Vanessa and Daniel: Sweet Surrender
[Players, not pups. v_hazardous is home from the hospital and daniel_johns takes care of her. Backdated: March 1, 2012.]

The only part of the timing of Vanessa's horse-riding accident that was good was that it had happened on her first full day back in Australia, right after her last full day in Los Angeles had been spent in bed with Daniel. Because without having been completely fucked out just prior to her inglorious meeting with the ground, spending a week in hospital with absolutely no sexual activity whatsoever would have had her climbing the walls even worse than all the admonitions to stay still had.

She's home now, though. Spending more time horizontal in not-fun ways than she'd like, but Vanessa's not stupid – she knows it's important to let her body fully heal and she's careful not to overdo it. Band rehearsal this afternoon had been short, but fortunately they still sound tight after playing together all through January so a check-in was all they'd needed to be confident about the gig on Saturday.

It had been more tiring than expected even so, and Vanessa stretches as she wakes fully from her nap, relishing the fact that she's in her own bed. Not for long – a quick trip to the loo and a stop to throw some clothes on, and she's off downstairs in search of Daniel.

The kettle has just boiled and Daniel gets down a second cup as he hears Vanessa coming down the stairs. "In the kitchen," he calls out, and turns as she walks in. "How are you feeling?" So far he's managed to keep the fussing to a minimum, but it helps that Vanessa has been surprisingly willing to do things like nap.

"Good," she smiles, interrupting what he's doing to slide her arms around his waist and pull Daniel to her for a kiss. "Mmm, really good, now."

Daniel holds Vanessa carefully but he lets her move him and kisses back, arms around her shoulders. He runs a hand over her hair, brushing it back and petting as he holds her close.

Sighing happily, Vanessa snuggles closer. She notices the care he's taking about touching her but even when she was still in the hospital, he hadn't been treating her like she's fragile. It's a good balancing act and Vanessa appreciates it. She'd like to appreciate it from a perspective that's a little more up close and personal, too. "So," she begins in a conversational tone, slipping her hands down to squeeze his arse. "What do you think about making some of that petting the heavy kind?"

"Sounds good to me," he runs his fingertips down Vanessa's spine and smiles. "Anything particular in mind?" Everything's been off the table for the last week, of course, and Daniel's a little dubious just how much she's up to, but he'll find out soon enough.

The long stroke makes her shiver in the best way, the thin cotton tank top not much of a barrier to Daniel's touch. "Um..." He's not saying no, or trying to talk her out of it; whilst Vanessa hadn't expected him to outright turn her down or anything, she had thought she might need to encourage him. That she didn't need to makes Vanessa grin. "Well, nothing strenuous, obviously. I guess whatever's going to work best for me to keep relatively still."

"Hmm..." the 'um' is unexpected but Vanessa is smiling so Daniel leaves that alone. "That part could be a challenge, but it won't hurt to try," he kisses her again, still thinking about it. "Are you going to lie back and let me do the work?"

Her eyebrows raise. "Is that an offer?" One hand lifts to pet over Daniel's chest as Vanessa looks up at him with a little smirk. "What kind of work were you thinking of doing, hmm?"

"Yes Ma'am. Fingers, mouth... anything you want, but I thought I'd start there." That's always on offer, but Daniel is learning to be more blunt, to say instead of just think. "Please?"

"That's a good place to start," Vanessa agrees, smiling. The 'please' catches at her, feeding into her thoughts as she really considers what she might need done differently if she's not going to move around much, venturing, "Maybe a dildo?" It feels awkward to ask, but part of what can make finger-fucking so satisfying is the way she can ride Daniel's hand – without that, she'll need something, well, bigger. And they do play with toys sometimes, even if they've never done anything quite like this, with her being boring and still.

"Yeah – me fucking you with one?" Daniel stops to kiss Vanessa again, aware of the slight hesitation in those couple of words. "I'd like that – can fuck you without needing to lean on you." He's willing to try other ways, be careful, but careful usually equates to slower and gentler than Vanessa likes. This sounds promising though and he smiles, squeezing her lightly.

"Yeah. No pressure on any of the sore places, right?" It's a sound theory, anyway, and she huffs out a laugh. "Thank God I didn't hurt my vag."

"...I have no idea what to say to that." Daniel bites his tongue and tries not to laugh but there isn't really much to say to a statement like that. Instead he pets her hair and nods towards the doorway. "Bed?"

