Herro, everybody! So, I was hoping to have this chapter posted last Friday, but with the holidays, work, and the need for sleep, I fell a little behind with my writing. Thank you to everyone who has followed and favorited! As always, thoughts, opinions, and comments are encouraged and much appreciated. Enjoy!
WARNING: This chapter contains sexual scenes that are rated M for a reason. Reader discretion is advised.
We don't make it to Ohio by nightfall, in fact, we barely get very far at all before we drive straight into a massive spring thunderstorm. For me, it brings back memories of jumping in pothole puddles up and down our street for hours until mom would force me back inside. I don't ask Digger what he thinks, but from the look that slips across his face, I know he's remembering something.
The rain pounds against the car as thunder rolls overhead. It's still hours away from getting dark, but the clouds are nearly black, as they block out the sky. The energy in the air is chaotic; vibrating each time lightning strikes. Years of living in the Midwest has taught me not to take storms like these lightly. Soon it'll start hailing, and with the wind blowing like it is, it's only gonna get worse. I'm just about to suggest we take a break when he opens his mouth first.
"We're stoppin." He growls, pulling a U-turn in the middle of the road. "There were signs fer a motel about ten miles back. We'll stay there till this shit clears up."
"Good idea." I mutter, as I watch the sky.
He doesn't say anything else right away, but from the corner of my eye I see him look at me. I guess he expected me to argue with his decision. I decide to ignore him and let my mind wander as we speed along. My dream is the first thing to pop into my head, and I feel my cheeks turn red just from the thought. I'm really not much of a prude, but it's hard to keep cool when you're sitting a foot away from the man, who just last night, you dreamt about screwing.
I try to remember the last time I had a dream like that, and who it was about. I think about the way things were, long before I went to jail. Long before I met Digger and the rest of the crazies.
Digger.
My mind always comes back to him, and I have to continuously tell myself it means nothing; that it's just how he is. He's loud and obnoxious, and his presence demands to be noticed. It's nothing.
"What's on ya mind? His voice startles me.
"Nothing, just tired." I lie.
He buys it for now, turning his attention back to the road. Digger's good at reading people, and no matter how hard I deny it, he'll know something's up, and he'll hound me until I tell him what it is.
We pull into the parking lot of a decent looking Motel 8, after what feels like an eternity of silence; the car sliding to a stop in front of the check in window. I retrieve a hundred from the wad in my pocket and Digger goes to talk to the attendant. He returns a few moments later, soaked, with a set of keys and water dripping from his hair.
"Ya in luck." He announces, handing me the change. "Separate beds."
Despite the spring weather, I suddenly feel a chill up my spine. He seems upset, although he's trying very hard to hide it. I should be the one questioning what's on his mind. I'm so preoccupied in my own head, that I haven't noticed that he's barely said two sentences to me since this morning.
The room isn't much better than the last. It's definitely cleaner, but other than the extra bed, that's about as far as the differences go. I plop down on the bed closest to the door, the frame groaning under my weight.
"Ya hungry?" He startles me.
"A little." I admit.
"Be right back." He disappears out the door, returning several minutes later with an armful of potato chips.
"Uhm, what?"
"Vending machine." He grins, pulling bags of beef jerky from his pockets.
"Jesus, what else do you have?" I move toward him for a better look, my mouth watering at all the prospects.
"The good stuff." He produces several packages of Hostess cupcakes from the inner pocket of his jacket.
"You didn't pay for any of this, did you?" I almost laugh at how stupid the question is. Of course, he didn't fucking pay for it. It's the master thief himself we're talking about.
He gives me a sheepish smile as he tears into a bag of jerky.
"Digger! I have cash. Do you wanna get us kicked out? What if they call the police?"
"Old habits, sweetheart." He discards his coat, kicking his boots off in the corner, as he moves to sit next to me.
He bites into a piece of jerky, suggestively winking as he does so. I roll my eyes in an effort to avoid smiling, but it only partially works, and he notices.
"You're ridiculous." I mutter, examining my chip choices.
"So, tell me somethin." He says in between bites. "Cause it's been buggin me fer awhile."
"Hm?" I snatch a bag of Cheetos.
"Why'd ya bring me back?"
"What do you mean? Was I not supposed too?"
"Nah, I mean I'm guessin ya'd never done it before? Seemed pretty stunned; like ya didn't think it'd work."
"I didn't know if it would." I admit. "But I didn't want you to die."
