WHEN YOU LIE NEXT TO ME By Char Chaffin Category: MSR, minor angst, vignette, post ep for "The Truth" Rating: NC-17 Disclaimer: 1013's to command, mine to adore from afar NOTE: This fic is in answer to a challenge put out on IWTB - to use as many of the 140-plus buzz words supplied as possible, and create post-ep fic. I managed to use 69 words - a fave number of mine, BTW! The words I used are listed at the end of the story! THANKS TO: Tess, for beta and for being one of the instigators of the challenge in the first place! Summary: "The days all fly away, and I forget the truth..." "When You Lie Next To Me" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Maybe tonight... we could close the door and lock ourselves inside..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The door is locked. Has been locked, for days. They intended it to be that way. A few bags of take-out litter the floor, the small table in the corner of the room. Chinese. Some burger wrappers. They don't notice, not really. Truth be told, neither of them have had much of an appetite... for food. Outside the rain had been intermittent, more so for this time of year, in this desert place. The smell of wet dust infiltrates the venting system, works its way into the warm air around them. It mixes with the lingering traces of sweat, clean and pure - the tang of sex and the heat of desire that has spent itself again and again, in this room. Somehow the dust seems appropriate, for with each burst of new emotion within, the dust of so many solitary months eases away even as the arid wind blows and cleanses the world outside their door. They need this. Each day they remain is a chance they take - that they will be found, dragged out of their warm and moist cocoon - dealt with most unfairly, most violently. Ask them if they care... they don't. All that matters is within the several walls that houses them, shields them, empowers them. **************** In the dim light her damp hair is more brown than red, its natural fire tamed, its natural curl more pronounced. She toys with the idea of coloring it, and quickly decides against it. A change of hair color will not make her any less known. Secretly, he is glad, for he would mourn the loss, though he will always have difficulty seeing the true flame of it. And he knows that to keep her safe he'd be happy if her hair became bright purple. But still... he is glad. In the dim light her body glistens still, from the strength of the release he'd caused her to experience, just hours ago. She dozes in his arms, soft and damp against him, sweet and vital and so, so necessary to his happiness. He knows this now, accepts this, now - understands this, at last. Oh, he always knew it, in his heart. Stupidly he thought if he stayed away from her she would live a longer life. He would sacrifice all, for her to live a long life... But he wasn't alive. And neither was she. What they have gained sometimes seems so small when pitted against that which they have lost. Months of being separated at a time when each needed the other so very much. Their precious son. Their jobs, family, dearest friends - their reputations. Lost to them, now. Maybe they'd get some of it back. Maybe not. Probably not... and to go seeking their losses would surely put those loved ones in jeopardy. By staying locked away together, they save so many. They don't have to be told this... they just know. And they accept this most bitter pill; they swallow it. It goes down roughly, at first - Then they reach out and they touch - a cheek, a shoulder, a bare breast. They touch and they kiss and they understand what they have gained... and the sweetness of it helps to sugar that pill, and cause it to slip down much easier. **************** In the dim light she turns up her face to him, traces away a bead of sweat clinging to his upper lip; her fingers trail down the side of his jaw and curl around his neck, pulling him in. Into her kiss - and she is so generous with her lips, and her tongue. She nibbles on his mouth, probes at his teeth, feasts on his soft groan, when he gathers her closer and returns every caress, every wet kiss. She wants to be the aggressive one, he can tell - he has learned much about her in these past days, that he never really knew. Although they have created a child between them, they truly knew so little about each other. What feels good. What's best for him and delicious for her. Learning, as they have made exquisite love between them - learning so much. Feeling as though they have all the time in the world, behind the locked door of their little room - refusing to think of the consequences, even though they both considered all of those consequences, and planned accordingly. Rather, she planned... had been planning, for some time. When she made the hard decision about their son... she began the process of protecting her body, confident that they would be together - praying that there would come a day when she could un-protect herself. The aggressive one... even before they found each other again. How much more does he adore her, for that difficult, selfless act? So much more he cannot even articulate to her. Now, she beckons to him with hands that tug at him and legs that entwine through his. She is demanding in her need, though mere minutes ago she seemed exhausted, replete. He refuses to think ahead, that each act of love they accomplish brings them one day closer to the time when they must vanish again. He refuses to let a single thought remain in his mind other than the matchless wonder of loving her, the beguiling cup of her hips and her tender core. Once they're on the road again these precious moments will be difficult to find. Loving isn't easy, on the run... but even that doesn't matter, not at the moment. They can place their future on hold, and that's just what they do. All that he wants, everything he needs - right here, right now. ************* Her entire body kisses him when she presses into his eager flesh. Each place they touch is a kiss. There, on his bicep - here, against his flat male nipple. Along the corded artery of his neck, the rasp of his unshaven chin - kisses, kisses. They savor each one, as they would a mellow wine. Her pale shoulders, quivering stomach - small navel. Her shapely thighs, slender legs, dainty feet. Up the back of one calf and across her tight little buttocks, more kisses - she shivers as she straddles him, heavy-lidded eyes staring down at him. Everywhere they