"Night" by Dianora 1/1 *NC17* (Lemon) A Robotech Story This scene takes place a few months after the events in The Macross Saga. This is a bit "sappy" for me -- but I can't help it, Rick and Lisa bring it out in me every time. :) Is it my fault they're so fabulous??? You'll also discern I'm a bit preoccupied with the fact that Lisa is too good for Rick, but can you blame me? Didn't think so. Oh, and of course I had to get in a dig at Minmei *somewhere*, or I couldn't live with myself. The characters depicted and mentioned herein do not belong to me; they belong to Tatsunoko, Harmony Gold, and god knows who else. No copyright infringement intended, and no money is being made off of this. Rated NC17 for depictions of sexual activity. If you are underage or easily offended, please leave now! Comments to Dianora2@aol.com. Rick awoke to the sound of Lisa crying. It wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last, he knew. It killed him, *killed* him, that she still often felt the need to try to hide it from him, to wait until he was asleep to let some of the pain out. It was so frustrating, the way she tried to appear strong at all times, even when her heart was breaking. He looked over at her. She was huddled in a fetal position, her back to him, shoulders shaking with the force of her quiet sobs. She didn't realize he was awake. "Lisa." The shoulders paused, the crying ceased for a moment. "Sorry I woke you," she whispered. He bit his tongue, hard, to keep from snapping at her. Why did she always have to be the strong one? When would she let him shoulder some of the load? God knew he'd carry it all for her, if she'd let him, if he could. She sniffled again, and all bitterness vanished. He scooted over on the bed so that he could embrace her from behind, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing tight, burying his face in her hair. His touch was like a release for her, and she surrendered to her tears, the wrenching sobs racking her body. Rick held on and didn't let go, tears of his own falling into her thick brown hair. When, if ever, would it stop hurting so much? He had cared about Capt. Gloval, Claudia, Kim, Sammie and Vanessa, to be sure, but to Lisa they had practically been a surrogate family. But he knew that particular pain all too well, himself; he'd felt the same way when Roy died. Still felt it, often. Finally, a shaky sigh signaled the end of her crying. Rick squeezed tighter, feeling slightly guilty for suddenly being ultra-conscious of the feel of her body through the thin nightgown. "I love you, you know," he said softly, figuring there wasn't much else he could say. "I know." She shifted a little in his embrace, reached up to run her hand over his arm. He kissed her bare shoulder, smiled when she made a contented sound. "Do you want to talk about it?" "What's to talk about?" she whispered. "It's the always the same thing... just when I think I'm doing better, something will strike me, or remind me of someone...today I was going through a drawer and came across a birthday card that Claudia gave me a couple years ago. "She was my best friend, Rick." Her voice broke a little on the last word. He reached up to smooth her hair back from her face, kissed the top of her head tenderly. "And she wouldn't want you to torture yourself like this. She would have been the first person to say so. Hey, I can even hear her now: `Snap out of it, girl!'" Lisa laughed softly -- it thrilled him to hear it -- and said, "Don't quit your day job, Hunter. Do us all a favor and leave the impressions to the professionals." "Now why would I want to quit?" he drawled. He began trailing his fingers up and down over the curve of her hip, loving as always the graceful shape of it, the way her closeness in height made her body fit perfectly against his. The way her body instantly tensed, responding to his touch. "Y'see, I have this incredibly sexy, brilliant, amazing superior officer..." He pushed her hair aside, kissed the back of her neck. "Anyone I know?" Lisa murmured. "Maybe." She turned around so that she was facing him and reached up to touch his cheek. "Make love to me, Rick," she said huskily, her green eyes almost black in the darkness. "Love me --" He cut her off with a kiss that steadily grew in intensity until she was grabbing impatiently at his boxers, pulling them down his legs. He wriggled out of them obediently, then, with an expertise born of practice, he pulled her flimsy nightgown up over her head, tossing it on the floor. He lowered himself on top of her, savoring the feel of her bare skin against his, the slightly floral perfume that was unmistakably the scent of the woman he loved. The woman he loved. It still blew him away to think it, to say it. After so long, to finally know, and to have her here, with him, loving him back, making love to him... She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him, hard, and he could feel the urgency behind it, the need to show him how much she loved him -- as if he needed the reassurance. He broke away from her mouth and traced the line of her neck with his lips, trailing his tongue over her clavicles, down to her breasts. With infinite care and deliberateness he focused his attention there, moving from one to the other, as if he had all the time in the world. He took each pale nipple between his teeth and nibbled gently, the way he knew she liked it. She sighed, a maddeningly erotic sound, and arched up against him, burying her fingers in his hair. "Rick, now..." she whispered. "You're always so impatient, Admiral," he grumbled affectionately. After placing one last, almost regretful tender kiss on her abdomen, he braced himself above her, hands grasping her slender waist. She tilted her hips and he sank into her easily, his mind melting as always at the hot, tight feel of her. He began to move inside of her, slowly, treasuring every thrust, the way she gasped each time he filled her. She opened her eyes and looked at him, smiled, then reached up to trace the lines of his face with a delicate touch that belied the roughness and urgency of the way her hips rose up to greet him time and again. "I love you so much," he whispered desperately, wondering how words could possibly convey what he was feeling at the moment. "I love you so much sometimes I can't stand it, it drives me crazy..." He thrust into her harder, and was rewarded with an exquisite moan. She reached down to clutch his behind, trying to pull him deeper inside her. "Then I guess we're going to have to be...crazy together, Rick Hunter...god, yes, like that..." He moved faster, quickening the pace, kissing her then, kissing her like a madman, and she kissed him back, her questing tongue sliding against his, matching the rhythm of their bodies. He began stroking her, almost frantic, wanting, needing her release. "Let it go, Lisa," he urged against her soft, hot mouth. "Come on, tiger, scream for me..." She bit her lip, moaning deep in her throat, almost protesting, but as his movements increased, she stiffened and let out an ear-splitting shriek, worthy of the fiery heart that he knew burned within her. He continued to croon at her softly, encouraging her, as the convulsions overtook her and she cried his name again and again. His own release soon followed, and he whispered hoarse I love yous when he finally spent himself inside her. Blessed, blissful relief. They lay together silently for a long moment, Rick still inside of her, Lisa stroking his hair. Finally, he lifted himself off of her and pulled her to him, kissing her, gentler now, as her eyelashes tickled his face. "Feeling better?" he asked when they parted. She smiled that slow smile that he knew so well and had always loved, right from the very beginning. "Do you really have to ask, mister?" He grinned back and traced the outline of one of her breasts, possessively, almost absentmindedly. "Guess not." She shivered in obvious delight at his touch, then her face grew serious. "Thank you, Rick." He stopped his caresses, startled. "For what?" Christ, he should be the one thanking her, for putting up with him -- "For being here for me. For understanding. For loving me." She paused, and a mischievous look passed over her delicate features. "For finally coming to your senses." He growled in mock anger, grabbing her and burying his face in her neck. "You got some nerve, lady..." She let out a throaty laugh and traced his ear with one finger, tickling him with her feathery touch. He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. Marveled at the way Minmei had become a dim memory, a childhood fancy. Marveled that this woman in his bed actually loved him back. "You're welcome." end.