Backstage of Cheers!

She recognised him the moment she pushed through the door, and a smile split across her face like the cork of a good bottle. He rose from his seat, arms opening automatically, that same easy grin waiting for her. They embraced, and for a second neither spoke, just breathed one another in. Memories flared fast—hotel rooms half a continent apart, dinner tables they left mid-course, nights when sleep never quite came. "Christ, it’s been years," she said into his collar, the scent of him unchanged. They both laughed at that. He ordered another round before they’d even made it back to the table. Talk wandered, yes—old jobs, shared friends, cities they barely remembered. But every sentence carried weight. He watched the way her lips touched the rim of her glass, and she kept her knee brushing his beneath the wood. By the time the check arrived the conversation had thinned to almost nothing. She leaned across, voice low. "My room’s upstairs." The key barely made it into the lock before her dress slipped from one shoulder. His mouth found the skin she offered. The door closed behind them and neither bothered with the light; the city glow that pushed in through the blinds was enough. She worked at his buttons with steady fingers. When his hands cupped her breasts, a small sound escaped her. He kissed it quiet, then moved lower. She tugged his belt free, palms flattening against the heat waiting underneath. He lifted her onto the desk and she opened for him at once, thighs parting around his hips. The first thrust stole their breath. After that they found their rhythm quickly—fast, practised, nothing wasted. She clutched at his shoulders, nails leaving quiet red lines that would bloom by morning. They finished together, sudden and sharp, her cry caught against his neck, his forehead pressed to hers. For a long minute they stayed as they were, breathing together, her ankles still crossed behind his back. Later, sprawled on cool sheets, he traced patterns on her stomach. "Round two?" he asked, already halfway there. Her laugh sounded like yes.