The Risks of Peace

Ellen's flight touched down in the last of the evening light, the wind hurtling sheets of rain against the window she'd been staring out of for hours. Her mind elsewhere, it came as a shock to feel the plane's wheels hit the pavement in a wet thud before it quickly slowed to taxi towards their gate. An unintelligible voice came over the loudspeaker, largely ignored by the other passengers as they began preparing to disembark. Unlike Ellen, the other passengers were mostly the usual fare, dressed to the nines in business suits and dresses, now rumpled from their long and turbulent journey. They were probably used to flitting about the country, Ellen thought as a quick, wistful smile curved her coral lips.

Donning her coat in the cramped quarters, Ellen patiently waited for her turn to head off the plane, somehow managing to retrieve her carry-on from the compartment above without causing any bumps or bruises. One by one, the other passengers filed out into the walkway, its meager walls unable to keep out the damp wind that rattled the short passageway. There was more than one relieved smile as they dispersed, the sea of faces blending as they rushed past.

Ellen herself was at a hesitant standstill, cold-numbed fingers fiddling with the buttons of her coat as she wished yet again that she'd thought to bring something warmer. Biting her lower lip, she pushed her gold-tinted brown hair behind her ears and watched as the last of the passengers, pilots and attendants swept past her. At last, she willed herself to move, her neglected baggage trailing behind her, all but forgotten as she wandered past gates, noises, signs and travelers unnoticed, her eyes distant as for the thousandth time that day she wondered what she was doing here.

She slowly made her way to the rental car agency and made quiet small talk with the attendant who seemed all too happy to help her to her car. While smiling on the outside, Ellen thought with dry amusement that the boy couldn't be a day out of high school, if that. Still, the attention was certainly nice. She pressed a nice tip into his eager hand while making sure she knew where to return the car when she was done with it. If she noticed his roving eyes while she set her suitcase in the back seat, there was little sign of it.

Once alone inside the quiet of the small sedan, she leaned forward and rested her head on the steering wheel, eyes shut tight as even here in the shelter of the garage she could feel the wind whip around the car, hurrying on its way. "Always hurrying," she murmured, her voice loud within the silence of the car. With a small laugh she sat back and started the engine, waiting a moment for it to warm as she reviewed her directions one last time and buckled herself in. Within minutes she was speeding down the road into the night, her destination as uncertain as her reasons for being here.

Finding parking proved to be harder than finding her way to the pub, its exterior causing a feeling of both appreciation and nervousness seated in the very pit of Ellen's stomach. She reached for her umbrella only to remember a moment too late that it was still in her apartment back home, but wasting little time with trivialities she rolled her eyes and ducked out into the night, the wind and cold drizzle whipping the bottom of her trench coat around her legs. Hesitating only one moment longer outside the door, she straightened and went inside.

The atmosphere of the pub immediately drew a warm smile as Ellen wandered slowly inside, laughter and music all but drawing her as waiters swirled past and patrons glanced her way. Choosing a booth against one wall, she took advantage of the dark corner to survey the room, eyes roaming towards the stage where a woman was singing, she and the band obviously having a good time of it. Ellen's dark hazel eyes darted from the stage to wander over the audience nearby, relief flooding her face as she spotted the one familiar face out of the group.

Willing her hands to lie still in her lap, she waited as patiently as she could until the performers began to disperse to take a break. Ellen seized the moment and got to her feet just a tad quickly, her heart fluttering as she tried unsuccessfully to calm her nervous breathing. Moving by a force no longer her own, she shuffled towards that one face, only the barest instinct stopping her from colliding into those around her.

"Kathleen?" she asked, surprised that her voice could sound so steady; it should be trembling from the reverberations of the heart pounding within her chest. An intense urge to run rattled Ellen so hard she was sure her knees would give way. The only thing keeping her there was the stubbornness that was a part of her very soul.

The slightly taller woman turned from those she'd been chatting with, a rather blank look on her face as she answered with a short, "Yes?" in a voice already familiar.

Hope and fear battled with Ellen's senses, but she smiled in spite of it as she held out a slightly trembling hand. "Fancy meeting you here," she commented in a stab at humor as she hoped recognition would dawn in those eyes of silver blue, hoping even more that her presence would not be an unwanted surprise. It occurred to her that traveling three thousand miles was one hell of a risk, more than she'd really considered.

Kathleen blinked once, surprise evident as she took the woman's hand in hers, stunned silence hanging between the two of them in a heady aura until she smiled, disbelief warring with that of pleased amazement. "My god... Ellen. What are you doing here?" she asked with a laugh, quickly moving to embrace, to Ellen's profound relief. It was all she could do not to hang from her friend's shoulders as a wash of adrenaline left her close to powerless.

