Long Night's Journey Into Day

The shift had been unusually quiet, and therefore seemed extraordinarily long. Kim had spent the first few hours trying to drive images of her lover from her mind. Her lover, at home, asleep in the bed alone. Finally, as the hours stretched out into early morning, she succumbed to the image, reveling in what she would do when she lay next to the woman she loved.

Kim had had dinner ready when Kerry arrived home after her day shift. That gave them a little more time to cuddle on the couch and talk about their respective days before Kim had to leave to start her 10pm shift. Goodbye had been a lingering kiss at the door, an "I'll call you later" from Kim, and an "I'll leave the light on" from Kerry.

Kim had indeed called Kerry, around midnight, after a trip to the ER for a consult. "It's hard, babe. Everything there reminds me of you. I swear I could smell your shampoo around the admit desk. And I kept expecting you to come into the exam room when I was doing the evaluation on the patient. These cockeyed shifts are driving me crazy."

"I know, sweetheart. I miss you, too."

"Leave the light on, will you, babe?"

"You know I will. I always do."

"I know. But I think I'm really going to need you when I get home." There were several seconds of silence as both women got lost in their own thoughts. "Go to sleep now, honey. I'll see you when I get home."

"'Night, Kim."

"'Night. I love you."

Alone in her office, images of their bedroom flooded Kim's mind. There was rarely a time when they were in bed together that they didn't touch. Not just making love. Long, languorous kisses; gentle caresses along breasts, necks, and cheeks; or lying quietly, enjoying the closeness. Or just talking. `Just' talking, Kim thought. She had never talked with any lover while cuddling like she did with Kerry. After those first difficult months, when it was hard for Kerry to open up about anything personal, they had arrived at a place where they could spend hours wrapped up in each other. Both had been amazed the first time they spent an entire day in bed together. Making love, making plans, Kim reading aloud from the book Kerry had given her that first Christmas, before they were really together.

When her replacement for the next shift arrived half an hour early, Kim filled her in on the quiet night, handed over the charts she had completed, and raced to the parking lot. Even with few cars on the road, it seemed to Kim that traffic was moving in slow motion. Conspiring to keep her from getting home. From entering the warmth of their bed and her lover's arms.

Entering the house, she dropped her bag on the floor a little more loudly than necessary, hoping to wake Kerry out of her sleep and alert her to Kim's presence. Give her warning. The pulse in her neck quickened as she saw the muted light coming from the bedroom. Kerry had, indeed, left the " wake me" light on. Her continued thoughts of what awaited her in the bedroom drove her to undress as she made her way down the hall. As she turned into the doorway of the room, she was unprepared for what she saw. Kerry lay facing her, tangled sheets exposing her upper torso and hips. A gasp escaped Kim's lips at the sight. Any image she had conjured up during the night paled in the presence of the reality of Kerry's beauty. Kim stood in the doorway, trying to drink in the softly lit form. Kerry was turned toward her, seemingly in welcoming anticipation of Kim's arrival. Her face was soft in repose, her arms akimbo, circling an absent lover. Her breasts lightly rose and fell as she breathed the fresh spring air coming in from the open window on the other side of the room. Her left hip and thigh showed above the sheet, along with a tuft a baby soft red hair between the older woman's legs. Kim froze as she imagined she saw drops of moisture adhering to those strands of hair.

Kim's mind rushed to the bed, but her feet remained glued to the floor. As her eyes washed over the sleeping form in front of her, her knees turned warm and liquid. She felt for the wall behind her, and, leaning against it, slid to the floor.

In thoughts only half-coherent, she marveled at her body's reaction to the woman before her sleeping so peacefully. After all these years, Kim was so easily aroused by the sight of Kerry's body. Muscles in calves and forearms constricting; nipples hardening without a touch; moisture pooling and flowing between her thighs.

She signed deeply and gave in to the feeling, drawing her ankles towards her, her knees opening wide in the process.

Not wanting to wake Kerry in her present state, Kim sucked her left thumb into her mouth, hoping it would mute the invocation that she knew would soon build within her. Still staring at her lover, she moved three fingers of her right hand into her opening, dragging her thumb over her clitoris as she moved. It took only a few thrusts to bring that exquisite release. Her eyes fluttered shut as the muscles at her center clutched. Her jaw, which at her climax had clenched tightly around her thumb, went slack, allowing her hand to drop silently to her thigh. If she had had the presence of mind to look just then, she would have seen clear imprints of her teeth on the pad and knuckle of the digit.

Her heartbeat was just beginning to return to normal when...

"Enjoying yourself?"

Kim's eyes flew open. She found herself staring into the eyes of her lover, who still reclined on the bed. "Y-y-y-yes," she stammered. "How long have you been awake?"

