Fever Dream Interlude: S.F.T.W

Author’s note -- I cannot even begin to tell you all how very sorry I am. In the words of one of Lil Wayne’s greatest mixtapes: Sorry for the wait. The past 12 months have been, in a word, tumultuous, to say the least. I lost my last remaining parent and my two last grandparents, as well as had my car stolen, had to temporarily drop out of school, and honestly that’s just the beginning. As I’ve stated in the very first authors note, I am a combat veteran of the Iraq war, and I suffer from multiple behavior health issues, not the least of which is PTSD, and as such, these kinds of familial losses threw me for a loop that I am just now finally starting to feel I am coming out of. You have no idea how much your continued patience and support have meant to me. I appreciate you readers so much and I didn’t want to even touch this story again until my mind was back to a good place. I feel that time has come. I have barely begun to continue the story that follows, and I know this is but a VERY small taste of what’s to come, but I wanted to give you guys SOMETHING tangible, something to not tell you but SHOW you that I am back and working on it again. More coming soon. Thank you again, so very much!

Interlude: Sorry For The Wait

Ch. 15

“I’m...s-sorry you g-guys...”

“Watch his head!”

“...I can make it t-the re-” Jack started through the stupor, stopping midsentence from nearly falling free of Stella and Paul’s grasp as they practically carried him by his shoulders through his bedroom door frame.

“Don’t be ridiculous, sweetheart...I’ve got you. We’re gonna get you in bed t-”

“No! He is pretty far into heat exhaustion. We need to bring his temperature down. Get him into the shower and I’ll get in with him and-”

“I’LL do that...I got it. Just help me get him into the tub and get out!”

“Stella, I’m trained to-”

“I SAID I’LL DO IT!” Stella snapped, helping Paul with Jack through the bathroom door and sitting Jack on the side of the bathtub.

“You’re ridiculous! Let me help you, I know what I’m doing...you’re gonna get that dress soaking wet...”

“Well its ruined from grass stains already so, who gives a shit?!” Stella snapped, but stopped herself short of the coming tirade. She wanted to take care of Jackson, but so did Paul and she was being unreasonable. She was still going to do this alone, but she should be more tactful, she thought to herself.

“I’m sorry, Paul...I’m being a bitch. Thank you for helping me with him...but he needs more than his temperature calmed down...he needs quiet and...I dunno, consoling...and I think he needs that from me...” she said, her eyes earnest and pleading for his acceptance.

“you’re probably right... but look, not freezing cold water, ok? We don’t want him to go into shock, make it cool, and let it run over him for a while.”

“I will, I promise...and I’ll call for you if I need you, I swear!” she said, seeing him about to say the same.

With that she held up the quiet form of Jackson while Paul walked out and she waited for the bedroom door to close.

“Can you hold yourself up for just a second, baby? I’ll be right back.” She asked.

He nodded his head, looking down at the ground and with that she darted out to the entryway door, clicking the lock into place, and strode into her room. Before she got through her bedroom door, she had already reached back and unzipped her dress all the way down. In three more steps, she had pulled it up and over her head, throwing it unto the bed, and began pulling her hair into a ponytail, grabbing a hair tie from the sink, and was back at Jack’s side again, clothed in nothing but the black lace thong and matching bra set she had put on that morning, with a much different scenario in mind when she chose it.

“Ok, baby,” she started, climbing into the tub with her back to the water spicket. “...Now lean back into my arms...that’s it, sit down right here...I got you.”

She reached over her head and turned the water on cold all the way over and pulled out the shower knob, jumping slightly from the sudden burst of cold water raining down on their heads and down their bodies, causing her to grasp around him with both arms and legs. She listened closely for his breathing and paid close attention to the cadence of his breaths, which over the course of five to seven minutes, increased in length and depth from their shallow tempo before. She was freezing, but she was happy. He was here, now, in her embrace. All of the forces of the outside world that normally worked twenty-four seven to conspire against them were locked out, leaving them alone with the love she was prepared to fight like hell to reclaim. She wrapped her limbs around him, holding on for her life while whispering over and over in his ear, “I’ve got you, baby...I’ve got you.”

“I’m f-f-fre-ezing-g...” Jack chattered out through his teeth.

“Ok, baby...I’ll warm us up.” She answered, reaching again behind her, pushing the shower knob back in to the faucet, and turned the hot water knob until the water was a very pleasant, room temperature. She reached underneath of her, pushing the stopper into the tub to fill up, and reclaimed her arms place around her love.

