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[Guiding Light Fic] July 5th - Otalia (13/14)
Title: July 5th
Fandom: Guiding Light
Characters: Olivia Spencer, Natalia Rivera, Emma Spencer, Rafe Rivera, Blake Marler, Frank Cooper
Category: Angst, Romance, Drama
Rating: NC-17 eventually, with mostly PG-13 stuff for now.
Word count: 36,471 (total)
Summary: It's the fifth of July. What will Natalia do?
Spoilers/Timeline Spoilers for everything through July 9th. Goes off canon after that.
Disclaimer: All characters (Olivia Spencer, Natalia Rivera, blah blah etc.) and situations belong to Guiding Light, Telenext, Proctor & Gamble, etc. I'm not them.
Author's Note: Um, yeah. I got nothing.
Beta: Many thanks to aimlessla for looking over this massive thing for me, pointing out plot holes and my constant comma issues.
Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || Part Seven || Part Eight || Part Nine || Part Ten || Part Eleven || Part Twelve
Part Thirteen
This time Natalia used her passkey to let herself into Olivia’s suite. This time Olivia had known where she was and that she was coming back. It made all the difference.
When she entered, Olivia was sitting on the couch, legs crossed and computer on her lap. One hand was tangled in her hair, pushing it back away from her face. She looked up immediately when Natalia came in, a smile lightning up her face.
“Hey.” Natalia heard more than just a greeting in the single syllable. It was a combination of I’m-so-glad-to-see-you and Are-you-okay? How-did-it-go?
Natalia dropped her purse on the coffee table, slipped out of her shoes and sank down next to Olivia, winding her arm through Olivia’s and dropping her head to rest on Olivia’s shoulder. Olivia brought her free hand up to touch Natalia and turned her head to kiss her temple, the only part of Natalia she could reach still constrained as she was by the computer on her lap and Natalia against her side.
For a moment, Natalia let herself go and savored simply being near Olivia. Leaving her this morning had been hard. Everything in her had wanted to stay and talking to Rafe and Frank hadn’t exactly been a picnic. She was so glad to be back - here - with Olivia. She didn’t want to think about anything else. The kiss at her temple reminded her that she was loved, cherished, even after what she had done - the nearly unforgivable. And it reminded her of the incredible softness of Olivia’s lips.
Natalia lifted her head from Olivia’s shoulder and raised a hand, holding Olivia in place before she could look away again. Their eyes met, locked, lost in the moment. Natalia brushed her thumb across Olivia’s cheek. Then she leaned forward, closing the scant inches between them and kissed her. Feeling Olivia’s lips against hers was a heady sensation. She hoped it always would be. Natalia didn’t want it to end. She wanted it to go on forever, the tender sweetness in the way Olivia’s lips moved, the way her hand came up to cup Natalia’s jaw, the way she made Natalia feel loved and wanted like no one else ever had.
“Hi,” Natalia whispered, giving in reluctantly as they eased apart. “I missed you.”
Olivia smiled. “It’s only been a few hours since we talked.”
Natalia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Still too long.”
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too,” Natalia agreed a little bit too emphatically.
Her tone didn’t escape Olivia’s notice. She leaned her forehead against Natalia’s. “How did it go? With Frank.”
Natalia sighed, running her hand up and down Olivia’s arm a few times and then took her hand. “There was a misunderstanding.”
“What kind of misunderstanding?” Olivia asked, drawing back to look at Natalia.
“Frank thought that I had changed my mind.” She squeezed Olivia’s hand, tightening her grip. “About us.” As she had expected, Olivia tried to pull away, but she refused to let go.
“He thought you wanted to get back together with him.”
“Something like that,” Natalia agreed.
“And then you told him about the baby?”
Natalia nodded.
Olivia desperately wanted to get up and pace. Natalia, pressed up against her side, leaning over her and holding her hand tightly, prevented it. She had no doubt that it was deliberate.
“Let me guess: he wasn’t happy about it.”
“Actually,” Natalia said, the thought occurring to her only as she thought back on it. “He really didn’t say how he felt about it.”
“Natalia,” Olivia began, choosing her words carefully as she shifted on the couch so that she was angled toward Natalia. Olivia lifted their joined hands and cradled it with her other one, bringing it to her lips to place a kiss on the back of it. “You need to think about something: Frank is never going to be happy about having me in this baby’s life. I’ve done too much to him for him to forgive me.”
