Once In A Lifetime • Link Neal

thirty-three.

*

Her fingers reached up, tangling in his hair and pulling him away from the fair skin of her neck. She said nothing as she pulled him in, their lips embracing with a feverish touch of teeth and tongue, their breath working in the time of harsh pants and sharp inhales. She kept her eyes closed, clenched tight to fight the insistent burning of tears that threatened to stain her cheeks. 

He was so close, the sharp planes and hard edges digging her further into the wall, and she wanted nothing more than to have him closer. 

"Show me-" She gasped out, "Show me, how much you love me." 

He didn't say anything as he lowered her back onto her feet, palms gliding along the curves of her waist to hook into the hem of her pants. She steadied herself, fingers gripping his thick hair tight as the cool air hit her thighs while he knelt before her.  She felt his hand grasp behind her knee, pushing her slender leg up to rest against the hardness of his shoulder, and she dared a glance downward, the piercing blue of his eyes boring into hers as he closed the distance between them. 

She inhaled sharply, her legs trembling as she watched the way he moved between her thighs, a soft ripple of pleasure every time his tongue graced her rushed through her body, and she let out a shaken moan, trying her hardest to keep her wavering gaze connected with his own, the darkness of bruises forming around his left eye made his ocean blues look brighter than ever. 

"L-Link," She breathed out, tearing her gaze away to drop her head back against the wall, hips rolling absently as he lapped at her, coaxing her closer to the precipice. 

He wanted nothing more than to take her there, but he wanted to see the look in her eyes when she did, and he found himself reaching up to glide along her stomach, before grasping her hip, fingers digging into the flesh there to effectively garner her attention. She pulled him forward in return, the soft moan that escaped him lit her nerves on fire, warming her from the inside out, and she forced herself to look at him as she was washed away. 

Link watched the pleasure contort her face, brows knit with full lips open, verdant gaze a sliver along the dilated black of her pupils. He felt her body tighten, every muscle taught and ridged, her leg pressing down on his shoulder as her fingers tugged hard enough on his hair to hurt, and he moaned at the sight of her, the vibration causing a shiver to rack her body. She let out the smallest gasp, followed with a silent cry of her body. 

She watched, mesmerized by the intense gleam in his eye, as he reached up to untangle a hand from his hair, bringing her palm to his lips to grace it with a soft, chaste kiss. She felt the sudden need for air, her ribs rising and falling rapidly as Link trailed a kiss to her wrist, still knelt before her as though begging for her affection. She couldn't seem to form words, taken aback by the image before her, so she simply tugged his hair again, coaxing him to stand. 

Their stare held, his frame towering over her own before leaning down to kiss her, the salty musk on his tongue endearing, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him lower, closer. His hands were on her again, lingering on her sharp hipbones and reveling in the hotness of her skin, before sliding upwards beneath the soft fabric of her shirt. She knew to raise her arms before he even grasped the cloth, and Link loved how well they worked together, undressing the other in a sort of erotic dance until they were left with nothing but the combined searing burn of the others skin and the sharp juxtaposition of the cold air around them. 

She let him sweep her off her feet, the hardness of his forearm digging into the backs of her knees while he caged her torso with his other arm, lifting her like she was nothing, light as a feather. She pressed soft kisses to the sharp jut of his collarbone, following the ridge to the round of his shoulder; his skin was smooth and dry, his signature scent enveloping her whole with the subtle hint of arousal in the air. 

There were no traces of anyone but her, now. 

_____

Light had cast a red behind her eyes, bright and burning. Lucy had fallen asleep in his arms the night before, her body wrapped around his in a flurry of limbs. She remembered leaving the blanket on the floor, her body overworked and hot, but this morning she found herself tucked securely beneath the weight of her comforter, and alone. 

She was quick to sit straight, pushing her wild hair away from her face while glancing around the room quietly. The soft, barely audible sound of his voice soothed her nerves, coaxing her body to relax against the bed with a soft sigh. 

Lucy walked around her room quietly, picking up on small bits of his conversation as she sifted through her dresser, stopping at the sight of neon pink letters and green camouflage. 'I called you as soon as I could, man. I've been-well, I've been a little preoccupied.'  She quickly threw the shirt on, finding a pair of denim shorts and slipping those on as well, ear perked at Link's muffled voice. 'She's safe, yeah...There's still some stuff we gotta work through, but she knows it all...Oh, shut up, Rhett.'  

She wondered what he was thinking right now, after their tempestuous reunion last night, and she found her hand hesitating above the doorknob, mind conjuring wild scenarios of him leaving her, realizing she wasn't worth it, realizing he truly didn't love her all along. 

"Stop it." She whispered, closing her eyes for a brief moment, if that were the case, he wouldn't have came here last night. Stop being like this, and get out there. 

She quickly turned the knob, opening the door and leaving the confines of her room in one fell swoop. Her feet padded along the wood floor, gathering Link's attention. He was leaning against the counter of the kitchen bar, eyes drawn almost instantly to her petite frame. 

"Yeah, Rhett. Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you soon, alright?" He didn't wait for Rhett to answer, pulling the phone from his ear and ending the call before setting it down on the counter behind him. 

"Good morning." She said, quietly. Her hands were already on the hem of her shirt, working the fine thread of the seam as he turned to face her. Link graced her with a smile, his ocean blues wandering her face as he stepped close enough to touch her. His hands fell over hers, stopping the ministrations, 

"Good mornin'. You keep that up and you won't have any good shirts left." He remarked, softly. He looked at her with such a warmth in his eyes, it made her forget everything that's happened. 

"It's a good thing I have you here, to stop me." Link let out a hum of agreement, before raising one hand up to gently push her chin with his knuckle, coaxing her head up and to the side. She caught his gaze, narrowed as he eyed the plethora of purple bruises along her neck. He looked like he was thinking, and she wanted to ask about what, when he suddenly spoke up, his hand ghosting away from her face. 

"We've got some things we need to talk about, Lu. Between you and me, as well as Rhett. We're meetin' up with him on the other side of town, for coffee. Is that okay?" He asked. 

She swallowed thickly, a wealth of questions rising in her being, but she simply nodded instead.

- sorry for the short chapter, guys! I didn't have a whole lot of time, but i wanted to get something out there today. let me know what you think, and don't forget to vote! xoxo