Sometimes the universe liked to play tricks on Irene.
Trick her into believing things are better than they seem. And see, the thing is, Irene had been playing these games for five years too long. She was done playing. The universe brought her into Lisa's arms and goddamn was she ready to accept it.
After Irene had found Lisa's sweet note, she lounged in bed for a few hours to enjoy the silence of the house. Even Leo seemed to enjoy the emptiness, able to roam freely as he pleased without the toxic male presence staggering over him like a giant. He spent his newfound freedom bumping his wet nose against Irene's bare legs, begging to be played with and paid attention to.
With Lisa on her mind like always, Irene snapped a few photos of him and sent them all to her, grinning when she replied, 'you gotta stop sending me these, I'm about to leave my job and come over to cuddle.'
Smiling cheekily, Irene answered, 'Don't do that baby, someone's gotta support our cat treat addiction. It's an expensive habit.'
Abruptly, Lisa switched subjects and texted back, 'i keep thinking about those noises you made last night when i had my fingers inside you. will you come over later?'
Irene clenched her thighs together. It never failed to surrender her to Lisa's mercy, this decimating rush of arousal. With a few simple words and the promise of later pleasure, Lisa could get Irene to do anything. Murder, kidnapping, treason? All fell under the umbrella of things that would be considered mere casualties to her.
Laughing under her breath, Irene took a moment to compose herself before giving Lisa the benefit of a reply. If she was going to do this right now, Lisa would have to wait for a proper response instead of being gifted an immediate answer.
'Do you think you can be good for me and wait? I have something planned for us. Are you free after work? '
Seconds later, 'but i want to hear them right now ;) i'm @ work dripping at the thought, honeybee. and for you, always.'
Honeybee. Irene's chest clenched at the pet name, unable to fight off the swarm of affection that blossomed inside her like a beautiful flower growing from dirt and ash. It made her giddy; knowing Lisa meant every word of affection that dripped off her tongue in obscenely sweet ways. It was worth every day of the last nine years.
'Can you behave yourself until later? I want to take you somewhere, but it's a surprise. After that I'd like to see what kind of noises you'll make when I spread your thighs and put my mouth in between them. Maybe I'd even let you ride my fingers afterwards. Is that okay?'
Deviously, she opened her camera and aimed it at her chest. Pulling up her shirt, Irene managed to tug her lace bra down with one hand to expose a pert nipple to the cool air filtering inside her room. Snapping a photo of her half clothed chest, she sent it off to Lisa. Dragging her bottom lip between teeth, she waited for a response with bated breath and quivering thighs.
Lisa didn't disappoint.
After a beat her reply came through, making Irene laugh out loud into the empty room.
'i'm about to say fuck these cats and quit my job. fuck these customers too. you're the hottest fucking thing i've ever seen, you know that? you'll pay for this later though, don't worry.'
'There's more where that came from if you're good.'
'didn't you know i'm an absolute angel?'
Irene could picture Lisa's cute pout in her mind, the prominent frown lines and pleading look in her eyes. It made Irene want to buy her every single rose garden and star in the sky if it meant Lisa could have a fleeting moment of happiness.
'Don't you have cats to take care of?:) I'll be there soon, Jisoo said earlier that she wants to come too. Sorry in advance.'
'i'd go through world wars just to see your face. she won't bother me, i adore her.'
'That's because you barely know her.'
After a few more risqué photos and the promise that she would swing by Lisa's work, Irene quickly got herself ready for the surprise date. She'd planned this earlier in the morning when she had nothing but free time in bed with Leo. Not having to cook breakfast for Hank freed up multitudes of time, apparently. After some google searches and phone calls, she decided that she'd found the perfect place to take Lisa.
That idea sent shivers down her spine, enthralling in ways she didn't expect. She'd been on many, many dates—obviously. But they had never been anything more than dinner at a semi-decent restaurant or some action movie Hank had dragged her to. This was different, more intimate than Irene had ever gotten with anyone. Because it meant something. It wasn't expected of her, nor did it feel like a chore to check off her 'to do' list. It was a setting where she and Lisa could tend to this flourishing romance between them. This would grant them the peace they deserved as they grew together into something people wrote love poems about.
Debating for twenty minutes—give or take a few, Irene finally gave up and pulled on a pair of skin tight black jeans and a comfortable t-shirt. She then took a few moments to make sure her hair was perfectly parted and her lip stain was the perfect shade of pink. Hank had never noticed these things she took great care in, but she knew Lisa would appreciate them. She always did. Still unable to believe this wasn't some elaborate scheme from the universe that threatened to jump out and say 'gotcha!' Irene continued getting herself ready all alone in her big house. Just the way she deserved.
Finally after checking and rechecking her outfit and makeup a dozen times, Irene kissed Leo on the head and made her way to her car. Punching in Jisoo's number, she threw her car in reverse and backed down the driveway.
"Hi, okay, I'm on my way I swear. Tom stayed over last night and I couldn't exactly leave my bed this morn—"
"Can you spare me, please? I'm just leaving now too."
"Oh thank God, I thought you were gonna yell at me for being late," Jisoo laughed. Irene could hear the engine of her car gunning it dangerously fast down the street.
"I took forever to get ready. I'm nervous," Irene admitted.
"Didn't y'all already fuck? What's there to be nervous about? It's a date. You're not asking her to marry you, babe."
"Oh my God," Irene breathed, "I forgot to tell you what happened last night."
Jisoo sighed. "Jesus, it's always something with you two. Can't the universe just let y'all have your moment? What happened?"
"No, I need to see your face when I tell you."
"I could hit you sometimes, I swear. I'll be there in ten."
"Okay, love you."
"Love you."
The rest of the drive was spent trying to ward off nervous ticks. The rhythmic tapping of Irene's fingertips against her steering wheel, a constant stream of negative thoughts that told her Lisa would hate the idea, the pounding beat of her heart that she swore was noticeable in her chest. It made Irene lightheaded and clammy, like she was a teenager going on a first date with the girl she liked. It was like she was eighteen again, never having been touched or treated this way before. And give or take a few years, it was almost the exact same scenario.
When she pulled up to the cafe, Jisoo's car was already parked with its owner inside. Irene had tried her hardest to beat her there so Jisoo wouldn't have the wonderful opportunity to grill Lisa about anything and everything she felt needed answers. Quickly, she grabbed her bag and walked briskly inside the tiny shop that housed her heart's content.