"You agree with me, of course!" A big belly laugh this time then Vanessa kisses his cheek. "Bed, yes. Propping me up with pillows is probably going to be a good idea, so I don't go trying to raise my hips myself," she muses aloud as they climb the stairs.

"Yes Ma'am." Daniel is biting his lip to keep from laughing too hard, but he nods to the pillow suggestion, already planning ahead. "Do you have any favourite toys for this kind of thing, or should I pick?" he keeps a hand at the small of her back as he follows her up the stairs, though it's more for the sake of touching than anything else.

"Well, I can't say that I've done too much of this kind of thing," she admits, "not with the staying still and the help and all." Or ever, in truth, but Vanessa's brain is engaged with logistics right now and that's preventing her from getting too nervous. "One of the bigger toys – if I'm not going to move to meet it, then I'm going to want to really feel it, you know?" She doesn't have anything too big; every toy in the house was purchased with her pleasure in mind, and Vanessa is not a size queen – not with how rough she normally likes it.

"Yeah." That makes sense, and Daniel is half planning ahead already, thinking over the toys he's already seen in Vanessa's collection. As they reach the bedroom he holds open the door then reaches out for Vanessa, stepping in close for a quick kiss.

"Mmm." Vanessa doesn't let Daniel get away that easily, leaning into him and drawing out the kiss. Desire swirls through her, sluggish yet, and she thinks, 'What about you?' Will he need relief after he brings her off – or want it? Does she take it on blind faith that Daniel's getting something out of this, even if it's nothing Vanessa recognises? She's gotten better about accepting sexual service since they first went there last September, but today feels different. Not because of the toys but because she can't move freely, can't squirm the way she usually would, can't give him the same reaction; the notion that Daniel might actually get bored terrifies Vanessa so much that she buries it the instant it occurs to her, kissing him more insistently in lieu of words.

The intensity of the kiss catches Daniel by surprise, sudden and unexpected, but he keeps Vanessa close and returns it, reaching up to cup the back of her neck and hold her against him. They've played with toys before but this is new – he's spent the last few days trying to be careful with her without being too careful, and this afternoon seems like it calls for more of the same. "Love you," he tells her, fingers winding through her hair.

"You, too," she echoes, taking comfort in the solidity of his body, his closeness. If Vanessa were someone else, her attack of nerves might well kill any lust, but her libido's having none of that, scenting ecstasy in the wind and wanting it. She breaks off the kiss with a breathless sound. "Tell me if you're not enjoying yourself – whatever that means to you with this. If you're not having fun, you let me know."

"I will." Daniel doesn't really see that happening, but that doesn't make it any less true, he isn't going to lie to Vanessa. "You too, yeah? If something isn't working for you I want to know." The way she put it is reassuring though – whatever that means to you. They're not getting the same out of this, but that's OK.

"Yeah." Her smile is impish, more like herself. "Nothing wrong with my vocal cords!"

Daniel just grins at that and nudges Vanessa towards the bed, catching a handful of T-shirt and pulling that up at the same time. She's a lot less dressed than him but it's not exactly cold around Melbourne right now, no harm in getting her all the way undressed now.

It's a reassuring move and Vanessa shimmies easily out of her clothing, climbing onto the mattress and crawling towards the night table. "You grab a dildo, I'll get the lube."

"Yes Ma'am." Lube might mean Vanessa really doesn't have the patience for much foreplay today but Daniel doesn't have a concrete plan in mind, he can work with whatever she demands. So he goes to the toy chest at the foot of the bed, searching through for something suitable. Everything in here is something Vanessa likes, that's the point, but he keeps in mind what she's said today and pulls out a dildo she's fucked him with before, firm and slightly rippled, bigger than he'd usually use on her. "How about this?"

Looking up from where she's arranging pillows, Vanessa nods, "That's fine, yeah." It's about the size she was thinking of with some good texture and that's pretty much the sum total of her criteria right now. She smiles as Daniel closes the chest, amused as always by her repurposing of the old-fashioned blanket trunk. It does have a blanket in it – being a nice soft cushion between the cedarwood trunk bottom and her toy collection.

The dildo goes on the bed while Daniel strips out of his own clothes, then he crawls up to join Vanessa, waiting for her to make herself comfortable. It could be a lot more awkward than it is and he's silently grateful for that – Vanessa is bruised and grazed, but that really is the worst of it now.