cling, slide, rub - another kiss. Silky hair slips on her cheek as she bends over him, nips at his ear. More silk between her legs, nestled on his groin, teasing at him, promising him all - all she has left, and that's a lot. Behind her he rises up, all hot hard cock and tight need, growing harder and hotter with each tiny squirm of her body. He wants to be inside her; he wants to torture himself with her nearness until he is so consumed by her that he can't see straight. He wants... and he knows she'll give. And give... She does. Bracing herself on his strong shoulders - one hand moving to cup him, guide him inside. Stroking her clit over the wide head; fighting the need to grind down upon him, wanting to prolong it, until they are both blind with arousal, crazy with lust - and the way it feels to them right now, that won't be very long at all. His dilated eyes glitter up at her, begging her to hurry - thankful that she doesn't, that she takes her own sweet time, absorbing him. She smiles the most feral smile... it's time. She's ready and he's been there a while, waiting for her. And she inhales the thick, still-dusty air of their locked haven, as she arches her hips, opens herself wider, envelops him, all of him... soaks him in, deep and then deeper. Until he's pushing at the very heart of her, until he's impaling her, and in doing so becomes hers to command. Hers to take. So good. He's beyond describing it to himself, how good it is. He doesn't waste time trying - he simply allows himself to be seduced, to succumb. He lets his response, each upward thrust, each gasp, each groan - tell her how much he worships her. She knows. They have been here, at this very spot, over and over in the past few days. Each pulse between them was a vow, every shudder they shared a benediction... every climax a purging of their loneliness. Sometimes he bent over her, gripped her tightly beneath him, pounded months of solitary misery away simply by sheathing himself deep within her welcoming heat. Once his tears wet her hair as he moaned her name and bathed her in his hot release. The first time she took him into her mouth, the taste of him was so exciting. Compounded by the way he pulled her hips to align over his ravenous tongue, until he could lave at her, nip and bite at her swollen labia... she sobbed with it, her cry vibrating against his flesh, right into his throbbing balls - God. And just when he'd thought it couldn't possibly get any better - it did. All day - all night. He's found stamina he didn't even understand he had. Months of it, stored up and waiting to explode, all over the woman he loves - and it has. Days of it, unraveling, emptying him even as he is filled. She fills him, yet again. With hips undulating, hands grasping, pressing, marking him as her own - faster. Harder. More, please, more... She whimpers the words to him and he answers her with the small bit of breath he can manage to summon. "Yes, God, baby... more. Feels incredible, love you, love you..." When she stiffens, convulses, cries out with the force of her orgasm... he follows, a thick groan bursting from his heaving chest. She collapses down upon him, fuses herself to his wet skin - lets him cushion her, cradle her - cherish her. The relaxed weight of her is a vital comfort to him, a slender woman who owns his soul and has his heart locked up as thoroughly as the room in which they now doze, sharing gossamer kisses and sleepy words of devotion. They are in desperate need of sleep - and that's what they do. They sleep. **************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Our love's a precious thing - don't want to waste a day Or one more minute without you in it. Life is so sweet... when you lie next to me..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's dark outside the windows. The rain has started in again, yet another all-night drizzle. Inside the room it's too warm and air circulation is sparse, yet the occupants are content, as they curl around each other and breathe in tandem. By mutually silent consent they have decided to hit the road. It's not safe for them to stay any longer. Pure luck has kept them from being found - and they cannot even begin to bear thinking about the possibilities, should that happen. They are not really sure what they will do once they breach the safety of this locked oasis. No way of knowing where their lives together will take them... or leave them. Yet they find happiness in the proof of the commitment they have made to their love. They have lost so much. And yet, all they have lost can be bearable only if they remain together. They know it. They accept it. At last, they accept it. In the dark she stirs and sighs, mumbling an incoherent word or two in her sleep. She has been prone to bad dreams, but a gentle pass of his hand through her hair never fails to quiet her, lull her back into slumber. He makes a vow, right then, himself half-asleep and limp with fatigue - that she will never have any bad dreams that come to any sort of completion - not if he can soothe her out of them. He makes a promise to her that she will never sleep alone again, never walk without his hand to hold - never raise another child, alone. It's a promise not lightly made, and a vow to himself as well as to her, because he needs this too. Just as much as she does. And as he drifts off once more he thinks how very sweet his life is, at this moment - as he lies next to the woman he loves. Tomorrow it may not be quite so enchanting, in fact he knows it won't - not on the run. But for now... life is so sweet. End Inspiration for this story (beyond the challenge words and the finale itself?): "When You Lie Next To Me" by Kellie Coffey. The difficulty was in doing the finale the justice it deserves. I hope you think I succeeded, a little! Words I used (or a variation on them): Adore, arched, arouse, bead, beckoning, beguiling, caress, clit, cock, consume, cupped, curled, damp, delicious, desire, envelop, excite, exhaust, exquisite, feral, flesh, gasp, glisten, grind, grip, head, hot, impale, labia, lave, love, lust, moan, moist, nibble, nipped, nipple, pound, pulsing, push, quiver, rasp, ravenous, release, rise, rub, savor, seduce, sheathed, shiver, shudder, silken, skin, slide, slipped, straddle, succumb, surge, sweaty, swollen, tease, tender, throb, trace, trail, undulate, vibrate, whimper, worship I love hearing from folk! Email me, at char@chaffin.com Please visit my web site, at http://char.chaffin.com