wedding cake & family time

One thing Rory really would miss about living in Maine was their proximity to New York and all the trips they could take there for the weekend. Then again, whenever she thought about their move to London, she realized that beyond exploring their new home, their weekend trips could include Paris, Tuscany, Greece, Barcelona. All the romantic cities she dreamed about luxuriating in, they would be theirs to conquer.

But that was for later, today was a whole myriad of fun to be had. Sarah met Rory and her mom at the dress shop, which had filled Rory with as much excitement as it had nerves. She just kept thinking at the back of her mind, what if I don't find the right one? Thanks to the pandemic, months had been spent looking online rather than actually going in and trying things on. She wondered if even the ones she'd narrowed it down to wouldn't look right, or somehow seem less than perfect if she actually saw them in person. Her mother, bless her, seemed to sense her daughter's anxiety and reached over to take hold of her hand while they walked into the shop. Rory smiled, letting her worries take their leave. Also helped by the attendant who came over in a flurry, offering treats and champagne and chirping very loudly over the "briiiiiide!" Rory didn't really like to be fussed over, but she had to admit it was kind of fun.

She'd given them a few hours, but ultimately she didn't need them. The two dresses she thought she'd like the most really were the ones (after she'd tried on four others, just to see), and in the end it had been very clear to everyone there that there was a distinct winner. Rory's mother was blubbering in tears by the end of it, Sarah was tearing up and gushing over how good she looked, and Rory was a mixture of laughter and tears as she looked at herself. The one person whose opinion she cared about most wasn't there to give it, but well, she had to be alright with that for now.

Rory had walked back to the hotel with her mom, Sarah peeling off to have lunch with a friend. They'd planned the day well, Evelyn insisting she needed a nap before the "big night". Rory just laughed and headed to her room, slightly sad that Maris must still be out with her friends. She felt like she was in this emotional high state, as she was humming around the room. She used her time to take a shower and get changed into something nicer, both for the cake tasting and their dinner afterward. She was so glad they planned for this alone time they'd planned, and always for cake. It helped stave off some of the nerves that their parents were actually going to be meeting tonight.

Rory sat at the edge of their bed, looking out at the city and checking the time. They had about a half hour, which was plenty of time to get to the cake shop ... maybe not much time for anything else, probably. Maybe. Still, a cheeky grin spread across her face as she sent Maris a text. I'm waiting for you in bed. Which ... was not technically a lie, even if it was a tease.

Neither of Maris' best friends were partiers, but with the wedding and her big move coming up, Eli & Jenna seemed to sense that they'd have fewer opportunities to get together and have fun.

Maris wasn't drunk by the time she exited the once familiar pub they'd met up at for lunch, but she was a bit buzzed, happier than she had been when she'd arrived.

And she'd arrived in a pretty good mood. Her dress was fairly casual, chosen because she was doing her best not to melt in the middle of a summer heat wave that seemed even worse in their current location.

She dug her phone out of the depths of her purse, shaking her head and letting out a laugh before hailing the nearest taxi.

She'd been considering stopping into a clothing store that had been an old favorite, but she didn't want to show up late, not with Rory waiting.

She had gone dress shopping the week before, Faye, Ramona and Jenna all meeting her in Maine as promised. It had been a fairly unemotional event. Well, for Jenna and Maris, anyway, something to be entirely expected on their end.

Maris hadn't cried but she did have some sort of bridal moment, absolute certainty that a certain dress was the one even though it'd have to be dyed first.

The fact that Jenna (who was just as picky as she was) seemed to like it too had sort of sealed the deal. Maris' aunt and stepmom while sweet, hadn't exactly been helpful.

They just kept sniffling and telling her she looked good in everything.

She placed her sunglasses on top of her head as she stepped into the hotel, rolling her eyes at a man who insisted on hopping in just as the elevator door was about to close.

Either way, she made it to the room, grinning and greeting her fiancee with a kiss as she slipped inside. "Well...what's it look like?" she teased, knowing full well Rory wouldn't tell her.

