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TITLE: A Thousand Glimpses
SERIES: All My Children
AUTHOR:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dreiser
EMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com
YAHOO ID: dreiser7
MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/
CONTENT: F/F romance. Bianca/Reese. Breeze.
SUMMARY: Reese Williams had experienced a thousand glimpses of the life she always wanted but until she met Bianca Montgomery she never thought she could have it for herself.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my moments of girly impulse.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I decided I'm a big enough spoiler whore to just post the chapter as is and consider it accurate for canon despite certain things not airing yet. Lets hope I'm right. If not... well, ehh. Let me know if you enjoy the chapter.
The song Bianca and Reese dance to is A Travers Toi by Superbus.
And yes, Erica did scare away a grizzly bear by shouting her name at it and it was made of win. See it HERE.
A Thousand Glimpses
By: Dreiser
Seven
Two hours and three bottles of wine later, Bianca was saying goodbye to Sofie and Penelope while Reese was trying very hard to not think about how much she didn't want the evening to end. It wasn't the easiest task though. Not when she caught Sofie's knowing green gaze and the actress slipped away from Bianca who was talking to Penelope about going out for lunch sometime next week.
Suspecting that she was going to get another overprotective father lecture, Reese released a puff of air and gave Sofie a droll look. The actress raised an eyebrow at this and leaning close to the other woman, keeping their gazes steady, she stated, "It is not hard to see that you like Bianca a great deal. In fact, it is refreshing how you wear your interest so proudly on your sleeve."
"But?" Reese prompted, knowing there had to be a but in there somewhere.
"No buts," said Sofie with a chuckle, pulling away from Reese and brushing an imaginary piece of lint from the blonde's shoulder. "I would do my best to ensure it remains that way. Preposterous as it might sound that is the one thing Bianca has always been lacking."
Before Reese had a chance to respond, Bianca was at her side and Sofie switched her focus to the brunette, her attention doting and watching the actress cup Bianca's face in her hands and tenderly kiss her cheeks, Reese wondered if maybe Sofie wished she could be the one to give Bianca what she was missing in her life. Certainly Reese could understand the impulse because now that she was aware of it, that she had been told what she was doing tonight had helped fill some void in Bianca's life, she wanted to be that person. The one that was special, who gave Bianca something no one else could, and in doing so guaranteed a place in the other woman's life.
They were silent during the short walk to the car, naturally drifting together, their fingers joined in a perfect hold, and when they reached the car and Reese watched Bianca unlock and open the door for her she realized distantly that this was the first time anyone had done that for her. Simon was a gentleman, yes, and so were a great many of the men she had dated over the years but none of them ever opened doors for her, she had always been too independent, sarcastically remarking when any such attempts were made. When Bianca did it though, when she opened a door or offered her arm to lead her through a crowd, Reese simply felt flattered and pleased to receive such consideration.
Things that bothered Reese before, things that she had always associated with weakness because of her mother and her teachings, she found herself giving into them with Bianca and when she did, it didn't bother her. Not even when a feeling of vulnerability accompanied them because with it came this extraordinary happiness Reese had never experienced before and part of her thought that perhaps that was the cost of such a happiness. That you couldn't have it if you kept yourself as protected as she always had.
"You're not drunk, are you?" Bianca's voice floated in the air, light and playful.
Turning to Bianca, a blank look on her features, Reese blinked and running the brunette's words again in her mind, her brown eyes narrowed and she raised an index finger, wagging it at Bianca and looking entirely indignant. "I only had four glasses of wine," she said.
"And twenty something pieces of cheese," added Bianca just as playfully. She turned in her seat to face Reese and the blonde was secretly pleased to note that the brunette didn't appear to be in any hurry to start the car and take her home.
"Most of which you fed to me," Reese reminded, allowing her herself the luxury of reliving those moments for just a second, and she was sure this was somehow revealed on her face from the way Bianca laughed and looked at her knowingly. "I was hungry," Reese admitted and without knowing why, she found herself telling the brunette why, "I was too nervous to eat dinner."
"About tonight?" asked Bianca and her voice was so soft and understanding that Reese found herself looking at the brunette and dipping her head in a slight concession. A moment of silence then Bianca smiled sweetly, reaching out to hold Reese's hands in her own, her fingers just a whispering caress and she looked wry but somehow a bit sad as she murmured, "I don't want to make you nervous."
"You don't," said Reese quickly, a panicked look forming and Bianca's dark eyes widened at her sudden outburst. Shaking her head and giving a derisive chuckle, Reese focused on Bianca, her expression open and honest as she said, "You don't make me nervous."
"Then what is it?" asked Bianca, confused but still so very gentle in her questioning.
Looking at Bianca's fingers, mesmerized by their delicate structure and the pale skin, Reese entwined their fingers, delighting in the subtle texture of the brunette's skin, how it tickled her fingertips. "I make myself nervous," said Reese and when she looked up into Bianca's eyes, they were wide and warm but also perplexed, and she released a self deprecating laugh. "I’m sorry, I'm not making any sense."
