![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
This is the SECOND SECTION of Part 3. READ THIS SECOND!
One of the most difficult tasks in building a lasting relationship is the one most often disregarded because it's the focus of so many bad comedy acts. What is it? Nothing except dealing with and trying to win over the parents of the person you love. Because unless you're involved with someone grown in a test tube and raised by monkeys in the wild there is some parental figure in everyone's life. Some had ones far better than others but everyone did have them if you looked hard enough. Alice didn't have much in that department and what she did have was almost entirely defective in terms of genuinely caring about her and her feelings.
But Dana? She was the exact opposite.
Her parents did care for her and love her and while it had taken quite some time for them to accept both of their children's sexuality they had done it because they loved them. Even if they didn't agree and there was that ingrained Republican portion of their brain that said their children were making the wrong choice they kept the opinion to themselves. Because they knew their children and their children knew them. There was no way that Howie and Dana didn't know their opinions on homosexuality and that was enough. They didn't need to pound it into them over and over because they also knew it wouldn't make much if any difference. One of the things that made them proud as parents is that they had taught Dana and Howie the ability to make up their own minds. To decide what they thought of the world in general and since they had taught this lesson well they knew any attempts to change their minds would be futile. And so they accepted that both their children were gay and effectively ended that line of conversation. Which was fine with Howie and Dana because this was how they were raised. Their family didn't tend to do the feel good heartwarming cliche of sharing their feelings as they sat in a hug circle or something. That wasn't who they were and both of the Fairbanks children knew that if they had been straight instead of gay that they still wouldn't be talking with their parents about their love lives. So taking that into consideration, it wasn't really as if being gay had changed anything in how their parents treated their romantic choices.
Some would argue and say that by not talking they were simply avoiding the issue and therefore nothing had been truly accepted at all. To that Dana and Howie would argue how they didn't know their parents. In their household a lack of discussion on a topic once it had been brought up signaled support for whatever was said. For instance, if Sharon came home wearing a new blouse and Howie said it looked good on her at the kitchen table after Dana and Irwin agreed nothing more would be said on it because that was that. Sharon looked good in the blouse and they had all told her this so what more needed to be said? And they had spoken to their children and said that while they wouldn't have chosen this kind of life for them it didn't change how they loved them both very much and always would. Once that had been said no one in the Fairbanks family thought more on the issue. They had voiced their thoughts on the matter and Dana and Howie had voiced theirs in return and that was that.
Neat and simple and logical and yet it was filled with a simple unwavering type of love and loyalty that Alice and a sad amount of the populous could never imagine. The kind of love that negates any differences you have because in the end they knew that didn't matter. But the fact that they were a family who supported and loved one another did.
Something about that intimidated Alice. Maybe it was the knowledge that Dana's family would always be important to her. That what they thought mattered and could effect the athlete's decisions on countless things from her personal life to what she wanted to do professionally in the future. Trying to get Dana's family to like her and approve of her before had been hard enough but Alice had managed to do a decent job of it.
But now?
She wasn't sure getting them to like her was even something feasible. Frankly, Alice would quite happily settle for just getting them to put up with her and to not manage to make Dana feel chastised whenever she appeared somewhere with the blonde.
Still, there was that ever present fear that they wouldn't be content with just that. That they would point out to Dana everything that had happened with their break up. Her insane behavior with the stalking, phone calls, and the on air rants. Perhaps that they would begin a steady assault of comments reminding Dana why it would be best if Alice was out of her life for good and knowing how much family meant to Dana, the writer wondered if that was something she could fight against. Or something she even wanted to fight against. Certainly her family would be correct in everything they said, with the exception of her ever acting like that again.
Although as much as Alice hated it, she couldn't exactly say that either. Of course she didn't ever want to act that way again, especially towards Dana but ever since their break up and her break down she didn't have that same level of self confidence. Alice used to think she knew herself fairly well and that she was honest with herself about all of her insecurities, foibles, and just plain faults. But what happened with Dana made it entirely clear that wasn't the case. Because she never knew it was in her to be that way, to behave in such a manner, but it was. It was in her and there wasn't anything she could do to argue against it. The proof was more than evident through her actions and they couldn't ever be denied.
Was not wanting to act a certain way enough? Maybe or maybe not, Alice didn't really know. The only thing that she did know was that she didn't want to give up this chance to be with Dana again. There were no guarantees in life and Alice was through wasting time and playing games. Which is why she gathered up every last bit of courage in her and tried to have a quiet inward bravado as she held Dana's hand while the athlete knocked on her parents door.
Pausing as she lifted up her hand, Dana turned to the blonde and smiled softly on seeing Alice biting on her bottom lip as she seemed to shrink inside of the white button up shirt she had on. It was one of the odd habits that the writer had which managed to charm Dana over the years, this strange ability to hide in her clothing, making her look painfully beautiful in her youth and vulnerability. Something that struck the tennis player as almost wrong in a way. How was it that Alice could be in her thirties and look younger than people in their twenties?
That was Alice though. And that was just one of the many things that Dana loved about her. Smiling as she thought of this, Dana caressed the blonde's cheek and leaned in for a kiss as she murmured, "Don't be scared. It's just my parents."
"That's why I'm scared," said Alice wryly, resting her head on Dana's shoulder. Nuzzling against the soft feel of the cashmere sweater the athlete had borrowed from her. Because of the way she easily bruised and the decrease in her weight, Dana had taken to wearing long sleeved shirts. The sweater was something that Alice had in the back of her closet for years and never tended to wear that often. Knowing that the tennis player delighted in soft fabrics, she brought it over and was immediately rewarded with a kiss and the declaration that the brunette was wearing it to her parents house. She stayed there for a moment then sighed and pressed a tender kiss to the athlete's neck. "Lets go," she said, leaving yet another kiss to the tanned skin that was slowly becoming more pale. "I want to do this. They need to know I'm not going anywhere. That I'm going to be around for as long as you want me."
"It's for a long time," said Dana in solemn tones, stroking Alice's cheek and smiling in gentle reassurance. More and more she found herself less frightened of this disease and the outcome in fighting it just because she knew Alice would be there with her. Somehow the idea she couldn't win, that she wouldn't survive this and go on to the have the life she wanted wasn't entering her mind nearly as much as it used to. Just because now she had something to fight for. She had her future in her hands right now with Alice. And she would be damned if she would lose it just as she managed to get it back. "It's for forever."
"For forever?" Alice teased softly, chuckling and rising up to capture Dana's lips for a lingering kiss, smiling into it and holding the tennis player close. "That's not correct grammar."
"I don't care," mumbled Dana through their kisses, forming a rather obstinate but adorable frown that caused the writer to chuckle some more. Deepening their kisses, sucking slow and long on Alice's tongue only to tilt her head back when the blonde moved to kiss and suck the curve of her neck and she said in a gasp, "It's the truth."
There was the sound of the wind and blowing leaves then Dana felt Alice's breath, warm on her skin and then the feather light touch of her lips as she said in a bare whisper, "I love you."
"I love you too," murmured Dana, her voice cracking slightly. She tightened the embrace, burying her face in Alice's neck and shakily breathing in her scent. "I love you so much."
It was then that Howie chose to announce his presence by remarking in a sardonic drawl, "I should film you guys and send it into Leztime so they can make a movie of the week."
Groaning at the interruption, Dana looked at her little brother with a peevish expression and said, "You mean Lifetime. And I doubt that they would want to make a movie of the week about me and Al. We're not exactly Tom Selleck housewife material."
"I didn't say Lifetime, I said Leztime," said Howie in triumphant tones, grinning widely. "Before you ask, Leztime is the name of my fictional, though still atrociously bad, television network for lesbians. And they would make you two into a movie of the week like that," Howie snapped his fingers for emphasis and nodded his head in a strangely smug gesture.
"Do you think I could be one of their entertainment reporters?" asked Alice, forming an overly hopeful expression as she returned Howie's grin and wound her arm around Dana's waist. "I always wanted to be on ET. At least after John Tesh left." Forming a comically suspicious and secretive expression, Alice leaned towards Howie and said, "He's an alien."
"From Canada?" asked Howie rather drolly.
"From outer space," corrected Alice solemnly, nodding her head in a grave manner that had Howie looking at her like she had gone insane. Which was something up for debate since she was discussing the fact that a large headed blonde entertainment reporter was actually a space alien. There was a few more moments of grim silence then Alice grinned as Dana poked her in the side. "What?" she drew the word out playfully.
"She's joking Howie," said Dana, rolling her eyes, and fighting a sudden shiver. Sliding her hands underneath the sleeves of her sweater, she smiled at Alice who immediately reached over to rub her arms, gently warming her up. "I remember her showing me this weird website a few years ago that was dedicated to the bizarre theory John Tesh is from outer space because he was on Entertainment Tonight otherwise known as ET which also means Extraterrestrial and because his music is just really weird and inhuman sounding."
"I own his greatest hits album," said Alice, sounding proud of this fact. Grinning up at Dana as she continued to rub the athlete's arms who raised an eyebrow at the mischievous look the blonde had on her features. "Forever More."
"Is that correct grammar?" Dana teased, tucking a stray lock of blonde hair behind Alice's ear, the shiver slowly easing away thanks to the writer's attention. "Something tells me that it isn't."
"Something is listening to me rant about the incorrect grammar when I'm forced to look after the interns at the magazine," said Alice, rolling her eyes and running her hands down Dana's arms one last time, satisfied when she saw that the tennis player was no longer suffering from subtle trembling. Part of her wanted to suggest they immediately go inside but she knew that the tennis player was enjoying this time alone with her brother. Besides, she had utmost faith the Fairbanks parents would announce their presence soon. So entwining their fingers, she looked to Howie and scoffed lightly as she said, "I never read the Baby Sitters Club so I never got a fucked up vicarious thrill out of having that particular job assignment. The life of a professional grammar Nazi isn't an easy or enjoyable one."
"Dane read those books," informed Howie with a knowing smirk. "She had a crush on Stacey."
"Howie!" exclaimed Dana, turning red and trying to punch her brother in the arm. She found herself becoming dizzy as she made this attempt, joking as it was, and soon gave up in the middle of her motion though her younger sibling didn't seem to notice, chuckling as he jumped out of the way.
