A/N: Chapter for you guys. Hope you all enjoy.
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. But that's all right because I like the way it hurts.
"Knock-knock."
Alex's face flushes immediately as she lifts her eyes to find a rather familiar redhead standing in the doorway of her office just as she is about to head home. She opens her mouth to say something, but settles on saying nothing as she puts her things down and continues to pack up her laptop.
"Ouch…?" Casey tries again, tilting her head as she realizes that she is being blatantly ignored. "I mean, I wasn't looking for a 'thank you' or anything, but a simple acknowledgement would be nice."
"That was unnecessary." Alex says firmly as she straightens herself up and puts her bag over her shoulder.
Casey quirks an eyebrow in interest as she stands up straighter, blocking the blonde's exit from the door. "What do you mean 'that was unnecessary'?"
"The flowers." Alex states as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "Sending me flowers of that…expense was unnecessary. Especially here at my job no less."
"Well would you rather I had sent them to your house?" Casey counters, knowing that she has Alex on that one when the only thing she receives in response is silence. "Look, I wasn't trying to offend you or anything, I just remembered you mentioned it was your birthday so I thought it would be nice to send you a gift. That's all."
Alex purses her lips tightly, averting her eyes for a brief moment before she lets out a quiet sigh. "Thank you…" she murmurs as she realizes that she jumped down Casey's throat for no reason in particular. "I'm sorry I was so rude just then, I just…Abbie forgot and I was thinking about what we talked about Friday and how I tried some things when I got home but…I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't be telling you this."
"No, please. I've got a few minutes." Casey says glancing briefly at her watch before she takes a seat, motioning for Alex to do the same. "I'm all ears."
"Well, like I said, I was thinking about the talk we had…you know, about my…sex life. After dinner and you were taking me home, I just got to thinking about how maybe you were right and that maybe Abbie and I need to be a little more…adventurous. I tried a few different approaches like you said, you know, in the kitchen, or the bathroom, but she said that it wasn't right and we should only have sex in the bedroom. So we did and it was…"
"Boring." Casey finishes off in a firm statement rather than a questioning inquiry.
Alex bites down on her bottom lip before she hesitantly nods her head. "Yeah…I just…I wasn't satisfied with and it just felt wrong that I feel that way. She's my wife. I'm supposed to enjoy having sex with her. I don't know…it's stupid."
"It's not stupid. It's how you feel." Casey responds softly as she reaches out and gently takes one of Alex's hands into her own. "But you know what, it'll come around when it needs to. Probably when you least expect it."
Alex suddenly feels a little uncomfortable as she takes her hand back and clears her throat. "Right…Um, I should probably get going. W-what time do you need me to be a the airstrip?"
"Seven thirty. But I'll have a car swing through and pick you up." Casey answers as she stands and aids Alex in putting on her coat. "Have a good evening Alex. And I'm sorry again if my flowers made you uncomfortable."
"No! I mean, no, they didn't. I just…" Alex pauses long enough to take a deep breath so she can form a coherent sentence without tripping all over herself. "I was just a little surprised that's all. Thank you for them. They were really beautiful."
Casey smiles widely as she nods her head. "Great. Then I guess I'll see you at seven thirty?"
"Yeah…seven thirty. See you…"
Abbie walks into their apartment and immediately dumps her stuff on the couch. As she is about to call out to Alex to see if she's home; something catches her attention from the kitchen. As she enters the kitchen, her heart sinks when she sees a birthday card sitting on the edge of the counter.
"Oh, fuck." The brunette groans, dragging her hands through her hair, gripping it at the roots before she takes off towards the bedroom. Upon getting there, she sees her wife sitting on the bed, dragging a brush through her flawless blonde locks. "Alex…"
"Don't." Alex responds, shaking out her hair as she crosses the bedroom and sits it on the vanity. "Just don't."
Abbie's mouth falls open before she snaps it shut and swallows thickly. "Alex, I am so, so sorry." She begins, knowing that sorry is most definitely not going to fix anything. "Alex, I swear I didn't mean to…I never meant to…god, I'm sorry."
"Sorry." Alex laughs bitterly as she spins around, her steely eyes boring dangerously into Abbie's owlish ones. "Okay, forgetting to pay the electricity bill is one thing, but my birthday? Abbie, for crying out loud, of all the things to forget, you forget my birthday?!"
