Disclaimers:
The lyrics are from  the song, _The Earth, The Sun, The Rain_
performed by Color Me Badd.  Lyrics indicated by **.
The characters belong to TPTB and I'm only borrowing them for
a small span of time.  I promise to return them.
This is the "happy" N&N story that I owe Brabant (aka. Sky Dancer),
wishing you an early Happy Birthday! {hugs}
[Warning: Mild Last Knight and Valentine's Day spoilers ahead]
Thanks out to my IRC buddies per usual!
Feedback much appreciated, thanks!
------------------
The Falling Rain (1/3)
by Cj <CjSachiko@juno.com>
(c) 1997
------------------

"Nat, it's no use.  All I feel is a bit tingly here," Nick pointed
to the spot where she had just injected him with a small amount
of her latest "formula."

"But the fact that you're feeling anything at all," she argued, "It's
better than nothing, right?"  Nick shook his head.

"I'm not so sure."  He stood up from the examining table that he
had been sitting on and paced the room.  Ever since they had
started on this latest attempt at his cure, he'd been feeling
restless; he was unable to stay in one place for too long.

"Nick, at least we know this won't hurt you." But under her breath
she added. "At least I hope it won't."

He whipped his head around, slightly insulted, "What do you mean?"

"Whoa. Nick, watch your temper."  Natalie noticed the flecks of
gold in his eyes.  He sat down on her chair and closed his eyes,
turning away from her.  "How long have you been this moody?"
She approached his hunched form from behind.  Nick usually wasn't
this short tempered.  Especially not with her.

"I don't know.  Two weeks?  Maybe three.  Ever since..." He paused
wondering if she would take the hint.  His head was bowed down.
He wondered why they hadn't made the connection earlier.

"Nick," she said softly and wrapped her arms around his strong
back, "Say it.  Ever since..."

"Nat," His blue eyes met hers as she kneeled in front of him.
"These changes...Is it possible?"  They had done it.  They had tried
Janette's cure, and for them... it had failed.  To their surprise,
instead
of it killing her and tearing them apart, it drew them closer.  Her
physical wounds had healed, but not his emotional ones.  He gently
touched the two small scars on the side of Natalie's neck and closed
his eyes as he remembered the night.  Outside, the rain began to fall.
A continuous pitter-patter that neither of them noticed.

**When I was lost, I could not see
**All the beauty and wonder, there'd been around me

Natalie felt his hand on her neck and knew what he was
remembering.  She shivered as his cool fingers began a gentle
caress against her skin.  Until Nick could accept the fact that it
had truly happened, Natalie could not either.  She was strong
to handle the strength of his love, and he knew it.  But was *he*
strong enough to handle hers and all the beauty it offered to him?

In her blood, he had seen so many things. Her blood had shown him
what she was capable of, but it also showed what he was capable
of.  She had opened her heart, her memories and her trust to him.

She had shown him memories of days in the sunshine, trusting
that he would accept them as they were.  As a token of her love
for him.  As a token of hope for their future together.   As a token
of faith.  He had found himself doing the same.  Everything that he
was, also flowed into her.  He shared his past, unedited and nothing
spared.  He had uncovered his feelings, raw and undiluted.  The
wonder of it all was that they had accepted *everything* from
each other.  Their dreams, their hopes...and their love.

**I was alone, dreaming of you
**Oh I could not imagine, this dream coming true

So many endless days had he spent, imagining she was with him.
Did she know then, how many times he had dreamed of her?  How
many nights he had spent in Janette's arms, willing that the
bitter blood that flowed between his lips was Natalie's?  So many
times had he wondered what she would taste like.  When it finally
happened, he knew his vast experience and imagination could not
have created the incredible power Natalie's blood held for him.
But it held no immediate cure.

The "cure".  Before that night, it had been the center and focus of
their entire relationship.  Sure, there had been friendship and love
that branched from it, but the "cure" was the basis for it all.  There
had been too few triumphs and too many failures.  That had been
the problem.  The focus had been on the "cure."  But now, there was
so much more to the jewel of their relationship.  Many more facets
yet to be explored.  The cure was no longer the foundation.  They had
been given a second chance for a new beginning.

He opened his eyes and reached for her arms, pulling her into an
embrace.  She sighed in his arms.  He pulled her hair free of the
elastic, wanting to see and feel its fullness.  So much had changed
since that night.  He could hear her mortal heartbeat, strong and
relaxed.  It was another good thing that had come out of that night.

