More Than Darkness
42
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This is a crossover smutty story featuring the character of
Tess/Salida ie Tess' Voice in Neon Dasies' OUATIM fics on ff.net, More Than
Eyes Alone Can See, and More Than Life,
and Sands/Jeffrey from Merrie's OUATIM fic on ff.net, Darkness Rising. This story
will make some sense, probably, if you read it without having read either of
our stories, but it'll make a hell of a lot more if you just read them. They're
all worth reading, we promise. Anyway, on with the show.
Rated for what has happened, and what might happen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salida came home and wearily thought that she needed to
learn how to drive, and that she needed to go shopping for maternity
clothes. She’d need some money for that,
but she could get it from Jeffrey. At
the moment, though, all she wanted to do was get a snack and a nap before
hitting the books again.
something meaningful to do again, she thought as she walked up to the door,
juggling her armloads of stuff around to fish out her keys.
suppose I miss it, the college scene.
Having something to do every day.
outcome of her research, so maybe that added to its lure.
She opened the door
awkwardly, and slammed it behind her.
Her books and bags she let fall to the floor, then kicked off her
shoes. Padding through the entryway, she
headed for the kitchen, smiling when she acquired a displeased, calico shadow.
into the fridge for some grilled chicken she’d bought to make a taco salad
with.
Jeffrey woke up
suddenly at the slamming of the door, slowly and gently extracted himself out
from under Aida’s sleeping form without a word, and padded his way into kitchen
to find Salida. “Vixen?
wide enough to make his jaw crack. He was
still rubbing sleep out his eyes when he encountered her.
She was chopping
tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, and a very small amount of onion to make her own
salsa. After tasting what was in the
jar, she’d deemed it unacceptable and had gotten to work making her own.
When Jeffrey came
into the kitchen, she raised her cheek for a kiss, but didn’t let herself be
distracted. She was hungry and she was
going to eat. Except that she wanted
grapes, or grape juice, and she didn’t think they had either.
Scooping her salsa
onto her salad, she went to rummage in the fridge, looking for either
variations of the fruit. The best she
could find was an empty produce bag that had once had grapes in it.
“Who ate all the
grapes?” she complained.
Jeffrey took a seat
at the table and watched her, not able to stop his eyes from rolling at her
complaint. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen
him do it. “I’ll go get you some more
when I’m awake enough to be able to remember what you want long enough to
actually get to the store and get you some, vixen.”
“That’s okay,” she
murmured, deeply disappointed . . . until she saw the oranges.
and brought her meal to the table. “Besides,
you shouldn’t go out. Not until I’ve
talked to Saand and have figured out what his state of mind is.
makes me more than a little nervous.”
Jeffrey sighed and
tried not to feel like a prisoner within his own house.
last night.”
“Can I finish my
food first? Because that seems like a
long discussion and I’m hungry.”
Jeffrey waved a
hand in her direction as an assent and leaned back in his chair a little.
must have been Sands’ breakfast then, he thought to himself as he looked
down at the collection of dirty plates on the other end of the table.
“This is annoying.”
“It should be
wearing off soon. I didn’t give you
enough to keep you down for days,” she assured him, taking another bite of her
salad.
Within a few
moments she was done, and nodded to Jeffrey, a signal that she was ready.
started peeling it.
“Thank god,”
Jeffrey muttered before pushing Sands into wakefulness
Sands snapped into
consciousness and looked across the table to Salida.
arm, sunrise?”
“Because someone
wearing your body tried to kill me,” she said plainly.
“Oh.”
present,” Sands muttered.
“Umm. . .”
had reacted to finding out. He offered
to give me a home abortion, and said he didn’t mind if it killed me too.
He called Jeffrey a pussy. When I
threatened to shoot him if he came near me, he said that I had spirit, more
than . . . than the ‘corpse upstairs,’
and that –”
Sands paused, his
eyes growing dark and cold and his body still.
realization dawning on him. “It doesn’t
have a fucking name except what I call it, which is bastard.
unclenching in rage. “Sorry you had to
meet him.”
“Not as sorry as he
was,” Salida murmured. “Although he did
leave with a few choice threats. I don’t
know why he came after me though, if he likes to come after you.”
“I’m sure he would
have eventually, given time,” Sands muttered darkly.
“I’ve met that
fucker too,” Jeffrey spoke up. “He likes
to fucking tease and berate,” he said with a scowl.
“Yes, but he can’t kill
you without killing himself.
excuse my concern.”
“He wanted to
fucking what?!
Jeffrey shouted, his temper flaring.
“Good Christ,”
Sands said softly, trying not to let himself be affect by Jeffrey’s hot-blooded
rage. Sure, he was angry, but his anger
was cold and calculating whereas Jeffrey’s was fiery and consuming.
n stn style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “I didn’t tell you
because you were in no state to do anything,” Salida defended herself.
“I’ll fucking tear
him to shreds,” Jeffrey seethed. If he
had to traverse all of Sands’ fucking mind, he would find a way to kill that
son of a bitch.
“As long as he can
come back, no one’s fine, sunrise,” Sands pointed out.
“Then that leads me
to my own question: how are you feeling?
Is your head clearer than it was yesterday?”
“I . . . don’t
know. It’s hard to think straight still,
but that’s probably due to the lingering traces of the drug rather than
psychosis.” He shrugged.
awake.”
“But I take it that
you’re certain as to who you are. Your
boundaries are a bit more firm.”
“For the moment,
yes,” Sands agreed with a slight nod. “I
still kind of knew yesterday. I mean, I
had a vague notion of who I was, but it was confusing.
suddenly fed up with being sepa and and tried to form into one.
“Is that what
fucking happened? Fucking hell, Sands.
fucking mind wants to take a vacation,” Jeffrey muttered.
swooped in and tossed us all around.”
“You’re one to
talk,” Salida muttered. Both man turned
to look at her, and her mouth snapped shut as she realized what she’d said.
“Ah yes, I had
forgotten. Care to share about your
recent fucking hallucinations, Jeffrey? Or
were you going to keep that to yourself?”
Jeffrey sent a mild
glare in Salida’s direction before speaking up.
real.”
“What did you see?
“I don’t know,
maybe a few fucking minutes. I saw
blood. Blood fucking covering Salida,
alright? And it was real.
muttered.
“Perfect.
Jeffrey hesitated.
on. “While you were in fuckist1:st1:State>
I thought I saw faces in the waves.
them.”
“Just great,” Sands
muttered. “That was when bastard really
started bugging me too.” He frowned at
the realization.
“Sounds like I
should get back to work,” Salida sighed, not exactly looking forward to the
prospect. She really wanted a nap, but
daylight was burning, and like she’d reminded Jeffrey yesterday, time was a
terrible thing to waste.
Jeffrey saw her
weariness and leaned forward in his seat a little to speak to her.
out of trouble. And kitty’s still here
to keep an eye on things while you sleep.”
“No.
someone comes out. . . “Grant is
less likely to do what needs to be done for the protection of all of us than I
am. If you need to sleep, you
should. I’ll sit here and hit the books
again. I’ve got a few leads that I
should check against some theories I only skimmed last night.”
“I don’t want to
sleep. I’m fucking tired of sleep,”
Sands muttered. “I’m going to take a
shower, get dressed, and go outside for a little while.
just . . . to get out of the house for a little bit even if it is only to the
back yard.”
“Alright.
fucking always. “Enjoy your shower.”
and had been about to leave when he hesitated at the door.
Salida,” he said softly. He turned and
made his way up the stairs before he could hear her reply.
******************************
******************************
Jeffrey took the stairs two at a time, shower-fresh and
dressed in his usual red and black, quieted his movements just a little when he
saw kitty still asleep on the couch, and went to find his wife.
however when a wave of . . . something, perhaps vertigo, passed over him.
head brusquely when it had passed. “What
the fuck was that?” he muttered to himself softly.
fallen asleep under the spray of hot water despite his earlier protests about
being fucking tired of sleep. Jeffrey
smirked a little at the thought, made sure his balance was restored, and continued
on into the dining room.
“Looks like Sands
wasn’t the only one who was tired,” he muttered dryly as he saw the back of
Salida’s head pressed against an open book on the table.
a rueful sigh. H e looked at her fondly for a moment before silently moving
past her and into the kitchen to get a glass of water which he gulped down
greedily. He see eme empty glass on the
counter and made his way back into the dining room to watch his wife sleep for
awhile. When he came to face her,
however, he froze.
at a point across the room, and Jeffrey could see a definite glaze in them.
voice. She didn’t stir.
and recoiled sharply; she was ice cold.
not. She can’t be.
lost voice. This isn’t happening. This is
another fucking hallucination. It has to
be! She’s not dead! He paused, and
tried to make himself believe this.
answering you? She would talk to you,
wouldn’t she? She did before.
“No, not real, not
real, not real,” he repeated to himself over and over again.
survive. But you said you wouldn’t
leave! You lied!
of grief as he backed away, hit the wall behind him, and sank to the floor
where he remained; an empty shell of a man now that his reason for living had
been snatched away. He didn’t even have
the will to blow his own head off and join her.
as it took. It didn’t matter.
******************************
******************************
Salida was asleep, and she kinda knew it, but her dreams
kept distracting her. She didn’t even
know why she paid attention to them.
