Maris had gotten pretty good at packing an overnight bag for Rory's house and packing it fast. She was out the door less than five minutes after hanging up with her girlfriend, enticed by the promise of kisses and (im)peach pie. She was in a good enough mood that she'd actually started to sing on the drive over, though she quickly shut up when she saw a teenager at a red light watching her try and imitate Stevie Nicks. Thank god she'd kept the windows rolled up.

Vain as she was (and she'd be the first to admit it), she felt a bit awkward standing outside in her pajamas (a baggy tank top and pilled yoga pants), but knew the other woman wouldn't leave her out on the doorstep for long once she'd knocked.

"If there's not pie I'm turning right back around," Maris announced as she stepped inside, bag hoisted up and onto her shoulder. "I really am peckish. I was too lazy to have anything other than a bowl of Special K for dinner."

Rory had gotten quite used to going to Maris' place, and loved being in her space. It was a different feeling to have her in her own, but a really pleasant one. She'd been in such a good mood all day, work was good and as her news alert on her phone announced something long awaited, her mood soared right to elation. Add to that the perfect end-of-summer time for stone fruit, she'd stopped by the store on her way home for provisions.

It made Rory feel utterly domestic in a really fun kind of way to be cooking when she heard the knock at the door. She should probably give her a key, the thought occurred to her. After coming home she'd changed into her own yoga pants and a loose t-shirt, and went padding around barefoot to get the door.

"I have flour all over my shirt, you bet there's gonna be pie." She had forgotten to get an apron so, there were indeed splotches of flour on her shirt. "I have some fixings if we want to have dinner sandwiches ... or I always have pasta." She smiled, reaching for Maris as soon as she was inside. "Hi," She said as an after-thought, smiling softly as she leaned in and kissed her her hello.

"Hi," Maris echoed, smiling as she closed the door behind her and put her bag down next to what she recognized as Rory's school one. "And I could make us some sandwiches if you want. I should probably let you stay on pie duty. I might be better than I used to be, but I still don't have the balls to try baking."

She followed Rory into the kitchen, remembering where everything she'd need was thanks to her recent (very frequent) overnight visits, pushing the refrigerator door shut with her hip.

It was pleasantly domestic, working in the kitchen side by side. It didn't take Maris long to prepare their favorite sandwiches and set them aside. Soon she was stealthily coming up behind Rory to snatch one of the peach slices she'd just finished off her plate, but not before she'd nuzzled her neck.

"How do you smell good in the middle of the night, huh?" she asked, popping it in her mouth before sliding her arms around her waist.

"I think you could do it if you really wanted to ... but you're really good on sandwiches, if I remember correctly." Rory said with a wink, kissing her cheek noisily before leading her off to the kitchen.

It probably shouldn't have even been that noticeable, but it was -- Rory couldn't help but watch Maris for a few moments, just as she moved about the kitchen. It felt so natural, having her in her space, moving around each other like they were meant to exist like this in the same space. Logically it was far too early (all things considered?) to be thinking about sharing a space with her permanently... but the thought had occurred to her more than once already.

Rory pretended to be shocked and appalled as Maris snatched a peach, making a show of plopping a few more freshly cut ones in the bowl. "Thief." She murmured, the word weak as goosebumps trailed from where Maris touched her neck.

"Well," She hummed in reply, pleasantly warm and leaning back into Maris' embrace. "I could say it's the peaches ... or just that you're biased." She grinned, moving as little as possible as she piled peaches into the pie crust she'd made. "You wanna help me put on the crumble top? I promise there's no skill involved." She teased with a laugh, turning her head enough that she could press a kiss to the side of Maris' face.

"Your faith in me is astounding," Maris said dryly, stealing another peach slice to get back at Rory for teasing before reluctantly letting her go, though she stayed right where she was. "Show me your ways, Martha." She paused dramatically, tilting her head. "You're not gonna get one of those beast dogs with the blue tongues and start hanging around with Snoop are you?"

Remembering a more serious topic she'd been mulling over in the car, she moved to Rory's side so she could look at her while she spoke. "Didn't you say school was closed tomorrow? The reason I ask is that I saw that they're having some kind of huge flea market downtown and I thought it'd be fun to go. Besides, there's this brunch place I keep hearing about and if I'm going to spend an absurd amount of money on lukewarm quiche and weak mimosas I'd rather do it with you."

"It's well earned." She chuckled, sighing a little bit as she felt Maris slip her arms from around her waist. Any time their contact broke, it seemed her body had such a dramatic response to it. Something that made her laugh thinking somewhere in her was just like bitch, you've been without her for so long, touch her!! "The cats would love a beast dog brother, don't you think? Though I guess those ones are the best known for attacking their owners ...huh." She made a face, shaking her head a moment later.

"Mm, I did say that." Rory smiled, seemingly her go-to expression when Maris was around, but this felt good. Making plans, making food together. Going out together. It's what she wanted more than anything -- a life with Maris. "I think that sounds like a perfect plan, actually. I bet you they'll have some gems for your house, too." She stepped to the side a little, reaching one of her hands for Maris'.

"Alright, get in here." She said, guiding her hand into the bowl of crushed up butter, flour, and sugar with cinnamon she'd gotten an arm workout making. She slid her fingers over Maris' as she dipped both of their hands together into the sandy-like substance, though not entirely needing to be such a hands-on guide. "Just scoop this on top of the peaches."

Maris couldn't help but smile. She was pleased, but unsurprising that she and Rory were on the same wavelength and not just because her girlfriend knew she was a sucker for antiques. One of the major draws of the flea market was the hope that she'd find some interesting things to decorate her house. She certainly had more space to fill now that she wasn't living in a one bedroom apartment and with everything that had happened lately, she had sort of accepted that she wasn't going back to one anytime soon. She wanted to stay anywhere Rory was.

"Ooh, is this how Demi Moore felt in Ghost?" she joked, but it was clear she was loving every second the other woman's hands were on hers. She let Rory guide her fingers, the sensation of crunching into the pie topping not entirely unpleasant. The closer she got to covering the pie, the closer she got to Rory, pressing her back against her a little more with each passing moment.

This kind of closeness was as comforting as it was intoxicating. She felt warm. Content. Home.

She turned around slowly, still encircled in her arms as she faced her. Her fingers were still dusted with crumble as she reached up to cup Rory's face and kiss her. She didn't care. In fact, judging from the giggle that escaped her lips about midway through, Maris had planned it that that way.

It did seem as though in the months since they had been reuniting, the pair of them really had been on the same page about a lot of things. While there were obviously some big conversations that should and would need to happen at some point, Rory was enjoying the day to day with Maris. Finding their flow again. Rory loved the idea of going to a flea market and picking out things for her house ... and wondering in a kind of far-off (but maybe not too?) way how they'd end up merging their houses together.

"Maybe a little less spooky ... a little." She chuckled, kissing the back of her shoulder. "Unless you're into that, then I can go flicker some lights." Rory paid less and less attention to what they were doing, and more to just how close Maris was to her. Her nose nudged the back of her ear, just enjoying how close they were. And doing something so ridiculously domestic. She loved it.

Rory couldn't help but laugh right back into their kiss, wrinkling her nose as she pulled back a few moments later. "You're getting sugar all over my face." She laughed, kissing her again but letting herself melt more into the kiss. Her arms circled around Maris, hugging herself in closer and trapping her there between herself and the counter. Her heartbeat picked up considerably as her tongue swept over her lips, tasting the faint residual peach taste there.

"Is that a problem? I mean Def Leppard wrote a song about it," she murmured cheekily against Rory's lips.

Maris parted hers when the other woman's tongue swept over them, the faint taste of peaches lingering in her mouth as well. She stroked Rory's cheek with her thumb, messy fingers be damned as the kiss showed no signs of stopping. It turned into something a bit more fierce, insistent as her hand moved around to grip the back of Rory's neck, her teeth nipping at her lower lip as she came up for air.

The look in her eyes told Rory she was in the mood for more than just pie.

