Thunderstorms and Pizza [Abby]

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Marius’ bashful grin made Abby smile more, absolutely adoring him. “I often have that affect on people.” She cocked her head to the side, her brow knitting as she continued to smile, but she laughed when he smiled. Honestly, she wouldn’t be surprised if he went on a lot of dates, but the way he acted around her made it seem like he didn’t. He certainly had to make plenty of women weak in the knees, though, with a face like his. But if he knew how handsome he was, Marius had perfected the art of pretending he didn’t. “There are enough serious moments in life, and I think we should fill all of our spare time with as much fun and laughter as we can. Because what else is there?” Abby’s smile was wide and warm as she stared at Marius. She had to have some kind of karma to snag him, and when he said things like that, she was determined to keep a hold on him. He had just put into words her entire philosophy on life. Did he have any flaws?! She was on cloud nine.

Marius stood and took his and her bottles with him, and she smiled her thanks. Abby had a total of three men in her life who had been completely comfortable in her house before now: her dad, Lafayette, and recently Gavin. She liked the idea of Marius being comfortable in her home, like he seemed to be doing now. In her mind, the more comfortable he was, the more likely it was he would stick around for a while; and she definitely wanted Marius around for a while. She finished her pizza crust while he got them fresh beers, and brushed her hands off when she was done. When he returned, he came behind her chair and she was going to turn and look at him before she felt his lips on her neck. It made her heart jump and she let out a breathy sort of giggle, the spot where his lips touched tingling. He set her beer on the table and she thanked him before he went to take his seat. She took a sip of the beer, calming herself a little. Her neck was sensitive and even a small kiss like that could get her flustered.

She bit into her new slice as he grabbed another and smiled when he tossed the pepperonis onto her plate. He was still crazy for not liking hot pepperoni, but to each their own. “And you, Abigail James…” Him using her full name made her grin from ear to ear. “…are just a ray of sunshine. Even when everything else seems to be grim you bring light and joy.” Her smile turned warm and she felt her heart swell in her chest. She brought a hand over her heart as if to hold it in, giggling a little. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she told him truthfully. Others had noted her boundless energy, her sweet nature, and her parents had called her a ball of sunshine, but it was different coming from the lips of a man. She could have just kissed him. “You, Marius Dakanis, are a very sweet man.” Her smile was bright, having used his name like he did hers. “I think I’m just sunshine because you make me shine.” She blushed lightly but her smile was genuine, as was her comment. Abby was a happy and energetic person, but it was amplified around Marius because he made her feel so adored and just let her be who she was. It was like she could do no wrong, and it put her in a constant good mood. She reached out and took his hand again, lacing her fingers with his once more with a sweet smile.

She took another bite of her pizza with her hand still in his, liking the feel of it in hers. It confirmed that he wasn’t just a mirage dreamed up in her delusional mind, but a real person; a real, very handsome doctor, who was smart, funny, and sweet and was actually interested in her. She was living in a modern fairy tale and she loved it. “Have you ever seen Friends? Because if not, I propose we remedy that after dinner,” she said lightheartedly, smiling wide. It would be fun to cuddle up with him on the couch and watch TV. What better way to complete a dinner of pizza and beer than with a little Friends? More importantly, though, it was an excuse to cuddle with Marius. She hadn’t had the opportunity yet and what better time to seize it than now?

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

It was impossible to believe that Abby had never gotten nicer compliments than what Marius fed her. Then again he wasn't 'feeding' them to her when they were true. "You, Marius Dakanis, are a very sweet man." He grinned at the way she said his full name the way he had with her. "I think I'm just sunshine because you make me shine." When Abby grabbed his hand he held hers gently but gave a light squeeze. He ate his pizza with the other hand, dropping it to the plate when he wanted a drink of his beer and then picking it up again.

He'd been perfectly content sitting there just watching her. Her smile was contagious and she was just such a bright person that he couldn't stop from grinning. "Have you ever seen Friends? Because if not, I propose we remedy that after dinner."

