Author’s Note – There’s no way I can post this without mentioning Ayla, as her (as always) kind and encouraging feedback got me to chuck the initial version of this in the trash and start over. Everything I write for this community has a lot of myself in it (probably more than it should truth be told) but, well, let’s say I don’t normally go quite this far into the depths of my own psyche without a map and a shotgun. It’s still only a pale imitation of Ayla’s work of course and if you haven’t already I urge you to go read everything she’s posted here then badger her to write more often (sorry lass, but no good dead and all that jazz 😉 ).
While I remember, and something I don’t say often enough, thanks to all those who’ve been kind enough to write feedback on my work, I have never known any web community to be quite as friendly, approachable and generally all-round decent as this one. It’s been six months since I started writing (the last story I wrote before that was probably done in crayon) and, hand on heart, I’ve never received as much encouragement from anyone I know about anything I’ve done as I have done from the (relatively) total strangers on this board. Thank you just doesn’t seem enough.
On with the show….
*************************************
Part 1
Part 2
The Great Outdoors – Part 3
The events of the previous night had left both of us feeling almost overloaded with desire, to the point that I know I heard Danielle moan as she was slid her t-shirt over her bare skin, and I had to admit I was having trouble ignoring the seemingly innocent stimulation that even the slightest contact was causing.
As we ate breakfast, we decided it would be for the best if we spent some time away from the others that day, wanting to get some distance to work things over in our own heads and try to absorb what still seemed like a dream. I grabbed a map from my kit bag and refreshed my memory, wanting to make sure I knew exactly where we were going as getting lost in what was, technically anyway, my back yard would be more than a little embarrassing.
We set out towards a small wood about two miles away, nestled on the lower slopes of the western edge of the valley. We had intended to take the path straight there, but when we reached the river we found the bridge had been removed, a sign pointing us on an alternative route upstream to a crossing point just above a small waterfall. The sun was partially hidden behind a bank of cloud and a gentle breeze seemed to follow the course of the river towards the sea, keeping us cool as we walked.
The climb up the side of the waterfall proved a minor problem, I’d grown up around here and knew what to watch for in terms of loose rock and safe holds for feet and hands. Danielle on the other hand had never lived outside of London and had certainly never come across terrain like this before. As it happened this was the perfect introduction, the cliff cut into what looked like giant stone steps, each about eight feet high and bone dry, aside from the edge next to the waterfall itself, and was ideal for teaching her how to climb without presenting any serious danger. She had a natural ability for it too, her body moving with catlike grace over the rock, doing with style and flexibility what I had to do with power and sheer bloody-mindedness.
I’d climb up first, checking for anything that looked like it wouldn’t support her weight, point out anything I found then let her find her own way up. Even though I’d only known her for a few weeks, I was well aware of her fierce independence, and had no desire for her to think I had anything less than complete confidence in her abilities. We reached the top far more quickly than I’d thought we would and sat on the edge of the cliff, maybe sixty or so feet off the ground and gazed down the river towards the sea. I felt her arm slide around me, and instinctively returned the gesture as she lent her head over onto my shoulder. The surrounding countryside was absolutely silent, the only noise the lapping of the water as it fell into the pool below as I felt her snuggle closer to me, her body soft against mine.
How long we stayed like that I don’t know, but I’d never been as much at peace with the world, with myself as I was then. The stress and strain of the years dropped away and I found myself lost in wonder at the thought that someone like this, someone so beautiful, so strong, so perfect would choose to share this moment with someone like me. I’d asked that question of myself many times before, more in the last two weeks than at any other time in my life, but now for the first time I found the answer didn’t matter. I was content to know she was here, and that was enough, whether it ended tomorrow, next week, next year or in a century I didn’t care, as I knew this memory, this moment would stay in my heart, in my soul, forever.
Eventually, reluctantly, we got to our feet and headed across the narrow wooden bridge and headed on towards the hill. The sun was high overhead as we reached the trees and their branches provided a welcome relief from the heat. The forest itself was young, the trees reaching up to seemingly impossible distances on thin trunks, their canopy spread wide letting shafts of sunlight pour down into the shady depths. The ground was dry and crisp, making for easy going as we headed deeper into the woods. Danielle slipped an arm around me as we walked, trusting me to guide her as she looked around, eyes wide as she tried to take in everything at once. Growing up here I’d long since grown accustomed to such sights, and seeing it’s effect on someone who’d never had the chance to walk in such a natural place was like rediscovering its beauty all over again.
