Disclaimer: I don't own the show or characters. All I own is the writing and story.
Author's Note: I absolutely love the Fourth of July and so, of course, I just had to write a One-shot using my (obviously) favorite couple to commemorate it. This is just a very light-hearted, fluffy, mild smutty, and happy holiday one-shot. Any and all reviews are welcome :) Don't be afraid to leave one, I absolutely love them...almost as much as the Fourth of July. Speaking of that, Happy Fourth of July (to those who live in America, that is)! Enjoy. Thanks.
Liberating Land of Love
The sun makes its way up in the sky on a hot Fourth of July morning. It's already a beautiful day, Lorna thinks, as she opens the curtains of she and Nicky's shared bedroom to allow the natural light to aide in her wife's awakening. She can't stop herself from laughing at the redhead's clearly irritated grumble of resistance. A bright smile sits on her face as she hovers over the other's sleeping form, very delicately shaking her.
"Rise and shine, hon," her thick Brooklyn accent chirps, lips slightly pressing against the frowning pair beneath. The small pout sitting on her lover's face only strengthens Lorna's attempt to awaken her. She allows her lips to brush a little deeper, stroking her hands feathery around pale cheeks. "Come on, Nicky—it's the Fourth of July! We gotta get up and movin'—Red's expecting us to stop over to help get everything ready for the picnic."
Bright sunlight beaming over from the wide-open windows has a small grunt escape from Nicky's scowling face. She never was a morning person, even in her childhood. The concentration of the illumination causes her eyes to squint with sensitivity. "Damn you, kid, for kissing like an angel. Do we have to get up just yet? Can't we stay in bed and cuddle for a few? It's too early for me," she mutters, her voice still thick with sleep.
Resting herself next to the barely awake redhead, Lorna drapes her arms softly around her shoulders and gazes lovingly up into her brown orbs—that still squint from the sun's peeping in. "Early? It's almost nine o'clock, hon. I let ya sleep in more than I planned to," she warmly laughs, stroking her lips against the skin of her forehead. The tips of her fingers run affectionately up and down her arms—leaving faint goosebumps in their wake. "But I guess another ten minutes ain't gonna kill us. Red's not expecting us til' eleven, anyway."
"Oh, yeah? Hmm, aren't you the nicest?" Nicky smirks, pulling Lorna on top of her and placing a madly passionate kiss over her soft lips. Temptation getting to her, she rips the flimsy nightgown off her wife's petite body and tosses it to the floor. The panties come off next; her big brown irises looking lustfully over the brunette's very-in-shape physique with a hungry gleam.
Lorna instinctively chuckles at her wife's nonchalant actions and shakes her head, moving positions so she's back on top of her. "Nice try, hon—but I think it's only fair I have my way first. I had to wake you up, remember?"
Framing her hands fiercely around the Italian's olive-toned face, Nicky smashes their lips back together in a fervent peck. The kiss lasts until both have to release it to catch their breath. "What does that have to do with how we have sex, huh? Come on, ya know ya want me to make you squirm," she hotly teases, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Fuck…you're the only one who does," Lorna breathlessly replies, burrowing against the other. A sigh of defeat escapes her. "Fine, you can go first—but I call first in the shower!" She smirks, placing a trail of kisses from the top of Nicky's head all the way down to right above her thighs.
Nicky quirks an eyebrow jokingly, "I better be the only one who makes ya squirm, kid." The two share a chuckle before she yanks Lorna closer and grabs her in another fierce kiss—one that nearly lasts minutes over seconds. A soft smirk makes its way to her face as she runs her hand passionately through her tangled brown waves. "Bed sex and shower sex? Sounds like a plan, doll."
Red bags up the last of the food she's prepared for the afternoon's gathering in the park and sets it onto the island counter beside the other few bags. Her light blue eyes peer over at the clock that sits above her sparkling-clean stove, seeing that it's nearly eleven AM. A smile spreads across her face, realizing her daughter and Lorna will be arriving shortly.
Not long after, Red's brought out from her thoughts by the kitchen door's swinging open. She averts her eyes over to see who the culprit is, though already knows it must be her Nicky. The voices that fill the room confirm her suspicion. Without hesitation, she quickly goes over to wrap them both in her strong arms—giving a maternal kiss to each of their heads.
"How've my favorite girls been? It's been nearly a week since I've seen either one of you," her Russian accent firmly points out, yet a loving smile takes form on her aging face. She ruffles a hand through each of their heads of hair.
"Oh, ya know, I've been working overtime at the bar and Lorna's busy with those online classes a hers—we've been wanting to stop over, ma, but our schedules are just so crazy lately," Nicky truthfully informs her, letting her arms instinctively wrap around the Russian woman's neck—craving the embrace that she hasn't had in quite some time. "Good thing today's a national holiday or else I'da been stuck working."
Red only laughs, pulling away enough to frame her daughter's face in her hands. She peers into her eyes with the utmost love and compassion a mother could have for her child. "You don't have to explain yourself, honey—I know you're both busy women. It's fine," her voice gently insists while she combs a hand motherly through her long red curls.
"Now, why don't you two each grab one of these bags over here," she commands, pointing to what's sitting on the top of her granite island counters, "and load them into the trunk of my car? The picnic's not until noon but I figure by the time we get there and set everything up, it'll get here sooner than we think."
Grabbing two bags of freshly prepared food, Lorna quirks an eyebrow ponderously towards the Russian matron. "How many people are ya expecting, Red? This could feed an army," a light laugh escapes her.