“What are you talking about? You haven’t done anything to Frank.”
Olivia pressed a finger over Natalia’s lips to silence her. It was distracting.
“I chose Buzz over him. I was cruel, Natalia. I’ve taken advantage of the fact that he’s a good guy more than once. I took you away from him.”
“You didn’t take anything from him,” Natalia retorted, no longer willing to be silenced. “I left him, Olivia. It was my choice, not yours. You’re the one who brought me to the church, who helped to make that wedding possible. And it was your choice to be with Buzz, just like it was my choice to be with you. Just because someone has feelings for you, doesn’t mean that you’re forced to have feelings for them back.”
“You and this baby would be better off without me in your life,” Olivia pressed on stubbornly. “It would be so much easier with Frank. You wouldn’t have to worry about what he might say or do. He’ll make your life miserable.”
“He can try,” Natalia agreed. “But he can’t, not if we don’t let him.” She tugged her hand away from Olivia’s and took Olivia’s face between both hands. “I’m miserable without you, Olivia Spencer, and I’m not going to let you go just because you’re worried about what might happen. I let you bring me back to Frank once before because I was scared of what my heart was telling me. I won’t do it again.“
“I just don’t want you to regret anything,” Olivia admitted in a hoarse whisper.
“The only thing I could regret is letting you walk away. I’m not worried about Frank. He’s a good man at heart. We both know that. He’s hurt right now, but when he gets over that - when he meets his baby - he’ll come around. And if he doesn’t, then we’ll deal with it together. But I need you.”
“Okay.” Doris had said much the same, but she had needed to hear it from Natalia before she could truly believe it. “You have me.” Olivia tried to smile. “For better or worse.”
Tenderly Natalia stroked her cheek and smiled wide enough to show dimples. “For better.”
It was a sweet moment, but the way Natalia’s gaze flickered down to her lips and she seemed to be unable to look away didn’t escape Olivia’s notice. Her smile turned almost predatory and she bent her head toward Natalia. Eagerly Natalia leaned forward. Deliberately Olivia angled her head so that she caught just the corner of Natalia’s mouth.
Natalia whimpered, surprised by her own surge of disappointment. How quickly had she grown used to Olivia’s kisses, grown to crave something she hadn’t even known a few days ago. She turned, dragging her lips across Olivia’s until it turned into a proper kiss. Olivia responded enthusiastically; Natalia felt consumed. She wanted to be closer. With a gasp, Natalia broke the kiss.
Olivia was breathing hard and stared back at her uncomprehendingly. Natalia stroked her cheek reassuringly and then very deliberately took the laptop out of Olivia’s lap and sat it down on the coffee table in front of them. Then she slid across Olivia until she was straddling her thighs. Olivia’s hands automatically came up to rest on Natalia’s hips.
“Natalia?”
“Hmm?”
“What are we doing?”
Natalia smiled. Her hand started out resting on Olivia’s shoulder, but began to drift down Olivia’s chest. “Making out on the couch?”
“Okay,” Olivia agreed, distracted by Natalia’s hands on her. “We can do that.” She groaned when Natalia’s hand covered her breast and squirmed, shifting beneath Natalia. She caught a glimpse of Natalia’s satisfied smile before Natalia kissed her, eliminating the need for any more talking.
It was fortunate, Olivia decided, that Natalia had made talking impossible because she was having trouble forming a coherent thought as Natalia’s hands glided over her, touching and caressing every inch of exposed skin. Then Natalia’s hand dipped underneath her shirt and Olivia arched up into her touch. She tugged Natalia closer. Even after the previous night, it still felt daring to let her hands slip into the back pockets of Natalia’s jeans. Her jeans, Olivia remembered with a sudden surge of possessiveness. There was just something about Natalia wearing her clothes that sent a fresh shock of desire through her.
Natalia’s kisses shifted, moving away from her lips, across her jaw, down her throat. The brush of her lips everywhere was driving Olivia crazy. There was something niggling at the back of Olivia’s mind, something she knew she needed to remember, but with Natalia touching her so freely and willingly, it was hard to even think about it. It seemed important, Olivia remembered vaguely, but distant at the same time. How could anything be more important than this?
