Scarred for Life

  "We can order. I'll just have to get up to get it when it comes. So, wanna watch some TV?"

  Nicole nodded and scanned around for the remote. She found it and searched for something to watch. She curled back into Dane's body while Dane was on the phone ordering Chinese food. She didn't have to ask. After ordering Nicole's favorites she laid back and wrapped her arms around Nicole, pulling her close.

  "Thank you, Danny," Nicole said out of the blue.

  Ebony eyebrows curled in, wrinkling Dane's forehead. "Why are you thanking me?"

  "For taking care of me like no one else ever has, for loving me in a way no one else has…or will, I hope."

  Dane leaned down and kissed Nicole's forehead. "You make it very easy. Seriously, Nick, you're the sweetest, kindest person I know. I can only hope to love you properly for as long as you'll have me."

  "I'm going to have you forever, so you stop talking like I'm going to throw you out tomorrow. And you're doing a damn good job in loving me. I hope you don't change."

  "I'm not going to change. Um…" Silvery eyes glanced away, which caused a worried look to come over Nicole.

  "What is it, Danny?" Nicole inquired in a soft tone.

  "I'm kinda new at all of this talking and everything, so bear with me. But, I was just going to say…I wish you didn't work late all the time anymore…"

  Nicole nodded and realized how unfair she was being to their budding relationship. She was acting as if everything was the same, but things had changed. "I'm so sorry, Danny. I've been acting like we're still roommates." She hugged Dane tightly and kissed her cheek.

  "It's okay…" Danny sounded almost childlike. "It's just…I like being with you and hanging out and everything. I don't want to bother you with it."

  "No, it's not okay and I'm glad you said something. I will stop working so late. I promise. I'll make this up to you, too. Starting right now."

  Dane didn't argue as Nicole went about making things up to her, starting with placing light kisses along her jaw line. Nicole worked her way on top of Dane, as she had done earlier, but she had no intention of surrendering the position this time around. She placed a deep kiss to Danny's mouth, taking her breath away. She headed south, longing to taste every inch of Dane.

  The musician whimpered and squirmed as gentle hands stroked her ribs and sides. Wet, tender kisses floated across her neck. Teeth bit down on her pulse, marking her as Nicole's. Greedy lips tried to make more marks because Nicole wanted everyone to know that Danny was desired, wanted, and loved. Danny wiggled more as an adoring tongue traced a path between the valley of her breasts as Nicole's hands wandered her abdomen.

  "I like that you have some weight on you," Nicole teased in a low tone. Her hands couldn't get enough of touching the taller woman.

  "Should start working out…" Dane whimpered because Nicole decided at that moment to place a long, loving kiss to her collarbone. "Never…ever had it so good before, didn't know I'd fill out like this. I'll start working out, so you can see a nice sexy body when you look at me…"

  "No, you're fine. I really do like it," Nicole vowed and touched Danny's abdomen as if she were worshipping it.

  Danny moaned from the attention and the sincerity of Nicole's words. Dane moved, seeking out more of the loving touch as Nicole's mouth continued on, as busy as her hands and just as vigil. She made her way slowly to Danny's right breast, lovingly kissing every bit of the rise before making her journey to the treasure in the middle. She captured the chocolate tip with generous lips and suckled so righteously that Danny hollered her name to the ceiling as if to reach the angels in heaven from the sound of things.

  "Nick," Danny panted as Nicole's hand sought out her neglected breast and kneaded it fondly.

  The auburn-haired woman smiled and took a deep nip out of Dane's flesh. She earned another scream and a nonsense word. Enjoying the reaction where it seemed like she was sapping Dane of her ability to think properly, Nicole couldn't resist rolling the gem around in her mouth with her tongue. Moments later, she switched sides and cherished the other mound. Dane was gone, grunting and groaning things that might have been words in other languages.

  I want to stay here forever, Nicole thought. I want to love her forever.