Every day that took them closer to the day had Rory feeling a certain kind of way about it. She was practically giddy every morning when she woke up and thought about just how many days were left. She was glad to have her dress now even though it needed a few alterations to fit her like a glove. Everything made it a little more real, a little closer, a little more exciting.

Rory was so used to doing almost everything with Maris at her side, that it almost seemed foreign to have had half a day doing their own things, but it wa sa good reminder that they were in fact good at that. They were good enough at giving each other space at home, when work needed to be done or they just simply wanted to be doing different things. But Maris was Rory's constant, the one need she had above everything else. And if the way they kissed each other was any indication, oxygen was on that list.

Rory was midway through a Buzzfeed quiz that she forgot about the moment Maris walked through the door. Maybe the weirdest part was that she was purposefully keeping something from her fiancee - something she never did. Her wedding dress was a surprise, but Maris was her best friend, the person she shared everything with.

Still, this part was fun. "Well I decided that white was a little too traditional for my liking, so we're going with fuchsia, you're gonna love it." She shot Maris a grin and kissed her again, a quick succession of a few pressed to her lips. "Are you good to go? I requested an array of chocolate-raspberry flavors, but maybe we want a middle tier to be something else in case some lunatics at our wedding don't like chocolate?"

Maris smirked. "You're joking, but I'm pretty sure I'd be all for it." As far as she was concerned, Rory looked good in anything.

Her fiancee's outfit change wasn't lost on her. She playfully pinched the fabric of Rory's new dress, silently acknowledging it with a little smirk that told her she liked it too.

She hesitated before saying she was ready to go, wondering if she should do an outfit change of her own. Her dress seemed a bit simple for dinner (at least to someone like Maris who leaned a bit more formal than most). It was slightly damp too but there was no helping that. Any outfit was bound to be a little sticky with sweat the moment they stepped outside. On days as warm as their current one, it just couldn't be helped.

"Come on, let's go," she said after a beat, deciding she looked fine. She was excited and hungry, having only nibbled on the nachos she and her friends had ordered at the pub for fear of being too full at their tasting.

"If they don't like chocolate they're uninvited because I don't trust them," she joked as they stepped outside and into the nearest taxi.

In midday traffic, it was going to take them a while to get to the bakery, so Maris settled in and grinned at her fiancee, sliding her sunglasses back down on her face. "But you found one, right? Fuchsia or not, you got a dress?"

"You really love me enough to indulge me, huh?" Rory grinned, stealing a quick kiss after Maris touched her dress. God, such a simple gesture and that goddamn look on her face was enough to make Rory want to be a little late... but no. They had a plan and more importantly an appointment.

Rory grabbed Maris' hand as soon as Maris said she was ready, making sure to grab her room key and stick it back in her purse. She had the bad habit of tossing it on the nearest surface and then just forgetting it was there.

"I think that's a fair statement. 'Like chocolate or get the fuck out' on our napkins." She grinned, bumping her shoulder into Maris' before they got into the cab. Rory was buzzing and probably would be all day, the way the morning had gone just sending her into a bit of a hyper overdrive into that giddy feeling.

Rory was grinning as she turned to look from the window, catching Maris' gaze as she nodded. It was so hard not to just spill everything about her dress immediately. "I did." She affirmed with a nod, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "It needs a bit of altering, but nothing major. and that is all you get to know about that. Mom cried though." She gave that last detail and left out that she did, too. Rory figured Maris already would have guessed that. "How were Eli and Jenna? Did they behave themselves?"

Maris smiled, glad Rory seemed to have a good shopping experience. She was nervous about the changes that would need to be done to her dress because there was no denying it would need more than a bit of hemming and taking in at the top. She could see it in black, the vision of what could be in the back of her mind sort of why she bought it but she had no way of knowing how it would look once it was over.

Yet she still found herself more curious about what Rory would look like, knowing deep down that whatever she showed up in would probably have her ready to cry too.

"Good," she said with soft smile, not liking anything being more stressful than it needed to be for her fiancee.

"You know they were fine?" Maris said, surprise evident in her voice. Her two best friends were already chatting over a plate of nachos when she arrived. The conversation, for the most part stayed civil, though they occasionally fell into their usual bickering.

But not about the wedding.

