Hornet's Nest

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David

I don't know why, when at home for those few days, Violet was never mentioned. Maybe I was nervous about what people would think of her, and knew that I'd be teased. Wesley never said anything either, but then, we'd always been like that. We didn't 'snitch' on each other. It wasn't his to tell.

It was uneventful as far as my family goes. Lots of talking around the dinner table, and on the actual Halloween night Wes and I 'babysitted' a group of kids, aged 6 to 11, from Hanna's school - her friends, with some younger siblings. Getting pulled around on the streets, in the cold, by over-excited kids in costumes, is a lot more exciting than getting drunk. One of them wanted to play chicken with every car that went past. Fuck me.

Wesley got bundled into the floor by the rabid pack when he tried to take their sweets away. It was a miracle Hanna didn't break anything. She managed everything well, but on the way back I sat her on my shoulders to give her legs a rest. They ran around the house in a hyper mess while parents and guardians slowly arrived to pick them up and take them home.

Dad sat on the sofa, clutching his brow like he had a splitting headache when he'd only had to deal with them for an hour at best. Wesley collapsed beside him with a heartfelt grunt. Dad studied him, then poked him in the neck.

"Did one of the vampires get you?"

"What?"

He poked him again. Wesley felt at the patch of skin, alarmed. "Is it marked?"

"Yes."

"Oh my fucking God."

Dad roared with laughter while Wes sprung to his feet to find a mirror.

"Stop laughing! Fucking hell! If I get a hickey from a ten-year-old, does that make me a paedophile?"

Dad coughed and spluttered and I nearly pissed myself, struggling to breathe. Mum's face disappeared behind her hands with a muffled, "Goodness me."

Hanna was oblivious to it, sitting in front of the TV with her mountain of sweets, looking very happy with how the night turned out.

Maybe I was also a bit worried of what the hell Violet would think of my family. But she'd already met Wes. What was worse than Wes? Oh, right. Tyler.

*

"Thirty minutes," I said on the phone to Violet. "You better be at the station when we arrive."

"You take a morning train and expect me to be there?"

"Don't you think it'd be healthier to run in the mornings, rather than middle of the night?"

She scoffed into my ear and I grinned, moving my leg from the aisle as the same kid ran back down between the seats towards his mother again. There hadn't been room for my bag anywhere else, so it was currently stealing my leg space. "I needed to be back in time for physics this afternoon."

"God forbid you miss one labs session." She had that grumbly tone and from the shifting sounds of sheets, I knew she was still in bed. "If you make me come down there we're probably both gonna be late."

"Yeah, and?"

"God."

"You don't wanna see me?"

"I didn't say that."

"Move your arse."

"My bed is warm, and it's cold outside."

"Yeah, and you know when it's colder? The middle of the fucking night when you go running."

She sighed. "Jesus. This demanding boyfriend. Fine. I'll be there."

"Great."

"Wanker." She made a mocking smooching sound and hung up on me.

I glanced at Wesley, leant against the window with his eyes shut and earphones in. If I dozed off as well we'd probably miss our stop. Not that I understood how Wesley slept with the amount of noise coming the earphones. I shook him awake five minutes from the station and he came to with the same speed as always. Master of power naps. I don't think he even knew what groggy was.

We stepped off onto the platform and I searched for Violet. I spotted her, leaning against the wall in a corner, hands in pockets of her biker jacket, shoulders bunched up to hide half her face beneath the coils of her scarf. The rush I felt to see her was incredible. An instant racing heart, like she was the most exciting person in the world.

We were walking towards each other, but I dropped my bag and ducked as if to tackle, scooping her up and throwing her over my shoulder. She screeched and kicked her legs, elbow smacking me in the side of the head. The way she writhed, I couldn't even keep hold of her if I tried.

She dropped back to the floor and gripped the collar of my jacket. "All right, handsome." She yanked me down and kissed me before I could say anything. I forced my tongue between her lips, feeling the vibration of her giggle as she pressed into me.

Wesley scooped up my bag and knocked into us, pushing us towards the escalator. "Fuckin' lover birds." He kept one arm around my neck, one around Vi's, keeping us apart. "Come on, do it in the warm."

"How was Halloween?" Violet asked.

"He got a love bite from a ten-year-old," I replied.

That made Wesley release us to pull up the collar of his jacket. "Fucking hell."