"Oh yeah?" asked Alice, faking sudden interest because she had noticed the groggy way Dana was moving and knew full well what was the cause. And that the last thing the athlete wanted was for her to acknowledge it, especially in front of her baby brother. "And what was this Stacey like?"
"She was from New Jersey and moved to Stonerville. I think her huge character trait was wearing slutty clothing. And she totally had something going on with the Asian one," Howie revealed over dramatically, making everything he said sound utterly scandalous.
"She was from New York City and she moved to Stoneybrook and she didn't dress slutty! Stacey just wore different types of clothes but yes, there totally was something going on with her and Claudia," said Dana emphatically, raising an eyebrow as if daring Howie to try and dispute what she had just said. Howie didn't try to dispute though. He just shook his head and fondly accused his sister of being a nerd.
Which was right about the time that the front door opened and Irwin appeared, a slight frown on his features as he pointed what was meant to be a stern finger at Howie. It couldn't be considered all that stern since Howie didn't look at all scared of his father and was grinning largely at him. "Don't call your sister names," Irwin ordered.
"Daddy's Little Girl," Howie sing songed, dodging the absent whap of Alice and grinning at the glare that Irwin was shooting his way as he walked inside the house with Dana and Alice. "But nobody loves the young Howard."
"Perhaps if the young Howard would clean his room more than once every six months and wouldn't play his rap music at an ear splitting decibel people would love him," said Sharon wearing a droll expression to match her voice while she walked downstairs and towards the group. Upon seeing Dana she formed a soft but genuine smile of happiness and opened up her arms for a hug as she neared. Wrapping her daughter up in her arms, she murmured, "I thought you would never get here, sweetheart. Your father and I were about to call."
"She was making out with Alice on the porch," announced Howie in very self satisfied tones. When four heads turned to glare at him in perfect synchronization he wore a wounded look and pressed a hand to his chest. "What? I'm just reporting things. I'm not actually doing them."
Ignoring this, Sharon cleared her throat and focused on Dana, tenderly holding her daughter's chin in the palm of her hand. "Are you hungry?" she questioned. "I've had Marta make all your favorites."
"All of them?" asked Dana with a teasing smile and laugh.
"All of them," said Sharon proudly, her eyes gleaming as she fingered a lock of wavy brown hair that escaped from behind Dana's ear. "Roast turkey, made from scratch stuffing, scallion potatoes, and apple maple cream pie. Made with Golden Delicious, not Gala apples."
"What's your deal with Gala apples anyway, big sis?" called Howie from where he sat at the bottom of the stairs. "I never got your problem with them. I think they taste good."
"They're tiny! And they're not red or yellow or even green. They're a freakish color mixture of red and yellow. How can you like a fruit that doesn't have a definitive color?" Dana exclaimed, waving her hands around but allowing Sharon to lead her into the dining room as Alice followed close behind. "It's not right. Besides, Golden Delicious are the best kind of apples. They're sweet but not too sweet and they're not bitter in taste. Bitter apples are the worst."
"But I like Granny Smith apples," said Irwin, frowning slightly and trailing along.
"You're the only one, Dad," said Howie with a chuckle, pushing off the steps to walk after his family. "Didn't you ever wonder why the members of your notoriously food stealing clan never tried to steal any of your apples? It's because you're the lone maverick who likes their bitterly bitter taste."
"I thought it was out of fatherly respect," Irwin remarked, still sounding confused.
On hearing this, the three other Fairbanks burst into affectionate laughter and began discussing the time they had gone apple picking and Irwin unknowingly offered them some of his granny smith apples to eat and couldn't understand when they wouldn't take one.
Dinner was pleasant and meandering, their conversation was peppered with countless family memories and anecdotes. Everyone present seeming to want to focus on the good in their times together and none wanting to even begin to contemplate that because of Dana's illness they might not have more of those good times to talk about.
It was when the last of the apple pie had been eaten and Howie asked if Dana would watch part of the video from his latest soccer game that the moment Alice had been waiting for since their arrival finally occurred. Dana looked over at the blonde with worried eyes and she smiled quietly, squeezing her hand and kissing her cheek as she murmured in the tennis player's ear to go on. To keep her brother company and not to worry about her. That she had to do this sooner or later and she thought sooner was far better than later for everyone involved.
All three of them remained absolutely silent until they heard the sound of Howie and Dana reaching the top of the stairs and the door to his room opening and then closing. After that, it was only Alice who remained silent, her hands folded and perched in her lap, biting down lightly on her bottom lip, feeling like an elementary student about to be punished by school authorities and hating herself for feeling that way even though she thought it was entirely deserved. What she had done to Dana, the way she had acted, it deserved punishment and in Alice's opinion she hadn't really gotten any because of how fucking sweet and kind and goddamn forgiving Dana was. And while the writer knew those traits were all things that the athlete had learned from her parents she also knew by looking at them right now they didn't share them. At least, in regards to Alice herself. Why should they share them? Alice hurt their first born child, their only daughter, and in their eyes she never properly explained or apologized for this. Then suddenly, after all of this horrible behavior she was magically back in Dana's life when was going through the most terrible and painful thing imaginable. Fighting against her own mortality, battling disease and death and putting on a stupendously brave face while doing so.
"Dana told us she was still in love with you the day of the press conference," Irwin stated quietly, putting an end to the silence and looking at Alice with veiled eyes.
"She did?" asked Alice in a stunned whisper.
"I told her that she was foolish to care for you in that way," responded Sharon, appearing completely unwilling to give the blonde an answer to her question and eyeing her husband in a way that requested he follow her lead. "That what you had done when your relationship ended proved you to be untrustworthy and entirely unstable. I told her that there was no way to know that you wouldn't repeat that behavior should you find your relationship once again in tatters." Sharon then looked off to one side, visibly swallowing and only looking back when she felt the reassuring pressure of Irwin holding her hand in his own. Turning to her husband with a weak smile, Sharon focused back on Alice and said, "She said that wouldn't happen and even if it did, it didn't matter because she didn't think she could do this without you. That if we wanted her to survive this cancer and to be well again we would have to accept you in her life because you were the only thing that gave her the strength to think that she could win."
Alice didn't reply, mostly because she couldn't reply. Hearing the things that Dana would say about her, about them, always stunned her in such a very emotional way. When Dana spoke on her feelings there was such a fucking simple but intense power behind her words and they never failed to wipe away any doubts Alice had about them, about her, and about Dana's feelings in regards to both. There was a steadfast sincerity in the tennis player. So many things in the world were false or contrived but Dana was almost painfully honest. If she loved you there was no way you could feel doubt over it because there was no possible way that she wouldn't let you know. But still, whenever she would hear others speak of what Dana had said about them, about their romance, Alice found herself struck by the words.
By Dana's love.
"Our daughter is in love with you," said Irwin again, leveling her with a solemn gaze that held Alice in its understated power. "And she's sick and she seems to think you're the thing that can help her to get well again. As her parents, no matter how much we despise how you treated her in the past, we can't possibly ignore that. Not when she's told us."
"We don't trust you," stated Sharon plainly, her voice cutting and her eyes studying Alice closely. "But we're willing to put that aside for Dana's sake. At least, until she is well again."
Dropping her head in a nod of acceptance and releasing a long and shuddering breath, Alice murmured, "Thank you." Lifting her head, she looked at them with an open expression that let them see every last emotion she was experiencing. The relief, the sadness, the fear, the self hatred, and the love. She let them see it all as she said, "I don't expect you to forgive me or to even stand me. Part of me still can't understand how Dana can do that. I think that maybe, in situations like this, words are a big fucking waste of time and energy and your actions are what really matter. I just hope that my actions through all of this will let you see that I really do love your daughter and I'm sorry for everything that I've done to her."
Sharon and Irwin stared at her for a long moment then Sharon's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and what looked to be a tiny glimmer of appreciation escaped as she said, "Perhaps we will."
Whatever they were going to say next was interrupted by the uproarious sound of Dana and Howie cheering at a particular play his team made late in the second half. Smiling softly, Alice tilted her head in the direction that the cheers were coming from and said, "Want to go see what they're hooting about?"
"We already know that," said Sharon wisely, lifting an eyebrow in a gesture of subtle humor Alice had seen Dana do time and time again. "All the same," she drawled in tones that were considerably warmer. "Why don't we go and see?"
"Just to be sure, right?" replied Alice wryly.
"Precisely that," said Sharon, chuckling at Alice and taking Irwin's hand as they walked out of the dining room and up the stairs. "What is it that Dana is always saying?"
"You play to be sure," Irwin said almost victoriously, allowing Alice to discover which parent Howie had learned that particular conversational tone from.
"I'm not sure that's it," mused Sharon, contemplating this.
"She likes to say it pays to be sure," Alice offered, shaking her head just slightly in a sign of bemused affection. "Like the deodorant commercials."
"Our daughter has been quoting deodorant commercials?" asked Irwin, blinking at this.
"For some strange reason, yeah," said Alice with a laugh. "And it's totally weird of her but I think it's cute for some reason. Probably because I find Dana cute but still," Alice shook her head again and shrugged her shoulders.
Standing back and watching as Alice knocked on Howie's door before he opened it to let her inside with a grin, Sharon and Irwin kept their focus on Dana. How her face lit up on seeing Alice, how she instinctively pressed close to Alice for physical contact, how the normally tense set of her shoulders magically relaxed the moment that Alice was near, and how all of these things along with so much more told them that their daughter had been speaking the truth. That she truly was in love with Alice and that she honestly did feel Alice was the reason she would find the strength to beat this disease and continue to live her life.
But not just live her life but to also enjoy living it. To love living it. And wasn't that something that should matter to them most of all as parents?
---
The beauty of freelance was that you never had to be anywhere and do anything that you didn't want to do. To go further, the beauty of doing freelance in the entertainment industry was that everyone knows everyone else's business. Normally that wouldn't be considered a good thing but with Alice's current circumstances this meant she could pick and choose her writing projects without having to explain the reasons behind it or even worrying about burning any bridges along the way. Which meant more time to devote herself to Dana.