"Reese," Bianca breathed her name more said it, a heavy release of air, and it caused the blonde to look at her, almost startled. Another pause and Bianca bit her bottom lip lightly, nibbling on it, and it was all Reese could do not to fixate on how much she wanted to do that herself in the midst of a kiss with the other woman. "I haven't," Bianca began hesitantly, taking another breath before continuing, "made you feel like you've had to do things you didn't want to, have I? I mean, I just assumed… things between us have been so easy and I thought--"
"You thought right," interrupted Reese, her voice calming and sure, because she knew it was the truth. It frightened her how natural things were with Bianca, how attraction and emotions rushed out around the brunette as if they were waters of a river freed by the destruction of a dam, but it was the truth and she didn't have it in her to deny it, not to Bianca's face. Not when it made her feel so good. "You haven't forced me to do anything, Bianca. If I'm nervous, it's only because I've never been attracted to someone this much before." Silence filled the air and Reese kept her gaze far from the brunette, looking out at the lights of Paris, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she wondered if she had ruined things already and they hadn't even gotten to the existence of Simon nor her less than accepting relationship with her parents. "And I've said too much," Reese muttered contemptuously, hating herself for stopping this before it ever really began.
She kept her gaze on those lights and her jaw started to almost hurt from how tightly she kept it clenched, a reflex from holding back her words, her feelings, and it had always helped her before but tonight it didn't. It somehow made the pain worse. Then Reese felt Bianca's hand draw away from her own and move upwards, spreading out to trace a path against her jaw that immediately relaxed at her touch. A soft press, subtle in its request for Reese to turn her head, and though she feared what she would see when she obeyed, Reese followed the tender movement and found herself met with dark eyes filled with such a very candid and clear affection. It was real and it wasn't hidden and it was everything that Reese had ever wanted but never allowed herself to consider having.
"I feel the same," Bianca divulged, embarrassment clinging to her words along with their utter truth. Shaking her head, biting her lip again, Bianca looked down, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, her voice sweet and shy as she said, "It's crazy, isn't it? We just met."
"If it's crazy at least we can be crazy together," said Reese fondly, happiness and humor filling her as she realized that she wasn't alone in this. That perhaps for the first time in her life, she was sharing something with another human being that was more than just a fleeting sexual desire and an intellectual compatibility. It was an honest connection that went beyond mere explanation.
"I guess," said Bianca, peering up at Reese who smiled at her, slow and easy. Bianca returned the smile though her gaze drifted from Reese, settling on the clock in the dashboard of her car and she gave a rueful noise and said, "It's late. I should take you home."
Part of Reese wanted to argue this but she couldn't find the energy, her emotions exhausted and frayed from the moment of intensity with Bianca, where for the first time she felt compelled to tell the truth about her feelings, despite how vulnerable it left her. She nodded her head in a concession and she murmured the start of the directions to her house. They remained in a silence that only ceased with Reese's quiet instructions of where to turn until they came to a stop at 10 Rue de Birague, Bianca smoothly parking behind Reese's silver BMW M5.
"It's funny," murmured Bianca, peering around Reese to study her house which was, perhaps, more innocuous than Bianca's. It blended in perfectly with the surroundings, the bricks colored a brownish beige hue and its wooden doors were so faded with time it was impossible to tell what tree they were constructed from. "The houses in the city, they all kind of look alike, don't they?"
"My house has a street lamp," Reese pointed out.
"That makes it better?" asked Bianca with a laugh. "It barely works. I almost crossed my eyes checking the address."
"You have pepto bismol colored arches on your house," said Reese, recalling her first impression of the building. "It isn't pretty."
"Miranda likes it!" Bianca exclaimed, seeming offended on her daughter's behalf. Reese's lips quirked in a fond smile at this and Bianca laughed, shaking her head, appearing to relent as she said, "They are ugly. I would've had them painted over if she didn't like the color for whatever reason. The few times that my mother has visited us she's made a couple vague references to their unique charm. Which is the polite Erica Kane code for she hates it."
"You know, I was strangely relieved when not one but two gay men found you at the club tonight just to gush over your mother," Reese remarked, grinning as she thought of Maurice and how he had forced her to listen of tales of Erica Kane's greatness shortly after Bianca left her office. "It makes me think that maybe I didn't have all that much to feel embarrassed about when it comes to my assistant."
"My mother is a gay icon," said Bianca in dry tones. "Whether she knows it or not. I think it's the combination of her personality, career, husbands, and the exaggerating or maybe lack thereof of her exploits. Having a lesbian daughter just cemented the gays love for her."
"Is it true she scared away a grizzly bear by saying her name?" asked Reese, skeptical but still amused by the idea of it. Out all the stories that Maurice had regaled her as proof as why Erica Kane was the embodiment of fabulous, that one had stuck out the most. Maybe because she had seen pictures of Bianca's mother and of grizzly bears and Erica, while impressive, was definitely less physically threatening.
"According to her, she called it a filthy beast then announced who she was and naturally, it retreated in fear," said Bianca humorously. "If anyone other than my mother told me that story, I would doubt it but since it's Mom," Bianca laughed, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear and looking at Reese with smiling eyes. "I've seen crazier things with her so I tend to believe. The same goes for my sister."