It's a little odd, getting into this kind of position when she's not quite in the heat of the moment yet, but trying to avoid the twinges from nearly-healed bruises distracts Vanessa and she finally settles with a sigh, reaching for Daniel.

Daniel props himself up on one arm, free hand trailing down Vanessa's body as he leans over her for another kiss. Things definitely feel less natural than usual but that's not really different to setting up a complicated scene as far as Daniel's concerned. A little self-consciousness, a little uncertainty, but it's still Vanessa with him and he smiles into the kiss as his fingers skim downwards.

Soft touch and easy kisses; the feel of Daniel's skin against hers coaxing Vanessa to relax. She murmurs at his lips, "I do so love your hands."

Daniel just smiles at that, kissing Vanessa again as she settles, hand dipping lower to stroke over her thigh. It's a little more straight-to-the-point than he'd usually go but right now any kind of teasing would probably be more annoying than enjoyable. So he keeps kissing her, fingertips dragging up the inside of her thigh as he waits for encouragement.

Thighs parting, Vanessa's hand wraps around his upper arm, waiting to feel the muscle flex against her palm. She likes the once-removed sense of hard work, knowing that the movements echo those he's making in more intimate places – his effort adds to her pleasure. Vanessa doesn't bother examining the why of it too closely.

There's the encouragement and Daniel takes it eagerly, fingers pressed against Vanessa's clit and rubbing slow circles there. He kisses his way down her throat, careful not to dislodge Vanessa's hand on him as he leans down to nuzzle against her breasts.

Her answering noise is equally gentle. Vanessa arches ever so slightly, inviting the scrape of Daniel's beard. Something about the set-up, the lack of speed, feels suddenly luxurious as the opening notes of sensation dance across her skin.

The lube is within arm's reach but... things are different right now, and all the discussions they've had lately have reminded Daniel just how visual Vanessa is. So he lifts his hand away for a moment and looks up at her as he sucks on his own fingers, getting them wet and making a pleased little sound as he tastes her on them. It's showy, but a show for her, and the moment he's done his hand is back between her legs, back to that same slow pace.

Green eyes darken as she watches him and the renewed touch feels stronger, bringing a long moan. Vanessa's fingers steal into Daniel's hair. "Dirty Froggie," she smiles, pulling him back to her breasts.

Daniel just grins and lets himself be moved. "I like that look." The heat in Vanessa's eyes definitely isn't unusual but it is worth commenting on and he gives her a smile before he lowers his head again, rubbing his cheek against her skin before he returns to sucking and licking, teasing with his teeth as his fingers keep working over her.

"What look? The one that tells you you're turning me on?" Which he really, really is and Vanessa sighs happily. "I want to come exactly like this. It feels so good." A large portion of that is barely even sexual – just the sheer enjoyment of having Daniel's hands on her again.

"Yeah, that one." And that answers what would have been Daniel's next question so he follows the unspoken order, sticking with exactly what he's doing as she sighs under him. The awkwardness is gone now and there's no hesitation as he traces the edge of one nipple with his tongue, losing himself to his task.

Staying relatively still becomes more difficult as the pleasure builds. What Vanessa would normally express with a tilt of her hips, a demanding lift against his hand, needs to be verbalised instead. She doesn't have a problem saying it; it's simply not her first instinct and so she has to think about it a little, know consciously what she wants so she can instruct Daniel, "Press harder with your fingers. And about half again as fast. I need you to ramp it up for me now."

"Yes Ma'am." Daniel is following the instructions before he's finished answering, fingers pressed firmly against Vanessa's clit as he watches her try not to move. Not something that's easy out of role and he's not even sure if she's used to doing that as a sub. So he leans up and kisses her hard, tries to offer a little more incentive to stay laid back while he makes her come.

Vanessa wraps her arms around Daniel, letting the solidity of his body keep her where she needs to be. She returns the kiss with fierce passion, biting at his lip, using kissing as an outlet for her urge to writhe.

The bite makes Daniel squirm and he smiles into the kiss, fingers working faster now, demanding. He's hard but that's at the back of his mind, distant and unimportant as he tries to push Vanessa over the edge.

