The Trojan Horse Wore Hightops Ch. 02

While she did, Sunnie slipped away to the bathroom and cleaned herself, her stomach churning. Was Kim mad or just freaking out? She took long enough in there, getting her composure that she came back out to find Kim dressed again, in pajama bottoms and some ancient parachute of a shirt for a gas station she recognized off the highway in Texas. She had two plates ready, spaghetti with marinara and a side of steamed vegetables.

"Come on, let's eat in the living room," Kim had said with a smile as she carried them out, leaning in to give Sunnie a kiss on the cheek as she passed her. It was a complete and instant antidote to her anxiety and Sunnie followed like a puppy.

That was two hours ago. They ate and talked more over dinner, with Sunnie asking more about John, her father but watching to not let Kim slip into any kind of sadness.

When she started to, Sunnie changed the subject and found a couple's compatibility quiz on her phone and they were perfect together, of course. It was the closest thing she could bring herself, to really talking about the future with Kim.

They settled in, cuddling under a blanket. While Sunnie was used to old DVDs of popular films and not the endless sea of consumable media that streaming services offered, she'd been firm that her taste was for movies about crooks and gangsters. That's how she'd liked to see herself.

When Kim lingered around the Gay & Lesbian section of Netflix, she buckled and they quickly agreed on a sexy, French film with some blue haired girl. With Kim leaned on her shoulder and arms around her waist, she had to pee but held it until it hurt. Eventually, she had to get up.

Sunnie switched off the light and came out of the bathroom, rounding the corner to find a sleepy Kim lounging next to her vacant seat, her arm over the back of the couch they had fucked on earlier in the day. "You want to finish this? I'm falling asleep but it's almost done."

She nodded as she hurried back, nestling into her mother. "Yeah, let's finish it."

The movie was artsy and confusing but sexy and for a moment, Sunnie had considered going for a third round but Kim was cuddled against her, clutching her tightly. She was strong in her arms and soft between them. Kim's head fit perfectly in the nape of her neck and her own head, perfectly on top, like snapped together Legos. She'd had sex plenty of times before but there wasn't a lot of cuddling happening in juve. At least not for her.

Kim had fallen asleep by the time the movie ended, draped over Sunnie, who wasn't there yet thanks to the afternoon nap. She eyed the TV remote on the coffee table but couldn't reach without moving her mother. She wasn't about to do that.

They were going to have to talk about the future before long. They could stretch this out to a few days of marathon lovemaking and she hoped for that regardless but sooner or later, they'd need to discuss the situation.

For Sunnie, it was easy. Not only did she have nowhere else to go but there was nowhere she'd rather be. She wanted to live with her and turn Kim's life around. Kim seemed like she wanted that as well but broaching the subject too soon might make her realize how crazy it was to let a stranger show up at your door, fuck you in the ass and move in.

The more time before they had that conversation, the more time Sunnie had to make her see how much better things were, with her around.

Maybe she could nudge her towards Kim's whole idea around selling her house and traveling around in an RV. How much did those cost anyway?

She slipped her phone out of her pocket, slow and deliberately. Her other hand was pinned by Kim, so she typed with her thumb: "RVs for sale."

The variety was overwhelming and she was soon down the rabbit hole, from six figure mansions on wheels to four figure, rolling methlabs. Her browsing became research as she scrolled, swiped and clicked her way from classifieds to articles. Eventually, she was holding the phone near her ear to listen to YouTube videos on long-term RV living, at the lowest volume.

With nothing to her name and only the most nihilistic of plans, the dream of a life of travel, just her and mother, was more enticing than she remembered her entire, misguided revenge scheme ever being.

Kim would probably need some warming up to the idea of downsized living and emptying blackwater tanks. Sunnie still hadn't seen the rest of her fancy McMansion but doubted her lifestyle warranted it. She hadn't even seen her in real clothes yet. How much of a wardrobe could she have? Kim needed a change as much as Sunnie needed a future.

In time, the articles and videos were repeating each other. The neglected television turned itself off at some point and Sunnie's focus moved back to the classifieds.

Her eyes were tired and her arm was asleep by the time she was back to looking at Sprinter Vans within a 500 mile radius. Only when "10% BATTERY REMAINING" popped up did she take in the late hour. Perhaps they could sleep together on the couch but at the very least, she needed to charge her phone. This could all still come crashing down and she may have to leave in the morning.