Not that Dana needed constant care and since her conversation with Helena, the writer had been watching herself to make sure that she didn't repeat the same mistakes that had broken them apart. Alice didn't call to check up on Dana when she was out, she didn't follow her, and most of all she didn't bombard her with endless questions on where she was going, who she was seeing, and why she was leaving in the first place. When she felt the urge to do any of these things Alice would picture Dana in her mind, her face sweet and so wonderfully sincere as she said I love you. Then she would smile, hold Dana close, and kiss her goodbye.
Of course, she never said goodbye.
Stupid as it was, Alice avoided that word now. Since she had been told of Dana's illness it had taken on an entirely grim meaning and she didn't want to even think of saying that word to Dana. No matter if it was just to see the brunette off for the day. Because, after all, how did she know that? The horrible reality of this situation was that each moment with Dana could possibly be her last. Knowing this made Alice want to cling to the athlete all the more tightly.
It made her want to but she didn't. Because Alice knew clinging to Dana would only keep the other woman with her on a temporary basis. But if she let Dana go because she trusted her to come back, well, that would keep the tennis player with her for the long term. And that's what Alice wanted most of all. Dana with her always or at least for as long as humanly possible. For that to happen she needed to have faith in the trust they were slowly but surely rebuilding and not fall back into making the same mistakes of old.
At first they were so very cautious with one another and a horrible sense of hesitation was underlining everything they did. More than anything, they didn't want to hurt each other as they had done before and it seemed that thought would remain foremost in their minds. And that stifled the joy they felt at being together. Perhaps because you can hardly enjoy the good times if you're forever worrying about repeating the bad. This wasn't something they realized quickly but rather over the days turned into weeks of their reunion. Although the fact they spent so much time together did hurry this discovery along.
Things were getting better though, both in terms of Dana's health and their relationship. But the frustrating thing about cancer treatment, in Alice's opinion, was that the worse Dana appeared the more her doctors said it was working. Chemotherapy wasn't easy on the body and the writer didn't understand the technicalities of how it worked but to her it seemed a controlled and purposeful type of poisoning. Meaning it seemed to harm as much as it did good. But what stood out in her mind was the end result of the treatment. Dana alive and cancer free.
And that was what mattered.
Until that day and perhaps even beyond, Alice planned on making the most of every moment that they spent together. All the same, that didn't mean she didn't find herself bogged down in often tedious tasks of daily living. Such as cleaning the house. It was late in the afternoon and Alice had lost track of the time trying to clean Dana's living room which had become cluttered with the various cds, books, and movies she had brought over to share with the tennis player. Per usual, music was playing at a near deafening level in an attempt to keep her motivated in her work. Something that definitely succeeded as Alice was so involved in her cleaning that she failed to notice the front door opening and closing, signaling the athlete's arrival.
Leaning against the wall, arms casually folded over her chest, and a lopsided grin forming on her features, Dana watched Alice bounce around the room, placing books in their proper place while doing a dance and singing along to the music. Then the brunette pushed off the wall, still grinning as she added her voice to the song, "Cause all I ask is for instant pleasure." Alice started to turn around but Dana moved with practiced ease, sliding into place to stand behind her, hands pressing lightly onto the blonde's hips. Swaying to the music, Dana ducked her head down to murmur in Alice's ear, "How could that speed be where you want to be?"
"I think you know this song better than me," said Alice with a fond chuckle, tipping her head back and leaning into the tennis player as she wore a contented smile.
"What can I say?" Dana drawled in husky tones, a smile in her voice as she kissed the line of Alice's neck and moved her hands upwards. Slipping underneath the writer's shirt to caress the pale skin of her abdomen, delighting in its warmth. "I do like instant pleasure."
"You're bad," Alice accused, her body already humming with anticipation and her words helped to accent that. Not that Dana couldn't feel for herself, hands lying flat but steady and sure on the blonde's trembling skin. Moving up to unbutton the front of Alice's shirt while her mouth edged closer to full lips, parting with a sigh as the writer quivered ever so slightly when Dana's hand fell to her left breast. "No," she breathed, tones low and full of desire and a sweet determination, her hands covering the athlete's gentle but firm in their grip. "I want to see you." In a smooth motion she escaped from Dana's arms, turning to face the other woman, closing the distance between them to meet their lips for a hungry kiss. "And I want you to see me."
"I only see you," revealed Dana in a hoarse confession, tangling her fingers into blonde hair and pulling Alice close. Opening her up with a growl of desire rising in her throat and unable to help herself from grinning at the unspoken yelp as she gave into her naughtier impulses and squeezed the writer's ass when their kiss deepened. Chuckling when they parted, Dana kept her hands in place and once again began to sway to the music. "Lets dance," she said, lifting an eyebrow in playful suggestion, blue eyes twinkling. "What do you say, Al?"
Chuckling softly, Alice moved in perfect time with both Dana and the music, sliding her body enticingly close and pressing her lips to the hard line of the athlete's jaw. Tasting tanned skin and murmuring, "I say that I love dancing with you. But I also say that I love doing some other things with you more." Her hands left a whisper light trail down Dana's chest, popping buttons as she went until the tennis player's shirt was hanging open. Nails that were grown out but just hardly scratched a path that was unseen to the naked eye but the sensation was something that Dana knew she would always remember. Pushing the athlete's shirt off and onto the floor, Alice hastily removed hers as well and when she returned to press close in their dance, they sighed at the feel of skin on skin. Swaying side to side, she whispered into Dana's ear and echoed the lyrics that continued to play, "What you thinkin' anyways?"
"I just want you to love me," breathed Dana in a reply, moving to put them cheek to cheek, feeling the heat of Alice's skin against hers and delighting in the wordless moan that greeted her words and the path of her lips. Sudden and sure, she captured the writer's mouth with her own, sucking long and hard and sweet on her tongue and sliding down to once again palm Alice's ass in her hands, lifting her up and into their embrace. Dana wanted to enhance everything they were experiencing, the touch, the sound, the smell, and the memory. She wanted it burned forever into their minds for a perfect recollection so they could hold it close always. Lips met again and again in kiss after kiss, while Dana's fingers fumbled with the button then the zipper to Alice's pants. Finally succeeding with both, pulling them open and then tugging them down so she could slide her hand under the cool black silk of her panties. "It's all I've ever wanted."
And Dana's fingers were playing at the outside of her pussy, slipping inside the folds to press against her aroused clit only to then pull away as the athlete tasted the salt of her skin, licking up the curve of her neck. Her breath was hot and tickled the blonde's skin, making her quiver into Dana when the other woman tugged her closer yet. Fitting them together with excruciating precision, setting them up as pieces of the same missing puzzle, the rough jean of Dana's leg coming in wonderfully hard contact when she strained up and into the writer. Unable to help herself, Alice found herself grinding against the athlete, wanting that harsh and delightful pressure and needing Dana to be the one to give it to her.
"Please," Alice gasped the word more than said it, her brown eyes wild and dark with desire. Thrusting into the tennis player, the palm of her hand lay flat against the side of Dana's face to hold her head still so their eyes could finally meet. When they did, the writer found herself swallowing hard at the power contained in that gaze. The lust that she saw there seemed to be boiling over with intensity and it frightened but excited her as well and made her wet, god, so fucking wet for Dana and this was all she wanted. Straining into the athlete, kissing her fierce and hard and greedy, finally taking what she wanted, what she needed, for her own, Alice managed to plea in an animalistic growl, "Fuck me."
What else could Dana do but comply?
Her actions were smooth and elegant in their precision, reaching down to grasp Alice's right leg, hiking it up to lift and wrap around her waist, locking them in their tight embrace. Lips burning a path on the pale neck, biting and licking and sucking as her hand slid down again, returning to their place of old, delighting in the heat that greeted her. Proof that Alice wanted her, glorious tangible reassurance that this woman was hers. That she loved her, wanted her, and needed her. Yes, Alice needed Dana. She needed her to fuck her long and hard and without mercy and that's exactly the athlete was going to do.
One finger then two then three and finally four, sliding inside of her, stretching her open and thrusting deep. Endless kisses, sucking on her tongue, tasting the chocolate and the caramel of soda that the writer couldn't seem to lose her fondness for. Devouring everything that Alice was and wanting even more, brushing her thumb light then hard over her clit, rejoicing in the way it throbbed and pulsed under her touch. The faint sound of the music continuing to play, the soft gasps and the suddenly loud moans the writer released, and the rough brush of friction as the threads of their clothing rubbed together. Dana burned all of this into her mind, every single thing evidence of their love and her purpose. That she had a reason for being here, a reason for being born, a reason for living, a reason for wanting to go on.
To love and be loved.
The leg around her waist tightened and Dana couldn't stop herself from smiling in satisfaction at the sensation of Alice squeezing her fingers tight as she came. Like countless times before, the orgasm hit the blonde strong and fast, washing over her in a wave and happily offering a complete surrender to Dana in the process. She knew it scared the athlete, to lose herself that much in another person that nothing else seemed to matter but something in Alice hungered for it. The idea that everything failed to exist except one another when they made love was what she adored more than anything else. Creating a place that was for them alone, where no one else could reach them and the outside world and all of its pain didn't even begin to find a way of being. This was just about them.
Though it seemed far away, as if in some magical distance, Alice somehow recognized the voice of Rufus Wainwright fading into the mesmerizing and haunting sounds of Aqualung. When she finally settled down and her body managed to stop trembling from the orgasm, Alice's leg lowered and she groaned as Dana's fingers slid out, leaving an emptiness that she immediately wanted to fill. But more than that she wanted to make the tennis player feel as she had. She wanted to feel her tremble with desire, moan from lust, and most of all she wanted to do whatever it was that Dana asked of her. That was what she had done, she voiced her wish, and it was instantly answered. Now this was her chance to do the same and Alice could scarcely believe how desperately she wanted to reciprocate. Just the idea of making Dana feel as she had was turning her on more than having her own desires fulfilled.
"Dana," Alice whispered her name with a sweet and enthralling lilt. Her breath was light on the athlete's skin and she smiled at the way the tanned throat jumped in front of her. Leaving a path of soft kisses, reverent and worshipful, she murmured into that skin, "Tell me what you want." The only thing she received was a shudder and a gasp, smiling at this and threading her fingers into wavy brown hair, Alice moved to murmur into the tennis player's ear after giving it a playful tug, "Because I'll do it, baby. Whatever you want, no matter what it is, I'll do it."