"It's going down already, you should've seen it."

She tried to get a glimpse and he shoved her away, roughly enough that I was probably supposed to get on his arse about it - you know, 'don't touch my girlfriend'. Vi didn't seem to care, she staggered with a grin. He gave her a daring glare and smirk to try again. She dodged around him and locked her fingers with mine.

We didn't make the effort to walk fast enough to be at our physics class on time. Not that it mattered, not like we were getting a detention. I guess so many years of school had just been heavily ingrained into my mind. We quietly moved around the room to our seats, listening in to pick up on what we had missed.

Three hours later, Violet's fingertips brushed up my thigh. "Mine or yours?"

"Mine."

"Okay."

We walked laughingly fast across campus that time. Through the streets, into my building, up the stairwell, through an empty lounge to my room. Whoever else was home was behind the closed doors of their rooms, and I didn't even care. In a couple of weeks I'd gone from being somewhat shy to not giving a damn who heard me having sex. As if I was proud of it, or something.

I still locked the door, though. Then Vi shoved me up against it, one hand groping and squeezing my crotch while the other unzipped my jacket. Anticipation on the way to my room had already started me off, and her touch was all I needed, coaxing me hard.

She did crazy things to me, to my mind and my body, and I let it happen. I'd missed her so much in three short days it was almost unreal. Like the first time I'd thrown a real punch had stirred up some desire to keep fighting, losing my virginty had awoken some libido I didn't even realise I had. Of course I'd wanted to have sex. Who doesn't? But now I just wanted more. And more. I was insatiable.

Luckily for me, Violet had a drive to match. Maybe it was her fault. She was doing it to me.

Once we'd struggled out of layers of winter clothes, she pulled me down onto the bed, hands locked around the back of my neck. I pinned her body beneath me, mouth on hers while she writhed and squirmed, her fingers raking through my hair, hard nipples raking my chest. Her legs wrapped around my hips and held me there, hard length against her mound, grinding with little gyrations. I could hear it in the desperation of her breathing, hands that kept gripping and squeezing different places like they couldn't decide where they wanted to go. She wasn't interested in any foreplay, she just wanted a quick, hard fuck.

I released her and she shifted further up the bed, teasing me with the spread of her legs and the dimpled smirk stretching her lips. I paused to admire her, and she giggled.

"Come on, you're like a little boy when you do that."

"What?"

"'Ooh, pussy'."

I grinned. There were other things I wanted to do, but if she was going to rush me, fine. I leant over her, she bit my lip and arched her spine so our bodies touched. She was still the one in control, even if she made me do the work. I think she liked it that way. I think I liked it, too.

Her hand gently stroked my cock. I would've enjoyed her touch for a little longer but she was guiding it to her entrance. I pushed into her, into the silky heat. She stretched and squeezed around me, all the intoxicating sensations that were becoming familiar. She moaned in approval, interrupted by a sharp inhale and chuckle when I thrusted out and in.

"Missed me?" she asked in that husky voice.

"Fuck yes." I squeezed the curves of her arse, her thighs around my hips. I was already learning all the best ways to get the reactions out of her that I wanted. Her arms laid on the pillow, deceptively submissive, eyebrow raising at me, bottom lip catching between her teeth.

She bucked against me, a little bounce in her breasts as I went harder. Her fists curled in the sheets to steady herself, and her expression changed. Her movements lost their rhythm and I gripped her hips to keep pulling her against me. She moaned over and over, as if my movements were what forced the air out of her lungs.

My hand stroked across her stomach, down to her clit, slick with her fluids. I pressed and rubbed with my thumb. She held my gaze, but her eyes were lost in whatever it felt like as she built up to her climax. Her stomach tensed. Her head tilted back. I kept stroking with a steady rhythm of my cock and thumb. She let out a string of shuddering breaths before erupting with a cry of pleasure, hands looking like they'd rip the sheets, body trembling, muscle spasms squeezing around me in throbbing pulses. Her body kept reacting, jerking with softer moans.

I didn't last long after that. Her voice did things to me. Watching her come did things to me. I folded over, weight on my elbows, breathing against her neck, shuddering, trying to push deeper with every throb. Her body welcomed me, but had already taken me to the root.

She went limp and relaxed beneath me. I collapsed on top of her and she let out a wheezing grunt.

