#old flames

     it was sweltering by the time lee pulled up to the elementary school. damn air conditioning in his cruiser crapping out on him in the middle of the hottest day of the year. even with all the windows down, he could still feel the little patches of sweat that had formed under his arms, down his back... it was dripping off his face like he’d just run a marathon.

     stepping out of the vehicle with a grunt, he removed his hat to smooth a hand over his cropped hair, putting the cap back in place as soon as he could. he heard another car door behind him when he started walking up to the entrance, but didn’t pay it any mind until he heard a call of his name.

     “the heat fryin’ my brain, or is that really you?”

     the voice froze him in place, sending a chill up his spine despite the weather. spinning on his heels, he nearly fell to his knees. “i’ll be damned,” he breathed, no choice but to just watch as the woman got closer by the second. she stood before him with a small smile on her painted lips, hand shielding her eyes from the sun. lee caught himself staring, quickly clearing his throat before he managed to squeak out, “i’d heard you were back in town... didn’t know if i should believe it or not.”

     “always could’ve come by the house to see for yourself,” she laughed.

     “you’re back with ma, then?”

     she looked a little embarrassed by the question, shoulders shrugging as her eyes looked anywhere but at him. “just ‘til i’m back on my feet... not ideal, but... i don’t know. she likes having the kids around, and they like runnin’ all over the farm.”

     “i’ll bet,” he smiled, hesitating to say what he wanted to next. “so you and, uh, howard?”

     “harold,” she corrected, smirking at the older’s pettiness. “he’s still up in columbus...” she shrugged again, letting a pleasant quiet fall between them.

     lee knew it wasn’t his place to ask, but the urge still lingered in the back of his mind. he’d heard the rumors, the gossip from friends of her ma, but he never allowed himself to think on it too much for fear he’d find himself driving up into the city to do something that wouldn’t look that good next election cycle.

     “guess you’re not much better off, huh?” she poked, nodding to his bare left hand where it sat atop his belt.

     now he found himself shrugging, suddenly aware of how close her gaze was to his midsection. he tried to adjust his posture as best he could without making it too obvious. “i don’t know... i think i’d have to say i am better off.”

     “well good for us both, then.”

     as they stood in silence again, the older let himself really take her in. the years had been kind, not that he ever expected them to be otherwise. she’d stay a stunner ‘til the day she died, he was sure of it. anyone else might not have noticed the way her hips flared out a bit more, but he’d come to know them too well to miss it. it looked nice on her, complemented that motherly glow she had radiating around her.

     she must’ve been taking him in just the same, breathing out, “you look good, lee.”

     scoffing, he finally looked back up to her face, catching the tail end of a scowl. “you always were too kind for your own good.”

     “i was also never a liar.”

     the brunet could only stand there, stunned, as she walked past him, heading for the entrance of the school. he could feel another bead of sweat run down between his shoulder blades, getting stuck in the cotton of his shirt before he kicked himself into gear and followed after her.

     “mama never mentioned you havin’ any kids,” she mused, throwing a glance his way.

     “would’ve been lyin’ if she had.” at her confused expression, lee had to bite back his grin. “i’m here on business. got a call about a possible truant student, came to see what it’s all about before i go bangin’ on the kid’s door.”

     “truant? on the first week of school?” she paused as they reached the doors, smiling when he opened one for her. “sounds like you better quit wastin’ your time yappin’ on with me.”

     lee wanted to say something about how she couldn’t waste his time if she tried, but he bit his tongue in favor of asking, “and you? little early for pick-up.”

     “school rang me at work, said my boy’s runnin’ a fever.”

     and on cue, a kid came barreling out of nowhere to latch onto her legs. looking down, lee found himself staring into a pair of eyes identical to hers. the boy watched him timidly, pulling on his mom’s shirt until she scooped him up in her arms, hand going to his forehead immediately.

     “y’okay, baby?” she cooed, pressing her lips to the skin her hand had just left. instead of answering his mother, the child just stared at the man before them. laughing, she looked to the older and watched him remove his hat, placing it over his chest. “teddy, this is mr. lee.”