Silence came again and Reese hated it, just like she hated the idea that the evening was over and drawing her gaze from Bianca to her house then back again, she tentatively reached out, taking the brunette's hand in her own. "Come inside?" Reese asked in a timid request.
"To see the mid 1800's architecture?" Bianca teased though there was a kindness reflected in her dark gaze.
"That and to spend more time with me," said Reese, her response equally playful but sincere enough that the blonde felt her heart race as she said these words, wondering what was possessing her to reveal so much so quickly to this woman but helpless to stop it.
More silence and Reese wondered if she had gone too far, exposed too much, then Bianca smiled, bright and brilliant, and she cupped Reese's cheek, her fingers moving in the barest caress as she murmured, "I'd love that."
"Technically," Reese drawled, hooking her arm in Bianca's once they exited the car and stood in front of her house. "This isn't really the best example of mid 1800's architecture despite when it was constructed. This building doesn't have the high sloping roof like the Louvre and other more prominent examples of the style. If anything, it looks almost Victorian."
"The second empire was a lie?" asked Bianca, her voice a trifle ironic, causing Reese to chuckle as she unlocked the front door.
"Maybe just a tiny one," said Reese as she flipped on the lights to her house.
Setting her purse down on the small table in her foyer, Reese discretely observed Bianca's inspection. Her house wasn't a reflection of her taste, it was more like a family museum, the various furniture and knick knacks were things that had been passed down through the generations. The one thing that did surprise her as she followed Bianca's journey was the fact that she couldn't find even the tiniest hint of Simon. They had been engaged for almost a year and they had dated for even longer than that but despite the length of time, he wasn't anywhere to be seen in her house. Their lives were disconnected in a way and though he hinted at it, Reese never wanted to live with him, and she had been wondering how she would handle having to share her space with him after the wedding, the idea of it making her almost claustrophobic. Now she wondered how she could go through with the wedding when she knew she would never feel for him even a small degree of what she already did for Bianca. It was madness, both her engagement to him and these sudden emotions for Bianca.
But she didn't know which truly was crazier.
"Do you like it?" asked Reese softly, drawn by some inexplicable need to know Bianca's opinion of this house that had never quite seemed like a home to her. She wanted to know the brunette's thoughts on every little thing, no matter how seemingly insignificant.
Bianca swiftly turned to Reese at her inquiry, her shawl sailing around her, wonderfully accenting her figure. She opened her mouth then closed it, and finally she said, a faint tinge of sheepishness to her voice, "It's nice."
"But?" Reese drew the word out, sensing the but was there just like she had with Sofie.
"Your office," began Bianca slowly, her gaze once again drifting over the house, along the winding staircase and stopping at the large armoire made out of oak. It was a huge piece and Reese had never been particularly fond of it but her mother loved it and insisted it would bring her house some much needed depth and character. "This probably sounds strange but I could see you in it. In the colors and the funny sketches you had framed on the walls. Here…" Bianca trailed off and she gave a small helpless shrug. "I don't see you."
"It's austere, isn't it?" said Reese wryly.
"A little," said Bianca, looking relieved that the blonde wasn't insulted by her words. She paused for a moment then she tilted her head to one side, studying Reese with that endlessly kind gaze as she asked, "Why do they look so different?"
"My mother decorated the house," said Reese and she took Bianca's hand, leading her down a narrow hallway until they were in the small sitting room attached to the kitchen. It was the one area of the house her mother hadn't touched. Perhaps because she felt it was too insignificant to bother with due to its meager size. Turning on the lights, Reese was rewarded with Bianca's effervescent smile as she took in the muted but bright colors and the simple yet elegant décor. The style was far more understated and reserved than the rest of the house which was almost stern and overpowering in its display of age and wealth. "This is where I like to hide from the scary furniture."
"I like this much better," confessed Bianca with a laugh and Reese smiled widely at this. She walked over to a small stereo, hidden inside a simple wooden cabinet that had several of her sketch books lying on top of it, and pressed shuffle, knowing from her own musical taste that whatever played would be soft and well suited for the background of any conversation she had with Bianca. "I can see you in it."
Looking at Bianca as the music started to play, Reese rose to her feet and compelled by a sudden and intense need to feel the other woman in her arms, she held her hand out in offering and murmured, "Dance with me?"
The tempo of the song increased, the lead singer's voice ascending with the beat of the drums, enchanting in its rhythm and Bianca accepted Reese's hand. Once they touched the blonde lost any control she had in the situation, finding herself lost in the feeling of the other woman's skin and the warmth of her body. Bianca appeared to understand though and she moved forward, effortlessly gathering Reese in her arms, pulling her close and tilting her head to catch Reese's eyes with a dark gaze that glittered with a restrained desire.
"You think it's strange, don't you?" Reese spoke without quite knowing why. The words slipping past her lips without thought or planning and looking up into Bianca's curious gaze, she wound her hands around her neck, burying the tips of her fingers in wavy brown hair. "That I've let my mother decorate my house in a style that I actually hate."