When the bell rang, several men drinking their coffee looked up to give their best charming smiles and curious glances at her as if they ever stood a chance against the blonde angel in Irene's line of vision.
Too bad she only had eyes for Lisa. Like a magnet connecting the two of them, Irene walked right over towards where Lisa was crouched on the ground playing with the two cats batting her string toy around.
Lisa looked up, a thousand sunlights gleaming in her eyes.
"Hi, beautiful."
"Hi," Irene sighed out, voice thick with emotion, "I missed you." She didn't care if she sounded needy or cheesy like a line in some shitty romance film. It was the truth, and she wasn't in the mood for suppressing it anymore. The bag slung over her shoulder banged slightly on the side of her thigh with her movements; the only tangible thing reminding her that this wasn't a dream and she was, in fact, in the presence of an angel.
"I missed you more." Lisa stood up and cradled Irene's cheeks, bringing them in so she could place a kiss hello atop her lips. It never failed to pleasantly suck the air out of Irene's lungs. Everything was so different with Lisa. Every kiss, touch, and beat of her heart. It was like Irene had shed the skin of her previous life and she was starting over as if born again.
Somewhere off in the background, Irene swore she could hear the men groaning. It made her laugh and kiss Lisa again, not caring if every man and woman in the state of Louisiana saw them.
"I can't believe I get to do that whenever I want," Lisa whispered into Irene's mouth, smiling like she'd been placed on this earth to do exactly this. As if she'd fulfilled her life's purpose, her body was alight with wonder mixed with awe, a feeling she'd never get tired of. She pulled back, dropping her hand and taking Irene's in it.
From behind her, Jisoo theatrically groaned and said, "Can y'all get a room or something? I'm sick." Her teasing tone made Lisa laugh and tug Irene to where she was sitting.
"Jisoo and I were just talking about how you had white highlights in college," Lisa grinned. "I would love some photographic evidence."
"Absolutely not, I burned all of the proof a long time ago," Irene shot Jisoo a warning glance, who simply shrugged her shoulders and winked.
"If you give me some time I'm sure there's skunky photos of you somewhere in my archive," Jisoo stifled her laughter. The gleam in her eyes told Irene that there was still proof and she would definitely be drudging them up from wherever her blackmail was stored.
Lisa chuckled excitedly, kissing Irene's cheek as an apology for the teasing. Standing up, she reached behind her on the counter to grab a mug full of steaming tea. "In the meantime," she handed Irene the mug, "I got your drink all ready. I have to go fill out some adoption papers with this couple, but I'll be back, yeah?"
Irene nodded, graciously accepting the drink like Lisa had spent all morning doing the backbreaking work of hand picking the tea leaves and steeping them in water herself. "Thank you for having my tea ready."
"For you, anything." At Lisa's parting smile and sly glance, Irene could have been floating on a fucking cloud ten thousand feet above ground for all she knew.
A sharp poke in her ribs brought her back down to earth.
"Can you cut the lovey dovey shit and tell me what the fuck happened last night? I was this close to asking her, but I knew you'd scalp me if I did."
"Yeah, you're right about that," Irene answered. Lowering her tone, she continued, "So we were, you know—" she made a vague gesture with her hands, hoping Jisoo connected the dots.
Her cheeks flushed at the memory and Jisoo smirked knowingly. Cracking her gum, she tilted her head and replied, "Uh huh."
"And I was almost—you know."
"I got the gist."
"And then Hank came home. Drunk out of his mind."
Jisoo's mouth dropped open, her bewildered stare piercing Irene's eyes. "You have got to be fucking kidding me. I get why you waited to tell me because I would have turned my car around and driven to his mom's house to beat the shit out of him."
She shook her head just barely. "I wish I was. I really do. He forced himself in my room too, so he could prove to himself I wasn't sleeping with some other guy."
Jisoo bit back a snarky laugh, her facial features quivering in amusement. "Well you're not exactly sleeping with a man, now are you? God, I would kill to see the look on his face when he realizes he's been left for a woman."
Irene shot her another look that could freeze hell over. "Anyway, I fully expected her to just walk out of my life. But she didn't. She still likes me." She then couldn't help the smile that reached from ear to ear, exhilarated beyond belief that she was here and things were looking up for once in her life.
As a pudgy cat nudged at the back of her calf, Irene reached down to pick her up and scratch at the fur covered stomach. "Look at you," she cooed, "What a cutie."
In this tiny cafe with dozens of cats running freely and the aroma of coffee nipping at her sense of smell, Irene felt at peace for once in her life. Her choices over the last few days had opened up a world of opportunity, and this is exactly where she belonged.
Jisoo sat back and sipped her iced coffee. "You're glowing. I'd say it's probably the sex but, you know," she laughed at Irene's apathetic groan. "She's good for you, and I hope you know I am very happy for you." She placed a comforting palm on Irene's thigh and gave her a warm look.
Fighting back the urge to start crying in front of strangers, Irene placed her hand on top of Jisoo's and squeezed it. "I know. I love you. I couldn't have gotten here without you."
Jisoo flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically and sighed as if burdened by her wit and charm. "Just remember to mention me during your wedding vows. Slip me in between the promises to love each other forever and the 'til death do us part' bit."
"Yeah," Irene replied sarcastically, "You bet."
"Just a quick little nod to my undying support. And set me up with any hot family members she might have, I'm not asking for much. But tell me about this little date you've got planned for her."
"Oh, Chu, it's the cutest thing. It's this place out near the bayous where—"
Lisa's voice cut through the low hum of the shop. "Irene, can you come help me with something in the back?" Nodding imperceptibly, wanting to shout from the rooftops that she would lay down her life for Lisa, she put the cat down and went to stand.
"I'll be right back, Chu."
"Nah, don't worry. They close soon anyway, plus I gotta go meet Tom at his brewery. I'll see you soon. Love ya," she kissed Irene's cheek goodbye. Pausing as she went to sneak out the door, she turned and winked, "Have fun back there."
"What does that mean," Irene grumbled to herself as she meandered to the back of the shop.
Pushing the door open and slipping inside, she called out, "Lisa?"
From off to her right side, Lisa's tall frame shoved her back against the door, effectively shutting out the few cats milling about in the store.
