After a few hours the group started to break up and head their separate ways. Regina made assurances that they would get together before she left and to work on the debate, which she’d finally agreed to doing. Ernelle was going to stay out and Regina said good night to her before leaving with Marshall.

They walked back to the apartment, without much talk, both knowing what they were walking home to. Regina was terrified. Marshall wanted to make a decision, period. He was sick of her remarks all the time that he wasn’t anything to her. He got a pang every time she brought that fact up. He was also sick of the bitterness she would always have towards him. He wanted to find out what was going on and know why she pushed him away every time he managed to get a little closer to her.

Once they arrived back at the apartment she went to her room to change out of her party clothes and into a sweatshirt and pajama pants. Marshall waited for her in the living room and when she returned it was with a stack of papers and notebooks. She thumped them down on the floor in front of the couch and took a seat behind them. Regina sighed as she looked at the pile and shook her head before grabbing the top binder.

Marshall watched her curiously for a few minutes as she muttered things to herself, pulling out various articles and papers while she looked through the notebooks.

“That’s the info you have on Columbine?” he asked.

“Yeah, I know it’s not much, but it’s all I’ve got to go on, at least for now,” she replied. He couldn’t wrap his mind around that one. She ignored him for a few more minutes when he spoke again.

“Are we going to talk or are you going to ignore me?” he asked. She stilled at this and set her papers down.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked as she looked up at him, her hands nervously pressing down against the floor. Marshall already was impatient with this response, but he tried to remain calm. He couldn’t believe he was in a situation like his, he wanting to take the relationship to the next level and the woman not even wanting to talk about it.

Ernelle’s words came back to him, “She won’t bring it up, you have to,”

“You and me Regina,” he replied quickly.

“What, about you and me?” she asked as she looked up at him. Subtlety was not going to work. He slid off the couch and pushed the papers out of the way so he could sit in front of her. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her into his lap, face to face. She starred at him with scared eyes. She kept her hands in her lap.

“I want you, and I don’t want to be with any other woman. You are going to be my girl, you ain’t gon be runnin’ round with anyone else, you’re mine,” he said as he clutched her waist. Her eyes twitched and fluttered as she tried to keep them from opening wide in shock.

“You got that? You are mine,” he said again. She swallowed hard and blinked, but still couldn’t find her voice. His hands moved up her back and tangled themselves up in her hair. She fought the natural reaction to close her eyes at his touch and continued to stare into his blue eyes that demanded an answer.

“Okay,” she said softly, so softly that he swore she hadn’t said anything. He fought a smile that wanted to creep out onto his face but the smile won out and he grinned in satisfaction.

“It’s fucking ridiculous how happy that makes me,” he laughed. She laughed nervously and sucked in her lips as she nodded, her body starting to shake slightly. He felt her body vibrating in his arms and said,

“I’m just as fucking afraid as you are.”

“Marshall, just, lets, don’t talk about it, it only messes it up,” she replied quietly. He nodded. Talking did fuck things up. As long as you knew it, there was no reason to say it out loud.

To avoid any thing else that might be said he leaned in and kissed her. It was gentle, not forced, his hands cradling her face as she responded. Her body shook with the fear of what she was getting into, what could possibly happen, the idea that it could all end in heartbreak again.

His hands moved down to the small of her back again and pulled her closer so that their torsos were pressed together. The resistance began to melt away as the kiss became increasingly tender. Regina finally felt comfortable enough and slid her hands up his chest and to his neck. He took in a sharp breath at the feel of her hands on him like that. The effect of this simple gesture made him nearly go all to pieces.

His hands moved up and down her body as hers cupped his face. She pushed his face back and looked at him, thumbs stroking his cheeks.

“And I’m sorry about what I said, I was stupid, I forgot. I would never, ever hit you. And I will never let anyone hit you, or hurt you,” he said. Again she didn’t speak. She responded by leaning in and placing a kiss on his forehead, moving down the bridge of his nose, her lips brushing along his skin, placing kisses on each of his eyes, his cheeks. He clung to her as he just went with it, just experiencing it, feeling it.

She placed kisses on his chin, around his mouth, teasing him. He wanted those lips on his. His wish came true when she landed and pulled him in deep. His chest swelled with the influx of emotion that came with the kiss. It was foreign to him, but if this was what love was like he wanted nothing more than to stay here forever.

She got bolder and wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed into the kiss. His hands moved up and down her back as he tried to take her deeper. He felt as though they had become one body.

After a good while of kissing and touching until both were both shaky and vulnerable from the intense feelings flowing through each caress. Regina stood as did he and she took his hand, leading him to the bedroom. Regina shut and locked the door behind her and then turned to Marshall again.

Both knew this was different, almost too different. Every other time what they had done was considered fucking. Now? What was it they were about to do? Marshall answered that question by picking her up in his arms and setting her down in the bed. He climbed in, straddling her hips and resting himself comfortably on top of her. He smiled down at her and was reminded of the first time he’d been with her. She’d been nervous, so nervous that they just fucked, hard and fast, no foreplay, just hot, hard, fast sex. Now he wanted to see her. He wanted to touch her, tease her, taste her skin. Now he wanted to make love to her. So he said just that.

“So make love to me then Marshall,” she replied smiling up at him. He leaned down and threaded his fingers through hers before kissing her lips once more.