"David," she strained.

"Yes."

"I'd like to breathe."

I chuckled against her ear and lifted myself, sliding out. She looked at me with a drowsy contentment, still unmoving, and I touched my lips to hers. It was a surprisingly gentle kiss after the mad rush to bed.

"That was quick," she said.

"But good?"

"Fuck yes."

"You want a drink or something?"

"Yes please."

I cleaned up a bit and got dressed, and when I came back in she had rolled onto her side, slightly curled up, dozed off. I pushed the door shut with my shoulder, a smile stuck on my face and a tight feeling in my chest. I left the glass of Coke by the bedside and let her sleep, retrieving my laptop and setting it up on my desk. I was sure some of my noises and clunking around must have disturbed her, but she never moved.

A shared video of someone's pet cat doing something stupid could only be from my mum. It always made me laugh, no matter how much of a simpleton it made me feel, but I kept it to a quiet snicker. After more pointless browsing, I looked over my shoulder at Vi again.

She was so fucking beautiful. I just wanted to stare at her.

Her lips were slightly parted, subtle movements of her breathing in her ribs. The way she laid, her arms squished her little breasts into an adorable cleavage. The flow of her figure was almost artistic. Up over her shoulder, down the dip in her waist, curving back up over her hips and thigh. Everything was toned. Her legs, her arms, her stomach. It gave her her shape. It was feminine, but not dainty, as I'd describe my mother.

That strangely had me wondering what Violet's mother looked like - my mind was drawn back to a conversation from Wesley and I's circle of mates. Wes had gotten himself dumped the second time that year, and Brian was trying to cheer him up by saying, "I'm pretty sure you dodged a bullet. You shouldn't worry about it."

"What?" Wes had replied.

"Haven't you seen her mum?"

"Mate. What?"

There were stupid snickers from the others, but Brian continued on as if he had the best piece of golden advice to ever grace our ears. "Don't you get it? Before you seriously start datin' a bird, you should check out her mum. Her mum is, like, the perfect proof of what she's gonna look like when she gets old."

"Oh my God," Wes had chuckled.

"So does her mum look good after hittin' forty? Yes? Great, go for it. If not, eh. Better not."

"Jesus, man."

Looking at Violet now, it was hard to ever imagine her getting old. She looked so young, so prime.

I wondered if I was ever going to see anyone from that circle of mates again. We had all gone our own ways, different universities, different walks of life. Brian had willingly signed up to the service. He actually wanted to be drafted. We'd always teased him for being thick, and I wondered if he'd gone and taken it to heart. The damage of banter.

I perched beside Violet on the bed, brushing my fingers up her thigh, stroking my palm into the curve of her waist. A freckled shoulder fidgeted, I leant down to kiss a freckled cheek. Her eyes opened for a brief moment and she rolled onto her back with a deep exhale.

In a moment like that, which was just relaxed and gentle, I wished my dick could give it a rest. Yes, she's beautiful. But you just had sex thirty minutes ago. For fuck sake.

There were sounds around the flat from other roommates. I pulled up the duvet from beneath her. She grumbled something and rolled over again, her back to me. I clambered in behind her and pulled her against my chest.

I don't know how long I dozed off, but it was long enough to have overdone a short nap by the groggy feeling that hit me when Wesley's voice woke me up.

"Vi, Dave." The door wasn't locked so he just came in after a half-hearted knock. Good thing I'd decided to use the duvet. "You two are the worst."

"Recharging for running tonight," I replied, pushing up on an elbow.

He chuckled. "Dave, I swear, will you cook something for once? I just had a five hour lecture. I'm fucking done."

"Yeah, sure." The door sounded shut and I gave Vi's shoulder a shake. "Guess what's for dinner?"

"What?" she mumbled.

"Pasta."

"Yay."

There was lots of chatter around the lounge and kitchen from flatmates, talking about the Halloween party Wes and I had missed, but I didn't pay much attention to it. When I went back to my room with Vi's plate, she was dressed in knickers and one of my t-shirts, sitting cross-legged on my chair, clutching her glass of flat Coke. And using my laptop. She looked around at me when I entered with the biggest grin, and pointed at the cat video on the screen.

"Yeah," I said. "I know."

She flicked at the touchpad as I set her plate down, tabbing off onto another page. Of course, she'd had to look at who sent the video. "You look so much like your mum." She studied me for a moment. "Well actually different in so many ways, but I can tell. It's in the face."