"Oh," Irene huffed out a laugh. So that's what Jisoo meant by have fun.
"Did you need something?" She smiled wickedly as Lisa arched up into Irene's chest, brushing up against it in a sinfully teasing way.
"Was Jisoo the last one in the shop?" Lisa pushed Irene over to the small counter where she wasted no time lifting her by the waist in a display of strength that made her head swim. Irene sat propped up on the edge as Lisa roughly shoved her thighs apart to press herself in between them, chest flush against a lean torso.
After her head stopped spinning at the rush of being in Lisa's close proximity, Irene tilted it to feign thought. "Hm," she let Lisa begin nibbling at her neckline, "I suppose she was. What's it to you?"
Lisa pulled back, already looking flushed and ridiculously overwhelmed. Her eyes darkened as she replied, "You're a goddamn tease, you know that? I have been here all day thinking about taking you home and fucking your brains out."
A thin lipped smile. "How interesting, I've been thinking of doing the same."
"I feel bad for people who aren't us," Lisa laughed, "They're really missing out."
Irene couldn't find it in her to give any single fucks about anyone in the world right now that wasn't Lisa. She ran her hands down her arms and back up, taking Lisa's head between palms and bringing her in for a proper kiss. One wasn't enough; it never was, so she clashed her lips into Lisa's over and over again like it held the ability to keep her in some warped time suspension. And in the back of her mind, Irene thought maybe it did. She was content to do this for days, months, probably even years.
"Mm," Lisa murmured into the kiss, "I missed this."
Her hands tangled in Irene's hair, running through the smooth locks and then down to her shoulders, where she clutched at them like letting go would bring forth a cataclysmic end. Irene let Lisa get her bearings, grinning when she nearly toppled sideways as she ran a palm over Lisa's barely clothed breast.
"It's been twelve hours," Irene teased, fully aware Lisa was just as needy as she was. Her breath fanned out over Lisa's cheek as the latter occupied herself with exploring her jawline.
Lisa rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping off her tongue in layers. "You act like you weren't whimpering when I had my fingers inside you last night." She clutched her jaw and licked a slick line along the length of it, smiling when Irene squeezed her eyes shut and moaned at the contact.
Irene balked, unable to form a coherent response in the midst of the memories clouding the better part of her rationale. Finally gaining some traction, she uttered, "I guess we'll just have to see what other noises you can evoke from me."
A mischievous smirk. "I guess so."
Pulling back to grant herself the ability to take a deep breath, Irene paused for a moment, contemplating the immensity of what she was feeling. Lust and arousal overshadowed her decision making skills, but she managed to push forward and mutter out, "I'm sorry about last night. About Hank, I mean. I got my locks changed and blocked his number so he won't be bothering us anymore."
Lisa pulled back from where she had been mapping Irene's neck with her mouth and tongue, glancing up at her with hooded eyes. "It's okay, Irene. I want to spend every moment with you, whether or not they're interrupted." She punctuated her statement with a decisive grip on Irene's neck and a deep kiss. "I mean it. He didn't ruin anything. We have a long time to get it right. And," she added with a smirk, "If he comes back around, I can definitely take him. You see these biceps?"
Irene couldn't help but laugh and tilt her head to kiss her again.
They had a long time indeed. They'd given each other this soul consuming thing between them, and Irene wanted it to extend long past eternity, blazing past eons of time and creating sparks of love in its wake.
"You're not wrong about that." She let Lisa kiss her once more, still stuck on the subject of last night. "I want to make this right. Will you let me take you out?"
"You mean you don't wanna spend all day in the back making out like teenagers?" Lisa tossed her head back to bark out a cute laugh, and Irene swore she'd never seen anything more beautiful. Her blonde hair shone in the sunlight from the lone window, adding to the imagery and belief that Lisa was indeed heaven sent. Irene had to swallow the lump in her throat at the sight, shaking her head at Lisa's quizzical look.
"I just can't believe you're mine," Irene confessed, then quickly clamped a palm over her forehead. Chastising herself, "I mean, unless you don't want to be. I'm not like, claiming you because it's very sudden and I don't want you to feel like we have to label—"
"Irene, shut up."
She shut up.
Lisa pulled her wrists down so she could get a good look at the face she wanted to wake up to every morning from now until the end of eternity. "I do believe we've bypassed any qualms by now, haven't we?" Irene shook her head affirmatively. "So I guess you're stuck with me, is that alright?"
At her soothing tone and equally as soothing words, Irene knocked their foreheads together. "It's more than alright," she sighed out. "I'm so happy."
"I'm so happy."
A toothy grin. "Good. Are you ready for our first date?"
"Been ready my whole life honeybee. Just gotta lock up."
After stealing a dozen more blazing kisses and swatting away wandering hands, Irene hopped off the counter and grasped Lisa's hand to walk back out into the shop. As Lisa busied herself by turning the machines off and cleaning a few miscellaneous dishes, Irene plopped herself on the floor to play with a few cats. Looking on lovingly like she was going to explode with joy, Lisa had to continuously remind her to finish out the task at hand so she could get through the day and take Irene home to—
Her chores were frantically finished. As she stepped out from behind the counter she murmured, "Okay cutie, I'm ready."
Irene stood up and brushed her pants off, leaning over to grab her bag from the couch. Lisa started heaving with laughter, shaking her head when Irene turned with a questioning look in her eyes.
"Black jeans were not your smartest idea, baby. You got cat hair everywhere."
"Oh shit, I didn't even think about that," Irene twisted around herself, trying to brush the hair off the back of her thighs and ass.
Giggling once more, Lisa reached into a cubby behind the counter to retrieve a lint roller. "Come here, I got it."
Irene turned and faced away from her, glancing behind at Lisa who crouched to run the roller up the back of her thighs. "Don't get handsy with me now, you hear? We have places to be."
Lisa nodded vigorously like she agreed, devilishly cupping the swell of Irene's ass in one quick movement. She gasped theatrically, as if her hand had magically found itself there on a whim. "Sorry, my hand slipped." At Irene's adorable side eye, she smacked it once and continued to get the cat hair off.
"You're insatiable," Irene grumbled, her voice dripping with adoration and the slightest bit of sarcasm.
"It's not my fault you make me this way." After finishing the task at hand, Lisa stood and tossed the lint roller behind the counter to worry about at a later time.