Reveling in the fact that Kathleen was not only there in front of her but in her very arms, Ellen had to take a firm grasp of herself and pull back, smiling up at her friend with such a giddy feeling she couldn't help but wonder for a moment how silly she looked, the damp weather ruining any attempts she'd made to look decent for this meeting she'd dreamed of for much too long.

"I wanted to surprise you," Ellen finally answered, her voice wavering at last with the emotions she'd been battling since her plane had taken to the skies that morning. Realizing her hands were still resting on the other's shoulders, she snatched them away, a flush of light pink seeping into her cheeks as she smiled. "I can't believe I'm here," she added with a nervous laugh as the band began again, the music quickly drowning out the last of her words.

Kathleen simply smiled, shaking her head a little as she stifled a laugh lost within the music as the lead singer dove into a lighthearted melody. "Let's find somewhere we can talk," she said, leaning in towards Ellen before moving to grab her things from the table and say quick farewells to the others before gently ushering Ellen towards the door.

Once outside, Ellen paused, indecision tickling the back of her mind. "I should check in at the hotel," she finally said, clutching her coat to herself to fend off the intruding chill of the night, the rain replaced by a thin veil of fog curling about her ankles. "I think there's a bar off the lobby... I'm sure it would be quiet enough," the words tumbling out of her until she stopped with an embarrassed laugh.

Kathleen gave her friend a soft smile, laughter in her eyes as she gave a single nod. "I'll follow you," she murmured quietly as she wrapped her own coat around herself. They walked in silence to their cars, quickly exchanging the address and quick directions before they made their way to the hotel.

The foyer was quaint and inviting, a soft lull seeming to surround the building as the night hours drove most to their beds. Ellen quickly checked in and took her luggage to the room while Kathleen picked out a table in the corner of the surprisingly expansive bar and ordered a couple gin and tonics before sat down to wait.

Ellen had apparently taken a spare moment to touch up, her hair no longer in travel-worn disarray and a simple, quietly elegant outfit replacing the tousled one from her trip. A sleek skirt of navy blue hugged her narrow hips to fall just above her knees while a cream colored blouse hung from her angular shoulders, the shade doing much to soften her trim frame. As she stopped just inside the bar, she passed an unconscious hand over her attire before spotting Kathleen. She made her quick way towards the table and slid into the booth beside her friend while making a half-hearted excuse about not wanting to wear the other clothes a moment longer.

For the next hour, the two conversed with animated words and genuinely cheerful demeanor, both relaxing a little more as the drinks settled in and the shock and nervousness began to wear off. Neither seemed to notice that their often lively exchanges brought them slowly closer as one tried to express their point with a gesture or the other leaned in to better hear, their hushed chatter really the only sound in the now empty bar, save for bartender and the late night baseball game on the small television in the corner.

Ellen was sharing some silly anecdote from her childhood when she laughed softly, and her hand fell to land gently on Kathleen's knee. Their laughter stopped abruptly, as did their breathing, a charge like lighting seeming to well up at the simple touch. Perhaps it was the weariness of her trip, perhaps the slowly disappearing inhibition as the alcohol gently drove it away, but Ellen did not withdraw. Slowly, she leaned in, a spark of desperation flaring in her eyes before she suppressed it just a moment before their lips met.

The gentlest of touches, fire seemed to take hold of them, pulses quickening at that forbidden embrace as Kathleen's arm reached around Ellen's waist to draw her closer while the other's free hand rose to brush Kathleen's cheek softly, fingers twining in her hair as the kiss deepened. Ellen's lips parted enough to allow the tip of her tongue to brush across Kathleen's lips, soft as silk. A moment longer and it slipped inside the other woman's welcoming mouth as the hand on Kathleen's knee curled around her thigh, fingertips trailing across the light material of her slacks.

Ellen broke the kiss just enough to brush her lips against the other woman's cheek, whispering, "My room," in a voice made husky with racing emotions. With barely concealed haste, the two settled their bill, not waiting to see the questioning look on the bartender's face.

As the elevator door closed behind them, the two embraced in earnest, hands gliding along the other's body as they sought to learn the unspoken treasures still hidden by the hindering clothing. As the doors opened, Ellen led Kathleen to her room, barely waiting to lock the door behind them before she pressed her body against Kathleen's, lips seeking hers in a hot embrace as they drank in the sensations ignited between them.

