#older characters

Caitlyn had never had any doubts on her relationship with Violet in the 24 years they’d been together.

Even now that she was fast approaching 48, if you asked her, she’d say her and her wife’s relationship was as strong as ever.

When she was young she worried she’d have a dead marriage by 30.

The kind where she’s goes to bed early with no more than a kiss on the cheek. Hasn’t been touched since her early twenties, and has slept on the opposite side of the bed from her spouse since the day their last child was born.

But now? Caitlyn would laugh at the mere idea of it.

She goes to bed early, sure, but not without her wife curled in her arms or around her back, kissing her neck and nuzzling her hair as she hummed a tune- usually their wedding song- until Caitlyn fell asleep in her arms.

And that was only on the nights Vi didn’t keep her up late on the couch or in the kitchen or on the bed, making love to her until Caitlyn couldn’t even speak right, she’d just melt into Vi who would clean her up and shower with her first thing in the morning.

Even after both their two daughters had been born, Vi was an excellent mother and caretaker to the girls. But Caitlyn would argue she was even better to her.

Coffee every weekend morning in bed (a habit that’s continued on until this day). Massaging every knot or sore out of Caitlyn’s back when carrying around the kids made her ache. Cooking dinner and wrangling the girls at the same time when Caitlyn needed to finish her work…

She’d truly assumed she’d made it big, found her soulmate, won the spouse lottery, so to speak.

That was until she was out for lunch with an old friend one day, Eleanor. She was a nice enough girl, the kind who didn’t know when to drop a topic, but over the years Caitlyn had learned how to work around that.

Eleanor was currently rambling on about her lousy husband and how she feels their marriage had been over for years.

Although she can’t relate, Caitlyn nods along politely, offering her condolences or advice where necessary. Until Eleanor seemed to get bored of talking about her own troubles.

“How about you?” She says looking over the rim of her teacup

“What about me?” Caitlyn asks confused

“You never seem to complain about Vi… she’s not gonna hear you know.”

Caitlyn shrugs in response “I suppose I don’t have much to say, I presume I got quite lucky with her”

Eleanor scoffs and rolls her eyes “oh please, no one’s that happy with their relationship after 45, hell 35 most of the time”

Caitlyn shrugs but her friends persists

“Do you still share a bedroom? Kiss- no like actually kiss, not just a peck on the cheek? Sleep together?”

When she responds to her questions all with a nod and a sip of her drink Eleanor just shakes her head.

“Then you’re probably the issue” she seems to conclude.

Now that gains Caitlyn’s attention.

“What do you mean?” She says placing down her teacup.

“Well if your marriage is supposedly that good still… then your forcing it clearly”

Caitlyn not sure how to respond so she remains quiet.

“I bet if you didn’t make advances then she wouldn’t try anything. Didn’t try and kiss her first, or crawl in bed on your side and just turn your back and go to bed. I bet you nothing will happen because she doesn’t want it to.” Eleanor continues.

Caitlyn wants to retort but she’s a loss for words, so her opportunity is lost when Eleanor starts on another rant about her other friend’s spouse.

For the rest of the time Caitlyn stays quiet- not that the other girl notices. Mind stuck on her words.

Was she actually forcing her marriage? Did Vi not want anything to do with it anymore now that the girls had moved out and Caitlyn was getting older.

The end of their brunch goes by in a blur, not that Caitlyn minds, she wants time to think, and admittedly put Eleanor’s theories to the test.

Vi loves her… at least, she thinks she does… she wouldn’t be entertaining Caitlyn just for the sake of keeping her happy right?

———————————————

Her mind is whirlwind of overthinking as she sitting on the couch reading when Vi gets home. They’d both been out with friends for the afternoon. Caitlyn wonders if Vi had told them how miserable she was….

Caitlyn doesn’t look up from the book- not that she’s doing much reading.

Walking towards her Vi says “hey cupcake, how was brunch?”

Caitlyn hums in response and asks “yours?”

She sees her shrug out of the corner of her eye “it was fine.. boring” she confesses, before coming to crouch next to the arm of the couch, leaning over Caitlyn’s shoulder and distracting her by peppering soft kisses along the back of her neck and shoulder.

Caitlyn tries to remain composed, staying focused on her book but that only fuels Vi more.

She leans over to Caitlyn’s side, kissing her jaw until she reaches her cheek. For once Caitlyn doesn’t turn to offer her lips

“Baby?” Her wife says heartbreakingly soft “no kiss?”

Caitlyn’s a strong woman… but her one weakness had always been Violet, and hearing her sound so deterred…

She turned to kiss the other woman, whose lips curl up against hers happily, humming as her hand comes up to the back of her neck.