     “hi there, teddy.”

     the boy gave him a small wave before completely burying his face in his mother’s neck.

     “he’s real shy,” she laughed, smoothing a hand down his back.

     “he’s beautiful,” lee noted, fitting his hat back on his head. “just like his mama.”

     they could both feel the eyes of the two ladies behind the front desk on them, and lee felt a wave of déjà vu hit him. just like all those years ago, trying to stay coy in aisles of grocery stores, forcing himself not to linger when he dropped off his uniform at the cleaners she worked at. it wasn’t all the same, though. there wasn’t a need to worry about who was watching anymore.

     “i better get this one home, pick up the other from my neighbor’s, but...” she paused to trail her eyes over him one more time. “it was great seein’ you, lee.”

     “if you say so...”

     her sneaker-clad foot made contact with one of his boots, playful grin on her lips. “yeah, well, if you ever find yourself workin’ up an appetite from hatin’ on yourself all day...” he laughed at her, shaking his head a little. “come by for lunch or something.”

     “‘or something’?” he smirked.

     she mirrored his expression before turning to head for the doors again. lee couldn’t stop himself from watching her form, specifically the way her work pants clung to her hips almost enough to leave little to his imagination.

     when he finally collected himself and faced the ladies at the desk, they were both trying to bite back a sly grin.

~

     her house hadn’t changed nearly at all. the drive out to it was pretty much the same, too. only difference he could make out was the two kids running around in the lawn. the front door was wide open, and it looked like a few windows were as well.

     rolling into the driveway behind her car, he tried to calm the nerves tickling at the back of his mind. she’d invited him over, said he looked good... he had nothing to worry about.

     even so, he found himself rolling out his shoulders under the thin cotton shirt he’d thrown on that morning. it’d cooled off a little during the week, but the sun showed no signs of letting up anytime soon. his shoes glistened when he finally stepped out onto the pavement, clacking with each step toward her porch.

     inside was much of the same, just like the outside. colorful toys littering the floor blending in like they’d always been there. miniature shoes sat right by the front door, underneath cute little raincoats that hadn’t gotten much use the past few months.

     lee let his eyes guide him further into the entrance hall, taking in all the new photos of her and her kids. some of them were cropped oddly, someone else clearly having been cut out of them.

     “teddy, i know you’re not runnin’ in here with those dirty shoes on after i spent all morning cleanin’!”

     he heard her start down the stairs in front of him and looked up to see her coming to a stop just a few steps away from the top.

     “surely you ain’t mistake my footsteps for the kid’s.”

     grinning, she continued down the stairs, stopping just far enough from him to take him in. “look at you,” she beamed, looking over his nicely pressed pants and short sleeve dress shirt. an embarrassed smile came over her face as she looked down at her own outfit. “look at me.”

     “i am.”

     she wasn’t done up like she had been the other day, and her shapely work attire had been traded in for a shirt at least two sizes too big for her, various stains covering it all over. but she still managed to knock the wind out of him.

     “that offer for lunch still good?”

     her eyebrows knit together as she bit her lip, shoulders shrugging in shame. “we had sandwiches and celery sticks,” she laughed before an imaginary lightbulb lit up above her head. “i got some leftover casserole, but it’ll take a little while to heat it up.”

     “i got time,” he smiled, following after her when she motioned for him to. she sat him at the small table they’d always had by the front windows of the living room. there was a full view of the yard from where he was. “kids didn’t even notice me pull up.”

     “that surprise you?” she called from the kitchen over the sounds of the fridge opening and closing, cabinets creaking, dishes hitting the counter. “they’re on another planet out there.”

     the older laughed as he watched them, completely agreeing with what she’d said. the two of them were stumbling through the grass like newborn deer, hollering after one another between giggles.

     “boy feelin’ all right?”

     “yeah, must’ve just been a summer cold.”

     he nodded even though she couldn’t see him, hands starting to fiddle with a napkin on their own, eyes occasionally glancing back out the window. “how old are they anyway?”