"Maybe once," said Bianca in a gentle admission. She was silent for a moment then her hands slipped up, spreading across the small of Reese's back, fingertips dancing along the blonde's spine, causing her to shiver at the sensation. "When I was younger, before I came out, I was living with my mom and she was doing this campaign for her company. Like I said, I was never very into fashion and cosmetics like her and my sister. I tried though… I let her put me in the campaign and I tried to so hard to be what I thought she wanted even though it was making me miserable and I was really terrible at it," Bianca recalled humorously. "In the end, I failed."
"That's a happy story," remarked Reese sardonically
Laughing softly, Bianca shook her head a bit, her eyes twinkling as she said, "It might not be happy but it's the truth. I did it because I thought it would be easier trying to be what my mother wanted than to let her know who I actually was."
"I understand," said Reese and she did understand. What Bianca spoke about was the exact reason why Reese's house was decorated the way it was and as she looked into Bianca's dark gaze, lidded and knowing, she realized the brunette knew this too and that was the reason she had told the less than happy story. Struck by that understanding, by that intuitive empathy, Reese found herself speaking once again without thinking about the words. "I want to kiss you," she confessed in a whisper.
No response came from Bianca, just the heat of her gaze, dark and intense then she dipped her head to capture Reese's lips in a kiss. It was nothing more than a faint touch at first, just a soft press of their lips, then Bianca tilted her head, and opened her mouth ever so slightly, a tender encouragement that Reese immediately responded to. Her tongue slipping out to meet the brunette's, delighting at the taste of the other woman, a dizzying pleasure taking hold as Bianca sucked on her tongue, her kiss gentle but firm and knowing, just so completely knowing, as if she had some way to discover precisely what Reese wanted, what she needed, without ever having to ask.
When they parted it was as natural as when they had come together, Reese sighed, a wavering breath released and she smiled at the brush of Bianca's lips against her forehead. They swayed to the music, bodies closer than before and Reese gave into her urges, burying her face in the crook of the brunette's neck, breathing in the lingering scent of her perfume, light and flowery and delicately feminine. Bianca's cheek rested against hers and her hands moved upwards, playing at the base of Reese's neck, moving in a vague caress, tangling in her hair.
Only the sound of the music, low and enthralling, and then Reese chuckled, causing Bianca to pull away, studying her features fondly. "What is it?" Bianca asked, tilting her head to one side, a curious glint emerging in her gaze.
"I was just thinking," said Reese and when Bianca arched an eyebrow, she laughed again. Leaning forward, millimeters away from Bianca's ear, her breath warm and welcoming on the brunette's skin, she said, "I already want to kiss you again."
"Oh," Bianca breathed, mysteriously bashful on hearing this, a blush heating her pale features, charming Reese immensely. She ducked her dark head, wavy brown hair falling in her eyes and then she peered up, beneath long lashes, as she said in a hushed command, "Then do it."
And Reese did. She kissed Bianca slow and tender and for endlessly long moments that were perhaps the most perfect time in her life thus far. One kiss leading to another and another, tugging on Bianca's bottom lip as she imagined earlier, all while the music played on, a constant murmur in the background, providing the soundtrack to their quiet moans and lingering caresses. All of it coming so naturally that Reese found herself lost in the taste, in the touch, in the sound of Bianca until she knew nothing but. Finally, when the awareness for the outside world returned and she released a shuddering sigh, her body trembling from Bianca's touch, Reese felt absolutely certain of one thing.
She couldn't marry Simon.
To be continued...
SERIES: All My Children
AUTHOR:
dreiserEMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com
YAHOO ID: dreiser7
MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/
CONTENT: F/F romance. Bianca/Reese. Breeze.
SUMMARY: Reese Williams had experienced a thousand glimpses of the life she always wanted but until she met Bianca Montgomery she never thought she could have it for herself.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my moments of girly impulse.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I decided I'm a big enough spoiler whore to just post the chapter as is and consider it accurate for canon despite certain things not airing yet. Lets hope I'm right. If not... well, ehh. Let me know if you enjoy the chapter.
The song Bianca and Reese dance to is A Travers Toi by Superbus.
And yes, Erica did scare away a grizzly bear by shouting her name at it and it was made of win. See it HERE.
A Thousand Glimpses
By: Dreiser
Seven
Two hours and three bottles of wine later, Bianca was saying goodbye to Sofie and Penelope while Reese was trying very hard to not think about how much she didn't want the evening to end. It wasn't the easiest task though. Not when she caught Sofie's knowing green gaze and the actress slipped away from Bianca who was talking to Penelope about going out for lunch sometime next week.
Suspecting that she was going to get another overprotective father lecture, Reese released a puff of air and gave Sofie a droll look. The actress raised an eyebrow at this and leaning close to the other woman, keeping their gazes steady, she stated, "It is not hard to see that you like Bianca a great deal. In fact, it is refreshing how you wear your interest so proudly on your sleeve."
"But?" Reese prompted, knowing there had to be a but in there somewhere.