The kiss doesn’t turn into anything more, Vi breaking it and standing up saying she’s going to go workout for a bit and Caitlyn can’t decide if she’s relieved or disappointed.

Despite what had just happened, Caitlyn decides to continue her experiment… maybe once Vi thought Caitlyn wasn’t as interested, she’d realize she’s off the hook and actually give up.

Coincidentally they don’t eat dinner together that night, or see each other as much as they usually do.

As fate would have it, Vi got called out a mission that Caitlyn hadn’t. Leaving her to be gone for most of the evening… which only Caitlyn down a deeper spiral.

By the time her wife returned, Caitlyn was just getting ready for bed, brushing her teeth “how was it?” She asks

Vi shrugs muttering something about stupid kids before leaning over the sink to wash her face.

Caitlyn couldn’t help but admire just how beautifully the woman next to her had aged.

Her wife’s features had softened even more over the years, giving way to smiles lines, and crows feet, and the first signs of grey starting at her roots.

Caitlyn stared for a moment at herself, while she wouldn’t say she hadn’t aged gracefully, she definitely looked older than her wife.

With many silver hairs and slightly sagging cheeks, her wrinkles had even spread to her neck.

The longer she stares, the worse she feels, so Caitlyn forced herself to look away, clearing her throat in hopes it would do the same to her head.

She remembers the plan she had intended to enact and leaves the bathroom ahead of Vi, crawling into her side of her bed and tugging off the lamp.

After brushing her teeth her wife enters the room, and her footsteps halt when she reaches the edge of the bed.

Caitlyn has a feeling it’s due to her position at the edge of the bed with her back to her, but doesn’t react.

The weight of the bed dipping beneath Vi happens next, and her lamp clicks off. It’s quiet and still for a moment and a rush of pain roots in Caitlyn’s chest.

Was Vi really going to just give up that easily?

But before she can let her thoughts take her further she feels Vi roll over, and inch her way across the bed.

Expecting the usual hand around her waist, Caitlyn is surprised to feel a gentle, even cautious hand on her back.

“Caitlyn…” her wife whispers from behind her. She hardly ever calls her that.

When Caitlyn doesn’t respond at first her wife tries again “baby what’s wrong?”

“Nothing” she replies over her shoulder this time.

“You’ve been cold all day… are you mad at me?”

“No” she responds again “you don’t have to worry about keeping me happy… you can just, do your own thing”

She doesn’t have to look behind her to know Vi is hurt, and she immediately feels a pang of guilt.

“What?” Vi says confused before her hand moves to her hip tugging lightly “Caitlyn look at me”

As much as she’s tempted to resist, she follows her guiding hand till she’s rolled over facing Vi.

“What are you talking about sweetheart?” Vi says looking genuinely confused and concerned as her hand comes up to cradle Caitlyn’s cheek.

“I-I don’t wanna keep forcing our marriage if you don’t want to keep pretending and putting up with all of this” Caitlyn only realizes she’s crying when she tries to breathe through her nose and only sniffles.

Vi shakes her head, still confused but also it hurt now.

“Pretending-? Caitlyn you’re my entire world… I love you so much, and our marriage…”

Caitlyn stays quiet unable to stop the tears now.

Her wife, ever attentive, pulls her closer to tuck her head under her chin and rub her back.

“Cait.. your everything to me. I’ve never stopped loving you a day in our lives. I mean.. you’re my girl, the mother of my children, you’re my family… and never for a moment have I ever though differently or grown tired of you”

Her arms clutch tighter around Caitlyn’s frame taking a deep breath.

“You promise?” Caitlyn can only whisper to her embarrassment.

“I promise… I love you Caitlyn” Vi replies before pulling her away to press a gentle kiss to her forehead, then cuddling closer again.

“Did I give you that impression baby?” She asks sounding devastatingly heartbroken.

Caitlyn immediately shakes her head “no! No… you never…” her voice trails off unsure how to explain. Scared that the fact that she had so easily been persuaded into believing Vi didn’t love her the same would hurt Vi.

The woman holding her just like pulls her tighter into her arms “what gave you that idea then?” She hears her ask above her.

She doesn’t want to confess, but at the same time she doesn’t want to keep doing this when Vi already sounds hurt.

“Eleanor” she confesses quietly. “She told me that… if our marriage was still so strong after all this time, then I must be forcing it, and that you were just trying to make me happy” she explains the situation, realizing now just how silly she sounds.