     “teddy’s gonna be seven in november, and louise just turned four back in june.” she crossed the threshold between them, placing a plate in front of him before she sat down. lee looked at her sternly when he saw the generous slice of angel food cake. “what? you opposed to havin’ dessert first now?”

     shaking his head, he picked up the fork anyway. “i shouldn’t be eatin’ this junk.”

     “there’s fruit with it,” she countered just as he scooped up some strawberry slices alongside the cake. her eyes were expectant as he chewed, hands folded under her chin.

     “you can breathe,” he chuckled, going to cut another piece. “it’s good, darlin’. you were always a damn fine cook.”

     and it seemed she still was; casserole hitting the spot, even reheated from a few nights prior and served on a hot afternoon.

     they caught up as he ate, filling in the blanks of their lives that weren’t padded out through gossip from one source or another. it was nice getting to pick back up like they’d never even disconnected. sure, things had changed, but the longer they spoke, lee started to realize that the two of them hadn’t. not in the ways that mattered.

     “mama!” two voices started calling out for her as the kids rushed into the house, shoes stomping dirt all over the floor. lee could see her taking a deep breath as she watched her freshly swept floors get ruined again. “mama, jimmy’s askin’ if we can go play.”

     she peeked out the window at her son’s words, spotting the older boy pushing his red wagon back and forth at the end of the driveway.

     “you gonna use those manners i taught you?” she asked, facing her son again and flicking her eyes over to lee.

     “hi, mr. lee...”

     “hi, teddy,” the older smiled, stifling his laugh. “who ya got there with ya?”

     “louise... she’s my sister.”

     “nice to meet you, louise.”

     the little girl just stared up at him with the same eyes each of them had, looking a little hesitant at his presence. it broke lee’s heart to see.

     teddy wrapped one of his arms around his sister’s shoulders, showing off a grin that lacked front teeth as he assured her, “’s okay. mama likes mr. lee.”

     louise eyed him a moment longer before finally waving at the brunet exaggeratedly.

     “alright, alright, let’s not leave jimmy out there in the sun all afternoon.” the two children followed their mother as she made for the front porch. “look after each other, you hear me?” they both nodded with a call of ‘yes, mama’ over their shoulders. “jimmy, you have your ma give me a ring when y’all get there.”

     “yes, ma’am.”

     lee watched through the window as teddy helped his sister climb into the older boy’s wagon, keeping hold of her hand as the three of them started off down the road. he heard their mother come back over to the table, felt her warmth behind him as she tracked them until they disappeared.

     “they’re really somethin’ special,” he commented, looking up just in time to see her dropping her own gaze to him. “thank god they took after you.”

     an almost sad look came over her face, contradicted by the smile she put on. when she sat back down, a small chuckle left her lips. “you know,” she began, shaking her head slightly like she couldn’t believe what she was about to say. “at the risk of sounding like a ‘damn foolish child’ again... i always sorta had this dream that it’d be you.”

     lee knew what she was talking about. they were the same sentiments she’d shared with him all those years ago, when he’d shut her down a lot less gently than he should have.

     “i should’ve never called you that,” he breathed, wiping his mouth off with a napkin as he sat back in his chair.

     shaking her head, she let out a small laugh. “maybe not in those words, but i needed the reality check.” the man beside her looked dumbfounded, lips parted comically with a tiny crumb stuck in his scruff. “i understand your position more now that i’m grown... i was too blinded by my own heartbreak to put myself in your shoes.”

     “‘heartbreak,’” he repeated, letting the word simmer on his tongue until it turned rancid.

     she shrugged, leaning forward in her seat. “but i’m not nineteen no more. not that it ever should’ve bothered you the way it did... i was an adult, i could make my own decisions.”