“Let’s run a nice warm bath, ok baby? That’ll warm us up...just lay back and relax...I’ve got you.” She cooed soothingly in his ear, enjoying the warm water running down her front and back, its calming effect improving her nerves as well as his, she hoped.

As the water level rose to full, she turned it off, and felt the warm waters effect on her begin to take hold. Her mind was slowing down, her body releasing the tension it had held throughout the day, especially in the last 45 minutes, and she felt herself melt around his form, molding her body against his as his body sunk into her. At the same time, the quiet sharpened her awareness of their private little space here, and her mind came more into focus. This, among other things, was exactly what she’d wanted, desperately, but now that she was here, she didn’t know what to do...or say. Minutes dragged on as they lie together, him draped in her arms, her fighting the urge to caress his body and not a word was said until Jackson broke the silence with a quiet snore. She was about to chuckle to herself when she remembered that maybe letting him fall asleep after an episode like this was something she was supposed to avoid...or was that a concussion? Heat stroke? What did Paul say was happening to him? Something heat related...better to be safe.

“Jack! Jackson, honey...c’mon baby, wake up!” she said, nudging him gently.

“Jackson!” she said a little louder, shaking him more forcefully.

“Jack!“

“Mmm...mmyah...w-what?” he answered, slurring his words.

“You have to stay awake, baby! You shouldn’t be unconscious right now, after all that! c’mon sweetie, stay awake.”

“After all what? I just got a little overheated...I’m fine...now leave me alone.”

“Jackson, baby, please...please stay awake...I’m scared and I want to make sure you’re ok.”

“I’m FINE! Nothing is wrong with me, Jesus!” he snapped, still slightly slurring his words, but obviously more awake than a moment ago.

“But Paul said tha-”

“Paul doesn’t know JACK SHIT!“ he roared, starting to sit himself up.

“Fine, let me up, ill wake up!” he snapped, moving to stand.

“NO...baby, please...don’t be like that...you scared me so much, I just wanted to take care of you...” she said through sobs, her feelings becoming more hurt by the second.

He glanced behind him and saw the face that always broke his heart, the face he couldn’t ever stand to look at; Stella crying.

“Please...come back here, honey!” she begged, her arms outstretched for him to return to her. He realized how he was acting, and although in his defense, he was foggy and out of it, he was becoming more lucid and realized he was literally leaving the woman that he wanted, more than anything, to show him love and affection. He wasn’t about to be that stupid. He laid back into her arms.

“Oh, thank you, baby! Thank you!” she sniffled, wrapping herself around him again, arms and legs coiled from behind him, holding on for dear life, showering his neck, the back of his head, and his shoulders with light kisses.

A few moments passed by while he closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of her feathery kisses and her hands on his chest. The warm water and her presence were lulling him back into a stupor, back into sleep.

“I’m gonna fall asleep again...this is too nice...too relaxing...talk to me, please...”

A few seconds passed by as she tried to come up with something to say.

“I...I don’t know what to say...I...”

“Why are you here...like this, with me?” he asked, taking a big risk, hoping.

“Because...I love you. Because I care about you.” She answered with finality.

“But...I don’t deserve this...what about your rules? What about what you sai-”

“Oh, baby!” she started, suddenly gripping him as hard as she could. “Forget everything I said. I’ve done a lot of thinking, and...” she stopped, unable to formulate the feelings she felt into words that would do them justice, that he would understand.

“Look...I love you, you’re home, and we are...still in love, right?”

“Yes! Of course, we are.” He said quickly.

“...And you had a good reason, right? You had a really good reason for leaving me, didn’t you?” she pleaded, wanting more than anything in the universe to trust and believe his answer.

“Stella...at the time I had no choice...It was unavoidable, and it was for you...for us...give me a little time and I’ll tell you, I promise and then you’ll see.”

“Alright, then. Ill reserve judgement of you, in any way, until you tell me...in the meantime...” she said, her voice dropping in tone, taking on a melodic low timbre. “...I don’t have anything else I want to talk about right now...”

Her grasp on him had loosened, and instead of a firm grip on him, her hands were now feather light, running up and down his chest, down his abs, and back up, reaching lower each time.

“...So...can we just be quiet now...and relax together...I just want to hold you in my arms...and feel your body against me, baby...is that ok?” she whispered in his ear, sending a surge of electricity through him.

“..y-yeah...s-s-sure...”

Her hand had reached the waistband of his shorts on accident, and it caused his whole body to shift up slightly. She recoiled her hand back up, as she wasn’t sure she was ready to go quite there yet, but suddenly she felt his body firmly against her lace covered nether, pressed against the little button that had been neglected for so long...until now. It caused her to jolt, closing her legs around him like a vice as she froze.

