Rootbound

Chapter Twelve: Pretty Things

Owen had the house to himself.

No talking.

No lists.

No "could you just real quick" chores.

Just silence, beer, and absolutely no pants.

He stretched out on the couch like a king, one hand tucked behind his head, the other lazily flipping through channels he didn’t give a s**t about.

When Leia finally bustled through the door, arms full of shopping bags and smiling like a hyperactive chipmunk, Owen didn’t even pretend to move.

He just glanced over the arm of the couch with a grunt.

“Heyyy, stranger,” she chirped, dumping bags onto the table with a crash. “I got pizza!”

That made him sit up.

They ate cross-legged on the couch, Leia rattling off her shopping finds—candles, picture frames, a shirt for Owen he would absolutely never wear—and Owen pretending to listen while absolutely inhaling three slices in under five minutes.

"You had a good day?" Leia asked, licking sauce off her thumb.

Owen grunted through a mouthful of crust.

---

Later, when she tried to stand up too fast, Leia wobbled.

Owen caught her elbow without thinking.

She waved him off, laughing.

"Think I sat too long. I'm fine."

"You want a bath?" he asked.

Leia beamed like he’d offered her diamonds.

---

He filled the tub while she wandered around humming off-key.

Hot water, bubbles, and—

because he remembered her getting stupidly excited about them—

he grabbed the crumpled handful of purple flowers he'd picked from the garden yesterday.

Looks fine, he thought, tossing them onto the surface of the water like he was decorating a goddamn magazine spread.

The petals floated prettily, bobbing against each other in the steam.

Leia gasped when she saw it.

"Owen! It's gorgeous!"

He smirked and wiped his wet hands on his jeans.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm a romantic genius. Get in before it goes cold."

---

She stripped with lazy movements, fatigue clinging to her like a second skin, and sank into the water with a groan of pure pleasure.

The flowers drifted against her skin.

Petals clung to her thighs, her breasts, her collarbones.

Owen leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, just watching her soak.

---

When she got out, toweling herself off, her skin glowed.

Flushed, soft, breathless.

She padded toward him, dripping water everywhere, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she whispered against his ear.

He grunted, hands finding her hips, dragging her tighter against him.

"Shut up," he said.

And kissed her.

---

They didn’t even make it to the bed properly.

Owen hauled her onto the mattress half-soaking wet, dragging her panties down with one rough tug.

Leia giggled, breathless.

Then squeaked when he shoved the balled-up fabric into her mouth.

"Quiet," he growled.

Leia’s eyes widened, but she melted under him, surrendering instantly.

---

He grabbed the toy from the nightstand —

a small, wicked thing he barely had the patience to use right now.

He pressed it between her slick thighs, cranking it up just enough to make her hips buck.

Her muffled moans were messy, desperate.

He took his time.

Kept her right at the edge —

writhing, gagged, panting through her own soaked panties —

until she was trembling so hard she couldn't even keep her knees up.

Then he finally stripped and drove into her with one brutal thrust that made her sob against the gag.

---

Owen f****d her deep, slow, heavy.

Deliberate.

No rush.

He wanted her messy.

He pinned her wrists to the bed, grinding in until her eyes rolled back, her thighs fluttering helplessly around his hips.

The toy still buzzed low against her c**t, dragging noises from her that didn't sound human anymore.

When she came, it was broken, silent, wrecked — a full-body collapse against the sheets.

Owen followed her over the edge seconds later, snarling into her neck, hips jerking brutally.

---

They lay there afterward, tangled and shaking, the room smelling like sweat and flowers and s*x.

Leia curled into his chest with a weak, content sigh.

He pulled the crumpled panties from her mouth, tossing them aside carelessly.

She kissed his collarbone, murmuring, “Thank you…”

He didn’t answer.

Just tightened his arm around her and closed his eyes.