"It doesn't need to go right in the oven, does it?" she mused aloud, letting their lips brush once more, a feather light tease of a touch.

"Oh she's so clever." She chuckled still against Maris' lips. Her heart rammed into her chest, her head already spinning from their kisses alone.

It was too easy to grow almost immediately greedy from the intensity of their kiss. She sighed a soft sound that almost sounded pathetically like a whimper as Maris deepened their kiss, Rory not far behind. Her hands gripped her sides, sliding her fingers that probably still had some traces of flour on them just under the hem of her shirt. Stroking her thumbs against her soft skin, another soft hum of a sound escaped her lips. The sound was semi-trapped between their lips, as her tongue slid into her mouth, seeking out hers.

"No," She answered breathlessly, a soft laugh escaping her lips at the sound of her own voice, so wanton and desperate. "It can wait a bit."

In a deft move, she slid the two of them just about a foot and a half away from their baking mess, where the only thing on her countertop was a cookbook. A wicked smile broke across her face as she kissed her again, quickly this time, and a moment later she was lifting Maris to sit on the counter. "Y'know I said..." She murmured, dragging her lips down her neck and pressing a kiss against the fabric of her shirt, though her hands were already guiding it up. "I've been looking forward to having you for my dessert."

"I have been told I'm delicious," Maris snickered, helping Rory out by pulling her tank top over her head. She was left in the black sports bra she had thrown on before leaving the house. Going out in public in her pajamas was kind of Maris' limit even if she had only walked down the driveway to her car. She wasn't bold enough to go braless too.

She'd gone for something easy to put on rather than something pretty, wanting to get to Rory as quickly as possible, but she was suddenly regretting that decision. Sports bras weren't exactly easy to get out of.

It stayed put for the time being. Once her shirt was gone, she pulled Rory in again by the hem of hers, licking her tongue the moment her lips parted, her other hand, finding it's spot once more on the back of Rory's neck, beginning to slide creep up and into her hair, her nails lightly grazing her scalp.

"I can confirm. But I better make sure." She laughed, huffing a little noise as Maris lost her top. Rory's grin only grew when she saw the sports bra she wore, finding that oddly (or maybe not even oddly) sexy as hell. Her hands slid up her stomach, her hands palming both breasts through the soft fabric as she kissed her again.

She liked the hurried way it seemed they so often ran for reach other - be it literally like coming over in the middle of the night, or more figuratively like how quickly they had become entangled with one another again. Inevitability came to mind, and how right it felt to be with her, always. It made Rory feel more and more confident in everything that was to come.

Maris knew Rory's particular weak points well, didn't she? An unabashed moan drowned against her lips as her hand wound into her hair, her kiss becoming increasingly intense, her tongue stroking against hers as she pressed her body harder into hers. She only tore her mouth away, kiss-swollen and flushed so she could gaze at the other woman a moment through heavy-lidded eyes. There was something primal to the way she felt, as her hands gripped the waist of her pants and began to tug them down as best she could. As she did, she kissed her neck, softly sucking as her teeth grazed the spot.

Rory's teeth only stoked the fire that was building in the pit of Maris' stomach. Her breath hitched, the sound just loud enough to be heard by the two of them. She scrambled to help her get her pants off, but in her haste to lift her hips, Maris temporarily lost her balance. She caught herself a split second later, a hand coming down to grip the edge of the counter.

A nervous laugh bubbled out from her lips, but once that temporary spike of fear subsided, the adrenaline that came with it didn't go away. Her heart was racing even faster than it had been before and she wanted to chase that feeling, which is why her next kiss was rougher than the ones that came before it. She let Rory get rid of the pants she'd pushed far enough down her legs to reach, then whispered two words against her lips.

"Fuck me."

At this point, Rory liked to think that she'd become a bit of a master at eliciting sounds from Maris - and each one drove her wild. She huffed a sound of her own as she tugged at her pants, which immediately became a laugh as she reached forward to press her hand against Maris' side. "Careful." She laughed, kissing the side of her face and then her lips -- the laugh eventually drowned out by the depth of their kiss.

Certain things, and even more certain words when coming from Maris struck something so deeply inside of Rory that it was hard to reconcile with her human-brain such big feelings -- and such overwhelming ones. Her hands slid down Maris' legs, dragging her pants down the rest of the way. The grin she flashed as she pulled back was a wicked one, as she braced her hands on Maris' knees and dropped to her own.

The ache in her knees from her kitchen tile floor would undoubtedly be something to contend with later, but at present she felt none of it. Her hands smoothed their way along Maris' thighs, pushing them apart, as her lips came to press open-mouthed kisses against the inside of her knee, and then closer on her thigh. She let her tongue lash against her skin, just seconds before her teeth grazed the spot. She loved drawing this out, no matter how impatient she was, too. Rory just felt lucky she was tall, else she'd have to pull Maris halfway off the counter.

Her eyes cast upwards as she finally made her way between Maris' legs in earnest, her tongue dragging slowly along her folds as she moaned from the immediate contact.

It was funny to reflect on the fact that Maris was more or less naked and perched on the kitchen counter of a house she'd only visited for the first time a few weeks before. Or it would have been if Maris could think about anything other than Rory's close proximity to her thighs.

She wasn't a very patient person. Maris could get downright agitated when she was being teased, but she'd grown to appreciate just how good at Rory was at drawing out her pleasure when they dated the first time around. These days, she loved it even more because she'd learned not to take a single second or touch for granted. It would pay off, in the end. No matter how maddening it was now.

Naturally dark eyes got even darker when Rory dropped her knees. Maris appreciated the sight before her, which is why she wanted to give her something to look at too. It took a bit of awkward maneuvering because you could never effortlessly pull a sports bra over her head, but after a few moments Maris was sitting bare in front of her.

Rory's mouth made contact with her a moment later, eliciting a full body shudder that already had her sliding a little closer to the edge of the counter for more. Her sighs and sharp intakes of breath were soft, partly because Maris liked being able to hear the faint sound of Rory's lips and tongue against her pussy, but as her hips found a steady rhythm, she began to moan, her hands wandering as they inadvertently sprinkled what was left of the pie topping on her fingers all through her lover's hair.

The sight of Maris taking her sports bra off was a welcome one, and would have made her laugh just at the sheer determination of her girlfriend, had it not been that her mouth was otherwise occupied. Her gaze kept steady, using the angle she had beneath her to truly take in the sight of this woman like some godly creature -- who was all hers. Rory always let her mind run away with all the poetic, flowery stuff that she otherwise MOSTLY kept at bay most of the time. Her brain was otherwise muddled and filled with too much desire to properly halt those thoughts and call them out for being ridiculous.

Rory would have liked to take her time, to really draw out teasing Maris and earn a sort of heated demand of more attention, of fucking her -- but she couldn't. The moment her tongue met the taste of her pussy, she couldn't stop the primal groan that rumbled deep in her chest, and the desire for more, to bring her pleasure. She'd have to feel sorry for anyone who didn't entirely, unabashedly love giving their partner this kind of pleasure. Mostly straights, to be honest.

She moaned as Maris' hips began to move, one hand pressing against her thigh, her fingers digging into her skin as her tongue lapped against her. The taste of her on her tongue only spurred her on, her tongue making quick, almost frantic movements against her clit before she slowed herself down, almost painfully slow in dragging the flat of her tongue against the same spot.

Her own heart rammed harder in her chest, Rory's hunger for Maris unwavering as she moaned. Maris' hands in her hair -- that always would do her in. She hummed, her sound vibrating against Maris' clit as she sucked softly at it for a few beats. "Fuck," She panted, her voice barely above a whisper as she took a breath, her grin wet from Maris' sex before she moved her hands to grip Maris' ass and pull her even further just to the edge of the counter. She kept her steady, as she moved back to where she was, this time driving her tongue inside of her as far as she could.

One of the best things about Maris and Rory was that they didn't need to speak. They could communicate with a look or in this case, a series of soft sighs. They were never so wordlessly in sync as they were in moments like these which is why Maris shouldn't have been surprised when Rory gave her exactly what she wanted (and if the little electric jolts shooting through her body were any indication, needed) when she slipped her tongue inside her.

