Who I am in the Sun

"Just let yourself go Ivy," Summer purred quietly. Even in the darkness, she could tell that Ivy wanted everything she could offer. Summer placed small kisses along Ivy's ear and neck, trailing down to her collarbone and her breasts, all the while moving gently inside of her. Summer curled her finger and Ivy's body reacted suddenly, her back arching and her breath hitching in pleasure. Summer smiled in delight and pulled herself out of Ivy, licking her finger.

"You taste so good Ivy. How about we get these clothes out of the way so you can feel me against you when I make you cum."

Ivy shook in delight, nodding her head and letting Summer pull her up and slip her clothes off of her. She then slipped off her own clothes and returned to lying on top of Ivy. Their warm bodies pressed together, finding every inch of skin they could to touch and cherish. Summer returned to Ivy's wet desire and inserted two fingers, making Ivy squirm. She once again curled her fingers just right and made Ivy's body quake and arch. As she moved inside of Ivy, she glided her own clit along Ivy's thigh, desperate to share in Ivy's pleasure. Summer's lips were inches from Ivy's ear, cooing and soothing her fears and pains as they slipped out of her heart with each moan and cry.

Ivy could feel the burning inside of her grow stronger and stronger with each movement of Summer's fingers. Each lick of the flames was fueled by the cool breeze of Summer's voice.

"Summer... I'm... I'm..." Ivy moaned, her body building with pressure, ready to explode in a fiery passion of love.

"Oh my sweet Ivy... you can cum.Be a good girl and cum for me," Summer purred, her grip of Ivy's body tightening. Summer's moans rang in Ivy's ear as she felt her heart swell with affection and her mind pour out a body rocking orgasm like nothing she had ever experienced. Ivy clutched and squeezed Summer's body to her own, desperately wanting to hold her closer than physically possible. Her hips bucked and shook uncontrollably.

"Shhhh, it's okay, you're safe my dear," Summer soothed as Ivy's tears came out, a mixture of joy and fear. The fires in her body slowly went out as Summer held her. They spent a while laying there, Summer holding Ivy in her arms.

"Thank you Summer. Thank you so much," Ivy cried, her tears spilling out onto the sheets.

"Thank you for letting me in, Ivy. You're so beautiful, inside and out. Even in the dark, I just know you're gorgeous."

They stayed there for a long time, basking in their affection for each other, but soon enough, sleep called to them, and they drifted into a deep slumber, together, in each other's arms.

***

Days passed, and the rain stayed away for much longer than Ivy would have liked. She and Summer had such a wonderful night, but before it got too bright out the morning after they slept together, Ivy had to slip away. She had completely forgotten about the problem of her condition during that night, but after waking, she knew she couldn't stay much longer and risk scaring Summer with the ivy in her skin.

During the days after, Ivy greatly regretted not getting Summer's phone number. They got so caught up in the passion of their connection, that it never even came up. Ivy wanted to talk to her every day, and she kept remembering how open and vulnerable Summer was with her. She almost wondered if Summer would accept her if she told her about her condition, but without any way to make contact, she was scared to entertain the idea, and her doubts took hold of her.

Ivy found herself searching the internet one day in an attempt to see if Summer had a social media profile or contact information for her musical performances, but nothing came up. Then the lingering thought of her condition sparked a familiar idea. She returned to her search browser and typed in "Skin conditions" in an attempt to see if her condition had been documented since the last time she had checked. As per usual, nothing else had been listed.

Her curiosity got the best of her though, and she opened a safe search window and typed in "Vines growing under the skin". She had never taken the time to search for her condition more directly for fear of getting weird calls or being put on a watch list, but with love on her mind from Summer, she took the chance to see if she wasn't alone in this.

All that came up were fairy tales, young adult fiction, and some people talking about their experiences doing drugs and hallucinating a similar experience. There was some minor talk and theories on strange forums, but nothing that she saw as legitimate.

She closed her browser and sighed.

Maybe she would just have to hide it forever. Surely, revealing it would only cause trouble and pain.

***

"Is this the home of Ivy Roberts?" a large man asked after Ivy opened her apartment door. He wore a large suit and towered over her, his facial hair scraggly and untamed. It was one of the rare days that Ivy had time to herself, and her roommates were off at classes or at work. She had been enjoying the sun before there was a loud thumping at the door, only to reveal this brute.

