"Hey," Sky said. She stood on the front steps of Hawk's house, looking small and miserable. She was wearing a pair of jeans and an oversized Marvel T-shirt, her hair fell around her pale face in unruly curls from under a baseball cap.

Hawk's chest went tight at the side of her. He ran a hand through his hair which was still wet after the shower and leaned on the doorway.

"Hi," he managed, the word barely more than a strangled breath. He had to clear his throat to be able to continue. "What— what are you doing here?"

That sounded wrong, as if he didn't want her here. Hell, he wanted nothing more than to have her here, and back in his arms, to see a smile on her face again, her eyes looking up at him as if he was something amazing. He wanted things back as they had been, but—

But Hell, he had his pride too. She had fucking stood him up to be with Demetri, and that betrayal still stung. Just the thought of it brought a bad taste to his lips.

Sky looked down at her toes, her shoulders sagged.

"I'm sorry," she spoke, her voice trembling. "I'm sorry that I forgot our plans. I– I didn't mean to. It's just that—"

She looked back up, and her eyes were suddenly filled with tears. They fell to her cheeks and at that sight Hawk's anger and resentment vanished. Without a second thought, he walked down the couple of steps to her and pulled her into his arms. She melted against his body, pressed her face against his shoulder, and Hawk's heart swelled, it filled his ribcage so that he could barely breathe.

"Hey, it's okay—" he sighed into her hair. "It's okay, don't cry—"

"A– are you still mad at me?" Her tears soaked his T-shirt, their salty smell filled his senses.

"No, I'm not mad," he murmured, cradling her against his chest.

"I– I'm so– sorry," she wept. "I'm— I'm the worst girlfriend ever—"

"Hey, hey–" he cupped her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs, bringing her face up so that he could better see her. "Don't say that. I would never think that. I love you and you're perfect."

"But I—-" she sniffled and hiccuped. "I– I forgot."

"It's okay. We'll make new plans. I'm not mad. I love you."

She let out a trembling sigh, her body softened against him.

"I love you too."

Hawk kept her close, an arm wrapped around her to keep her near. She smelled like strawberries and vanilla, her tears adding a hint of salt, like the ocean to her familiar scent. As always, his body reacted to her closeness - an overwhelming need to keep her safe, to keep her happy overdriving all of his former anger. He remembered his talk with Kreese earlier today - how Sensei had told him it was only natural to be protective of one's girlfriend, that it was what a man does. So maybe it didn't only mean that he needed to protect Sky from Tory and anyone else who might want to hurt her - maybe it meant protecting her from sadness and heartache too, from Hawk's own anger - no matter how justified it had felt earlier. Holding her tight, he ran his fingers through Sky's hair, feeling the guilt heavily on his chest. He had never meant to make her cry, to make her miserable again.

"Wanna come inside?" he asked, wiping away some more of her tears.

Sky glanced around. They were still standing on the front steps of Hawk's house and a couple of old ladies walking their Yorkshire terrier were giving them rather judgemental glances as Sky kept sobbing in Hawk's arms. Hawk glared daggers at the grannies, pulling Sky even closer to his chest.

"Is your mom home?" Sky asked. "I— I don't want her to see me like this."

"She went grocery shopping for dinner."

Sky looked up at him, her eyes wide and red-rimmed, tears streaking her face. Her fingers gripped his T-shirt, she stood so close to him that he could feel her warmth in the air, her body fitted against his own perfectly, as if she was sculpted for him in Heaven.

"How long is she going to be gone?"

"I dunno. Maybe thirty minutes."

A weak smile appeared on Sky's lips as she gave a hesitant nod. "Okay. I could come in."

He wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders and walked her in, leading the way to the kitchen where Sky gratefully sunk into a chair, clearly exhausted. She wasn't crying anymore, but her face was still tear-streaked, her eyes red-rimmed and her breathing came a bit uneven, shaky.

"You want something? Coffee?" Hawk asked.

"Eight bottles of vodka?" Sky breathed a reply, leaning back in her chair. "But maybe that isn't the best idea."