There was nothing attractive or seductive about the sight of three
raven-haired, chocolate-eyed tots beating a man to death, but she kept watching
anyway.
must take after their daddy. They
were going to be a handful – more than a handful – but the prospect didn’t seem
too daunting at the moment. It was
almost . . . anticipated.
A tug on her arm
made her look down. The little rascals
had made their way over to her. They
were talking to her, asking her for things, but she couldn’t understand
them. Their voices sounded as if they
came from a long way off and were garbled by the distance.
“What is it?
away and their voices became fainter.
Disturbed by this, Salida woke herself, and found that she was staring
at her husband who was sitting against the wall.
Jeffrey didn’t hear
her. He could only shake his head slowly
and mutter to himself softly, “Nothing’s left.
himself back into the wall with a hiss of pure fear, his face going ashen as
looked at her. She had lifted her head
and was speaking to him out of blue lips, looking at him out of sunken eyes.
and her beautiful hair losing its shine and beginning to fall out.
would have screamed had he the opportunity to catch his labored breath.
wafting over from her and moaned in a mixture of disgust and abject horror.
be happening. Oh god oh god oh god.
the wall as tears of overwhelming sorrow began to fall down his aggrieved face.
“I can’t take this.
“Jeffrey!”
he’d thrown a bucket of icy water over her.
Getting up, she raced over to where he was, her hands wrapping around
his wrists and trying to pull his arms down.
He was too strong for her; his arms didn’t budge, but she managed to
pull him forward enough that his head was no longer in danger of going through
the plaster. “Jeffrey, lover, what’s
wrong? What’s happening?
I can’t help unless I know.
Please.”
“You’re dead, you’re
not real!” Jeffrey moaned, trying with all of his might to escape her touch.
been his beautiful wife – shook and horrified him more than anything he had
ever seen. His struggles became frantic.
“Dead, dead, dead, not real, not real,
get away.
over him, even worse than the last.
eternity?
whimper slipped past his lips. “Let me
go. Let me die,” he moaned again and
again. “I can’t.
“Jeffrey!” she
barked, pulling his arms away long enough to deliver a sharp slap to his
face. “You’re hallucinating again.
dead on my feet, but that’s another matter entirely.
you, so just stop it.”
Jeffrey whimpered
again at the slap, but fixed his eyes to hers.
the hallucination. You’re still at the
table, staring off into nothing. Lost,”
Jeffrey moaned. “How can I know?”
right? “Stay here.”
the downstairs’ bathroom. When Salida
came back, he saw it was a stethoscope.
She pressed it into his hands. “Put
it on.”
“Sounds play
tricks,” he said, book ook it from her with a trembling hand and did as she
asked, trying not to flinch as his fingers came into contact with her
desiccated hand.
“I’ve never played
a trick on you,” she reminded him, pressing the pad of the stethoscope to her
chest. Oit wit was in place, she fell
silent so the only beating of her heart was audible.
Did he dare hope?
tentatively, and when it encountered full, healthy flesh he let out a cry of
pure emotion and pressed him aga against her and closed his eyes tightly.
conflicting and overpowering emotion that he could barely speak.
her chest and tried desperately to get some kind of hold on himself again as
his body shook against hers. He felt as
if he had been shattered into a million pieces and then hastily put back
together again in only a semblance of his true self.
tears still streaming down his face. How
could anyone stand up to this? This had
to stop. “Please, make it stop,” he
moaned into her shirt softly.
“Shh . . . I’m
trying, lover. I’m trying.
something out.” Her arms held him, her
voice caressed him, and her body was reassuringly warm against him.
spots, but she made no protest. Each one
was precious and heartbreaking at the same time, and she’d remember them
all. “It’s going to be alright.
After what seemed
like hours, he finally pulled his head up off his chest and looked at her, his
hands going up to wipe away the tears he wanted to deny.
all. Until your corpse started talking
to me, that is. That was a little. . .
actually,” he muttered, turning his gaze over her shoulder and visibly closing
himself off a little. “I should have
known.” He was definitely not alright
yet, not even close, but he was making a try at pretending he was at least.
front he put up. “You had a scare.
showing tenderness, empathy, and love. “Tell
you what. Let’s take a blanket outside
and we’ll find a nice patch of sun. I’ll
keep reading, and you can take a nap right next to me.
“With the way
things are going lately I’d just end up having fucking nightmares,” he
muttered. “But everything else sounds
alright. I’ll just . . . be quiet.”
“You’ll have
nightmares even if I’m right there?” Her
fingers started running though locks of hair made damp by fear-sweat.
He wanted to say
that he had before, but then he remembered.
his last nightmare, had
in the shower. “Maybe not.
touch without realizing it.
Salida did though,
and she laid down on the floor and pulled him with her, wanting to do all she
could to drive away the pain, fear, and confusion she saw in his eyes and heard
in his voice. “Looks like I need to
start sleeping with you more instead of just nodding off wherever, huh?”
“Not your fault,
vixen. You didn’t know this was going to
happen,” he mumbled, moving closer to her.
“But we all need to
be more careful. What if you hadn’t
waited around? The thought chills my
blood.” It did.
I need to start spiking my coffee with No-Doze.”
“Don’t.
can’t see straight from lack of sleep. It’s
not good for you either.” He paused and
frowned. “I’m sorry, vixen.
more careful.’ Just . . . promise me
something, vixen. Promise me you’ll stop
me, Sands, the brat, whoever shows up before we can do anything to hurt you or
kitty. Tie us up, it doesn’t matter.
handcuffs. Use them if you have to.
you, vixen. If I did. . .
“I won’t.
But I won’t use lethal force either.
I can’t kill you any more than you can kill me.
only to keep things from getting worse between all of us.”
and down his back. “I promise.
Jeffrey nodded,
mollified for now. He let a few minutes
more of silence slip by before speaking up softly and reluctantly pulling away
from her embrace. “Come on.
“Alright.”
hands. “Do you want to come?” she asked,
a bit of soft amusement in her voice.
He looked down at
their still joined hands and dropped them hastily, a little embarrassed.
“You can come,” she
said, tangling her fingers with his again.
“I like holding your hand and it’s not like insanity is catching.”
“I don’t know if
that’s true in this household, vixen,” he said softly.
smiled with the comment. In the here and
now his face remained solemn as he walked with her.
“Nah – I came
insane.” She led him to the laundry room
where she took a comforter than had yet to be washed out of a basket.
“That’s ok.
step behind her as she led him out into the back yard where he helped her
spread out the comforter in the brightest patch of sun she could find.
amount of the day away indoors and in total darkness hurt his eyes, but he
wouldn’t have denied her her sun for anything right now.
She sat down and
pulled Jeffrey after her. Once they were
comfortable settled, her dream came back to her.
the babies voluntarily, she murmured, “We’re going to have to come up with
three names now.”
He squinted at her
in a mixture of shock and confusion for a long moment before nodding.
they’re going to be first?”
“I don’t know.
minds. Do you have any you like?”
Jeffrey frowned in
thought. “Caroline,” he spoke up after a
long moment. “And Alexander.
don’t know. I’m not good with names,” he
mumbled afterwards. “I just chose what
was available for myself,” he muttered under his breath.
whispered even softer.
“Why those names?”
she asked, rolling to meet his eyes. “Do
any of them have any importance?”
Jeffrey shook his
head. “Not really.
later. Names to have meaning, right?
“Most of them.
Did you know someone Caroline? Do
you want a son who’ll be like Alexander the Great?”
“No, I’ve never
known anyone named Caroline before. At
least, I don’t think I have. And
Alexander the Great wasn’t all that fucking great.
“What d’you mean he
was gay?” she laughed. “And why wasn’t
he all that great?”
“One of his fucking
lovers was rumored to be his best buddy Hephaestion,” Jeffrey said dryly.
he’s fucking thirty? Challenge is what
makes life fucking interesting.”
“I bet it was a
challenge seeing to the ruling of his empire,” she teased.
“Fine.
He paused and conred red what he had
just said. “It doesn’t really matter
what they’re called, because each of them will have a fucking nickname before
they can walk.”
She frowned.
one. That’s why it’d be nice if they had
a given name too.”
“They will, Salida,”
Jeffrey said with a small smile. It wasn’t
much, but it was a smile. “I haven’t
heard your choices for names yet, vixen.”
“I don’t know. . .”
And Pierce. I think.”
“Why those names?
“I like the way
they sound.” She shrugged.
“I guess I’ll buy
that. Wait . . . what will their last
name be?” he asked with a frown. Sands
was the viable answer, but the not the one he really liked.
“We should choose
our own. I don’t like mine . . . I’ve
been using Tessa’s middle name.”
“Choose our own?”
“I don’t know.
in Spanish."
“And destino in
Italian, destin in French, schicksal in German, and fatum in Latin,” he
muttered absently. “How about . . . survival?
Love?
“I like
survival. What’s that?
“Sopravvivenza,
survie, Überleben, and salus. Take your
pick.”
“How about
Salus? It sounds like it should be a
last name.”
“Do you want to be
an SS like Sands? If you don’t care, it’s
fine with me. I’ve always liked Latin
above all the other languages Sands knows.”
“Well, since my
other chance was Überbenz, I don’t think I have much of a choice,” she teased.
“Überleben,”
Jeffrey corrected with a slight laughed.
“Beyond life, roughly translated.
“It’ll be good for
everyone,” she murmured, squeezing his hand.