  While Nicole's mouth didn't seem to have any intention of leaving her breasts; her hands decided to tend to the rest of Dane. Her fingers were now on a pilgrimage, traveling to the center of all that was Danny. Affectionate digits curiously explored the blazing hot, moist altar that they planned to revere for all time. Dane pushed herself into Nicole's hand, pleading for more with her body as her mouth tried to say words to verbally implore her lover.

  "Nick…now…" Danny begged in a low breath. For a moment, she grabbed Nicole by the wrist like she was going to force Nicole's hand, but she quickly let it go. "Please…"

  "Patience, Big Dog," Nicole whispered, smiling slightly. She wanted to keep going until Dane couldn't speak real words anymore, so her fingers lightly traced the molten area that they were traversing. Her mouth went back to exalting each breast, spending quality time on each one before switching back to the other.

  "Gonna…die…" Twisting and arching, she moved, obviously wanting this desperately. "Never felt like this before…Please…" She moved more and her body mesmerized Nicole for a second.

  "Then I'll take you to heaven, like you did for me," Nicole vowed before placing a sizzling, loving kiss to the side of Danny's breast.

  Dane cried out as two long fingers found their way into her center. She probably assumed Nicole would finally put her out of her misery, but she soon found out that she was so wrong. Nicole began a deliberate, unhurried pace with her fingers, caressing Dane in a manner that was maddening for the musician. Nicole's mouth was still attached to Dane's breast and moved much like her fingers, painfully slow and amazingly hot. The younger woman began to swear in ways that would've made Nicole blush if only she weren't focused solely on keeping Danny wound up so passionately. Dane went from nonsense words to total profanity with some begging sprinkled in for good measure.

  "Please, Nick. Please, Nick. Please, Nick…" Danny chanted like a prayer, going in time with each unhurried movement of Nicole's hand. "Damn, I swear, I feel you everywhere and I want more," she groaned, feet digging into the bed. Tears fell from the corners of her eyes in a mix of bliss and frustration.

  Nicole said nothing. She was intent on bringing paradise to her lover, intent on worshipping Danny with all of her soul, and letting Danny feel that through her touch. She wanted the musician to know that she was giving their relationship everything in her. She belonged to Danny.

  The redhead wouldn't be able to ignore those pleas for long, but she tried her best. The rapture surrounding her fingers was too much, the taste of the skin in her mouth was too fulfilling, and the sounds touching her ears were too blissful. She yearned for more. She wanted everything that was Danny and her hands and mouth gathered all she could before Dane's body went into wild convulsions, informing her that Danny had reached the nirvana that Nicole desperately wished to give her. At that point, Danny couldn't even yell.

  "Wow…" Dane muttered as she finally gained some control over herself after almost a minute. "That felt…different…"

  "A good different?" Nicole asked, head resting against her new favorite place in the world—Dane's breast.

  "Great different. Thanks to you, I'm damn near certain I have a soul because I think you touched it. It might take a few more times to confirm that, though," Danny remarked with a tired smile. She mumbled something that Nicole couldn't make out, which she blamed on a post orgasmic high frying Danny's brain.

  Nicole smirked, feeling sexy and confident. "I think I can oblige."

  Before the attorney could make good on her word, the doorbell rang and alerted them that their meal had arrived. Dane was about to move, but as she shifted, she moaned and reminded them of their positions. Nicole grinned at Dane before teasingly sliding her fingers from their warm cocoon. The musician
squirmed and whimpered, missing Nicole's presence immediately.

  "I'll get the door," Nicole stated before placing a gentle kiss to Dane's cheek.

  Danny nodded weakly. She mustered a groan as Nicole placed her fingers in her mouth and licked them clean. Nicole smiled impishly at Dane, who appeared ready to leap out of the bed and take her girlfriend on the floor. Nicole seemed to know what Danny was thinking, so she quickly wrapped herself in her robe and disappeared downstairs. By the time she returned, Dane's mind had fully recovered and she had gotten enough of a second wind to sit upright. The couple enjoyed a hot lunch in bed before cuddling together to watch television.

