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Things had been so painfully quiet for such a long time. Existing like this was something I still wasn’t used to and I wondered if I ever would be. My heart broke a little more every day that Kelly was gone and I felt useless, unable to do anything but defend our home in hopes that she’d come back some day. It quickly became my only purpose. So, when I heard fast and heavy footfalls in the snow outside, I aimed my rifle out of the window to halt the would-be intruder. There hadn’t been any movement like this in a few months now and, being overcome with nerves at the unexpected ruckus, I missed both of the shots I attempted. As I ran out to confront my intended target, I halted in my tracks and was suddenly incredibly thankful for my uncharacteristic lack of marksmanship.
She came out from behind the tree where she’d taken cover and I squinted against the bright sun, wondering if I’d finally lost my mind because the idea that Kelly was standing just a few short yards away seemed crazier after all this time. I spent those long seconds, searching for my voice, but when her name finally left my lips, it sounded weak and desperate in this moment when reality felt so tentative. Kelly burst forward into a full sprint and it finally allowed my feet to unglue themselves from the boards below. I set the rifle down, knocking it clumsily against the wall because I didn’t want to take my eyes off of her for a second. Flying down the steps, we collided and it hurt just enough for me to know she was real. Her arms were tight around my shoulders while mine encircled her, a smile on my face for the first time in a really long time.
“It’s me,” she panted, both of us pulling apart to look at each other. “It’s me. Oh, god. It’s you.”
Both of her gloved hands were on my cheeks and I wished so badly I could feel the warmth of her comforting hands. The more proof that she was real, the better. I pulled her back against my body, vowing to myself that I’d never let her out of my sight again.
“I’m home,” she cried, the words slightly muffled against my coat.
Happiness, relief, and a million other things forced more tears down my face as the same trembling sobs shook Kelly’s body. Again, I missed looking at her face, and pulled slightly out of the embrace.
“Are you real?” I asked, desperate and still crying.
“Are you?” she asked in return, smiling and shaking her head in disbelief.
“Get in here and check,” I begged, waiting impatiently for the impossibly soft touch of her lips.
Feeling the intrinsic calm that only her closeness could cause, my tears slowed, cooling on my cheek with each pass of freezing air between us. When the tip of my nose began to lose sensation, I urged her inside, dying to be with her in the privacy of our home for the first time in over a year and a half. I could have easily predicted that we wouldn’t make it to the bedroom right away. Our coats, and gloves ended up on the floor of the dining room, along with Kelly’s shirt and my hat. I had her pressed against the wall, now, needing pressure everywhere. The more her body writhed with each touch and kiss, the more I worried I’d pass out before I could even get to the rest of her clothed body. My fingers explored her body, unable to stay in one spot for too long.
I held tight to her waist when I focused more on kissing all of the beautiful skin in front of me. She tilted her head slightly to the side and my lips went right for her neck. Glistening spots of saliva remained everywhere I left an open-mouthed kiss and there was a shimmering trail from her neck to the sensitive skin between her breasts. Her slight saltiness heightened the rawness of the moment and my swollen lips prickled with the sensation as I tasted the contrasting sweetness of her lips. Kelly’s fingertips kneaded firmly into my shoulders as she grabbed and pulled at me. When I lifted my arms high into the air, she pushed my tank top up my sides. I shivered as the goosebumps formed and as soon as I was free of the fabric, I leaned back into her, wanting nothing more than my skin against hers.
Her palm against my breast was already overwhelming me, yet there was still so much clothing to get rid of. I almost had to stop kissing her to take in a breath, but I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing more air in through my nose so I could keep going. Kelly’s other hand was in my hair and the needy grip had my whole body shaking. I hoped she wouldn’t notice because she’d stop to check if I was okay and I was far from okay. But, at the same time, nothing was better than this. She inched slowly away from the wall, causing me to take half-steps backwards. When there was enough space between us, she reached to undo my belt with her eyes still closed and lips still on mine. The clanging metal, having interrupted the atmosphere that had just been breaths and moans until now, caused me to take a sharp breath in.
I tried to calm myself, my heart beating so hard that it almost hurt. When my pants were around my ankles, I kicked them away, helping Kelly out of hers. I got rid of her bra next, vaguely aware that I was rushing things but I couldn’t help myself. I’d never cared less about how desperate I seemed. Every one of my senses was fully engaged. I brought her down to the floor, feeling the cool wood under my palms and elbows as I rested above her. Her palms clutched at my cheeks while we kissed, the closeness not enough for either of us. My hair hung down, creating a dark curtain around us, amplifying the sounds of our breathing. Her thighs hugged my hips and I could feel the soft lace of her lavender panties against my bare wetness when I began moving slowly against her.
The delicious slide of her skin against mine had every inch of my body tingling with pleasure and the anticipation of more to come. When she maneuvered me onto my back, my nipples hardened at the coldness on my hot, flushed skin. I barely had enough room to work my hands between us, feeling the soft, yielding flesh of both breasts as she moved her hips for friction. Kelly’s hands were on the floor on either side of my shoulders but, as she sat back, she dragged her hands down my shoulders and chest. The heat vacated with her as she retreated and I wasn’t ready to let it go just yet so I raised one knee, pointing it toward the ceiling so that my thigh would press against her and urge her back to her palms. Her hips were mostly still as we continued kissing, a few soft whimpers escaping me as I fell further into it.
Several minutes later, when she sat up again, I held onto her breasts and one of her hands came to rest on top of mine. The other was planted in the center of my chest, helping her to maintain balance. Keeping the slow pace we’d been trying so hard to stick to, she rocked back and forth in my lap. Part of me thought it was a shame to be so close so soon, but she was back now and she wouldn’t be leaving the bed for the foreseeable future… as soon as we actually got there. Kelly’s movement on top of me became more purposeful and I held onto her hips, helping to exaggerate each thrust. With the sunlight coming in through the window, I could see the dark, wet spot on her panties when I tilted my chin to my chest.