Hawk let out a nervous breath. As much as he wanted to give Sky whatever it was that she needed to feel better, it really wasn't a great idea to rob the liquor cabinet and get drunk - not now that Mom was about to be home any minute. Hawk wasn't prepared to be grounded for life.

"I don't know—" he started, but Sky interrupted him.

"Just kidding," she replied softly. "Tea would be awesome, though."

Hawk gave a nod and busied himself with making her a cup of tea, while Sky silently sat at the breakfast table, watching him boil the water, take a tea bag from a cabinet and pour the water into a cup. He dipped the bag into the water and brought the cup to Sky, placing it in front of her at the table. The spicy scent of the tea filled the kitchen.

Sky accepted the cup gratefully, and Hawk resisted the urge to warn her that the tea was hot - he knew Sky wouldn't appreciate such remarks, as they would only remind her of her cast and her bad balance that made sometimes even the simple things such as drinking a cup of tea, a struggle.

It had been weeks now since that horrible day at school, but Sky still wasn't okay and Hawk couldn't help but worry. The cast was one thing - it would come off in a month or so - but her head—

Hawk glanced at the baseball cap Sky had removed and placed on the table, as she drained the tea bag and stirred the steaming liquid in the cup. She wore the cap or some kind of scarf now every time she went out, to cover the scars that were still clearly visible under the hair that was just starting to grow back on the side of her head. But Hawk knew it wasn't the wounds that were the real problem. It was the brain injury.

Sky hated to talk about it, so Hawk never forced her - but even without her saying so, he knew how much it affected her everyday life. Her balance was still weak, her right leg wouldn't move properly, she was tired all the time and needed to take naps and her memory—

Shit—!

Suddenly Hawk felt like an idiot.

Sky had been having issues with her memory ever since the accident. Of course, he should've known that - she had talked about it only a couple of days ago. So maybe Sky hadn't simply forgotten about their plans because she didn't care. Maybe she just really hadn't remembered them.

The feeling of shame was suddenly heavy on his chest. He had gotten so mad at Sky over something she probably didn't have any control over, just like Dad who had always been so fucking mad when Eli had wet the bed - as if it was something that he did on purpose.

"I'm sorry I was so angry," Hawk breathed, taking a seat opposite Sky. "It was stupid."

"I'm the one who is stupid," Sky muttered, holding the steaming cup in her hands.

That broke his heart. He absolutely hated to see Sky like this again - this sad and insecure. He had already gotten used to the new, happy side of her - the Sky who was smiling and laughing all the time, who was so full of life it was like a light inside of her, making her shine. That happiness had somehow been the result of her near-death experience - Hawk still didn't know what he was supposed to think about that - and it had lasted for weeks now. Hawk felt like a monster for taking her smile away.

"You're not stupid," he said firmly, reaching to take her hand over the table. "I know it's difficult for you to remember things now, and I'm sorry I got so mad."

A short silence followed his words.

"But it wasn't just because I forgot, right? You got angry because I was with Demetri."

Hawk couldn't deny the truth. Just the mention of Demetri's name was enough to make him want to hit things.

"I just... I hate that you hang out with him. I'm sorry, but I just fucking hate it."

Sky was silent for a short moment. She pulled her hand away from his, took a spoonful of honey from the jar Hawk had laid on the table, and started stirring it into her tea. "I know. But he's my friend."

"Yeah? That's all it is? Cause I'm pretty sure he has a thing for you."

He had expected Sky to get pissed again because he knew she hated it when he got jealous - but instead, she started laughing.

"What?" Hawk asked, baffled. "What's so funny about that?"

"Demetri does not have a thing for me," Sky replied, still giggling.

"How do you know? You're fucking hot, and he's a nerd who's desperate to have a girlfriend–"

"Well yeah, but I'm not the one he wants."

"You don't know that."

"Actually, I do," Sky said, suddenly stern. "I know for sure that he has a crush on someone else."

Hawk's brows arched. He leaned back in his chair and took a look at Sky. "For real? Who is it?"

"Like I would tell you," Sky rolled her eyes. "You would just come up with some way to use that against him in your stupid rivalry."