She whines low in her throat at the barrage of sensation, and it's the last quiet sound out of Vanessa as her voice climbs, nails setting into Daniel's back to anchor herself, keep still – though she can't help the way her thighs tense when orgasm hits her, body locking open to let him coax her through the aftershocks.

Practice tells Daniel how long to carry on, how to slow and when to just settle his hand against Vanessa. Her nails are still in his back when he breaks the kiss and smiles down at her, pleased.

"God," she huffs a laugh, surprisingly out of breath considering the deliberate lack of exertion. Vanessa flattens her palms, rubbing lightly over the indents she's left in Daniel's skin and smiling back at him. That he's obviously pleased reassures her, but so does the erection she can feel pressed to her side, and the latter is more easily understood for Vanessa. However, it's the combination that gives her the courage to admit, "As fan-fucking-tastic as that was, I do still want to get fucked. If that's still on the table?"

"Yeah, definitely yes." Vanessa looks happy – sounds happy – but Daniel still isn't going to risk teasing, not right now. He kisses her again, then looks around for wherever he left the toy. "Still comfy, yeah?"

She nods. "Yeah, I'm good, thanks." Whilst he's shifted away to grab the dildo, Vanessa does take the opportunity to stretch her legs, lifting one at a time straight up into the air and putting them back down with a pleased little sigh.

Daniel waits until Vanessa has finished stretching out then gets settled back down next to her, the toy in hand. "So," he's not sure exactly what she wants here, and it never hurts to ask. "Do you want fingers first, or," he rubs the head of the toy against her pussy as he talks, dragging slowly back and forth until it's slick just from her, nudging against her. "Straight away?"

"Hmm. I think," it's actually a bit difficult to think, with Daniel rubbing at her like that, and Vanessa clears her throat as if that will clear her head. It does help, sort of, and she tells him, "Just the dildo. But slow, and use lube – I know I'm pretty wet but I don't want to rely on that." Probably not necessary but it'll help keep her relaxed if she doesn't need to pay any attention to it at all.

"Yes Ma'am." Daniel leans up to give Vanessa a quick kiss then pours lube onto his palm before stroking over the dildo, slicking it thoroughly. The pillow under her hips gives him a good angle and he starts slow like she's asked, hand tight around the base of the toy as he pushes the tip against her.

She makes a soft sound, saturated with longing, her foot digging into Daniel's side. It isn't quite a tease – there's definitely intent behind Daniel's movements – but the gentle press feels like one, until he begins to ease inside. There's the stretch that Vanessa's been craving, the welcome assault on her senses, and she encourages Daniel with a breathy moan.

"God, that's hot," the words just slip out as Vanessa moans and Daniel works the toy in deeper, watching the way Vanessa's eyes darken as she takes it. It's a different look to earlier, one he's usually too distracted to appreciate but right now all his focus is on her.

The comment startles a nervous laugh from Vanessa; she's not sure that she's ready for much in the way of potentially awkward verbiage right now, when she's already feeling so vulnerable. But it does feel good to hear, and she doesn't want to discourage Daniel either, so she offers a fleeting smile, letting it go in favour of closing her eyes as Daniel seats the toy. The sense of fullness is perfect and she hums appreciatively.

Daniel catches the smile – and how quick it goes. But it's pretty clear she's enjoying what he's doing so he smiles back, starts to draw the toy back just as slowly and watching Vanessa's body for signs of what and how.

"Mmm," Vanessa sighs, her toes curling happily. She reaches down to thread her fingers through Daniel's hair. "So nice. Keep that pace for now." The more she gets into it, the less nervous she'll be as her thoughts cloud over and the physical takes centre stage.

"Yes Ma'am," Daniel doesn't try to keep the smile out of his face as she pets him, and he runs his free hand over her hip, half-kneeling now to touch and be touched as he slowly fucks her with the toy. This is hot, as awkward as that had sounded out loud, and he's already half-wondering if she'll let him do this again later.

He seems happy enough and that reassures Vanessa, allowing her to relax into it. The measured push-pull inside her is exactly what she's been wanting, the girth of the toy making the simple movement feel aggressive enough that she doesn't need to lift her hips to meet it. Instead Vanessa just lets it happen, aware that Daniel's paying close attention, trusting him to give her what she needs.

Vanessa is quieter than usual but Daniel has his orders and even quieter, holding still, it's still clear just how much Vanessa wants this. He keeps one hand curved over her hip just to be able to touch her, and holds to the same steady pace, slow thrusts pushing the toy in deep.