"Oh fuck, yeah," she gasped, the last word of her breathy sentence turning into a groan as she rocked against her tongue.

She was coming against it what seemed like moments later, one hand gripping Rory's hair and the other, the counter for dear life.

Rory always became so focused on Maris, which was even before they were having sex, but all the more so when they were. She had a singular goal to bring her pleasure, and every sound and gasp that came from the other woman only drove her more towards that goal. It drove her absolutely crazy to listen to her as she passed her tongue over everywhere she knew would give her pleasure. She loved the way Maris moved with her, how she pulled at her hair that gave her a thrill of pleasure with the slight pain of it.

She couldn't even stop herself from grinning as she lapped her tongue over Maris' pussy, humming a deep sound as she brought her through her orgasm. "Fucking good," Her words were a near-growl as she kissed her folds almost as an after-thought, then kissed her stomach and continued dragging almost lazy kisses over her body on her way up to her lips while she pulled herself up to stand.

"Worth the delay?" She said with a somewhat cheeky grin, leaning in and kissing her deeply, her arms circling around her waist to push herself in close to her lover's body.

"You're always worth the wait," Maris purred. She was a little unsteady on her feet as she slid off the counter. The adrenaline from her orgasm had her feeling not quite solid, which is why she kept hold of Rory. Even as she slowly began to lick every trace of her from her lips with her tongue.

"My turn," she said once she'd finished, but her tone (and words) implied that she wasn't finished with Rory.

Still slightly breathless, she backed the other woman into the living room, then on to the couch. She got Rory out of her clothes just as quickly as she had gotten her out of hers but she didn't waste much time with foreplay. Maris wanted to taste her and knew her lover well enough to know just how much she liked watching her fall apart. Rory was ready for her, so why waste time? What was the point in making her wait any longer to feel the satisfaction she was already feeling? Maris meant what she said the first time they'd had sex. One of her favorite things about being a lesbian was the idea that her partner could feel exactly what she was feeling at the exact same time.

She slid downward, positioning herself between Rory's legs in one smooth motion. Her tongue was on her clit in moments, stroking it with a slow, but steady rhythm with just the right amount of pressure as she brought one of her legs over her shoulder, her eyes never leaving Rory's the entire time.

While Maris' sentiment definitely struck Rory as meaning far more than their present, Rory didn't have a lot of time or mental capacity to get lost in the meaningfulness of it. She was far too busy kissing Maris, a soft moan escaping her lips as her tongue moved over her lips. Fuck, that sent a spike of heat straight between her legs.

"We're so fair in this house." She chuckled, the sound of it somewhat rushed and breathy as her heart was beating too fast for her to really make much of the joke.

Rory's arms kept hold around Maris as they shuffled off to the living room, a trail of her clothes tossed haphazardly and she didn't even care. The thrumming beat of desire kept her focused on the singular - and that singular was Maris. Rory kissed her for as long as she could, but gave up as she flopped back onto the couch.

Biting her lower lip, she watched Maris with great interest, something that she'd always loved about their sex in particular. That connection was always there, even in the throes of intense pleasure. Rory was almost too-ready, too eager, so as soon as she felt Maris' tongue, her whole body gave a sort of involuntary jolt. "Fuck," She cooed, laughing a little at her own reaction. She reached down to run her fingers through Maris' hair, her other hand coming up to squeeze one of her own breasts. "Right there," Her voice was a breathy wine as she rocked into Maris' mouth.

Maris' hand eventually slid upwards, gently nudging Rory's out of the way to replace it with hers. Her thumb circled the other woman's nipple while her tongue circled her clit, though, once she felt Rory beginning to relax, she began to suck on it instead.

As much as she wanted to stay exactly where she was, she eventually had to come up for air, lips glistening the same way Rory's had moments before. "It's not green, but I think I kind of like this couch too," she teased, a devilish grin on her face before she got back to work.

She was even more insistent, greedy than she had been seconds before. Her tongue moved over every inch of Rory but always gravitated toward the place she knew would please her best. Her hand closed around her breast, squeezing as hard as she could while she moaned against her, pleased to be pleasing her as she started to suck once more.

God, what was it like for people who had partners who didn't know their way around their bodies? Poor things, really, as Rory couldn't relate. It wasn't even something they could blame just loving women -- Maris knew her, and knew what made her body sing with pleasure. A fact evidenced as Rory's back arched and she gasped, the sensation of Maris' mouth sucking on her clit sending shivers through her.

"You look good on blue." She laughed, the sound breathless through the rapid sound of her panting. Her fingers squeezed over Maris' on her breast, her short nails digging into her wrist as she clutched onto her arm.

Maris really was that perfect partner for Rory in a lot of ways, but she had entirely mastered the art (because Rory would fight anyone who said it was anything less than) of building Rory's pleasure to a breaking point. She moaned along with her, her sounds becoming increasingly loud, increasingly desperate sounding as she rocked into her mouth. "Fuck, Maris," She purred her words, her voice breaking as she said her name and her whole body seemed to jolt with the intensity of her orgasm. It was only then that her eyes slammed shut, as Rory felt incapable of keeping them open as she rode out her pleasure.

Maris slid up her body once it was all over, resting their foreheads together. She looked as satisfied as Rory felt because she was in more ways than one. She had pleased and been pleased.

And was now pleasantly spent with no intention of going anywhere anytime soon.

"God, I love you," she murmured, her lips feather light as they found Rory's. "Every fucking bit."

_{the next day}

I love you could be a sentiment overused, between friends, from overzealous relatives who just really want you to say it back. It never felt superfluous whenever Rory heard it from Maris, or whenever she said it back -- which both seemed to happen with increasing frequency. She meant it down to her bones when she said it, and hoped she never got used to the warm rush that it gave her to hear Maris say it - naked or clothed, it didn't matter.

Eventually pie was baked, and eaten in various states of undress, and Rory had been damn glad for those sandwiches, too. Nothing about getting together was easy, but there was an ease to being with Maris that she loved. It gave her a sense of peace she never really had before.

That no-rush mentality carried over to bedtime (or lack thereof) and waking when they felt like it. Showering together was always tricky, cause Rory was terribly distracted. Eventually they were able to get clothes on and leave the house, with some reluctance and about a thousand kisses in the span of night time to late morning.

"Okay, we're on a mission." She said with her best game-face on, her ensemble very fall but very, well, quintessentially gay with a white t-shirt covered up with a blue flannel shirt, and jeans with her favorite doc martens. But it was finally fall and feeling like it, which put her in the best of moods. Or maybe that was the woman she currently had by the hand. Her fingers comfortably laced through hers as she took in the spans of the flea market, her free hand gesturing widely. "This is going to be like one giant scavenger hunt ... but for things you'll actually use."

The chilly fall air had Maris glad she'd remembered to toss her leather jacket into her bag before leaving her house the night before. She wore it over a black and white striped shirt and black skinny jeans. Her boots made her just a little taller, though she regretted them slightly once she realized the flea market wasn't just outdoors. It was in a parking lot full of gravel, difficult terrain to navigate in skinny high heels.

"Maybe some things I don't need," she said with a grin. "Bringing home junk is half the fun."

She was finding less of that than she expected. Sure, the first few tables were full of baby clothes and handmade knives, two things she neither had interest in or use for, but she found herself drawn to a table full of jewelry, despite the fact that she didn't wear it very often. The pieces were older and clearly well cared for, mostly rings and tiny pins.

She knew Rory had just taken off an engagement ring, but surrounded by so many gorgeous ones, Maris couldn't help but think about getting one for her. Or, at the very least, which sort her girlfriend would like (and whether she'd liked the one Jess had given her at all).

It was a sudden thought, not to mention a strange one for someone as opposed to the idea of marriage as she was. But Maris had begun to accept that Rory was the exception to so many of her rules.

"Ooh, look a lock of some dead person's hair. So chic," Maris said, waving a braided mourning broach at Rory playfully to lighten her mood. "Should I get it for you? Sure its all the rage this year."