Natalie kept conducting unending tests on herself and Nick, trying
to understand why he was able to exert such control over his vampire
nature, but only in her company.  Control that was exerted, not out of
fear of hurting her, but of fear for others, if discovering his vampire
nature.  Everything was so much more... alive when Natalie was
with him.

**So much joy now, in all that I touch
**You make me feel, everything so much

He remembered the first time they had made love.  He kissed
her forehead, and she looked up at him, bringing him back to
the present.

"Nick, I don't know if these changes are a result of...that night.
I could run more tests, but I think that whatever went wrong
that night..." He silenced her with his lips.  It never ceased to
amaze her how many pleasant ways he had of distracting her
from saying things that needed to be said.  His cool lips gently
pressed against hers, his tongue probing, wanting access to the
inside of her mouth.  She allowed it, and returned the kiss with
matching gentleness.

There was so much more to Nick than just the vampire.  To her,
Nick was a man, first, a vampire second.  It was yet another
aspect of their relationship that had changed.  She blushed,
remembering just how much of a man he was.  Nick heard the
slight increase in her heartbeat and pulled back, cradling her
face in his hands.

"What is it?"  He asked, concerned that she would be annoyed at
his distraction.  He was having a very enjoyable experience,
kissing her without the fear of the vampire emerging.  Natalie
cleared her throat and leaned closer to him.

"Nothing," she whispered in his ear and proceeded to nibble at it.
She ran her hand over the front of his shirt and felt his heart beat
once in his chest, under her hand. Nick held her closer, savoring
her warmth.  She planted warm kisses on his face, making a path
to his other ear.  She whispered, her voice slightly lower than its
usual timbre, "How long is your break?"

Nick replied, his own voice beginning to thicken with aroused
passion.  "Not long enough."

[End "The Falling Rain" (1/3)]

Parts 1a and 3a are going to be posted with an adult header on fkfic-l.
For those of you interested and do not get adult posts, drop me a
line <cjsachiko@juno.com> and I'll send it to you.  Please enclose an
age statement with your request.  Parts 1-3 are complete in
themselves so you won't be missing much if you skip the adult posts.

Disclaimers:
The characters belong to TPTB and I'm only borrowing them for
a small span of time.  I promise to return them.
This is my first attempt at any sort of "adult" type writing, so
please bear with me as I struggle, stumble, fumble, fall, acquire
some scrapes, then pick myself up and happily go on with my life.
This is the "happy" N&N story that I owe Brabant (aka. Sky Dancer),
wishing you an early Happy Birthday! {hugs}
Thanks out to my IRC buddies per usual!
Feedback much appreciated, thanks!
------------------
The Falling Rain (1a/3)
by Cj <CjSachiko@juno.com>
(c) 1997
------------------

"When is it *ever* long enough?" She let out a quavering breath
as he ran his hands through her hair, tangling his fingers in its
thickness.  He loved the feel of her warm lips against his skin
as she trailed kisses back to his mouth.  His tongue plunged
deep into her mouth as her lips parted against his.  He untangled
his hands from her hair and slowly ran them down her back.  She
arched her back slightly, loving the feel of his strong hands.

He pulled back.  His hands reached her buttocks and he pulled
her closer.  The chair moved backwards.  Her arms wrapped
around his neck to steady herself.  She felt the stiffness of
his arousal against her.  She ducked her head, blushing.

"Uh, Nick," Natalie turned bright red.  He used one hand to tilt
her chin upwards.

"Nat, don't hide.  You look cute when you blush."  He pulled
her head towards his face.  He loved the feel of her soft cheek
against his.  He also loved hearing the sound of her heart beating
against his usually silent one.  The chair creaked ominously
beneath their weight.

"Nick, I don't think this chair was designed to hold more than
one person's weight."  She stood up and walked away from him.
Her hips swayed slightly beneath her lab coat.  When she reached
the door to her private office, she turned around to see if he
was following her.  Her heart jumped.  Nick stood directly in
front of her.  He backed her against the door and began an
attack on her mouth and every other inch of exposed skin on her
face and neck.