Abruptly she remembered, the knowledge flooding her in a flash.
“Emma,” she gasped, the single word stopping Natalia cold. She lifted her head, staring at Olivia uncomprehendingly.
“Emma?” she parroted back to Olivia.
Olivia nodded, feeling winded and suddenly bereft. “We have to stop. She’s going to be back from camp soon.”
“Oh,” Natalia murmured, flushing at the thought of the little girl walking in on them in their current state.
There was nothing innocent or presentable about them. Olivia’s words had jerked Natalia to a halt in the midst of her ministrations and now Olivia’s nipple - just visible over the top of her bra which had been roughly pulled down to expose what was beneath it - was hardening in the chill of the room.
Olivia’s gaze followed Natalia’s down to her chest.
“You should...do something about that,” Natalia said, her voice hoarse and rough.
Amused, Olivia glanced up at her, noting the still hungry look in Natalia’s eyes. “You’re the one who did it,” she pointed out, as reasonably as she could with Natalia looking at her like that.
Natalia’s flush spread from her cheeks, down her chest. Olivia wondered whether it was from arousal or embarrassment. She knew which one she would bet on at the moment. She also knew they had to stop, but knowing that Natalia wanted her like that was a wonderful feeling.
“Unless you want me to keep going...” Natalia drew the words out slowly and then lost her train of thought.
“I do,” Olivia said regretfully. “But we shouldn’t.” She pressed her forehead against Natalia’s, one gesture of physical contact that hopefully wouldn’t get her in trouble. “Will you stay tonight?” She held her breath, hoping Natalia would accept her invitation. Last night had erased some of the hesitance between them, but not all of it. That would only come with time.
“I would love that,” Natalia said simply, genuinely, and Olivia almost melted with relief. Their breathing slowed until it seemed to be perfectly in sync. Olivia could feel the tension - briefly defused - growing between them once again.
“I should go,” Natalia whispered, her lips close enough to brush against Olivia’s as she spoke.
Olivia’s hands closed over her arms, holding her in place.
“Just to the other end of the couch,” Natalia reassured her. “And you should fix...that.” She nodded toward Olivia’s chest. “Then we can sit here and...talk...until Emma gets here.”
Olivia wanted to protest, but she knew Natalia was right. If they stayed the way they were, there was no way that they could behave themselves until Emma got home.
“Fine,” she said with an exaggerated sigh and let go of Natalia.
Reluctantly Natalia slid off her lap and scooted to the other end of the couch, drawing her knees up in front of her. She glanced away as Olivia very deliberately tucked herself back inside her bra and did up the buttons that Natalia had undone in her desire to see and feel more of Olivia.
Natalia knew she needed to change the subject if they were going to keep things from progressing back to what they had been doing. Her attention latched onto the fancy gilt of an invitation sitting on top of a pile of papers on the end of the coffee table closest to her.
“Someone’s getting married?” Natalia asked, trying to make conversation.
Olivia seemed lost for a moment and then realized what she was looking at. “Yeah, Bill and Lizzie. They want Em to be their flower girl with Bill’s little sister, Maureen.”
“So you’re going to go then?”
“Mmm,” Olivia said, with non-committal agreement. “It’s not my idea of fun, but Lizzie is Emma’s sister and Bill was important to her. I can’t exactly say no.”
“It must have been hard - Bill and Lizzie.”
Olivia shrugged and looked away. “We were mostly over by the time he got interested in Lizzie.”
“Hey,” Natalia said, reaching across the distance between them to run her fingers down Olivia’s arm. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
Olivia shook her head. “You didn’t. Bill and I...” She searched for the right words and sighed. “Bill tried, but I was in a very bad, very frightening place in my life. It was too much for him.”
Natalia didn’t dare move any closer, but picked up Olivia’s hand, holding it in her own. “He just didn’t understand you.”
“Not like you do?”
“Exactly,” Natalia agreed.
“You do understand me better than anyone else ever has,” Olivia said, raising Natalia’s hand to her lips and pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.
Natalia stroked her free hand through Olivia’s hair. “What if we went together? To Bill and Lizzie’s wedding. Your invitation does have a plus one.”
Olivia froze and then slowly tilted her head up to look at Natalia. “You mean the way we were going to go to the barbecue?”