"Good as new. Let's go," she placed a kiss on the tip of Irene's nose. "I'm excited about this. Do I get to know where we're going?"
Irene pursed her lips for a moment, debating something. After a beat she answered, "No," smirking at Lisa's accompanying eye roll.
"Fine," she chirped, "Just hope it's not out to the bayou to toss my body into the swamps because nobody knows I'm going with you."
"Don't give me any ideas," Irene dodged Lisa's attempts to swat at her waist, managing to make it to the front door in one piece.
"Bye babies, don't trash the place while I'm gone," Lisa called out to cats roaming around. "I'll miss you all."
Then they were stepping outside into the blinding sunlight, Irene opening the passenger side door for Lisa to crawl into. After shutting it and making her way to the driver's side, Irene climbed in and shifted the car into reverse.
"I don't get any hints?"
"Hm," Irene pondered, "it's outdoors. But some parts are indoors too."
"Never mind, you suck at giving hints." When Irene went to smack her thigh at the teasing, Lisa captured it mid-air and brought it to her mouth to kiss. "It's okay, I still like you." At the gentle touch, Irene tried to keep her cool, hiding the fact that every time Lisa touched her it sent a new wave of thrill crashing through her like a storm brewing out at sea.
One handed for the rest of the drive, Irene directed them towards the outskirts of the swamp with ease. Lisa half-joked, "You weren't serious about leaving me out here, were you?"
"I promise I'm not bringing you out here to kill you," Irene mocked, "But only because we have later plans."
Catching the hint of arousal lacing her tone, Lisa simply replied, "Yeah, I've been thinking about that all day. I think it'll live up to the hype." She sounded quite sure of herself, like the plans she'd made in her head would be mind blowing. Literally.
"I have no doubt."
Turning down a small dirt path, Irene drove them to a small parking lot with a sign that boasted that they had arrived at the 'New Orleans Global Wildlife Center'.
Suddenly filled with nerves she couldn't shake, Irene's hands trembled as she turned her car off and glanced over at Lisa, who hadn't spoken a word since turning down the dirt road. "We don't have to stay here, I just thought you'd enjoy a wildlife nature tour. There's an indoor part you can walk through and I called and booked a private tour where we get to feed giraffes. I know it's not romantic or even particularly fun but you spend so much time taking care of the cats I thought you'd enjoy just looking at other animals for a change, so—" Her voice broke off, sounding small and meek.
Hysterics caused her to spill all of this without pausing to take a single breath, and after the rambling she went silent to focus on warding off any other nervous ventures.
Lisa was unusually quiet, her face turned towards the field beyond where antelope and zebras were grazing. In a timid voice, Irene mumbled out, "It's okay, I can take us home." As she went to put her key back in the ignition, Lisa darted her hand out to grasp Irene's wrist and end the movement. Turning to look at her, Irene was surprised to see tears forming in the corner of Lisa's eyes.
"Lisa?"
"Ah shit, these?" she huffed out a laugh and wiped at the tears with the back of her palm. "It's only because no one's ever done anything like this for me. People usually just take me to the movies and dinner," she sniffled and smiled despite the tears.
"Oh," Irene breathed, lightheaded and slightly more than relieved, "So you like it?"
An enthusiastic nod. "Can we go in?"
Moments later they were strolling up the path to the building, Lisa bounding several yards ahead. Too excited to slow herself down, she turned and yelled back, "Come on, Irene. The giraffes won't feed themselves." Like a child walking into a store filled to the brim with candy and toys, Lisa was giddy with excitement and unable to even consider stifling it. Picking up the pace, Irene caught up and slipped her arm around Lisa's elbow.
Lisa turned her head and kissed Irene, a sweet kiss that spoke a thousand different sentiments. Lowering her voice, she whispered, "Thank you for bringing me here. I don't know what I did to deserve this." As a delicate blush rose to her cheeks, Irene cupped one side and kissed the other.
"I'm just glad you like it."
After situating their tickets for the later guided tour, Lisa took Irene's hand and tugged her towards a room labeled 'Reptiles.' At Irene's tentative hesitation, Lisa pulled harder and giggled, "Don't tell me you're afraid of some little baby lizards."
"I have a feeling there's nothing 'little' about the animals in there, Lis."
"Guess we'll just have to see then, chicken. Don't be a big baby," she teased. At Lisa's insistence, Irene allowed herself to be pulled into the room.
When Lisa let out a shrill gasp, Irene seized up, ready to run at the drop of a hat at whatever caused the noise. "Babe, look at him. He's so cute!" Peeking over the railing at what was in the enclosure, Irene was met face to face with an alligator that looked like he'd seen some shit in his lifetime.
As she jumped back, Lisa ignored her and chattered on excitedly, reading the sign posted next to his enclosure. "His name is Henry and he was rescued from poachers a few miles down the road. He's been here for a few months and he's almost ready to be let back home. Gosh, I just wanna pet his cute little head."
"That's nice. I'm sure Henry's a lovely alligator but I'm not too keen on being anywhere near him when he gets released."
When she looked back up at Lisa, she was met with electrifying eye contact. Laugh lines prominent, Lisa scrunched her eyes up and shook her head slowly. "Sorry, you just look so good today I can't keep my eyes off you. Now my hands," she leaned in to whisper, "are the same story. But that's for later. Can't be giving the animals a free show." She jabbed a thumb towards Henry, her voice light with humor.
Pulling back, she took great pride in Irene's closed eyes and pained expression. "You're truly an enigma to me, Lisa Manoban."
Lisa merely shrugged and grasped Irene's hand once again to drag her wherever she saw fit. They stopped in the sea creature exhibit next, where Lisa bonded with some sea turtles and Irene had a face-off with an aggressive looking tiger shark.
Next was the rain forest room, where Lisa snapped photos of the toucans and scarlet macaw birds that ruffled their feathers in Irene's direction like they knew she hated flying animals. Lisa, like she'd been doing, stopped to read the posted sign next to the cages. At the beautifully colored macaw, Lisa read it aloud as Irene hid behind her shoulder.
"Baby, look. Her name is Monicaw Geller. Shit, that's funny," she laughed to herself. "She was rescued from a pet store illegally selling exotic birds and has been here half a year while they wait to ship her home."
"Where's home for her? A New York apartment with five other friends?"