"Among others, yeah. Can I help you?" Ivy replied. She had hastily thrown on a sweater to cover herself, and was a bit scared to let this huge man in. She racked her brain and wondered if she had missed any important deadlines. She paid her rent a couple days late, but that wasn't reason to send a collector her way or anything...

"My name is Paul Belero, and I have a few questions for you, specifically regarding strange body growths and mood swings. It's a small but growing trend and I am going door to door to get an idea of how far this abnormality has spread." the large man said, making his way in. Ivy's face grew pale. Was she carrying a rare disease?

"Right... yeah, feel free to sit," Ivy nervously smiled, gesturing to the kitchen table. It was a bit messy from earlier in the morning, but she shoved some things aside to make room. "Would you... like anything?" she offered. He shook his head.

"Nope, this should only take a minute," he barked. I held my arms close to me, trying to hide myself in my sweater as best as I could. He pulled out a tablet and tapped away for a moment before propping it up on the table and starting.

"So, have you or anyone you know experienced any abnormal growths, such as boils?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Scabs?"

"No."

"Excess hair?"

"No."

"Warts?"

"No."

"Vines?"

"...No."

Ivy swallowed. Her palms were sweating. Had the large man noticed the pause? Would he call her bluff? Should she even be trying to bluff. He began to type on the tablet and then produced a sheet of paper, sliding it toward her.

"This is a release form from the Consortium of Other Human Affairs. We have reason to believe that we could be of service to you, Ivy Roberts. Please read over the form and for god's sake, take off the sweater. It's sprng, not winter."

"Hold on, who the hell are you? What is going on?!" Ivy exclaimed, standing up and knocking her chair over. He looked up at her nonchalantly and put down the tablet.

"Please don't make a scene Ms. Roberts, I am here to help. We understand your condition and can help you with it. There is no need to hide it from me," he said calmly, although a part of his face showed clear aggravation. Ivy slowly reached down, picked up her chair, and sat back down.

"So, is it really an illness?" she asked quietly. Her fears were quickly wiped away.

"Nope, that was just a ruse. I just needed to make sure you were the one I was looking for before getting straight to the point." he said. I let out a breath I had been unconsciously holding in.

"Christ, I was starting to worry there," Ivy breathed, sitting back. "So, how do you know?"

"We keep our eyes and ears open for information. Strange behavior, news stories, web searches, and the like. You mention vines on the body, and we come to investigate. Pretty standard stuff. To summarize the contract, we want to bring you into our group and provide medical and financial assistance. In return, we ask for you to keep it all confidential, participate in group events or research, and let us know if you suspect anyone to contain Other Human qualities."

"Wait, Other Human qualities?" she asked, her mind consumed by the strangeness of this man and everything he was saying. The small part of his demeanor that seemed aggravated grew.

"Yeah, there are lots of people who are considered strange or unique. Some people can shape shift, some people are scared of the sun, and your skin grows vines under the surface. Can you just read and sign the contract already?" he groaned, clearly annoyed at the formalities. "And take off that dreadful sweater before you overheat like an oven."

I smiled at how aggravated he was. He could probably snap me like a twig, but the sun had been shining into the windows of her apartment and she felt unnaturally compelled to play with him a bit. She could tell it was the mood swings that she had been having as of late.

She removed her sweater and threw it across the room, leaving her in a tank top and shorts. The vines around her body were only starting to spread up to her shoulders and around her upper thighs, held back primarily by the half smoked pack of cigarettes lying across the room on her window sill that she had opened and smoked the night before.

As Ivy read the contract, she realized that, through this group, she could possibly spend time with other people during the day and not have to hide her body. She also read a small clause that ensured the safety of all members to the Organization's best ability.

"So, big guy, what will you be doing if I sign this form? Will you be taking me away to live on a farm somewhere? Or can I just expect to see some checks in the mail?" she asked. His face didn't react well to being called "big guy" and it made her smile. He breathed out in annoyance, and Ivy could have sworn fire shot out for a moment.

"Call me Mr. Belero, and no, our first order of business is taking you to see the local doctor," he growled. She could tell she was going to have fun teasing him, probably to a fault.