Natalie fumbled for the doorknob behind her.  Nick closed and
locked the door behind them as they entered her office.  Natalie
was removing her lab coat.  He removed his jacket and walked
towards her, admiring the way the blazer hugged her torso and
the fit of her skirt.  She removed her blazer, exposing the simple
silk shirt she wore underneath. He began another attack of kisses,
to the newly exposed skin, this one gentler.  They walked slowly
to the couch.  Natalie unbuttoned his shirt, as he fumbled with
the buckle of his belt.  His trousers and boxers were shed,
showing her just how aroused he was.

She lay on the couch as he caressed her legs under the skirt,
tugging on the pantyhose, then her thong panties.  She grinned
wickedly as his eyes widened.  "Oh, I managed to find time to
shop."  She didn't get another word out as his mouth covered
hers in a deep, passionate  kiss.  Nick shoved her skirt up around
her waist.  She parted her legs to welcome him.  Natalie gasped
into the kiss as she felt his cool shaft penetrate and enter her.
He began to steadily pump in and out of her, a moan escaping her
lips every once in a while.  He knew the rhythm that would keep
them both satisfied.  He grunted with the effort, feeling the waves
of pleasure that making love to Natalie always brought to him.
Natalie's hands smoothed and caressed the skin of his back feeling
the strength of his muscles, under his shirt.  Her warm hands made
alternate trips from his back, to his chest to play with his nipples,
then returning to his back.

The sensations intensified as they were pushed to the edge.
She cried out as she reached her climax.  Nick stifled her cries
with his mouth, his seed pumping into her at the same time.
Her hands lazily rubbing his back as he lay with his full weight
on top of her.  They relaxed, taking comfort in each other's
presence.  He looked at her beautiful face, framed by the curls
of her hair.  She was smiling at him.  Nick glanced at his watch.
He had to return to the station.

"Actually, I guess my break was long enough," he said with a
lazy smile as he left her.  She ached with the loss, but knew she
had to return to work as well.  She pulled on the thong and her
pantyhose.  She straightened the blazer as she put it on, and
smoothed the wrinkles out of the her skirt, but she left her hair
down, knowing Nick loved it that way.  She pulled on her lab coat.
Nick was fully dressed by the time she was done.  She giggled,
knowing that he had used his vampiric speed.  With those layers
of clothing on, no one would have been the wiser as to what they
had just done.

She gave him a long kiss as they walked out of the office, causing
them to pause at the door again.  "Nat, my break's over."  He
nuzzled her neck.

[End "The Falling Rain" (1a/3)]

Disclaimers:
See Part 1
------------------
The Falling Rain (2/3)
by Cj <CjSachiko@juno.com>
(c) 1997
------------------

Natalie stretched, moving away from Nick.  "You're right," and
Natalie sighed, enjoying another kiss from Nick.

They never had enough time.  She walked him to the exit.  "I'll be
back later,"  He said softly.  He gave her one last hug, then left
the morgue.

Natalie loved the way he was with her.  He was so gentle.  They
still were amazed that no sign of the vampire emerged whenever
they were together.  Yes, Nick still was a vampire and craved human
blood.  Just not *her* blood any longer.  He still was on his diet
of bovine blood and protein shakes.  But, he still had his enhanced
senses and powers to fly and "whammy."

Nick was walking back to the station with a slight bounce to his
step.  He would return to the morgue to pick her up after his shift.
He had forgotten that it was raining, but didn't seem to mind
the dampness through his coat.  It made him feel alive.

It seemed that discomfort was the only other thing, besides
Natalie's presence, that made him feel that way.  He grinned at
what Natalie would say about his comparing her to discomfort.
She was his other half.  No, Nick began to think to himself.  She
was his *everything.*

Spending time with her during his break, only strengthened the
plans he had in his mind for the day that they would spend
together.  Reaching the station, he wiped his feet on the doormat
and entered.

**I will love you for the earth at my feet
**I will love you for the sun in the sky
**I will love you for the falling rain

Nick was positively glowing. Many of the officers noticed,
occasionally nudging fellow officers, but none commented.
They had their suspicions about the elusive detective and the
lady coroner.  It was the perpetual sadness that surrounded
the him like a physical cloak that prevented them from
ever voicing those suspicions.

Ever since losing his partner, Detective Knight set himself at
a distance.  The only person who he ever warmed up to was the
coroner.  The female officers occasionally snickered at their
supposed relationship.  Occasionally one of them would ask him
out, but Nick would make up some excuse or even flat out reject
them.