"Alex I…I don't even know what to say." Abbie responds, still trying to mentally calculate as to how she was able to let her wife's birthday slip her mind. "I swear to you that I didn't mean to and I don't know how I did, but I am so sorry. Please, let me make it up to you. Please. I'll…I'll take you anywhere you want. Anywhere. That's where we'll go."
"With what money Abigail…" Alex deadpans. "With what money are you going to take me 'anywhere'? I don't want to go to another 4.99 restaurant like we went to for Valentine's Day."
"I can…I can figure something out but let me take you out…" Abbie pleads as she steps forward. "Please. I promise I'll make it up to you."
Shaking her head, Alex holds up her hand as she grabs her purse. "Kim's taking me out tonight. Unlike you, she actually remembered my birthday and she can afford to take me to a nice dinner."
Dropping her hands by her side, Abbie once again looks extremely defeated. "I don't know what I can do Alex. I'm looking for a job, I swear I'm trying but my art…"
"Is useless." Alex finishes off without comprehending her words as she storms out of the bedroom and out of the apartment leaving her life standing in the bedroom completely dumbfounded and at a complete loss for words.
About an hour or so later, Abbie finds herself sitting across from a rather concerned looking Serena while she sits and continues to pick at the pie on her plate. She had just finished telling the blonde everything that transpired and she's just waiting for the announcement that she is in fact the worst piece of scum on the planet.
"Your art isn't useless." Serena says quietly after a little bit more of silence.
"My art is ruining my marriage." Abbie replies, not lifting her eyes from her plate as she continues to absentmindedly move her fork about. "I just realized something. What if Alex only married me because she thought I would be a successful artist? What if she thought we'd be living in a nice penthouse with nice cars and nice things? What if that's the reason she married me?"
Shaking her head, Serena continues to wear a look of gentle concern. "You and I both know that that's not true. Alex married you because she loves you for you, not for what you have."
Snorting mirthlessly, Abbie shakes her head as she allows for her fork to clang to the plate. "She hates me right now Serena and she should. I can't believe I was such an idiot and I forgot her birthday. After I told her I was going to start trying extra hard for us, I go and do something stupid like this. She hates me."
"She does not hate you. Right now she's upset but that's understandable. You've just got to let her be upset and not smother her. Just try to talk to her when she comes back." The blonde explains simply.
"You know it took me all most a year and a half to save up enough to buy her a ring." Abbie states, chuckling almost mirthlessly as she shakes her head. "Even after I had enough, a lot of people didn't think it was much of a looker. Kim even made a joke about not being able to find diamond in it, but I didn't care. I knew I wanted to marry Alex; so there I was down on one knee with the only ring I could afford and do you know the first words that came out of her mouth? 'It's beautiful.' That's what she said. She thought it was the most beautiful ring in the world and she said yes. Serena, I…I love her so much. I just wish I would stop messing things up."
"Everything will work out." Serena says with a smile as she reaches across the table and takes Abbie's hand. "I promise."
Later That Week
"I told you I didn't need a new outfit!" Alex hisses into her phone as the car slows to a stop at the airstrip. She pulls her phone away from her ear, glaring at it for a brief moment before she replaces it. "I told you I didn't! You know what, I've known you for years, I should know by now that arguing with you is completely useless. Yes…yes I know…yes, I'm here. Yes I'm wearing it! You didn't give me time to change. You know what, I'm already running a little due to your impromptu make over, so I've got to go. Bye…yes Kimberly I will…goodbye."
Groaning exasperatedly, Alex exits the car and slowly makes her way to the impressive jet parked on the airstrip. She climbs the stairs while her bags are being placed on board and she lets out a short breath of interest as she realizes how extravagant and roomy the cabin is.
"Good morning." Casey greets politely as she sits in one of the plus chairs with her laptop in front of her and a glass of what Alex can assume to be a mimosa. "Did you enjoy the drive over?"
"Something like that." Alex chuckles as she sets down her purse and sits down in the chair across from Casey. "Listen, I'm sorry I'm so late. Kim did a surprise visit and then changed my entire outfit and…"
"You look beautiful." The redhead interrupts before she glances down her watch and shrugs. "And you're only late by five minutes. It's no problem."