Natalia nodded, nerves causing a lump in her throat that left her barely able to speak. She swallowed. “Except for this time, I will be there - with you and Emma.” Then she held her breath, waiting for Olivia’s response and wondering if it was too soon to have asked.
“Promise?” Olivia asked, sounding vulnerable and a little scared.
“I promise,” Natalia agreed, relief flashing through her. “Tell you what. It’s in-” she glanced at the invitation “-five days. I’ll stay with you and Em the night before and bring my dress with me so that I can get ready here. You won’t have to let me out of your sight all day. How does that sound?”
Olivia smiled. “Perfect.” A smile tugged at her lips. “Although I think you’re just looking for an excuse into my bed, Ms. Rivera.”
Natalia let out a startled laugh, meeting Olivia’s teasing smile with raised eyebrows. “I didn’t know I needed an excuse.”
Olivia couldn’t resist. She ran the back of her fingers down Natalia’s cheek. “You don’t,” she said, a wealth of emotion in her voice. “You’re welcome here anytime.”
“Thank you,” Natalia whispered, the seriousness and intimacy of the moment forcing her to lower her voice even though they were alone. She took a quick breath to steady her nerves. “I know you’re not ready yet - and I understand - but I want you to know that whenever you are ready, I still want you and Emma to move back into the farmhouse - more than ever.”
“Thank you for understanding,” Olivia said. “And for not making this any harder on me.”
“Whatever you need,” Natalia responded. “I want to be there for you.”
“You are,” Olivia said simply and kissed her, but it was a gentle kiss, almost chaste compared to the earlier ones, all about love instead of desire.
They were still sitting that way when Emma burst in with Jane, talking excitedly about her first day back at Camp.
Fandom: Guiding Light
Characters: Olivia Spencer, Natalia Rivera, Emma Spencer, Rafe Rivera, Blake Marler, Frank Cooper
Category: Angst, Romance, Drama
Rating: NC-17 eventually, with mostly PG-13 stuff for now.
Word count: 36,471 (total)
Summary: It's the fifth of July. What will Natalia do?
Spoilers/Timeline Spoilers for everything through July 9th. Goes off canon after that.
Disclaimer: All characters (Olivia Spencer, Natalia Rivera, blah blah etc.) and situations belong to Guiding Light, Telenext, Proctor & Gamble, etc. I'm not them.
Author's Note: Um, yeah. I got nothing.
Beta: Many thanks to aimlessla for looking over this massive thing for me, pointing out plot holes and my constant comma issues.
Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || Part Seven || Part Eight || Part Nine || Part Ten || Part Eleven || Part Twelve
Part Thirteen
This time Natalia used her passkey to let herself into Olivia’s suite. This time Olivia had known where she was and that she was coming back. It made all the difference.
When she entered, Olivia was sitting on the couch, legs crossed and computer on her lap. One hand was tangled in her hair, pushing it back away from her face. She looked up immediately when Natalia came in, a smile lightning up her face.
“Hey.” Natalia heard more than just a greeting in the single syllable. It was a combination of I’m-so-glad-to-see-you and Are-you-okay? How-did-it-go?
Natalia dropped her purse on the coffee table, slipped out of her shoes and sank down next to Olivia, winding her arm through Olivia’s and dropping her head to rest on Olivia’s shoulder. Olivia brought her free hand up to touch Natalia and turned her head to kiss her temple, the only part of Natalia she could reach still constrained as she was by the computer on her lap and Natalia against her side.
For a moment, Natalia let herself go and savored simply being near Olivia. Leaving her this morning had been hard. Everything in her had wanted to stay and talking to Rafe and Frank hadn’t exactly been a picnic. She was so glad to be back - here - with Olivia. She didn’t want to think about anything else. The kiss at her temple reminded her that she was loved, cherished, even after what she had done - the nearly unforgivable. And it reminded her of the incredible softness of Olivia’s lips.
Natalia lifted her head from Olivia’s shoulder and raised a hand, holding Olivia in place before she could look away again. Their eyes met, locked, lost in the moment. Natalia brushed her thumb across Olivia’s cheek. Then she leaned forward, closing the scant inches between them and kissed her. Feeling Olivia’s lips against hers was a heady sensation. She hoped it always would be. Natalia didn’t want it to end. She wanted it to go on forever, the tender sweetness in the way Olivia’s lips moved, the way her hand came up to cup Natalia’s jaw, the way she made Natalia feel loved and wanted like no one else ever had.