“But if you wanted me to get a tattoo of Ülerben, I wouldn’t be opposed
to it.”
Jeffrey just
laughed again and shook his head. “No,
you’d only end up misspelling it and then you’d be stuck with an incorrect
fucking tattoo for the rest of your life.
“But I like the
sentiment of ‘beyond life,’” she whined, kissing the corner of his upturned
mouth.
“Do you really want
to be known as Salida Überleben though?” he responded, enjoying the contact.
everything was normal again, the image of seeing her dead hadn’t left him.
“No . . . but that’s
why I’d get the tattoo. I’d get it for
you. Because that’s what we’ve promised.”
He gave her a soft
smile at that. “Then get ‘beyond life’ tattooed,
vixen. Not Überleben.”
“But. . .
It’d be more fun.”
“Alright fine.
tattooist. Not you,” he said dryly.
“Überlebun,” she
automatically and instantly repeated.
“Close enough,”
Jeffrey muttered with a roll of his eyes.
“One more try,” she
begged, pressing her body against his. “Please?”
Jeffrey sighed
again and laughed. “Fine.
above the letter that make it a pain in the ass to say – b, e, r, l, e, b, e,
n. Euah-ber-leah-ben,” he tried
phonetically.
“Überleben,” she
said slowly, trying to say it the same way he did.
“That’s my little
linguist,” he said with a grin, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
She grimaced.
Spanish.”
“That you do, mi
amour,” Jeffrey said, rubbing a thumb along her jaw line gently.
he said wryly. “Then, it’s a little less
beautiful.”
“I don’t curse at
you in Spanish!” she protested, not able to remember a single instance when she
had.
“Of course you don’t,”
Jeffrey agreed hastily.
It’s probably best she doesn’t remember.
“You’re lying,” she
said, depressed. “I don’t
“I’m lying,” he
agreed without hesitation or argument. “And
I curse enough for the both of us. But
you do have beautiful Spanish, vixen. Better
than min/p>
/p>
“You’re not a
native speaker.” She was still
distressed by the thought she cursed at him, and that he’d cared enough about
it to remember.
“I’m not really a
native anything, vixen,” he said, frowning when he saw her frown.
She smiled in
gratitude and kissed him. “Now
distracting me.
Jeffery frowned.
the blanket in mild irritation and glaring up at the sun.
“Alright, then make
yourself useful and give me a back rub will I study.”
a highlighter seeming to appear in her hand from out of nowhere.
Jeffrey just shook
his head in amusement and rolled over to her.
gentle kiss on her shoulder before sitting up and beginning to rub her back
slowly but thoroughly, enjoying watching her as he did so.
had in front of her – he didn’t want to pin all his fucking hopes on something
that she may or may not be able to do.
of what she had found, and he was fairly certain that neither of them would
until she was either successful or not.
Salida sighed and
tried not to move into Jeffrey’s hands.
He was distracting her enough in his effort not to that she didn't want
to add to it. Something had to be done
to help both men, and she had to focus to do itan
an
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Who knew what could happen next?
With that thought “I can’t. “Why?” he sighed, “I can see. Jeffrey sighed. They sat in silence Jeffrey just “What do you mean?” “What are you going He was so “Vivar,” she “No sea. “But I should be “Why? “I know it’s not, “Who says? “But I feel like I’m “You do, vixen,” he Nodding, Salida “Then sleep, vixen. “Just for awhile,” “Neither do I,” “No. “Then that’s what I’ll “Don’t sunburn,” Jeffrey didn’t ****************************** Edward was out mowing his lawn next door – not that the lawn “I knew it!” Edward “What are you Edward just shook ****************************** “Come on,” Aida whined, pulling at Sands’ hand after “So? “Just a short one,” “Alright, alright! “Desperate times,” “Yeah, yeah. Aida wrapped her Sands turned and “I should teach you “I didn’t know one “What if we did it “If you manage to “You’re no fun,” Sands looked over “No, lets go talk “Let’s just keep “Sands –” “What?” he asked in “Stop it.” Sands could see Aida was in the “Hello,” Aida “You’re not welcome Sands went very “We saw you sleepin’ Aida herself was “I don’t know what “You huh choo-shang “Sands, don’t.” “You’ve got her Sands wasn’t so far Aida was breathless pan>pan>Of course, she Sands opened the “What are you “Was that your Sands began to pace “They who saw me do “Congratulations, “Oh my god,” she “Fuck you! “No killing!” “Stress? She appeared again, “We’re not going to “Sands, just how “I don’t fucking Salida seemed to “For god’s sake, Aida just looked at “What the fuck do you “Sands, please don’t “Why the fuck am I “I’m scared because “‘Something rash,’ At his casual words Sands frowned, his “Yes it is.” “That’s not fucking “No. “I’m not going “You didn’t make me Sands hesitated, a “I know.” “I’ll carry you
you
you want me to,” Sands said softly. “Either “couccouch isn’t “You’re not a “I want to have “Oh? “I think you’ll “Not unless they “Just be gentle “Yeah, and I’m your “That’s right. “Anything you like, Aida sighed, He raised an “No screaming,” she “If that’s what you Aida tried to reach He bed aed at her She pursed her lips “There are benefits “I wanna be on top,” “Alright,” he said She climbed onto He arched his neck Aida shivered “With pleasure,” he Aida let out a Sands let out a Her breath caught Whimpering softly, He passed fingers “Sands,” she said, Sands made a little “Are you sure?” she He let her look. “Okay.” “Where are you “I don’t want you He once more pulled She pushed at his With his newly For a long moment, Tracing his fingertips Aida’s eyes were His fingers drew Sands couldn’t help He’d released her “Sands,” she “Yes, myted was more. “Then that is what She whimpered Sands couldn’t get Aida could no If Sands had been “Then that is what She whimpered Sands couldn’t get Aida could no If Sands had been “Stop,” she Sands moved to “Ye-es,” she Biting her lip, Sands let out a After an “Love you too,” she “That it was, “I always wanted to “How’s that, “I do too. “Hello . . . I had “I’ll have to keep “You’ve got a bony “Yeah, well you’ve Aida rolled her He let out an “You won’t. A deep frown marred “Not your fault,” “I’m sorry, Aida,” “It’s not your “And perhaps you’re “Stop it,” she “Your birthday? “I told you in “Ah yes. “No, if I was doing “Touché,” he “A surprise would “Yeah, a date would “Then again, maybe “Then that’s what I’ll “I haven’t told you “Well now I know I “What month?” she “February. She wrinkled her “I’ll certainly try “How do you feel?” He gave a little “I don’t want Sands moved She gave him a “Who says? “But it would be “No, it’s not. “Well, if you asked “I wouldn’t think Aida let out a loud “You know what I’d “What? “A private “What kind of “It’s not a birthday “Then what kind of “It’s not like He forced himself “Never mind,” she “I’m sorry, Aida. “No you don’t,” she spanspan>“Why do you say “I know you love “What have I done “Don’t you think it’s “What do you want “Sands . . . there’s “I . . . can’t,” he “Not your “Don’t fucking tell “Fine.” “Don’t go. “Let . . . me . . . “No. “Sands, either “I don’t want to “I can’t talk right “So what, you’re just “I promise we’ll Sands let out a “Wha?” Jeffrey “Go see to your “Ok, that was ****************************** Aida woke up and was irritated to find that she was still She didn’t want to ****************************** Jeffrey rolled over with an incoherent mutter into his He grumbled and Aida heard the Jeffrey didn’t even Aida heard someonoverovering over her, and did her best to stay relaxed, to keep her breath “I know you’re not “Fuck you. “Oo, and the kitten “Did you really “If you don’t Jeffrey finally “Fuck off!” she “Don’t yell,” Sands “Oh my god,” Aida Sands seemed to realize She spun around. “That’s not the Her eyes went “Fuck you, that’s “No, that’s not “I don’t “So you “No, that’s not “You’re right. “Oh yeah, what are “No I don’t. “Then why the fuck “I’m not! That gave him She glared at him Going into their What had started What had she Without realizing Sands paced at the She was dead With a slight No one was that Aida stirred “Ah hell,” Sands “What’s wrong?” she “You’re too cold Ok, well he’d done “Gu>“Guess you’re being She sniffed, and “Was that a no it “Wasn’t “I know. “I can support you,” “I don’t mean to “I’m pretty sure Sands’ face was “Last night . . . the “You don’t. “Do you want to see “Please,” he said, “It’s umm . . . I Sands gave her a Aida gave it He did, and scanned The list went on “That’s . . . quite “Well, I have to do “Now?” he asked “Sure. “I want to bulldoze “Add them. “Alright. “Mmm-hmm. “I did the stupid “I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. “I know. “We’re both ok now, “All right. “I love you too,”
in mind, she was tempted to tell him to stop, but she couldn’t do it.
reading her book, Salida closed her eyes and concentrated on the strong
kneading motions of Jeffrey’s h.
fucking nap,” Jeffrey murmured softly, leaning down to place another gentle
kiss on her cheek. His lips remained
against her skin for a brief moment as he breathed in her scent and once again
reassured himself of her presence and that she did indeed live.
pulling back from but but not stopping the backrub.
can help anyone else, vixen. If you’re
too tired to see straight you’ll end up missing things."
Or at least I’m better off than you.