A shiver running down her spine at the way the blonde said this, Dana almost seemed to whimper in reply, "Alice." Gasping and arching up at the slow exploration of the writer's hands over her body, Dana couldn't seem to believe this was really happening. That Alice could still want her this much after all that had happened between them, that she would want to please her after what she had done. Abandoning her when she needed her the most, when she was more vulnerable than she had ever been, and scared. God, she had known how scared Alice had been back then and she did nothing. She ignored it and now she was just as scared. This disease and its treatment was having a horrible effect on her body. One that she couldn't stop herself from fixating on. After all, she was an athlete and her body was her temple. It was her business and it was her life and it was what made her feel good about herself. That she could use it and make it do things that other people could only dream of but all of that was becoming like some terrible distant dream. Her body wasn't doing what it should, in fact, it was rebelling against her. There was this sickness in it and she couldn't fight it on her own. No, she needed the doctors and the hospital and the operation and the chemotherapy and the drugs. Dana once felt like her body was what she had going for her. That special thing that made her stand out. More and more she realized it was gone and that wasn't true anymore. And she didn’t want to realize that, she didn't want it to be gone, she wanted those days to come back when she wasn't tired all the time, when she didn't feel nauseas more often than not, and when she didn't have dizzy spells when she stood up. Dana wanted just so many things so very much that she didn't know what to ask for or how to even begin to ask for it. Sobbing at this, she clung to Alice and said in a husky plea, "Make me feel like I used to."
Cradling the athlete's face in her hands and wiping away the tears as they began to fall, Alice knew exactly what Dana was asking for and what she really wanted. For that hesitation to leave, that split second of recognition she would have when she looked at the tennis player's body and took in the evidence of the ravages of cancer and treated Dana differently because of it. Purposefully making her touches more tender and pausing to stop and think, would this leave a bruise? Would this make her ache? Would she end up resenting her for touching her in such a way? Dana wanted that gone, over and done with, she wanted Alice to see her as she had before. With the eyes of a lover, ardent and hot in their desire, nothing present in their mind other than creating pleasure in and taking pleasure of the body lying in front of them.
"Whatever you want," Alice murmured softly into Dana's ear, trailing her lips carefully over the planes of the athlete's face. Tasting her tears before she met their lips in a fierce kiss, her tongue demanding entrance into Dana's mouth, sucking long and hard, taking and taking until it seemed to the brunette there was nothing left to take. Nothing in her that Alice couldn't have already tasted but the kisses continued on, they would part with a short panting breaths then the writer would return, tilting her head at a different angle and nipping at her lips, teasing and joyfully playful, and Dana found herself laughing into the kisses. Laughing and sobbing with relief because this was how it once had been. No worries and no thinking and no hesitation, instead it was happiness and it was impulse and it was determination. Knowing what she wanted, what Dana wanted, and making it their own. Her hands steady at the tennis player's hips, Alice led them towards the couch, her kisses continuing all the while. When they stopped in their walk, she pulled her mouth from Dana's with a loud gasp then dropped her head to suck on the athlete's neck as her hands slid down to unbutton her jeans. "I want to feel you naked against me," she breathed and there was a pause and for a moment Dana squeezed her eyes shut. Sure that now it was over, that they had managed to suspend reality for as long as they were able, and Alice would once again ask her if this was okay and if it was what she really wanted. But instead she heard the tell tale sound of her bra unsnapping and the feel of Alice's lips curving against her skin in a smile. Then she felt the warm breath of the blonde as she chuckled and slid down her body, kissing her chest, pulling the bra off as she sank to her knees and focused on removing Dana's jeans. Pulling them down with her panties in a hard tug, tossing them aside with her shoes and socks, then pushing her onto the cushions of the couch. Slipping her leg in between the athlete's to grind against her and smirking at the low moan she received at this, Alice captured Dana's lips in her own. Once again sucking on the brunette's tongue long and luxurious and lazy, pulling away with an audible groan of disappointment from the other woman. "Strip me," she ordered.
Suddenly she pulled away, to sit back on her legs. Alice was waiting for her, perched and perfectly prim in her body language while she lifted an eyebrow in a silent but very obvious demand. A matching smirk forming on her features, Dana shook her head and chuckled, wrapping her arms around the blonde, pressing their bodies close as she unhooked her bra and slid her hands down to once again slip under the writer's pants, palming her ass in her hands. Pinching one cheek and bursting into laughter when Alice yelped then gave her a harmless whap to the shoulder. "Stand up," Dana drawled, pressing a lingering kiss onto the side of the blonde's face, stepping off the couch and holding her hand out to Alice. The writer stared at her for a moment then formed a beautiful smile, glittering and nearly blinding in its happiness, and stood in front of Dana. Chest bare, pants unbuttoned, hair a glorious mess, mind and body unabashedly on display. "I love you," Dana breathed, taking the nipple of the right breast into her mouth, sucking on it soft then hard, to then release and kiss the underside of the breast as she fell to her knees. Moving from the right breast to the left, coveting the feel of quivering and pale skin, jumping at her every attention. The last of Alice's clothing slid off her body with wonderful ease and rising to her feet, trying to ignore how she suddenly felt light headed, Dana sighed at the sensation of finally having skin against skin. "Whatever I want, right?" she teased, meeting Alice's lips for a kiss and smiling into her when they parted.
"Whatever you want," Alice agreed with a nod of her head, matching the athlete's smile and returning the kiss with one then two and three of her own that were short but fervent in the love and joy they reflected. "All you have to do is tell me."
Gazing at Alice for a long while, Dana smiled slow and sweet, brushing away a lock of blonde hair from brown eyes before she leaned forward, her body unconsciously trembling as she said in a husky murmur, "I want you to do what I did."
"What you did," Alice echoed the words and didn't question them. She knew precisely what the tennis player wanted but at the same time something in her told her it would be for the best if Dana actually said it herself, instead of hinting at it. Because that was what they had been doing and that was what made them strangely unhappy. That hesitation, that separation, that part of them that was scared to share and to say those words. If they were to truly be together they couldn't continue such things, they had to destroy them, and wipe them from existence. "I know what you want but could you still tell me, baby? I'd like to hear you say the words."
Silence except for the song that continued to play and then Alice felt Dana's fingers tangling in her hair. Pulling back and holding her in place for hot lips crashing against hers, over and over again, taking everything they wanted and coming back for more. Pausing only so Dana could say in a throaty demand, "I want you to fuck me." Then she was kissing her again, deep and endless, moaning into Alice when the blonde led her back to the couch, pushing her onto it as they sank together, skin losing itself against skin. "Please, Alice," she gasped when the writer wrenched her lips away, sucking at her neck before she traveled down her body with skilled hands teasing her along the way. "That's what I want. You fucking me."
"Whatever you want," said Alice yet again, the words ferocious and almost frightening in their promise as she rose up to take Dana's lips in her own. Her hands moved down confident and certain in their task, fingers opening the lips of the athlete's pussy, and she growled into Dana's kiss at the soaking wet desire she felt there. Barely believing at how much the other woman really did want her but reveling in it. That she could make someone feel so much, want her so much, and feeling this uncontrolled compulsion to cause that again and again. Slipping a single finger inside, Alice parted her lips from the tennis player's, breathing against her, "Do you like that?" A moan greeted her words and Alice chuckled at the hard thrust as Dana bucked up into her, clearly wanting more. "Don't worry, baby," Alice promised, her voice nothing but a low rumble of desire. "I'll take care of you." Adding another finger and dropping her head to nip at the brunette's neck, chuckling when Dana tossed her head back in response.
Her fingers seeming more like claws, Dana buried them into Alice's messy blonde locks to tug her head back, meeting their eyes. "I don't want you to take care of me." Deciding to emphasize her words with action, she bucked up and into the blonde, reaching down to cover Alice's hand with her own, to encourage added fingers and friction. "I want you to fuck me." Rising up to meet their lips in a kiss that seemed to leave them devouring one another more than anything else, Dana finished hoarsely, "Now do what I want."
That was what this was all about, after all. What they wanted, Alice and Dana, wanting to be with each other, wanting to kiss, wanting to touch, wanting and wanting until it seemed as if it didn't have any end. Not that they minded. For this to go on forever was the tennis player's idea of perfection, for Alice to keep thrusting into her long and deep and knowing, just knowing all the right places to touch and reach inside of her. The perfect way to kiss her, soft but strong and sweet, then the perfect pressure to place on her clit alternating and teasing and toying, but somehow managing to keep the thrusts fierce and steady into her. Adding fingers until they stretched her wide but not too wide but enough that Dana gasped and she shuddered at the sensations. Fingers raking down Alice's back and she knew they would leave marks but she couldn't make herself care. The only thing that mattered was getting the writer to thrust further and harder and longer and gasping again as those fingers curled upwards and inside of her while Alice's thumb brushed against her clit Dana knew she had gotten what she wanted.
They sank together, a tangle of limbs, feeling as if their bodies had somehow managed to combine into one. A groan escaped Dana's lips when Alice's fingers slipped from her pussy but she sighed in satisfaction and pleasure. Smiling as the writer snuggled close, resting her head underneath the athlete's chin. Several moments passed, Alice resting into Dana and Dana combing her fingers through messy blonde hair. And then the tennis player spoke, her voice laced with affection as she said in a comical and bossy imitation, "Strip me."
"Dana!" exclaimed Alice, sounding offended and poking the tennis player in the side. When the other woman released a few playful shrieks at this, Alice grinned in triumph, tickling Dana while she declared, "We don’t make jokes about sex talk! It's rude!"
"We don't?" gasped Dana through her laughter and though she kept losing the battle in terms of fighting off Alice's tickling fingers, she still felt the urge to antagonize. Which is why after a particularly loud laugh, she wheezed past her chuckles and asked with clearly a very facetious innocence, "But I never heard you say the words."
Scowling at this, Alice gave up on tickling as punishment, holding Dana's face in her hands, and resting their foreheads together as she said with fond aggravation, "You're a brat."
"Yeah," Dana agreed with a smile and a chuckle, taking Alice's lips in her own for a kiss that was slow and thorough, taking the time to touch and taste and travel. When they separated, her smile remained and lightly caressing Alice's face with the pads of her fingers, she murmured, "I am a brat but it doesn't matter. Because you love me anyway."
"No matter what," Alice replied, matching both the smile and sentiment.