     “not ones as big as you wanted to.”

     that silenced her, eyes dropping to the empty placemat in front of her. he wanted to take it back the second it came out of his mouth, but he’d said it, and there was no changing that.

     clearing his throat, he started speaking again just as she stood to collect his plates. “all i meant...” he sighed, trying to get his thoughts together. “i didn’t think you belonged with an old geezer like me. not when your future hadn’t even started yet, and mine wasn’t lookin’ too promising. didn’t help that i was a bastard back then... hell, i still am.”

     she glanced at him as she picked up the small stack of dishes, reaching for his empty glass with her free hand. “i didn’t care. i liked us... i liked you.”

     lee watched her walk back into the kitchen, sound of the sink running filling the silence she’d left in her wake. he really hadn’t changed; still loved to put his foot in his mouth every chance he got.

     the chair groaned under him when he stood up, one of his own slipping past his lips from his full stomach. he smoothed a hand down his shirt as he followed after her into the kitchen. she was still at the sink scrubbing away at a plate even though it looked like it was ready to start squeaking it was so clean. instead of going over to her, lee let himself inspect the various things stuck to her fridge.

     colorful drawings and a little notepad with a magnet glued to the back of it, shopping list scrawled on it. there were a few pictures, too, and one with her and her ma caught his eye. it looked like it was taken around the time he last saw her, youthful glee etched across her face.

     “where’s your ma?” he asked, placing a hand against the top of the freezer so he could lean a little closer.

     “you forget it’s sunday? she’s down at the market.”

     “right,” he drawled, eyes settling on a photograph of her with the boy on her hip, only a little thing then, and her stomach bulging under the dress she had on. “hence why the truck’s gone...” the sink cut off as he plucked the picture from underneath its magnet. “always were a looker.”

     coming to stand beside him, she smiled at the picture and slipped one of her rubber gloves off to turn it toward herself. “even when i’m eight months along?”

     “definitely,” he answered without hesitation.

     she hummed as she left his side with a grin, placing her gloves over the side of the drying rack. “you would’ve liked me when i was pregnant.” the older was already in agreement with that statement, but he put the photo back to face her anyway, one brow cocked with a smirk threatening to pull at his lips. “i was insatiable.”

     “that right?” he chuckled, leaning back against the counter opposite her. “you ever not insatiable?”

     the two of them stood there, speaking without words for what felt like an hour before she finally stepped forward into his space. lee chewed the inside of his cheek, crossing his arms as more of a challenge than a barrier. she was ready to accept it, getting close enough for their stomachs to touch.

     the older pulled away as best he could, fixing a scowl on his face. “what are you doin’?”

     “what you’d be doin’ if you hadn’t turned into such a chickenshit.”

     her hands reached up to pull at his arms, but he was quick to capture them. “i ain’t no chickenshit,” he snapped.

     “then quit actin’ like one.”

     both of them were almost panting with how heavily their breaths came. in one swift movement, he spun her around until her back was against him, pushing her forward into the other counters. she shook in his hold, shivering when he pressed his lips to the side of her face, placing her hands flat on the tile.

     just as he went to start pulling up her shirt, she jabbed at him with her elbow. “you nuts?” she hissed, spinning around to face him again. lee opened his mouth to reply, but she beat him to it, pulling on his arm as she started out into the entrance hall. “i make my kids dinner on those counters! think i was gonna let you bend me over ‘em for old times’ sake?”

     he laughed, caging her in against the railing of the stairs when she went to climb them. “motherhood make you boring?”

     the wood creaked when he leaned into her further, a playful yet somehow annoyed grin pulling at her lips. “maybe you’d find out if you quit stallin’.”

     “who said i’m stalling?” he purred, ducking his head slightly so that there was only a breath between their lips. “maybe i wanna take you on the stairs, right in front of the open door... for old times’ sake.”

     the younger groaned in frustration before slamming their mouths together, trying to devour him and catch up on lost time all in one kiss. and lee was happy to let her; giving back just as good as he got, whining at the back of his throat from how badly he’d missed feeling her, tasting her. how badly he’d screwed up to push her away...

     “get into that bedroom before i let you take me on these stairs for the whole neighborhood to see.”

     “yes, ma’am.”

     she all but dragged him the rest of the way up the stairs, two of them stumbling into her old bedroom through quick, sloppy kisses and embarrassing giggles. something cracked under his boot, making him jump out of his skin as she gasped.

     “the hell was that?”