“Hi,” Natalia whispered, giving in reluctantly as they eased apart. “I missed you.”
Olivia smiled. “It’s only been a few hours since we talked.”
Natalia shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Still too long.”
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too,” Natalia agreed a little bit too emphatically.
Her tone didn’t escape Olivia’s notice. She leaned her forehead against Natalia’s. “How did it go? With Frank.”
Natalia sighed, running her hand up and down Olivia’s arm a few times and then took her hand. “There was a misunderstanding.”
“What kind of misunderstanding?” Olivia asked, drawing back to look at Natalia.
“Frank thought that I had changed my mind.” She squeezed Olivia’s hand, tightening her grip. “About us.” As she had expected, Olivia tried to pull away, but she refused to let go.
“He thought you wanted to get back together with him.”
“Something like that,” Natalia agreed.
“And then you told him about the baby?”
Natalia nodded.
Olivia desperately wanted to get up and pace. Natalia, pressed up against her side, leaning over her and holding her hand tightly, prevented it. She had no doubt that it was deliberate.
“Let me guess: he wasn’t happy about it.”
“Actually,” Natalia said, the thought occurring to her only as she thought back on it. “He really didn’t say how he felt about it.”
“Natalia,” Olivia began, choosing her words carefully as she shifted on the couch so that she was angled toward Natalia. Olivia lifted their joined hands and cradled it with her other one, bringing it to her lips to place a kiss on the back of it. “You need to think about something: Frank is never going to be happy about having me in this baby’s life. I’ve done too much to him for him to forgive me.”
“What are you talking about? You haven’t done anything to Frank.”
Olivia pressed a finger over Natalia’s lips to silence her. It was distracting.
“I chose Buzz over him. I was cruel, Natalia. I’ve taken advantage of the fact that he’s a good guy more than once. I took you away from him.”
“You didn’t take anything from him,” Natalia retorted, no longer willing to be silenced. “I left him, Olivia. It was my choice, not yours. You’re the one who brought me to the church, who helped to make that wedding possible. And it was your choice to be with Buzz, just like it was my choice to be with you. Just because someone has feelings for you, doesn’t mean that you’re forced to have feelings for them back.”
“You and this baby would be better off without me in your life,” Olivia pressed on stubbornly. “It would be so much easier with Frank. You wouldn’t have to worry about what he might say or do. He’ll make your life miserable.”
“He can try,” Natalia agreed. “But he can’t, not if we don’t let him.” She tugged her hand away from Olivia’s and took Olivia’s face between both hands. “I’m miserable without you, Olivia Spencer, and I’m not going to let you go just because you’re worried about what might happen. I let you bring me back to Frank once before because I was scared of what my heart was telling me. I won’t do it again.“
“I just don’t want you to regret anything,” Olivia admitted in a hoarse whisper.
“The only thing I could regret is letting you walk away. I’m not worried about Frank. He’s a good man at heart. We both know that. He’s hurt right now, but when he gets over that - when he meets his baby - he’ll come around. And if he doesn’t, then we’ll deal with it together. But I need you.”
“Okay.” Doris had said much the same, but she had needed to hear it from Natalia before she could truly believe it. “You have me.” Olivia tried to smile. “For better or worse.”
Tenderly Natalia stroked her cheek and smiled wide enough to show dimples. “For better.”
It was a sweet moment, but the way Natalia’s gaze flickered down to her lips and she seemed to be unable to look away didn’t escape Olivia’s notice. Her smile turned almost predatory and she bent her head toward Natalia. Eagerly Natalia leaned forward. Deliberately Olivia angled her head so that she caught just the corner of Natalia’s mouth.
Natalia whimpered, surprised by her own surge of disappointment. How quickly had she grown used to Olivia’s kisses, grown to crave something she hadn’t even known a few days ago. She turned, dragging her lips across Olivia’s until it turned into a proper kiss. Olivia responded enthusiastically; Natalia felt consumed. She wanted to be closer. With a gasp, Natalia broke the kiss.
