by Lore Graham
"Fine by me," agreed Lacy as she dried her hands. She placed a hand on Elena's shoulder and leaned in, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.
Lacy lived in a second-floor one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood. The cursive font on the complex's sign, combined with the boxy shapes and beige and washed-out-green of the buildings, gave the exterior a vintage 60s aesthetic. Inside, her apartment looked far more modern, with a big, glossy TV and gaming consoles featured prominently in the living room. A granite-topped counter separated the living room from the small kitchen area. On the far wall, the sewing machine was surrounded by a pile of fabric and sewing supplies, creeping out and threatening to swallow up other parts of the room. It was less neat than Elena's place, but it felt more lived-in than cluttered.
After kicking off her shoes, Lacy sunk onto the plush, deep-green sofa in front of the TV. Elena joined her, leaving her purse by her shoes.
Elena could feel the beat of her own heart as she placed an arm around Lacy's back. In effortless synchronization, Lacy leaned in towards her, placing a hand on Elena's shoulder. It sent shivers down Elena's spine, yearning for more, and she shifted in her seat towards Lacy. They spent a long moment looking each other in the eyes, Elena's heart fluttering, before Elena closed her eyes and pressed her lips to Lacy's.
For the first time, Elena had the opportunity to savor Lacy's kiss, paying close attention to each movement of Lacy's lips, mimicking the cautious searching motions of Lacy's tongue. Her mouth felt alive with pleasure and she wanted more, opening her mouth more to let Lacy in, then taking a turn to run her own tongue along Lacy's lips and into Lacy's mouth.
Lacy made an appreciative noise and gently wound a hand into Elena's hair near the scalp. It didn't hurt, but it was a possessive, passionate gesture that made Elena's heart beat fast. Elena gently ran her hand up and down Lacy's back as she drank in Lacy's kisses.
The kiss went on for a few minutes before Lacy pulled her lips away and let her hand slip from Elena's hair. The two stayed close together, and Lacy placed a hand on Elena's thigh. The simple gesture sent a pang of longing through Elena, and she moved even closer.
"I should clarify a couple of things before we get too involved," Lacy said. She squeezed Elena's thigh as she spoke, leaning in to press a kiss against the base of Elena's jaw.
"Sure." Elena pulled back slightly, hands on Lacy's shoulders, and gave Lacy a quick kiss before letting her continue.
"Overall, I'm pretty happy with my body," Lacy continued. "I like my face, my breasts, my curves, my ass. I like being touched, and I definitely like you touching me."
Lacy placed her hands on top of Elena's and nudged them downwards while a playful smile.
"Like this?" Elena asked, gently running her hands over Lacy's breasts through the fabric of her shirt.
"Yes, please," Lacy said, straightening her back to press her chest further into Elena's touch. "However, I haven't had bottom surgery, and honestly, I'm not sure if I will. So technically, I still have a penis and testes." Lacy rolled her eyes. "I hate calling them that, by the way, so please don't. I just want to be clear."
"What would you like me to call them, if it comes up?" Elena asked, sliding her hands down to rest on Lacy's hips.
Lacy gently caressed Elena's thigh and gave her a peck on the lips before answering.
"My clit. I'll sometimes say 'lady cock', so that's okay, too. I don't really refer to the other bits. I generally just try to keep them out of the way."
Elena nodded. Lacy sounded less at-ease, more stilted than usual, but Elena understood. In the grand scheme of a relationship, genitals really weren't that important to her. Elena was attracted to Lacy, and even though this was new territory, Elena figured that whatever Lacy had would be attractive to her, because it was part of Lacy.
"I like sex and my clit likes attention. It's not like a cis dude's dick. I rarely get erections, and I don't want to penetrate with it."
"What do you like to do?" Elena asked. She didn't know a polite way to say it outright, but she wanted to make sure Lacy knew that she was happy to try almost anything, and that Lacy's different clit was absolutely not a deal breaker.
"With my clit, I sometimes put a vibrator on it. I also like anal penetration, and of course, doing things for my partner." Arousal rose in Elena, the idea of doing any—or all—of those with Lacy flashing through her mind.