Marius chuckled and looked down at his plate while nodding, "yes, I've seen Friends. Probably not as many episodes as you have." He teased since she said she had all the seasons. He'd seen a few episodes here and there when he had some down time and it was definitely one of those shows that no matter if you hadn't seen previous episodes you weren't left clueless. "I particularly enjoyed the episode where they throw Pheobe a baby shower and decide to give her gifts that she can use after she has the babies. The funny thing is I've had pregnant women scream at me before and they all sounded just like her." He didn't usually treat pregnant women unless they came into the emergency room, they usually had their own physicians and he was grateful for that. But the few times he did help them were they hormonal. "Let's watch. But after you've eaten all your pepperoni," he teased her playfully and took another swig of his beer.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

“Yes, I’ve seen Friends. Probably not as many episodes as you have.” Abby giggled a little and shrugged. “That’s because I’m a freak,” she replied playfully, rolling her eyes. She took another bite of pizza, still holding his hand. She set her slice down on her plate and reached for her beer, taking a sip when she’d swallowed. “I particularly enjoyed the episode where they throw Phoebe a baby shower and decide to give her gifts that she can use after she has the babies. The funny thing is I’ve had pregnant women scream at me before and they all sounded just like her.” Abby laughed, nodding her head. “That’s an awesome episode. I think one of my favorites is when they try to make Phoebe’s grandma’s chocolate chip cookie recipe and realize it’s Nestle Tollhouse’s recipe and Phoebe flips out.” Remembering the episode made her laugh again, shaking her head gently. She could talk about Friends all day, but she didn’t want to bore Marius with all of her favorite lines and episodes. She was a freak, but she didn’t have to advertise it. “Let’s watch. But after you’ve eaten all your pepperoni.” Abby grinned and then nodded in mock seriousness. “Yes, doctor.” Her reply was flippant and flirty and she giggled afterward, picking up her pizza slice again and taking a bite out of it.

The rest of the meal went by pretty much in the same vein, talking about different programs he had enjoyed on BBC and how she didn’t like the news because she found it depressing, but she would read the newspaper and listen to the radio for highlights. She managed a third slice, famished from not eating all day and she did, indeed, eat all the pepperoni put on her plate. When they were done, she brought their plates out to the kitchen and rinsed them before she put them in the dishwasher with some of her other dirty dishes. Marius brought the pizza out to the kitchen when she asked and she set it on the counter beside the sink. The great thing about ordering pizza was the lack of clean up necessary! She gave Marius a kiss to thank him for bringing out the pizza and then led him out to the couch so she could put on Friends. Just as she popped the disc into her DVD player, though, the first disc of the first season, her phone started ringing. It was blasting, “I just came to say hello!” She ran over to answer it, picking it up off her paint table. It was her mother.

“Hi Mom,” she greeted with a smile, looking over at Marius on the couch. “Are you coming for dinner tomorrow?” Abby’s brow furrowed, not remembering if she had made plans earlier in the week or not. “Yeah, I can if you want,” she replied, trailing off a little at the end as if she were still thinking about it. The weather must have made her mother worry about her; that would be the only reason she wanted Abby to come over so suddenly. “Okay! What are you up to right now?” Abby’s eyes went back to Marius with a smile. “Marius is over,” she replied and her mother gasped. “That handsome doctor? Oh, tell him we say hi and thanks again for helping you!” Abby giggled. “Okay, I’ll pass the message along, but I’m being rude standing around talking on the phone.” “Egli può venire a cena anche!” “Mamma, io non gli chiedo di cenare con i miei genitori. Questo è il terzo appuntamento,” she said with a bit of an exasperated tone. “Okay, okay. Have fun! Ti amo!” Abby smiled. “I will. Ti amo!” She hung up the phone and smiled at Marius afterward. “My mom told me to tell you that she says hi and thanks again for helping me,” she said as she walked over to him on the couch and grabbed the remote before she settled in next to him. “The next thing she’s going to do is start sending food home with me to give to you, so look out. She’ll make you gain ten pounds.” She laughed softly as she curled up next to him, inviting him to put an arm around her if he so chose.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

Managing to eat two pieces of pizza and wash it down with two beers Marius found himself content. He usually ate a little bit through the whole day instead of three regular meals because his job didn't allow him the same sort of breaks that others had. If he was younger he would have been able to polish off the entire box on his own but not these days. Not that it bothered him and he enjoyed watching Abby as she finished up her meal as well.