Finally we arrived at the clearing. I’d come across it about five years ago, and had been amazed that such a place could exist without at least some maintenance but apparently it was all natural, a masterpiece of landscaping by whoever had planted this wood. The trees stopped in almost a perfect circle, maybe forty foot across. A layer of grass covered the ground; so green it looked like it had been painted on. In the middle of the clearing was what I thought was a type of willow tree, spindly branches falling almost to the ground like a curtain, unbroken save in one place where a natural tunnel had formed between the branches. Pulling Danielle forward I guided her through the gap, both of us bent almost double to fit, and into the heart of the tree.
Here there was a gap between the tips of the branches and the tree trunk wide enough to accommodate the large checked blanket I pulled from my pack. Laying it down I dropped my pack on top of it and sat down myself. Danielle smiled down at me, and for a moment she was backlit by the sun as it passed through the branches, a halo seeming to form around her body and I felt my breath catch in my throat as she lowered herself down towards me. She glided onto the blanket and ended up lying across me, her head in my lap as she gazed up, her mind obviously elsewhere, I suspected lost in similar thoughts to those I’d had earlier.
The weight of her head in my lap was, reassuring, comforting, and I felt her breathing slow as she relaxed and started to fall asleep. I found my breathing matching hers and gradually I felt myself falling into sleep as well.
I awoke to a strange sensation; the weight in my lap and on my thighs was gone, replaced with something crawling under my t-shirt. Whatever it was had a light touch, and I chuckled under my breath as it moved over my stomach. It came back, slightly stronger this time and again the chuckle escaped me, this time accompanied by a slight twitch as my body tried to move away from that ticklish feeling. A third time it swept back, hard enough to make me laugh and I opened my eyes to find Danielle leaning over me, her hands and arms hidden beneath my t-shirt as she gazed at me, judging my reactions to her teasing touch. A grin spread across her face as she saw me focus on her, and she gently moved round, sitting on my thighs the sliding her legs down until she was lying full length on top of me, her head resting on my chest and still looking straight at me.
“I was wondering if I could ask a favour?” she asked, with a slight scratch at my ribs to make sure she had my attention. I grinned and squirmed under her touch, raising an eyebrow in response to her question.
“I was talking to Mary a few days ago and she let slip something about you writing for a hobby?” Again I stayed where I was, letting her speak at her own pace, wondering exactly where she was going with this.
“She mentioned something about you making stuff up on the spot, spur of the moment poetry I think she called it and I was wondering if you could do one for me?”
“While I’d be honoured to do that for you my love, I’m not sure if I can. You have a tendency to stop me thinking clearly, or at all, at the best of times and I don’t know if I could do you justice.”
She grinned playfully, increasing her tickling against my sides. “Oh come on, I won’t be critical, I promise.”
I wriggled under her touch, fighting back laughter as she scratched my ribs with her nails.
“It’s not too much to ask is it?” She asked, the grin getting bigger as she goosed my stomach. A choked laugh escaped my lips and I tried to pull away from those probing fingers, knowing where she was going next.
“Or am I not inspiring enough for you?” She pouted, the effect both spoiled and increased by the smile that she couldn’t stop reaching her eyes as a finger delved into my navel, swirling around the second most ticklish spot on my body. I gave up trying to hold back and started laughing, a low rumbling laugh that seemed to surround us
“Now I know you’re not that ticklish, I mean it’s not like I’m doing this…” She said, fingers reaching up under my t-shirt, pushing the fabric up and trapping my arms as she started to probe my armpits with those long nails. Any pretence at control vanished and I started thrashing underneath her, my resistance crumbling.
“Last chance lover, you know what I can do to you, the sweet torment I can inflict if I want.” Her hands dropped down again, wrapping around my hips and kneading the skin. As much as I knew I’d enjoy what she had in mind, I suddenly knew what I wanted to say to her and, gasping slightly for air, panted my surrender.
She slid up my body and kissed me, once, tenderly, a kiss that seemed to swallow my world, my soul, as she became my world, my reason, my life. If the moment on the cliff had been a moment of peace, this was almost the opposite as my body shook, a physical wave passing through me as she opened herself to me in a way I never though possible. In that instant I saw the future stretched out, a line of pearls against the velvet blackness of infinity and knew we would be together the rest of our lives.