"No buts," said Sofie with a chuckle, pulling away from Reese and brushing an imaginary piece of lint from the blonde's shoulder. "I would do my best to ensure it remains that way. Preposterous as it might sound that is the one thing Bianca has always been lacking."
Before Reese had a chance to respond, Bianca was at her side and Sofie switched her focus to the brunette, her attention doting and watching the actress cup Bianca's face in her hands and tenderly kiss her cheeks, Reese wondered if maybe Sofie wished she could be the one to give Bianca what she was missing in her life. Certainly Reese could understand the impulse because now that she was aware of it, that she had been told what she was doing tonight had helped fill some void in Bianca's life, she wanted to be that person. The one that was special, who gave Bianca something no one else could, and in doing so guaranteed a place in the other woman's life.
They were silent during the short walk to the car, naturally drifting together, their fingers joined in a perfect hold, and when they reached the car and Reese watched Bianca unlock and open the door for her she realized distantly that this was the first time anyone had done that for her. Simon was a gentleman, yes, and so were a great many of the men she had dated over the years but none of them ever opened doors for her, she had always been too independent, sarcastically remarking when any such attempts were made. When Bianca did it though, when she opened a door or offered her arm to lead her through a crowd, Reese simply felt flattered and pleased to receive such consideration.
Things that bothered Reese before, things that she had always associated with weakness because of her mother and her teachings, she found herself giving into them with Bianca and when she did, it didn't bother her. Not even when a feeling of vulnerability accompanied them because with it came this extraordinary happiness Reese had never experienced before and part of her thought that perhaps that was the cost of such a happiness. That you couldn't have it if you kept yourself as protected as she always had.
"You're not drunk, are you?" Bianca's voice floated in the air, light and playful.
Turning to Bianca, a blank look on her features, Reese blinked and running the brunette's words again in her mind, her brown eyes narrowed and she raised an index finger, wagging it at Bianca and looking entirely indignant. "I only had four glasses of wine," she said.
"And twenty something pieces of cheese," added Bianca just as playfully. She turned in her seat to face Reese and the blonde was secretly pleased to note that the brunette didn't appear to be in any hurry to start the car and take her home.
"Most of which you fed to me," Reese reminded, allowing her herself the luxury of reliving those moments for just a second, and she was sure this was somehow revealed on her face from the way Bianca laughed and looked at her knowingly. "I was hungry," Reese admitted and without knowing why, she found herself telling the brunette why, "I was too nervous to eat dinner."
"About tonight?" asked Bianca and her voice was so soft and understanding that Reese found herself looking at the brunette and dipping her head in a slight concession. A moment of silence then Bianca smiled sweetly, reaching out to hold Reese's hands in her own, her fingers just a whispering caress and she looked wry but somehow a bit sad as she murmured, "I don't want to make you nervous."
"You don't," said Reese quickly, a panicked look forming and Bianca's dark eyes widened at her sudden outburst. Shaking her head and giving a derisive chuckle, Reese focused on Bianca, her expression open and honest as she said, "You don't make me nervous."
"Then what is it?" asked Bianca, confused but still so very gentle in her questioning.
Looking at Bianca's fingers, mesmerized by their delicate structure and the pale skin, Reese entwined their fingers, delighting in the subtle texture of the brunette's skin, how it tickled her fingertips. "I make myself nervous," said Reese and when she looked up into Bianca's eyes, they were wide and warm but also perplexed, and she released a self deprecating laugh. "I’m sorry, I'm not making any sense."
"Reese," Bianca breathed her name more said it, a heavy release of air, and it caused the blonde to look at her, almost startled. Another pause and Bianca bit her bottom lip lightly, nibbling on it, and it was all Reese could do not to fixate on how much she wanted to do that herself in the midst of a kiss with the other woman. "I haven't," Bianca began hesitantly, taking another breath before continuing, "made you feel like you've had to do things you didn't want to, have I? I mean, I just assumed… things between us have been so easy and I thought--"
"You thought right," interrupted Reese, her voice calming and sure, because she knew it was the truth. It frightened her how natural things were with Bianca, how attraction and emotions rushed out around the brunette as if they were waters of a river freed by the destruction of a dam, but it was the truth and she didn't have it in her to deny it, not to Bianca's face. Not when it made her feel so good. "You haven't forced me to do anything, Bianca. If I'm nervous, it's only because I've never been attracted to someone this much before." Silence filled the air and Reese kept her gaze far from the brunette, looking out at the lights of Paris, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she wondered if she had ruined things already and they hadn't even gotten to the existence of Simon nor her less than accepting relationship with her parents. "And I've said too much," Reese muttered contemptuously, hating herself for stopping this before it ever really began.
She kept her gaze on those lights and her jaw started to almost hurt from how tightly she kept it clenched, a reflex from holding back her words, her feelings, and it had always helped her before but tonight it didn't. It somehow made the pain worse. Then Reese felt Bianca's hand draw away from her own and move upwards, spreading out to trace a path against her jaw that immediately relaxed at her touch. A soft press, subtle in its request for Reese to turn her head, and though she feared what she would see when she obeyed, Reese followed the tender movement and found herself met with dark eyes filled with such a very candid and clear affection. It was real and it wasn't hidden and it was everything that Reese had ever wanted but never allowed herself to consider having.