  Eventually, they got out of bed to take showers. They were surprised that they managed separate showers, knowing they'd never make it out of the shower if they took one together. Dane started on dinner and Nicole went to get the mail. The attorney smiled as she noticed one large envelope in the pile of mail and opened it first. She grinned wider and decided to share the news with Danny over dinner.

  "I hope spaghetti's good for you," Dane said as she brought two plates to the kitchen table and sat down.

  "Spaghetti is fine, you know that," Nicole replied. She made a show of the mail in her possession.

  An ebony eyebrow arched at the show. "What's all that you got?"

  Another monstrous grin spread onto Nicole face. "This, Miss Danny, is the mail."

  "I can see that. You don't usually play around with it while we're eating dinner. So, what's the deal?"

  "This…" Nicole held up the manila envelope, "is my first acceptance letter into a chemistry program at a grad school."

  "No way!" Danny's mouth hit the floor.

  "Yes way. I'm not planning to go here, but I wanted you to see that I did send out the applications and hopefully the school I really want to go to will accept me for spring term. I'm going to be a chemist one day, Danny," Nicole promised with a smile that made her eyes shine.

  The musician's response was rushing to Nicole's side of the table, gently cupping her face, and proceeding to kiss her senseless. While Nicole was left in a short daze from the long and deep show of affection, Dane planted several more small pecks all over Nicole's face. She did that until she covered all of Nicole's face with kisses before going back to her side of the table.

  "Whoa…will I get that sort of treatment for all acceptance letters that come in?" Nicole asked hopefully.

  "You'll get all of that and more, just for existing."

  The smile that overtook the attorney's face couldn't be helped and it lit up the entire room. "You are just too sweet."

  The fact wasn't disputed. After dinner they retreated to the living room and cuddled into one another. As the night drew on and bedtime came closer, Nicole was plagued by a thought.

  "Danny?" Nicole turned to face her lover.

  "Yes?" Danny turned to lock eyes with her girlfriend.

  "Um…will you sleep upstairs…tonight?" Nicole requested. She added the "tonight" at the last moment, hoping to remove any unintentional pressure on Dane.

  "Tonight and any other night you'll have me," Danny answered with a happy smile.

  They retired to Nicole's bedroom and Danny stared at the bed as if she expected it to get up and run away. Nicole noticed and wondered if Danny was having second thoughts.

  "You know…you could still go back to the den, if that's what you want," Nicole pointed out, hoping her anxiety wasn't in her voice.

  "It's not that. Some people have a side of the bed they prefer and everything. Is there a side you want? It doesn't matter to me and it's your bed and everything. Hell, I can sleep anywhere and as long as I'm by your side, I'll be happy,"

  Nicole smiled. "It actually doesn't matter to me, either. I never really developed a favorite side of the bed."

  The two were quiet as they slid into the middle of the queen-sized bed. Dane settled on her back, pushing the pillows back. Nicole curled into Danny's side; putting her head on her shoulder and draping one arm across Dane's torso. Dane put her arm around Nicole's shoulders.

  "This okay?"

  "It's perfect," Nicole answered with a small yawn. "I'm glad you made me take the day off."

  "I'm glad too," Dane admitted. They both needed it. They shared an intense goodnight kiss before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

  ***

  Nicole walked into the office with a pep in her step and a smile on her face that people hadn't seen for over a month. Her coworkers watched her walk toward her office like they weren't sure what to make of her. She was sure they'd make guesses about her mood as soon as she was out of earshot.

  "Good morning," Nicole practically sang as she went by her assistant, who eyed her as if she had sprouted two heads.

  The look went unnoticed by the attorney, who hummed as she went into her office. She set herself up to get to work, but before that could happen, someone came in begging for help. Nicole did something shocking; she turned the person away—with a bright smile on her face.

  "Wait…what?" her coworker asked as the words reached his brain.

  "I don't have time for that. I've got my own work to catch up on." Nicole's voice still sounded like she was humming.

  "But—"

  "Yes, I know it'll only take a moment or something along those lines." She waved him away. "You'll have to solve the problem yourself, Ted. You can read as well as I can and you went to law school just like I did. In fact, you went to a better law school than I did, so you should be able to figure things out on your own. I have my own work to tend to."