**I will love you for the heart that could break
**I will love you for the dreams that we share
**I will love you for the falling rain

Nick's mind was elsewhere as he worked on his reports.  It was
a slow night.  Not even the most die hard criminal would want
to be caught out in the rain.  It had really began to pour outside.
The steady rhythm of the falling rain calmed and soothed him.
His heightened senses, if he chose to, would have allowed him
to distinguish the individual drops at they each hit the window
pane in succession.  So much like the rhythm of the beating hearts
around him.  He tore his eyes away from the latest report he had
been finishing, wanting to get away from the sound of those hearts.

The hearts that were mortal, none of which were the one that he
wanted to hear.  He looked at his watch and sighed.  Only an hour
had passed.  Three hours. Three agonizing hours before he could be
with her again.  He finished the report and started on another one.
His thoughts constantly returned to Natalie, distracting him from
his work.

**Facing the wind, tears in my eyes
**Baby where have you been, when I was hoping

Natalie stood outside, leaning against the entrance of the building.
She enjoyed the rain.  The feel of the moisture and the constant
motion of the water droplets hitting her skin, then falling, only
to be replaced with more water droplets.  She was content.
Although they had no cure, she was content in the way that Nick
had flourished under her nurturing love.  She had made sure that
she wouldn't smother him.

He was still distant to other people, but in time, she was sure
that he would warm to them, as he had to her.  In the years that
they had known each other, the dance of love and courtship was
apparent to all...except to the two dancers.  Valentine's Day.
Natalie took a deep breath, taking in the misty humidity of the air.
She had hoped and wondered about what had happened that night.
Now that she knew the truth, all of it, she understood his motivations
for denying her.  For hurting her in a way that should have destroyed
the relationship, but it hadn't destroyed.  Instead of destruction,
there had only been creation.  The creation of a bond that not
even LaCroix could destroy.

Natalie shivered, remembering the master vampire.  She cursed
the fact that he was still alive.  She smiled grimly.  "Correction
Doctor Lambert, undead," she thought.  He had left town, but his
presence in the world was a constant reminder of what Nick
still was.  LaCroix, that night, knowing that she was still alive,
left the two of them.  He knew that Nick would not follow him,
but he was so confident that they would fail in their search for
a cure.  He promised to leave the two alone, until Natalie died,
or until Nick was bored with her.  Natalie chuckled, the likelihood
of either of those things happening put a small smile on her face.
Nick would never leave her, ever.  They had found the way to each
other's hearts.

**Was waiting for you, to pull back the door
**To take me by the hand, and lead me through

Natalie returned inside and went to the restroom to dry her wet
face and hair with paper towels.  Fortunately she had remembered
to listen to the weather forecast and had brought appropriate rain
gear.  She glanced at herself in the mirror, amazed at the changes
that she was apparently going through as well.  She no longer
looked haggard.  She had a very healthy tint to her skin.

She had lost some weight in her recovery, but then again, she had
gained some in the past couple of years.  Some days she worked on
the day shift, with Nick's encouragement.  He wanted her to enjoy
life, every aspect of it, even if she couldn't share the sunlight with
him. She was still tired all the time, but that was due to other
facts.

She blushed at that thought and watched as the pink color took
over her face.  She fumed for a second, "And Nick thinks I look
cute when I blush!  Hmmph!"  Shoving the wet paper into the trash,
she returned to her office and resumed her work.

[End "The Falling Rain" (2/3)]


ar the lack of them. --Isaac Asimov

Disclaimers:
See Part 1
------------------
The Falling Rain (3/3)
by Cj <CjSachiko@juno.com>
(c) 1997
------------------

Nick looked at his watch and saw that his shift was just about
over.  He stretched and tidied his desk as he prepared to leave.
He stacked the reports and found that he had only gotten two
done in the three hours.  A bit annoyed at that fact, he shoved
the finished reports into his "Out" box and pulled three from
his "In" box.  He hated to take work home, especially on the days
that he and Natalie spent together, but he had a total of seven
that needed to be done within the next two days.  And since
criminals were just as unpredictable as the weather; he did
not want to think about what Captain Reese would say to him.

His thoughts returned to Natalie again, remembering her smile.
The smile that always greeted him when their eyes met.  He
savored every moment they had together, knowing that each
was precious.  There were many smiles that lit up her face since
they'd become lovers.  Nick grinned slyly to himself, trying to
imagine the expression on her face as he rehearsed in his mind
what he had planned.  He made his way to the morgue.