"It's a good thing you're cute because you wouldn't cut it as a comedian," Lisa threw her an exasperated sigh as if Irene's joke pained her to hear. Biting her bottom lip, she couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out at the impish grin on Irene's face. Lacing their fingers back together, they finished out the exhibit and found themselves back outside in the golden sunlight.
"What time is our last tour?" Lisa was busy snapping photos of all the animals in the field off to their side, sighing in content every so often. Every soft sigh that slipped from her lips reminded Irene that she'd made the best possible choice bringing her here.
Unwillingly wrenching her eyes away from Lisa's figure, she checked her watch and answered, "Right about now—"
As if summoned, a Jeep pulled up and an older man jumped out to greet them.
"Hey, y'all! You're the folks for our giraffe tour? Perfect time for it," he grinned. "They're always active during sunset. Come on in."
Lisa excitedly climbed in the Jeep, holding her hand out for Irene to squish beside her. "It's so beautiful out here," she spoke out loud to no one in particular.
After some small talk and a short ride out past the outdoor enclosures, the man driving them, who had introduced himself as Allen, pulled them up to a gate where he punched a code into the keypad. The gate slowly creaked open as he inched their car through, where Lisa and Irene both gasped at what lied beyond.
In a large field meant to imitate the rolling African plains, they were delighted to see dozens of giraffes roaming freely and grazing amongst the leaves of trees. "Holy shit," Lisa exhaled
"Holy shit, indeed," Allen repeated, "I never get tired of showing people this. A real hidden gem, huh? No one knows a little place in the middle of New Orleans would be housing these beauties."
"I have no idea places like this even existed," Lisa was distracted, exhilarated at the sight, "Then my girl brought me here and I'm at a loss for words honestly."
At 'my girl', Irene started thrumming with heart palpitations that threatened to send her into an attack. At least she'd be happy to go out this way.
"Yeah, they'll do that to ya," Allen chuckled. "How long have y'all been together?" He glanced in the rear view mirror at their subdued displays of affection; Irene's arm slung around Lisa's shoulder and playing with the ends of her hair, Lisa clutching Irene's hand and continuously running a thumb over it.
Irene glanced at Lisa and fondly smiled. "Only a few days," she admitted. Allen had a healing presence about him that allowed her to feel ease in discussing the most personal extension of her heart.
Allen whistled under his breath, low and drawn out. "I woulda thought y'all have been in love for years, if you don't mind me saying."
"Yeah," Lisa replied in passing before Irene could get a chance to, "Sometimes it feels that way."
Then they were parking, Allen hopping out quickly to offer them a hand out of the vehicle. "Here we are, ladies. If you stand up on the deck over there, the giraffes will come right on over. They like their heads scratched and prefer lettuce to the fruits we have up there, but with a little coaxing you can get them eat it all."
"Wait," Irene balked, "We'll be up there by ourselves?"
Allen chuckled. "We always have one nervous Nancy. Yes, I'll be right here if ya need me. But your lil miss over here seems pretty level headed, I'm sure she'll take good care of you."
"Yeah, nervous Nancy, let's go," Lisa poked Irene in the stomach and she tentatively climbed the stairs to the patio overlooking the plains. Once they reached the top, Irene sucked in a breath at the sun slowly slipping down the sky in a blazing light of color and warmth. There hadn't ever been a more perfect moment in time, she thought fleetingly. She couldn't tell which was more breathtaking, the scenery or Lisa's beauty.
(It was Lisa.)
When one of the giraffes gracefully strolled over to the deck, his head was near eye level with Irene. Tentatively, she reached out and grazed his forehead, yelping when he knocked into the touch. From behind, she could hear Lisa and Allen making slight fun of her by trying to hold in their peals of laughter. Bucking up, she reached for a large leaf of lettuce, holding it with up bated breath.
As the giraffe, or Freddie, as Allen called him, started chomping on the lettuce, Irene reached up once more to pat his head. This time she didn't jump back or run into the safety of Lisa's arms, merely gasping softly at the once in a lifetime opportunity she'd granted herself.
"Freddie," she cooed, looking into his big round eyes, "Hi, beautiful. Babe, look. He likes me."
"You're damn right he does," Lisa joked, "I was figuring out how I'd take him down if he didn't."
Irene shoved her shoulder and moved to the side so Lisa could feed the other giraffes that had noticed their presence. After Lisa had fed and talked very seriously to each of the five giants that meandered over, Irene pulled out her phone to snap some photos of it. If her memory were to ever fail her, she wanted to remember this: the goosebumps raised along Lisa's arms in the slight chill of the sun going down, her body outstretched to scratch the giraffes neck, and the sweet smile on her face that spoke a thousand different words for happiness.
Lisa turned and tugged a handful of Irene's shirt between fingers, effectively closing any gap between them. Her eyes twinkled and shone as she leaned in to whisper, "This might just be the best day of my whole damn life. I never wanna remember anything except for this. Being here with you."
Oh.
Irene wracked her brain for a reasonable response to what was quite possibly the best compliment she'd ever received. Nothing came out except for a meager, "That makes me so inexplicably happy." She hoped Lisa could see that it was highly likely that she was falling in love this very instant. Which she seemed to, if kissing Irene was any indication that she felt it too.
After a few moments, Lisa pulled apart, hands still clutching Irene's shirt. "Can we go home now? I think I'm ready to repay you for this."
"God, yeah," Irene breathed, already near insanity from the arousal that appeared once again at what the near future held. Taking Lisa's hand and refusing to drop it, they said goodbye to the grazing giants that towered over the world. Down the stairs and back into the Jeep, Lisa jumped in and exclaimed, "Allen, that was the coolest shit I have ever seen. Thanks for bringing us out here."
"Ah, it's my pleasure, ladies. I sure hope they lived up to the hype. Sometimes they like to hide out, but every once in a while they'll really show ya how graceful they are."
"How did this tiny wildlife center come to take them in?" Irene shivered as she scooted closer to Lisa's warmth. As the sun had nearly disappeared from the horizon, the chill in the air gave her the perfect opportunity to press every available inch of skin up to Lisa. Not that she was complaining, as she clutched at Irene and allowed her warmth to be taken advantage of.
"It's quite sad, actually. This herd was being shipped here from Africa to be hunted for sport, but was intercepted when it got here by our workers. We had the space, so they'll be here until they can be shipped back home."