Hawk shrugged. She was right, of course - except that the rivalry wasn't stupid. It was justified because Demetri had gotten away with telling everyone that Eli had been a bedwetter. So if there was something Hawk could find out about Demetri, that could help him to get even with him, without actually kicking his ass (because that would make Sky mad), then Hawk would fucking take it.

"Come on, just tell me," he said with the crooked grin he knew Sky had a hard time resisting. "I'm curious."

But Sky was determined. She shook her head so that her curls bounced around her face and said: "No way. Besides, I don't wanna talk about Demetri with you anymore. The less we talk about him, the better."

Hawk shrugged. He had been about to ask Sky what it was that she was doing with Demetri anyways - she had said it was some school stuff, but as she was still on sick leave, Hawk had no idea what they could be doing. But Sky was probably right - the less they talked about that fucking nerd, the better, so he let that subject go.

"Did you get your nails done?" he asked instead, noticing her pink, glittery nails.

"Yeah," she flashed him a small smile.

Hawk frowned. "With Demetri?"

And she was laughing again, that sound untangling something in Hawk's chest. "No, don't be absurd! I just... I guess I wanted something pretty. You like them?"

"You're pretty with any nails," he said. "But yeah, I like them."

It was the truth. He loved to see her girly, sparkly style making a comeback little by little. All the black she had worn after her suicide attempt had felt wrong, and even if she was now wearing a black Marvel T-shirt and a pair of plain, blue jeans, he had already seen her in pink sweats and Hello Kitty T-shirts too, and he couldn't wait until she was wearing dresses and high heels again. Seeing her all pretty and girly turned him on like nothing else.

Those pink nails....

A sudden flash of desire shot through him as he observed them, and imagined how she would run those nails down his back when he fucked her. She would scratch him so that he bled, and he would fucking love it—

He swallowed hard, trying to push that image off his mind because it was already making him half-hard in his pants. They were sitting in his kitchen, at the breakfast table, for fuck's sake - and suddenly Hawk remembered the day when they had made out here, and she had given him a handjob sitting on this very table. Her nails had been pink then too, and she had wrapped her fingers around his aching dick pumping him hard, making him come all over them—

Not helping, jeez!

He felt his cheeks heating, and he had to look away from her hands.

"I just don't want to look like something the cat dragged in when I go back to school—" Sky was saying, still observing her nails, clearly unaware of Hawk's inner torment. "It's gonna be hard as it is, without me looking like shit."

"You don't look like shit. You're beautiful," Hawk rasped.

"You kinda have to say that, don't you? Being my boyfriend and all."

"I don't say that just because I have to," Hawk replied "You are beautiful, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Sky smiled, her cheeks turned pink. "Thanks. You're pretty hot too, you know."

Hawk's throat went dry. All the things he had wished to do with Sky today went through his mind - the way he had planned to lay her down on his bed and kiss every spot of her gorgeous body—

He fucking loved every square inch of her smooth skin, every curve, and hollow of her body, and he wanted her, wanted to have her near like one wants sunshine after an endless night. Suddenly the table between them was too much and he stood up, walked around it to get closer to her.

She was up on her feet before he even reached her, and her lips opened for the kiss she had seen coming. Her hand was on his neck, pulling him close and their mouths met, hungry, yearning, desperate. Her cup of tea was forgotten as she pressed her form tight against his body, as if she needed him too, the passion of her lips on his echoing his emotions.

His hands were impatient, as he gripped her waist and lifted her up so that she was sitting on the table, allowing him to get closer to her. He pushed himself between her legs, his hands lingering on her hips, on her denim-covered thighs.

Their lips merged together, she tasted of tea and honey and need. Her taste went straight into Hawk's bloodstream, his heartbeat reacted instantly. Surely there was nothing that tasted better than Sky did, nothing in the whole fucking world. Her strawberry lip gloss and the sweetness of honey made Hawk's head spin as he slid his tongue to meet hers, deeper into her mouth, completely lost in the kiss, in her taste, in the need that arose inside of his gut.

Their tongues curled and danced. Her hand was on his chest now, gripping hard on his T-shirt, and she was breathing fast, moaning into his mouth. She broke the kiss just to draw in a deep, shaky breath before their mouths crashed together again and her tongue lapped over the scar on his upper lip, again and again.