"I feel the same," Bianca divulged, embarrassment clinging to her words along with their utter truth. Shaking her head, biting her lip again, Bianca looked down, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, her voice sweet and shy as she said, "It's crazy, isn't it? We just met."
"If it's crazy at least we can be crazy together," said Reese fondly, happiness and humor filling her as she realized that she wasn't alone in this. That perhaps for the first time in her life, she was sharing something with another human being that was more than just a fleeting sexual desire and an intellectual compatibility. It was an honest connection that went beyond mere explanation.
"I guess," said Bianca, peering up at Reese who smiled at her, slow and easy. Bianca returned the smile though her gaze drifted from Reese, settling on the clock in the dashboard of her car and she gave a rueful noise and said, "It's late. I should take you home."
Part of Reese wanted to argue this but she couldn't find the energy, her emotions exhausted and frayed from the moment of intensity with Bianca, where for the first time she felt compelled to tell the truth about her feelings, despite how vulnerable it left her. She nodded her head in a concession and she murmured the start of the directions to her house. They remained in a silence that only ceased with Reese's quiet instructions of where to turn until they came to a stop at 10 Rue de Birague, Bianca smoothly parking behind Reese's silver BMW M5.
"It's funny," murmured Bianca, peering around Reese to study her house which was, perhaps, more innocuous than Bianca's. It blended in perfectly with the surroundings, the bricks colored a brownish beige hue and its wooden doors were so faded with time it was impossible to tell what tree they were constructed from. "The houses in the city, they all kind of look alike, don't they?"
"My house has a street lamp," Reese pointed out.
"That makes it better?" asked Bianca with a laugh. "It barely works. I almost crossed my eyes checking the address."
"You have pepto bismol colored arches on your house," said Reese, recalling her first impression of the building. "It isn't pretty."
"Miranda likes it!" Bianca exclaimed, seeming offended on her daughter's behalf. Reese's lips quirked in a fond smile at this and Bianca laughed, shaking her head, appearing to relent as she said, "They are ugly. I would've had them painted over if she didn't like the color for whatever reason. The few times that my mother has visited us she's made a couple vague references to their unique charm. Which is the polite Erica Kane code for she hates it."
"You know, I was strangely relieved when not one but two gay men found you at the club tonight just to gush over your mother," Reese remarked, grinning as she thought of Maurice and how he had forced her to listen of tales of Erica Kane's greatness shortly after Bianca left her office. "It makes me think that maybe I didn't have all that much to feel embarrassed about when it comes to my assistant."
"My mother is a gay icon," said Bianca in dry tones. "Whether she knows it or not. I think it's the combination of her personality, career, husbands, and the exaggerating or maybe lack thereof of her exploits. Having a lesbian daughter just cemented the gays love for her."
"Is it true she scared away a grizzly bear by saying her name?" asked Reese, skeptical but still amused by the idea of it. Out all the stories that Maurice had regaled her as proof as why Erica Kane was the embodiment of fabulous, that one had stuck out the most. Maybe because she had seen pictures of Bianca's mother and of grizzly bears and Erica, while impressive, was definitely less physically threatening.
"According to her, she called it a filthy beast then announced who she was and naturally, it retreated in fear," said Bianca humorously. "If anyone other than my mother told me that story, I would doubt it but since it's Mom," Bianca laughed, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear and looking at Reese with smiling eyes. "I've seen crazier things with her so I tend to believe. The same goes for my sister."
Silence came again and Reese hated it, just like she hated the idea that the evening was over and drawing her gaze from Bianca to her house then back again, she tentatively reached out, taking the brunette's hand in her own. "Come inside?" Reese asked in a timid request.
"To see the mid 1800's architecture?" Bianca teased though there was a kindness reflected in her dark gaze.
"That and to spend more time with me," said Reese, her response equally playful but sincere enough that the blonde felt her heart race as she said these words, wondering what was possessing her to reveal so much so quickly to this woman but helpless to stop it.
More silence and Reese wondered if she had gone too far, exposed too much, then Bianca smiled, bright and brilliant, and she cupped Reese's cheek, her fingers moving in the barest caress as she murmured, "I'd love that."
"Technically," Reese drawled, hooking her arm in Bianca's once they exited the car and stood in front of her house. "This isn't really the best example of mid 1800's architecture despite when it was constructed. This building doesn't have the high sloping roof like the Louvre and other more prominent examples of the style. If anything, it looks almost Victorian."
"The second empire was a lie?" asked Bianca, her voice a trifle ironic, causing Reese to chuckle as she unlocked the front door.
"Maybe just a tiny one," said Reese as she flipped on the lights to her house.