I can’t stop when you need me the most.”
obviously a fucking lie so why bother? Fine,
I’ll stop.” He laid down on the blanket
once more and resumed his staring contest with the sun, not knowing what else
to do.
for a few minutes, Salida staring at the page in front of her but not really
seeing it. She’d said the wrong thing
again. That’s all she
continued his stare down with the sun, getting more and more irritated as the
moments passed. She wasn’t listening to
him. And why should she?
not looking at her as he spoke.
she replied softly, prepared to draw back.
He already sounded irritated, and she was trying to remember that she
could easily hurt him with her words.
She didn’t want to do that any more.
to do when we get worse?” he continued, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he
spoke. “Because we will.
it. You say you have to help.
of time. Well what if this is a waste of
time? What if you fucking work yourself
so hard that you make yourself fucking crazy and have it come out to nothing?
you work, you’re not going to be able to change that.”
coming from, but once he had started he couldn’t seemstopstop.
when you should be worrying about ‘now’?
just be making things worse like this? I
worry about you, vixen. All the fucking
time. It drives me fucking crazy.
of this. Sands and I aren’t
brought this on. I don’t know what it
was, but it had to have been something.
Maybe it’s fucking stress.
getting any better sitting with you arguing about what you should or shouldn’t
do, so why don’t you do me a favor and just put the fucking book down and look
after yourself for awhile. Please.”
right. What if there was absolutely
nothing she could do and she was wasting some of their precious moments of
sanity? But she had to believe that she
could do something, or she’d go insane herself.
What was more important? Hope or
the here and now?
whispered, slowly closing the book and resting her head on top of it.
Jeffrey whispered, looking over at her.
able to take care of you,” she whispered as she turned her face towards
him. “I shouldn’t have to struggle at
it.”
take care of myself? It’s not your fault
this is happening, vixen. Don’t even
start thinking that.”
and I don’t blame myself, but . . . I’ve always known what to do.
And I should.
not trying hard enough.” She rolled
towards him and confessed part of what was making her so intent on find a
solution so fast. “I . . . I don’t like
having to do this. When I read these
things, and I look up information, I loose sight of you. In my mind you become a
case to be solved, and . . . and I like it.
I like having something so engaging
to do. But the part of me that’s your
wife is so ashamed of that. You deserve
to have your own wife treat you as more than a science project.”
said softly, reaching out a hand to stroke her cheek.
by thinking that way. And I don’t care
if you if you fucking look at me like a science project, vixen.
a problem to be solved. But it doesn’t
bother me because I know you love me enough to bother trying to help me.
problems of your own.”
closed her eyes and sighed. “You’re
making me tired,” she mumbled.
I’m not going anywhere.”
she agreed, shifting her body until her back was pressed against her
chest. “Wake me if you start to feel
anything strange. I don’t want to
reacquaint myself with last night’s guest.”
Jeffrey said softly, his eyes flickering with malice at just the thought of
that bastard trying to hurt his wife again.
inside and sleep on the bed. You can use
the restraints. I’ll let you,” he said
softly, wrapping his arms around her and placing his chin on her shoulder.
do,” Jeffrey murmured, gently pulling her even closer to him.
been able, but they were already as close as they could get while still
dressed. He needed to hold her as much
as she needed to be held. He needed to
banish all images of the hallucination he’d had from his mind.
she commanded softly before nodding off.
think it was likely given the fact that he was wearing pants and a long-sleeved
shirt and he didn’t really care if he did, anyway.
sleep for a good five minutes before the mixture of the warm sun and his wife’s
soothing presence sent him into sleep as well, his arms still wrapped firmly
around her waist, and his chin still propped up on her shoulder.
******************************
particularly needed mowing, he just wanted to get away from his wife for a
little while and she had terrible hay fever – when he glanced over the fence
into the mysterious neighbor’s backyard.
he couldn’t help himself from looking all the same.
not quite right about those people. He
seldom spoke up when meeting new people – Martha did more than enough talking
for the both of them – and that rewarded him with certain insights into people
that his verbose wife didn’t catch while she was making friends.
hard to explain themselves. Did Salida
really have a husband in the army or did they have some kind of twisted sexual
arrangement going on between them? Now
this boring little neighborhood. He’d
often heard strange noises coming from their house throughout the day and into
the night, and that was his favored explanation of what was going on.
whispered loudly, his suspicions vindicated as he saw Sands and Salida asleep
on the lawn together, their legs entwined in a definitely familiar and intimate
manner. And the way Sands had his chin
resting on her shoulder and held her tightly even in sleep. . .
looking at, dear?” Martha’s stuffy voice
floated over his shoulder, causing him to jump.
had been looking at. “Oh my.
his head and sighed, feeling a moment of pity for the neighbors as his wife raced
into the house to use the phone presumably.
happened before the night was through.
******************************
dinner. Salida had disappeared with her
books, and the two of them were left alone.
Finally. “Exercise will be good
for you. Get the blood pumping, the
lungs working. Not to mention that it
might help the rest of those drugs get through your system.”
I’d like to go for a walk. I
slept all day so I’m feeling strangely energetic.”
running circles around the block,” Sands said dryly.
she cajoled. “It’s a beautiful night
out. “It’s breezy, not too hot, not too
humid. . .” She tugged on his arm
again. “Sa-ands. . .”
he muttered, making a show of rubbing his ears after her whined use of his
name.
she muttered, not letting go of him for a second.
either didn’t care or didn’t hear them because she didn’t respond – and
followed his wife out the door and into the night.
tonight. He mourned the fact that he
couldn’t really see the stars from the lights of the city, but he didn’t let it
bother him for too long.
arm around his waist and settled into a slow and easy gait.
exercise at all, but she figured he’d appreciate that.
kissed her temple as they walked, his eyes taking in his surroundings.
through the neighborhood in which they lived, and tried to take it all in.
of people outside – throwing parties, barbecuing, watching various sports games
– but tried to put it past him and focus on his wife and the obvious enjoyment
she was having. They didn’t matter.
to barbecue,” she murmured after smelling steaks on the air.
had to learn how to barbecue,” Sands replied.
really. And I never really liked the
image. Too . . . domestic,” he muttered.
with fire breathing dragons?” she asked idly, just waiting for his response.
find a couple, I’ll be more than happy to have you teach me how to barbecue,
spitfire,” Sands said wryly.
she decided, stopping him for a quick kiss.
He responded as predictably as she’d known he would, but the sudden
cessation of laughter from a nearby house confused her.
inappropriate.
at the group and sent a glare in their direction before turning back to his
wife. “I don’t know what the fuck that
was about, but just keep walking.”
to them. We haven’t been very friendly
since moving in.” When she tried to move
in that direction, it was as if she were tied to a rock; she wasn’t going
anywhere.
walking, Aida. I’m not in the mood to be
real friendly right now,” he said softly, shifting his weight a little so that
she could walk with him again.
return, his eyes moving to where she was looking.
fuck is wrong with these people? He
reached down at his belt and his fingers found the hilts of his knives
reassuringly.
sides. “I just think that we need to go
introduce ourselves. New Orleans is a
friendly place. We’ve been rude.”
that she wasn’t going to let up, so he sighed and nodded, letting her lead the
way.
lead when the couple was intercepted by a big man who was obviously a Notre
Dame fan.
started pleasantly enough, holding out her hand, but the gesture was ignored.
here. Or at least your
still. “Just what the fuck is your problem?
She was just saying hello you rude hwoon
dahn.” Sands used the Mandarin he knew
without thinking about it, automatically switching into another language as he
cursed just to piss the man off. Aida
had once accused him of liking to piss people off just on principle, and he
hadn’t denied it then, and he wasn’t going to deny it now.
with your pretty little housemate. Tell
me, are you just having an affair, or is the little woman in on it to?”
speechless. She stood mutely at Sands’ side,
simply watching events unfold, not able to say a word in her defense.
kind of sick, alternative lifestyle you’re engaging in,” the man went on, “but
we don’t want none of it. So you can
just mosey on the way you came.”
tza-jiao duh tzang-huo! Are you fucking
ignorant or just plain stupid?” Sands seethed, red flashing before his eyes.
for talking about my wife that way.
of his body. He had killed a hell of a
lot of people in his life, but very few of them actually gave him a reason.
moment, desperate to avoid violence. “Please,
it’s not worth it. Let’s just go home.”
mind, that was just inviting disaster.
trained well, don’t you, fucker,” the unnamed man taunted.
gibberish?”
gone with rage that he didn’t notice the gathering crowd and realize that if he
did what he really wanted to do to this man he’d be going to jail for a very,
threats. But for now, he balled up his
fist tightly and laid the man out with a single hard punch to the face.
any, but it made him feel a little better.
they walked back home; the crowd that had gathered giving them a wide berth.
and pulling on Sands’ arm by the time they’d gotten back to the house.
been able to keep up. If he’d letting go
of her hand, she would have arrived on their porch five minutes after him.
understood his anger. She was still
somewhat shocked herself. Any
possibility of crafting a lie to explain Salida’s appearance with another man –
such as Sands his his ‘cousin’ having a very
close family resemblance – had been lost the moment she’d stood mute and let
Sands carry on in his righteous anger.