     “you broke mr. potato head’s nose,” she laughed between kisses.

     lee couldn’t fight his smirk as he breathed out, “i’ll buy ‘em a new one.”

     hands starting at the buttons of his shirt, she shook her head quickly. “no, no, no... stupid thing was hideous.” the older laughed at her, swallowing hard when she started pulling his top from where it was tucked into his trousers. “and they wasted all my damn potatoes playin’ with it.”

     “well in that case,” he started, pulling back to look at her blown pupils. “i think you should be thankin’ me.”

     “oh, don’t you worry, sheriff. i’m plannin’ on it.”

     lee’s head fell back against the wall as she slid his shirt down his arms, making for his undershirt without any hesitation. there was a little bit of insecurity lingering in the back of his mind, causing his lip to tremble. the last time they’d been in this position... he was a different man then.

     pushing the undershirt up his torso, she planted her lips over his the second it was past his head, hands going to his belt eagerly. the sound of it sliding through the loops brought goosebumps to the surface of his skin. as she made work of his button and zipper, he planted both hands on either side of her face, breaking their kiss to stare into the wild abyss that her eyes had become.

     she keened at the back of her throat, letting his trousers fall to the floor with a small thud while her lips took up the new role of skimming down his chest. his hands fell away, forming fists at his side the further down she went.

     “hairier than i remember,” she noted.

     lee took a shaky breath before he allowed himself to look down at her, finding her gaze already on him. it was hypnotizing to watch her lips trail over the thin hairs coating his chest and stomach, lighter ones catching the sunlight when her head tilted a certain way.

     her knees met the floor just as she began tugging down the sides of his underwear, a desperate whine leaving both of them when he finally sprang free.

     “oh, definitely hairier than i remember,” she laughed.

     lee let out a chuckle of his own, swallowing thickly around it. “that’s what happens when ya get old.”

     he heard her hum, felt the air from it hit his tip before her hand wrapped around him. “i kinda love it.”

     and then he was in her mouth, heat sending a shiver up his spine. she kept her lips tight around the head, tongue pressing into the vein that ran along the underside. their gazes were still locked over his stomach, and it seemed as though she wasn’t about to give up her view. with a deep breath, she inched down him until her eyebrows cinched from the intrusion.

     “fuck... don’t hurt yourself, darlin’.”

     a long breath left her nose as she popped off of him, hand following the path of her lips, rolling around the head.

     “how ‘bout i let you know when i’ve had enough, huh?”

     the snarky response had him snorting out a laugh between stunted groans before she went back for more, this time going straight down until he felt her nose at his base. his jaw ticked, deep growl leaving his chest when she gagged slightly. it didn’t stop her, younger leaving his tip deep inside her throat while the walls of it constricted and her tongue twitched.

     “quit fuckin’ with me ‘fore i blow right now,” he warned, palm slamming onto the wall behind him hard enough to rattle a few frames hanging off it.

     just to rile him up more, she hummed around him, almost making him cry out if the vibration hadn’t knocked the wind out of him. not even giving him a chance to collect himself, she started a pace, taking him all the way in on each pass of her lips, one hand clinging to his thigh as the other reached for his balls.

     lee had never known a lover like her before, and never found one like her after. no one ever made his head spin, kept him on his toes and clinging to every movement like his life depended on it.

     “s-stop,” he sputtered, cupping her cheek again. she pulled back from him with a pop and a few heavy breaths. “get your ass on the bed.”

     as she stood, she grinned, “before i’ve even taken my clothes off?”

     “don’t get smart with me, darlin’. we both know i’ll rip ‘em off if i have to.”

     he made work of his shoes as she did away with her baggy clothes, firing her panties at him like a slingshot.

     stepping up between her knees, his eyes took in her body; so familiar yet somehow brand new. he wanted to stare at her for hours just to take note of each little change he could notice, but the sight of her chest shaking around an unsteady breath had him grabbing her face again. just long enough for his gaze to quell the uncertainty in her own.

     she watched him walk around the side of the bed before settling in against her pillows. voice low and almost unintelligible, he beckoned, “get up here, sugar. i want a good look at ya.”

     slowly, she crawled up over him, stopping an inch from his face, hips hovering above his. the rough pads of his fingers ghosting across her thighs had a sigh leaving her lips. they continued up to her hips, skimming over her waist until he could wrap both hands around her breasts.