When they had been together before, there had been so much that Rory wished they could get away with in their own little town. Something as simple as going to dinner together and holding hands without having to snap their hands apart the minute they spotted someone they worked with. Maybe Maine was a terrible place initially that hugely contributed to their breakup, but maybe part of what they needed was to get away, go some place new that was theirs. Now they might have other peoples' eyes on them, but she just wanted to hold tighter to Maris, no matter what.

"I'm going to draw the line at a hideous floor lamp that clashes with everything." She laughed, leading her onto the row of booths.

Flea markets were always such weird spaces - some random gems that were absolute finds (and often steals at that), but otherwise a lot of junk, too. But Rory loved them, finding adventure in the very eclectic nature of them.

As they approached the booth, she let her fingers run along a silver hairbrush. Now she wouldn't exactly condone buying an old hairbrush, but it was pretty and ornate. It was the rings however, that stole her attention as well. A tightness rose in her throat, but not because of anything she'd just been through, but because of things long past she'd never talked about, because they would only hurt to remember ... but there was a thrilling idea too. That now they had this big open space to make their future whatever the hell they wanted it to be. That, made her smile already as she looked up to the brooch.

Now Rory tried not to make a face, because god forbid she make someone feel bad about the merchandise they were selling but ... yikes. "Oh yeah, but wouldn't it just be more sentimental to snip each others' hair and wear them? I think they did that in ... Regency era? You're the historian, correct me."

She'd read it in an Austen book, naturally.

The idea of having an actual piece of your lover with you at all times was romantic. Even someone who was as occasionally cynical as Maris could concede that but hair? She couldn't even stand when strands of her own fell down and littered her shirts. She definitely wouldn't purposefully pin some to one, even if it was Rory's.

"They did," Maris said with an amused expression, idly tracing a pair of thin silver hoops with her fingertip. "But you don't wanna know what kind of hair Anne Lister took from her girlfriends." She gave Rory a devilish grin, then sat down the brooch.

She wandered away from the table, the idea of getting Rory a ring gone but not entirely forgotten. It was placed on an increasingly growing list of somedays and maybes, but she was struck by how much she didn't want it to be the latter.

Since the food at brunch was well worth the over inflated price, Maris had eaten a bit too much banana nut french toast before they arrived. Her jeans were a little bit tighter than they had been before she left the house, but as she smelled the rich, cinnamony scent of hot apple cider being offered at a food stand, she couldn't resist tugging Rory toward it. She could make room, especially for a treat she didn't get very often.

Once her drink was in hand she felt cliched, but pleasantly falllike and leaned a bit closer to Rory even though her cider was doing a pretty good job at fending off the chill.

"Books?" she suggested, nodding toward a table full of cardboard boxes packed with them. They were one of the few things Maris didn't need. But neither party had ever been any good at curbing the other's habit to collect them.

Rory did suppose that there was some evolution in the idea of carrying around a piece of your partner - not that Angelina with Billy Bob was a great example with vials of blood, but who was she to really judge? Not exactly for Rory, she preferred something a little different in her sentimentality. Less DNA-centric.

"Oh, I read exactly what you're talking about." She laughed, her brow arching like 'don't get any ideas'. Rory had done a bit of a deep-dive into the Lister-Walker romance, as, well, she felt like she might owe a bunch to the current representation of them.

Her hand gradually found Maris' again, a comfortable kind of gravitational pull as they wandered about the market. Fall had always been Rory's favorite time of year, the crispness in the air and yes, all the fall flavors (though she'd never been basic enough to fully embrace that pumpkin spice life).

Rory got momentarily distracted by a dog across the walkway, but immediately perked to attention at the idea of books. "We definitely don't need more books." She said, even as she started off in that direction, sipping at her own cider. "You know, I bet we can find some real gold in these boxes." She dropped her voice like she was conspiring for something, then taking full advantage of how she'd leaned into Maris a little by kissing her cheek.

"I bet you can find some real gold in these boxes," Maris countered, seizing her own opportunity to take advantage of their closeness to lean in and whisper in Rory's ear. "I'm a picky bitch."

She was pretty particular about just about every aspect of her life. Her rants on historical fiction may have been her most passionate and the sort that came out of her mouth most often but she was choosy about just about everything she read. Life was too short to read something that she wouldn't enjoy or learn anything from. Fiction may have been the product of someone's imagination, but Maris liked hers to be a little more grounded in reality. Tales of instant love or people with impossibly glamorous, uncomplicated lives had no place on her bookshelves.

It probably would have made more sense to split up and scour the boxes separately to cover more ground faster. The pair knew their tastes well enough to know which books to set aside for each other, but Maris didn't want to wander even a few feet away from Rory, choosing to peer over her shoulder to check out what was on display instead.

"Is that a..." Maris snickered, reaching over to snatch a book out of the box. She grinned as she opened the book, a very vividly illustrated edition of the Kama Sutra to show it to Rory before cracking up. "Oh these are...these are interesting." She pointed to all three Fifty Shades novels in the far corner of the first box. "And look, The Story of O... really. Really very fascinating."

She didn't know what kind of stand they'd stumbled onto but it was clear that as sarcastic as she was, Maris was delighted by this turn of events and stood on tiptoe to try and see what the seller (and owner) of said books looked like.

"I have impeccable taste, even if not picky." She said with a scoff, though grinning all the while. "I'll consider myself lucky you held me to your high standards." Rory smirked as she murmured back, kissing her cheek again.

Odd as it might sound, Maris' high standards that varied depending on the subject was one of Rory's favorite things about her. Probably telling of just how much she absolutely loved Maris, but she could happily listen to her go on a rant about just about anything and end up more enamored with her than ever. Her girlfriend was nothing if not passionate, and that fueled her own when she wanted to share something ridiculous that Rory loved. Even if she didn't understand something Maris was going to go on about, she would listen just as intently. That's love, right?

As of late, especially, Rory liked keeping Maris within arm's reach. Days were hard enough having to go off to work (which she did love) or errands or whatever other adult things separated them. Feeling Maris over her shoulder, she grinned, her hand absentmindedly reaching for wherever she could touch - which happened to be her side, so her fingers sort of toyed with the fabric of her shirt. "What?" Distraction aside, Rory's eyes went a little wide as she pursed her lips together to keep herself from laughing over what sort of a booth they'd wandered into.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" She asked, lowering her voice a moment later. "Cause I'd say we are the antithesis of problematic in the ... Story of O department." She snickered, digging in to tilt over some more books to leaf through them.

The woman in the booth was ... well, if Rory had to dream up the exact person who would own this booth, she probably couldn't have even dreamed up a more perfect vision. Her gray hair was in a braid, and she had a kind face with glasses that dangled on a chain around her neck -- which lay over about 20 more necklaces than any human needed to wear at once. Rory half expected her pockets to be full of crystals for fertility and sparking romance.

Rory grinned, biting at her lower lip in a failed attempt to stifle it as she turned to Maris, her fingers dancing along the small of her back. "Maybe they have the lesbian Kama Sutra, and we can just really go ham with our sexual literature. Coffee table edition?"

"I don't need a book," Maris scoffed, puffing out her chest a bit at the very idea of some sort of sex manual. "Besides," she whispered as an afterthought. "Just because you can twist someone into a pretzel doesn't mean you should."

Or that it was even remotely pleasurable.

Most of the other paperbacks had some sort of erotic component, how tos or literature to help your imagination get going. Maris was interested in neither, but her fingers did stop once they reached Anaïs Nin's diaries. She'd read Little Birds and Delta of Venus, never feeling the urge to revisit them more than once, but her diaries were the stuff of legend and more her speed because they were useful from a historical standpoint. Something told her she could relate to her wildly romantic years with Henry Miller now more than ever. She picked all four since every volume since each spanned the course of a few years, then went to poke through a few more boxes.