Hawk felt the fast, heavy beat of his heart in every part of his body. The need he had tried to suppress was breaking free. He couldn't resist her, he didn't even want to. She was Heaven on Earth and she was his, they had made up, they were back together, their earlier quarrel was now nothing but a memory. Her hand on his chest pressed tight over his heart, over the tattoo, her name carved into his skin, a sign of his love for her that would last forever, forever, forever.

His chest was heaving, his fingers digging into her soft, denim-covered curves as he pushed closer to her.

"I want you—" Sky whined breathlessly, breaking the kiss. "I want you so bad—"

He rested his brow against hers, his fast breathing fanning her lips. "I want you too—"

Her legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer, and his aching dick - now rock-hard in the agony of his pants - pressed tight against her core making them both moan.

"Shit, Sky—" he couldn't help the rocking of his hips against her. His fingers dug deep into the softness of her ass as he pulled her close.

"Please—" she moaned, her eyes half-closed in pleasure. Her hand moved to the waistband of his pants, and Hawk thought he would die, that he would die if she touched him there, that he would burn to ashes under her touch right here in his kitchen, that this passion would be the death of him.

He had never wanted her more than at that moment. With all her scars and her cast and her kisses that still tasted like tears - he cared nothing about all that. To him she was perfect, and he needed to make her believe that once again.

"I—" his throat was so thick he could barely speak. "I want it too. But we can't. My— my Mom's gonna be home any minute—"

He said it just because he knew he had to - not because he wanted to. Hell, he wanted anything but for this to end. He wanted to rip Sky's jeans off, bend her over this table and fuck her from behind so that her toes curled and her eyes rolled and she screamed. He wanted to make her know his love so that she'd come with his name on her lips.

"Please, I need you—" Sky moaned, her fingers undoing the strings that held his pants fast. "I need you. Let's be quick—"

How was he going to turn her down? He couldn't. He would fucking die if he didn't have her. His hands found the buttons of her jeans and started opening them, his lips were back on hers and his tongue dipped deep into her burning mouth—

And she was pushing down his pants, clumsily with one hand, fingers finding their way into his boxers and wrapping around his dick.

He groaned into her mouth.

He was burning, his hands trembled as he fumbled with the buttons of her jeans. Thoughts were flashing through his mind - that this was insanity, that they really needed to stop, that they couldn't be doing this in the kitchen, that mom was gonna be home at any minute—

But also, images of Sky's naked body bent over this table as he fucked her from behind, fast, hard, ruthless. She would come screaming his name, and he would fucking coat her insides with his cum—

Which brought another thought into his mind. A condom. They needed a fucking condom! And he didn't have any - well, not in the kitchen. All the condoms were in his room, in the drawer of his nightstand, and he really didn't think they had time to go upstairs to get them. If they were going to do this, they needed to be very fast.

But then again - his room had a lock on the door. If Mom came home while they were at it, at least there would be that.

"Sky, we need to go to my room—" he groaned, breaking the kiss, his chest heaving.

Her eyes were wide and dark, her lips red and swollen. The look on her face, her fingers that were gripping his dick were frying his brain and he knew that if they didn't go upstairs now, they would never get there. He would fucking take her on this table.

"Okay—" She breathed, but her hand was still in his pants, gripping him tight, and he kissed her again, tongue sliding deep between her lips—

"Eli, I'm home—" came a voice from the hallway, followed by the sound of the front door closing. "Can you help me with the groceries?"

In a heartbeat, Sky had broken the kiss and pulled her hand off his pants. Hawk's heart jumped to his throat, he almost choked on it.

"Help me—" Sky hissed under her breath, as she quickly slid down from the table and Hawk realized that she struggled to do the buttons of her jeans with one hand.

"Shit—!" He mouthed, fingers quickly finding the buttons of her jeans, doing them as fast as he could. Mom's footsteps neared, she was right around the corner—

Hawk sank into his chair just in time to hide his raging boner under the table as Mom stepped into the kitchen.

"Oh, there you are, Eli," Mom said, flashing them both a warm smile. "And Sky, nice to see you. How are you?"