I grinned. "Yeah. That's what people say." I leant over her just enough to push into her personal space. "So you like looking through my stuff?"

"I didn't look at anything private. Look, you got three emails here. I didn't click on any. I'mma good girl."

"Uh-huh."

"You can trust me."

One email was from the landlord. Please, nothing bad. I moved her from the chair to check that.

Adrian was behind on rent. Fuck sake.

*

The bonfire in the park was seeing use once again, for Guy Fawkes Night. There was a huge fireworks display set up, and Violet was taking me to watch it.

"No paying for tickets," she said. "I got a place we can watch. Better than standing down there in the cold."

"Yeah?"

"I came scouting yesterday, I found somewhere good."

It was the way she said that - 'scouting'. It made me smile. It seemed to sum her up, the way she behaved, how she was so alert in public, always looking around, paying more attention to everything but me. At least it could feel that way.

She led me through the park to the wooded area. It wasn't too cold, there was a relatively clear sky, and most importantly, it wasn't raining. A very nice night for fireworks.

"Is this another of your surprise fucks?" I asked as she tugged me through the trees.

"No, you dickhead."

"Hey."

"This tree here, this one. It's perfect."

I looked up at what I could see in the dark. Some trees invite you to climb them, like their branches are perfectly laid out like a ladder. This was not one of them. The lowest branch was at least nine foot off the floor.

"You climbed this alone," I flatly remarked.

"Yes."

"How."

"Trying like five times, kicking off the trunk. Come on, give me a boost, and I'll help you up."

"Vi."

"Gimme boost." She grabbed my shoulders, already lifting a foot off the floor. I obliged and she heaved herself onto the branch. I thought she'd fall while trying to help my weight up there, but we managed it. The rest of the climb was easier, I only had a close encounter with some loose bark beneath my shoe.

A couple of nearby branches created the best thing to a seat we'd get. I got myself comfortable with my back against the trunk and Vi pressed up against me. She gave me a massive grin, eyes wide with a childish excitement.

"It's good, yeah?"

She just melted my heart. Still catching me unawares with random adorable things.

"Yeah, it's good."

She pulled out a packet of sweets and sat chewing away while we waited for the show to start. "My mum wants a picture of you," she said through a mouthful.

"What? Right now?"

"No, later, maybe. She wants to see what you look like."

"You told her about me?"

"Yeah." She offered me a sweet. "I mentioned you last time she called me, at Halloween."

I had another pang of guilt that I hadn't mentioned Violet to my own family yet. I still wasn't sure why. She didn't keep talking, or ask me anything about it, staring out at our view instead.

"Do you have any pictures of your parents?" I asked.

"Oh, no. I don't keep pics of them on my phone. They don't like it."

"Fair. Do you want to see a picture of my sis?"

"Sure."

I brought up the recent picture of Hanna in her Halloween costume, and from the light of the screen on her face, saw Violet's eyes soften with a smile. Then they flicked to meet my gaze.

"Cute."

Violet never spoke about siblings. I'd figured a while ago that she was an only child. She didn't really speak about her parents much, either. Not that I expected family to be a huge topic of conversation for an 18-year-old out on their own at university, but Vi had this strange way of not actually talking about much, even if I heard a lot of her voice. She preferred to talk about the now. Immediate things surrounding us. I wasn't sure how much I was supposed to know about someone after little over a month, but sometimes, I felt I still didn't know a lot.

As it turned out, we did have a fantastic view of the fireworks display. Chill crept in with sitting still for so long, and the giant bonfire looked very inviting, but I focused on the warmth of Vi's legs against mine, resting my head against hers.

She seemed to have a thing for heights, and views of big open spaces. Her own little style of romance. I was going to have to do something at some point, try to return it somehow.

*

Days turned into weeks. I became more and more sure I would drop chemistry, even if Mum would scold me for it. Practically everybody else took two subjects, why was I taking three? Chemistry labs were going to start overlapping physics labs with a timetable change after Christmas.

Violet was driving me harder with the running, like she was my personal trainer or something. She made it very clear that I was going to learn parkour and do it like she did. We were seeing what heights of fences I could vault over without hurting myself.

"If you have to slow down for something, you're doing it wrong," she said.