Once she'd had her fill, she went up to pay their love guru with some trepidation. She even smelled like Maris anticipated, a strong heady mix of various essential oils that didn't play off each other very well. She slipped her books into the tote she'd brought for the occasion, a tan canvas bag with the slogan SUPPORT WOMEN WHO MAKE A LOT OF MEN MAD, a sentiment that earned her a smile and compliment from the seller.

Anaïs probably did fit into that category.

There was fall produce on display too. Maris was tempted to buy some squash, remembering a dish that she made for Rory years ago but never again since, but the pumpkins and gourds in every imaginable color were what really caught her eye.

"Didn't you say you wanted to carve one? Or we could go full on basic and go to the pumpkin patch to pick out one instead..."

"You sure don't." She agreed, the suggestive nature of her tone not entirely purposeful. Rory laughed, nodding as she put down a book that looked very simple on the front cover, but boasted a bit too wild (and too straight, honestly) of a ride for her taste. "Nothing more embarrassing than calling an ambulance because you pulled something you shouldn't have while trying to mimic, well, that." Rory gestured towards an image, perhaps from the same book Maris had pointed out earlier, but had then been emblazoned on a coaster. Classy.

She took a step back while Maris made her purchase, smiling softly to herself as she watched the pair of women interact. She shouldn't have been so struck by how normal all of this felt, but she was. Here they had stumbled into an erotica booth as easily as they might have a housewares. She could so clearly see a lifetime of weekends like this, spent exploring parts of whatever town or city they were in. Not for the first time, Rory was reminded of their adventures, and she felt a longing to take Maris traveling again.

"Next we've just got to find the booth with the sex swings and harnesses with a wall of zip masks." She grinned, reaching back for Maris' hand as they walked away to maybe more wholesome booths - slightly more boring, sure. "Ooh I love these." She reached for one of the weirder looking gourds, with bumps all over it and a smattering of bright fall colors on its skin.

"I did say that... and we could fully embrace our most basic selves. But you've got to realize if we do that, I'm making you go full out. Hayrides, corn maze, whatever farm-games they have..." She flashed Maris a cheeky grin, pulling herself back in closer to her orbit -- because she couldn't not, it seemed. "So you've got to decide if you can stomach all that, or we just get some pumpkins here and I spare you the full ridiculousness of my fall holiday self."

Fall was Maris' favorite time of year too. She appreciated the mild weather and with it, the opportunity to break out her precious blazers. They were something of her trademark and she'd only added more to her collection in the time she and Rory had been apart. She was the sort of person who could stand being cold far better than she could being hot, but winter wasn't quite as magical for her as it had been for everyone else until Rory entered the picture. Hannakuh was great, an excuse to gather around with her small, close family but Maris had never truly been a believer so there had never been much to be excited about. Christmas was more exciting and easier to indulge in because you didn't have to treat it like some solemn occasion (and Maris couldn't think of a single jewish holiday that wasn't a somber, guilt driven affair), but she'd sort of stopped once Rory left the picture. She suddenly realized she had a lot to look forward to this year beyond turkeys and pumpkin patches. It was like the world had finally gotten a shot of technicolor again.

She'd never indulged in fall traditions beyond some seasonal beverages (she actually liked pumpkin spice, but was loathe to admit it, it was hardly on brand for a woman who could sometimes behave like she was above everyone else) and a failed attempt to learn to knit when she wanted a new scarf and couldn't find anything she liked in stores. Hayrides and even wandering around a field in search of a pumpkin sounded horrible when her allergies were as bad as they were, but nothing sounded horrible when Rory was in the equation. And even if she didn't want to do any of those things well, she could hardly deny her girl anything. Maris was addicted to making Rory smile by any means necessary.

"What the hell is a farm game?" Maris asked. It was a genuine question. She was nothing if not a city hell, an indoor person. Byron was honestly the closest Maris had ever gotten to a wild animal.

Maris liked to think of herself as capable, the sort of person who could handle any sort of situation but if she was ever in some sort of wilderness survival scenario she'd have been as helpless as Paris Hilton at a Mensa meeting.

"Are we going to tip cows then be surprised when they get up and try and trample us?" Her lips twitched. "I'm not a farmer lesbian from a Fannie Flagg novel, Ror. Although I did pick up a pretty cute men's flannel thrifting the other day..."

If she were going to be that person, Rory might lament that the only thing she'd miss about the summer season was the shorter shorts and tank tops -- the overall lack of full coverage clothing that she could look forward to on her girlfriend. Not that they had a real tendency to wear clothes at all when it was just the two of them. Still, the fall and even wintery months were her favorite, and she couldn't wait to fully embrace them with Maris. All the holidays that were just on the horizon made Rory almost giddy with excitement over them -- and though she might be a little nervous about Thanksgiving and what kind of dynamic she'd be walking into now that they were back together, she couldn't wait for it. She felt like each holiday, big or small that they were going to celebrate would feel all the more important.

Now they'd get to build traditions for themselves, and Rory had no doubt in her mind that they'd carry whatever they did on with them. She was struck again, just thinking about that, at how much they had to look forward to, and how certain she was that the future was always going to be them. They'd just had one road block they'd had to get over.

"Like ... corn hole? I mean we could attempt to tip a cow, but we might get run off the farm." She laughed, shaking her head at the mere idea of it.

Growing up in California, though in a city, had given her a lot of opportunity to go off into nature - whether or not she was particularly into it. Her grandparents were big on taking Rory and her sister into the Redwoods, and her mother, bless her, tried to get them interested in outdoors more than video games. No matter where they went, even the dreaded summer camping trips, Rory was usually found sitting on a rock or in the tent somewhere with her nose in a book. Though she had been sporty in her youth, she really had only been such as a means of knowing that'd get her into good schools. She genuinely hadn't loved being into sports.

"I'm gonna need you to show me this flannel." She said with a grin as she caught sight of a booth that had hand-made ceramics. Some pots had succulents in them, others were bowls and mugs, all with a unique coloring and shape to them. "I probably should have asked you exactly what sort of thing you're in actual need of. You know I like going in with a plan."

She smirked, amused but undeniably charmed that her girlfriend couldn't even go shopping without a plan in mind. Maris was usually the same, nothing if not efficient but even she knew...

"You can't go to the flea market with a plan, Ror! You're at the mercy of other people's junk!"

A vendor selling old clocks and faded artwork didn't seem to take too kindly to Maris' use of the j-word and shot her a dirty look that she quickly shuffled them away from.

"I want... I don't know, things that make home more...homey? I'm not going anywhere for a while."

It was the first time Maris had admitted she wasn't leaving Maine as quickly as she anticipated. It still wasn't her favorite place, but it had Rory and with all the changes being a published author and navigating her book's release would bring, she didn't think she had it in her to navigate any more. For better or worse, Maine was going to be her home base for a while.

A stall that sold various scented things, mainly oils (that the older lady they'd run into clearly indulged in), soaps and incense was another one Maris should have avoided. She didn't need them any more than she needed more reading material but she was just as much a sucker for making her space smell nice as she was filling it with books.

She sneezed as she smelled a particularly strong, woodsy scent but almost immediately picked up another stick of incense to give it a try. "Do you like this one?" she asked, shoving it under Rory's nose. The scent was faint, but pleasantly floral and the gleam in Maris' eye was a hint of what was to come.

They'd had a particularly intense night surrounded by burning sandalwood in Maris' bedroom when they first started dating, the sticks burning down to ash in her incense box long before they were finished. It had honestly felt akin to a religious experience, which was probably why she hadn't bought any, at least in incense form, it was something of her signature scent perfume wise, when they were apart.

The memories attached were entirely too strong and she didn't want them to turn bittersweet and painful.

"You're teaching me to fly by the seat of my pants more, alright alright." She laughed, which doubled when Rory caught sight of the man who currently glared at her girlfriend. Whoops.

While Rory was scanning nearby booths for "homey" things, she felt everything sort of ... suddenly halt in her when Maris mentioned staying a while. She supposed that they hadn't really talked about it thus far - what the future they wanted might look like, where they might be, whether or not Maine was the ultimate destination. "Oh yeah?" She said, her tone as casual as she could muster -- which wasn't very at all.