  Her tone made her colleague blink hard. Her voice left no room to argue. He backed out of the room and ran into the next person that was about to come beg Nicole for help. Nicole turned that coworker away faster just as fast.

  Nicole wouldn't be distracted. She'd do her work and get home at a decent hour. She owed it to Danny. She'd make sure to take care of Danny as best she could, just like Danny did with her. She made good on her silent vow, leaving her office just after five. She made it home before six. She smiled proudly and checked the mail, which only made her smile grow. She practically floated into the house.

  "Danny, I'm home!"

  There was no response. The lawyer wondered if Danny wasn't even home yet. She wasn't too sure how the musician's schedule worked or if she had a real schedule at all. Whenever Dane talked about her day, everything seemed pretty random. She never did things at the same time consistently.

  Nicole wasn't surprised to find Danny sleeping on the sofa. She left Danny asleep and went to shower and get comfortable before she let Dane know that she was home early, and that she got another acceptance letter.

  ***

  Dane shifted on the couch and her brain told her that she might want to awaken. Her eyes fluttered open, but she didn't panic because her body was just too relaxed. She felt too safe to panic.

  "Hey, Chem," Dane yawned and smiled. Her head was in Nicole's lap and was being caressed by loving fingers.

  "Welcome back to the land of the living, Big Dog," Nicole playfully replied before leaning down to plant a kiss on willing lips.

  "It's a pleasure to be here. Think I'll stay here, too." Dane shifted and buried her face in Nicole's warm stomach.

  Dane nuzzled Nicole's belly until she forced the tank top up over Nicole's navel. Giggles escaped the redhead as Dane's breath tickled her exposed flesh. She wrapped her arms around Dane's shoulders and kept her in place despite the tickling. Dane sighed as strong, gentle hands rubbed her shoulders.

  "So, how was your day? Did the firm get shot up? How'd you get away so early?" the guitarist teased.

  "Easy, I did my work and no one else's. I turned away wave after wave of people as they came beseeching me for help. I wanted to get home to you. You give me strength," Nicole whispered with a smile as she leaned down and planted a kiss onto Dane's lips.

  "You're giving me too much credit, Chem. The Great Dane didn't have anything to do with that. I'm happy you did all of that to get ho
me to me," Dane smiled brightly as she felt beyond special and realized she never felt this way before, not even when she was on stage in front of adoring fans.

  "I've got something else for you." Nicole held up the large manila envelope.

  Dane craned an eyebrow before reading the name on the letter. "Is that…?"

  "I haven't opened it to see if I got accepted, but generally when they're this big, it means I'm in. I like this program and the school is respectable. It's not too far from the firm, either. Danny, you do realize that if I go back to school we'll end up spending less time together," Nicole's voice was low and regretful.

  Dane smiled despite the sorrowful expression on her lover's face. The younger woman sat up. She locked eyes with her girlfriend and refused to let go.

  "Nick, I want you to do this. I won't resent you doing something that I kept bugging you about. This whole thing works if you like it or not. I don't want you to do this for me and I don't want you to use me as an excuse to hold you back. You like chemistry, right?"

  "Love it." Nicole said quietly.

  "That's why you should go. You want to be a chemist, right?"

  "More than anything else in the world."

  "Then go back to school and make it happen. I'll be here, Nick. I promise I'll be here for you, angel."

  Nicole tackled Dane, knocking the guitarist back down onto the sofa cushions and attacking her unsuspecting victim with demanding lips. A guttural moan bounced off of the walls, but Dane wasn't sure who made the sound. Dane wrapped her arms around Nicole to press her closer while Nicole's hands were working their way under the ratty, white t-shirt that Dane was wearing.

  "Why, counselor, are you trying to take advantage of me?" Not that Dane planned to put up a fight of any kind, especially not with the way questing fingers were kneading her wanting flesh.

  "Yes, so why don't you make it easy for both of us?" Nicole grinned.

  "I throw myself upon the mercy of the court."

  "Wise decision. We'll make your end swift and painless."