Elves' Tale: A Christmas Romance

When I came out of the bathroom, Daph was already in the bed and she patted the other side beckoning me to join her. As I crawled in, I felt the sharp coldness of the sheets, and then the warmth as I scooted over to where she was. Reaching to the stand, she turned off the light and cuddled up to me.

"You'll have to excuse me tonight. I took a Percocet earlier and it makes me kind of loopy sometimes," she said.

"It's OK Wonder Woman," I whispered.

She started talking more about her work with children, and how heartbreaking it could be sometimes. I could tell the medication was starting to get to her. Her words were slowing down and she kind of started to ramble a little.

"Wanna save 'em all. Wanna live forever and save 'em all," she slurred.

"Emily?"

"Yes Daph?" There was no response.

"I love you Daphne," I whispered to her.

"Love you too Em..." and then she fell asleep.

I could feel the burning in my heart as I realized the truth in the words I had just said. I could feel the warmth of her body feeding into mine, and I remembered how good it had felt earlier to want to protect her, to kill for her if that's what it took, and to give my last breath for her. As I lay there, I listened to her breathing, feeling her close to me. I looked at the ceiling and thought about my life. I was coming to the realization that this evening had transformed me and that life was going to be very different.

In a way, I felt lucky. I had no family to disappoint, no grandmother to freak out. I knew that loving this woman wasn't going to be a problem for me. Suddenly, my joy was rocked when I realized that I didn't know if Daphne was going to be able to love me back. I felt tears streaming down my face as the weight of the thought hit me. I don't know how long I lay there.

As I held Daphne, an errant tear rolled the wrong way down my cheek and fell on her. She stirred, and then touched my check. Without waking up, she held me tighter and whispered thickly: "'S OK baby, I got you." Turning towards her, I gently, so tenderly, brushed my lips against hers. As I fell asleep, I thought about how marvelous they felt.

**

After our next shift, Daphne and I had dinner again in the food court. The Percocet she had taken during the storm had destroyed the memory of my confession to her, and I hadn't brought it up. I was feeling very sad as I looked at her. I flashed back to that night, and the struggle out to the truck. A struggle I realized she must live with daily.

"Daphne, how did you end up in the wheelchair?"

"Emily, it's a story I don't often tell," she said quietly.

I was angry! I was in love with her, and she wasn't sharing herself with me! I could feel grief and frustration building in me. Suddenly, I felt calmed. God, how irrational could I be? She didn't know I was in love with her.

"Please, I want to get to know you better. Please?"

"Well, when I was in high school, I was a cheerleader," she began.

"You're kidding right? I just can't picture you as a cheerleader."

"Truthfully, I wasn't a very good cheerleader, but the captain of the squad, Annabelle, was my friend, and she wanted me on her squad." Her voice trailed off, and she became very distant.

"Annabelle was my girlfriend and we were in love. She wanted me to be a cheerleader so we could spend more time together. So I made the squad," she continued. "Oh hey, you're OK right? I wasn't trying to seduce you the other night you know."

"Oh, hey, no, we're good." I choked. I felt a swirl of emotions. Part of me was instantly envious of Annabelle. How could she have dared to hold my treasure in her arms? Part of me was excited by the idea that maybe, just maybe, my relationship with Daph could really happen and we could be lovers. Inextricably mingled with the hope was the terror that I would try to take my relationship with Daphne to the next level and I would be rejected and lose her friendship forever.

"So, what happened between you and Annabelle?"

"A 1983 Chevy Malibu happened." She sighed. "One night after a game, we were waiting for my mom to come pick me up. Annie and I were kissing when my mother suddenly walked up and slapped me. She started verbally abusing me, and then tried to hit me. I ran away from her, and was walking down the side of the road towards home when..." She stopped, and choked back a small sob.

"I'm sorry baby, soo sorry," I whispered. Reaching forward, I took her hand in mine and held it tightly.

"Well, she ran over me with her car, and put me in this wheelchair. Annie's parents were stout Baptists, and they sent her off to live with an aunt and uncle in Tennessee. Anyhow, I was placed in foster care, and then in the independent living home until I graduated from high school. I got some scholarships, and some student loans and I got my undergrad degree, and then my master's in social work."

A minute passed.