Finally the kiss ended, Danielle sliding down alongside me and I’d never seen such a vision of peace, of total trust on another persons face before. I reached over and brushed her hair back from her face, wanting to see her clearly now. A thousand cliché’s passed through my mind as I tried to put into words what was I knew to be true in my heart, my soul and in an instant I rejected them all. Taking a deep breath I threw caution to the wind and trusted to my feelings, my love for this woman.
“Language may have built this world, but it does not define it. Some things are greater than words, impossible to tie down with the bonds of concept and reason, yet they walk this world, vast and timeless. Until I met you I thought love was an object, something that could be defined, reasoned, created and thrown away when needed. Never have I been so glad to be so wrong. Now and forever, for as long as you want me, I’m yours.”
Danielle opened her mouth, struggling, as I was, for the right words. I reached over and placed a finger gently against her lips. “Shh, let me finish” I whispered, gently guiding her down to her back. My hands rested on her shoulders and I felt her tremble through her t-shirt. It was as if I’d been asleep for the last twenty-five years, and only now was I waking up. I could feel every detail of the cloth beneath my hands, feel her skin beneath as her pulse quickened. With a touch more delicate than anything I could have conceived of before I started to move my hands over her body, over her shoulders and down her sides, over her flat stomach and on down her legs, the fabric seemingly no obstacle to my touch.
She gasped as the motion was at once feather light and yet, somehow, incredibly strong, moving the tension and pressures of the world from her body as my hands passed over her. This was something I’d never experienced before, something I had no idea how I was doing. It was as if touch had replaced language, the harsh rhyme and rhythm of poetry replaced with soft curves and sweeps of motion, her body a blank page for me, completely receptive in a way I’d never even imagined existed.
I reached her feet and applied a very gentle pressure to the side of her sole. In a motion that was almost liquid in it’s smoothness she rolled over onto her front, my hands resuming their journey up the backs of her legs and on over her spine. A grace I’d never known I possessed seemed to come into my movements, my hands splitting and travelling seemingly of their own volition, one moving to her shoulders the other gliding over her lower back.
Danielle seemed to be experiencing her own slice of heaven, her body limp as she moaned in delight, her head turned to one side, her eyes closed. My hands moved together once more, sliding down her spine, curving round her hips as my body moulded to hers. My arms wrapped around her in an embrace and I felt her heart beat pulsing through her body. There, under the bows of the forest we stayed for what seemed an eternity, totally relaxed, at peace not only with each other but also with ourselves for the first time in our lives. Both of us looking out on what lay ahead, at a world of possibilities that we had eternity to explore.
While I remember, and something I don’t say often enough, thanks to all those who’ve been kind enough to write feedback on my work, I have never known any web community to be quite as friendly, approachable and generally all-round decent as this one. It’s been six months since I started writing (the last story I wrote before that was probably done in crayon) and, hand on heart, I’ve never received as much encouragement from anyone I know about anything I’ve done as I have done from the (relatively) total strangers on this board. Thank you just doesn’t seem enough.
On with the show….
*************************************
Part 1
Part 2
The Great Outdoors – Part 3
The events of the previous night had left both of us feeling almost overloaded with desire, to the point that I know I heard Danielle moan as she was slid her t-shirt over her bare skin, and I had to admit I was having trouble ignoring the seemingly innocent stimulation that even the slightest contact was causing.
As we ate breakfast, we decided it would be for the best if we spent some time away from the others that day, wanting to get some distance to work things over in our own heads and try to absorb what still seemed like a dream. I grabbed a map from my kit bag and refreshed my memory, wanting to make sure I knew exactly where we were going as getting lost in what was, technically anyway, my back yard would be more than a little embarrassing.
We set out towards a small wood about two miles away, nestled on the lower slopes of the western edge of the valley. We had intended to take the path straight there, but when we reached the river we found the bridge had been removed, a sign pointing us on an alternative route upstream to a crossing point just above a small waterfall. The sun was partially hidden behind a bank of cloud and a gentle breeze seemed to follow the course of the river towards the sea, keeping us cool as we walked.
The climb up the side of the waterfall proved a minor problem, I’d grown up around here and knew what to watch for in terms of loose rock and safe holds for feet and hands. Danielle on the other hand had never lived outside of London and had certainly never come across terrain like this before. As it happened this was the perfect introduction, the cliff cut into what looked like giant stone steps, each about eight feet high and bone dry, aside from the edge next to the waterfall itself, and was ideal for teaching her how to climb without presenting any serious danger. She had a natural ability for it too, her body moving with catlike grace over the rock, doing with style and flexibility what I had to do with power and sheer bloody-mindedness.