Setting her purse down on the small table in her foyer, Reese discretely observed Bianca's inspection. Her house wasn't a reflection of her taste, it was more like a family museum, the various furniture and knick knacks were things that had been passed down through the generations. The one thing that did surprise her as she followed Bianca's journey was the fact that she couldn't find even the tiniest hint of Simon. They had been engaged for almost a year and they had dated for even longer than that but despite the length of time, he wasn't anywhere to be seen in her house. Their lives were disconnected in a way and though he hinted at it, Reese never wanted to live with him, and she had been wondering how she would handle having to share her space with him after the wedding, the idea of it making her almost claustrophobic. Now she wondered how she could go through with the wedding when she knew she would never feel for him even a small degree of what she already did for Bianca. It was madness, both her engagement to him and these sudden emotions for Bianca.
But she didn't know which truly was crazier.
"Do you like it?" asked Reese softly, drawn by some inexplicable need to know Bianca's opinion of this house that had never quite seemed like a home to her. She wanted to know the brunette's thoughts on every little thing, no matter how seemingly insignificant.
Bianca swiftly turned to Reese at her inquiry, her shawl sailing around her, wonderfully accenting her figure. She opened her mouth then closed it, and finally she said, a faint tinge of sheepishness to her voice, "It's nice."
"But?" Reese drew the word out, sensing the but was there just like she had with Sofie.
"Your office," began Bianca slowly, her gaze once again drifting over the house, along the winding staircase and stopping at the large armoire made out of oak. It was a huge piece and Reese had never been particularly fond of it but her mother loved it and insisted it would bring her house some much needed depth and character. "This probably sounds strange but I could see you in it. In the colors and the funny sketches you had framed on the walls. Here…" Bianca trailed off and she gave a small helpless shrug. "I don't see you."
"It's austere, isn't it?" said Reese wryly.
"A little," said Bianca, looking relieved that the blonde wasn't insulted by her words. She paused for a moment then she tilted her head to one side, studying Reese with that endlessly kind gaze as she asked, "Why do they look so different?"
"My mother decorated the house," said Reese and she took Bianca's hand, leading her down a narrow hallway until they were in the small sitting room attached to the kitchen. It was the one area of the house her mother hadn't touched. Perhaps because she felt it was too insignificant to bother with due to its meager size. Turning on the lights, Reese was rewarded with Bianca's effervescent smile as she took in the muted but bright colors and the simple yet elegant décor. The style was far more understated and reserved than the rest of the house which was almost stern and overpowering in its display of age and wealth. "This is where I like to hide from the scary furniture."
"I like this much better," confessed Bianca with a laugh and Reese smiled widely at this. She walked over to a small stereo, hidden inside a simple wooden cabinet that had several of her sketch books lying on top of it, and pressed shuffle, knowing from her own musical taste that whatever played would be soft and well suited for the background of any conversation she had with Bianca. "I can see you in it."
Looking at Bianca as the music started to play, Reese rose to her feet and compelled by a sudden and intense need to feel the other woman in her arms, she held her hand out in offering and murmured, "Dance with me?"
The tempo of the song increased, the lead singer's voice ascending with the beat of the drums, enchanting in its rhythm and Bianca accepted Reese's hand. Once they touched the blonde lost any control she had in the situation, finding herself lost in the feeling of the other woman's skin and the warmth of her body. Bianca appeared to understand though and she moved forward, effortlessly gathering Reese in her arms, pulling her close and tilting her head to catch Reese's eyes with a dark gaze that glittered with a restrained desire.
"You think it's strange, don't you?" Reese spoke without quite knowing why. The words slipping past her lips without thought or planning and looking up into Bianca's curious gaze, she wound her hands around her neck, burying the tips of her fingers in wavy brown hair. "That I've let my mother decorate my house in a style that I actually hate."
"Maybe once," said Bianca in a gentle admission. She was silent for a moment then her hands slipped up, spreading across the small of Reese's back, fingertips dancing along the blonde's spine, causing her to shiver at the sensation. "When I was younger, before I came out, I was living with my mom and she was doing this campaign for her company. Like I said, I was never very into fashion and cosmetics like her and my sister. I tried though… I let her put me in the campaign and I tried to so hard to be what I thought she wanted even though it was making me miserable and I was really terrible at it," Bianca recalled humorously. "In the end, I failed."
"That's a happy story," remarked Reese sardonically
Laughing softly, Bianca shook her head a bit, her eyes twinkling as she said, "It might not be happy but it's the truth. I did it because I thought it would be easier trying to be what my mother wanted than to let her know who I actually was."
"I understand," said Reese and she did understand. What Bianca spoke about was the exact reason why Reese's house was decorated the way it was and as she looked into Bianca's dark gaze, lidded and knowing, she realized the brunette knew this too and that was the reason she had told the less than happy story. Struck by that understanding, by that intuitive empathy, Reese found herself speaking once again without thinking about the words. "I want to kiss you," she confessed in a whisper.
No response came from Bianca, just the heat of her gaze, dark and intense then she dipped her head to capture Reese's lips in a kiss. It was nothing more than a faint touch at first, just a soft press of their lips, then Bianca tilted her head, and opened her mouth ever so slightly, a tender encouragement that Reese immediately responded to. Her tongue slipping out to meet the brunette's, delighting at the taste of the other woman, a dizzying pleasure taking hold as Bianca sucked on her tongue, her kiss gentle but firm and knowing, just so completely knowing, as if she had some way to discover precisely what Reese wanted, what she needed, without ever having to ask.