When they were done eating and cleaning up they moved into the living room where he plopped down on the couch just as he heard the little melody playing. He wasn't sure what was making the noise until Abby pulled out her phone to answer. "Hi mom," he chuckled and settled into his seat comfortably figuring she might be on the phone for a while. Mothers were like that. It was impossible to get off the phone with his mother sometimes but Abby seemed to be pretty good at it because their conversation didn't last too long and she was soon hanging up.

"My mom told me to tell you that she says hi and thanks again for helping me," he smiled up at Abby and nodded, watching her as she walked closer and came to sit beside him on the couch. "The next thing she's going to do is start sending food home with me to give to you, so look out. She'll make you gain ten pounds." Sounded about right.

He lifted his arm up and placed it around Abby's shoulders, inviting her to move closer to him as he heard the Friends theme song begin to play on the television. "I wouldn't mind some home cooked food," he told her lightly. He knew how to cook a few things but his cooking was nothing like his mother's. "Nobody can cook the way a mother can. They always have secret ingredients they put into your food to make it special." He couldn't find anyone to make soup the way his mother did.

Letting out a breathy sigh, relaxing he pulled Abby even closer and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "So which episode is this? Is this the beginning? I don't think I've ever seen the first episode."

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Abby leaned against Marius as he put his arm around her shoulders, smiling at him as he did so. “I wouldn’t mind some home cooked food. Nobody can cook the way a mother can. They always have secret ingredients they put into your food to make it special.” Abby nodded appreciatively. Her mother had so many secret ingredients, Abby wondered how she kept track of them all. Nobody cooked quite like Sophia James did, and while she had shared some recipes with Abby over the years, there were still so many that she had to learn. Maybe she would become a regular student at her mother’s house to learn those recipes and impress Marius. She liked the thought of that and she smirked inwardly to think how she and her mother were going to fatten him up.

Marius pulled her closer and Abby leaned her head against his jaw as she felt him kiss the top of her head. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy and she grinned wide as she turned her eyes up to him. “So which episode is this? Is this the beginning? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the first episode.” She nodded cutely, bringing her legs up so her feet perched on the edge of the couch and her legs leaned gently against his thighs. It had been far too long since she cuddled with a guy and she liked the feeling. “I figured the first episode would be a good place to start.” She looked up at him from his shoulder, smiling brightly. “I’ll make you a fan yet, my young padawan.” She giggled at the Star Wars reference, revealing just how nerdy she could be. Her lips planted a soft kiss on his scruffy cheek before she looked back to the television and leaned her head against his jaw again. Ham jumped up on the couch soon thereafter and climbed into her lap, demanding attention as usual, and she went to scratching behind his ears and making him purr like a tiny motor.

Abby loved all the one-liners in the show and she liked hearing Marius laugh. The first episode was a little cheesy, she knew that, but that’s how it was with all sitcoms. She scoffed at what they were all wearing, pointing at the TV when Rachel walked into the café. “What is she wearing?” she laughed. It was funny how fashions changed. Halfway through the episode, Monica was on a first date with a guy they called “Paul the Wine Guy,” and when he revealed he hadn’t been able to have sex in two years, Monica spit her tea onto Paul’s shirt. Abby laughed, looking up at Marius from his shoulder. “We probably wouldn’t be sitting her for our third date if I had spit wine on you on our first date, huh?” she commented playfully. She tried to imagine how that would have gone and found herself grinning. Obviously she would have been mortified if it had actually happened, but it was funny to think about now. “What would happen if I did it now?” Abby bit her bottom lip, playfully trying to hide her devious grin, her eyebrows raising in anticipation of his answer.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

