"You should've heard the things she said about me!" Clementine snuggled into John's side as they lay together in his bed. His presence was comforting, from the smell of his shampoo and deodorant to the texture of his shirt as she pressed her face into it. His arms were around her as she wept.

"Sh, sh, I'm so sorry, darling Clementine," he soothed, smoothing her hair away from her forehead so he could kiss it. "I'm sure she'll change her mind, you'll see, she can't stay angry forever."

"That's just it, though," Clementine responded. "She said we're not sisters anymore. Seems like she's gone through angry and come out on the other side. I think she's just indifferent now."

"Obviously not, she wouldn't be shouting at you if she were indifferent. She's just still hurt." He gave Clem a squeeze.

"I know everyone's thinking what she said, though," Clem continued sniffing. "About me being plain, and how could you choose me over her?"

John stiffened. "Please never say anything like that again. I can't stand to hear you talk like that." He squeezed her again. "Once I met you, I just couldn't be attracted to her, it's that simple. It was never about choosing. Choosing implies that you two were equal in my heart, and I made some sort of decision about you. You supersede her in every way, Clem, don't you see? Especially given her recent behavior? You're kind and generous, smart, funny, and so sexy." He moved his hand down to rub her bottom.

Clem arched into him, laughing through her sniffles. "Hush, John, I'm not sexy."

Johnny moved back a little so he could look into her eyes, which were shiny with tears. "Please, you know how amazing our sex is! I believe you've been there when we're having sex, am I wrong?"

Clem actually laughed this time. "Yes, it's pretty wonderful, you're right." She stopped for a moment before going on. "But maybe you think it's great because of how you feel about me, isn't that possible?"

"Well, I certainly hope so," John replied. "Isn't it the same for you? Don't you enjoy sex with me because of how you feel about me? I mean, you wouldn't want to make love with me if I were an asshole, right? You like to be with me because you love me."

Clem nodded, wrapping her arms more tightly around him.

"So, why wouldn't I feel the same?" John asked. "You're my Clementine, the woman I love, and being in love with you makes making love with you so, so marvelous."

He kissed her, gently at first, then with growing feeling, turning slightly so he was on top of her. Clementine spread her fingers on his broad back tightening her grip on him, pulling him closer.

John gave a satisfied moan and opened his mouth so he could taste her with his tongue. "Kissing you is just the most fantastic thing," he murmured, and Clem could tell he was smiling against her mouth.

She shook her head slightly, as if disagreeing, and he nodded determinedly. He kissed her again, long and hard, touching her tongue with his.

Clem smiled back in spite of herself.

"That's better," he whispered. "Ah, Clem, I love you so much that sometimes I don't understand why I don't just burst into flames." He palmed her breast through the thin fabric of her nightshirt, loving how soft and warm it was. He felt her nipple hardening against his palm, and brushed over it again and again with his thumb, squeezing in between.

John moved his hand to unbutton her shirt, kissing the exposed skin as he went. He exhaled warm air on her tummy, spreading the shirt open with his hands.

Clementine buried her fingers in his hair, reveling in the feel of his mouth on her skin, of his body on top of hers.

"My beautiful Clem," John's voice was muffled. "Beautiful girl."

He slowly pulled down her undies, kissing her thighs. "I want you so much."

John moved back up her body, slotting himself between her legs as he did so.

"Johnny, wait—" Clementine reached into the nightstand drawer for a condom, which she quickly rolled on him.

John found that lately more and more he didn't care if he wore a condom when he was with Clem. He knew he was clean, and he certainly wasn't worried about catching something from her.

And the thought of her getting pregnant, of Clementine carrying and having his child, filled him with a kind of joy, for some reason. He'd never felt this way before, and he had no idea how she felt about it, but he'd whiled away quite a bit of time imagining Clem pregnant, and then holding his child.

He thrust into her, the sensations putting thoughts of babies and everything else out of his mind. He pressed in on Clem's yielding, soft body, reveling in the feelings that overtook him every time they came together.

