Rain Storms

Due to some combination of the alcohol, blood loss, and the safety of Eric's presence, I slept hard and soundly. I woke to the screeching of my alarm clock. Eric rolled over and slapped the clock until it stopped making noise. At some point while I had been asleep, Sharon had left and Eric had stripped us both and put us to bed. Hopefully, in that order. I was incredibly well rested and, thankfully, didn't hurt at all. I turned off the alarm, showered and dressed, then went to work, leaving Eric sleeping in my bed. I didn't know what time he had gotten to sleep and I didn't want to wake him.

I was disappointed to come home to an empty apartment. I had to keep reminding myself that it was better that way. I was falling back into familiar patterns and I didn't want that. It wasn't good for either of us. I got home later than usual because I had left work early the day before. I called Ryan before I took a shower to make sure that he was still coming over. I only had a short window of time to catch him at home between the stuff he did during the day and the meetings that he took in the evening. Unfortunately, I missed him and had to leave a message. There was a knock on the door as I was getting out of the shower and I rushed to answer it with a towel around my waist.

"Wow." Sharon eyed me up and down. "I have impeccable timing."

I smirked at her and stepped aside to let her in. "Give me a second and I'll slip into something less comfortable."

"Oh, don't go to any trouble on my account," she leered at me and I laughed.

"What's that?" I asked about the foil wrapped plate she had in her hands as I went to my bedroom to put on some clothes.

"Cookies," she called out from the living room. "It's an apology for getting you shit faced and a thank you for introducing me to Eric. He said that you have a sweet tooth so I baked you some chocolate chip cookies."

I came back into the living room, dressed and laughing. "Eric told you that?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because he's the one with a sweet tooth," I chuckled. "The man would live on cookies and ice cream if you let him."

"Oh," she pouted. "Well, I guess you can save them for him."

"Hell no!" I exclaimed. "I love chocolate chip."

Her smile lit up her face. She peeled back the foil and I snagged a handful of cookies and took them with me to the couch. I bit into an obviously fresh baked cookie and moaned in appreciation.

"So I'm forgiven?" she asked hopefully.

"You were never to blame," I assured her. "I was just stupid."

"I still felt bad."

"Don't," I insisted. "These are good. I can't wait to tell Eric what he missed."

She giggled. "I can make more."

"Oh no." I shook my head. "Make him sweat."

We both looked up to the ringing of the phone. I got up to answer it.

"Rain. I'm sorry I missed your call."

"It's fine. I just wanted to make sure we were still on for tonight."

"Umm." He hesitated.

"Are you upset with me, Minx?"

"No."

"Then what is it?" I asked. "Talk to me, Ryan. Please. We can talk about anything. Don't shut me out."

He sighed. "I just don't want to interfere between you and Eric."

"Oh God, Ry. You aren't doing that. Please come over. I miss you. Eric and I will either work things out or we won't. You aren't a hindrance. I need you in my life."

"He doesn't want us seeing each other, Rain," he argued. "You know he doesn't."

"He's never asked me to stop seeing you. He knows that you make me happy. You keep me sane and I love you. I'm not willing to give you up. He may not like it but he's accepted you as a part of my life. If you don't want to see me anymore then tell me that. I'll find a way to honor your wishes. But please don't cut me out of your life because you're afraid that you're causing problems. You aren't. I swear that you aren't."

He sighed again. "I have to go, Rain. I'm going to be late."

I was terrified that I was losing him and I wasn't above begging. "Ryan, please come over tonight. We'll talk. Please."

"Ok." His voice was hesitant and reluctant but at least he'd agreed. "I'll try to be there by nine."

"Thank you."

"Sounds like your love life is falling apart," Sharon said sadly after I'd hung up the phone and plopped back down beside her.

"Feels like it too."

"I'm sorry," she said. "Is there anything that I can do?"

"Tell me how to stop it," I begged. "Tell me how to make him not leave me."

"Oh Rain," she sighed. "I'm the wrong person to ask. I'm a disaster when it comes to men. Completely. Like I should be locked up as a danger to myself and others."

I snickered. "Me too. Maybe we should both switch teams."

She giggled. "I've tried. I just can't do it. I like dick too much."

I sighed dramatically. "Me too."

So we just sat on the couch in companionable silence and stuffed our faces with cookies.