Watching Friends turned out to be quite entertaining with Abby there commenting on little quirks in the series like what they were wearing or how they acted. She was so animated and easily amused by the show that it amused him as well. Every time she laughed it made him laugh along with her. "What is she wearing?" He wasn't too sure himself and found the fashions to be rather odd. But then again fashions today were going to look silly in fifteen to twenty years as well.

He watched as the guy who was on a date with Monica got tea spit all over him. Ugh. It was humorous but at the same time it reminded Marius of a time he'd gotten a drink spilled on him. He'd been in a bad mood and a woman had come up to nag him at a bar when all he wanted was to drink in peace after a very hard day. He remembered it was hard because he'd lost a patient on the operating table. No matter how many times he politely declined the advances she didn't get the hint until finally he just called her an ugly old twat, and that was the first time he'd ever gotten a drink thrown in his face. The red wine was too difficult to get out and he ended up losing a suit that night.

"We probably wouldn't be sitting here for our third date if I had spit wine on you on our first date, huh?" He looked down at her and raised a brow curiously at her wondering why she'd ask that. If it had been an accident then surely he would have forgiven her but if she'd done it intentionally? Of course he wouldn't have gone on another date with her. "It would have depended on why you spit wine on me," he told her playfully and reached up to give her hair a little tug. "What would happen if I did it now?" Was she planning on spitting wine on him? Then again she was drinking beer so would she spit beer on him or was she just talking about spitting on him in general? He looked genuinely confused at the question but realize it must have been one of those questions that she was just kidding around in asking, not expecting a serious answer in return.

"I am going to have to say that if you tried that right now I'd have to punish you," he told her with a serious face. Of course Marius was only teasing her and he dropped his arms down to her sides and let his fingers have a go at her waist, seeing if she was the ticklish sort or not and if she'd squirm.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Abby was about to explain that it was a joke since Marius looked so confused. “I am going to have to say that if you tried that right now I’d have to punish you.” She raised her eyebrows at how serious his face was and bit back her laughter. There was no way he was actually serious. Marius was just too sweet to punish her. Then she felt his fingers at her waist. She squealed, jumping into him. “Don’t!” she exclaimed through her laughter. That seemed to only spur him on more. He started tickling her relentlessly and she was squirming, laughing, and squealing against him. Her legs were kicking out and they found their way across his lap as her hands covered his in an attempt to stop him from tickling her. “No! Stop!” she wailed breathlessly, laughing despite feeling like she was under torture. Abby had always been far too ticklish and it was the one weakness that everyone in her life seemed to discover. And unfortunately, Marius was too strong for her to squirm away, so she was left laughing and writhing in his grasp.

When he finally stopped, she hit his chest playfully. “You jerk! That was no fair!” She pouted her bottom lip at him, her cheeks flushed from her laughing. Unfortunately, Marius was just too cute to stay mad at, especially when he smiled. It was such a big, happy smile, she had to bite back her own. “Well…now you know my weakness. But the more you exploit it, the more I’m going to make you pay for it.” Her warning was lighthearted and her face was mock serious as she nodded. Finally, she let her smile creep back to her lips, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I’ll let you slide this time for a kiss,” she bargained, her smile becoming a big hopeful grin. She giggled as he came closer, feeling butterflies in her stomach. He was just so damn handsome. Her big eyes sank closed and she smiled against his lips.