It’d been satisfying to see him knock that guy out, but not
practical. That single action had
picalically validated their accusations, and there was no way the damage could
ever be repaired. Even patching would be
a job and a half at this point.
door and practically flung Aida inside, bellowing for Salid get get her fat ass
downstairs on the double.
thinking?” Aida demanded, trying to calm her husband down.
to be calmed or questioned. “Sands –”
soft, melodious voice I just heard, Sands?” Salida inquired from the top of the
stairs. “Or did a menopausal bull just
wander by?” The dark-haired woman looked
extremely irritated and well on her way to being pissed off.
back in forth in rapid steps, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
what?” Salida asked irritably. This was
utter nonsense, and her last train of thought had just left the station without
her. She’d been on to something.
sunrise. I’ve just become the local
fucking pariah of the neighborhood for my evil polygamist ways,” he muttered
darkly,ll pll pacing.
muttered. “I have more important things
to do, thank you very much, than to worry about your social standing.”
me! I never fucking had.
another matter entirely.” The last
comment wasn't necessarily directed towards Salida as he continued to pace.
Salida yelled down the stairs. “There’s
a difference between merely being outcasts and being actively sought for
murder! And you’re not in any condition
for that sort of stress!”
irritably.
scowling ferociously. “If you want to go
on the lam with a pregnant woman and an invalid –”
have to go on the fucking lam,
sunrise,” he said answering her scowl with one of his own even as his restless
pacing continued. “Idiots who have to go
on the fucking lam are people who get caught.
I’m not going to fucking get caught.
many people – who now don’t like you – heard you make that threat?
police’s first suspect?”
care! I’ll kill each and everyone if I
fucking have to. There won’t be anyone
left to fucking stand against me!” he hissed irrationally.
had said about Aida anymore. Sure, he
was fucking pissed, but the man was a fucking worm and his opinion had been
worthless. But the rage and anger didn’t
want to leave. It moved through him
without barrier or outlet.
realize some of this. She’d been around
the men long enough to read their moods, and she didn’t like what she was
getting from this one. If something didn’t
happen to calm Sands down fast, something very bad was going to happen.
Grant, do something.”
her husband helplessly. He was scary
when he was like this, and she didn’t know what she could do to help.
expect her to do? The
talking to you?” Sands muttered with a scowl, turning to leave.
or what he was going to do when he got there, but he couldn’t stay here fucking
talking to someone he didn’t fucking want to.
go,” Aida whispered, reaching out for his arm but not quite touching him.
scaring you? I’m not even doing
anything!” Sands said with a shake of his head that managed to seem sad and
annoyed at the same time. “I have to
fucking get out of here. It wasn’t your
fucking fault. You didn’t make that
fucker say those things.”
I think you’re going to do something rash.”
She inched closer to him.
this all would have blown over.”
she says. Like what?
. . . oh yes, I wanted to eviscerate him.
I may be a little rusty.
to. Not because you fucking made me.”
about killing, Aida backed away, her eyes wide and pained.
anger faltering a little at her words. “That’s
not true, Aida.”
over Agatha, then picked the cat up. “I’m
only human. I can’t make anyone do
anything. I can’t even control
myself. I suppose that makes me the
weaker of the two of us since you can at least put some sort of reign on other
people as well.”
true,” he repeated, his anger seemingly forgotten as he turned to speak to her.
“You’ve made me love, Aida.
on. “And you are stronger than I will
ever be. You . . . put up with me.
lately,” he muttered with a sigh. “And
you seemed to have put a reign on me after all.”
later tonight and leave while I’m asleep.”
Her voice was sad. “Noter
ter
what your choice is, I’ll support you of course.”
anywhere, spitfire. I’m sorry.
been a step away from leaving through, and locked it behind him.
sad. My own worries make me sad.”
stairs. “Are you coming to bed or
staying up for awhile?”
bit of restless making a last near crushing grip on him, but he pushed past it
and moved to stand next to her. “I’ll
come. And I won’t leave in the middle of
the night either. I wouldn’t do that to
you.” He paused.
that, or I can get some sheets from upstairs and I’ll make up the couch.
have just carried her. But now he was
being tentati
things worse between them right now by doing something she didn’t want him to
do. “I’m sorry,” he said again, thinking
of how he must have hurt her when he had spoken so casually about killing
another person. He had lashed out at her
and he didn’t want to ever do it again.
wide enough for us both to sleep on,” she murmured, leaning towards him.
make me feel like an invalid.” There was
an undercurrent of bitterness in her words.
fucking invalid. You’re my beautiful,
vibrant wife, and maybe I would like to carry you.
against my chest where I know I can keep you safe,” he murmured softly.
enough energy to climb the damn stairs,” she muttered, but she wrapped her arm
around his neck anyway. “I suppose I’ll
have to reserve my energy for something else.”
voice as he scooped her up into his arms.
seemed to have lost, he didn’t show it as he began climbing the stairs.
must have left while he had been talking to Aida.
figure it out. The bedroom is no place
for subtlety.” Sands had her in his
arms, and she had Aggie in hers. “I don’t
think the cat’s going to be sleeping on the bed anytime soon.”
want to get knocked off,” Sands said with a small smile and placed a gentle
kiss on her forehead and breathed in her scent.
contemplate since he had been intimate with his wife and he had missed it.
smile as he walked down the hallway to their bedroom.
with me. I’m a delicate blossom of a
woman. A r lir lily one might say.”
floor. The cat complained, but she sat
down and started liking a paw, obviously not that upset.
frog prince,” Sands said with a small smile as he laid her down on the bed with
infinite love and care, remembering their conversation in the hot tub on their
honeymoon. It seemed like such a long
time ago now.
though. She’s feeling just a little bit
achy.” She wished it wasn’t true, but it
was. It was annoying, not not enough to
keep her from getting a little bit of satisfaction.
princess,” he said, leaning over her to place a gentle kiss in the hollow of
her throat and onward, as his hand moved to unbutton her shirt.
with the opening of each button of her shirt, murmuring endearments too soft to
really make out against her skin as he did so.
content for the moment, and stretched.
She really did love her husband.
No matter what else. The ‘what
else’ had the potential to get depressing, so she started singing is a soft
voice, “I can’t get no . . . satisfaction.
I can’t get no . . . girl with action.”
There was a wicked smile on her face.
eyebrow at that before speaking. “Baby,
baby, I’ve been so sad since you’ve been gone way back to New York City where
you do belong. Honey, I missed your two
toned kisses, legs wrapped around me tight.
gonna make you scream all night,” with a wicked smirk of his own as he
continued kissing her, moving to take one her nipples into his mouth now and
rolling it around with his tongue.
sighed, shifting under him so that the sensation of his mouth on her was more
intense.
want,” Sands said with a smile before returning his lips to her breast and
slowing his movements until his every gesture was sensual and designed to bring
her to a slow but boiling arousal.
skin, but was consistently foiled by his shirt.
All she could get her fingers on was the back of his neck and his hands,
and that wasn’t enough. Finally fed up,
she wrapped her hands in his collar and hauled him up to face her.
Off. Now.”
for a moment, his shoulders hunched up around his neck at the tight grip she had
on his shirt collar, and grinned widely.
extricating himself from her grip and moving back to sit on his heels next to
her. He then moved his hands to his
shirt buttons and ever so slowly unbuttoned each one, his eyes locked with hers
as he did it.
as if to say very funny, and flipped him off in good humor.
interest, my love.” She pretended to
yawn.
from going slow, as you’ve so often pointed out, spitfire,” he said with a
smirk at her yawn as he removed his shirt and tossed over his shoulder and off
the bed causally. He then removed his
knives, belt, wallet and cell phone and dropped each of them on top of the
shirt without looking down. “But as I’ve
already said, anything you me me to do, I’ll do.
be more than willing to oblige you,” he said with a grin, moving over to her
once more.
she said, pushing on his shoulders.
after a moment's hesitn, ln, letting her push at him but then sitting back up a
moment later and holding out a hand. “Let
me take off my shoes first.” He did so
quickly with his pants following them so that he was left wearing nothing but a
pair of dark red boxers. “I’m all yours,
spitfire,” he said, spreading his hands a little and giving her a smile.
more of his already diminished control, but he would deny her nothing right
now.
his lap and started placing kittenish kisses on the neck and on the underside
of his chin. s'> Once she’d suck, once she’d
nip, and once she’d lick. Over and over,
she worked her way up his jaw to his ear, where she nibbled for some time,
before working around to his other ear.
back into her touch instinctively, his eyes drifting shut as she kissed him.
quickened his own, and the way she rubbed herself against his hardening arousal
quickened it even further. His hands
practically leapt into action as he began tracing lines over her bare back up
and down her spine.
agreeably, and moved her mouth until her lips just barely brushed against
his. “Come and get me,” she breathed.
drawled in a thick voice, moving up to capture her lips in passionate kiss to
end all passionate kisses. She opened
her mouth and didn’t move further, letting him tease the edge of her lips and
the tip of her tongue. It only served to
arouse him further and he wasted no time in thrusting his tongue into her mouth
and deepening the kiss, his hands unconsciously pressing against her waist so
that their lower bodies were even closer than they had been.
breathy moan, and leaned into her husband.