I made dinner for us again, although we didn't eat much since we'd both eaten nearly a dozen cookies a piece. She was helping me clean up and put away the leftovers when Ryan arrived. I introduced them and Sharon took her leave to go take care of Cujo.

"Cujo?" Ryan asked after she had left.

"Yes," I smirked. "He's a very scary Corgi. He will literally love you to death."

He grinned. "I love Corgis. They have little heart shaped butts. It's too cute."

"I'm pretty fond of your heart shaped butt, Minx," I murmured and took him in my arms, nuzzling his neck. He smelled so good and I really had missed him.

"My butt is not heart shaped," he argued playfully. "It's round."

"Like a bubble," I agreed and kissed him. He didn't resist but he pulled away too quickly.

"I thought we were going to talk," he said.

"Do we need to talk, Minx?" I asked. "I will spend all night convincing you how important you are to me. If you want it in words, I will do that, but I'd rather do it with body language."

"Rain," he sighed and pulled out of my arms. He walked over to the couch and perched on the edge. "I don't want to come between you and Eric. You two should be together. You're in love with him."

I nodded and joined him on the couch. "And we're trying to work it out, Ryan. But I love you too. I don't want to lose you. If you feel strongly about it, then we can stop the sexual side of our friendship, but please, please don't cut me out of your life. You're my best friend."

"You're my best friend too, Rain. I love you and I don't want to be the cause of any pain for you."

"Then don't leave me," I pleaded. "That's the only way you'd hurt me."

"You'd be ok just being friends?" he asked.

"Yes," I promised. "It's not my choice but I will respect your right to make that decision."

He sighed dramatically. "It's not what I want either."

"Then don't do this. Maybe sometime down the road it might be what's best for everyone but it's not right now."

"But it will be harder down the road!" he exclaimed.

"Possibly," I nodded. "But we can't know that. You may fall madly in love with some hot top and kick me to the curb."

He giggled, "Yeah. Right."

"It could happen," I argued teasingly. "Maybe you'll share him with me a time or two."

"Oh geeze," he smirked. "Now you're sleeping with my imaginary future boyfriend? Some friend you are!"

"You were there!" I objected. "You said it was ok!"

He gasped at me and then erupted into giggles, falling over onto his side. I pounced on him and tickled him until he cried uncle. Then I kissed him until he was moaning and panting.

"Tell me that you want me," I husked.

"I want you, Rain," he moaned.

I picked him up and carried him to bed. I lovingly stripped him and then stood up to shed my own clothes. I glanced up at the blank wall between my apartment and Sharon's, wondering if she was listening. I thought it would bother me but it didn't. It actually turned me on for some reason. I wanted her to be listening. I wanted her to hear everything I was going to do to Ryan. I wanted her to know how much pleasure I was giving him.

"Rain?" Ryan called softly. "Are you ok?"

I looked down at the gorgeous diminutive body stretched wantonly across the bed. "Perfect," I purred. "Fucking perfect."

I crawled across the bed towards him, letting my hunger for him shine through. I tried to convey how much I needed him, how much I loved him. The blatant look of desire reflected back at me was enough to make me forget all about my eavesdropping neighbor and concentrate solely on making the beauty in my arms scream my name in ecstasy.

When I got home from work the next day, Sharon was standing outside her apartment, without Cujo.

"No dog?" I asked.

"He's been out already," she explained.

"Were you waiting on me?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "So you got things worked out between you and Ryan?"

I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows at her. "How'd things work out for you?" I teased.

She had the decency to look embarrassed. It was the first time that I had made her blush. She recovered much more quickly than I would have. "Let me put it this way... If you ever do seriously consider batting for the other team, I want to be first on the roster. I'd love to know if the reality lives up to the hype."

"The hype?" I smirked.

"Yeah. You sound amazing but that's easy enough to fake. I wonder if the physical is anything near as good as the audio."

That got me riled up. I knew, logically, that she was just teasing, but she had basically just accused me of being a bad lover. Suddenly, I had something to prove. It was moronic, and half of my brain was screaming at me to stop, but the other half, the dominant half, was egging me on. I dropped my case and stalked over to her side of the patio. I grabbed her by the pony tail and wrenched her head back then lowered my mouth to hers. My hands were rough and unforgiving but my mouth was as gentle as a spring mist. I kissed her softly until I felt her body relax into mine. She parted her lips for me and I took the invitation. As soon as she looped her arms around my neck, my sweet kisses turned fiery. My hands gentled, and I lovingly caressed her face and body while I plundered her mouth with my tongue.