Olivia was breathing hard and stared back at her uncomprehendingly. Natalia stroked her cheek reassuringly and then very deliberately took the laptop out of Olivia’s lap and sat it down on the coffee table in front of them. Then she slid across Olivia until she was straddling her thighs. Olivia’s hands automatically came up to rest on Natalia’s hips.
“Natalia?”
“Hmm?”
“What are we doing?”
Natalia smiled. Her hand started out resting on Olivia’s shoulder, but began to drift down Olivia’s chest. “Making out on the couch?”
“Okay,” Olivia agreed, distracted by Natalia’s hands on her. “We can do that.” She groaned when Natalia’s hand covered her breast and squirmed, shifting beneath Natalia. She caught a glimpse of Natalia’s satisfied smile before Natalia kissed her, eliminating the need for any more talking.
It was fortunate, Olivia decided, that Natalia had made talking impossible because she was having trouble forming a coherent thought as Natalia’s hands glided over her, touching and caressing every inch of exposed skin. Then Natalia’s hand dipped underneath her shirt and Olivia arched up into her touch. She tugged Natalia closer. Even after the previous night, it still felt daring to let her hands slip into the back pockets of Natalia’s jeans. Her jeans, Olivia remembered with a sudden surge of possessiveness. There was just something about Natalia wearing her clothes that sent a fresh shock of desire through her.
Natalia’s kisses shifted, moving away from her lips, across her jaw, down her throat. The brush of her lips everywhere was driving Olivia crazy. There was something niggling at the back of Olivia’s mind, something she knew she needed to remember, but with Natalia touching her so freely and willingly, it was hard to even think about it. It seemed important, Olivia remembered vaguely, but distant at the same time. How could anything be more important than this?
Abruptly she remembered, the knowledge flooding her in a flash.
“Emma,” she gasped, the single word stopping Natalia cold. She lifted her head, staring at Olivia uncomprehendingly.
“Emma?” she parroted back to Olivia.
Olivia nodded, feeling winded and suddenly bereft. “We have to stop. She’s going to be back from camp soon.”
“Oh,” Natalia murmured, flushing at the thought of the little girl walking in on them in their current state.
There was nothing innocent or presentable about them. Olivia’s words had jerked Natalia to a halt in the midst of her ministrations and now Olivia’s nipple - just visible over the top of her bra which had been roughly pulled down to expose what was beneath it - was hardening in the chill of the room.
Olivia’s gaze followed Natalia’s down to her chest.
“You should...do something about that,” Natalia said, her voice hoarse and rough.
Amused, Olivia glanced up at her, noting the still hungry look in Natalia’s eyes. “You’re the one who did it,” she pointed out, as reasonably as she could with Natalia looking at her like that.
Natalia’s flush spread from her cheeks, down her chest. Olivia wondered whether it was from arousal or embarrassment. She knew which one she would bet on at the moment. She also knew they had to stop, but knowing that Natalia wanted her like that was a wonderful feeling.
“Unless you want me to keep going...” Natalia drew the words out slowly and then lost her train of thought.
“I do,” Olivia said regretfully. “But we shouldn’t.” She pressed her forehead against Natalia’s, one gesture of physical contact that hopefully wouldn’t get her in trouble. “Will you stay tonight?” She held her breath, hoping Natalia would accept her invitation. Last night had erased some of the hesitance between them, but not all of it. That would only come with time.
“I would love that,” Natalia said simply, genuinely, and Olivia almost melted with relief. Their breathing slowed until it seemed to be perfectly in sync. Olivia could feel the tension - briefly defused - growing between them once again.
“I should go,” Natalia whispered, her lips close enough to brush against Olivia’s as she spoke.
Olivia’s hands closed over her arms, holding her in place.
“Just to the other end of the couch,” Natalia reassured her. “And you should fix...that.” She nodded toward Olivia’s chest. “Then we can sit here and...talk...until Emma gets here.”
Olivia wanted to protest, but she knew Natalia was right. If they stayed the way they were, there was no way that they could behave themselves until Emma got home.
“Fine,” she said with an exaggerated sigh and let go of Natalia.
Reluctantly Natalia slid off her lap and scooted to the other end of the couch, drawing her knees up in front of her. She glanced away as Olivia very deliberately tucked herself back inside her bra and did up the buttons that Natalia had undone in her desire to see and feel more of Olivia.