Humming her reply to Allen, Irene closed her eyes and relished in the inexplicable happiness that had come with this day. By the time she opened them back up, they were back in the main building where they'd parked. "Allen, it was really nice to meet you," Lisa chattered with him for a moment, "I'm sure we'll be back."
Thanking Allen herself, Irene waved to him and held the door, waiting while Lisa climbed into the passenger side. As she herself crawled in, she was taken off guard by Lisa slamming her lips on Irene's.
"Oh," Irene gasped, "Hi."
"Irene, take me home. I have so many plans to thank you for this perfect day. My house is closer, we can go there."
And who was Irene to deny her that?
Pulling up to a small rancher style home, Irene barely had any time to compliment Lisa on her flower garden lining the pathway before she was corralled inside and pushed back against a door for the second time that day.
Lisa hooked her thumbs into the waistband of Irene's jeans, insisting their hips together until the latter was releasing tiny gasps and moans into Lisa's mouth. As time went on, their need for each other grew and grew until it exploded into a low hum and Irene wasn't responsible for what happened next.
Managing to release her grip on the back of Lisa's neck, she twisted a handful of fabric from Lisa's dress up, exposing the lower half of her torso. Lisa hissed out at the biting cool air hitting her legs, pressing herself into Irene's embrace once more. Irene decided not to take her sweet time, kicking Lisa's legs apart so she could arch forward and straddle a still-clothed thigh.
"Fuck." They could both feel the wetness that seeped through Lisa's underwear and onto Irene's leg as she ground down upon the thigh. Dizzy, titillated, overwhelmed, and everything in between, Lisa connected their lips once more to slip her tongue into Irene's mouth and kiss her like an obscene pornographic still. Moaning into the open mouthed kiss, Lisa continued rhythmically rubbing herself over and over until she seemed to have a brief moment of clarity and slipped off.
Wiping her wet bottom lip with a thumb, she chastised, "You gotta stop doing that, or this'll be over before it even started."
"Doing what," Irene feigned innocence and Lisa planned to fuck the smirk right off her face, "I'm just standing here." At Lisa's pensive look, she relented with a nod, "Take me to bed."
Lisa went to lead Irene to her bedroom when the latter stopped mid-stride, engrossed in something on her—
Irene glanced up, her tone dripping with arousal much like herself, "You got my pant leg all wet."
"Guess we'll just have to take them off and see what other parts of you I can get wet," Lisa bit back a smug grin, tugging at Irene once more until they finally, finally made it to her bedroom.
Standing face to face, Irene let Lisa gently unhook her belt, pull her shirt off, and silently ask for permission to unbutton her jeans. Nodding once, taking note of how delicately Lisa handled this process, she surveyed the room beyond her peripheral. Fairy lights were strung along her headboard, rivaling the permanent twinkle in Lisa's eyes. On the walls were vintage posters and the occasional Polaroid of her and a combination of Chaeyoung and Yeri. What really caught Irene's eye, however, was the floor to ceiling bookshelf that held a collection of books that could put libraries out of circuit.
Lisa seemed embarrassed Irene noticed the wall of books. Standing up from where she'd helped Irene kick her pants off, she mumbled, "I just like to read sometimes, you know? I got lonely here." Images of Lisa curled up in bed with tea in one hand and a book in the other made Irene's chest ache. She may not have known Lisa then, but the mere fact that she even got lonely made her want to promise to stick around for next thousand years so it never happened again.
"No," Irene took her cheeks between hands, "I love it. I think it's sexy."
"It's sexy that you think it's sexy."
Kissing Lisa, Irene toyed with the hem of her dress again, pulling it halfway up and dropping it back down. At Lisa's fierce whimper and groan that launched itself from the back of her throat, Irene stopped playing games and tugged it over her head. Standing there in simple black panties and a white lace bralette, Irene had never—never seen something so stunning in her life.
"My God," her nostrils flared as she sucked in a breath, "I've never seen anything so perfect."
Lisa knitted her eyebrows together and released a dry snort. "You don't see yourself in a mirror every morning?"
All the nervous tension Irene had been building dissipated at the joke. They'd been here, less than a day ago, but nothing in Irene's recent memories could have predicted how insanely arousing it was to be here again. Deciding she was ready to create new memories tonight, she gently pushed Lisa down on her unmade bed. As she fell back, bouncing slightly, Irene cupped between her legs in a swift movement that evoked a choking gasp.
"Oh, you'll pay for that."
Irene merely continued to tease, pressing further into the scrap of fabric as Lisa spread her thighs apart. At her whining pleas that made Irene's head swim, she dug her thumbs into the waistband of panties and slung them down lean legs. When her thighs were pressed apart once more, the glistening wetness made her mouth go dry. Free of restriction, Irene's touch returned, this time with more ferocity.
Lisa would have gone mad with desire if Irene's touch didn't seem so worshipful, so incredibly soft and cherishing. It sucked every breath of air from her lungs, even more so when the touch was pulled away and Irene's fingers were placed inside her mouth. Clutching at the wrist that was at chin level, Lisa licked between the fingers to savor every last drop of herself that Irene had so graciously given her.
"Mm," she released the grip, slipping her tongue out to taste the traces on her lip as Irene watched on with a lustful look in her eye.
Flushed and needy, unwilling to spend another second without her mouth in between Lisa's legs, Irene yanked her hips further down on the bed. Pressing each thigh apart with the delicacy of touching a butterfly's wings, she stopped to look up at the woman above.
"Is this okay?"
"Things have never felt more right."
Isn't that the truth.
Irene took her time indulging her own eager desires, seeing whatever low noises she could draw out from Lisa. It's maddening, almost, these sweet sounds released from between her lips as Irene drug her mouth over the inside of her thigh.
She sighed, arching her back and pleading, "Irene, please. Please."
A split second later, Irene obeyed her pleas, dropping down to press her tongue over her clit in a show of clemency. At the contact, Lisa's moan shattered all semblance of leisurely pace. Now starving, hungry for it, Irene licked a slick line up the length of her as she reached up to press her hips down flat on the bed.