I broke off the kiss, leaving her unsteady on her feet and gasping for air. "Nobody fakes anything in my bed, Sharon. I may bat for the other team but I can still be called on as a pinch hitter."

"Wow," she breathed. "I'm going to have to bake you a cake."

I laughed and stepped back. "Eric will be here tonight," I warned her. "If you're trying to impress him, anything sweet and coffee flavored will do."

"Coffee flavored?"

"Tiramisu, espresso cookies, coffee ice cream, that kind of thing. He's a sucker for coffee."

She grinned. "Thanks for the tip."

I picked up my case and went into my apartment to shower and prepare for Eric's arrival and his not so gentle affections. I didn't make it to the shower. The phone was ringing before I even got in the door.

I grabbed it up. "Hello?"

"Hey." Even with just the one word, Eric's voice sounded strange, distant and hesitant.

"Hey you."

"I was just calling to verify that you still wanted to see me tonight."

"God yes. I've been looking forward to this all day."

"Baby? Have you been drinking again?"

"No," I chuckled. "I just miss you."

"Um. Ok." There is was again. That quality in his voice that I couldn't identify.

"Is something wrong, Eric?" I asked. "Do you not want to come over?"

"No, Baby. I want that more than anything. It's just... When you didn't call me last night, I thought... I mean, I crashed your party and you didn't say goodbye..."

Was he scared? Nervous? I had never heard him like that before. This wasn't my arrogant, cocky Eric. Was this what I had reduced him to? "What are you feeling right now, Eric? I need to understand what's going on in your head."

"Baby," he groaned. "Please don't make me do this. Not right now. I'm at a payphone. Can we talk about it when I see you?"

"Where are you?"

"Around the corner," he admitted. "7-11."

I chuckled. "What were you going to do if I had been upset with you?"

"I don't have to worry about that now, right?"

"No, you don't," I agreed. "Come over."

Damn. He looked good. He was dressed casually for Eric, in a dark-red button down and black jeans, but seeing him made me practically salivate. I had to kick myself to remember that I needed him to talk to me before I pounced on him.

We sat down on the couch, not touching. He started, without any prompting from me, "I was worried."

"About what?" I asked.

"That I had broken us," he replied. "That I had undone any good we've accomplished by pushing myself on you when you told me not to."

"You came over because you were concerned about me, Eric. I know that. I wasn't upset."

"But..."

"I didn't say goodbye because you were sleeping so peacefully and I didn't want to wake you," I explained. "I didn't call you last night because Ryan... He was trying to martyr our friendship for you."

He shook his head slightly as if to clear it. "What?"

"He thinks that he's coming between us and he doesn't want to hurt me."

"I'm sorry, Rain. That's my fault."

"It's not your fault," I told him. "He's just trying to do the right thing but he's hurting me. I don't want to lose him. I hope I got through to him, and he'll stop trying to leave me, but I don't know for sure."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" he offered.

I gaped at him in shock. "You would do that?"

"Of course I would, Baby," he said. "I would do anything for you. I don't want you to lose him. He means a lot to you and you love him. He's your Irish."

I smiled. "Yeah he is."

"You know..." he drawled. "Ryan and Irish would probably get on, as she says, like a house on fire. They're a lot alike."

"They even kinda look alike," I giggled.

He chuckled. "Except she's taller."

"He's more feminine."

His eyes opened wide in surprise then he started laughing. "Oh shit. He is. Personality-wise, anyhow."

"It's too bad they couldn't share clothes," I added.

Once we'd settled down from the laughing, his expression sobered. "I don't want damage us again, Rain. I'm trying so hard to change for you."

"Oh Eric," I sighed. "I don't want you to change who you are."

"You don't?" he asked, perplexed.

"God no," I swore. "I love you just the way you are. I only want you to be able to share that person with me. Stop shutting me out. Open up and talk to me."

"That's not in my nature, Rain. I don't like to talk about me."

"I know you don't, but I can only get so far by guessing. I spend so much time and effort trying to figure out how you're feeling by your work and your actions that it wears me out. And I don't guess right. It would be so much easier if you could just tell me. I'm not expecting you to start sharing your innermost feelings with the world, but it would be nice if you would trust me with them. We're worth it, don't you think?"

"Yes." He reached out and caressed my face. "Yes, Baby. I do."