Onto Part 3 (Third Section)...
One of the most difficult tasks in building a lasting relationship is the one most often disregarded because it's the focus of so many bad comedy acts. What is it? Nothing except dealing with and trying to win over the parents of the person you love. Because unless you're involved with someone grown in a test tube and raised by monkeys in the wild there is some parental figure in everyone's life. Some had ones far better than others but everyone did have them if you looked hard enough. Alice didn't have much in that department and what she did have was almost entirely defective in terms of genuinely caring about her and her feelings.
But Dana? She was the exact opposite.
Her parents did care for her and love her and while it had taken quite some time for them to accept both of their children's sexuality they had done it because they loved them. Even if they didn't agree and there was that ingrained Republican portion of their brain that said their children were making the wrong choice they kept the opinion to themselves. Because they knew their children and their children knew them. There was no way that Howie and Dana didn't know their opinions on homosexuality and that was enough. They didn't need to pound it into them over and over because they also knew it wouldn't make much if any difference. One of the things that made them proud as parents is that they had taught Dana and Howie the ability to make up their own minds. To decide what they thought of the world in general and since they had taught this lesson well they knew any attempts to change their minds would be futile. And so they accepted that both their children were gay and effectively ended that line of conversation. Which was fine with Howie and Dana because this was how they were raised. Their family didn't tend to do the feel good heartwarming cliche of sharing their feelings as they sat in a hug circle or something. That wasn't who they were and both of the Fairbanks children knew that if they had been straight instead of gay that they still wouldn't be talking with their parents about their love lives. So taking that into consideration, it wasn't really as if being gay had changed anything in how their parents treated their romantic choices.
Some would argue and say that by not talking they were simply avoiding the issue and therefore nothing had been truly accepted at all. To that Dana and Howie would argue how they didn't know their parents. In their household a lack of discussion on a topic once it had been brought up signaled support for whatever was said. For instance, if Sharon came home wearing a new blouse and Howie said it looked good on her at the kitchen table after Dana and Irwin agreed nothing more would be said on it because that was that. Sharon looked good in the blouse and they had all told her this so what more needed to be said? And they had spoken to their children and said that while they wouldn't have chosen this kind of life for them it didn't change how they loved them both very much and always would. Once that had been said no one in the Fairbanks family thought more on the issue. They had voiced their thoughts on the matter and Dana and Howie had voiced theirs in return and that was that.
Neat and simple and logical and yet it was filled with a simple unwavering type of love and loyalty that Alice and a sad amount of the populous could never imagine. The kind of love that negates any differences you have because in the end they knew that didn't matter. But the fact that they were a family who supported and loved one another did.
Something about that intimidated Alice. Maybe it was the knowledge that Dana's family would always be important to her. That what they thought mattered and could effect the athlete's decisions on countless things from her personal life to what she wanted to do professionally in the future. Trying to get Dana's family to like her and approve of her before had been hard enough but Alice had managed to do a decent job of it.
But now?
She wasn't sure getting them to like her was even something feasible. Frankly, Alice would quite happily settle for just getting them to put up with her and to not manage to make Dana feel chastised whenever she appeared somewhere with the blonde.
Still, there was that ever present fear that they wouldn't be content with just that. That they would point out to Dana everything that had happened with their break up. Her insane behavior with the stalking, phone calls, and the on air rants. Perhaps that they would begin a steady assault of comments reminding Dana why it would be best if Alice was out of her life for good and knowing how much family meant to Dana, the writer wondered if that was something she could fight against. Or something she even wanted to fight against. Certainly her family would be correct in everything they said, with the exception of her ever acting like that again.
Although as much as Alice hated it, she couldn't exactly say that either. Of course she didn't ever want to act that way again, especially towards Dana but ever since their break up and her break down she didn't have that same level of self confidence. Alice used to think she knew herself fairly well and that she was honest with herself about all of her insecurities, foibles, and just plain faults. But what happened with Dana made it entirely clear that wasn't the case. Because she never knew it was in her to be that way, to behave in such a manner, but it was. It was in her and there wasn't anything she could do to argue against it. The proof was more than evident through her actions and they couldn't ever be denied.
Was not wanting to act a certain way enough? Maybe or maybe not, Alice didn't really know. The only thing that she did know was that she didn't want to give up this chance to be with Dana again. There were no guarantees in life and Alice was through wasting time and playing games. Which is why she gathered up every last bit of courage in her and tried to have a quiet inward bravado as she held Dana's hand while the athlete knocked on her parents door.
Pausing as she lifted up her hand, Dana turned to the blonde and smiled softly on seeing Alice biting on her bottom lip as she seemed to shrink inside of the white button up shirt she had on. It was one of the odd habits that the writer had which managed to charm Dana over the years, this strange ability to hide in her clothing, making her look painfully beautiful in her youth and vulnerability. Something that struck the tennis player as almost wrong in a way. How was it that Alice could be in her thirties and look younger than people in their twenties?
That was Alice though. And that was just one of the many things that Dana loved about her. Smiling as she thought of this, Dana caressed the blonde's cheek and leaned in for a kiss as she murmured, "Don't be scared. It's just my parents."
"That's why I'm scared," said Alice wryly, resting her head on Dana's shoulder. Nuzzling against the soft feel of the cashmere sweater the athlete had borrowed from her. Because of the way she easily bruised and the decrease in her weight, Dana had taken to wearing long sleeved shirts. The sweater was something that Alice had in the back of her closet for years and never tended to wear that often. Knowing that the tennis player delighted in soft fabrics, she brought it over and was immediately rewarded with a kiss and the declaration that the brunette was wearing it to her parents house. She stayed there for a moment then sighed and pressed a tender kiss to the athlete's neck. "Lets go," she said, leaving yet another kiss to the tanned skin that was slowly becoming more pale. "I want to do this. They need to know I'm not going anywhere. That I'm going to be around for as long as you want me."
"It's for a long time," said Dana in solemn tones, stroking Alice's cheek and smiling in gentle reassurance. More and more she found herself less frightened of this disease and the outcome in fighting it just because she knew Alice would be there with her. Somehow the idea she couldn't win, that she wouldn't survive this and go on to the have the life she wanted wasn't entering her mind nearly as much as it used to. Just because now she had something to fight for. She had her future in her hands right now with Alice. And she would be damned if she would lose it just as she managed to get it back. "It's for forever."
"For forever?" Alice teased softly, chuckling and rising up to capture Dana's lips for a lingering kiss, smiling into it and holding the tennis player close. "That's not correct grammar."
"I don't care," mumbled Dana through their kisses, forming a rather obstinate but adorable frown that caused the writer to chuckle some more. Deepening their kisses, sucking slow and long on Alice's tongue only to tilt her head back when the blonde moved to kiss and suck the curve of her neck and she said in a gasp, "It's the truth."
There was the sound of the wind and blowing leaves then Dana felt Alice's breath, warm on her skin and then the feather light touch of her lips as she said in a bare whisper, "I love you."
"I love you too," murmured Dana, her voice cracking slightly. She tightened the embrace, burying her face in Alice's neck and shakily breathing in her scent. "I love you so much."
It was then that Howie chose to announce his presence by remarking in a sardonic drawl, "I should film you guys and send it into Leztime so they can make a movie of the week."
Groaning at the interruption, Dana looked at her little brother with a peevish expression and said, "You mean Lifetime. And I doubt that they would want to make a movie of the week about me and Al. We're not exactly Tom Selleck housewife material."
"I didn't say Lifetime, I said Leztime," said Howie in triumphant tones, grinning widely. "Before you ask, Leztime is the name of my fictional, though still atrociously bad, television network for lesbians. And they would make you two into a movie of the week like that," Howie snapped his fingers for emphasis and nodded his head in a strangely smug gesture.
"Do you think I could be one of their entertainment reporters?" asked Alice, forming an overly hopeful expression as she returned Howie's grin and wound her arm around Dana's waist. "I always wanted to be on ET. At least after John Tesh left." Forming a comically suspicious and secretive expression, Alice leaned towards Howie and said, "He's an alien."
"From Canada?" asked Howie rather drolly.
"From outer space," corrected Alice solemnly, nodding her head in a grave manner that had Howie looking at her like she had gone insane. Which was something up for debate since she was discussing the fact that a large headed blonde entertainment reporter was actually a space alien. There was a few more moments of grim silence then Alice grinned as Dana poked her in the side. "What?" she drew the word out playfully.
"She's joking Howie," said Dana, rolling her eyes, and fighting a sudden shiver. Sliding her hands underneath the sleeves of her sweater, she smiled at Alice who immediately reached over to rub her arms, gently warming her up. "I remember her showing me this weird website a few years ago that was dedicated to the bizarre theory John Tesh is from outer space because he was on Entertainment Tonight otherwise known as ET which also means Extraterrestrial and because his music is just really weird and inhuman sounding."
"I own his greatest hits album," said Alice, sounding proud of this fact. Grinning up at Dana as she continued to rub the athlete's arms who raised an eyebrow at the mischievous look the blonde had on her features. "Forever More."
"Is that correct grammar?" Dana teased, tucking a stray lock of blonde hair behind Alice's ear, the shiver slowly easing away thanks to the writer's attention. "Something tells me that it isn't."
"Something is listening to me rant about the incorrect grammar when I'm forced to look after the interns at the magazine," said Alice, rolling her eyes and running her hands down Dana's arms one last time, satisfied when she saw that the tennis player was no longer suffering from subtle trembling. Part of her wanted to suggest they immediately go inside but she knew that the tennis player was enjoying this time alone with her brother. Besides, she had utmost faith the Fairbanks parents would announce their presence soon. So entwining their fingers, she looked to Howie and scoffed lightly as she said, "I never read the Baby Sitters Club so I never got a fucked up vicarious thrill out of having that particular job assignment. The life of a professional grammar Nazi isn't an easy or enjoyable one."
"Dane read those books," informed Howie with a knowing smirk. "She had a crush on Stacey."
"Howie!" exclaimed Dana, turning red and trying to punch her brother in the arm. She found herself becoming dizzy as she made this attempt, joking as it was, and soon gave up in the middle of her motion though her younger sibling didn't seem to notice, chuckling as he jumped out of the way.
