Alex shuffled close behind Norma, arms wrapped her midsection as they meandered down the hall.
Norma was trying to work his pants down his hips without turning around. Her head fell suddenly against his chest as though her neck muscles had gone on strike. "How do you suppose this started?" She asked, trying to maintain their footing as they wobbled along.
"Mmph?" Alex mumbled the question into her hair . "Mhdy'mn?"
She gave up on the pants, slid her arms over his, and pulled him in tighter. A human comfort blanket. "How did we go from each other's least favorite person in White Pine Bay to-." She craned her neck just enough to meet Alex in a sideways kiss.
"Hmmmm," Alex sighed in response to both the question and the wonderful feel of her tongue against his, dancing and pushing. His reply was slow, a few words between nipping an earlobe or kissing his way down her throat and the curve of her shoulder. "For me? . . . the pier when I . . . I took care of that . . . scumbag . . . and realized you-God, you're soft-you were hiding there too."
"Seriously?" She breathed, returning to her half-successful effort to push his pants lower while his hands roamed over her torso. "One of the dumbest things I've ever done, and that made me irresistible?"
"Wouldn't say irresistible," he replied, moaning when she slowed down and rocked into him with resolute purpose. "But stupid or not it was brave and th-ah!-shit, Norma, stop doing that!" He diverted as much attention as he could muster to unhooking her bra. One hand easily slipped beneath the loose garment to enjoy bare flesh while the other clutched her hip in a clumsy attempt to steady and steer them toward the right door. Norma didn't stop. She did the exact opposite. Angled herself sideways and pressed her thigh flush against his tortured erection.
ALex tried to keep talking. "So that's . . . that's where . . . it started f-for-oh-" his voice climbed several octaves, so he quit trying, grabbed Norma's arms and spun her to the wall, palms flat. "Sorry for the detour, Norma," he whispered, pushing her hair out of the way to nuzzle against her ear. "But you've created an emergency situation." He kissed slow and soft over her jawline before returning to her ear. "You have no one to blame but yourself."
Norma closed her eyes, pulse racing as Alex took down her half-off panties, then listened to the rattle of a belt as he took off and tossed aside the last of his clothes. Come on! She thought, trying not to squirm or mewl aloud while she waited. Come on, come on! Intense desire for more contact did cartwheels in her stomach as the heat of his body drew closer. She did manage to stay quiet, but when the hard tease of impending sex slid against her thigh, it drew from her a new rush of wet anticipation.
Alex could tell Norma was actively fighting the urge to move and force his entry. The clues were slight, but obvious. The subtle shake of her body. The growing scent of arousal. How long can I hold off? Alex wondered as he braced his arms against the wall on either side of her. "I know you don't like waiting," he purred, voice low and steady to underline a certain level of command. "Actually you suck at it."
Norma's throat ran dry. She wanted to echo his snark with something clever. Like what? Her mind scoffed. You really think you can THINK right now?
Alex took a deep breath, determined to string her down the path of almost there a little while longer. He positioned both of their bodies slowly, and the writhe and shudder of her center when he did finally sink inside was fantastic. Please, every molecule of him cried out, Please keep going, please, PLEASE keep going!
But for all the months he'd dreamt of being with Norma Bates, Alex could only imagine as their first time granting himself total release in an actual bed. Various other fantasies felt wrong. Indecent for some reason, and not in a sexy 'naughty' way. So he enjoyed her willing warmth only long enough to stay sane, then withdrew.
"Wh-why-?" Norma gasped, confused and frustrated. Is something wrong? "What's-"
Alex spun her around and swallowed the rest of her disapproval in a long, greedy kiss, breaking the contact enough to issue one simple instruction: "Just go with it, Norma." Unlike the beginning of their journey the few remaining steps to his bedroom door were taken in a determined, hurried stride. No more detours. He lifted her off the ground when they reached the foot of his bed, falling with her to the mattress. "Here we are," he breathed as he reared back to gaze down at her. So. Many. Nights. Lonely dreams and far-fetched hope. But here I am. Neither dreaming nor pining, and not only was Norma in his bed, she had no other petition or plea than to be with him. No secret agenda. He had no proof of course, but he knew it in his bones.