I covered his hand with mine and brought both of them away from my face, entwining my fingers with his. "I'm sorry that I made you worry, or nervous, or scared. I was not upset with you. Thank you for talking to me."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

I smiled in return. "I have a reward for you."

"A reward?"

"Yes," I replied, still smiling. "Think of it as positive reinforcement. You did good. You deserve a treat."

I stood up and tugged our still joined hands. He stood and I led him out of the living room.

"What are we doing?" he asked.

"I need to take a shower."

"Are you going to let me watch?" he asked, hopefully.

"No," I smirked. "I'm going to let you help."

"Oh fuck yes," he moaned.

We played a little bit in the water, splashing each other and generally horsing around, before it got intense. He insisted on bathing me. He started at my head and washed my hair then systematically moved down my body while I stood under the spray. Eric loved water. When we lived together, the bathroom did not boast a shower stall big enough for us to shower together, so it was a rare treat for us. One we never failed to take advantage of whenever the opportunity arose. There had even been times when he would rent a hotel room in town just for the privilege of making use of a bathtub or shower.

By the time he declared me thoroughly clean, I was leaking pre-cum like a faucet. He guided me around his kneeling form so that I was standing against the back wall and the water was raining down on him. He urged my feet apart and sucked my rigid cock into his mouth. The sensation of his lips and tongue working my length had my head spinning. I braced one hand on the wall of the shower and threaded the other through his heavy, wet hair. Just watching Eric worshiping my cock with his mouth would have been enough for me. Feeling it too was always too much. As much as I wanted to make it last forever, I could never hold out.

He wanted to make me come and he wasn't going to give me any quarter. He hollowed out his cheeks and constantly snaked his tongue over and around my cockhead, paying special attention to my frenulum, where he knew that I was extremely sensitive. He slid his hand up the inside of my thigh and pushed two soapy fingers deep inside me, zeroing in on my sweet spot immediately. I cried out something unintelligible as a powerful orgasm slammed into me, knocking the wind out of me and my knees out from under me. Thankfully, Eric caught me before I cracked my skull on the edge of the tub.

"Fuck," he husked, holding my shuddering body tightly. "I love it when you do that."

"Nearly brain myself?" I panted.

He chuckled. "No, Baby. When you come so hard for me that you lose your fucking mind."

"I almost really lost my mind that time," I grimaced. "Splattered all over the bathroom."

"I will always catch you, Rain," he promised. "You don't have to worry. You're safe. I'll never let you fall."

"I've fallen, Eric," I told him, pushing the wet strands of hair back from his face. "I fell eight years ago and I've fallen harder every single day since then."

Eric's kiss was sweet and gentle and he conveyed what he was feeling perfectly, without words.

I mourned the loss when he pulled away. "Water's cold," he rumbled.

It occurred to me that the tank was only a twenty gallon and it had probably been cold for a long time. That's most likely why he'd turned us around. The cold water wouldn't have bothered him but I would have screeched like a banshee. He helped me upright and out of the bath.

"Your turn," I told him, attempting to drag him to the bedroom.

He resisted. "Let's feed you first, Baby. I can wait."

"Eric," I pouted. "I want you."

"I want that too, Rain," he murmured, wrapping me in a towel. "But you need to eat. We'll get lost in each other and you'll forget to eat."

This was Eric's way of telling me that he was hungry by telling me that I was. At this point, my modis operandi would be to get bitchy and snap at him. I was trying to be better for us. I counted in my head while he was towel drying my body until I was calm. "Eric." I grabbed at his hands as he was rubbing my short hair with the fluffy towel. "If you're hungry, please just say that."

I held his gaze while he pressed his lips in a firm line and struggled with his nature. "I'm hungry, Baby," he finally said. "Can we eat first? I'm not going to want to stop making love to you once we start and I have been too upset to eat for the last couple of days."

I grinned at the look of quiet desperation on his face and arched up on my tiptoes to kiss his nose so he knew that I wasn't laughing at him. "I love you so much."

He scrunched up his nose and smirked at me. "Could you please feed me then? I'm fucking starving."

"My pleasure."

When I came out of the bedroom, in jeans and a t-shirt, Eric had slipped on his jeans and he was poking around in my fridge. Bent over like he was, with his ass in the air and his head in the fridge, I had the most unsexy thought imaginable. I winced at the thought of what all that frigid, wet hair was going to feel like slapping against his naked torso when he stood up.