"And here I am," she finished lamely.

"I'm really sorry. I can't believe your own mother would hurt you. That's just fucked up," I fumed.

"Unfortunately, what you learn in child protection is that just because a woman can give birth doesn't mean she can love a child. The most common belief in our circle is that people should have to be licensed before they can have kids." She smiled.

"Did she ever," I stuttered. "Did she ever apologize to you? Did she ever explain why she did it?"

"We had to sit through a couple of family therapy sessions afterwards. She talked about it being because she was shocked at seeing me kiss a girl. She tried to pass it off as a homophobic thing. You've got to remember, this was when I was fifteen, and being homophobic was still "accepted" in some circles back then. But that wasn't really it," she stopped. Taking a drink from her cup, she leaned forward and looked at me. Her eyes were piercing, and filled with pain.

"No, I figured out that the truth and the truth was that she hated that I was happy, and she wanted to destroy that happiness. I got to be a Disney princess, only I was struck down by my own mother who hated me, and there was only an overworked case worker for a fairy godmother, and there was no ball," she finished quietly.

"Did you ever see Annabelle again?" I asked.

"No. I heard third-hand that she had married and had children...Anyhow!" she exclaimed, "anyhow, now you know why I don't tell the story often. I get maudlin and I overdramatize everything! Look at the time. We should probably get you home."

"Daphne," I said. "Could I please stay with you again tonight? I'm really sad and I'd like to cuddle."

"Emily, I don't think that's probably a good idea."

"Please?" I turned on my best puppy dog look, and widened my eyes, trying my best to look like an anime orphan. "Please, I really need you tonight."

"OK."

I think that she had wanted to all along, but I think like me she was afraid.

**

As we drove towards her home, I reached over and took her free hand in mine. We made our way through the dark city, past the shuttered stores, and the blinking stop-lights, and the hollowly cheerless decorations, I thought about the pain she'd gone through. I thought about the kind of woman that would try to kill her own child. I thought about the special place in hell that I hoped she was in. I resolved to myself that I would never let anyone hurt her like that again.

When we got into her apartment, we hardly exchanged any words as we prepared for bed.

When I came out of the bathroom the lights were all out. Daph had turned on the gas fireplace and she was in her wheelchair in the living room, staring pensively out into the dark night. She looked so worried. Sliding up behind her, I absently started to brush her hair and then put it into the loose braid that she'd been wearing when we first met. When I finished, I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. At first she stiffened, and then I felt her relax, and her head rest itself on my arm.

"It will be OK. Come on, let's go to bed," I whispered.

As I crawled into bed with her, she turned on her side and faced me. I could see her eyes in the soft moonlight. Fear was in her eyes, fear mixed with hope and longing. As she spoke, I listened to the words, and more wonderfully, listened to the soft sub-text.

"Emily," she said, "I, I really like you. I'd like to stay friends with you after Christmas."

"I'd like that too," I said softly.

"I'm fighting with myself to tell you this, but I can't bear to keep it in... I feel like when I'm with you, I'm whole. I've never felt this way before, and it's a little scary."

"I feel the same way," I said. "The first night I stayed with you I realized how content I am to just be with you. You're the most amazing person I've ever known. I want to know you better."

Reaching towards her, I brought her to me. Her head nestled on my shoulder, and her free hand rested on my abdomen, her fingers curled in mine. I could feel a powerful heat in my center, and I wanted desperately to make love to her. Make love; definitely make love. Definitely not fucking. I didn't think I was ever going to fuck again. I wanted Daphne in my arms, radiantly shining with the joy that comes from being cherished. I wanted to hold her in my arms as she called out my name over and over. For a brief second, I flashed on a vision of her dark tresses between my legs, her mouth giving me the ultimate kiss.

I wanted to stop thinking about this before I soaked the bed I realized. Still, the arousal I felt was almost overpowering. Just as I turned my head towards her to deliver a hopefully seductive kiss, a delicate snore escaped. Darn, Darn, Darn!

The next morning was bright and sunny. Daphne had court that morning, and I still had a class to teach. Except for a slightly prolonged hug, there was no acknowledgement of our increasing intimacy. A childish part of me wanted to petulantly pout, and the contented part of me planned for a lifetime of intimate moments ahead with her.

