should take his advice, she slowed down and savored the way he felt. He felt so good inside her, she nearly wanted to cry. As she rode him, he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her, his mouth covering her neck. The way his hot breath felt against her skin only amplified what she felt below and she couldn't stop the moans from leaving her lips.
As Mel peeled herself off of his chest, she could tell he was losing control quickly. More quickly than usual. His hands dropped to her hips and he gripped her tightly against him, his excitement only making it better for her. He started letting out short, rough breaths as his eyes fell below their waists, watching her keep her pace on him. His brow furrowed in concentration and his hips began to rock underneath her. He looked back up at her, near desperation on his face. "Mel. Baby. I can't--"
"It's okay," she whispered.
He let out a breath and a light grunt followed it. "Shit," he whispered. "I'm sorry--"
"Come on," she coaxed him. "You can come, it's okay. I want you to."
Suddenly, his head fell back on the back of the sofa. Squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a satisfied moan, he lifted his head again and bucked one more time into her. Not bothering to take the moment to calm himself, he maneuvered underneath her, pulled out, and immediately replaced himself with his fingers. She gasped as he slid his fingers inside her and she nearly went mad when he instantly hooked his fingers firmly and pressed hard, directly massaging her g-spot as if he were on a mission. Her body began to shake and her mouth hung open as she cried out uncontrollably.
"Mmm," he moaned quietly. "That's my girl."
Between his fingers working inside her and his rich, deep voice coaching her, desperation didn't describe what she felt. Violently, she balled up her fists against his chest and her head collapsed hard against his shoulder as she cried out, her teeth digging into his skin as she came. When she finished, she released her tension on him and let her body relax as she fell limp against his chest. "Oh my god," she said, breathlessly, her body heaving as she took in the air. "Holy shit, I love you. I need a nap."
He chuckled lightly into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her back and kissed her cheek. "Yeah. So do I."