She feels her wife tense for a moment before soft lips press to her forehead “that’s never been the case love… you’ve never ‘forced’ anything… and of course I do these things to make you happy, but it’s also because it makes me happy and I love you”

Vi pulls away then, and eyes lock with Caitlyn’s still glassy ones.

“I’m so sorry..” Caitlyn whispers “I-i never should’ve let her get in my head about us…” she shakes her head.

But her wife just guides her chin so she’s looking back up and says “you know you mean everything to me right? And this is real to me?”

Caitlyn feels like she deserves more. To be kicked out to the couch or yelled at, or called ignorant and stupid. But still she nods.

And quietly her wife goes “Good.”

Seemingly satisfied until she feels the other woman push herself and roll Caitlyn onto her back, swinging one of her thighs over her waist.

Caitlyn can’t help but laugh softly to hide the blush that still forms after all these years.

From above her, Vi shoots her an equally wide smile of amusement and leans down to kiss Caitlyn, soft, slow and passionate.

When the red heads hands start to wander beneath her sleep shirt Caitlyn breaks the kiss and laughs quietly to herself.

“You ever think you’re getting too old for this?” She mutters, hands moving to the other girls waist.

“Nope” her wife says simply, hands going higher till they find her breasts, which makes her breathe hitch, and back arch slightly.

Vi leans down breath ghosting her ear “not when you look, and sound.. so pretty like this”

She trails her lips along Caitlyns jaw and neck, before pulling her shirt over her head, and taking off her own.

The two woman smile at each other, giggling like schoolgirls before Vi leans down and Caitlyn leans up to catch the other lips.

Caitlyn feels her wife’s hips slowly begin to grind down against her own, and her hands settle on her hips to feel her movements.

The two of them are in nothing but old panties and boxers, but they couldn’t care less, just wanting the feel, the touch, the connection of the other.

Caitlyn’s hand moves up to lightly pinch and rub her thumb around Vis hardened nipple.

The woman above her moans against her lips, rhythmic grinds flattering into one or two desperate bucks.

Before she lets herself continue, she feels her hand moving to slot between Caitlyn’s legs, pressing her fingers against her damp panties.

Vi breaks the kiss, panting against Caitlyn’s lips “fuck baby.. you’re so wet” she mutters, a smile in her voice as her lips begins to trail along her neck again.

Supporting her lower back, Vi guides her until she’s laid back on the pillows, before pulling Caitlyn’s damp garment down her long legs and discarding it onto the floor beside the bed.

Her hands slowly slide up, along her inner thigh. Vis hand are usually warm, though calloused and rough.

However Caitlyn’s never minded. She likes the sensation it brings.. the shiver that runs down her spine.

“Can I touch you?” Vi still asks, even after all this time. Even though she knows Caitlyn wants nothing more… she still asks for her wife’s consent before taking any part of her.

“Violet please” Caitlyn can only help but whine. Earning a smile from her wife. Never teasing… but amused nonetheless.

Caitlyn’s just about to retort something in an attempt to save her dignity but all she manages is a gasp, when calloused fingers make contact with her clit.

Back arching and words failing her, Caitlyn lets herself fall to Vis will.

The first time she’d slept with Vi she’d thought that was the best sex of her life.

Now, over 20 years later, she realizes how wrong she was.

Her wife’s fingers are nothing short of magic, working her body like it’s an instrument made just for her.

Thumb gently circling her clit as two fingers ease their way inside her, and soft kisses adorn her body.

Caitlyn can’t help but gasp breathlessly “fuck… v-vi-“ a chocked noise escaping her throat as fingers find the perfect spot.

She wishes she could live in this moment forever, but unfortunately, her stamina isnt what it used to be and it’s not long before she’s gripping at her wife’s back “I-I’m close-“

“I know” Vi coos into her ear- of course she does, her wife can read her better than any one.

“Let go Caitlyn I got you” she adds as she coaxes waves of pleasure through her body and hot tears from her eyes.

Shaking as she comes down from her high, she almost doesn’t realize Vis fingers have left her until she’s using them to pull a breathless Caitlyn into her arms.

“I love you” she whispers against her hair as Caitlyn cuddles into her wife’s strong chest “so much, you know that?”

She nods “I do… I love you too, and I’m sorry” Caitlyn says but Vi just shakes her head.

“As long as you know.” She says quietly “I’ll love you till the day I die, and I’ll always show you because I want to, not because I ‘feel like I have to’”

All the doubts from earlier had left Caitlyn’s mind by now, as the strong, arms of her soulmate encircle her.

Head rested on her chest, and her own body and mind incredibly tired she lets herself drift off, as Vi routine humming begins softly.