Abby forgot the TV was even on. Sitting on the couch with her legs across Marius’s lap and her arms around his shoulders, she was getting lost in his kisses. It made her heart throb, and one of her hands came to his cheek to keep him close. She sighed against his lips, letting herself relax into his kiss as her lips parted for him. It was a good thing she was already sitting down, because her knees felt weak. She pulled back, but just enough to smile and nuzzle her nose against his playfully before falling right back into kissing him. The hand on his cheek found its way back into his hair, whimpering lightly into his mouth as she felt his tongue. It sent a jolt through her, but she eagerly returned the gesture. She felt lightheaded and dizzy…she felt wonderful.

[MARIUS DAKANIS]

"You jerk! That was no fair!"

Her hits didn't hurt him and they were playful enough that he had to laugh at her. The pouty face she gave him was even funnier in its own cute way and he laughed a little lighter at it. "Well...now you know my weakness. But the more you exploit it, the more I'm going to make you pay for it." Marius' brows rose up creasing his forehead as he looked down at her with an 'oh yeah?' look on his face. "I'll let you slide this time for a kiss," well at least she was going to let him 'slide'.

He had to lean down and held her head fixed comfortably as he brushed his lips against hers gently. The TV was playing in the background but he all but forgot about it, ignoring the sound of the laugh track that played as one of the characters did something stupid he assumed. His thumb brushed against her cheek lightly while he kissed her, his tongue finding its way into her mouth to explore. It was nice. He hadn't actually had a make out session in forever it seemed, and yet there he was on Abby's couch smooching away.

When Abby pulled away to nuzzle his nose he chortled before they went right back to locking lips. His free hand rested gently on her knee and his fingers curled around to the back of her knee and pressed against it, rubbing it gently. He didn't want to get too handsy with her but he figured that was good enough. When he pulled away he looked into her eyes with a big grin spread on his lips. "So is this what will happen every time I tickle you?" he teased her playfully.

[ABIGAIL JAMES]

Abby felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her as Marius placed his hand on her knee. It was just her knee, and it should have been no big deal, but it was. Her heart pounded faster and her brow knitted gently as her hands held the back of his neck. This waiting to sleep with someone stuff really worked. It made every touch that much more sensual. When his fingers gently caressed the back of her knee, she almost moaned at how much it turned her on. How did he do that? She felt lightheaded, wondering if he would go any further, which made her wonder if she really wanted him to or not. He didn’t, which was of course both a relief and a disappointment, but she was even more disappointed when his lips pulled away. She opened her big eyes to his, a little dazed, but her lips curled up gently at his big grin.

“So is this what will happen every time I tickle you?” If his touches and kisses didn’t sweep her off her feet, then his smile and his accent certainly did. She grinned wider, one hand slapping his firm chest lightly. “Nope. Next time I’m going to punch you. Or kick you.” Her eyes narrowed playfully, as if daring him to challenge her threat, but then she giggled and smiled wide again. She let her fingers curl around his shirt where her hand had landed on his chest, and she moved in to kiss him again. Abby couldn’t remember the last time she had genuinely enjoyed kissing someone so much. And by genuinely, that meant when she wasn’t high on love potion. Their tongues twined together again as her free hand ran through his hair. Her face was flushed, her cheeks hot when so close to his and her blood was pumping so quickly. She felt high and she could have kissed him all night. Maybe she would…

They kissed right through the opening of the second episode. Abby wasn’t going to pull away until he did, and both of them seemed to be pretty into the other at the moment. It became less about his touching and more about how deeply he was kissing her. His kisses took her breath away and made her head spin. She couldn’t even hear the TV after a while, her blood was pounding so loud in her ears. In a brief moment of lucidity, she realized her hands were clinging tightly to his shirt, as if holding onto him could make the world stop spinning so much. With a dazed smile she pulled back just a hair, her lips hovering over his. “I think I could kiss you for days.” Her voice was breathy and soft, betraying how breathless she was. With a quiet giggle, she kissed him again, simply addicted to his mouth. His scruff was rough on her chin and her lips, but she didn’t even care. In fact, it only added to the heat of this make-out session of theirs. Marius Dakanis had to be one of the top three kissers she’d ever encountered.