"Not to be all Titanic on you, but good cause where you go, I go." And she meant that. They could get into deeper conversation and decide what they wanted in their future -- but she didn't have to stay in Maine. She loved it, but she loved Maris more. There could be more schools to open all over the place, anyway.

Rory let herself be led over to the scented tent, chuckling a little as she blessed Maris' sneeze. She looked over at a diffuser, distracted as she turned back to Maris and the incense that was shoved under her nose. While she laughed to start, that thick scent gave her an almost immediate, guttural heady feeling. "Oh," She said softly, as she moved her hand to brace against her side.

They said that scent was the sense most directly tied to memory, and sher certainly felt that was true. Jasmine always made her think of summers at home where her mother bloomed the stuff around her Japanese Maples, truffle and fresh flour made her think of Italy, and this, that Sandalwood brought with it such intense and arousing memories that she nearly lost her knees. "You need to get some of that." She said, her voice somewhat choked in her throat as she leaned in closer to her, her lips brushing against her ear after she'd nudged her cheek with her nose. "And we need to get home soon."

Maris smirked, pleased that the scent had brought back the memory she'd been hoping for. It was already strong, precious, powerful but knowing that Rory had hung on to it too made her appreciate it all the more. She didn't need to be told twice. Since the incense was cheaper when bought in increments of 10, she stocked up, buying a bundle of sandalwood and a mixture of various scents she let Rory choose and weigh in on. She would be smelling them too, after all.

They'd barely even made a dent in the flea market, visiting less than a quarter of the booths but Maris was ready to go home and recreate that moment all over again.

It would probably be even better this time around. She had never taken Rory for granted, but there was no denying they appreciated each other more these days. Nevermind the fact that they'd gotten even better at making each other come.

She was buzzing with anticipation as she made her way to the car, eager enough to start kissing Rory the moment they shut the doors behind them. It was a rare display of very public affection on Maris' part (their little tryst in the backseat at the gala more a result of their circumstances), but she couldn't help it and kissing in her car did seem better, or at least a bit more private than kissing her in the middle of the crowd.

She would have never done it if she spotted someone, (one of Jess' friends) doing a double take as she walked past the window, but neither of them did.

"You held me so tight that night," she murmured against her lips, eyes opening just as their spy scampered out of sight. "I had five little fingertip shaped bruises on my back for a week."

She'd been somewhat disappointed to see them go.

So much of what built their relationship back when they'd first begun were little moments. The littler things were indeed what Rory dwelled on all the more in their time apart. It wasn't the big trips they took themselves, but the little moments during. Maneuvering twin beds into one in a tiny hotel room, or when they'd stupidly thought they would just split a gelato because they were so full on pasta, only to return to the same cart for more. It was any given night where they'd settle in comfortably to read or watch tv, various limbs draped over each other. It was a kiss before work, or those stolen at work. Every little thing that made up the huge feelings that only their relationship could give her.

Maybe Rory should have felt bad for so blatantly knowing the difference, but there it was. One was clearly what she was meant to have forever.

There would be other days for the flea market, Rory thought to herself as the gripped her hand and beelined for the car once she was done with her purchasing. She made a mental note to return for a scarf booth they passed by on their exit.

Rory was laughing by the time their lips crashed together, the sound tapering off into a little groan as she leaned across the median to kiss Maris. She was breathless already, hungry in a way only Maris could really draw out of her. Memories of their last tryst in the car were vivid, but she wanted more space and time with Maris.

She hadn't even been thinking about who could see them, or if anyone was looking at all. In fact, she'd stopped caring altogether as evidenced by how openly she was happily walking along with Maris, going to brunch, just living her life. Maybe Rory should have been more careful, but ... why? What was done was in fact done, and she wasn't going to dim down her happiness.

"I'll try to give you ten this time." She smiled, breathlessly kissing her again before she pulled back enough to give them a breather. "We should get home before I pull you into the back seat again." Even as she spoke, her hand moved between Maris' legs, gripping her thigh as she kissed her quickly again, then dropping a kiss on her shoulder. "Drive safely, please." She said as innocently as she could muster, biting her lower lip to barely hide a smile.

"Tease," she sneered, but there was a smile on her face. They made it to her place relatively quickly. Maris had a lead foot even when she wasn't in a hurry to get someplace, yet another of the many reasons she wasn't the best driver. But they arrived at the house in one piece and Maris fished the incense out of her tote the moment they stepped inside.

"Just give me a minute!" she said, taking off toward her bedroom like a shot. "I'm serious, no peeking."

It seemed important to set (or in this case, recreate) the mood, but this was an entirely different space. Since she'd been favoring glass candles lately, she wasn't entirely sure where the box to store her burning incense was, but her days as a broke college student had taught her that you could shove sticks into a potted plant in a pinch. The ash would fall and sparks would die once they hit the soil.

It was a much larger room than her previous one, but she only lit one, wanting the scent to be present, not overwhelming. As she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, she ran a hand through her hair to smooth down a strand that wasn't laying quite right, suddenly wondering if she should do more. Her underwear had been a hit that night, a matching lace set in a deep burgundy. She'd gotten rid of them once the elastic started to show in the panties, tossing the bra out a few years later once the underwire started to poke through. She probably had something similar these days and started to open her drawer to search for it before she laughed at her own ridiculousness.

There was such a thing as too much effort and peeling away each other's clothes that night had been half the fun. Half the reason Rory liked her lingerie that night was because she'd had to discover it.

And she had had the foresight to pack a bra and panties (not her favorite, but hardly her shabbiest set) that matched before leaving her house the night before.

She laughed as she walked down the stairs, realizing they'd ended up at an entirely different house than the one they'd woken up in, but it was fitting that this moment was happening here. The old one had happened at her place too.

"Now see, I'm trying to remember exactly what happened before. I had the incense burning in my room because I had been cleaning and I wanted to smell something other than bleach," she said as she came down the last stair to meet Rory. It was a bit of a lie. If anything, she remembered that night a little too well, but she wanted to see if her girlfriend did too.

"We were in my bed. Clothed, unfortunately. Grading papers because we'd promised to get some work done and my bed had more room than the green couch but you..."

She grinned, reaching for her reading glasses on the nearest end table and put them on Rory. "You were wearing your reading glasses and I just couldn't help myself." She took Rory's hand, leading her toward the stairs.

While Rory had to remind herself that crashing due to wandering hands would be good for nobody, that didn't stop her from keeping a hand on Maris throughout the relatively short drive back.

"What??" She gasped a little incredulously, as though it were the shock of her life that she couldn't race right up after Maris. A grin was on her face as she watched her disappear up the stairs, shaking her head as she dragged a hand through her hair. "Sixty seconds, Maris." She called after her as sternly as she could muster.

Recreating memories had never been something she thought would be so ... intense. Just from the scent alone and now back to Maris' place - a different place, but one with a similar vibe because it was hers. Since they'd started again, it was something distinct that Rory had noticed: how much she missed being surrounded by all things Maris. She missed finding something she'd left behind at her place, and she'd missed the difference in their whole aesthetic that somehow still complimented each other.

Rory busied herself with thinking over that, and taking her boots off by the door at least to stop herself from being impatient and charging up the stairs after Maris. Which ... she was nearly going to do but then Maris was walking down the stairs and Rory, for her part, was entirely distracted. God. How did she live so long without having this woman to look at every day?

She felt a gravitational pull as Maris descended, where she met her at the bottom stair and placed a hand on the wall next to her. "A definite mood booster. The incense was a far better choice than ... chemical." She smirked, leaning in a little bit to encroach on her space. Just her proximity and knowing what she was doing made Rory's heart beat faster.

"Why we ever wore clothes around each other is beyond me. Still a mystery, actually." She grinned, reaching forward to let her fingers dance over her hips. "Might have been a ploy to get you to bed, but, I reveal nothing." Rory laughed softly, scrunching her nose at the other woman as he glasses were poised on her face.