"Oh yeah?" asked Alice, faking sudden interest because she had noticed the groggy way Dana was moving and knew full well what was the cause. And that the last thing the athlete wanted was for her to acknowledge it, especially in front of her baby brother. "And what was this Stacey like?"
"She was from New Jersey and moved to Stonerville. I think her huge character trait was wearing slutty clothing. And she totally had something going on with the Asian one," Howie revealed over dramatically, making everything he said sound utterly scandalous.
"She was from New York City and she moved to Stoneybrook and she didn't dress slutty! Stacey just wore different types of clothes but yes, there totally was something going on with her and Claudia," said Dana emphatically, raising an eyebrow as if daring Howie to try and dispute what she had just said. Howie didn't try to dispute though. He just shook his head and fondly accused his sister of being a nerd.
Which was right about the time that the front door opened and Irwin appeared, a slight frown on his features as he pointed what was meant to be a stern finger at Howie. It couldn't be considered all that stern since Howie didn't look at all scared of his father and was grinning largely at him. "Don't call your sister names," Irwin ordered.
"Daddy's Little Girl," Howie sing songed, dodging the absent whap of Alice and grinning at the glare that Irwin was shooting his way as he walked inside the house with Dana and Alice. "But nobody loves the young Howard."
"Perhaps if the young Howard would clean his room more than once every six months and wouldn't play his rap music at an ear splitting decibel people would love him," said Sharon wearing a droll expression to match her voice while she walked downstairs and towards the group. Upon seeing Dana she formed a soft but genuine smile of happiness and opened up her arms for a hug as she neared. Wrapping her daughter up in her arms, she murmured, "I thought you would never get here, sweetheart. Your father and I were about to call."
"She was making out with Alice on the porch," announced Howie in very self satisfied tones. When four heads turned to glare at him in perfect synchronization he wore a wounded look and pressed a hand to his chest. "What? I'm just reporting things. I'm not actually doing them."
Ignoring this, Sharon cleared her throat and focused on Dana, tenderly holding her daughter's chin in the palm of her hand. "Are you hungry?" she questioned. "I've had Marta make all your favorites."
"All of them?" asked Dana with a teasing smile and laugh.
"All of them," said Sharon proudly, her eyes gleaming as she fingered a lock of wavy brown hair that escaped from behind Dana's ear. "Roast turkey, made from scratch stuffing, scallion potatoes, and apple maple cream pie. Made with Golden Delicious, not Gala apples."
"What's your deal with Gala apples anyway, big sis?" called Howie from where he sat at the bottom of the stairs. "I never got your problem with them. I think they taste good."
"They're tiny! And they're not red or yellow or even green. They're a freakish color mixture of red and yellow. How can you like a fruit that doesn't have a definitive color?" Dana exclaimed, waving her hands around but allowing Sharon to lead her into the dining room as Alice followed close behind. "It's not right. Besides, Golden Delicious are the best kind of apples. They're sweet but not too sweet and they're not bitter in taste. Bitter apples are the worst."
"But I like Granny Smith apples," said Irwin, frowning slightly and trailing along.
"You're the only one, Dad," said Howie with a chuckle, pushing off the steps to walk after his family. "Didn't you ever wonder why the members of your notoriously food stealing clan never tried to steal any of your apples? It's because you're the lone maverick who likes their bitterly bitter taste."
"I thought it was out of fatherly respect," Irwin remarked, still sounding confused.
On hearing this, the three other Fairbanks burst into affectionate laughter and began discussing the time they had gone apple picking and Irwin unknowingly offered them some of his granny smith apples to eat and couldn't understand when they wouldn't take one.
Dinner was pleasant and meandering, their conversation was peppered with countless family memories and anecdotes. Everyone present seeming to want to focus on the good in their times together and none wanting to even begin to contemplate that because of Dana's illness they might not have more of those good times to talk about.
It was when the last of the apple pie had been eaten and Howie asked if Dana would watch part of the video from his latest soccer game that the moment Alice had been waiting for since their arrival finally occurred. Dana looked over at the blonde with worried eyes and she smiled quietly, squeezing her hand and kissing her cheek as she murmured in the tennis player's ear to go on. To keep her brother company and not to worry about her. That she had to do this sooner or later and she thought sooner was far better than later for everyone involved.
All three of them remained absolutely silent until they heard the sound of Howie and Dana reaching the top of the stairs and the door to his room opening and then closing. After that, it was only Alice who remained silent, her hands folded and perched in her lap, biting down lightly on her bottom lip, feeling like an elementary student about to be punished by school authorities and hating herself for feeling that way even though she thought it was entirely deserved. What she had done to Dana, the way she had acted, it deserved punishment and in Alice's opinion she hadn't really gotten any because of how fucking sweet and kind and goddamn forgiving Dana was. And while the writer knew those traits were all things that the athlete had learned from her parents she also knew by looking at them right now they didn't share them. At least, in regards to Alice herself. Why should they share them? Alice hurt their first born child, their only daughter, and in their eyes she never properly explained or apologized for this. Then suddenly, after all of this horrible behavior she was magically back in Dana's life when was going through the most terrible and painful thing imaginable. Fighting against her own mortality, battling disease and death and putting on a stupendously brave face while doing so.
"Dana told us she was still in love with you the day of the press conference," Irwin stated quietly, putting an end to the silence and looking at Alice with veiled eyes.
"She did?" asked Alice in a stunned whisper.
"I told her that she was foolish to care for you in that way," responded Sharon, appearing completely unwilling to give the blonde an answer to her question and eyeing her husband in a way that requested he follow her lead. "That what you had done when your relationship ended proved you to be untrustworthy and entirely unstable. I told her that there was no way to know that you wouldn't repeat that behavior should you find your relationship once again in tatters." Sharon then looked off to one side, visibly swallowing and only looking back when she felt the reassuring pressure of Irwin holding her hand in his own. Turning to her husband with a weak smile, Sharon focused back on Alice and said, "She said that wouldn't happen and even if it did, it didn't matter because she didn't think she could do this without you. That if we wanted her to survive this cancer and to be well again we would have to accept you in her life because you were the only thing that gave her the strength to think that she could win."
Alice didn't reply, mostly because she couldn't reply. Hearing the things that Dana would say about her, about them, always stunned her in such a very emotional way. When Dana spoke on her feelings there was such a fucking simple but intense power behind her words and they never failed to wipe away any doubts Alice had about them, about her, and about Dana's feelings in regards to both. There was a steadfast sincerity in the tennis player. So many things in the world were false or contrived but Dana was almost painfully honest. If she loved you there was no way you could feel doubt over it because there was no possible way that she wouldn't let you know. But still, whenever she would hear others speak of what Dana had said about them, about their romance, Alice found herself struck by the words.
By Dana's love.
"Our daughter is in love with you," said Irwin again, leveling her with a solemn gaze that held Alice in its understated power. "And she's sick and she seems to think you're the thing that can help her to get well again. As her parents, no matter how much we despise how you treated her in the past, we can't possibly ignore that. Not when she's told us."
"We don't trust you," stated Sharon plainly, her voice cutting and her eyes studying Alice closely. "But we're willing to put that aside for Dana's sake. At least, until she is well again."
Dropping her head in a nod of acceptance and releasing a long and shuddering breath, Alice murmured, "Thank you." Lifting her head, she looked at them with an open expression that let them see every last emotion she was experiencing. The relief, the sadness, the fear, the self hatred, and the love. She let them see it all as she said, "I don't expect you to forgive me or to even stand me. Part of me still can't understand how Dana can do that. I think that maybe, in situations like this, words are a big fucking waste of time and energy and your actions are what really matter. I just hope that my actions through all of this will let you see that I really do love your daughter and I'm sorry for everything that I've done to her."
Sharon and Irwin stared at her for a long moment then Sharon's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and what looked to be a tiny glimmer of appreciation escaped as she said, "Perhaps we will."
Whatever they were going to say next was interrupted by the uproarious sound of Dana and Howie cheering at a particular play his team made late in the second half. Smiling softly, Alice tilted her head in the direction that the cheers were coming from and said, "Want to go see what they're hooting about?"
"We already know that," said Sharon wisely, lifting an eyebrow in a gesture of subtle humor Alice had seen Dana do time and time again. "All the same," she drawled in tones that were considerably warmer. "Why don't we go and see?"
"Just to be sure, right?" replied Alice wryly.
"Precisely that," said Sharon, chuckling at Alice and taking Irwin's hand as they walked out of the dining room and up the stairs. "What is it that Dana is always saying?"
"You play to be sure," Irwin said almost victoriously, allowing Alice to discover which parent Howie had learned that particular conversational tone from.
"I'm not sure that's it," mused Sharon, contemplating this.
"She likes to say it pays to be sure," Alice offered, shaking her head just slightly in a sign of bemused affection. "Like the deodorant commercials."
"Our daughter has been quoting deodorant commercials?" asked Irwin, blinking at this.
"For some strange reason, yeah," said Alice with a laugh. "And it's totally weird of her but I think it's cute for some reason. Probably because I find Dana cute but still," Alice shook her head again and shrugged her shoulders.
Standing back and watching as Alice knocked on Howie's door before he opened it to let her inside with a grin, Sharon and Irwin kept their focus on Dana. How her face lit up on seeing Alice, how she instinctively pressed close to Alice for physical contact, how the normally tense set of her shoulders magically relaxed the moment that Alice was near, and how all of these things along with so much more told them that their daughter had been speaking the truth. That she truly was in love with Alice and that she honestly did feel Alice was the reason she would find the strength to beat this disease and continue to live her life.
But not just live her life but to also enjoy living it. To love living it. And wasn't that something that should matter to them most of all as parents?
---
The beauty of freelance was that you never had to be anywhere and do anything that you didn't want to do. To go further, the beauty of doing freelance in the entertainment industry was that everyone knows everyone else's business. Normally that wouldn't be considered a good thing but with Alice's current circumstances this meant she could pick and choose her writing projects without having to explain the reasons behind it or even worrying about burning any bridges along the way. Which meant more time to devote herself to Dana.
Not that Dana needed constant care and since her conversation with Helena, the writer had been watching herself to make sure that she didn't repeat the same mistakes that had broken them apart. Alice didn't call to check up on Dana when she was out, she didn't follow her, and most of all she didn't bombard her with endless questions on where she was going, who she was seeing, and why she was leaving in the first place. When she felt the urge to do any of these things Alice would picture Dana in her mind, her face sweet and so wonderfully sincere as she said I love you. Then she would smile, hold Dana close, and kiss her goodbye.