She watched his keen eyes wander slowly over her body, and again was struck by the difference between previous lovers and Alex. Her habit of using sex for either validation or escape generally worked in the short term, but it naturally lead her to the sort of men likewise inclined to use. When those lovers did what Alex was doing, it made her uncomfortable. Their gazes only underscored the shallowness of her own motivation. They looked at her like an object, or at best a prize. Which basically forced her to admit to herself she didn't give a crap. You don't matter to me either, pal. No, she preferred a man who stayed close and got down to business. That way she could remaim in her comfort zone the whole time. But Alex goddamn Romero, of all men . . .
Adversarial would be a polite way to describe the early days of their acquaintance. Neither would have climbed into bed with the other for a million dollars. But as Alex took in every detail, from the scar on her thigh to not-as-perky-as-they-used-to-be breasts, she felt stunning. Stunning and comfortable. Loved. The word hummed in her mind like a brand new idea. "Hello," she whispered with a soft smile.
"Hi there." ALex returned her hint of a smile and prompted her to bend her knees, caressing gently. "And how is your day going?"
She slid an arm beneath her head and shrugged with faux carelessness. "Oh fine, I guess."
He leaned down and kissed a slow, wandering path from her knees to thighs, feather light tongue searching for the taste of sex. Norma reacted with characteristic impatience. She hooked one leg around his waist and tugged, hoping to bring him up the length of her body.
Alex ignored the cue. Instead he tossed her other leg over his shoulder and placed all his attention on figuring out how to handle her properly. In his experience oral pleasure was where women differed the most in their preference. Some only wanted their outsides licked, no going deeper. Others wanted a more varied experience. The same rule applied to use of fingers. Focus on clit or penetration? Or switch it up? Options, options, options. He decided to start with unrestricted exploration, and devoured everything splayed open before him. Full center, entrance, clit, her dampened inner thighs, everything. Half measures were not in his nature in any circumstance.
When Norma responded with an arched back and a noise best described as a half stifled squeak, he continued the method with amped up confidence, learning a little more with every stroke.
"Wh, what-about-AH!" Norma's tone went unsteady, words let out fast alongside each shallow breath. "Your-turn, I-al-already-I-oooooooh." It was too much to control. She gave up and let her body take it all in without further resistance.
It didn't take Alex long to figure out she prefered variety, and liked it when his tongue went deeper. So long as he licked, rather than trying to make his tongue imitate something harder. The pad of his thumb traced circles on and around her clit. Medium to light pressure elicited the most enthusiastic response. Anytime her reactions began to mellow, he switched. Fingers curling and scissoring inside while attentive tongue stroked her clit from various angles. Either I'm this good or everyone else she's been with was a hack, he thought as her physical response escalated. Or both. I'm gonna go with both.
Norma bucked, raked her hands through his hair, whined and cride out . . .
He did everything he could to make it last. Think about boring things! He ordered himself. Resisting the urge to give up stroking himself in favor of more attractive options was painful. Distraction was his only hope. Um . . . Officer Wells has been gunning for a promotion, should I-FOCUS!-Should I give it to him? Something else, something else, come ooooooonnnnnn! The coffee in the break room is terrible, we should buy better coffee, maybe nicer chairs, and the door hinges are-NOPE, WE'RE DONE!
It wasn't wanting, or even need. His body demanded her with the stern resolve of a power-mad General.
He did pause to wipe his mouth on the blankets as he hurried up the mattress, but a thin sheen of her pleasure still clung to his lips. Norma didn't care. The moment he was close enough she pulled him to her and inhaled the loud lust-frayed rattle of his voice in an unwieldy kiss.