Loosely lacing her fingers through Maris', she picked up her pace to follow her upstairs, where she was immediately hit like a wallop by the scent that made everything a little dazy. "And I think you reached over and circled a spelling error on one of the papers I was grading."

She smirked, dropping a soft kiss to the back of Maris' neck before she deftly slipped past her to climb onto the bed. She sat cross-legged, much as she had that night so long ago. Adjusting the glasses on her face, she leaned back a little and grabbed a book from the nightstand, making a show of opening it up and reading. "I think I just like to seduce you with my studious nature."

She smirked as Rory pushed past her to sit on the bed. Maris' glasses may not have been hers but they suited her all the same and more than did their part in helping her remember that night.

She unzipped her boots, placing them in front of her closet before joining her girlfriend on the bed, her voice husky as she continued the story neither of them needed to hear, but god, it turned her on to tell it. "And you had a mini heart attack because my pen was the wrong color and didn't match. Don't deny it, either. Your lips parted ever so slightly so I..."

She leaned over, sweeping her tongue over Rory's bottom lip, knocking the book out of her hand the same way she had her papers years earlier. In an instant she was moving over her, hand already pushing up the other woman's top as she shrugged her leather jacket off her shoulders to give herself better range of motion. It wasn't a perfect recreation of that night, but Maris wasn't really aiming for a play by play, though she didn't stop to take the glasses Rory was wearing off until their kisses fogged them up this time either.

This was about fun, play, an insatiable desire to be close that had never really faded. Her mouth broke away, traveling down Rory's neck, her collarbone and every bit of skin she revealed as she made quick work of the buttons on Rory's shirt, pressing her lips against her just a little bit harder when she reached the soft, sensitive skin on her stomach.

Why in the hell had she decided jeans were a good idea? Why, in fact, had she any clothes at all that weren't tear-away now that Maris was an every day fixture in her life? She felt insatiable, and she knew from history and current events alike: that feeling didn't go away. Reminding each other of just how intense their passion for each other had always been just further drove home the point.

Rory watched Maris with an ever darkening gaze, trying to remain patient as Maris took the time to get rid of her boots. Smart, obviously, but trying for her patience nonetheless. "I..." She started to protest, but Rory ended up just laughing. Maris really did know her too well. "Well, purple and red were just going to clash." She smirked, shaking her head as she bit at her bottom lip. The memory was vivid as ever, mingling deliciously with the present.

She didn't need the reminder, but it was indeed fun to play with their memories of each other. Rory's lips parted immediately on contact, her tongue sweeping over Maris' as soon as they met. A soft sound escaped her throat, drowning into their kiss as her hands reached to grip her sides, shifting herself closer to Maris in the process. She managed to help Maris get her out of her flannel, with skilled greed that meant they didn't have to break the kiss.

A soft sound escaped her throat, turning into a slightly more guttural gasp as Maris' lips trailed down her body. The sharp intake of her breath as Maris' lips reached her stomach came with a shudder through her body. She slid her fingers through Maris' hair, curling her fingers in the short locks and giving the slightest tug. That she remembered well from that night. "You made me so wet..." She hummed her words, barely clinging onto the game of their memory. "That didn't change."

"Really?" she asked, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow. "I'm going to have to see for myself."

Feel was probably a better word. Maris got Rory's jeans unbuttoned. She pushed them ever so slightly past her hips, but didn't take them off, doing just what she needed to be able to reach her underwear more easily, slipping a hand inside.

She let out a soft sigh of approval of the warm wetness that greeted her, their eyes locking as one finger toyed with her clit, their lips connecting once more.

"Mmm," she purred, giving Rory a little nip before murmuring against them. "Why does the idea of making you come all over your panties turn me on so much? You don't need to be naked, but don't worry, you will be." She gave her another kiss, one that was maddeningly chaste in comparison to what she was doing with her finger. She started to curl it against her just a tiny bit harder. "Soon."

Rory's laugh was breathless but that was her only reply save for a nod. There was truly no use in being coy; she couldn't hide what she was feeling even if she wanted to.

She lifted her hips to aid Maris in tugging her jeans down, but let out a frustrated little huff when she didn't finish the job. Or at least, it started out as frustrated but quickly turned into a soft moan that caught in her throat as she felt her hand.

"I don't know, but ... I love that it does." She huffed out, panting a little as her hips instinctively lifted towards her hand, seeking the delicious friction against her clit. Warmth spread through her like wildfire, a heady pleasure dulling out everything that wasn't the two of them. Her fingers gripped at her hair, tugging less than gently as their lips moved together -- far too short for her liking.

The promise of being naked with her was enough, or really, it didn't matter when Maris was touching her. She could almost be embarrassed by how quickly Maris made her so wet, but that was a skill she'd always possessed. "Don't stop," She whined as though that were a real threat, Rory completely unperturbed at how needy she sounded. She lifted her head enough to press a kiss against Maris' shoulder, her hand tugging up at her shirt to splay her fingers against her back as she dragged her lips up to suck softly at the pulse point on her neck.

Maris cried out softly when Rory's lips found her pulse point, picking up the pace before ultimately deciding it wasn't enough.

Her brow furrowed as she tried to tug Rory's jeans off as quickly as possible, but she made sure her panties stayed on, even as she slipped two fingers inside her, her thumb sliding up to take their place on her clit.

She kept a slow but steady pace, each thrust a little deeper than the one before, close enough to let their noses brush before she gently rested her forehead against hers.

"That's it," she cooed. "Just let go, baby. Come on." She slowly kissed and sucked her way along the curve of her neck, murmuring in her ear, "I wanna watch you fall apart."

Even as she was the one getting worked into a frenzy, Rory had to have a little thrill of pride that she could still elicit sounds like that from her lover.

"Now who's impatient?" She chuckled through her harsh breath, biting at her lower lip as her back reflexively arched from the bed the moment Maris' fingers slid inside of her. So much for having any brain power to quip at her now.

This was not the first time she'd thought it, but Rory could swear that Maris might be able to make her come from her words alone. Every coaxing word struck something deep inside of her, igniting a kind of primal response she was powerless against. "I love you," She practically growled her words, like they were some kind of a threat more than the only words she felt capable of saying as her body arched and twisted towards Maris' fingers. She gripped hard at Maris' hair, unable to stop herself from yanking at it as her other hand's fingers dug into the small of her back. She felt the heat spiral up her spine, as she moved her hand lower, dipping into the waist of Maris' pants so her short nails dug harshly into the flesh of her ass. She cried out moments later, her thighs clamping shut around Maris' arm as her orgasm peaked. "Fuck, fuck," She half gasped, half laughed as she came, the intensity of it stealing any real conscious thought from her mind.

A hiss of pleasure escaped Maris' teeth as Rory's nails dug into her skin, her body automatically arching into her touch. The sudden motion caused her fingers to slip just a little bit deeper inside her. The rush of desire that accompanied it made her fuck Rory that much harder. She didn't stop once she heard and felt the other woman reach her peak. She fucked her through it and every last aftershock, content to have her arm trapped exactly where it wanted to be.

"That's my girl," she murmured, her hand slowing, but never quite stopping once Rory finally seemed to be still. Mission accomplished, she finally slid Rory's panties down her thighs, then rid her of her bra as well, but not before she pressed one long, slow kiss against her pussy, then gave her mouth another as she slowly slid her way upwards.

She was cursing her own pants at this point. Her skinny jeans were skin tight and getting out of them required some maneuvering even when she was on her own. She hadn't been exaggerating when she said she wanted to watch Rory fall apart. She wanted to, craving and imagining it whenever they were apart. It always had an effect on her, a dull ache that slowly turned to an ever increasing pulse between her legs.

Rory knew that by now, but Maris still didn't give much away, though there was no denying her breathing had started to quicken as she kissed her way down her lover's now exposed chest, gently taking a nipple between her teeth to give it a soft bite because she'd realized just how little attention she'd given her breasts moments before.

"Gorgeous," she murmured as her lips slid their way down the curve. "Especially like this. So gorgeous and peaceful and..." She rocked her hips, rough denim brushing against Rory's inner thigh, wet fingertips finally sliding up her thigh to brush her stomach. "Mine."

