Atop old roads

Time passed alongside our conversation. I sat silent for the most part, content to enjoy the speculation on our future as they jokingly needled me every-so-often. It was a nice distraction from our impending destination. Something that, sadly, came far too quickly. A short drive must live up to its name, after all.

We pulled up the extra wide driveway lining the facade of Nia’s family home, lights nestled tactically betwixt decorative wood trim illuminating our arrival.

Nia: Oh hey, Eve remembered to turn on the porch lights!

That she did. I couldn’t share Nia’s enthusiasm, however, as it manifested my most detested elements of the property in an ominous, shadowy visage.

It was a tall, bloated building — more establishment than home despite its blatant attempt to emulate the cozy stylings of a North American log cabin. Really, the sheer size of the place, combined with a densely wooded acreage, tall dog-ear fencing, and huge, separated three-door garage invited any impression other than comfort or familiarity. It, and the many other homes dotting the landscape, were a suburban parody of modest living — uncanny to their very bones.

Perhaps this would seem an unreasonably negative reading to come away with. I knew I was being a touch dramatic, but nobody involved with this family, not least myself, viewed this place with an unbiased perspective to begin with.

I stared unblinking as Rina’s headlights highlighted the glossy wood doors, spacing out while Nia took stock and collected her things. The dregs of old memories resurfaced despite my wishes. That was to be expected though, I suppose, given the when and why of my last visit.

…Yeah, it was the same as before. That damned triplicate of sectional dooring still felt more like a gate than-

Nia: Em?

Right. This wasn’t the time to get lost in thought. Especially not if I was just going to dwell.

I scrunched my face up, shaking away the dour reverie as I focused back on Nia.

Emery: Sorry hun, the hour’s getting to me. What’s up?

She finished readying herself, giving me a knowing smile and nodding toward her family home.

Nia: Walk me to the gate?

Emery: …The…”gate”?

She raised an eyebrow, pointing at the fence door adjacent to the garage.

Nia: The sidegate, ya goof

Emery: Oh, of course hun.

…

Emery: Actually, are you sure? I imagine your mother and father don’t-

Nia raised a finger, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Nia: I won’t tell if you don’t, hehehe.

She turned to Rina, giving our driver a quick, but affectionate hug.

Nia: Keep the getaway running for Em, kay?

Rina: Pfft, sure sure.

Nia and I got out of the car, circling around as Rina rolled down her window to address Nia one last time.

Rina: Hey…before you go, Nia, thanks for…well, for everything tonight. I know I might've gotten kinda, uh, greedy at a couple points, so I… You get what I’m trying to say.

Nia shook her head.

Nia: You’re welcome, for everything, hehe. I’m glad the pick-me-up did its job. Sorry I had to cut it short.

Rina: Pshh, c’mon Nia, it was hardly your fault. Like I said, shit just happens sometimes.

Nia: Well then, right back atcha. If shit happens sometimes then you’re not allowed to beat yourself up too much.

Rina rubbed the back of her neck, blinking at the retort.

Rina: …Aight, you got me there...

Rina: I guess on that note though, just to make extra sure…are you guys — are we — cool? I didn’t end up getting to explain myself, and we didn’t do any of the cooldown stuff like the last couple times either.

I took the opportunity to chime in, hoping an alleviation of Rina's stress would soothe my own in turn.

Emery: Don’t worry, Rina. It’s far from the first time we’ve been interrupted during a roleplay session. Nia and I are okay if you are. And if anything feels off then you and I can chat on the way home. Or, if you want to speak on it as a group, then we can spend time this weekend reconvening to massage any concerns.

I turned to Nia, double checking my presumptions.

Emery: Not to speak for you, I mean.

Nia: Nah, for sure. As long as we’re more’r less on the same page at the end of the day, I’m like, fine with however we wanna tackle it.

Nia leaned against the windowsill and made a cartoonish pout, tapping Rina on the shoulder in mock admonishment.

Nia: But that does mean none of us wait till the literal last second on an issue, kay “Mistress”?

Our partner blushed, closing her eyes with a groan as she sank into the driver’s seat.

Rina: I’m never living tonight down, am I?

Nia: Absolu~tely not, hehe.

With that, Nia sauntered away, smugly satisfied now that she’d dished out their final jab of the night. Rina and I turned to each other, snorting at her theatrics.

Emery: I’ll be back soon.

Rina: Yeah, I’ll be waiting~♪.

With that settled I jogged after Nia, following her to the wide swath of shade beneath the lawn’s timber walling. The moment I reached her Nia practically grappled me, picking me up in a bear hug as fervent as any we’d shared before.