The only thing she did was slowed down the motion of her mouth until she
was lazily kissing him back, taking her own sweet time to search out every nook
and cranny, tasting every plane she found.
moan of his own into the kiss as she slowed, her actions seeming to arouse him
that much more. It was as if she was
putting every once of love for him that she possessed into each kiss and it left
him heady with sensation. He could only
kiss her back as his hips began to rock against hers ever so slightly.
in her throat as his ly cly clad body rubbed against her lower – still dressed –
half. Jeans were good and practical until
you wanted more intimate contact. Then
they were a pain in the ass.
she started to move with him, whining as he trapped her hands when she would
have unbuttoned her jeans. He secured
both wrists with one hand while his other explored the numerous holes in what
was her oldest pair of jeans.
over the bare bits of flesh that seemed to play hide-and-go-seek with her jeans
and his good fingers, taking time to identify where they all were.
most . . . agreeable. The only problem
was, that with his good hand keeping hers at bay, he was left with his left and
its fucking cast and broken fingers. With
a growl of utter frustration, he let go of Aida’s wrists – ready to grab them
again should she attempt to flee – and began attacking at the burdening cast,
determined to get the stupid fucking thing off.
some of her desire leaving her face. “Don’t.
grunt in both victory and pain as he tested his seemingly healed fingers.
hurt like a motherfucker, and he hissed at the sensation before using his good
hand to scratch over almost every area that had been covered, letting out a
little sigh of relief once he was finished.
working,” he said to her, giving her a reassuring smile.
asked, still worried. She took his arm
in her much smaller hands and examined it, turning it this way and that to look
for bruising that would indicate it wasn’t fully healed.
continuing. “I’ll get it looked at if
you want tomorrow. I have to get these
fucking stitches out anyway.”
lap as if she was afraid to hurt him.
going?” Sands growled, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her against
him once more. Aida exhaled sharply at
the sensation, and wiggled against him briefly, but then calmed herself.
to strain that arm,” she murmured, once again trying to back away.
her flush against him. “It’s not my arm
that’s under strain right now, spitfire,” he drawled, arching his hips a little
to rub his noticeably hardened arousal against her.
here.” He leaned over to nip at the side
of her neck for her presumption thhe whe would just allow him to let her leave
so easily.
shoulders in a half protest, only to get both wrists caught again.
arms, and he cocked an eyebrow. Her
husband was certainly enjoying himself.
. goodies . . . didn’t make it back from Hawaii.
Oh dear. If they did, I’m going
to have to hide them I think.
freed hand he was able to sneak fingers into the various wide-spread holes in
Aida’s jeans before moving his hand across their laps and through the hole on
her inner thigh.
he did nothing. He simply rested the
palm of his hand against her flesh, feeling her pulse beat rapidly through his
fingertips. He then looked at her and
moved his fingers further inside her jeans and underneath the edge of her
underwear. This maneuver caused his
tender fingers some pain, but the ends were far worth the means.
along her clit and wet opening slowly and softly – just enough to give her the
sensation but not relief – he watched her as he did so, utterly enthralled by
the very sight of her. He loved this
woman more than anything on this earth. He
would do anything for her. “Anything,”
he murmured out loud softly without realizing.
closed, her head thrown back, and her arms close to her chest where Sands still
held them firmly. She was no longer
trying to get away. All that mattered
was the fluttering of heat in her belly and the steadily more demanding one
between her legs. He was being so very
gentle with her, caressing her as if she were a crystal glass that would
vibrate and ring with his every touch.
And he was bringing her very close to that point with nothing more than
the pure adoration of his touch.
back and she shifted her hips, wanting more.
She wet her lips with her tongue then swallowed hard, unaware that Sands’
gaze was focused on the pale, delicate column of her throat.
over her body, teasing and tempting.
himself; he leaned in to kiss, lick and nip his way up her throat and neck, his
head spinning a little at the taste of her skin.
strawberries all the time or it was just his arousal and the moment playing
tricks on him, but he didn’t care. “You
taste of strawberries and cream, my love,” he murmured against her skin, loving
the way a flush had spread its way across her arms and chest, leaving her
covered in red splotches. He found them
utterly endearing. “You’re wearing
entirely too much clothing, however,” he murmured absently, turning them both
and pushing her back down on the bed just long enough to remove her pants and
underwear before settling her once more on his lap.
feel her arousal hot and wet against his still clothed and almost unbearably
hard length. He would have removed his
boxers in turn when he removed her own underwear, but he wanted her to do it
for him.
him. He wanted everything and would give
it in return.
hands, and she took advantage of it. She
let her fingers wander lightly over his chest and nipples, trailed them lightly
down his arms until the light coating of hair on his forearms stood up because
of the goosebumps she was causing. With
eyes half-lidded with desire, she found his lips and started kissing him,
teasing and tempting him to explore her mouth as she had his.
noticed that he'd laid her down on the bed was that his arousal rubbed more insistently
at the joining of her legs.
breathed, still trying to get him to kiss her.
you shall get,” he drawled with a smirk before descending on her, determined to
kiss her until they were both breathless.
rough and violent, deep, loving, fulfilling, taking, giving . . . it was all
these things and more. Their noses and
chins and teeth clashed together in painful ways, but neither of them seemed to
notice. Tongues were bitten and still
the kiss went on. Each of them tried to
break away to gasp or moan and each time the other pulled them back into the
kiss before they could. Sands had thrust
into her in the midst of the kiss without even fully realizing it; he just had
to be closer to her. And yet the kiss
went on even as he set a fast paced but ultimately gentle rhythm.
greedily as Sands instinctively pulled out of her before thrusting back
in. In >In her greed she sucked at his
tongue and her hands found his hips, pulling him more firmly against her.
she missed him so much. Always.
him as possible while she had the chance.
It was a morbid thought, and she easily pushed it out of her head in
favor of his teeth pulling at her bottom lip, but it would come back
later. To them both.
enough of her. With every kiss, every
thrust of his hips, every press of her hands against his flesh he only wanted
more. He continued kissing her,
unconsciously beginning to match the rhythm of his kisses with the movement of
his hips until he was grunting and moaning in time too as her hands pressed at
him even harder. He felt his climax
looming like an idea in the back of his brain, just waiting for its chance to
be discovered. Aida’s little hands
pressing at him like that were certainly insuring that discovery would be
sooner rather than later.
longer breathe through their kiss. She
had to roughly pull away from him, panting, telling him he had to stop, but not
stop. Never stop.
arousal. “Just a little more,” she
whimpered and moaned, starting to writhe under him, her hips rising and
falling. “Just a little more.”
able to consciously process her murmured pleas, he might have said something to
the effect of ‘you and me both.’ But
since that wasn’t an option at present, the best he could do was to keep up
what he was doing, and both pray that this exquisite torture would end, and
pray that it never did. He dimly felt
her inner muscles tensing all around him in preparation for her orgasm aelt
elt
his body respond without hesitation as his own finally began to rear its head
and make itself known to him. style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Lots and lots of deep French kisses.”
you shall get,” he drawled with a smirk before descending on her, determined to
kiss her until they were both breathless.
rough and violent, deep, loving, fulfilling, taking, giving . . . it was all
these things and more. Their noses and
chins and teeth clashed together in painful ways, but neither of them seemed to
notice. Tongues were bitten and still
the kiss went on. Each of them tried to
break away to gasp or moan and each time the other pulled them back into the
kiss before they could. Sands had thrust
into her in the midst of the kiss without even fully realizing it; he just had
to be closer to her. And yet the kiss
went on even as he set a fast paced but ultimately gentle rhythm.
greedily as Sands instinctively pulled out of her before thrusting back
in. In her greed she sucked at his
tongue and her hands found his hips, pulling him more firmly against her.
she missed him so much. Always.
him as possible while she had the chance.
It was a morbid thought, and she easily pushed it out of her head in
favor of his teeth pulling at her bottom lip, but it would come back
later. To them both.
enough of her. With every kiss, every
thrust of his hips, every press of her hands against his flesh he only wanted
more. He continued kissing her,
unconsciously beginning to match the rhythm of his kisses with the movement of
his hips until he was grunting and moaning in time too as her hands pressed at
him even harder. He felt his climax
looming like an idea in the back of his brain, just waiting for its chance to
be discovered. Aida’s little hands
pressing at him like that were certainly insuring that discovery would be
sooner rather than later.
longer breathe through their kiss. She
had to roughly pull away from him, panting, telling him he had to stop, but not
stop. Never stop.
arousal. “Just a little more,” she
whimpered and moaned, starting to writhe under him, her hips rising and
falling. “Just a little more.”
able to consciously process her murmured pleas, he might have said something to
the effect of ‘you and me both.’ But
since that wasn’t an option at present, the best he could do was to keep up
what he was doing, and both pray that this exquisite torture would end, and
pray that it never did. He dimly felt
her inner muscles tensing all around him in preparation for her orgasm and felt
his body respond without hesitation as his own finally began to rear its head
and make itself known to him. He moved
to kiss her neck savagely and randomly, anything to send him over the edge with
which he was managing to hang on by a fingernail.
pleaded. “Stop, stop, stop.
Not deep enough. Please
stop. Need you deeper.
Deeper. Have to stop.”
him, her mind a whirlwind of need, lust, and confusion.
answer her request without really thinking about it; sitting back on his heels
and bringing her with him, using gravity to sheath her upon him even further as
he thrust up into her. He didn’t know if
that was what she wanted, so he forced the question between his lips.
slicked hair against her equally sweaty chest and holding it there as they
moved together, listening to the racing of her heart.
panted, thrown so close to the edge by the change in position that she was
fighting not to come. This was so good,
too good to stop. She could feel her
body rising and falling as she rode him, felt his harsh breath against her
chest as he worked to move them both.