Of course, she never said goodbye.
Stupid as it was, Alice avoided that word now. Since she had been told of Dana's illness it had taken on an entirely grim meaning and she didn't want to even think of saying that word to Dana. No matter if it was just to see the brunette off for the day. Because, after all, how did she know that? The horrible reality of this situation was that each moment with Dana could possibly be her last. Knowing this made Alice want to cling to the athlete all the more tightly.
It made her want to but she didn't. Because Alice knew clinging to Dana would only keep the other woman with her on a temporary basis. But if she let Dana go because she trusted her to come back, well, that would keep the tennis player with her for the long term. And that's what Alice wanted most of all. Dana with her always or at least for as long as humanly possible. For that to happen she needed to have faith in the trust they were slowly but surely rebuilding and not fall back into making the same mistakes of old.
At first they were so very cautious with one another and a horrible sense of hesitation was underlining everything they did. More than anything, they didn't want to hurt each other as they had done before and it seemed that thought would remain foremost in their minds. And that stifled the joy they felt at being together. Perhaps because you can hardly enjoy the good times if you're forever worrying about repeating the bad. This wasn't something they realized quickly but rather over the days turned into weeks of their reunion. Although the fact they spent so much time together did hurry this discovery along.
Things were getting better though, both in terms of Dana's health and their relationship. But the frustrating thing about cancer treatment, in Alice's opinion, was that the worse Dana appeared the more her doctors said it was working. Chemotherapy wasn't easy on the body and the writer didn't understand the technicalities of how it worked but to her it seemed a controlled and purposeful type of poisoning. Meaning it seemed to harm as much as it did good. But what stood out in her mind was the end result of the treatment. Dana alive and cancer free.
And that was what mattered.
Until that day and perhaps even beyond, Alice planned on making the most of every moment that they spent together. All the same, that didn't mean she didn't find herself bogged down in often tedious tasks of daily living. Such as cleaning the house. It was late in the afternoon and Alice had lost track of the time trying to clean Dana's living room which had become cluttered with the various cds, books, and movies she had brought over to share with the tennis player. Per usual, music was playing at a near deafening level in an attempt to keep her motivated in her work. Something that definitely succeeded as Alice was so involved in her cleaning that she failed to notice the front door opening and closing, signaling the athlete's arrival.
Leaning against the wall, arms casually folded over her chest, and a lopsided grin forming on her features, Dana watched Alice bounce around the room, placing books in their proper place while doing a dance and singing along to the music. Then the brunette pushed off the wall, still grinning as she added her voice to the song, "Cause all I ask is for instant pleasure." Alice started to turn around but Dana moved with practiced ease, sliding into place to stand behind her, hands pressing lightly onto the blonde's hips. Swaying to the music, Dana ducked her head down to murmur in Alice's ear, "How could that speed be where you want to be?"
"I think you know this song better than me," said Alice with a fond chuckle, tipping her head back and leaning into the tennis player as she wore a contented smile.
"What can I say?" Dana drawled in husky tones, a smile in her voice as she kissed the line of Alice's neck and moved her hands upwards. Slipping underneath the writer's shirt to caress the pale skin of her abdomen, delighting in its warmth. "I do like instant pleasure."
"You're bad," Alice accused, her body already humming with anticipation and her words helped to accent that. Not that Dana couldn't feel for herself, hands lying flat but steady and sure on the blonde's trembling skin. Moving up to unbutton the front of Alice's shirt while her mouth edged closer to full lips, parting with a sigh as the writer quivered ever so slightly when Dana's hand fell to her left breast. "No," she breathed, tones low and full of desire and a sweet determination, her hands covering the athlete's gentle but firm in their grip. "I want to see you." In a smooth motion she escaped from Dana's arms, turning to face the other woman, closing the distance between them to meet their lips for a hungry kiss. "And I want you to see me."
"I only see you," revealed Dana in a hoarse confession, tangling her fingers into blonde hair and pulling Alice close. Opening her up with a growl of desire rising in her throat and unable to help herself from grinning at the unspoken yelp as she gave into her naughtier impulses and squeezed the writer's ass when their kiss deepened. Chuckling when they parted, Dana kept her hands in place and once again began to sway to the music. "Lets dance," she said, lifting an eyebrow in playful suggestion, blue eyes twinkling. "What do you say, Al?"
Chuckling softly, Alice moved in perfect time with both Dana and the music, sliding her body enticingly close and pressing her lips to the hard line of the athlete's jaw. Tasting tanned skin and murmuring, "I say that I love dancing with you. But I also say that I love doing some other things with you more." Her hands left a whisper light trail down Dana's chest, popping buttons as she went until the tennis player's shirt was hanging open. Nails that were grown out but just hardly scratched a path that was unseen to the naked eye but the sensation was something that Dana knew she would always remember. Pushing the athlete's shirt off and onto the floor, Alice hastily removed hers as well and when she returned to press close in their dance, they sighed at the feel of skin on skin. Swaying side to side, she whispered into Dana's ear and echoed the lyrics that continued to play, "What you thinkin' anyways?"
"I just want you to love me," breathed Dana in a reply, moving to put them cheek to cheek, feeling the heat of Alice's skin against hers and delighting in the wordless moan that greeted her words and the path of her lips. Sudden and sure, she captured the writer's mouth with her own, sucking long and hard and sweet on her tongue and sliding down to once again palm Alice's ass in her hands, lifting her up and into their embrace. Dana wanted to enhance everything they were experiencing, the touch, the sound, the smell, and the memory. She wanted it burned forever into their minds for a perfect recollection so they could hold it close always. Lips met again and again in kiss after kiss, while Dana's fingers fumbled with the button then the zipper to Alice's pants. Finally succeeding with both, pulling them open and then tugging them down so she could slide her hand under the cool black silk of her panties. "It's all I've ever wanted."
And Dana's fingers were playing at the outside of her pussy, slipping inside the folds to press against her aroused clit only to then pull away as the athlete tasted the salt of her skin, licking up the curve of her neck. Her breath was hot and tickled the blonde's skin, making her quiver into Dana when the other woman tugged her closer yet. Fitting them together with excruciating precision, setting them up as pieces of the same missing puzzle, the rough jean of Dana's leg coming in wonderfully hard contact when she strained up and into the writer. Unable to help herself, Alice found herself grinding against the athlete, wanting that harsh and delightful pressure and needing Dana to be the one to give it to her.
"Please," Alice gasped the word more than said it, her brown eyes wild and dark with desire. Thrusting into the tennis player, the palm of her hand lay flat against the side of Dana's face to hold her head still so their eyes could finally meet. When they did, the writer found herself swallowing hard at the power contained in that gaze. The lust that she saw there seemed to be boiling over with intensity and it frightened but excited her as well and made her wet, god, so fucking wet for Dana and this was all she wanted. Straining into the athlete, kissing her fierce and hard and greedy, finally taking what she wanted, what she needed, for her own, Alice managed to plea in an animalistic growl, "Fuck me."
What else could Dana do but comply?
Her actions were smooth and elegant in their precision, reaching down to grasp Alice's right leg, hiking it up to lift and wrap around her waist, locking them in their tight embrace. Lips burning a path on the pale neck, biting and licking and sucking as her hand slid down again, returning to their place of old, delighting in the heat that greeted her. Proof that Alice wanted her, glorious tangible reassurance that this woman was hers. That she loved her, wanted her, and needed her. Yes, Alice needed Dana. She needed her to fuck her long and hard and without mercy and that's exactly the athlete was going to do.
One finger then two then three and finally four, sliding inside of her, stretching her open and thrusting deep. Endless kisses, sucking on her tongue, tasting the chocolate and the caramel of soda that the writer couldn't seem to lose her fondness for. Devouring everything that Alice was and wanting even more, brushing her thumb light then hard over her clit, rejoicing in the way it throbbed and pulsed under her touch. The faint sound of the music continuing to play, the soft gasps and the suddenly loud moans the writer released, and the rough brush of friction as the threads of their clothing rubbed together. Dana burned all of this into her mind, every single thing evidence of their love and her purpose. That she had a reason for being here, a reason for being born, a reason for living, a reason for wanting to go on.
To love and be loved.
The leg around her waist tightened and Dana couldn't stop herself from smiling in satisfaction at the sensation of Alice squeezing her fingers tight as she came. Like countless times before, the orgasm hit the blonde strong and fast, washing over her in a wave and happily offering a complete surrender to Dana in the process. She knew it scared the athlete, to lose herself that much in another person that nothing else seemed to matter but something in Alice hungered for it. The idea that everything failed to exist except one another when they made love was what she adored more than anything else. Creating a place that was for them alone, where no one else could reach them and the outside world and all of its pain didn't even begin to find a way of being. This was just about them.
Though it seemed far away, as if in some magical distance, Alice somehow recognized the voice of Rufus Wainwright fading into the mesmerizing and haunting sounds of Aqualung. When she finally settled down and her body managed to stop trembling from the orgasm, Alice's leg lowered and she groaned as Dana's fingers slid out, leaving an emptiness that she immediately wanted to fill. But more than that she wanted to make the tennis player feel as she had. She wanted to feel her tremble with desire, moan from lust, and most of all she wanted to do whatever it was that Dana asked of her. That was what she had done, she voiced her wish, and it was instantly answered. Now this was her chance to do the same and Alice could scarcely believe how desperately she wanted to reciprocate. Just the idea of making Dana feel as she had was turning her on more than having her own desires fulfilled.
"Dana," Alice whispered her name with a sweet and enthralling lilt. Her breath was light on the athlete's skin and she smiled at the way the tanned throat jumped in front of her. Leaving a path of soft kisses, reverent and worshipful, she murmured into that skin, "Tell me what you want." The only thing she received was a shudder and a gasp, smiling at this and threading her fingers into wavy brown hair, Alice moved to murmur into the tennis player's ear after giving it a playful tug, "Because I'll do it, baby. Whatever you want, no matter what it is, I'll do it."