“Oh my...baby, don’t move...please...don’t move...just...just stay...right here...” she managed to get out as her body, almost completely out of her control, begin to slowly grind and gyrate against him, the fire from earlier now engulfing her completely, all reason now gone and she made the split second decision to give herself completely over to it.

Jack wasn’t entirely sure what was wrong with her until he felt her movements. Not believing what was happening, he craned his neck around, turning his head to look in her face for the first time since the previous night, and the look on her face told him all he needed to know. Her eyes, both burning with wanton lust and filled to overflowing with tears, met his and her mouth, held open on instinct alone, panting soft, shallow breaths, barely let out a whisper. “I’m sorry...”

It was comforting that one thing hadn’t changed. She needed him. His body. His love. His lust. His approval. She needed the pleasure that only he could give her, and as always, it was up to him to control this. To remind her of where they were. Of who was in the house. That they needed to keep in control. But he knew she didn’t want control. He knew she was out of control, and at the moment, he hated controlling her. He wanted her to be free. He needed her to be free, so that maybe he could find the strength to be free too.

“No, baby...don’t be sorry...its ok...” he whispered softly, slowly moving his hand to the perfectly smooth thigh she had wrapped around him, caressing it while locking his eyes on hers.

“...just let go...and get it, baby.”

It was a risky tactic. He felt, instinctively, that this was one of those moment, those situations that was incredibly tenuous, tentative. The kind of moment where even verbally acknowledging what was happening, or about to happen, would break the spell, and someone would panic and flee.

Stella didn’t flee.

Her reaction was instantaneous. Her arms clenched him like a vice and her mouth was on his, her lips and tongue prying his apart by sheer, animal force. Her body was no longer feather light and restrained. The fire that had been raging all afternoon had finally burst her skin into flames. Every inch, every cell, every nerve burned with the sweetest, most exquisite, most agonizing need. Her entire body was thrown into her undulations against him. Her mouth released his only to take a deep breath, then began a fresh assault.

His hands gripped her thighs hard now, unconcerned with how much strength he used. If it hurt her, she made no mention of it. The harder he gripped her, the more frenzied her movements against him, the fiercer the kisses were. Her hands now ran up and down his chest and stomach now, gripping, feeling, learning this new muscled, lean, strong body that belonged to her again; new and improved. She broke her kissing assault to voice ideas more than words. Not even complete sentences could formulate from her mind, she was so worked up.

“Oh, baby...yo-...I love...so much...” she would get out between intense kisses. “...Never again...please...never leave...I’ll die...” she practically panted.

Her movements started to get more intense, more hurried and more focused, and he knew why. They had been going at it, his neck cricked to the side, gripping unto her legs to hold her in place so she could gyrate and grind to her hearts content, to give her enough pressure for the finish he knew she needed like air now, and that he wanted to provide like he wanted nothing else on earth. Suddenly, she broke off the kisses altogether, locking distant eyes onto his, mouth hanging open while almost all of her body froze in place...every place except for her pelvis, which ground with furious movement in heavenly friction. She was on the cusp now.

“C’mon, baby...just a little more. You can do it,” he whispered, coaxing her climax from her like a snake charmer to his favorite cobra. “...c’mon baby, get it...get it for me, Stella.”

“Oh God, I am baby...I’m...oh, God...” was all she got out, primarily because Jack had released his firm grip on her thighs and had begun traveling up them until he was almost to her panties, stopping at the hems of her most intimate area...but the almost immediate impact on the entire situation neither saw coming.

“No...no, don’t...stop...stop it, get...get off...GET OFF! GET OFF ME!! PLEASE GET OFF ME!! LET ME GO!!” she screamed, suddenly kicking and pushing him away, fighting to get him off of her as if her life depended on it. He was attempting to turn and get a hold of her hands to stop her, but when he finally got on his knees and turned his body, she landed a frantic kick to his chest, knocking him out of the tub and halfway out of the door where he landed with a loud thud on his back. Water was everywhere, and he tried to figure out what had just happened. He got to his feet, gasping for air from having the wind knocked out of him when he caught sight of the shivering, frightened figure clutching herself in the tub, quietly sobbing, rocking back and forth. She looked straight ahead until she slowly looked in his face, when the tears only got worse.

“I’m sorry...I know it’s you...I know you’re not...I do...I promise...I...” she sputtered, her sobs now turning hysterical.