**This whole world was, a stranger to me
**Now you have opened, my heart to everything

He made his way to her office and paused at the door before
entering.  Her office held so many memories, good and bad.  Holding
the reports in one hand, he entered the morgue.  Natalie was
distracted and didn't hear him enter.  He crept up behind her and
hugged her from behind.  Her hair was back up in the elastic, but
above the smell of the formaldehyde, he smelled the sunshine
in her blood.  She felt the arms circling her and she relaxed against
him.

"You miss me?" Natalie teased, turning in his arms.

"Terribly," Nick said with a toddler's pout.  Nick gave her a small
kiss on her lips.  "Are you done?"

"Just about.  Let me put these last samples away."  She left the
circle of his arms, glancing at the reports he had in his hand.
Giving him a wink, "Captain's not going to be happy about that."

He looked down at the reports.  "He'll have to deal with it.  I'm
going to call in sick tomorrow."  She returned and stood in front
of him.

"What's wrong?" Natalie asked, suddenly concerned. "*Are* you
feeling sick?"  She put her hand on his cheek.

"No."  He held her hand close to his cheek, then kissed the palm
of her hand before releasing it.  "Let's go."  He picked up her purse
and helped her put her rain gear on.

**I will love you for the earth at my feet
**I will love you for the sun in the sky
**I will love you for the falling rain

Natalie felt like a little girl and decided to splash in the puddles.
She was glad that she had worn tennis shoes to work.  She
hadn't done anything so juvenile in a very long time.  She
hopped from one puddle to another happily splashing along.
Of course this had to be one of the days that Nick had chosen
a parking spot that was far away.

"Nat, quit it." Nick protested weakly as she jumped in a
particularly large puddle in front of Nick, managing to splash
the water on his slacks.  She slipped.  Nick caught her, but the
reports weren't so fortunate.  The papers soaked up the water
like a sponge, the ink smudging immediately.

"Oh Nick. I'm sorry." Natalie apologized.  She extricated herself
from his arms, trying to pick up the papers before they completely
made a mess.

He pulled on her arm, halting her clean up.  "Nat," her eyes met his,
"It's okay.  Really, it is." He tried to reassure her.  She was glad
that it was raining, but hoped that he couldn't see the tears in her
eyes.

**I will love you for the heart that could break
**I will love you for the dreams that we share
**I will love you for the falling rain

"Are you sure?" She asked, her eyes still tearing.  Nick *had*
noticed the tears, but he made no comment.

"Besides," he continued, "I can retrieve an electronic copy from
my database."

"Okay." Natalie meekly responded.  They walked the rest of the
way in silence.

Throughout the drive, Nick recalled the memories that they had
made, together.  He added the puddle incident to them.  Nick
grinned to himself as he recalled the fear in her eyes that he
would be angry at her for messing up the reports.  He glanced
at the wet bundle sitting beside him and put his arm around her.

**Like a whisper in a dream
**You've walked softly into my life
**With love and sweet emotion

They reached the wherehouse, the rain still falling around them.
They held hands comfortable with each others presence as the lift
took them up.  Natalie shivered from the cold and Nick hugged her,
in an attempt to warm her. They entered the loft, two rain soaked
bundles.

They walked upstairs into Nick's room.  Natalie sneezed, causing
Nick to release her.  "I better get out of these wet clothes."  She
tried to shrug out of her rain gear.  "Nick, can you help me?" She
struggled with the wet blazer.  Her arms were stuck in the sleeves.
Nick had an idea.

Nick grinned, "Sure."  His blue eyes twinkled, walking back
towards her.  Natalie backed up, not sure what he was up to.
She found herself trapped against the door of the room.

"Nick, that's not helping," she scolded.  He was leaning towards
her, planting his hands on the door, to either side of her head.
She struggled with the blazer, trying to free her arms to push
him away.  She stopped as his lips covered hers.  He pressed his
body up against hers and she instantly relaxed.  When he pulled
away, his eyes were smoldering with some unknown emotion.
Their eyes met, and she let out a small cough.

"You better get changed," Nick chuckled.  He backed away from
her.  He helped her untangle her arms from the blazer.

"I'm going to take a long, hot shower," she said slowly.  "Do you
want to join me?"  He shook his head, distracted.