"While we're on the topic, there's actually something I should mention," Elena said. She sometimes didn't know how to bring it up, but since Lacy was so open sharing her boundaries and likes, Elena only felt a bit awkward bringing it up. "I don't like vaginal penetration. It's uncomfortable and often painful."
"Okay, that's good to know," Lacy said. "Is there anything else I should know about what you like, or don't like?"
"Nothing else comes to mind."
"Then how about we move to the bedroom?"
"Yes, please."
Lacy's bedroom looked small, especially given the double-bed and furniture crowded into it, but comfortable. The glow of the streetlights filtered in through the closed blinds, painting slats on the bed's aqua-blue patterned blanket. Lacy turned on a side lamp, which filled the room with a soft glow, and then got onto the bed. Elena followed her, lying down next to Lacy and propping herself up with her elbow.
They kissed again, more hungrily this time as Elena's heart beat hard beneath her breasts. Elena could feel Lacy's hand running down her side through the thin fabric of her shirt, sending electric flutters down her spine, while Elena gripped Lacy's waist. Elena slid her hand down a bit further to rest on Lacy's upper ass.
"Too much clothing," Lacy said after a minute, removing herself just long enough to take off her shirt.
Elena did the same, loosely folding her shirt and tossing it on top of a nearby dresser. When she got back in bed, she sat back against the pillows. Lacy sat beside her, putting both arms around Elena.
"Good thinking. This is a better position," Lacy said as Elena bent her head to press kisses along the soft skin of Lacy's neck. Elena could smell her spicy-floral scent, as she buried herself in Lacy's skin. Lacy rubbed Elena's bare shoulders while Elena ran her hands down the back straps of Lacy's bra, then moved in to unhook the clasp.
Elena ran her fingers back up to hook under each of the straps at the shoulder, moving her face up so she could kiss Lacy's lips as she slid the straps down. Lacy gave Elena's shoulders an excited squeeze and then let go, helping Elena take her bra off completely. Elena's body thrummed with desire as the undergarment fell to the bed.
Lacy exhaled a sound of heady appreciation as Elena caressed her breasts. They were small and perky, with delicate nipples that hardened as soon as Elena's hands closed in on them. As Elena touched them, Lacy reached around to unclasp her bra as well.
Once Elena's bra was off, Lacy and Elena embraced each other. The feeling of Lacy's smooth skin against hers, the sensation of Lacy's torso pressed against Elena's sensitive nipples, was wonderfully intimate. Elena desired more, but for now, she was content to bask in this.
Lacy was noisy against Elena's lips, enthusiastic moans as their hands roamed up and down each other's backs, from nape of the neck down tender spines and curves to the top of the ass. The moments dragged on, tension building within Elena. She didn't rush though; she wanted to savor every second of the experience of exploring Lacy's body. Eventually, Lacy's murmurs and gasps were too much for Elena to hold off any longer.
"Would it be okay with you if I took off my pants?" Elena gave Lacy a quick kiss.
"Please do," Lacy replied, her face slightly flushed. "I'll take off my skirt, too, if only so we're even."
They both stripped down to panties, and Elena took a moment to admire the cute patterned pair Lacy was wearing. Of course, Lacy's panties—black-and-white polka dots with black lace edging—would perfectly match her already-discarded bra. Elena had never been too caught up in fashion, but she appreciated Lacy's attention to detail.
"Would you sit on
the edge of the bed for me?" Lacy asked, taking a moment to grab something from her bedside table drawer. The question sent a shiver of anticipation through Elena.
"Sure," Elena said. She felt warm, heat emanating from between her legs as she yearned for touch. As Lacy knelt down between her legs, Elena scooted forward so her ass was at the very edge of the bed. Excitement pounded in her heart and vibrated down to her clit, quickly erasing her curiosity about what Lacy had gotten out of the drawer.
Lacy pressed a kiss against the side of Elena's knee. Elena reached down to run a hand through Lacy's fine hair as Lacy began a trail of kisses in along her thigh, some teasing and light, others deep and impassioned. Just as Lacy was about to reach Elena's panties, she turned and began at the other knee. Elena gave a tiny groan of frustration, but all it earned her was a self-satisfied look from Lacy. The kisses started up again, even more slowly than the first time. By the time Lacy's mouth brushed against the edge of Elena's panties, Elena was desperate for more.