"Clem, oh Jesus Clem, feels so good—" he muttered.

"Me too, me too, John," she gasped. She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could, moving her hips to meet him with each thrust.

They finished quickly, unable to wait or control themselves in any way; they hadn't seen each other in days.

John relaxed on top of Clem, huffing breaths in her ear.

"This is one of my most favorite things in the world," Clem confessed.

"What is?" John lifted his head to look at her. "The messy bit where I pull out with the condom?"

"No, the part where you're just lying on top of me breathing," Clem clarified. She leaned up for a kiss. "I feel so close to you. I mean I do while we're making love, of course I do, but I love this part too."

Sweet Clem.

Later, just as they were drifting off, back to front, like spoons, John sleepily brought up what had briefly crossed his mind earlier. "Do you ever think about children?"

Clementine blinked in surprise. "Having a baby?"

"Having my baby," John amended. He tightened his grip on her.

"Sounds like fun," Clem admitted, and John could tell she was smiling. "Is that something you think about?"

"More and more lately," John admitted. "No need to make any decisions now or anything, just something to think about."

"Okay."

John had to get up early to be on the set, so he just left clem sleeping in his bed, looking adorable all rolled up in the duvet.

He drove to the set, wondering if he should talk to Hyacinth about her sister, how hard all of this was on her. He loved Clem, and was concerned for her. On the other hand, Clem hadn't asked for his help, and she was a grown woman, after all, capable of taking care of her own problems.

However, grown woman or not, he didn't see how kind, gentle Clem could "take care" of the rift between her and her sister. It sounded like Hy had been nothing short of vicious, and Clemmy just didn't know how to cope. It was as if she didn't have enough tools, she hadn't been given enough weapons to know how to deal with such a situation.

It was a mild day, with temperatures hovering near the 70 mark, nice for late winter. He hummed one of the songs he was working on as he drove, opening the sunroof and creating a little breeze inside the car.

He pulled into the studio parking lot, zipping into an available slot. Hy pulled in next to him as he was killing the engine and getting out.

One look at Hy's icy countenance decided him. He would not say anything. The normal thing would've been for them to walk to the set together, but John knew that this wasn't going to happen. He set off ahead of her, taking long strides to increase the distance between them.

His manager Michelle was waiting for him when he arrived, which surprised him.

"I'm sorry, did we have an appointment?" John asked.

Michelle shook her head. "I just need a quick word."

John nodded.

Hyacinth arrived just then, gave a brief nod and walked into the building.

"I got an email this morning with mock ups of the posters," she explained. "I wanted to talk about them with you."

"What is there to talk about?" John asked, bewildered. "It's not as though I have final approval or anything. I'm sure they're fine."

Michelle took a deep breath and pulled up the poster on her phone to show to John.

It was a poster that showed him and Hy, standing close together, with the ocean behind them. The standard blurb was below, with the credits below that.

At first he didn't see the problem because the image was so small. Then he saw it, down in the print:

"Hyacinth O'DELL and Johnny DARLING"

He looked at Michelle, who was looking back at him with trepidation.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He tried to keep his voice down, but was only moderately successful. People turned their heads to see what the fuss was about. "We already discussed this!"

"I know, and I'm sorry. They just want it for the posters, your full name will appear in the credits and all the paperwork."

John stared at her. "The whole point is that I want to leave the Johnny Darling persona behind, dammit. You know that. The posters matter as much as the credits and the paperwork, if not more, they're what everyone will see." He turned away, disgusted.

Michelle sighed. "I'll talk to them again."

"Please, before they start putting up billboards or some such fuckery."

Michelle looked at him and smiled. "Did you say 'fuckery'?"

"I did indeed, it's a perfectly good word," John replied with a faint smile of his own.

"John, you're wanted on set," came a voice over the loudspeaker.

"I have to go," John said, gesturing. "Please, Michelle, handle this?"

"I will," she assured him.

John went inside, giving another sigh.