"The usual and Gloria's boys are coming as well—I figure they'll make a large dent in this. You know how teenage boys and food are, yes? They pack it in like it's going out of style."
Nicky can't help but stare over at Lorna when she hears her mother mention that, a playful smirk sitting on her face as she nods her head slowly. "Kinda like my Lorna over here—she may look all dainty and sweet, but nothing comes between her and a plate of good food," she lovingly pokes fun of her wife, only smiling more at the little pout that forms from the corners of her red mouth. An arm is quickly wrapped around her waist in effort to embrace away the slight dismay.
"So, things are getting serious with you and Gloria, huh? Good to know her sons seem to be accepting of this," she gives a warm smile up to her mother.
"You could say that. Her sons are aware we're in a very early-staged relationship and aren't too bothered by it—so yeah, that's a good thing. We'll see how things are at the picnic," Red answers, grabbing a few bags herself and leading the two younger women outside to her car. "Make sure to place the two you have flat, Lorna—don't want them to leak all over."
The day only gets hotter, Lorna realizes when she notices the skin on her exposed arms and legs turning to a bright red. The pavilion everyone's gathered at is not strong enough to keep the sun from blaring it's intense heat on them all. Her clothes becoming drenched in ice-cold water rapidly jolts the brunette from her daze. She jumps up from the bench she sits on and finds herself face-to-face with her redhead wife, a clear smirk sitting on her face.
"Ya looked a little hot there, kid," Nicky huskily informs her, placing her hands on her now-soaked brown hair and combing it back lovingly. "Figured a little water-balloon might fix that. Did it?"
An idea lighting up in her mind, Lorna lets the frown drastically change to a teasing smile. She nods her head intuitively and wraps her damp arms tight around her wife's body. "Ya look a little hot yourself, hon—how's this? Wet enough for ya?"
Eyes widening at the scene, from her spot at a table only a few feet away, Poussey clamps her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing herself to death. She holds her other hand up, waving it at the two of them to get a hold of themselves. "Keep that potty language outta this wholesome park, ladies," she jokingly retorts, arching her eyebrows lightheartedly at the pair.
"Oh, get your head outta the gutter—would ya, Poussey? Like we didn't just see you and Al over there having a little make-out session earlier," Nicky points out with a smirk, winking a frisky eye at her and the black-haired woman who sits, red-cheeked, next to her. "My Lorna and I are at least a little more discreet."
Poussey stands up from her seat, yanking Alex with her, and stares at the redhead with a curving eyebrow, "Them are fighting words, I hear. That's it—I think the four a us are just gonna have to settle this with a water-balloon battle, what do ya say Nichols?"
"Aw, shit, P," Alex grumblingly mutters, "Don't drag me into this."
Nicky laughs with a nod, eyeing the taller woman beside her with a good-natured smirk. "Looks like your girlfriend already knows the two a ya are gonna get creamed—or in better words, soaked. Let's go," she commands, leading them over to an empty area of grass a few feet behind the crowded pavilion.
"We'll just see about that, Nichols. My girl has a good aim," the dark-toned brunette throws back, a large leer on her face.
"Oh, is that right?" The redhead inquiries, wrapping an arm around Lorna's waist and peering strongly over at their opponents. "Well, looks like that makes two of us. Lorna can pack a punch when need be; I have no doubt that she'll be able to soak ya both with these here balloons."
Hours later, after several rounds of battling water-balloons and enjoying several helpings of divine picnic food, Lorna and Nicky settle onto a towel against the cooling grass. The sun's slowly begun to set, leaving behind a scenic display of colors. Exhaustion gradually setting in, the brunette easily rests her head on Nicky's softly-beating chest. The soothing motion instantly brings a warm smile to spread across her reddened face.
"What a beautiful day it's been, don't ya agree hon?" Brown eyes flick upwards to gaze lovingly up into the redhead's.
Enveloping her arms snugly around her waist, Nicky brushes her lips softly against the flesh of her forehead. She nods her head agreeably; the Fourth of July is always a treasured day for the two of them, she thinks with a glowing smile. "I sure do, baby. Though, any day with you is beautiful. You should know that by now," her breath hotly trickles over Lorna's earlobe.
Lorna lifts her head to gaze up at her wife. Her hands cup around both of her—now sunburnt—cheeks before she strokes her lips slowly and sweetly over Nicky's. "You're a sweetheart," she murmurs, caressing the palms of her hands circularly around the flesh that sits underneath them. "I love you," softly trickles warm breaths of air over her mouth, lips lingering hotly above it.
"Yeah? Well, you're my beautiful baby and I love you." Nicky smiles and pulls her in for a second fierce kiss, wrapping her back in her arms. The kiss lasts until a flamboyant popping sound goes off, alerting them that the fireworks are nearing the start. She releases her hands from Lorna's face, and instead, resumes their original position of Lorna's resting contently against her chest. After brushing her lips atop the brunette's head, she leans her head over top of it and lets her eyes focus up on the sky—eagerly awaiting the colorful display of lights.
With the love of her life tight in her arms, Nicky smiles brightly as they enjoy the show above their heads—the same show of colors that they watch every year together, in the same park with the same people. No, she thinks, there's nothing better than this—there's absolutely nothing better than spending the summer holiday with her wife and the family she adores. Fourth of July will always be their special holiday, she blissfully internalizes.