Elena gasped and tightened her grip in Lacy's hair, breathing out a "Sorry" as she adjusted her hand. She worried for a split second that she might've accidentally hurt Lacy, but Lacy seemed indifferent, not turning away from Elena's crotch. Instead, Lacy ran her tongue up along the left side, tracing Elena's outer labia through the thin fabric. With the sensation slightly numbed by the fabric in the way, it only made Elena want more.
"Please," she said as Lacy licked the right side as well, bringing her tongue up to the mons, hovering above Elena's clit.
To Elena's great appreciation, Lacy didn't coyly ask what, or tease her further. Instead, Lacy pressed her lips briefly against Elena's panties, then pulled them aside to reveal Elena's vulva. A spark of pleasure shot through Elena's veins as Lacy gently parted her folds and placed a thin latex sheet over her clitoris and the surrounding skin. Though it couldn't have been more than a few seconds, Elena felt like the anticipation stretched for ages.
Lacy peppered the frilled edges of Elena's inner labia with feather-light kisses, driving Elena along the fine line between the need for more and some sort of satisfaction. Elena's nerves felt like they were aflame, and she placed a hand on her breasts, wanting even more stimulation.
"I've teased you enough, haven't I?" Lacy said playfully.
Before Elena could respond, she felt Lacy's tongue on her clit through the thin material, and her words broke down into a sigh. Elena rolled one of her nipples between thumb and forefinger while Lacy swirled her tongue in small circles, a duet of pleasure echoing through Elena's body.
"That feels so good, Lacy," Elena breathed as Lacy continued her ministrations.
Lacy didn't stop to answer, but just redoubled her efforts, enveloping Elena's clit with her lips and sucking gently as she continued to lap at it. It was a little bit much without the lubricant of spit, slightly uncomfortable through the dental dam, but that didn't stop it from feeling damn good, too.
Lacy continued to vary her technique slightly, occasionally glancing up to gauge Elena's reaction. She was a quick learner, repeating every lick and kiss that made Elena moan. Soon, Elena felt pressure rising within her, vibrating with every move of Lacy's tongue. She held onto Lacy's hair with one hand and fondled her nipples with the other as she tried to keep her legs from shaking too much at the cusp of orgasm.
"I'm gonna come," Elena said, her voice high and wavering.
Lacy moaned, eyes closed in focus as she lavished Elena's clit with attention.
"Oh, ahhhhhh," gasped Elena as she shook with the wave of blissful release. She could feel her clit throbbing, her tense muscles contracting and relaxing, as pure ecstasy emanated from her groin. Her mind was flooded with just as much pleasure, warm romantic thoughts and feelings intertwining with the burst of lust, and as the physical sensation faltered, the emotional state remained.
Lacy pulled back, taking the dental dam with her. She pulled Elena's panties back over her labia carefully and dropped the dental dam onto the floor.
"How are you doing, gorgeous?" Lacy asked, sitting on the bed next to Elena. Elena immediately wrapped her arms around Lacy, who did likewise.
"Mmmm," Elena hummed earnestly, not quite yet ready for words.
Lacy helped Elena back onto the bed so they could both lie down with their heads on the pillows. Elena relished the feeling of Lacy's body against hers as they embraced, falling into serene silence.
"Is there anything you'd like me to do for you?" Elena asked several minutes later, once her heart had slowed to its usual pace and the surge of post-orgasmic emotion had begun to falter.
"Nah, but thank you." Lacy planted a kiss on Elena's cheek and gave her a reassuring cuddle. Elena's worry about not reciprocating subsided. "Also, you're welcome to stay the night. No pressure, though."
"Actually, I think I'd like that a lot, if you're offering." Elena mimicked the gesture, a new wave of affection washing through her. The thought of spending all night wrapped up in Lacy's arms like this was a wonderful one.
*~*~*
In the morning, Lacy ran out to grab doughnuts and coffee, apologizing for the lack of breakfast food in her apartment. As unnecessary as it was when Elena had never been a terribly big breakfast person herself, the gesture was still very sweet—as were the maple-glazed doughnuts Lacy returned with.
They settled down in the living room after eating, brushing away stray crumbs and licking their fingers clean.