His arms were so tight around her, his body burning against hers.
Aida fought to rock her hips in time to his thrusts.
her to the edge of sanity and beyond; the very tip of his deep-seated arousal
brushed against the beginning of her womb.
With a hoarse cry, she let go, clinging to her husband as he started
moving in a frenzy, his own desire demanding he follow her.
moan as she climaxed wildly around him and his thrusts grew jerky as he felt
the pressure of his own climax building up from the pit of his stomach.
shifted about the room wildly through slitted eyes.
just made, Sands pressed his forehead against her chest once more as he came,
his arms moving to cinch around her waist like a vise as he struggled to get
even closer to her than he already was – something that was an impossibility at
the moment but unrealized by his frenzied form.
indeterminate amount of time – it could have been minutes, hours, or even days
for all his mind was telling him – he just held her, staying upright on his
heels by sheer act of will as his muscles trembled under the strain.
skin without moving away to look at her.
murmured back, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
spitfire,” Sands responded softly, laying a gentle kiss on the slope of one of
her breasts before holding her even closer still.
could feel his heels digging into his bare ass, but he didn’t want to move.
be taller,” she said absently, leaning to nuzzle the underside of his
chin. “But I think you’ve changed my
mind on that matter.”
spitfire?” he asked, leaning his head back slightly to give her better access.
above your head and have you jump for them,” he gently teased with a smile.
older siblings. I know that the fastest
way to get things back is to turn around and leave the room.
that in mind. I didn’t have any
siblings. But I really do like that you’re
shorter than me, spitfire. I like being
able to tuck your head under my chin.”
chin,” she mock complained.
got a hard head so it evens out,” he returned with a smirk.
eyes and pinched him sharply on his butt in reply for that comment.
little undignified yelp at that, and glared at her.
spitfire,” he warned with a disapproving look.
on me.” She said this calmly but watched
him for his reaction.
his features. “Would I really do that?
had been holding her and loosened his grip considerably.
she said softly. “The worst part about
cancer is that the cure makes you nearly as sick as the disease.”
he murmured, a smile not even attempting to cross his face.
fault. And I’d much rather be touched by
you than go without you. Bruises will
fade. And maybe I’m jumping the
gun. Perhaps I’m still good.”
not,” he muttered, staring across the room at a spot on the wall as his
pessimistic nature began to get to him.
commanded, slapping him lightly. “If you
need something to do, you can start planning what you’re going to do for my
birthday.”
was coming up?” He seemed to realize
something, and frowned again, but for entirely different reasons than before.
admitted, not liking the fact. Why hadn’t
he asked her about it before?
Hawaii that it was a few weeks away,” she told him, quirking a brow.
age?”
you?” he teased, forcing himself to banter with her again like everything was
normal.
that, I’d tell you that I’d already told you what day my birthday was, what I
expected, and then get mad when you couldn’t remember.”
murmured with a small smile. “So what do
you want? Or do you want to be
surprised?”
be nice. But nothing too big or that
requires too much running around. And
you’d probably like a date . . . otherwise we’ll both be surprised.”
probably be useful, but I could just give you presents for the next few weeks.
I won’t say anything. I think I like the
sound of your idea.” She kissed his bony
chin.
do. But tell me anyway,” he hesitated.
yet,” she reminded him. “You haven’t
even forgotten for the first time. And
it’s the thirteenth.”
won’t forget. My birthday’s on the
thirteenth too. Not of this month, of
course, but it looks like we were both born to make our own luck.”
asked. He’d never mentioned his birthday
either.
things interesting.” He smirked as he
said it.
nose. “I’ve never liked February.
a bit more cheery.”
my very best,” Sands drawled with a short bow of his head.
like. I’ll have to go with sunrise
though. Something tells me she isn’t
going to let me leave the house on my own right now,” he said, furrowing his
brow a little as he became irritated once more with the whole current situation
involving his decidedly annoying mental . . . experiences.
she asked, rubbing his newly free arm gently.
shrug. “Better than I did earlier, but
still a little . . . off. It doesn’t
necessarily mean anything's wrong – I’ve felt that way for a while now and am
starting to get used to it – but that’s just the way things go I guess.
things to change,” she sighed. “I don’t
suppose you could give that to me for my birthday though, could you?”
backwards so that he was now sitting on the bed, bringing her with him and
raised up a hand to stroke her cheek gently.
lopsided smile. “That wasn’t really fair
of me to ask.”
want of me. Hell, you have that right
whenever you want, Aida. So ask away.
ask for, but that won’t stop me from trying.”
like you asking me to wake up fully healed tomorrow.
me to do the same, I’d feel as if you were . . . I don’t know.
to be contrary. As if I were being
selfish by being sick.”
that, spitfire. And I don’t blame you
for asking me to be . . . better. It’s
not fair that you have to deal with all of this either.
me from time to time. It’s only human.”
sigh and stopped arguing. She wasn’t
going to be able to convince him of anything.
So she changed the subject.
really like for my birthday?”
her the change in subject.
concert. It’s on my list.”
concert? And if you made a birthday list
hand it over and we’ll see about getting you what’s on it.”
list,” she murmured, wondering now if she should have brought the list up.
list is it?” As soon as the question was
passed his lips, he knew the answer. What
else could have been. “You made a
fucking death list, didn’t you.” It wasn’t
a question. He suddenly didn’t want to
be holding her anymore. How could she
fucking expect him to go against his nature and be optimistic for her if she
was going to pull shit like this? He
couldn’t fucking do it.
that!” she defended herself as he pushed her away.
time. I just happened to realize how
precious life was, and I wanted to make sure that I didn’t put things off.”
conclusion? “It’s a life list.
to listen and consider her words and when she had stopped he felt like an ass.
I’m a pessimist and it tends to make me
say and do stupid fucking things sometimes.
her with a frown.
mumbled. “Just think of something
else. I’ve never needed a man to buy me
what I wanted before.” She turned her
back and climbed under the covers, more hurt than she wanted to admit.
shoulder turned to him.
accused. “You don’t want to be with
me. You want me to be with you.
think of a few really big possibilities where it would.”
that?” Sands asked her, a hint of desperation in his voice.
with you!”
me, Sands. I’m not denying that.”
You need me to be with
There is a difference. Or at
least there is for me.”
to make you think that?” Sands asked, his voice full of hurt and confusion.
terrifying enough for me to seriously consider the fact that I may die while I’m
still young? Do you think that my worry
about what you’ll do makes things any easier?
Do you ever consider that I’m exhausted day in and day out, but that I
drag myself out of bed every morning because I know what will happen if you
really knew how I felt? Do you think that.
. .” She stopped and buried her face in
her pillow, unable to go on.
me to do, Aida? Tell me what to do!
with her, clear desperation in his voice now.
from him right before his eyes and he was unable to do anything about it.
Just don’t . . . don’t talk like you’re
going to leave me. Please.
all. Anything you want.
me how to change that. I don’t want
this, Aida. I don’t want to hurt you.
he sat with his elbows propped up on his knees and his hands at the sides of
his head gripping his hair tightly but not moving.
nothing wrong. I’m not thinking about
leaving you, I’m I’m not even blaming you for anything.
responded with a shake of his head, wanting more than anything to push what she
had said out of his mind and obey what she was telling him now, but unable to.
fault. You’re not a mind reader.”
him. “Just please come to bed.
me what to do,” he snapped at her in a vicious mood swing that left him
reeling. “I’m-I’m sorry.
murmured absently.
around her, wondering how things had gotten so bad so fast.
wrist and trying to keep her here.
go.” Her entire body was tensed, ready
for action.
that bullshit.” He didn’t seem to notice
the way her own mood had shifted as he was so determined in making things right
with her.
respect me and let me go, or keep me here and be sorry for it in the
morning. It’s your choice.”
temper; hers was hard to rouse, but burned hotter than most when it was.
fucking fight with you!” he groused loudly but let her go.
now,” she said tightly, putting enough distance between them that he couldn’t
grab her again. “I’ll say things I’ll
regret in the morning. And they would
hurt. And I don’t want to hurt you.
She turned towards the door.
going to leave me here by my fucking self?
that it’s best to just leave and not bother working it out?
stress of the situation beginning to get to him despite Salida’s earlier
warnings against it.
talk in the morning, but I don’t want to toss and turn for the rest of the
night because I was cruel in my anger.
Sands.” Aida opened the door and pulled
it closed behind her.
string of heated curses at the closed doors but didn’t follow her.
stood that was fucking fine with him.
satisfaction of sleeping alone and laying awake thinking about her.
murmured sleepily. “What the fuck do you
want?”
fucking wife. I’m leaving,” Sands
responded evenly before leaving Jeffrey confused and alone and wondering what
the fuck had just happened.
fucked up,” Jeffrey murmured, feeling incredibly pissed off at something or
someone and not knowing why.
care and made his way out the door and down the hall, not bothering to get
dressed. He caught the sound of someone
moving around downstairs and figured that’s where Aida must have ended up, but
didn’t stop until he had crawled under the covers next to his sleeping wife and
wrapped his arms around her.
******************************
mildly pissed off. Sands had really
gotten to her the night before. There
was something to the way he’d reacted to her list – as if she did things just
to get to him – that made her want to scream.