I picked my hips up a little so she could grind down with more pressure and the simple change was exactly what she needed. Before I was able to readjust to her new speed, it devolved into intermittent jerking. When her mouth dropped open and her eyes shut tight, I gripped her more firmly. Her hair slipped back over her shoulders when she gasped, face angled toward the ceiling now. Watching and feeling the squeezing and trembling of her body instantly ignited my own pending orgasm and it wasn’t even comparable to the lonely nights where necessity urged me to remember her in other moments of nakedness and vulnerability. At least now there wouldn’t be the excruciating pang of loss after, knowing each day the chances of seeing her again were even slimmer.
Instead, I felt some wildly exponential version of content. Although, I was far from done showing Kelly how much I missed her and needed her. After a few minutes of rest and skin-on-skin cuddling, I urged her up so that we could go upstairs to the bedroom. The plan partially worked. Walking backwards, I slipped her panties down her hips and she stepped out of them as we continued toward the stairs. We made it part of the way up before Kelly stopped, sitting on one of the steps and leaning back against the bars of the railing. I got on my knees a couple of steps down, kissing my way up her inner thigh while running my hand up her calf and to the back of the same thigh.
One of Kelly’s legs was stretched out across the same step she was seated on while the other foot rested flat on the step I was kneeling on. It gave me just enough room, if at a slightly awkward angle, to finally taste her. The familiarity of her wetness on the tip of my tongue and deep inhales of her incredible scent was enough to have me dripping down my own thighs as I continued to pleasure her. Her fingers clutched possessively at my scalp and I groaned into her. The soreness in my knees didn’t register in my mind until she grew quieter, focusing on the sensation as she approached release. I was sure I’d have all types of bruises and marks on my body come tomorrow morning along with a very welcome soreness deep in every muscle. She moaned loudly, bringing me out of my momentary fantasy of a morning after.
I pushed past the discomfort in my knees, neck, and bracing palm long enough to drain every drop of her potent energy. The slickness on the entire lower half of my face was more satisfying than I’d imagined in all of these months apart. As soon as I pulled back, she brought me to my feet with a light grip on my elbow. I wasn’t sure what she wanted at first, but she guided my hips, stilling me when I was straddling one of her thighs. Then, she slipped her right hand between us, easily entering me with two fingers. She gasped against my lips when she felt how wet I was and my hips were already moving before I consciously made the decision to do it. Beginning at my stomach, she kissed her way up my body until I got impatient and brought her lips to mine. My knuckles turned white as I gripped one of the bars next to her shoulder.
It was a futile effort, meant to delay my orgasm. Her fingers kept moving, just as expertly as ever, and they nearly slipped out as I squeezed tightly around her. I would have lost my balance were it not for her other arm that was braced across my upper back. I was on the verge of tears with the intensity of it, enjoying the sensation for the better part of a minute. Even though I was incredibly sensitive after, I still worked myself slowly along her thigh, feeling my wetness all along it as she reached back to grip my backside. She reached even lower to get a better hold as she moaned into my mouth. Sweat cooled on my skin as I took a few minutes to breathe in the scent of her and appreciate the soft warmth everywhere we touched.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy, so why do I feel like bawling?” Kelly asks softly, smiling and stroking my hair.
Our faces were so close that our noses touched throughout our entire conversation.
“Well, after what we just did, you’re probably dehydrated,” I replied, summoning a smirk.
We both laughed in mutual elation, but I focused on the sound of hers.
“Your laugh is like Christmas,” I said, nuzzling my face against Kelly’s.
I couldn’t keep my lips from hers anymore. Kelly’s right hand warmed my cheek as we kissed some more. I sighed, pulling back because I was becoming overwhelmed again.
“Your lips are so soft,” I said.
“Are you gonna spend all day listing all the things you like about me?” Kelly asked.
“More like the rest of my life,” I replied right away.
That had been what weighed on my mind the most over all this time. The unanswered question. I didn’t know where she was and I had no way to tell her how badly I wanted to marry her. The response seemed to make her happy and a few tears worked paths down her cheeks.
“I love you,” Kelly said. “I’m also loving the Little Mermaid vibes.”
I was a confused by the comment, feeling her hand tangle in my hair again.
“So, what, you just zipped downtown and got extensions?” she asked.
“I just grew it out,” I replied, even more confused.
“What?” Kelly asked, seemingly in the same state.
“Sorry. I just…” I started.
I lost my words then. I figured there was just so much going on in my mind that I couldn’t make sense of much right now.
“Hey,” Kelly said when I began crying.
“I just missed you so much,” I whispered, my eyes squeezed shut.
My face rested against hers again, her hand on my cheek this time.
“Hey,” she tried again, pulling me closer with one hand clutched in my hair and the other around my neck.
I cried more, now with my face buried in her shoulder. The tears streaked down her arm as she squeezed me tighter.
“Wait. How did…” Kelly started, pushing me back slightly to look at me. “How did you grow it out?”
“I broke my leg and I came back to National City but I had to retreat to our house,” I recounted, noting the fear in her expression. “I did everything I could to keep it safe for you.”
“Alex, wait, just tell me… how long have I been gone?”
Both of her hands held me by the face to keep my attention.
“Don’t you know?” I asked, feeling a growing fear in myself as well. “You’ve been gone 18 months, three weeks, and four days.”
The look of fear never left her face which made me realize the need to discuss everything that had happened in her absence.
“All of you have,” I elaborated.