Natalia knew she needed to change the subject if they were going to keep things from progressing back to what they had been doing. Her attention latched onto the fancy gilt of an invitation sitting on top of a pile of papers on the end of the coffee table closest to her.
“Someone’s getting married?” Natalia asked, trying to make conversation.
Olivia seemed lost for a moment and then realized what she was looking at. “Yeah, Bill and Lizzie. They want Em to be their flower girl with Bill’s little sister, Maureen.”
“So you’re going to go then?”
“Mmm,” Olivia said, with non-committal agreement. “It’s not my idea of fun, but Lizzie is Emma’s sister and Bill was important to her. I can’t exactly say no.”
“It must have been hard - Bill and Lizzie.”
Olivia shrugged and looked away. “We were mostly over by the time he got interested in Lizzie.”
“Hey,” Natalia said, reaching across the distance between them to run her fingers down Olivia’s arm. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
Olivia shook her head. “You didn’t. Bill and I...” She searched for the right words and sighed. “Bill tried, but I was in a very bad, very frightening place in my life. It was too much for him.”
Natalia didn’t dare move any closer, but picked up Olivia’s hand, holding it in her own. “He just didn’t understand you.”
“Not like you do?”
“Exactly,” Natalia agreed.
“You do understand me better than anyone else ever has,” Olivia said, raising Natalia’s hand to her lips and pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.
Natalia stroked her free hand through Olivia’s hair. “What if we went together? To Bill and Lizzie’s wedding. Your invitation does have a plus one.”
Olivia froze and then slowly tilted her head up to look at Natalia. “You mean the way we were going to go to the barbecue?”
Natalia nodded, nerves causing a lump in her throat that left her barely able to speak. She swallowed. “Except for this time, I will be there - with you and Emma.” Then she held her breath, waiting for Olivia’s response and wondering if it was too soon to have asked.
“Promise?” Olivia asked, sounding vulnerable and a little scared.
“I promise,” Natalia agreed, relief flashing through her. “Tell you what. It’s in-” she glanced at the invitation “-five days. I’ll stay with you and Em the night before and bring my dress with me so that I can get ready here. You won’t have to let me out of your sight all day. How does that sound?”
Olivia smiled. “Perfect.” A smile tugged at her lips. “Although I think you’re just looking for an excuse into my bed, Ms. Rivera.”
Natalia let out a startled laugh, meeting Olivia’s teasing smile with raised eyebrows. “I didn’t know I needed an excuse.”
Olivia couldn’t resist. She ran the back of her fingers down Natalia’s cheek. “You don’t,” she said, a wealth of emotion in her voice. “You’re welcome here anytime.”
“Thank you,” Natalia whispered, the seriousness and intimacy of the moment forcing her to lower her voice even though they were alone. She took a quick breath to steady her nerves. “I know you’re not ready yet - and I understand - but I want you to know that whenever you are ready, I still want you and Emma to move back into the farmhouse - more than ever.”
“Thank you for understanding,” Olivia said. “And for not making this any harder on me.”
“Whatever you need,” Natalia responded. “I want to be there for you.”
“You are,” Olivia said simply and kissed her, but it was a gentle kiss, almost chaste compared to the earlier ones, all about love instead of desire.
They were still sitting that way when Emma burst in with Jane, talking excitedly about her first day back at Camp.
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Now about this 14 chapter limit... are we sure about this? Are we sure you don't want to write 25 or 30 chapters? Really really sure?
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And sadly, yes I am sure. But 14 is really long. Does that help at all?
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I guess...
You'll just have to write lots and lots more stories!
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Wonderfulness of words!
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But it is okay that it is ending since you plan to write more stories about these two lovely ladies.(whoa! Brady Bunch flashback!)
Looking forward to the last update!
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And I'll add my "Yay!" to the others for more stories. :o)
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(Anonymous) 2010-11-11 09:32 am (UTC)(link)no subject
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Loved Natalia's offer to go as a couple to Bill & Lizzie's wedding.
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Yeees! And that it was Natalia who said it? Holy freakin' AWESOME!
So the big coming out, and end of the story, is them going to the wedding together? Aawww, sweet. I like.
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I thought it would make a good counterpoint to the awfulness that was Olivia attending that alone.