"I know." He replies. "I saw ya, saw everythin. Watched ya cry fer me, n tell me ta wake up."
"What was it like?" I wonder if it's like what I felt in the vortex?
"Like floatin on ya back in the water. Everythin was dark, n I was driftin away. I couldn't move, er do anythin ta stop it. Then ya kissed me, and everythin lit up like Christmas, an fer a moment I could feel ya. That don't make much sense, but it was like bein in yer head and I could feel ya in mine. Ya looked like an angel when ya pulled me outta there, and I can still feel ya hands." His voice trails off.
"Maybe I did fry your brain." I poke, but he frowns at me.
"Mina, I ain't messin wit ya. I felt somethin n I know ya felt it ta."
"The only thing I felt was your lack of a pulse."
"Ya like me." He says finitely.
"Would you just give it a rest?"
"Admit it."
"We have bigger things to wor-" He cuts me off, pressing his thumb to my lips.
"Just shut ya yapp." He smirks, and then he kisses me.
It's nothing like the first time. He's very much alive for this one, and eager. I consider burning him, but for some reason I will never understand, I don't. I let him kiss me, and I let myself enjoy it. I know when all is said and done the guilt will start to set in, but right now I'm in the moment and nothing's wrong. I need him to kiss me. I need to feel something again.
He slows but doesn't stop. He's testing the waters; looking for boundaries. He expects me to stop him; push him away and be done with it. When I don't, he comes back harder, and more forceful, like this could be snatched away at any moment. I all but lose myself as his tongue trails the corner of my lips, willing me to open my mouth. I do, and he groans, burying his fingers in my shirt to keep us close. It's so warm and slow. Nothing I would ever expect from Digger. He's normally so rough, that it's hard to believe a guy like that could be capable of soft, but he is. He's soft and sweet, and when his hand comes to cradle my cheek, it's because it means something to him to do it.
It means something to me too. Digger means something to me, and it's taken me awhile to accept it. I'm still in mourning. Still broken over the loss of my last love, but he helps. He's like an obnoxiously bright ray of light. He's annoying, and he will blind you to what lies beneath his crude appearance, but he's also warm and safe. I know what he meant, about feeling something, because I can feel it too.
I do like him.
When he finally pulls away to catch his breath, he studies me for any indication of regret. Anything to signal that I want this to stop. When he doesn't find one, he smiles.
"Ya glowing." He whispers, eyes like a billboard, showing every feeling on his mind. "I love it when ya glow. Ya beautiful, darl."
"So are you."
He looks down as soft blue light envelopes him; rolling across him like beads of water. It reaches every inch of him, every edge, until I can feel him, all of him, just like he said. His emotions spill over, and I'm overwhelmed by the deep feelings he has for me. It's so hopeful and protective that my eyes become glassy and I shut them.
"It's so warm." He smiles, running his thumb over my lip. "Ya like me, doll?"
For once, it's a question, and from his expression, it's clear he isn't sure of my answer. On the outside, he's confident and so sure of himself, but it's all just a front. He's two entirely different men wrapped into one. One that gently touches my cheek, and the other that tore the jaw off a mutant. He's cowardly, but he came back to save me, and ended up dying in the process. Now we're here and he's looking at me like I'm made of gold.
"Why do you like me so much?" I have to know.
"Ya wanna know?" He presses a kiss to my temple.
I nod, and he smiles, kissing just below my eye.
"I like ya cause yer nothin like me. Smart n sweet, an beneath all ya attitude, ya good inside. Don't know many people like that, darl."
"You're good too." I inform him.
"Ya think so?" He grins. "Cause I know a few that would disagree wit ya."
"You're a grey area." I say, and he laughs. "And I do like you."
"That mean I can kiss ya again?"
Kissing isn't the only thing on my mind as I pull him back to me; our lips molding together. It's still soft, but gone are the slow, drawn out kisses. In their place are eager, lip biting kisses that are messy and unhinged. Our teeth clink together like wine glasses, neither of us bothering to care.
His hands drop to my waist, and again to my thighs, where he swiftly lifts me; his palms settling over the back pockets of my jeans. Three steps forward and I'm pressed against the wall, his fingers gripping my flesh for dear life. Later, I'll have bruises, but I don't care. I couldn't even if I wanted to. It feels good to be held onto like this; to be wrapped in the arms of someone who's willing to do almost anything for you. I can see it in his eyes, just like my dream. Dark orbs lined with grey; panting breaths escape his lips as he leaves wet kisses along my collarbone.