Alex grappled for the coordination to arrange himself, more than eager to fill and claim her open heat. The moment he found her entrance he gripped her thigh and surged forward. She happily accepted the vigorous thrust of hard flesh, and took him deep. "Norma!" He cried out as he went on thrusting with athletic determination. Her warm softness enveloped his length, clenching and enticing him to cum. "Norma! Norma! Sweetheart! Norma!" The Universe collapsed to the size of his bed, population: two, and his whole soul went blind to everything else as orgasm barreled through him, culminating finally in absolute release.
When it was over he fell to the mattress flat on his stomach, sated and cozy. Nothing on earth could spoil this, he thought,lazily smoothing down Norma's sweat-matted hair as he caught his breath. This must be what perfect feels like.
"You won't be happy with me, Alex." Norma said with a sigh.
Well it was great while it lasted. "Excuse me?"
"No one would be," she insisted, "I'm a mess! I don't try to be, but my whole life I've-it's, I, I keep running into one disaster after another! That's pretty much my whole life in a nutshell!"
"Norma-" Alex tried to interrupt.
"I constantly manage to trip and fall into chaos, and you deserve calm. You do. Something calm, and simple, and easy."
"Norma-"
"So we can call this a one time thing, that's fine. I mean it. Y'know, take some time to get over our stupid feelings, and go back to-"
"NORMA!" Alex barked. "Will you shut up a minute?! I don't want calm and simple-"
Norma scoffed. "Every in love idiot says that, but the reality-"
"Hey!" This time Alex cut her off successfully. "Remember the part where you shut up? The thing is, Norma, I've already had calm and simple."
"Huh?" She couldn't even imagine such scenario.
"I was married." Alex propped himself up on an elbow. "For or five years. She was an amazing woman too. Smart, fun, all of it. And after a long day of dealing with the shitstorm that is life in this town? Yes, coming home to something normal was . . . it was my dream. I was beyond thrilled when got married. And I actually stayed thrilled for a little while."
Norma frowned. "What went wrong?" Ex-wife chat wasn't exactly the usual pillow talk, but she was the one who derailed the traditional afterglow to begin with, so she had no room to gripe.
"You're gonna love this," Alex flashed a tired grin. "I finally had the normal, happy home I'd wanted my whole life, right? And do you know what I was?"
"Hm?"
"Bored." Alex punctuated the word with a nod. "A few years in, maybe less, I was bored out of my damn mind. Ignored my wife and obsessed over town craziness until she left me. And if I'm being honest . . I probably overreacted to little problems so they'd become crazy." He shrugged. "See? Turns out I can't handle calm and simple even when I think I want it."
"Wow," Norma giggled. "Alex, that is a special brand of messed up."
"Yeah," he sighed. "This stupid town has my brain scrambled. Or maybe just I'm addicted to danger because my inner eight year old believes he's Batman."
Norma tugged Alex's arm around her midsection and cradled it between hers. "I like that option better, it makes you seem whimsical."
"What was my point?" He asked as he maneuvered both their bodies so they were on their sides and facing each other.
"Your point," Norma answered, "was that your version of a successful relationship would have to be basically terrifying."
"Mmhm," Alex nodded. "Anything else is doomed. Trust me."
Norma chewed her lip, cautiously mulling over a dozen possible outcomes of letting their relationship progress. "So . . . what if we're together-I mean together together-and you never have another sane day in your life? Step out of the sex haze and think about it realistically."
"I have," Alex insisted. "If we lock this down and go all in, we'll be moody as hell, annoyed by life, and survive it with someone who completely, one hundred percent gets us."
Norma waited for the image to sink before responding. "So . . . we're not True Love so much as True Who Else Could Handle Our Shit?"
"I think we're both," Alex said with a yawn as he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so her head rested on his chest. "Neither of us is built to manage a healthy romance, Norma. We fundamentally don't even know how they work."
Norma wasn't sure if his assessment was beautiful or depressing in the factual sense, but as they squirmed beneath the covers and re-settled, she chose 'beautiful.' She felt safe, stable, and loved with Alex. Even if they were both insane.
She fell asleep listening to the drum of his heartbeat, and gentle patter of rain on the roof.