I’d climb up first, checking for anything that looked like it wouldn’t support her weight, point out anything I found then let her find her own way up. Even though I’d only known her for a few weeks, I was well aware of her fierce independence, and had no desire for her to think I had anything less than complete confidence in her abilities. We reached the top far more quickly than I’d thought we would and sat on the edge of the cliff, maybe sixty or so feet off the ground and gazed down the river towards the sea. I felt her arm slide around me, and instinctively returned the gesture as she lent her head over onto my shoulder. The surrounding countryside was absolutely silent, the only noise the lapping of the water as it fell into the pool below as I felt her snuggle closer to me, her body soft against mine.
How long we stayed like that I don’t know, but I’d never been as much at peace with the world, with myself as I was then. The stress and strain of the years dropped away and I found myself lost in wonder at the thought that someone like this, someone so beautiful, so strong, so perfect would choose to share this moment with someone like me. I’d asked that question of myself many times before, more in the last two weeks than at any other time in my life, but now for the first time I found the answer didn’t matter. I was content to know she was here, and that was enough, whether it ended tomorrow, next week, next year or in a century I didn’t care, as I knew this memory, this moment would stay in my heart, in my soul, forever.
Eventually, reluctantly, we got to our feet and headed across the narrow wooden bridge and headed on towards the hill. The sun was high overhead as we reached the trees and their branches provided a welcome relief from the heat. The forest itself was young, the trees reaching up to seemingly impossible distances on thin trunks, their canopy spread wide letting shafts of sunlight pour down into the shady depths. The ground was dry and crisp, making for easy going as we headed deeper into the woods. Danielle slipped an arm around me as we walked, trusting me to guide her as she looked around, eyes wide as she tried to take in everything at once. Growing up here I’d long since grown accustomed to such sights, and seeing it’s effect on someone who’d never had the chance to walk in such a natural place was like rediscovering its beauty all over again.
Finally we arrived at the clearing. I’d come across it about five years ago, and had been amazed that such a place could exist without at least some maintenance but apparently it was all natural, a masterpiece of landscaping by whoever had planted this wood. The trees stopped in almost a perfect circle, maybe forty foot across. A layer of grass covered the ground; so green it looked like it had been painted on. In the middle of the clearing was what I thought was a type of willow tree, spindly branches falling almost to the ground like a curtain, unbroken save in one place where a natural tunnel had formed between the branches. Pulling Danielle forward I guided her through the gap, both of us bent almost double to fit, and into the heart of the tree.
Here there was a gap between the tips of the branches and the tree trunk wide enough to accommodate the large checked blanket I pulled from my pack. Laying it down I dropped my pack on top of it and sat down myself. Danielle smiled down at me, and for a moment she was backlit by the sun as it passed through the branches, a halo seeming to form around her body and I felt my breath catch in my throat as she lowered herself down towards me. She glided onto the blanket and ended up lying across me, her head in my lap as she gazed up, her mind obviously elsewhere, I suspected lost in similar thoughts to those I’d had earlier.
The weight of her head in my lap was, reassuring, comforting, and I felt her breathing slow as she relaxed and started to fall asleep. I found my breathing matching hers and gradually I felt myself falling into sleep as well.
I awoke to a strange sensation; the weight in my lap and on my thighs was gone, replaced with something crawling under my t-shirt. Whatever it was had a light touch, and I chuckled under my breath as it moved over my stomach. It came back, slightly stronger this time and again the chuckle escaped me, this time accompanied by a slight twitch as my body tried to move away from that ticklish feeling. A third time it swept back, hard enough to make me laugh and I opened my eyes to find Danielle leaning over me, her hands and arms hidden beneath my t-shirt as she gazed at me, judging my reactions to her teasing touch. A grin spread across her face as she saw me focus on her, and she gently moved round, sitting on my thighs the sliding her legs down until she was lying full length on top of me, her head resting on my chest and still looking straight at me.
“I was wondering if I could ask a favour?” she asked, with a slight scratch at my ribs to make sure she had my attention. I grinned and squirmed under her touch, raising an eyebrow in response to her question.
“I was talking to Mary a few days ago and she let slip something about you writing for a hobby?” Again I stayed where I was, letting her speak at her own pace, wondering exactly where she was going with this.
“She mentioned something about you making stuff up on the spot, spur of the moment poetry I think she called it and I was wondering if you could do one for me?”