The constant friction is doing its thing and Vanessa's breath quickens as tension begins to coil through her, spurred by that sweet drag and Daniel's unfaltering motion. Soft moans leak out – quiet but enthusiastic.

Daniel's smile broadens and he trails his free hand downwards, stroking over her thigh then inwards until his fingers brush lightly over her clit. "More, or more of the same?"

Her eyes flutter open, hazed over as she looks at him, lips curving up at the sight of that big smile. "Think I wanna keep the fuck the same but you can play with the rest, adjust as seems necessary – I'm not trying for a tease; I just want to take it slow-ish so I don't rush headlong and move too much."

Slow, but not too slow then. The order is vague but Daniel is happy to play and test and find out just what works for Vanessa here. He rubs over her clit then downwards, fingertips tracing across slick skin as the toy sinks into her, almost exploring as he watches for a reaction.

It all feels good, like a gentle buzz under every inch of skin, and Vanessa smiles, "Love your hands." It's a redundant comment by now but she figures it doesn't hurt anything if she keeps telling him that, and it's so very true – nothing else is quite the same as having Daniel touching her.

Daniel is too settled in place to lean up and kiss her for that but he offers another broad smile, thumb pressing lightly on her clit as his fingers wander, feeling her slick and stretched around the width of the toy. It's clear just how pleased she is with all this now and Daniel's fairly sure he could keep to this all evening.

At some point, Vanessa expects that urgency will kick in, but the trip towards it is deliciously gradual; this feels far too wonderful to rush. She lets her eyes drift closed again. Daniel has his instructions and he knows her body; Vanessa just wants to enjoy this.

For all the moans and smiles and words of encouragement, it's that look that gets to Daniel, the moment when Vanessa just shuts her eyes and lays back, leaves him to keep touching her, keep working the toy in with slow deep strokes as his fingers play over her skin. It tells him everything he needs to know and he files that away as something to tell her later – either explain or just offer it to her. But that's later, right now he's busy enjoying her pleasure.

It does cross her mind to wonder what Daniel's thinking – how he's feeling; what he sees when he looks at her. But Vanessa pushes all of that speculation away. It isn't important right now. What matters is the sure touch of his hands and the dreamy state she's in, sensation dancing over her body, making her shiver and sigh.

In a way this reminds Daniel of waking Vanessa with his hands – gentler than usual, and one of the few times she's this passive. It's rewarding in the same way – watching the rise and fall of her chest with each sigh, the moans and the faint lift of her hips against his hand. He smiles at the thought and presses a little harder over her clit, the pad of his thumb rubbing lazy circles.

The first hint of need threads through Vanessa with the firmer pressure and her legs shift, telegraphing the rise of restlessness as she pushes up slightly against Daniel's hand, emitting a sharper sound.

Daniel doesn't jump into pushing but the change in need there is clear and he pushes down to meet Vanessa, coaxing her back into place and giving what she's seeking. He picks up the pace with the toy too, harder strokes now – she's had the time to adjust even to this and he knows what she likes when he's the one fucking her.

Vanessa quiets again, settling down, her needs and wants met before she got as far as articulating them. The hand in Daniel's hair tugs lightly, a smile drifting across her face.

"Mmm," Daniel squirms happily as Vanessa tugs at his hair, eyes heavy-lidded as he watches her relax back against the bed. He doesn't know if it's meant that way but the hold feels like a reward, praise, and he takes that as a sign to carry on as he is.

"Good boy," she murmurs, and it seems like it should feel strange to say those words when Vanessa's hovering in a pleasure-cloud not that far from subspace, but it feels perfectly natural to praise Daniel and to trust him to drive her where she wants to go. Any nervousness is long gone, subsumed into the decadent experience.

Daniel's smile broadens at the words but he keeps his focus on his hands, working together to try and push her closer to the edge now. He still has an eye to keeping her still, or at least mostly laid back, but now he wants to make her come, wants to give her what she's so clearly telling him she needs.

An inarticulate noise answers the new purpose in Daniel's hands and Vanessa lets it happen, lets the pleasure roll over and around her and lift her up high, drawing a serrated breath when she reaches orgasm. It's intense but also diffused over her whole body and it leaves her tingling in satisfaction, audibly purring.