**

Thanksgiving was that week, and the agency was having a Christmas party on Sunday after we finished work. They'd rented a small ballroom at a nearby hotel and we had catered dinner. Ms. Larsson was more than a little tipsy, and was shamelessly flirting with Mr. Norling. She kept going on that she'd been a good girl, and Santa should bring her what he knew she wanted. If it hadn't been so comical, it would have been a little gross.

Daphne was wearing black slacks and a gold lamé blouse along with her green elf hat from work. Her hair was so silky and beautiful, picking up highlights from the mood lighting in the ballroom. The perfume she wore was a lost dream of sensuous desire. She was a picture of the sexiest elfin perfection. When I gazed at her, I felt little quakes of desire running through me, and I was desperately afraid that someone would notice how stunningly beautiful she was and take her away from me.

Daphne had decorated her wheelchair by wrapping ribbons through the spokes of the wheels. Hanging from the sides of the arms were homemade Christmas ornaments.

"I love your decorations."

"Thanks. I was visiting some kiddos on my caseload, and they surprised me with them."

"They must really like you to have planned that."

Daphne and I spent the next hour enjoying the dinner, and just intimately talking with each other. One of the girls from the other mall had stopped by repeatedly, and was trying to flirt with Daphne. She was complimenting Daphne on her hair, and the decorations on her chair. I was starting to get a little worried by then. Looking at the girl again across the room, I recognized the expression on her face when she looked at Daphne. It was lust, and the curiosity to know if there could be more. As I watched her, I saw a resolve come over her face and I decided that I needed to act quickly.

I saw Daphne coming back into the ballroom from the bathroom. While she was still in the darkened part of the ballroom, I walked up in front of her.

"I've got another decoration for your chair." I smiled awkwardly.

Moving behind her I fastened it to the handle, and then coming back around, I gently seated myself on her lap. As I did so, she glanced up and saw the sprig of mistletoe that I had placed over her head.

"Is this your big plan for seduction," she said throatily.

I just came unglued. All of the tension that had been building up in me for the past month, the ache and desire to hold her, the tenderness I felt when was with her, all boiled up in one confusing mass of emotions.

"Nobody said it was a good plan," I blubbered. Tears were rolling down my face, and it felt like a river of snot was running out of my nose. "You make me crazy! When I'm around you, all I can think about is pressing my lips into yours and kissing you until I faint from excitement, so no, it's a bad plan, probably because I hold my breath when I think about it, and I get lightheaded, and then I can't think right because I'm not getting any oxygen to my brain, and the planning department shuts down. So no, it's not a good plan."

At this point, I was out of breath again, and even more embarrassingly, I started hiccoughing.

Leaning forward, she cupped my face in her soft hands. "It was a wonderful plan. I love it." And then she kissed me.

The Christmas songs being played faded into silence, and the entire room shrank into a space that only contained Daphne and me.

And time stopped.

And I had to remember to breathe, because honestly, the passion of her kiss and the anticipation I'd felt had just made me forget. It was soft, and warm, and inviting, and it tasted like sugar cookies and her tongue beat against mine, and she was nibbling on my lips. I could smell my excitement. Most of all, I could remember my insistent desire. The desire I had earlier felt towards her was like the flame of a candle that had turned into a raging forest fire. A fire so all-consuming that it left nothing in its path.

Leaning into her, I pulled her face closer to mine. A small moan escaped my lips, and I could feel my heart beating its way out of my chest. Most of all, I was lost in Daphne. The feel of her hair, the smell of her body wash, the feel of her breasts pressed against me and the cool smoothness of the gold lamé top. One of her hands was at my waist and it felt perfect and natural to have it there. I know it sounds crazy considering I'd already spent two night sleeping in her arms, but it didn't feel anything near the same. I felt desired and sexy and loved.

Slowly, Daphne ended our kiss. I let out a small whimper of frustration when our lips parted. Opening my eyes, I tried to guess what she was thinking. Her breathing was rapid, and her eyes were shining and she was smiling at me, her expression spoke volumes of want and passion.

"Would you like to come home with me tonight?"

"More than anything in the world," I breathed.

