bethâs barely graced consciousness before spencerâs lips are against her neck, a soft smile spreads across the detectiveâs lips. youâd think sheâd have gotten used to this by now, but no, every morning that she wakes up feeling completely and unconditionally adored feels as heartwarming as the last. âsix hours, spence.â she cracks open just one eye, enough to watch the werewolf against her skin, hands lazily combing through her loverâs hair.Â
she hums quietly, closing her eye yet again. âwhy didnât you show up at work today, beth? oh, you know, my partner told me not to.â she continues the playful dialogue, her smile ever growing and her hands still tangled in spencerâs hair. âno, not that partner. the one that sleeps with me, yeah she told me not to come in. no, you donât understand sir, it was super important, she was without me for a whole six hours.âÂ
the detective laughs to herself, reaching for her phone with her free hand, squinting at the screen and placing it back down. âwednesdays are quiet. iâll tell the chief iâm catching up on paperwork at home. but i might have to, you know, actually do some paperwork later. deal?â
    âSix hours?â A groan, soft, lightly etched into a collarbone before lips press against for a third time in the same spot. âThatâs, like, six hours too many. Try six years.â Six lifetimes would be a better accuracy, honestly. âWhich is a good thing, I guess. Because I really donât think I couldâve survived seven.âÂ
    Doting hands wander down south to a waist and grip loosely. The pads of her thumbs push into the hollows of a pelvis to rub and to caress, to silently worship as a quiet chuckle breaks during Bethâs mini monologue. âI love you.â Itâs the otherâs teeny tiny antics and quirks that will always steel the werewolfâs still beating heart right from the cavity of her chest.Â
    âI can agree to that. Under another condition.â Grin breaks, crooked and wicked as a head lifts and emerald hues bore down onto hazel ones. She loves you, Beth. Did you know that? She loves you. She voiced it only seconds ago but she also loves you in this very moment while a hand raised to palm a cheek and the edge of a thumb languidly swipes across the highest point of cheekbones. âNo clothes. And we stay in bed.â Compromise? Compromise.Â