Alex feels her cheeks warm as she still lingers a little bit on the compliment. "Oh, well, thank you." she murmurs, a little less confident than she would have liked before she clears her throat and changes the subject. "So this is your plane?"
Casey glances around the cabin before her eyes land back on Alex and she gives a nod of confirmation. "That it is. Well, one of them at least."
"One of them?!" Alex repeats as her eyes nearly pop out of her head. "Okay, I can just barely understand one person having need for more than one car, but more than one plane?"
"Each one is different." Casey replies with a shrug of nonchalance. "And it's always good to be well prepared just in case something happens to one and I need to fly across the country on business. Beats having to take commercial flights."
"I guess." Alex answers, still shaking her head as she is at a loss for words at this woman having more than one private jet.
Once they land, Alex finds herself to be more interested in spending time with the charming redhead than going over anything that has to do with financing the expansion property. After leaving the lot, Alex begins enjoying herself even more as she and Casey explore the city; stopping at various food places, shops, and other things of the like. There is even one point where Casey grabbed her hand to pull her into a restaurant and she shamefully thinks that somewhere in her mind she wanted the moment to freeze forever.
The day passes quickly, and it's soon time to board the jet and return home. Alex sits with her hands in her lap as she looks out at the clouds passing beneath them. Blinking slowly, she can feel a pair of eyes over and she looks over to find Casey staring at her intensely.
"How long were you planning to stare at me before I noticed?" Alex asks with a small laugh.
"I was hoping you would notice the minute I started." Casey replies seriously, her eyes sparkling with something that Alex is able to recognize immediately. "You are gorgeous."
"Thank you…" Alex replies, briefly turning her attention back to the outside world beyond the window.
"Extremely gorgeous." Casey continues on, slipping out of her seat to where she is kneeling in front of the blonde in the seat across from her. "You are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on."
Alex turns, and she realizes how close the two of them are in proximity. She scoots back as far as the seat will let her, but unfortunately, it isn't that much considering Casey only seams to lean in closer. "Um, maybe you should back up? You're kind of invading my space here…"
"Why are you with her?" Casey asks, completely ignoring the suggestion. "Why are you with her when you know that you are unhappy and you know that there is someone else out there that can take better care of you than she can."
"She's a good woman…she takes care of me." Alex repeats her mantra, going completely rigid when she feels hands slowly trailing up her legs. Immediately she slaps said hands away and scoots further back into the seat. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Stop it!" Alex screeches, once again trying to shove Casey's hands away as they continue to explore the soft skin of her legs.
"Alex…"
"No, don't touch me!"
"Alex!"
"Get away!"
"ALEX!" Casey shouts betraying her typical soft spoken demeanor despite her humor. She grips the blonde's wrists in her hands, the only sound between the two of them is their labored breathing as they look into each other's eyes. She continues to lean in, pausing when she is close enough for Alex to hear her whisper. "Now if anyone asks, you can tell them that you resisted."
Alex continues to shake her head as she all but presses herself back into the seat. Soon, she realizes that she has absolutely nowhere to go, but at the same time, she doesn't make a motion to fight anymore. As she feels soft lips slowly meet her own, tears immediately jump to her eyes.
The first kiss is short, only a minute second and Alex backs off, biting her lip and shaking her head as said tears prick at the corner of her eyes.
Casey kisses her a second time. This time longer, firmer; long enough to tell that she isn't pushing away.
The third kiss is far more intense than the first to. The third kiss is the kiss where Alex kisses back. The third kiss is the kiss where Alex feels those wandering hands slowly move up her calves, to her thighs, over the fabric of her skirt and to her waist where fingers gently creep beneath her blouse and settle on stroking the skin above her waistband.
The fourth kiss, along with the hands, is the kiss that causes Alex to gasp, allow for a wondering tongue to enter into her mouth, something she subconsciously complies to. She's sure that if she was standing, her knees would have gone week, and as she tangles her fingers in crimson hair to pull the woman closer, she wonders how something so wrong can feel so right.
Hmmm, leave your thoughts?
Oh, and Cavak? I'm fairly sure she's singing ;)