Lisa's voice started faltering and wavering as she choked out a new series of low groans, and Irene swore she had never heard such a beautiful symphony of sounds. She took Lisa's clit between her lips and sucked on it roughly, savoring the taste and accompanying gasp it brought forth. Meandering downwards, Irene nudged the tip of her nose across the wet bundle of nerves, slipping her tongue inside Lisa to get the full experience. At the welcomed intrusion, Lisa's fists took handfuls of bedsheets on either side, tossing her head back and moaning. After a moment she managed to prop herself up on elbows, brushing the lock of hair that fell in Irene's face so there were no barriers between their eye contact.
"You look so beautiful like this." Her voice was laced with adoration, love, and sinful desire.
Irene hummed her reply, the vibrations too intense for Lisa to hold herself up anymore.
This entire exchange should feel rushed considering the circumstances of their tumultuous meeting, but it didn't. Not in the slightest, because Irene felt like this had been a long time coming. Not this exact scenario; her lips on Lisa's clit, two fingers teasing a nipple, the taste of Lisa on her tongue. But just being here. With her. It felt natural, like a warm blanket had wrapped itself gently over her soul and guided her home. Lisa felt like home, freedom, and every other warm feeling in between.
It pushed Irene to an animalistic pace, one hand leaving Lisa's hip to slip two fingers inside slick walls. Thrusting them slowly, then quicker as she felt Lisa begin trembling, Irene deviously suctioned her mouth back on her clit. Lisa ground down, once, twice, then—
She came in Irene's mouth with her eyes squeezed shut and a frozen look on her face that would be construed as painful if they were anywhere but here. The guttural moan that followed as she spasmed in the aftershocks was indeed a perfect incentive for Irene.
Bringing her down slowly with tentative licks, Irene let Lisa ride out the waves on her tongue. Once she'd gained mobility of her limbs again, the blonde pulled Irene up and into her embrace. Crawling up and dropping into waiting arms, Irene kissed her neck and sighed out.
With a sated, heavy sigh, Lisa shifted them into a spooning position. "Can we just—I wanna do something."
"What, cuddle?" Irene's arousal had settled into a low hum, and she thought it could wait just for a moment as Lisa held her like this.
"No," Lisa licked the shell of her ear.
Irene watched as her hand traipsed coyly over her stomach and into her panties. "I want you to watch yourself come. And I want you to use my hand to do it."
She'd come to realize Lisa was surprisingly imaginative in bed, placing her hand atop her's and nodding haphazardly. She always believed you could tell a lot about someone by their hands, and Lisa's were no different. The porcelain skin of Lisa's hand looked fragile, but Irene knew with the way it held her that it was anything but. Lisa was strong and eager to please, her request nothing short of achievable.
There were so many words Irene wanted to say, all of them mixed with unabashed love, but she told herself instead to focus on the task Lisa had requested. She had asked for this position so sweetly and Irene wasn't in the business of denying her anything.
Her own hand lead Lisa's up to the swell of her breasts, showing her fingers how to tease just light enough to where she couldn't speak. Bucking back, she nodded violently as Lisa whispered in her ear, "Good?"
She answered her own question, "Good." Lisa was stretched out behind Irene, sounding more and more proud of herself by the minute. As her and Lisa's conjoined touch continued to tease and totter, the former's arousal grew until it exploded and burned every inch of skin like lava covering a city below.
With her direction, Lisa's fingers had no trouble finding her clit. They swirled it together, the back of Irene's head banging into Lisa's throat as she tossed it back. Soon the wet noises filled Lisa's small bedroom, harmonizing in sync with the moans tumbling from Irene's mouth.
It didn't take long, especially not with the way Lisa was murmuring in her ear how long she'd waited for this, how badly she wanted to hear her come, how she couldn't wait to taste Irene on her fingertips.
She came with an elongated sigh and single utterance of Lisa's name.
With Lisa humming softly in her ear, Irene slowly came down off her high; legs trembling and heart pounding. Parts of her had been awakened like she was an ancient artifact and Lisa had dug her up.
She could feel Lisa's grin on her neck, her calming kiss that soothed the resounding jerky movements. She got her wish of tasting Irene, bringing both their hands up to stick their wet fingers in her mouth. "I feel like I've been waiting years for that," she whispered, still holding Irene flush against her chest.
She hoped Lisa would consider waiting a couple more if that was the pay out.
"It's never been like that — with anybody."
Lisa knew what she meant, how Irene needed her to realize Hank had never treated her like that; in bed or otherwise. She pressed a soft kiss on Irene's shoulder and softly scooted her so that they were face to face.
"Is it bad that that makes me a little smug?"
"No," Irene sighed, tucking a lock of Lisa's hair behind her ear, "Not at all. Everything is different with you, it makes me feel so much."
"Good feelings?"
"The best kind."
If Lisa was the dream Irene conjured up somewhere in the back of her brain, she never wanted to wake up from it. If she was the fire that burned anything and everything in its path, Irene would never let it go out. And if she was the air, Irene didn't want to catch her breath.
After memorizing everything about this moment in time (Lisa's flushed cheeks, adorable lip bite and wild hair), Irene propped her head up and asked, "Did you really enjoy today?"
Lisa's eyes lit up and she went into a ramble about how perfect the day was, how much she enjoyed feeding the giraffes, how cute Irene looked trying to hide her disdain of most animals larger than a cat. She punctuated her statement with a deep kiss that proved the truth in her words.
Buzzing with emotion saturated by happiness, Irene laced their fingers together and worried her bottom lip between teeth. She'd been wanting to ask Lisa this for a few hours now, unsure of how to pose it. Taking a deep breath, she grew a backbone and asked, "Lis? What did you mean earlier when you told Allen it feels like we've been in love for years?"
Lisa blinked once, twice, then a third time to gather her thoughts. "Well exactly that, babe. I'm sorry, does that freak you out? I didn't mean it like that I just mean like—"
"No," Irene coddled her by clutching her chin and kissing her, "No, it doesn't freak me out. I just want you to know it feels the same for me."
She thanked every God that Lisa seemed to be on the same level as her about their relationship, despite odd circumstances and barriers that had threatened to keep them apart. If it was anyone else but Lisa, Irene would scoff and tell you there wasn't any way she could be falling in love. But it was Lisa, and she was feeling things that had lain dormant in her previous relationship. She realized now that what she had with Hank wasn't love, it was emotional manipulation that disguised itself so well she couldn't tell the difference. But she knew it now.