Ellen began to back farther into the room, her arms sliding around Kathleen's waist as she beckoned for the woman to follow. Her fingers gently tugged at the fabric of Kathleen's blouse until her hands lay across the woman's back, her touch all but scorching as she sought to pull the garment over Kathleen's head. In that one moment they needed to break the kiss, their gazes met with startled wonder. Suddenly afraid this had spun out of control, Ellen began to speak, only to feel a gentle finger across her lips as Kathleen smiled warmly. She felt fingers at the buttons of her blouse just moments before the silky material fell to the floor.

Ellen couldn't help but take in the sight of her friend as Kathleen did the same, the taller woman lifting her hands to run caressing fingers along the skin of Ellen's chest causing her breath to stop as she let her own hands glide across Kathleen's shoulders, sliding the straps of the black bra to her arms and down to reveal snowy white breasts, the nipples already beginning to firm with the sheer excitement of the moment. Entranced, Ellen moved forward, her lips grazing the silky skin as her hand took the other with a gentle hold, her thumb circling one nipple as her lips found the other in a kiss of simple reverence.

Kathleen's quiet gasp emboldened Ellen as she slowly pushed Kathleen to the bed and kneeled beside her, hands roaming to unclasp the inhibiting bra and let it fall beside the bed. Wasting no time, her inexpert fingers fought to undo the fastening at Kathleen's waist, eventually pushing the slacks from her hips while her tongue continued to slide around a hardening nipple.

She let her tongue rove over the enticing flesh a moment longer, before breaking the contact with no small amount of regret. As if unable to keep herself from parting with the body of her friend, her lips returned to lay gentle kisses along Kathleen's stomach, trailing down as she pulled the pants from Kathleen's legs before her hands glided up along silky skin, brushing across the inside of one thigh as Ellen paused a moment, seeing her friend's exposed sex for the first time, her eyes drawn to it in rapt fascination.

Kathleen's legs parted as Ellen reached with a gentle finger to smoothly trace across the small bush of hair and down along the outside of the pouting lips already swollen with anticipation. It took little more than a touch to part the moistened folds, and Ellen was almost overcome with a heady scent that drew her trembling lips to place the softest of kisses on the waiting skin.

Kathleen drew in a shaky breath at the contact which drew Ellen back to her senses, drawing herself up to lie beside the other woman with a tender, uncertain look. "Should I stop?" she whispered, afraid of the answer even as her hand trailed along Kathleen's stomach to caress one breast, the fingers playing against the hardened nipple.

In answer, Kathleen simply leaned in to place a hard, impassioned kiss on Ellen's lips, her hands almost rough in her desire to shed the last of Ellen's clothing, the garments tossed to the side with little care as the two embraced, fiery bodies pressed together in abandon as they lost themselves in the kiss, tongues colliding as they exchanged reckless intrusions that only served to heighten the fevered pitch of their desire.

Ellen pulled her lips from Kathleen's to kiss her neck with a hunger foreign to her, hands roving over silken hips until her fingers met with the radiating heat of Kathleen's sex, her hand cupping it like something delicate, sure to fly away in the next breeze.

In almost desperate passion, Ellen caressed Kathleen's breasts with her lips, tongue stroking across one rigid nipple before her lips took in the other, suckling with heated desire as the fingers of her hand brushed across those burning lips, slick with excitement. Her finger found the little nodule of pleasure, pressing against it to bring a low moan from her lover as her finger slipped inside the scorching folds of her sex. Seeking to explore this unknown realm, she pressed inside while her thumb rubbed gently against the hardened clitoris.

Ellen slipped her free arm around Kathleen's waist, pulling her to her side as Kathleen's leg reached around Ellen's hips. All inhibition abandoned, Ellen took a nipple into her mouth, lips hard around its tight flesh as her tongue flicked against it in an ever-increasing tempo. Maddened by the scents, the tastes, the sensations, her fingers slid along Kathleen's swollen lips to caress her clit in a rhythm to meet that of her tongue, the two working to drive Kathleen to that heated passion that could have only one release.

Riding on waves she could not control, Kathleen gripped her friend's shoulders, eyes shut as her body tightened with pure pleasure while Ellen's touch pushed her to the height of bliss. Unable to hold back the rush of passion, an orgasm crashed into her body with an intensity that made her cry out, her grip crushing Ellen to her as she rode it out.

Ellen's attentions began to soften gradually as she felt Kathleen's body relax, her hand rising to hug her friend to herself as she trailed a shower of kisses along her breast to caress her neck. She had not noticed the tears welling in her eyes until she opened them to gaze down on her friend, unable to hold in the joy of this moment that she hadn't dared dream could happen. Her fingers grazed Kathleen's cheek as she bent to give her a gentle kiss, adoration plain in the gentle embrace that continued long after they fell into peaceful sleep.