Emery: Oof!

Nia: Oup, sorry hun. Just really needed to get that out.

Rather than use my words, I chose to meet her ****, the two of us doing our best to absorb the final moments of contact.

Nia: Ugh…what a pain in the butt, man…

Emery: We’ll see each other again soon, hun. Don’t get too disheartened.

Nia: Mehhh, but it’s not right now…

She sighed, setting me down before slumping over my shoulders.

Nia: Love you. So, sooooo much. You know that, right?

I chuckled at that. I couldn’t help it at this hour, in spite of her soft, genuine tone. The idea of me thinking anything else was just patently absurd.

Nia: Don’t laugh, ya dick. I’m serious. I just…I wanna make sure you’re actually okay with everything, y’know? You were pretty out of it on the ride here.

Emery: Sorry, sorry, hehe. Like I said, love, it’s late and-

Nia pinched my lips, a fed-up, sassy purse upon her own.

Nia: Sweetie, thank you, but don’t pull that. Rina mighta needed a gentle touch, but I don’t. So fess up. We don't have a lot of time, and I’m not gonna be able to sleep if you’re sparing my feelings.

I nodded, relenting to her forceful approach.

Emery: I wasn’t lying when I said I was tired, but…alright, I understand.

Emery: ...If I'm keeping it brief, then...I'd say I’m okay if you’re okay.

Nia scrunched up, clearly unsatisfied with the answer I'd given.

Nia: Em, you know-

Emery: Sorry, hold on, hun. Let me expand on that before you say anything.

Taking a moment, I strained to collect my thoughts; to try and best articulate how exactly I felt on the subject. Honestly, it was difficult when I wasn't entirely sure myself. Since Nia needed some peace of mind, however, I felt I owed that much to her. A measure of closure would probably do us both good anyway.

Emery: Tonight…today was…it was a big day for us. One of the hardest, but also one of the best days I’ve had in a long while. I got to see — or hear, more accurately — a side of you I don’t know very well. Rina too. I got to see sides of her I’ve only been getting glimpses of just recently. It feels like we really broke through something today, and that makes me excited, but it was also…also a lot.

I caressed her face in my palm, cupping it and planting a kiss on the opposite cheek.

Emery: I’ll admit, I’m sad we didn’t get to finish tonight on our own terms. And not just because I wanted to have sex. That is part of it, of course, heheh, but I wanted to talk through everything that happened as well. I really want to know where you and Rina were coming from with that change of pace. I’d do anything to hear about it. Unfortunately, time wasn’t on our side tonight. But if you are okay after everything, if it wasn’t too bad, too scary, or too much for you, then I’m okay too, because I know we’re not going anywhere, and we have our whole lives to figure it out.

Nia gave me a tired, mirthful smile, rolling her eyes as she leaned into my hand and met it with her own. She held me close, giving me a peck on the lips before sticking out her tongue.

Nia: What happened to keeping it brief?

I rolled my eyes in return.

Emery: You weren't happy with my short answer.

Nia: Ever hear of a middle ground?

Emery: You knew what you were asking for. There are thousands of words to describe me, and "concise" is not one of them.

Nia: Hee, yeah. I wouldn’t have it any other way, hun.

We left the banter there, quieting down to bask in each other’s warmth while we still could.

Emery: Hey.

Nia: What’s up, cutie?

Emery: Do you mind if I ask a quick question before you go?

Nia: Hehe, only if it's actually quick.

Emery: It is. I’m just...I'm dying to know what exactly you and Rina were doing while I was blindfolded. It sounded…well it sounded incredible, to be frank. It's been haunting me all night.

Nia opened her mouth in response, but suddenly stopped without a word. Her soft grin grew sly, my love's foxy side suddenly forcing its way past her fatigue.

Nia: Safeword?

Emery: Huh?

Nia: You heard me, cutie. Safeword?

The playful defiance loading her response caught me off guard, leaving me with nothing to say as I processed what exactly she’d meant.

She did not wait for me to think it through, however, taking the silence as an answer in itself. She leaned in and gave me another gentle peck on the cheek. This time though, she lingered on it, staying close even after her lips parted; just long enough to whisper to me in a low, sultry tone.

Nia: ~Then it’s none of your business~.

Nia beamed at my expression, giving me one last squeeze before skipping airily through the sidegate. She turned back halfway through the door, fluttering her fingers in a flirtatious “good night” before disappearing into the property’s depths.

I stood agape, mind hazy and underwear straining my dick at a very uncomfortable angle.

...Talk about brevity... I think I’ve created a monster…