After a lifetime of being waited on hand and foot and getting nothing
but the best, she supposed anyone might get a little spoiled, and most of the
time she didn’t notice that he was, but last night. . . .
think about that. Her promise to talk
everything through with him this morning hung heavily over her head, and she
wondered if there was any way she could escape before he came hunting for her.
******************************
pillow, cursing his sudden wakefulness. He
didn’t know what had brought it on – a brief glance out of a single cracked eye
at the too-bright sunlight told him that Salida was still asleep – but now that
he was awake, he knew he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep.
but after a glance at the clock he groaned to see that he had plenty of time to
do so before she would wake up.
like it. Just get some.
moved out of bed with consideration to his still sleeping wife and pulled on a
pair of boxers and a sleeveless t-shirt – not yet awake enough to notice that
his hand wasn’t in its cast – and stumbled his way out of the room and down the
stairs to the kitchen.
stumbling footsteps come down the stairs and threw herself back down on the
couch, pulling the sheets up around her.
If she didn’t have enough time to escape notice, she could at least
pretend to still be asleep.
notice her on his way to the kitchen in his quest for coffee.
what he wanted however, he just stood there and stared in stoic shock.
out of coffee. Why are we out of coffee
when that’s all I fucking wanted this morning?
willing the coffee to appear, he sighed and pulled out the carton of orange
juice instead and poured himself a glass.
to do. It was then that he remembered
that Aida had been down here last night and curiosity got the better of him as
he wandered into the living room, his glass of juice in his right hand as he
even. She didn’t want to talk to her
husband, she certainly didn’t want to talk to Jeffrey, and it had to be one of
them. Salida would have ignored her.
fucking asleep, kitty,” Jeffrey’s voice floated over to her from a chair across
the room where he had seated himself. “But
if you want to fucking pretend, be my guest.
she didn’t have anything on under the sheet.
shows its claws this morning. How
charming,” Jeffrey muttered dryly and had been about to finish his orange juice
when he noticed his hand. “Well fuck me
sideways. Thank god,” he muttered,
wiggling his fingers experimentally and setting his glass down on the coffee
table and rubbing his hands together. He
had been about to try snapping his fingers, but a twinge of pain told him that
probably wouldn’t have been the best of ideas at the moment.
me? The longer he does, the more chance
Sands will show up. And he’s probably
still going to be pissed at me. “I
don’t hear you leaving,” she muttered.
expect me to? Because I’m not,” Jeffrey
responded absently, still looking over his hand with something akin to wonder.
leave, he’s going to wake up, and then you’ll get to witness a rather . . . messy
. . . discussion. So
turned his attention away from his hand and looked over at her.
still anticipating it to continue now.”
yelled, sitting up right, one hand holding the sheet around her chest and the
other pointing up the stairs.
muttered irritably, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes after Jeffrey’s rude
awakening. Jeffrey himself seemed to
have gone wherever the hell he went when he wasn’t an annoying gnat in his ear.
seethed, getting off the couch and walking past Sands to the stairs.
what was going on and got up to follow her, Jeffrey’s glass of orange juice
forgotten on the coffee table. “Wait.
What the fuck did I do to upset you?
asked as he ran to stop her.
automatically feel better?” she demanded.
fucking point! I already asked what I
fucking blew me off so I’m stuck with fucking sorry.”
icy. “Yes.
yourself feel better.”
not what I want! I want to make
what you want. You don’t like feeling
guilty and you want me to make everything better.”
faded when you slammed the door on me. Now
I’m just fucking pissed off.”
feelings aside just so that you feel more comfortable?”
what I fucking want. Rant and rave all
you fucking want. I don’t care.
fucking make you. Go run off and do
whatever the fuck you want. I don’t
care.”
Her demeanor was almost calm, peaceful even, except for the icy light in
her eyes. “You don’t care about
anything, but then I make you, and that makes you mad.
the fucking others? Come on.
with a cold look in his own eyes to match hers.
more than you like fighting with me, than you’re mistaken.”
are you still fighting with me?!” he returned with a scowl.
pause. He couldn’t help it.
that she was probably just going to get dressed, but the raging impassioned
remainder locked on to her words. She
was leaving him? No.
leave. Do whatever the fuck you want.
for a moment longer, then rolled her eyes and went upstairs, the sheet trailing
behind her like the train of a wedding dress.
bedroom, she slammed the door shut, went into the bathroom, slammed that door
shut, got into the shower, slammed that door shut.
she turned the water on and stood still as the water immediately drenched her.
all this? He had.
personally. She was sick and tired of
having to watch every comment she made out of fear that she’d hurt him.
thoughts, feelings, that had nothing to do with him, but with her?
done? Tacking a few more months to her
life expectancy wasn’t worth this.
it, Aida sunk to the floor of the shower, tears mingling with the water running
down her face.
foot of the stairs just long enough to hear two of the three doors that she had
slammed echo through his ears before deciding enough was enough and mounting
the stairs. He wouldn’t fight with her
any longer. He would talk to her.
shut the door behind him and moved across the room to sit on the bed.
follow her that far, not now. He would
sit here silent and as patient as he could manage until she came to him and
then he would work this whole mess out.
that’s ok. You’ll do it for her.
tired. The water was turning icy, but
Aida couldn't work up the will to turn it off.
I’ve heard hypothermia is a good
way to go, she thought in grim good humor, but then she sighed.
groan, she reached over and turned the water off.
she curled up on the bottom of the shower stall, resting her head on one
forearm. I’ll get out and dry off soon . . . just not yet.
patient. Sands had evolved from sitting
on the bed as calm as a buddah to pacing the room as furious as a devil.
taking her so long? Does she know I’m
out here? Is that why she’s not coming
out? Is something wrong?
this. She can yell at me if she wants,”
he muttered to himself, crossing the room and making his way through the
bathroom door that fortunately wasn’t locked, to find his wife.
to not actively piss her off if he could help it.
slightly, but then wrapped herself into a tighter ball and tried to drift back
off to that place between dreams and life, where there was no fighting and she
was warm.
murmured as he stepped into the blanket of steam and saw her huddled form on
the bathtub floor. “Come on, spitfire.
grabbing a towel and reaching down slowly to her as if approaching a wild
animal that could turn on him at any second.
frown as his fingertips came into contact with her chilled skin.
muttered like a rebellious child. “Am I
too cold for you?”
for you at the moment,” he muttered
in return, drying her skin with the towel but not moving her yet.
be carried out. I’d prefer the latter at
this point but you said you don’t like it so I’m giving you the choice.”
the right thing by giving her a choice and taking her feelings into
consideration. Aida pushed herself up
and tried to stand. Muscles too cold to
work properly promptly dumped her into his arms, but she didn’t try again.
carried. Sorry,” he murmured as he
picked her up into his arms and carried her through the bathroom door and
deposited her gently on the bed where he immediately tucked her in under the
covers after drying her off as best as he could.
was very comfortable.” That was as far
as he was going to go in bringing up their argument.
like she was in any shape to ether.
shook her head.
wasn’t very comfortable, or a no you’t w’t want to sleep, Aida?” he asked
softly, taking a seat next to her on the edge of the bed so that his feet were
still planted on the floor.
comfortable.” She swallowed.
time.”
she murmured, “but not if you put all your troubles on me.
so tired. I worry about you all night
long.”
make you worry,” he said softly, looking away.
sorry” again. The words seemed hollow
now
its what wives do,” she mumbled. “But .
. . I’m afraid to even talk to you about how I feel. You-you never react
well.”
deeply pained. How had it gotten so bad
that she couldn’t even talk to him? Had
it always been like this? “I’m sor-I’ll
do better. You don’t have to be afraid.”
list. You didn’t even ask.
not?”
his voice filled with steely determination.
it?”
his hopes rising a little that she would offer to show him now in spite of
everything.
think it’s in my sock drawer. In the
package of insoles. It’s about time for
me to add to it anyway.”
look as if to tell her to stay put and went to retrieve the list.
he retuned and handed it to her. He didn’t
look at it, and wouldn’t until she showed it to him.
back. “Go ahead, open it,” she murmured,
looking up at him.
the list. Bungee jumping. Learn the
violin. Learn how to make a stained
glass window. Play the role of Katherine
from Taming of the Shre>.. Go to a
NASCAR race. Attend a private
concert. Read War and Peace.
Go to Hawaii. Attend a taping of
the Jerry Springer Show. Invent a
recipe. Write a play.
for two pages. Some of the items were
hazardous, some were tame, some were humorous.
a list, spitfire. A good list.
and wouldn’t want to. Although inventing
a recipe or climbing the steps like in ‘Rocky’ aren't really want I had in
mind. And good luck reading War and
Peace.”
everything on the list before I can croak.”
Aida yawned, then rubbed her eyes.
“We should add to it.”
pointedly, noting her yawn.
my old house to the ground and put something, anything, else in its place,” he
responded almost immediately as if he had been waiting all day long for her to
ask such a question. “Uh,” he muttered,
clearly a bit flustered. “Go to
before it sinks. Take a picture of
from her slightly, a little embarrassed.
stubborn thing and let Jeffrey take over last night so I wouldn’t have to be up
here alone,” Sands said softly, leaving just how much he missed unspoken but
evident in those last few words.
moving around to the other side of the bed so he could crawl in next to her.
spitfire. Don't worry about it.
he said, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close as they both
drifted off into sleep.