And she was ready to rent out billboards and stand on top of buildings with a megaphone to let the world know.
To prove it, Irene tugged Lisa up into a sitting position in her lap and cradled her waist. Brushing her lips at her neckline, Irene closed her eyes and clutched at Lisa so tightly it probably left indents with her thumbs.
"Sorry," she mumbled, too preoccupied with trying to wrap her mind around the immensity of what she was feeling, "I'm just so happy."
Lisa deftly slung her bralette off and tossed it behind her to worry about at a later time. "Yeah?" she questioned, a predatory glint in her eye, "Prove it."
So she did.
Encouraging Lisa to sit up even further, she angled her hand to slip between legs and brush up against the wetness still pooled there. At the sweet sigh that followed, Irene pressed forward and in.
Lisa sunk down; welcoming the two fingers and began riding. Thrusting slowly at first, she picked up the pace when Irene tilted her chin up and smiled at her.
This part was the hardest for Irene, deciding on how long to drag out her teasing. As Lisa rode her fingers, Irene murmured quiet words of encouragement in her ears, saying how beautiful she looked, how good she felt around Irene's fingers, how she couldn't wait to do this every morning, noon, and night.
It made Lisa sigh, arching her back into a lovely curve that granted Irene's access to take a nipple between teeth. Releasing it with a soft pop, Irene breathed warm air across it and marveled in the way it pebbled on her lips.
More whining noises.
Irene, thrumming again with her own desire, pulled her fingers out and began rolling Lisa's clit between them, sliding over it with quick movements. The pleasure was nearly too much for Lisa as she slapped an open palm on Irene's shoulder and panted, "Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck fuck," And then—
"In the bedside table. Irene, please." At Lisa's foul mouthed plea, Irene blindly fumbled for what Lisa was asking for and placed it almost immediately. Bringing it back over, she switched the toy on; the low rumbles making Lisa gasp out immediately without even being touched yet. Dragging it slowly between her legs to enjoy the tremble that came along with it, Irene teased her for a brief moment before slipping it inside.
Lisa instantly began riding the toy Irene held control over, grasping her wrist in a silent attempt for Irene to continue drawing circles over her clit. At the dual pleasure inducing movements, Lisa let go of her wrist and held onto the headboard behind them in an attempt to grasp onto some semblance of stability.
"Irene, this—this is what I used when thought of you just about every hour," she panted, "I'd imagine you using it on me like this." Her eyes screwed shut and Irene found it in her to thrust even harder despite her own overwhelming arousal that threatened to end all fine motor skills. Turning it up to the top notch, they both held on to each other as hips bucked and teeth knocked together.
"Come on, baby. Come for me, please," Irene was beside herself with unhinged power. Thrusting the vibrations deeper, harder, she gripped at Lisa's lower back to aid her in the rolling of hips.
At that undeniable request, Lisa ground down and thrusted her hips incessantly once more on Irene's hand before coming all over it. As she got the closest she'd ever felt to nirvana, her clutch on Irene's shoulder tightened as she spasmed uncontrollably. Irene tenderly held her through it all, switching the toy off that was still inside slick walls. Removing her thumb first, she waited for the trembles and aftershocks to slow before carefully pulling the toy out.
Lisa shivered, too boneless and satisfied to even make a disdained sound at the full feeling leaving her body. Irene was in awe; never having seen anything so incredibly raw and emotionally fulfilling in her twenty something odd years. In an instant that surprised her, Lisa took the sticky toy from her and tilted it between her lips to clean it off before sliding it in the cusp of Irene's legs.
Turning it to the highest level of vibration, Lisa held it firmly at Irene's clit, swirling it deviously until the latter came quickly on a broken sigh. Clenching her tense thigh muscles around Lisa's wrist, they both waited until the squeeze loosened.
Lisa swiped at the lone tear that formed in the corner of Irene's eye, kissing the sheen on her neck and murmuring, "Now we're even." Her legs were still wrapped around Irene's waist, keeping them in this spine tingling limbo of reality and dream state that was conjured up from all their wildest fantasies.
If she wasn't so damn satisfied, Irene may have bit back with a snarky comment and promise for a ploy to get back at her later. Instead she shifted the two of them into their earlier position; face to face and chest to chest.
"You were right about being insatiable," Lisa cracked, her grin wide and elated. "You're very good at that."
"That?" Irene laughed breezily, "It's just like riding a bike."
"Something like that."
They held each other like that, pressed so close that no amount of chill in the air could penetrate their soft skin. Irene had never felt like this before, so warm and heartachingly content as if she'd been placed under a spell or hypnotized to ignore the previous years leading up to this. But then again, it was probably just Lisa.
She was that light in the dark hole that had once been Irene's life, extending her arm out for Irene to reach up and grab to be brought to safety. And that's what being in Lisa's arms felt like; safety. Irene would chastise herself for wondering what the fuck she'd been doing for five years instead of being here, but she fleetingly reminded herself that it was necessary. Because without that inkling of distaste with Hank, she never would have made the jump and landed on two feet right here in Lisa's embrace.
Done suppressing her most heart pounding emotions, Irene shifted on the pillow she was sharing with Lisa. "Is it bad that I think I love you?"
Doe eyes widened at the confession.
Irene watched the lump in her throat go down, following the journey with bated breath and awaiting the reply.
"Can you say that again so I know I heard it right?" Lisa broke out into an infectious smile, the most beautiful thing Irene had ever laid eyes upon. The Mona Lisa, the Great Pyramids of Egypt and every single fucking diamond in the world had absolutely nothing on what was in front of her.
Rolling her eyes in a dramatic show of events, Irene kissed her and whispered against lips, "I said," another kiss, "I think I love you."
"Well isn't that fucking convenient, because I think I love you too, Irene Bae."
Drunk on emotion and giddy with exponential levels of happiness, Irene closed her eyes and let herself be free for the first time in her life. She wasn't a caged bird anymore, forced to spend day after day behind bars that were never opened for her to roam free. It was exquisite.
On a roll with confessions, she spoke in hushed tones, "I feel like I made you in a dream."
"Irene?"
"Hm?"
"You've never been more wide awake."
THE END
•••
I hope y'all liked this story!! Thanks for reading. 🥰
STORY NOT MINE. This is a converted fic, originally titled "Ocean Eyes". All credits go to @ moonmotels.