Lightning flashes, illuminating the room. Thunder follows a few seconds later, rattling the windows. The rain's coming down harder now, the wind blowing wildly against the building. Another flash of lightening, and he pulls away from the wall, carrying me backward until he lays me out on the bed with a squeak. The dim light casting from the lamp in the corner is just enough to make out the details of his face as he looks down at me.
We don't say anything, but I understand his intent from his eyes. He's giving me an out. One last chance to pull away and return to the way things were. I don't tell him I don't need it, or that, because of my power, he could never force me to do anything I didn't really want to do. I could put him down with the snap of my fingers, and maybe he knows it, but neither of us mention it. Instead, I reach up to him, my palm cradling his cheek, and we stay like that for a moment, just looking at each other.
"Ya a vision." He murmurs, kissing the back of my hand, and I'm brought right back to my dream that, at this point, is starting to seem more like a premonition. "I want ya more than I can handle."
"It wasn't bad." The words slip out before I can stop them.
"What wasn't, love?"
"My dream from this morning. When I burned you. I told you it was bad, and it wasn't."
"What was it about?" He cocks an eyebrow.
"You." A slow smile spreads across his face while I speak. "This."
"Ya dreamin bout me, ay?" He asks, clearly delighted. "What'd ya burn me fer then? Didn't like it?"
"I, uh, didn't expect it. When I woke up we were all cuddled up, and I got a little freaked out."
"How ya feelin now, love?" His voice is low.
"Good." My cheeks flush with embarrassment. He seems to relish in it, bending down to brush his lips across my jaw before whispering in my ear.
"Wanna feel betta?"
We both know exactly what he means by it, and I surprise myself by nodding, not another word exchanged between the two of us. He easily loosens my pants; gently sliding them down my hips and over my knees. Once they reach my ankles, he pulls them off, tossing them over his shoulder without a second thought. His eyes never leave me as his hands slide back up my legs, clearly intent on removing more.
"Ya soft." He whispers, hooking his thumbs in the band of my underwear. "Been a long time since I got ta feel somethin sa nice."
In one swift motion, my last bit of cover is gone, and the balance of clothing has shifted. I'm bare from the waist down, my shirt doing little more than to cover my hips. He's still fully dressed, aside from his discarded trench coat. The shirt I got him hangs open, revealing a grey wife beater beneath. I smile, happy that he actually ended up liking it.
"This doesn't seem fair." I tell him. "You're still dressed."
"Wanna see me, ay?" He grins, leaning back to shrug off his shirt. "Betta?"
"Keep going."
He removes the wife beater, revealing his toned chest beneath. My eyes wander over his skin; covered in scars and bruises that are still healing. My hand finds the spot on his chest where he was once mortally wounded. The skin is soft, and not tainted like the rest of him. It's new, and if I hadn't watched it happen, I'd never believe it.
"Ya saved my life, darl. I ain't neva gonna forget that." He pulls away from my touch, slowly inching my legs apart. He sets himself between them, a hand on either of my thighs.
"Whateva ya don't like, tell me." His voice is hoarse.
"What are you gonna do?"
He grins, answering my question without another word. I feel his breath on my inner thighs and I know exactly what his plans are. He drops to his elbows, nudging my legs even farther apart to accommodate him.
'Rememba what I said, yeah?"
He doesn't wait for me to answer before he begins to kiss a trail between my legs, his whiskers tickling against my thighs. Without warning I feel his tongue, and I nearly jump out of my skin. He freezes, eyes shooting up to meet mine.
"Ya good?" His gaze is predatory.
"It's just been...awhile."
He reaches up to reassuringly squeeze my hand as he continues, slowly, eyes never leaving mine. My grip tightens as he delves into me, flattening his tongue like he's licking an ice cream cone. I quickly lose it, arching my back as he's forced to pin me down with an arm over my hips.
"Fuck." He growls, as he eases in a finger. "Relax, darl, ya tight."
It's hard to relax as I'm starting to get a taste of that familiar high. An eternity has passed since the last time I felt this way; teetering on the brink with a man between my legs. I wonder how long it's been for Digger? He's not new to being incarcerated, and something tells me it's probably been just as long for him as it's been for me, maybe longer. He gives it away with the way he seems to slow when touching me, like he's trying to prolong it, to really appreciate each little detail of our encounter. Tomorrow isn't for certain with us, and he understands that.