"Oh wow, you have a doctor in Chicago? That's nice."

"Unfortunately no, to us, local is more like in the country, not in the city. You'll be going to Maryland to see Doctor Harper," he growled. "The next trip down to see her will be in a few days."

Ivy nodded. This strange occurrence seemed to be going in a very positive direction, like a golden opportunity had landed in her lap. The idea of leaving the city to go to a mysterious doctor for a mysterious organization was a bit shady, but she could very well find a cure to her condition, or something even more unexpected.

She threw caution to the wind and signed the contract. She handed it back over to Mr. Bolero, and he got up from the chair.

"I'll go to see Doctor Harper as soon as possible. Just get in touch when you're going big guy!" Ivy smiled.

"Fine. We'll be in touch," he grunted, making his exit.

***

Ivy found herself feeling quite conflicted. Seeing a doctor who could help her live with her condition was a miracle to say the least, but what if this whole organization was a sham. Did she even really care though? This was the first time she felt hopeful about her future in a while, even if it only lasted in the sun. At the same time, she couldn't stop thinking about Summer and the way she had been so genuine with her on that night.

If Ivy got her condition under control and went to see Summer again, would they still share the same magical chemistry? The pain and the passion felt inseparable in those moments. If she hid her anxieties away behind the doctor's medical help, would Summer still be able to reach inside of her heart and gently hold that part of her as she once did?

The car hit a bump and snapped Ivy from her thoughts.

"Fucking pot holes," Mr. Belero muttered to himself as he drove. It had been a long trip, and through the whole thing, neither of the other two passengers had said much at all. In the passenger seat was a slender young woman who hadn't spoken at all for the whole trip. She wore sunglasses and stared out the window. Something about her was alluring, yet dangerous.

Next to Ivy was an older man who sat comfortably and seemed content in the silence. Ivy had seen him twiddling his thumbs, writing in a notebook, and reading an unmarked book through the journey. Ivy felt like she could talk to him, but Mr. Belero's presence seemed to demand order and silence.

Ivy had her arm rested next to the tinted window, letting her skin take in the heavily blocked sunlight as much as it could. Her ivy hadn't flourished much lately, and she was excited to be able to visit someone with private property for the day. She imagined laying out next to a pool and letting her vines tangle around each inch of her body in a blissful euphoria while she dreamed of Summer.

Anxiety wracked her body as she continued to try and make her decision on what she should ask for from the doctor, but the inexplicable joy of laying in the sun without having to be ready to hide and run at any moment was just so blissful.

After a few minutes on some back roads, their SUV arrived in the driveway of an average suburban home, trees surrounding the property. Mr. Belero lead them all to the front door. The older man, Gilbert, smiled with familiarity as we approached.

"So what's your deal Gilbert?" Ivy asked quietly. He turned and smiled at her.

"Just a routine check-up. Nothing too serious," he stated, walking along with his dark cane.

"What about that woman? She seems a bit-"

"Scary, yes. She is here for a similar reason to you," he explained, making his way up the stairs. Mr. Belero huffed before ringing the doorbell. The other woman stayed silent.

A young woman in a lab coat opened the door. She had shoulder length red hair and piercing dark red eyes. There was a girl, no older than 25, behind her in a pretty dress. The girl quietly stood while the doctor greeted everyone and led them in.

"Shall we head to the lab right away?" the doctor asked the group, making her way to the door, motioning for the young girl to go first. She made her way down the stairs, her brown hair waving behind her, followed by the doctor and then the quiet woman from the car who was introduced as Dawn.

"Ivy, stay here with Master Gilbert," Mr. Belero grunted, following them down.

"You got it Bud!" Ivy chimed back, her playfulness returning to her. She could feel the greenery growing around her, and she looked around to see if there was a backyard or a swimming pool for her to hang out at. Gilbert poked around the living room and found a book to pick up and read. It was titled Traveling the Dreamscape, and it had countless sticky notes sticking up out of it.

"You might want to stick around, Ivy. It might not be long till the doctor comes to see you," Gilbert suggested, his tone friendly and unassuming. Ivy fumed a bit, just wanting to get outside and sunbathe without worry for the first time. What was the point of coming along if she just got cooped up in a car and was made to stay inside. Not to mention, it was supposed to rain in Chicago tonight and she was going to miss Summer's music.