This is familiar and Daniel keeps working Vanessa through it, letting memory tell him when to keep stroking and pushing, when to slow and finally pull the dildo back, tossing it aside for later. He grins at the purring and moves to stretch out beside Vanessa and nuzzle close.

"Thank you." She hugs Daniel to her, an absent corner of her fuzzy brain noting that with her hips still raised by the pillow, his hips aren't pressed right against her and she can't tell whether he's hard or not. Vanessa isn't entirely sure whether it matters, but by the same token, she's not entirely sure it doesn't matter, and once the thought's occurred, the fear comes rushing back. She almost doesn't want to ask but she needs to know. Trying for a light tone, "So was that okay for you? Not bored senseless by my dead fish impression?"

Daniel feels something change right before Vanessa speaks, a kind of tension even while she's still lounging back on the bed. He holds her tighter – trying to be careful still, but some things matter enough to risk a bit of discomfort – and kisses her. "That was brilliant for me. It was obvious you were into it, and getting to serve you, yeah, I loved it." He isn't going to try and explain that more unless she asks, he's learned that lesson, but it matters to him.

It's not like she missed the smiles, the expression that was both intent and contented, but actually hearing it is such a relief that Vanessa goes limp when the tension drains out of her. Then she's hugging Daniel back fiercely and pressing kisses all over his face. "I love you."

"I love you," Daniel answers, returning the kisses and nuzzling against her. Vanessa's obvious relief relaxes him and he's more than content to just lie here with her.

Between the high emotion and everything else, Vanessa's tired again and she yawns. "Could you yank the pillow out from under my arse, please? It's not so comfy now." Another yawn, followed by a laugh. "I think I'm going to be a textbook poor lover here and go to sleep." She smiles at Daniel, feeling easier now about asking, "Do you mind? Will you stay with me, at least until I'm asleep?"

"I want to stay properly," Daniel is already sitting up to move the pillow, a bit more careful than yanking. "Do you want a drink? I was going to grab something then settle down – should I, or do you want me to wait until you're asleep, then go get?"

"Water would be awesome, actually, thank you." Something Vanessa's normally on top of but today she's obviously rather out of it. She leans forward to kiss his knee then snuggles into a different pillow in the more typical position, under her head. She smiles, "Clearly it's your day to take care of me."

"I am not going to argue with that." Vanessa has made a lot of allowances for his needs there, let him do it when she's obviously had to work at it, but it's still a gift when he gets to. One last quick kiss and then he gets up, taking the dildo and lube with him. Lube goes back in the drawer, dildo in the bathroom to clean and tidy away later, and he washes his hands then heads down to the kitchen.

Vanessa is still sprawled back against her pillow when Daniel gets back upstairs with the water, and it looks a little like she hasn't moved beyond breathing. Which Daniel can understand but it still makes him smile, and he cracks open the top of Vanessa's bottle before he offers it to her.

Fetching cold beverages apparently doesn't require donning his boxers and Vanessa grins as she accepts the water, "Thanks." Her gaze is drawn to his groin and the hard cock bobbing there whilst Daniel climbs back onto the bed. It's a very, very welcome sight, cementing the verbal reassurance he's already given her, and Vanessa reaches to run a fingertip along the firm length. "Wanna play with you when we get up. You can help me give you a handjob in the shower after you wash my hair."

Daniel glances down as Vanessa reaches out, and settles closer to her. He wasn't unaware that he's hard, it's just not something that particularly matters unless it matters. Right now with Vanessa's finger trailing down his skin he's very aware, but the later is at the front of his mind too and he just smiles, nodding quickly. "Yes please – to both." He cracks his own bottle and takes a drink, half-propped up on one elbow.

Vanessa watches him swallow, evaluating; he's clearly not in dire need of release and just as clearly interested in getting some later. That works very well for her, considering her fatigue, and she suspects that factors into Daniel's response. Smiling, she kisses her fingertip and presses it to his cock. "Missed that. But sleep now, play later." She caps off her water bottle and hands it back to him in a silent ask for him to put it on the night table.

"Play later," Daniel agrees, putting both bottles within reach on the nightstand. It's still warm enough that he just pulls the sheet up over them as he scoots down, wrapping carefully around Vanessa and nuzzling her cheek. "Sleep now."

He's so incredibly sweet that Vanessa simply melts there and then, snuggling as close as she can manage without straining anything, and she drops off into dreamland in Daniel's arms.








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