"I have other plans."  Leaving her with a light kiss on her lips,
he went to his closet to retrieve some dry clothes to wear.
In the closet, he was searching for the tiny box that he had
hidden there earlier that week.  Finding it, he opened it and
pulled the ring out.  He changed into his silk pajama bottoms.
He ran his finger over the engraving before putting the ring in
his pocket.  In his mind he went through the checklist he had
prepared while neglecting to do his reports.

Natalie sighed as she watched him go into the closet.  She
searched through his drawers for something dry to wear.  She
found one of his silk pajama tops.

"Mind if I use this?" She asked as he exited the closet, wearing
the matching bottoms of the silk pajama.

"No, I don't mind at all.   Besides, it always looked better on you
than it did on me."  He grinned and shook his head.

As the water flowed and Natalie bathed, Nick prepared the room
for her.  He dimmed the lights, then retrieved the packages of
rose petals, rose scented candles and fresh roses that he had
ordered the day before.  He placed the candles in various spots
in the room, lighting them.  The roses he separated and lay one
next to each of the candles.  As a final touch, he sprinkled the
rose petals over everything in the room, making sure that the
bed had a layer of petals as well.  Admiring his handiwork, he
sat on the bed.  He listened to the sound of the rain, which
still had not ceased.  It made a wonderful cacophony of sound
when  it was combined with the sound of the shower spray and
Natalie's heartbeat.  He listened, and waited.

Natalie exited the steamy bathroom, dressed in Nick pajama top
and a towel wrapped around her head.  She paused in awe at the
scene before her.  She loved roses, but she never imagined such
a sight was possible as she looked at the amount of roses that
surrounded her.  Their eyes met and he stood up, not losing the
eye contact.

**And as I gaze into your eyes
**I see the beauty that God has created
**And I love you girl
**Now and forever

He walked over to where she stood, retrieving the ring from
his pocket.  He kneeled in front of her.

"Natalie," he started to say.  She laid her hand on his shoulder.
He assumed that she was encouraging him to continue.  In fact,
she was trying to steady herself before she fell.  He had no idea
how effective his plans had been.  "Nat.  We've been through so
much together."  He paused, the rehearsed speech leaving his
memory.  "These changes that we're both going through.  I know
you feel it in you, and I feel it in me as well.  My *love*," he said
the word with such tenderness.  "Our *love* is everything." The
rain fell from her eyes.  He slipped the ring over her finger.
"Natalie, will you be my wife?"

She nodded and held his hand close to her heart.  She knelt in
front of him.  He wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her
tenderly, cradling her face.  He pulled back, looking in her eyes.
She closed her eyes and together, they listened to the sound
of the falling rain.  The sound comforted him, but he felt odd.
Something was missing.  He concentrated, then gasped.

"Nat..." He began.  She shushed him.

"Shhh. Let's listen.  Isn't the sound of falling rain wonderful?"

"Yes," He held her face close to his, "Nat.  I can't hear your
heartbeat."

"The sound of the rain must be drowning it out," she said, a look
of concentration on her face as she returned to listening.  But
concerned, she placed a hand on his chest.  She felt the beating
of his heart.  It was beating!  And his hands against her face were
not cool.  They actually were warm.

"Nick you're..." Nick silenced her with his thumb.  He pulled her
close for another kiss.  The rain outside continued to fall with
its timeless magical rhythm, the only witness to the miracle
that had just happened.  Suddenly it stopped, and the sun burst
through the clouds with all its brilliance, bathing them in the
sunlight of a new day.

**I will love you for the earth at my feet
**I will love you for the sun in the sky
**I will love you for the falling rain

**I will love you for the heart that could break
**I will love you for the dreams that we share
**I will love you for the falling rain

[End "The Falling Rain" (3/3)]

Disclaimers:
The characters belong to TPTB and I'm only borrowing them for
a small span of time.  I promise to return them.
I'm new to this sort of "adult" type writing, so please bear with me
as I struggle, stumble, fumble, fall, acquire some scrapes, then pick
myself up and happily go on with my life.  This is the "happy" N&N
story that I owe Brabant (aka. Sky Dancer), wishing you an early
Happy Birthday! {hugs}
Thanks out to my IRC buddies per usual!
Feedback much appreciated, thanks!
------------------
The Falling Rain (3a/3)
by Cj <CjSachiko@juno.com>
(c) 1997
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**I will love you for the earth at my feet
**I will love you for the sun in the sky
**I will love you for the falling rain