"Fine... why are you flipping through that book anyway?" She asked, looking back at it. She noticed it was written by Gilbert himself. "You wrote it too, why-" Gilbert put up a hand to stop her.

"Because Jessica- excuse me, Doctor Harper- is helping me in my most recent research. Her new partner has been quite helpful in finding more information," he stated. "Would you like to know what the Dreamscape is?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Ivy had never heard of the concept, and while it seemed interesting, she had enough to worry about. Thankfully, Mr. Belero came back up the stairs just in time to cut off the train of thought.

"She gets much too protective over her little girl friends," Mr. Belero growled. Gilbert chuckled and the room went quiet. Gilbert scrawled down notes to himself while Mr. Belero typed furiously on his phone. Ivy found herself getting antsy. The sun was calling to her.

The silence was becoming overwhelming, until Doctor Harper rushed through the room with the brown haired girl in her arms, clutching to the Doctor's chest. The doctor was muttering obscenities to herself as she passed.

"Oh shit, do you need any help Doctor-" Ivy asked, reaching out toward the two. Her arm was held back by Gilbert's.

"Let Doctor Harper take care of this, Ivy. Those two will need some privacy." he chuckled. Ivy felt like a fish out of water. So much was happening that she didn't understand. All she knew was that she wanted the sun on her skin.

"Fuck it, I'm going to go outside for a bit. I need some sun," she said. Master Gilbert nodded and didn't move to stop her. Mr. Belero said nothing and kept his eyes glued to his phone.

Ivy found a lawn chair and laid down, looking up at the sky. Only the tiniest clouds passed by above her. She slid her dress off and let the ivy spread around her body, blowing in the breeze. She could feel her frustrations washing away from her, and she imagined Summer there with her, kissing her gently.

She thought about how wonderful it would be to share this joy she felt in that moment with Summer. She thought about how frantic and passionate their night together had been before.

Before long, she knew what she had to ask for from the doctor. No matter what happened, there was only one choice she wouldn't possibly regret. Summer had shared a deep and personal side of herself with Ivy, and Ivy finally decided that she needed to share a deep and personal side of herself with Summer, or else she would never feel at ease. Even if Summer shunned her, she wanted to shed light on herself so Summer could see it.

***

"I was worried you didn't want to see me again," Summer said as she approached Ivy at the Green Mill Jazz Club after her performance. It had been a few weeks since the two had last seen each other, and the rain was light and misty outside.

"Unfortunately, I had business to attend to a couple weeks back. I missed you," Ivy smiled, inviting Summer to sit with her. Summer set down a tequila sunrise for Ivy, and a rum and coke for herself, just like before. Ivy glanced over at the bar, and she could tell that Charlie was keeping an eye on them between a very friendly conversation he was having with another man at the bar.

"I missed you too, Ivy," she breathed, leaning over and taking Ivy's hands gingerly. Her hands were warm with affection, and her eyes beamed with relief. Ivy felt a small pang of guilt for not being in town for her last show during the rain. Surely Summer would come to understand, for better or for worse.

After finishing their drinks, Summer once again led Ivy to the cemetery to visit her mother's grave. Summer carried a bundle of flowers with her as they walked, and she placed it down in front of the old oak tree by the pavilion.

"I get the feeling my mom would like you," Summer said, holding Ivy's hand as they sat in the dark, misty night.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're not afraid to be here with me like this, seeing the fragile parts of me. I think she would be able to see how kind you are."

"Even though she, you know, wasn't okay with you liking other women?" Ivy asked timidly. This was a vulnerable place for Summer, but Ivy wanted to get to know Summer more in this place.

"I like to think she would have come to accept me one day. She loved me, and I love her. Surely she would have come to accept me."

They both sat there silently for a while after that. Ivy kept hoping that what she was going to do wouldn't hurt Summer.

Summer took them back to her apartment again and they both collapsed on the bed. Their kisses could hardly wait for the privacy of the room, and their clothes were stripped from their bodies in haste. Their skin craved contact of any kind, and the warmth between them quickly removed the biting chill of the spring night.