     “i told you i ain’t nineteen no more,” she swallowed under his gaze.

     lee pulled one hand away from her chest to strike her ass with it, harsh smack almost getting drowned out by her yelp. “thank god for that,” he grunted, grabbing at the smarting flesh until she all but purred above him. “nothin’ sexier than a woman that’s grown into her own.” his grip on her forced her down onto his lap, cock nestling in the crease between her thigh and mound.

     “oh, and what about you?” she teased, rolling her hips. “showin’ up here in your sunday best, wearing that damn shirt when you know full well your arms have always driven me wild.”

     lee growled at the back of his throat when she dug her fingers into his biceps, sliding over his cock again. “as much as i’m enjoyin’ this little stroke-fest,” he smirked, “i should’ve been buried in you ten minutes ago.”

     her lips found his, chests bumping together as she reached down to wrap a hand around his shaft. his mouth parted with a groan, both of them whining when his tip finally grazed over her entrance. lowering herself down around him, a strained, broken cry left her. “forgot how damn big you are.”

     “i told you not to hurt yourself,” he grinned.

     grinding onto him, she winked, “you know i like it better that way.”

     she kept him buried to the hilt, slowly rocking herself back and forth, letting out little gasps and whines against his lips. one hand gripped onto his shoulder, other digging into the pillow behind his head, causing her to push her chest into his face. lee bucked his hips up, getting the moan she let out to twist into a squeak when he wrapped his lips around one of her nipples.

     “lee,” she sighed, fingers pressing into his skin hard enough to leave little red marks in their wake as she lifted her hips up gently.

     the older kept working the stiff peak over in his mouth, hands burning their way over her ass, up her back to knead at the flesh of her shoulders. his lips vibrated around her as she set a rhythm, popping off one breast to trail over her skin to the other.

     there was sweat pooling at the backs of her knees, heat in the room and in her core making her face burn so hotly she could feel tears welling up.

     “fuck, darlin’... just like that...”

     lee kept one palm splayed across her back, other brushing around to tweak the buds he’d nearly just bruised between his lips. he watched as she threw her head back, moan bouncing off the walls like a choir. the blinds hanging over the window beside them were half open, making it so the sunlight striped across her skin from the waist up, navel and below getting a full beam of it.

     “christ, i’m burnin’ up down here,” he laughed, feeling a bead of sweat run down the side of his face from his hairline.

     she dropped her arms, falling onto him completely, lips brushing over his chin to kiss away the droplet. “window unit is out,” she breathed, nipping at his jaw just as his hands found her ass again with a firm slap. they forced her down harder, pushing and pulling so the base of him brushed over that little bud between her lips. her walls clamped down on him, long groan ripping up her throat.

     “i think you planned this, sweetheart.” the only response he got was a grunt, breath tickling along his shoulder as she buried her face fully into his neck. “you always liked it messy like this... back of the cruiser in the middle of summer...” the sheets rustled when he planted the soles of his feet down on them firmly, using the new leverage to thrust up into her until he got her to whimper mindlessly. “all our sweat just festering on top o’ the seat so i could smell it for a week... fuck, i’m not gonna last much longer.”

     “then quit- lee!” her hand slammed against the headboard next to him on a particularly deep hit, her walls fluttering again.

     “quit what, darlin’?”

     his drawl was thick, right next to her ear as he kept at that angle until she was ready to scream from the pure bliss rushing through her veins. she knew he was getting just as desperate, always running his mouth when he started teetering on the edge of his release. something came over her, younger sitting up abruptly so she could work her hips over his frantically.

     “god damn...”

     “believe it or not, i didn’t bust my ac in anticipation of you comin’ over here lookin’ to ravage me on a damn sunday,” she teased, watching as his jaw started to set, crystalline eyes gazing up at her under furrowed brows. cute little nose of his scrunching up. “i might never get it fixed, though...” she paused to pant out a few moans, hand slamming down on his chest, nails digging into his skin. “you’re right, i love it all messy like this. love watchin’ your face get all red... skin glistenin’ with all that sweat...”