When they parted it was as natural as when they had come together, Reese sighed, a wavering breath released and she smiled at the brush of Bianca's lips against her forehead. They swayed to the music, bodies closer than before and Reese gave into her urges, burying her face in the crook of the brunette's neck, breathing in the lingering scent of her perfume, light and flowery and delicately feminine. Bianca's cheek rested against hers and her hands moved upwards, playing at the base of Reese's neck, moving in a vague caress, tangling in her hair.
Only the sound of the music, low and enthralling, and then Reese chuckled, causing Bianca to pull away, studying her features fondly. "What is it?" Bianca asked, tilting her head to one side, a curious glint emerging in her gaze.
"I was just thinking," said Reese and when Bianca arched an eyebrow, she laughed again. Leaning forward, millimeters away from Bianca's ear, her breath warm and welcoming on the brunette's skin, she said, "I already want to kiss you again."
"Oh," Bianca breathed, mysteriously bashful on hearing this, a blush heating her pale features, charming Reese immensely. She ducked her dark head, wavy brown hair falling in her eyes and then she peered up, beneath long lashes, as she said in a hushed command, "Then do it."
And Reese did. She kissed Bianca slow and tender and for endlessly long moments that were perhaps the most perfect time in her life thus far. One kiss leading to another and another, tugging on Bianca's bottom lip as she imagined earlier, all while the music played on, a constant murmur in the background, providing the soundtrack to their quiet moans and lingering caresses. All of it coming so naturally that Reese found herself lost in the taste, in the touch, in the sound of Bianca until she knew nothing but. Finally, when the awareness for the outside world returned and she released a shuddering sigh, her body trembling from Bianca's touch, Reese felt absolutely certain of one thing.
She couldn't marry Simon.
To be continued...
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I availed myself of clips of AMC since Bianca and Reese showed up, they were worth the time. The two of them make a good couple. And they're both so darn pretty!
Also, how awesome is Erica Cane? Bears flee in fear at just the mention of her name. Who else could claim that? Susan Lucci must just have a ball playing such a diva.
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I'm glad the progression of their feelings is realistic for you. It's hard to write love at first sight as something believable and I honestly believe that's what happened with Bianca and Reese.
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Bianca can become adorably shy at the drop of a hat. It's one of the things I've always found irresistibly cute about her.
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Love how complex you are making Reese!
Re: Love how complex you are making Reese!
Though she does want to put her old life behind her Reese will reveal to Bianca more about her relationship with her parents as their romance progresses.
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When Bianca did it though, when she opened a door or offered her arm to lead her through a crowd, Reese simply felt flattered and pleased to receive such consideration.
Really like the reflection that Reese gets into there re: protecting herself with others she's dated but letting herself be vulnerable with Bianca. This ties pretty well with the show because TB does a great job with her body language of sending an off-limits signal with everybody, including Zach, while she's just the opposite with ER.
I'm enjoying your fic so much. Thanks for sharing!
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Reese is tomboyish to me and that does come from her body language and how she presents herself physically but I think it's also in her personality. I think being vulnerable is a quality that's associated as more feminine and Reese, because of her parental issues, doesn't like to feel that way with most people. Bianca proving the exception.
Glad you're still liking the fic!
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http://z10.invisionfree.com/Bianca_Rees
They have all the clips of their appearances so far.
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keep going
Much Love,
Fellow B/R FAN!
Re: keep going
I should have another chapter by Tuesday.
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I'm enjoying this sync between the two of them, physically. You capture it very well; the dialogue, along with the physical coming together of the two of them is just beautifully, perfectly written. You write with such intrinsic detail, I really am blown away by it. I can really see what's playing out as I read and very few fan fic writers can capture moments like that.
"Is it true she scared away a grizzly bear by saying her name?"
*giggles* What a throwback! I still die of laughter watching that clip.
Oh, Bianca! How you'll never escape your mother's clutches!
it was as natural as when they had come together
That kiss was just... I swooned a little. Again, beautifully written, and I feel like a broken record saying it but it's so true. I'm so pulled in by this story, and you just keep reeling me in.
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I'm glad you like the details I incorporate into the fic. It tends to lead to run on sentences that I can't kill the habit of writing but I like trying to inspire visuals.
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Oh, I definitely do. You are just an amazing talented writer, and I'm in awe of your style. *bows down*
PS
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One of my other favorite Erica moments is her second wedding to Adam where she dresses in all black like she's going to a funeral. I can't find that clip anywhere on YouTube though. Sucks! It's hilarious.
Don't bow down. lol. There's always someone better than someone else and I'm just a dinky fanfic writer.
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Oooh, I was thinking about that wedding a few weeks ago during a AMC geekfest with a friend of mine with the current tension between Erica/Adam on the show now. I wonder if she'd know where to find it. I'll get back to you on that!
Well, for a dinky fanfic writer, you're pretty good. ;)
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Re: PS