"Now that you have the name Michael Chandler, we just have to figure out who this guy is," Lacy said as she booted her laptop up.
"Do you think we'll find much?" Elena asked, cautiously optimistic.
"Only one way to find out."
Less than one minute on a search engine made it clear that the name alone was much too common to find anything useful. Many of the results were for a mixed martial artist, and the rest were pages upon pages of generic businessman profiles on career sites and posts on social media.
"This information isn't actually useful, is it?" Elena said, trying not to sound dejected. "Without a company, address, or middle name, there's no way we can pinpoint him."
"For certain?" said Lacy. "No. But we can get a pretty good idea, I think. Just need to look beyond the search engines."
Lacy pulled up a few websites, all networking- or career-oriented. Elena played with her phone while Lacy fiddled with some search parameters; Elena didn't want to interrupt, and she didn't have anything useful to add anyway.
"Here." Lacy said, not five minutes later. "I'll bet this is our guy; probably eighty-percent chance? Not enough to go harassing him, but absolutely worth keeping an eye on and investigating him further."
Elena looked at the screen. It was a technology-focused career site, from what she could tell, and it was on a member's profile page. Below the name "Michael Chandler" was a picture of a large-jawed white man with blond hair, and a list of job positions. Her first impulse was that he looked like the amoral type, but then again, she could say the same of a lot of CEOs. The last job he had listed ended in 2016.
"Michael Chandler was CEO of a small wearable technology company that was bought out by United Electric in 2016 for a hefty sum," Lacy said, pointing to the job listed on his profile. "His company was based in Silicon Valley, but now it looks like he lives in Los Angeles."
"I wonder if he was there at the Hall of Records?" Elena wondered out loud. "Assuming he is Consequence, or one of Consequence's lackeys."
"Maybe, maybe not. But if he's not Consequence, I'll bet he works closely with him."
"What exactly should we do though?" Elena looked at the screen again, looking into Chandler's blue eyes, barely crinkled in a practiced smile, in the photo. Was that their villain? "Investigate him further?"
"If you're up for the time commitment, we could shadow him. I know neither of us has the time to do it twenty-four-seven, but we could probably get some of the other heroes involved."
Elena considered it for a moment. She had never shadowed anyone before, but she wa
sn't going to give up on this now. "I think we should. It's not perfect, but it's our best lead, and I'd rather not do nothing."
"I'm completely with you on that."
Elena and Lacy messaged Archive to let her know of their plan to shadow Chandler. By the time Elena was back at home in the evening, both Oculus and Janus had offered to spend some time shadowing Chandler as well.
On Sunday morning, Elena packed up some snacks and a novel and headed out to tail Michael. Oculus had followed him last night until the wee hours of the morning and confirmed the address was correct. Ve had seen him drive to the liquor store, and ve hadn't gotten much useful information, just confirming the make and model of the car he was using.
Michael lived in a townhouse in downtown Hermosa Beach, a couple of blocks in from the water. The neighborhood was full of new houses clustered close together, each with sharp angles, ample balconies, and soft colors. Small palm trees grew in the yard, obscuring some of the second-floor windows, and much of the third story was taken up by a spacious patio porch.
Elena parked her car across the street a little ways before his house and settled in with her book. Even with the windows cracked, the car warmed up quickly in the summer sun, and Elena felt fortunate that the heat didn't bother her.
And then, Elena waited. She read for a bit, but found that she was too distracted by every movement in the corner of her eye to stay focused. Once she gave up, her mind went back to the Hollywood Heroes and her time in the group so far. Before she had joined, she'd envisioned herself sparring with supervillains, not sneaking into buildings, prying info out of ad salesmen, and stalking former CEOs who might be supervillains. Thinking about it, that expectation had been a bit silly. It was like the difference between cop shows and actual life as a police officer; one was all action, with paperwork and intelligence framed as a minor chore, and the other had short bursts of action with a whole bunch of the dull work that no one wanted to watch.
Around one o'clock, Elena looked up for what felt like the hundredth time and saw someone exiting Chandler's house. As he approached, walking down the sidewalk in Bahama shorts and earbuds, his wide jaw set with a look of disinterest in the world around him. His hairstyle was shorter and harsher than it'd been in his photo, but that was definitely him.