     “fuck, darlin’... ’m almost there...” he trailed off, listening to her hips clap harshly against his, echoing around the room underneath all their labored breathing. her other hand came up to rest on his chest, squeezing her tits between her biceps, and the sight had him twitching. “sugar, sugar, sl-slow down! i’m- fuck, i’m gonna- you gotta get off, or...”

     a palm pressed to his lips, her eyes hooded and fixed right on him. “i told you, sheriff, i’ll let you know when i’ve had enough.”

     the thought alone of finally getting to bust in her had him almost snorting like a beast behind her hand, view of her egging it on eventually sealing his fate.

     his body went rigid beneath her, warmth flooding out within her walls. she let her hand fall away from his mouth to listen to the little grunts and groans spilling from it in his last few moments of ecstasy. slowly, she brought her hips to a halt, staring down at him in awe as he tried to steady his breathing.

     “god damn, that was good,” he chuckled breathily. there was an impish look in his eyes, and when he grabbed hold of her hips and rolled them over, she knew why. “but i ain’t finished with you, am i?”

     lee kissed her heatedly before pulling out, smirking at her displeased whimper. he settled between her thighs, ready to work her up until she couldn’t take it anymore. but the sight before him had something primal twisting in his gut.

     milky white started to ooze out of her, dripping down her ass onto the bed beneath them.

     his hand reached out on its own, gathering the spilled liquid and pushing it back into her. she whined, entrance puckering around his fingers so more leaked out.

     “this why you wouldn’t stop? huh? wanted me drippin’ outta ya?” instead of a verbal response, she bucked her hips up toward his face, nudging his ribs with her heel. “god damn, woman... i could get used to seein’ this.”

     with no further warning, he started fucking into her with his fingers, watching his seed coat them messily for a moment before planting his lips around her bud.

     “lee, please,” she cried, already hurtling toward oblivion.

     the older just sucked harder, stopping to swipe his tongue through the mix of them occasionally. whether it was that thought or her needy pleas, he could feel himself already starting to twitch again in want.

     “lee!” her voice was strained, fingers fisting in the short tufts of his hair as she finally let go. he pulled back from her to watch her body tremble, lips and chin shining, thumb taking over his mouth’s work. one last weak squeal left her when he started letting up, her legs going slack on either side of him.

     “good?”

     “i’ll let ya know when my head stops spinning.”

     he copied her earlier movements, crawling over her to plant his lips on hers. she hummed contentedly, prying into his mouth with her tongue to get a better taste of the two of them swirled together.

     “what time is it?” she breathed, nearly whispering.

     lee looked over to her nightstand, catching sight of the clock and a few stray red and yellow wrappers. “quarter after three.”

     she wiped at her neck with the corner of her duvet, trying to get rid of some of the sweat as she watched him reach out for something. the telltale crinkling let her know what he was getting into.

     “don’t be stingy with my own candy,” she chided, “gimme one.”

     “we can just share this one.”

     she laughed at him, taking the little piece of honeyed taffy he’d unwrapped already. “not a chance.” before she could get out her next thought, he was sucking on his own piece loudly, lips wet with spit. “and that’s exactly why! these always make you drool like a dog!”

     “maybe it ain’t the candy that’s got me droolin’.”

     as the words left his mouth, a little bit ran down his chin, her thumb quickly coming up to catch it. she sucked the digit clean, eyeing him as they chewed in silence.

     lee grinned before pulling her closer, resting her head on his chest.

     swallowing the last of the candy, she sighed out, “i gotta start getting dinner together soon...”

     he watched her fingers smooth over his stomach for a beat, focused on the feel of her nails on his skin, the way her foot started to rub against his shin.

     finding his voice, he managed to suggest, “why don’t i take you out for somethin’ instead?” he could feel her about to make an excuse, quickly cutting her off. “bring the kids with us... hell, your ma can come, too.”

     her chin grazed across his chest as she turned her head to look at him. and maybe it was the lighting, but he could’ve sworn he saw her eyes starting to shimmer with tears.