A shiver running down her spine at the way the blonde said this, Dana almost seemed to whimper in reply, "Alice." Gasping and arching up at the slow exploration of the writer's hands over her body, Dana couldn't seem to believe this was really happening. That Alice could still want her this much after all that had happened between them, that she would want to please her after what she had done. Abandoning her when she needed her the most, when she was more vulnerable than she had ever been, and scared. God, she had known how scared Alice had been back then and she did nothing. She ignored it and now she was just as scared. This disease and its treatment was having a horrible effect on her body. One that she couldn't stop herself from fixating on. After all, she was an athlete and her body was her temple. It was her business and it was her life and it was what made her feel good about herself. That she could use it and make it do things that other people could only dream of but all of that was becoming like some terrible distant dream. Her body wasn't doing what it should, in fact, it was rebelling against her. There was this sickness in it and she couldn't fight it on her own. No, she needed the doctors and the hospital and the operation and the chemotherapy and the drugs. Dana once felt like her body was what she had going for her. That special thing that made her stand out. More and more she realized it was gone and that wasn't true anymore. And she didn’t want to realize that, she didn't want it to be gone, she wanted those days to come back when she wasn't tired all the time, when she didn't feel nauseas more often than not, and when she didn't have dizzy spells when she stood up. Dana wanted just so many things so very much that she didn't know what to ask for or how to even begin to ask for it. Sobbing at this, she clung to Alice and said in a husky plea, "Make me feel like I used to."
Cradling the athlete's face in her hands and wiping away the tears as they began to fall, Alice knew exactly what Dana was asking for and what she really wanted. For that hesitation to leave, that split second of recognition she would have when she looked at the tennis player's body and took in the evidence of the ravages of cancer and treated Dana differently because of it. Purposefully making her touches more tender and pausing to stop and think, would this leave a bruise? Would this make her ache? Would she end up resenting her for touching her in such a way? Dana wanted that gone, over and done with, she wanted Alice to see her as she had before. With the eyes of a lover, ardent and hot in their desire, nothing present in their mind other than creating pleasure in and taking pleasure of the body lying in front of them.
"Whatever you want," Alice murmured softly into Dana's ear, trailing her lips carefully over the planes of the athlete's face. Tasting her tears before she met their lips in a fierce kiss, her tongue demanding entrance into Dana's mouth, sucking long and hard, taking and taking until it seemed to the brunette there was nothing left to take. Nothing in her that Alice couldn't have already tasted but the kisses continued on, they would part with a short panting breaths then the writer would return, tilting her head at a different angle and nipping at her lips, teasing and joyfully playful, and Dana found herself laughing into the kisses. Laughing and sobbing with relief because this was how it once had been. No worries and no thinking and no hesitation, instead it was happiness and it was impulse and it was determination. Knowing what she wanted, what Dana wanted, and making it their own. Her hands steady at the tennis player's hips, Alice led them towards the couch, her kisses continuing all the while. When they stopped in their walk, she pulled her mouth from Dana's with a loud gasp then dropped her head to suck on the athlete's neck as her hands slid down to unbutton her jeans. "I want to feel you naked against me," she breathed and there was a pause and for a moment Dana squeezed her eyes shut. Sure that now it was over, that they had managed to suspend reality for as long as they were able, and Alice would once again ask her if this was okay and if it was what she really wanted. But instead she heard the tell tale sound of her bra unsnapping and the feel of Alice's lips curving against her skin in a smile. Then she felt the warm breath of the blonde as she chuckled and slid down her body, kissing her chest, pulling the bra off as she sank to her knees and focused on removing Dana's jeans. Pulling them down with her panties in a hard tug, tossing them aside with her shoes and socks, then pushing her onto the cushions of the couch. Slipping her leg in between the athlete's to grind against her and smirking at the low moan she received at this, Alice captured Dana's lips in her own. Once again sucking on the brunette's tongue long and luxurious and lazy, pulling away with an audible groan of disappointment from the other woman. "Strip me," she ordered.
Suddenly she pulled away, to sit back on her legs. Alice was waiting for her, perched and perfectly prim in her body language while she lifted an eyebrow in a silent but very obvious demand. A matching smirk forming on her features, Dana shook her head and chuckled, wrapping her arms around the blonde, pressing their bodies close as she unhooked her bra and slid her hands down to once again slip under the writer's pants, palming her ass in her hands. Pinching one cheek and bursting into laughter when Alice yelped then gave her a harmless whap to the shoulder. "Stand up," Dana drawled, pressing a lingering kiss onto the side of the blonde's face, stepping off the couch and holding her hand out to Alice. The writer stared at her for a moment then formed a beautiful smile, glittering and nearly blinding in its happiness, and stood in front of Dana. Chest bare, pants unbuttoned, hair a glorious mess, mind and body unabashedly on display. "I love you," Dana breathed, taking the nipple of the right breast into her mouth, sucking on it soft then hard, to then release and kiss the underside of the breast as she fell to her knees. Moving from the right breast to the left, coveting the feel of quivering and pale skin, jumping at her every attention. The last of Alice's clothing slid off her body with wonderful ease and rising to her feet, trying to ignore how she suddenly felt light headed, Dana sighed at the sensation of finally having skin against skin. "Whatever I want, right?" she teased, meeting Alice's lips for a kiss and smiling into her when they parted.
"Whatever you want," Alice agreed with a nod of her head, matching the athlete's smile and returning the kiss with one then two and three of her own that were short but fervent in the love and joy they reflected. "All you have to do is tell me."
Gazing at Alice for a long while, Dana smiled slow and sweet, brushing away a lock of blonde hair from brown eyes before she leaned forward, her body unconsciously trembling as she said in a husky murmur, "I want you to do what I did."
"What you did," Alice echoed the words and didn't question them. She knew precisely what the tennis player wanted but at the same time something in her told her it would be for the best if Dana actually said it herself, instead of hinting at it. Because that was what they had been doing and that was what made them strangely unhappy. That hesitation, that separation, that part of them that was scared to share and to say those words. If they were to truly be together they couldn't continue such things, they had to destroy them, and wipe them from existence. "I know what you want but could you still tell me, baby? I'd like to hear you say the words."
Silence except for the song that continued to play and then Alice felt Dana's fingers tangling in her hair. Pulling back and holding her in place for hot lips crashing against hers, over and over again, taking everything they wanted and coming back for more. Pausing only so Dana could say in a throaty demand, "I want you to fuck me." Then she was kissing her again, deep and endless, moaning into Alice when the blonde led her back to the couch, pushing her onto it as they sank together, skin losing itself against skin. "Please, Alice," she gasped when the writer wrenched her lips away, sucking at her neck before she traveled down her body with skilled hands teasing her along the way. "That's what I want. You fucking me."
"Whatever you want," said Alice yet again, the words ferocious and almost frightening in their promise as she rose up to take Dana's lips in her own. Her hands moved down confident and certain in their task, fingers opening the lips of the athlete's pussy, and she growled into Dana's kiss at the soaking wet desire she felt there. Barely believing at how much the other woman really did want her but reveling in it. That she could make someone feel so much, want her so much, and feeling this uncontrolled compulsion to cause that again and again. Slipping a single finger inside, Alice parted her lips from the tennis player's, breathing against her, "Do you like that?" A moan greeted her words and Alice chuckled at the hard thrust as Dana bucked up into her, clearly wanting more. "Don't worry, baby," Alice promised, her voice nothing but a low rumble of desire. "I'll take care of you." Adding another finger and dropping her head to nip at the brunette's neck, chuckling when Dana tossed her head back in response.
Her fingers seeming more like claws, Dana buried them into Alice's messy blonde locks to tug her head back, meeting their eyes. "I don't want you to take care of me." Deciding to emphasize her words with action, she bucked up and into the blonde, reaching down to cover Alice's hand with her own, to encourage added fingers and friction. "I want you to fuck me." Rising up to meet their lips in a kiss that seemed to leave them devouring one another more than anything else, Dana finished hoarsely, "Now do what I want."
That was what this was all about, after all. What they wanted, Alice and Dana, wanting to be with each other, wanting to kiss, wanting to touch, wanting and wanting until it seemed as if it didn't have any end. Not that they minded. For this to go on forever was the tennis player's idea of perfection, for Alice to keep thrusting into her long and deep and knowing, just knowing all the right places to touch and reach inside of her. The perfect way to kiss her, soft but strong and sweet, then the perfect pressure to place on her clit alternating and teasing and toying, but somehow managing to keep the thrusts fierce and steady into her. Adding fingers until they stretched her wide but not too wide but enough that Dana gasped and she shuddered at the sensations. Fingers raking down Alice's back and she knew they would leave marks but she couldn't make herself care. The only thing that mattered was getting the writer to thrust further and harder and longer and gasping again as those fingers curled upwards and inside of her while Alice's thumb brushed against her clit Dana knew she had gotten what she wanted.
They sank together, a tangle of limbs, feeling as if their bodies had somehow managed to combine into one. A groan escaped Dana's lips when Alice's fingers slipped from her pussy but she sighed in satisfaction and pleasure. Smiling as the writer snuggled close, resting her head underneath the athlete's chin. Several moments passed, Alice resting into Dana and Dana combing her fingers through messy blonde hair. And then the tennis player spoke, her voice laced with affection as she said in a comical and bossy imitation, "Strip me."
"Dana!" exclaimed Alice, sounding offended and poking the tennis player in the side. When the other woman released a few playful shrieks at this, Alice grinned in triumph, tickling Dana while she declared, "We don’t make jokes about sex talk! It's rude!"
"We don't?" gasped Dana through her laughter and though she kept losing the battle in terms of fighting off Alice's tickling fingers, she still felt the urge to antagonize. Which is why after a particularly loud laugh, she wheezed past her chuckles and asked with clearly a very facetious innocence, "But I never heard you say the words."
Scowling at this, Alice gave up on tickling as punishment, holding Dana's face in her hands, and resting their foreheads together as she said with fond aggravation, "You're a brat."
"Yeah," Dana agreed with a smile and a chuckle, taking Alice's lips in her own for a kiss that was slow and thorough, taking the time to touch and taste and travel. When they separated, her smile remained and lightly caressing Alice's face with the pads of her fingers, she murmured, "I am a brat but it doesn't matter. Because you love me anyway."
"No matter what," Alice replied, matching both the smile and sentiment.
Onto Part 3 (Third Section)...