"I was awake when you came in the front door. I wanted to see what would happen if you thought I was asleep."

Kim's face, neck, and chest blushed deep pink and she buried her face in her hands, her forearms resting on her drawn up knees. "I'm sorry," she choked through her fingers. The sticky remains and fragrance of her own juices sent a small jolt through her system.

"Don't be," chuckled Kerry. "It was quite a show."

The tone in Kerry's voice eased Kim's embarrassment somewhat. Lifting her head, she admitted: "That's never happened before. But you were so beautiful, lying there. I just wanted to watch you. But it was like I wasn't in control of my hands."

"Well, certainly some part of your body."

Kim blushed again and began to lift herself off the floor.

"Stay where you are, honey. Now it's my turn."

A look of confusion crossed Kim's face for a brief moment, then she lowered herself back to the floor as she realized what Kerry meant.

On the bed, Kerry arranged the pillows behind her, so her back would be supported but she could still face Kim. As Kim watched, Kerry began running her hands over her body. One hand cupped a breast, moved to her mouth, where the fingers disappeared, only to reappear covered with saliva. Back to the breast, where they moved in ever decreasing circles until they surrounded the nipple. Kim's breath caught as Kerry's thumb and forefinger massaged the tip to a hard point. But her attention was drawn to her lover's other hand. Down and up her thigh, up across her slightly rounded abdomen, back down and up, again and again, and once more. She opened her legs slightly and then, tantalizingly slowly, moved her hand to the juncture between her thighs.

Kim let out a cry as she watched Kerry's fingers slip into her own wetness. Her eyes closed and her head lay back against the wall as she remembered what her own fingers felt like when they entered Kerry. The slickness, the smell, the delicious pleasure as Kerry surrounded her. The moans that came from deep within her lover. The same kind of moan that now escaped from between Kim's lips.

"Kim!" Kim's head snapped forward and her eyes flew open as Kerry's voice cut through her reverie. "Look at me. I want you to watch me." She locked eyes with the blond as she continued to move her fingers in and out.

Kim watched, enrapt, her breathing growing shallow, the wetness between her legs drenching her pubic hair, for agonizingly long minutes. Finally, unable to wait any longer, she began struggling to her feet.

"Stay where you are," Kerry commanded in an only slightly subdued version of her Chief voice. "It's your turn to suffer in silence."

It took Kim only three steps and as many seconds to cross the room to the bed. She stretched out beside Kerry, mouth capturing mouth, before Kerry could protest. She leaned into the body still supported by the pillows, never releasing the urgent kiss. A shiver of pleasure ran through her as she felt breast upon breast, skin silken with a fine layer of sweat. Kerry was so stunned by Kim's actions that her hand stilled, but did not move from within herself.

Kim finally lifted her mouth from Kerry's, locking her in a breath-stopping stare. "Let me help," she said softly, moving her hand down to cover Kerry's wrist and hand. Kim's fingers followed the line of Kerry's, moving into the redhead as Kerry's own fingers pulled out.

Kim's hand continued the movement Kerry had initiated. In and out, slowly the first few times, then with increased speed and pressure, finding the spot she knew would trigger Kerry's response.

Kerry heard Kim's hoarse whisper through the haze created by Kim's movement inside her. "Your fingers...my mouth." The image of what Kim was asking pushed Kerry over the edge. Her hips strained toward Kim as her inner muscles clasped Kim's fingers. As the waves reached their peak, she slipped her fingers into Kim's waiting mouth. The waves hit again as Kim sucked the fingers, licking them clean. With her free hand, Kim removed the fingers from her mouth, kissed each tip, and gently rested the arm by Kerry's side.

Her body sated, Kerry was finally able to focus on her lover's face. The look she saw there was one of questioning. Kerry gave a small nod and whispered "okay". A glow spread over Kim's face as she whispered back "okay..okay" and gently removed her fingers from inside Kerry. The older woman's breath caught as she watched Kim bring her fingers to Kerry's mouth. "Kiss yourself good morning, lover," Kim breathed. Kerry closed her eyes and accepted the gift, suckling like a kitten seeking the warmth of its mother's milk. When she was done, Kim removed her hand and wrapped it around Kerry's back. She closed her eyes and bent her body until her forehead rested on Kerry's stomach. They remained in this position for several moments, Kerry stroking Kim's hair, Kim luxuriating in the softness of her lover's body. Finally, planting one tender kiss on the pale skin, Kim lifted her head to look deeply into the eyes of the woman beside her. The first ray of sunlight played across her face.

"Good Morning," Kerry cooed softly, a gentle smile crossing her lips.

"Yes, it is." Kim grinned, as she lowered her mouth to those inviting lips, to begin again.

End