They could (and ideally would) do this for the rest of their lives, and Rory would never get entirely used to the utter surrender that came when Maris made love to her, or fucked her, or any terminology in between.

Her whole body quaked with the intensity of her orgasm, and the aftershocks that felt bigger, more intense because Maris kept fucking her through them. She whined a keening sort of sound, her breathing ragged and sweat beading on her skin. Her whole body jolted from the kiss to her pussy, "Ah--" She huffed, laughing softly as a shudder raced up her spine.

Her arms circled around Maris as soon as she was close enough to kiss, hugging her body into hers. She kissed her deeply, breathless all the while. Her hands slid up into her hair again, soothing her fingertips against her scalp in some wordless apology for having yanked at it moments before.

"Fuck," She gasped, her nipples already hard and only going more so as Maris paid proper attention to them. "This is unfair." She attempted to pout but it fell flat, her grin returning moments later. She huffed, lifting her hips to rock into the feeling of her jeans, though it wasn't what she ultimately wanted. "I should really get your face just tattooed over my heart, huh? Or my pussy but that would be more painful." She laughed, the sound throaty and deep in her own seemingly unending arousal. As she said it, she began to slide her fingers down Maris' body so she could get to the fasten of her jeans, her body tilting upwards just enough in an attempt not to interrupt Maris -- it felt too damn good.

What Maris was doing to Rory really did defy definition. This wasn't fucking, though there was something undeniably primal and uninhibited about it. There was an underlying tenderness, but they weren't making love, a term she found cloying and honestly, pathetic before Rory had helped her discover what it meant.

This, the sheer and utter attention and adoration she was giving the woman underneath her could best be described as worship. Maris felt utterly out of control, helpless with no other urge to do anything other than please Rory and give her everything she deserved, including her.

She sighed, a little sound of defeat as she had to tear her mouth away from Rory's chest to try and wriggle out of her jeans. Once they were gone, her panties followed suit. She was aroused enough that she was sweating through her fairly thin tee shirt, but she wasn't about to waste precious seconds taking it off.

She slid upwards, settling between Rory's legs before starting to rock against her, the feeling of her pussy against hers far more pleasant than rough denim. Her mouth immediately found the breast it hadn't had a chance to lavish attention on yet, sucking on it hard enough to make an audible sound.

They'd done this all those years ago. It was probably how Maris had come across the bruises Rory's fingertips left behind. She'd warned her that she didn't always come through friction alone. It was probably the only time Rory had ever seen her shy in the bedroom because she was hard pressed to admit she wasn't good at something.

But the problem hadn't been with her. If anything, it was the result of attempting something with people who didn't know what they were doing.

Rory made her come with just her body and she'd been as sexy as she was patient while doing it. It had took a while but neither party really faltered and getting there, well, that had been half the fun.

Maris' eyes opened as she took more of Rory's breast into her mouth and as she stared back, she knew she remembered that too. She stopped, very briefly to remove her shirt so this moment was nearly the same as the other, but she knew it would be different this time.

She already felt an orgasm building and they'd barely even started.

Not that Rory ever meant to compare, but it was too easy, too present to note the absolute difference between sex with Maris and sex with ... well, actually any other person. In the dark years, Rory more often than not found herself frustrated with the random partner who she decided was fine enough, and how they never seemed to anticipate her needs. Or even surprise her. What resulted was an altogether dulling down of her own sexual needs, sort of being satisfied with good enough.

Never again. If this was their form of worship, then every word passed between them or every sound for that matter was akin to prayer. She never felt the need to say much, but the breaths and moans that filled the room from the both of them were enough. It was any wonder they were able to get anything done ever when they could create something that felt this consistently euphoric.

Rory grinned though her teeth together hissed out a sound at the loss of Maris' mouth on her, the cool air in the room hitting her wet nipple just so. Still, she managed to prop herself up on her elbows to properly watch Maris rid herself of her jeans and underwear. "Thank God," She hummed the words, a cheeky smile on her face as her eyes raked over the woman. Her heart really had no chance of coming back to a normal pace, did it?

She wasted no time, her thighs parting for Maris as soon as she was close. Rory's lips parted, a soft whimper leaving them as Maris settled right against her. Coupled with her mouth ... it was any wonder she didn't come again immediately. Her hands were immediately greedy, sliding down and dragging her short nails over the thin fabric of her shirt, until both hands clapped with a noise over her ass. Rory could remember how it felt all those years ago, but it mingled now with how this felt - reality crashing with memory and deliciously so.

Rory's hips lifted, pressing herself into Maris as she found her rhythm. She did indeed know how to be patient, further knowing that if she just started to buck her hips impatiently at Maris, that would get neither of them closer. So her hands gripped hard into the soft skin of her ass, her heels digging into the bed as she slowly lifted and began to rock her hips in time with Maris'. She gasped as their clits brushed found each other, her hands pulling Maris harder into her so they could chase that friction.

"You're so wet," She marveled, her voice in awe through her heavy breathing, a soft moan to her voice thanks to, well, everything.

As Maris lifted her shirt, it was Rory's turn to seize the opportunity she'd allowed. Leaning into her, she pressed a trail of hot kisses down the column of her neck, over her collar bone and lower, eventually letting her tongue swipe over one of her nipples, then moving to the other to lavish far more attention to it. Her tongue swirled over her nipple, teeth gently grazing the flesh around it as her hips rolled upwards. She moaned into her skin, rocking her hips harder to grind her pussy into Maris'.

"All your fault," she whispered back, her breath hitching as Rory's mouth found her breast, a sensation that caused her to get even wetter against her.

She would never not be surprised by how good Rory could make her feel. Her hands slid downwards, resting on Rory's, silent encouragement for her grip her just a little more tightly. She wanted to be marked, but ultimately held.

Needy gasps and sighs (not to mention the occasional curse) turned into groans of pleasure as she rocked against Rory over and over again. When she finally pulsed against her, she sounded as surprised as she was relieved. Even if Rory had never let her down, she'd never forgotten what it felt like to be left hanging, so close yet so far. She would never not be in awe of what she could do to her. Of what their bodies could do together.

She was determined to please her too, which is why her body only stopped moving when her lover's did even though the intensity of everything she was feeling just made her want to collapse and enjoy every glorious, languid second.

She let out a little laugh when it was all over, teeth sinking into her lower lip as she shook her head in almost disbelief. "For someone who calls me unfair, you really shouldn't be able to do that so well."

"I love it," She practically purred back at Maris, her mouth otherwise occupied to get anything else out.

Even amidst how good this felt, Rory still had the state of mind to marvel at just how exquisite the sensory overload was with Maris. Her fingers flexed as she dug them into her ass, groaning softly as their bodies moved together.

Rory was barely even able to comprehend her own pleasure for several seconds as she watched Maris find her release. Her mouth came free of her breast audibly, a soft huffing moan as her gaze took her in. Her own pleasure seemed to mirror Maris', as her hips rocked harder, more deliberate in their angle as they chased each other off the edge of their own pleasure. She cursed and trembled, the grip of her fingers reflexively gripping so hard it took her a moment to actually release the grip. She laughed a little through ragged breath, thinking she might apologize for how hard she'd clung to her - if she didn't know how much Maris liked that.

"Well, we can just be satisfied in the fact that we both do that like fucking champions." She puffed her cheeks and exhaled sharply, one of her hands coming up to drag through her hair. Her other hand smoothed over Maris' stomach, dragging the backs of her knuckles up her body until she slid her palm over one of her breasts. Her thighs easily parted as she somewhat ignored a slight jolt of an after-shock in shifting to hug Maris between them. "C'mere." She hummed the word, hooking her fingers under her chin and guiding her down to kiss her.

Though breathless, she kissed her deeply, her lungs aching as she hummed into her lips. She only parted after a few extra seconds, her hands sliding down over her back. She nudged her hips upwards into Maris' again, her own pleasant feeling giving way to the wicked smile that curved her lips. "Catch your breath quick. I need to taste you."