It was an act of slow motion contortionism to slip free of her mother without stirring her and she did with limited success, easing a few pillows behind her, in her stead. She fetched a charging cable from her bag then found an outlet by a planter stand, near the kitchen.

"Let's go to bed." Kim groaned, sitting up just as Sunnie stood from plugging it in.

"You don't want to sleep there?"

"You don't want to sleep on a three-thousand dollar mattress?" She cocked a brow and grinned.

"Oh my God, do I."

Kim didn't get up the way normal people did, with her shape and weight so oddly distributed. It was clearly burdensome for her but captivating to behold and Sunnie couldn't help but stare, well past the point where she might not notice. Kim brushed back a stray lock of sleep-distressed hair and shrunk with a tired smile. "You okay?"

Sunnie blushed with a giddy laugh. "I'm fucking great."

Kim gave a giggle as she nodded and started for upstairs, a small beckon from her neck enough to pull Sunnie to follow.

She eyed her backpack by the door and her fanny pack, which Kim must have placed next to it while she was cleaning. Did she need anything?

"Toothbrush," she said to herself at the bottom of the stairs, with Kim already halfway up.

Sunnie went to her backpack and opened it. There were the other two pairs of boxer briefs that came in the 3 pack she'd stolen from Target and two pairs of cute socks, all on top of her spartan toiletry bag, compliments of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

The whole bag was held rigid on the strap side by a 9x12" sketchbook, hidden behind a thick, manila envelope. The word "MOTHERFUCKER" was written across the front of the sketchbook, in a font she'd tried her best to draw like like dripping jizz.

The blush that followed reminded her what blushing really was. She was red and sweating in an instant, like a bucket of hot water poured over her. How embarrassing was it, after such an amazing reunion, to have ever created this hateful filth. A revenge porn, fantasy comic of what she imagined was a cruel, selfish woman who abandoned her baby and not the tragic, kindred soul she'd found.

What could she do? Every detail she remembered writing and drawing were horrible but the art was pretty good. The book was one of the only things she'd ever made that she'd been proud of but she wanted to toss it in the fireplace just to cover her tracks. Could she could hide it forever?

"Sunnie?"

Shit.

"Coming."

Kim was halfway up the stairs, watching her. She grabbed her toothbrush and zipped up the backpack then turned it around so the front was against the wall, like that was somehow safer. She'd have to deal with it tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

She presented the toothbrush before she hurried to catch up to Kim, the sweat already starting to cool and her nerves settling but her stomach fluttered at the recurring thought.

"What happens tomorrow?" She blurted out then covered her mouth immediately, like she could push the words back in.

Kim stopped, almost to the second floor and she glanced over shoulder, warmly. "I'm exhausted. Let's talk about it in the morning. Over breakfast."

Sunnie couldn't help but grin. After years in the system, it was like discovering a new reflex: being so overwhelmed by happiness that she couldn't control her face.

Kim reached back for Sunnie's hand and led her the rest of the way to the bedroom.

"Do you need anything to sleep in?"

"Underwear is good for me, if it doesn't bother you."

"Not at all."

Kim went straight for the master bathroom while Sunnie slipped off her pants, then followed, finding her mother using an electric toothbrush. She was at the further of two sinks in a bathroom far bigger than any one person would ever need.

When Sunnie walked in, Kim pushed the tube of toothpaste towards her and the closer sink.

"Thanks."

Sunnie started brushing her teeth, watching herself in the mirror for a long moment, out of habit but soon her eyes wandered to Kim, who was already looking back at her, in the reflection.

They stared at each other, watching first the eyes, then the brushing. Sunnie's eyes fell, drawn to the wobble of her braless chest under her giant, tee shirt but she recovered to see the corner of Kim's mouth pull up in a grin.

They spat and rinsed before looking at each other again.

"This is super domestic. I kinda like it," Sunnie grinned and Kim did too before she nodded.

"Get in bed. I'll be right there but I'm going right to sleep. No fooling around til the morning."

Sunnie waggled her eyebrows and retreated to the bed, one bigger than she'd ever seen. Was this a King? A California King? Or some special, Swinger size that could sleep four comfortably? It was opulent and excessive. Sunnie couldn't wait to dive in.

She stripped off her shirt, jeans and socks, wondering when she last saw her bra but none of it mattered when she slipped into the kinds of crisp, cool sheets she imagined nice hotel rooms on TV had. She tossed about, rubbing herself on them before settling on her side. Her eyes were on the bathroom door until they lidded closed and she quickly drifted off to sleep.

To Be Continued...