He adds another finger, curling them both until he's hit the sweet spot, and I light up like a fucking shooting star. I can't contain the moan that comes from deep within my chest as I hold onto the sheets for dear life. A fiery burst of warmth washes over me as I come undone; unraveling like a loose thread.
When it's over and I'm left breathless, naked, and panting, Digger crawls up to me. He leans in to kiss me; a long, and painfully slow, kiss that leaves me wanting another, and another, and as many as I can get.
"Can't promise I'll last ta long with all that moanin yer doin." He whispers, diving in to leave bites along my neck. His hands slide beneath my shirt, and he quickly removes it, along with my bra. He halts to look at me, eyes drinking in every inch of my naked skin.
"Ya really do look like an angel." His voice is soft and sweet, laced with want. "N ya taste like heaven."
He chuckles as my cheeks turn red from embarrassment. Reaching to take my hand, he pulls it up to his lips and kisses my palm. He continues to speak as I watch him undo his belt; silently waiting for what's to come.
"I'm just bein honest, doll." He drawls with a devilish smile, dropping his pants to reveal the fact that he isn't wearing anything beneath.
"Are you gonna talk all night?" I can't take my eyes off him. "Because I got better things to do if you are."
He growls in response, his smile growing into something even more terrifying as he climbs over me like a fucking tiger. Using his knees, he nudges my legs impossibly wide and settles between them comfortably.
"Start slow." My voice wavers.
He nods, using one hand to guide himself, and the other to firmly grasp my thigh. Digger pushes into me, gritting his teeth as it takes every ounce of his self-control not to lose it.
"Christ." He hisses. "Ya feel fuckin grand."
I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to kiss me. He takes the hint and begins to move, slowly, each thrust leaving me wanting more. He bites my bottom lip, his fingers squeezing my flesh, as his resolve begins to crumble.
Several minutes in, and I can already feel the warmth seeping into me. I'm almost to the edge when he pulls out with a growl, and I'm left momentarily confused as the bed shifts. I turn to find him quickly adjusting pillows against the headboard to lean against.
"C'mere, love." He commands, and I do.
I crawl over, allowing him to pull me onto his lap. My legs straddle him like a saddle as he lifts me into position, a hand on either side of my waist. He lowers me gently, allowing me a moment to collect myself before he begins a new rhythm; one that leaves us both sweaty and panting as I try in vain to keep up. The warmth has turned to a searing heat as I feel myself approach the edge for the 3rd time tonight. He notices, capturing my lips with a deep, tongue filled kiss that's both sloppy and enticing. I lock my arms around his torso, my nails flaying the skin on his back. I can feel the heat boiling in my stomach; my lungs begging for more than the short, labored breaths they're receiving. As I teeter on the edge, preparing to jump, a feeling I can't describe overcomes me. My light begins to vibrate, flickering through a spectrum of colors as I'm held against Digger like a magnet.
"C'mon, love."
He wraps me tightly in his arms, my head falling to the crook of his neck, as his pace becomes erratic. We fall over the edge together; our moans mixing as I'm hit by wave after wave of something so strong I can't breathe. Suddenly I can feel him, like flipping a switch, all around me. In my mind. In my soul. I can feel his as well. His essence flows across my skin like water, buzzing lightly like the hum of a powerline. Our energies smash together like atoms; morphing and melding into each other until I'm lost in him like Alice down the rabbit's hole, and I never want to find my way back.
For the moment, we're together and every worry and doubt I've ever had disappears like it was never there. We stay together, sweating and panting, long after the last waves of bliss have washed over us. Slowly, we come back to reality; the energy around us settling like freshly fallen snow.
When his arms finally loosen, I pull away a bit and look at him; my eyes crawling over every detail of his face. Watery grey eyes, framed in dark circles from too many sleepless nights, stare back at me. He gives me a look I've never seen before. A look I can't explain other than to say he appears to be at peace, if only for a moment. He's the first to break the silence, his voice is calming, barely above a whisper, as he leans in to press a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.
"Ya don't know what that was fer me."
It's the most open I've ever seen him. No bullshit, no pet names, no salacious comments. We don't say anything else, there's no point tonight. We'll figure it out tomorrow, when the euphoria wears off and clear minds prevail. He kisses me once more before lifting me from his lap and placing me next to him; allowing me to fall into the crook of his arm as he spreads the sheet over us. I drift off quickly, pressed against his chest, the thumping of his heart lulling me into unconsciousness. For the first time in a long time, I fall asleep feeling safe.
Thanks everyone for reading!