**I will love you for the heart that could break
**I will love you for the dreams that we share
**I will love you for the falling rain

He pulled away from her and stood up, the tingling on his skin
was not painful as the sun's rays warmed his pale skin.  He
turned around and gestured for Natalie to join him.  She stood
at his side with his arm on her shoulders.  Clear tears flowed
from his eyes.  "Natalie, it's beautiful."  He turned her around
so that she was facing him.  Tenderly, he reached up with his
hands to hold her face close to his.  He removed the towel
from the top of her head and her damp hair fell out.  He
savored the color of her hair in the sunlight as he tangled his
hands through it  He kissed her, his tongue running over her
lips.  Her lips parted and she melted into his kiss.  It was so
warm and moist.  Her hands reached up and she ran her
hands through his hair.

He picked her up and gently lay her down on the bed.  He went
around the room, extinguishing the candles that still burned.
She ran her hands over the satin smooth sheets, grabbing a
handful of petals and dropped them over her body as he
returned to join her on the bed.  Nick ran his hands slowly over
her legs, making his way upwards.  He paused, reaching the
bottom of the pajama top she wore.  He played with the bottom
button, hearing her breath quicken.

Button by button, he opened the silk.  He kissed each inch of
skin as the cloth and rose petals fell away from her shapely body.
He planted moist kisses along her belly making his way to her
breasts.  He caressed them, running his strong, warm, hands
over her nipples, massaging them.  The sensation caused Natalie
to arch her back against his hands. She moaned with pleasure at
the feel of *his* warmth rivaling hers.  Releasing her breasts, he
lifted himself and lay the hard, full length of his body against hers.
He loved the feel of her soft warm skin against his, and the
pleasure was doubled knowing that *he* warmed her.  His body
was no longer cool to the touch, unlike the other times they had
made love.

She squirmed underneath him as she felt his hard shaft, through
the silk fabric, pressed against her bare thigh.  Suddenly, that
thin layer of cloth became too thick.  Nick groaned into Natalie's
shoulder as he felt her hands cup his groin through the silk,
massaging the flesh there, making him harden further.  He
captured her lips in a hungry kiss.  He felt her pull at the elastic
of the bottoms and she pushed the cloth down with her hands.
She ran her hands over the muscles of his buttocks, kneading,
still marveling at how warm he was.  He bent his knee to part
her legs and began to kiss his way back down to the place
where she ached to feel his touch.

She trembled as he gently rubbed his hands along her soft
inner thighs.  She felt his hands leave a trail of heat as he
pulled at the back of her knees, causing them to bend slightly.
His tongue traced a path from her right knee to the mound of
curls between her legs, as he lowered his head and began to
pleasure her.  She nearly screamed at the ecstasy that his
tongue and fingers made her feel.  She grabbed at his hair,
trying to pull his head deeper and closer to her.  Reaching her
pleasure threshold, she climaxed.  Nick's tongue and fingers
were slick with her moisture, as he caressed her and trailed more
kisses up towards her face.  He swallowed, enjoying the pleasure
he had brought her to.

Her eyes were misty with enjoyment as she met his.  She pulled
his face close to hers and kissed him deeply.  She ran her hands
over the smooth flesh of his back, pausing at his waist.  She
continued to keep his concentration on her kiss as their tongues
danced together.  She reached between them and guided him
into her.  He thrust into her warm chamber, unable to hold back.
She cried out as she felt his throbbing shaft enter her, "Oh Nick."
She managed to say as he held her close, then rolled them over
so that she was on top.  She  sat up, pulling Nick up with her.
Nick closed his eyes, wanting her to take the lead this time. She
took the hint and began moving her hips to a rhythm which
he met, thrust for thrust.  Nick opened his eyes, seeing his love
in the warmth of the sunlight, in the heat of their passion.  The
rhythm increased as they both sought fulfillment.  They reached
it.  She shuddered as the waves of pleasure crashed over her.
Nick felt her spasm around his shaft and he embraced her close
as his seed pumped into her.

Moments later, they lay together, as one.  Knowing that they would
always be together.   Forever.  Knowing that long as the rain fell,
there would always follow sunshine...

[End "The Falling Rain" (3a/3)]