Sighing again at the loss of contact with her, I got off her lap and we went over to the table and got our coats. Mr. Norling smiled in my direction, and gave me a wink. I smiled back at him and gave him a small wave. It felt kind of weird because to me he really was Santa Claus, but I was no longer a little girl. Returning to the moment, I bent over and helped Daph get her coat on, and then we left together.

I won't try to build anticipation by describing the trip back to her apartment as some long drawn out scene of seduction. I felt like a live wire, and I wanted to scream in frustration at every light and stop sign. When we arrived at her apartment complex, the immensity of what I was about to do started to fall in on me.

I was about to make love with a woman. I realized that I was OK with that. I knew I was going to be making love with Daphne and it was going to be terrific.

Once inside, she started the fireplace up, turned off the lights and went to the couch. I moved onto the cushions, and she lay on it, placing her head in my lap. While the flames danced, I caressed her face and we kissed. I'd like to go on and give you paragraphs of descriptive prose about what it was like. Unfortunately, I'm a math/science type and I just can't make the words come out. There was only Daphne and I kissing and it was wonderful. Our souls were knitting themselves into a unified whole with each kiss and tender touch. Each gentle word of endearment and knowing glance removed some of the distance between us until our hearts were really beating as one. Wickedly I slipped my hand under her top. I felt the heat of her stomach, and the lace at the bottom of her bra.

Waking from her reverie, Daphne pushed herself up. Giving me a quick kiss, she made her way to the bathroom. While she prepared herself, I turned down the bed that we had shared before. I thought of those nights we had spent together earlier and how wonderful they had been, and how this evening was going to be different.

Looking around, I found a lighter and lit the candles spread around the room. When Daphne came out of the bathroom, a small tear glistening in the corner of her eye. Bending over, I gave her a quick hug, and took the liberty of cupping one breast. It felt magnificent and the mere touch sent a shiver of excitement through my core. Excusing myself, I entered the bathroom to brush my teeth and use the toilet.

As I brushed my teeth, I looked into the same mirror again. What I saw surprised me. Where the last time I had done this, I'd seen contentment, tonight was quite different. The raw sexiness that Daphne had ignited in me shown through, and I wasn't recognizable to myself. As I gazed into the reflection, the person I saw exuded a powerful sexuality. Peeling off my clothes, I examined my breasts, and hoped that my lover would be enchanted by them. I looked at my hips, and saw a perfection in them that I'd never felt before. Finishing my teeth, I removed the rest of my clothes, leaving only my panties. Turning off the bathroom light, I opened the door and entered the bedroom. Daphne was already in bed. The moon was shining through the transom window above her bed, and the covers were pulled up over her stomach, leaving her chest exposed. The soft candlelight was giving a flickering warmth that accentuated her skin tone, and the dancing shadows accentuated the fullness of her breasts. I wanted to stare at her breasts forever, because I was pretty sure they were the best looking ones I was ever going to see in my life. Hopefully, they would be the only ones I'd ever see in my life.

Instead of walking to the side of the bed opposite Daphne, I walked up to her side. Sliding the covers away, I climbed on top of her, carefully bearing my weight on my elbows and knees. Then reaching around, I pulled the covers back over us.

I could feel the heat of our bodies joining as my breasts touched hers, and my stomach molded itself over her smaller frame. I pulled my face down beside hers, feeling the tender skin, and the silky softness of her hair.

"Hi," I whispered shyly.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Daphne, I want you to know that I've never..." I trailed off.

"You've never made love to a woman?" she asked.

Looking at her, I slowly nodded, afraid of her response.

"It will be spectacular, because it's you and me, alright?" As she asked, her beautiful dark eyes looked adoringly into mine, and I felt treasured.

As I nodded, she reached up and she pulled my face down to hers to resume our kissing. Where our earlier kisses had ignited a slow burn, our kisses were now pushing me beyond any level of excitement I had ever known. As we kissed, she ran her nails lightly down my spine, and then brought them up along my side, exploring the curves of my breast. As she did so, I could feel my breath quickening, and an explosive desire spreading from my core outwards. I could feel the heat and moisture leaking from my panties, raising the humidity level under the covers. Reaching under me, she slid her hand along my stomach, and then into my panties. When her fingers touch my clit, I stiffened as bolts of pleasure shot through me. In seconds, I was coming.