“While I’d be honoured to do that for you my love, I’m not sure if I can. You have a tendency to stop me thinking clearly, or at all, at the best of times and I don’t know if I could do you justice.”
She grinned playfully, increasing her tickling against my sides. “Oh come on, I won’t be critical, I promise.”
I wriggled under her touch, fighting back laughter as she scratched my ribs with her nails.
“It’s not too much to ask is it?” She asked, the grin getting bigger as she goosed my stomach. A choked laugh escaped my lips and I tried to pull away from those probing fingers, knowing where she was going next.
“Or am I not inspiring enough for you?” She pouted, the effect both spoiled and increased by the smile that she couldn’t stop reaching her eyes as a finger delved into my navel, swirling around the second most ticklish spot on my body. I gave up trying to hold back and started laughing, a low rumbling laugh that seemed to surround us
“Now I know you’re not that ticklish, I mean it’s not like I’m doing this…” She said, fingers reaching up under my t-shirt, pushing the fabric up and trapping my arms as she started to probe my armpits with those long nails. Any pretence at control vanished and I started thrashing underneath her, my resistance crumbling.
“Last chance lover, you know what I can do to you, the sweet torment I can inflict if I want.” Her hands dropped down again, wrapping around my hips and kneading the skin. As much as I knew I’d enjoy what she had in mind, I suddenly knew what I wanted to say to her and, gasping slightly for air, panted my surrender.
She slid up my body and kissed me, once, tenderly, a kiss that seemed to swallow my world, my soul, as she became my world, my reason, my life. If the moment on the cliff had been a moment of peace, this was almost the opposite as my body shook, a physical wave passing through me as she opened herself to me in a way I never though possible. In that instant I saw the future stretched out, a line of pearls against the velvet blackness of infinity and knew we would be together the rest of our lives.
Finally the kiss ended, Danielle sliding down alongside me and I’d never seen such a vision of peace, of total trust on another persons face before. I reached over and brushed her hair back from her face, wanting to see her clearly now. A thousand cliché’s passed through my mind as I tried to put into words what was I knew to be true in my heart, my soul and in an instant I rejected them all. Taking a deep breath I threw caution to the wind and trusted to my feelings, my love for this woman.
“Language may have built this world, but it does not define it. Some things are greater than words, impossible to tie down with the bonds of concept and reason, yet they walk this world, vast and timeless. Until I met you I thought love was an object, something that could be defined, reasoned, created and thrown away when needed. Never have I been so glad to be so wrong. Now and forever, for as long as you want me, I’m yours.”
Danielle opened her mouth, struggling, as I was, for the right words. I reached over and placed a finger gently against her lips. “Shh, let me finish” I whispered, gently guiding her down to her back. My hands rested on her shoulders and I felt her tremble through her t-shirt. It was as if I’d been asleep for the last twenty-five years, and only now was I waking up. I could feel every detail of the cloth beneath my hands, feel her skin beneath as her pulse quickened. With a touch more delicate than anything I could have conceived of before I started to move my hands over her body, over her shoulders and down her sides, over her flat stomach and on down her legs, the fabric seemingly no obstacle to my touch.
She gasped as the motion was at once feather light and yet, somehow, incredibly strong, moving the tension and pressures of the world from her body as my hands passed over her. This was something I’d never experienced before, something I had no idea how I was doing. It was as if touch had replaced language, the harsh rhyme and rhythm of poetry replaced with soft curves and sweeps of motion, her body a blank page for me, completely receptive in a way I’d never even imagined existed.
I reached her feet and applied a very gentle pressure to the side of her sole. In a motion that was almost liquid in it’s smoothness she rolled over onto her front, my hands resuming their journey up the backs of her legs and on over her spine. A grace I’d never known I possessed seemed to come into my movements, my hands splitting and travelling seemingly of their own volition, one moving to her shoulders the other gliding over her lower back.
Danielle seemed to be experiencing her own slice of heaven, her body limp as she moaned in delight, her head turned to one side, her eyes closed. My hands moved together once more, sliding down her spine, curving round her hips as my body moulded to hers. My arms wrapped around her in an embrace and I felt her heart beat pulsing through her body. There, under the bows of the forest we stayed for what seemed an eternity, totally relaxed, at peace not only with each other but also with ourselves for the first time in our lives. Both of us looking out on what lay ahead, at a world of possibilities that we had eternity to explore.
