lights on
Their next time isn’t until days later, the children deciding to become handfuls during the week, and Dani’s about ready to pull her hair out in frustration. Flora’s crying, on the floor, and Miles is making his case quickly and angrily, she said this, and he did that, and-
“Enough!” Dani exclaims, slicing a hand through the air like a knife. Miles stops talking, and Flora’s cries quiet to sniffles.
“I don’t- We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” They protest, but she shushes them with a look, and they nod solemnly.
After tucking them both in, a hug and a story thrown in, because it’s been a hard week for them, as well, she realizes, she closes the door to Flora’s room behind her.
Dani rakes her hands through her hair, the blowout she’d fluffed into it now completely flat, and huffs a breath through her lips. She’s a wreck, has been all day, and she knows she must look it, no makeup and the baggy sweater she’d thrown on this morning when she’d woken to Flora’s indignant cries and Miles’ bickering denials.
“Whew, Poppins. Tough day?” Dani freezes, opening her eyes, and lowers her hands from where they’re massaging her temples. Turning, she sees her, and relief rushes through her despite her consequent embarrassment over her appearance.
“Is it that obvious?” Dani sighs, voice a mixture of helpless frustration and an attempt at humor.
“No, I mean, you look great,” Dani scoffs, and Jamie touches her elbow. “Poppins. You’re a vision. Seriously. You just seem… stressed.” And there’s something in the way she says it, in the way her voice lilts in suggestion, as if she knows the cure, as if she’s dipping her toes in a cold pool, before jumping in.
“Yeah, I’ve been… frustrated.” Dani replies, and her shoulders tense, still slightly occupied by the events of the past few days. Jamie moves closer, and Dani meets her with a step forward. The brunette’s eyes darken noticeably, their knees slotting together.
“Frustrated, huh?” And Dani is far too tightly wound, far too exhausted, far too wired to keep up the banter, and she crashes her lips against Jamie’s, who makes a surprised noise against her mouth.
The shorter woman wraps her arms around Dani’s neck, and pulls back slightly.
“Jesus, Dani, you’re tense. What’s wrong?” Dani shakes her head, desperately pressing herself back into Jamie.
“I’ll tell you, I promise, just- let me- help me-” She works her fingers under Jamie’s ratty band tee, and Jamie takes the hint, guiding their hasty path to the au pair’s bedroom, and they fall into the bed, slamming the door behind them.
“Lay back,” Jamie breathes, breaking away from their kiss, lips swollen and flushed. Dani’s chest rises and falls rapidly, but she does as she’s told, and Jamie nods. “Now, on your stomach.” A thrill rises in Dani’s belly, a quick jump, and she flips, Jamie’s hips lowering over her own almost immediately.
“Arms up.” She lifts Dani’s jumper over her head, and unclasps her bra soon after. “Better?” And Dani can just sigh, and nod, at the whispers of Jamie’s touch on her bare skin.
But soon they press, and it’s heaven, it hurts, but it’s heaven, the gardener’s long, skilled fingers working the knots out of her shoulders, her spine.
“Oh my god,” Dani squeaks, her voice muffled by the pillow, and a spike of pleasure jolts low in her belly when Jamie’s fingers smooth over the juncture where her shoulder meets her neck.
“Good?” Jamie asks, and Dani moans her assent, the tension ebbing away from her shoulders with every press of skin on skin.
Jamie finishes her massage when Dani’s shoulders are finally relaxed, when the knots are unraveled, and when Dani flips back over, it’s like her joints are liquid, her brain and body equally blissed out under Jamie’s hands.
“That was… you’re good at that,” She murmurs, sliding her nose along the bridge of Jamie’s own.
“Yeah?” Jamie smiles sweetly, stroking Dani’s cheekbone with her thumb. “I’m glad I could help you feel good.” And Dani melts, like chocolate in Jamie’s hands. She pulls the brunette into a soft kiss, laying the woman down gently on top of her.
“You always make me feel good.” And this all feels a little too good, a little too soft, too special, something that neither Jamie nor Dani thought they’d get in their lifetimes.
Jamie kisses her, then, delicate, and Dani pulls her down fully, their bodies molding together, warm and responding to the other’s movements.
They move almost synchronously, shedding their clothes with gentle, cradling hands, and Jamie moves to kiss a path down Dani’s stomach, but the blonde pulls her back up, rubbing their cheeks together, and Jamie understands, he need for closeness, her need for Jamie’s breath against her, her lips against her own.
“I know, baby, I’m here,” She murmurs, and Dani moans, opening her legs like a prayer, like a promise, like Jamie’s just said the magic words.
She presses her fingers- two, between Dani’s legs, guiding them in with little resistance, and Dani’s eyes open, looking deeply into Jamie’s as she moans, and Jamie falls with her, feels with her.
Jamie pushes in slow and long, dragging and curling her fingers to ease every drop of pleasure from the blonde, whose eyes seem a dark, liquid blue, eyelids heavy with desire, and Jamie knows there’s nothing as good as this, nothing as holy, nothing as sacred as her hand reaching the deepest parts of this hallowed woman.
Dani’s hips roll languidly, meeting her thrusts, and Jamie wants to- needs to be closer, and she adds another finger, to which Dani keens, and Jamie swipes her thumb rough and slow over Dani’s clit, once, twice, and Dani is melting into her climax, deep, rolling shudders wracking her body, arms and legs becoming loose and heavy, and her gaze holds Jamie’s though it.
“Jamie,” She breathes, once the waves have resided, and Jamie rests her chin atop her folded hands over Dani’s chest.
Jamie smiles softly, and Dani flips her over, slowly, and Jamie’s never been touched this delicately in her life, never been held like she’s something worth protecting, like she’s something worth anything.
“Precious,” Dani purrs, pressing her lips across Jamie’s collarbone, moving down to her breasts, her ribs, her hips. Dani’s lips reach her ankles, and she looks up, Jamie’s chest rising and falling smoothly, a blissful smile on her face, and she moves back up, resuming her path of kisses, eventually reaching her lips.
“Beautiful.” She whispers, and Jamie moans, making Dani smile against her lips. “Lovely. Gorgeous. Charming.” She punctuates each word with a kiss, and Jamie smiles into their kiss, her eyebrows stitching together in a moan when Dani’s hand presses softly into her.
She fucks her like she’s treasure, like she’s priceless, invaluable, like Dani’s revelling in her body. Dani makes love to her slowly, sweetly, and hot tears gather in the corners of her eyes with every thrust.
“Stunning. Beguiling.” The brunette comes with a jerk of her hips, and Dani’s kissing the skin of her jaw, whispering precious one last time in her ear before Jamie’s hips twitch away from her hand, overstimulated.
Tears leak out of Jamie’s eyes in salty tracks, and Dani settles in next to her, gathering the smaller girl in her arms.
“Oh, baby.” She kisses Jamie’s temple, and drags a thumb lightly under the brunette’s eyes.
Jamie lays speechless, her face pressed against Dani’s chest, while the blonde peppers gentle kisses across her skin.
When she finally feels ready to speak, her voice is low with an emotion that Dani hasn’t heard since the night that the brunette dragged her out in the cold to see the magical, blooming flower.
“Poppins. Thank you.” She’d like to go further, to whisper the three words bouncing around her head, but waits instead, until the blonde is ready to hear them.