Maris was sort of proud of herself, figuring her decision to ask Jenna to come dress shopping (something she had been planning on doing anyway) had helped soothe her friend's hurt feelings.

"Jenna's not taking Alex though, which sort of surprised me."

Too busy for (and frankly largely uninterested in) dating, Jenna usually brought Alex to things that needed dates, including a birthday Rory had gone to with Maris when they dated the first time around. They weren't platonic. It was sort of something that happened when it needed to, with Maris always sort of figuring the two might make it official eventually, if only because it had been going on for so long.

Maris voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes twinkling a bit as she remembered a particularly funny moment. "Eli thought Alex was a guy and she was like..." Maris put on a pretty good impression of her friend's cool tone.

"Not all of us need a little pink and purple flag on our keychains, Eli."

Maris snickered. "Bisexuals are so extra, can't relate. His eyes about popped out of his skull, by the way. It was classic. I don't think he knew she likes women too."

Even just thinking about their day ahead of them had Rory practically buzzing with excitement. And ready to tip over the emotional cliff, too. She knew that Maris would look incredible, and she knew her fiancee would think she looked beautiful because well, she never felt more beautiful than when Maris looked at her.

"Oh were they?" Rory asked rhetorically. brows raised in pleasant surprise. No, she didn't know Eli and Jenna nearly as well as Maris did (though she adored them because of how good of friends they were), but she would have absolutely given them both a talking to (which would have likely been more of a plea) for them to suck up their issues and make sure Maris had the best goddamn wedding experience possible.

But more than anything, Rory was relieved their drama wasn't edging into their time together.

Rory practically choked on her laugh at Maris' impression of Jenna, leaning her head into her shoulder as she continued to giggle. "Wow his bias was really showing assuming Alex was a guy." She laughed, shaking her head . Truthfully, Rory didn't really remember much about Alex, other than she was pleasantly surprised that Jenna identified as such.

"How did he not know? Well, I guess she has a point there that she doesn't advertise it as much." She shrugged, figuring that she only knew because she'd met the Alex in question. "Did she say why she's not talking to Alex anymore?" Rory asked as she brushed her fingers along Maris' palm, looking up as it seemed they were getting closer to their destination.

"Not really," Maris admitted, more than a little curious as to what had happened between Jenna & Alex as well. "I just asked if she was coming and she said no. Not that I mind, one less sort of stranger at my wedding, you know?"

Maris had liked the other woman well enough, but she was Jenna's friend and not hers. They had never really been close and she didn't like the idea of having to make small talk with her, however briefly on the big day.

She had a feeling Jenna, fine on her own as she was, wouldn't bother finding a replacement plus one at the last minute.

If she already had a new someone she probably would have just told her.

The bakery they had chosen was tiny but undeniably chic. The glass storefront meant they got a look at it even before they slipped inside and once they announced their presence they were whisked away to a back booth to wait for the main baker to greet them.

She was a pretty blonde in a black rockabilly dress with a skull print apron with the sort of bright, heavy yet perfect eye make up Maris had never wanted to try (and had never had the skill to execute, really) but always admired on others.

Olivia was a little chubby, which Maris took as a good sign. As far as she was concerned, there was something to that saying about never trusting a skinny cook.

Especially when you were in the market for sweets.

She set at least ten paper plates full of cake slivers in front of them, adorable little flags letting them know which flavor was which, then scurried back to the kitchen to let them taste them in peace.

Since the taste of chocolate seemed to linger after you'd had a bite, Maris decided to start on the vanilla first. There were a handful of other, lighter flavors as well and Maris' fork hovered over her plate as she tried to choose which one to go with.

She liked lemon. She liked champagne at someone's wedding years before. She was eager to try both but ultimately decided to go with something she'd never tasted before, if only out of curiosity.

"Rose?" she said before using the side of her fork to break off a bite.

She almost immediately started coughing, reaching across the table for her water glass. "Oh god," she croaked. "You know how you sometimes get a little perfume in your mouth when you're putting it on?"

"No," she said firmly, pushing the plate away like it had offended her.

Rory had to admire how matter-of-fact Jenna was when she wanted to be. She really did love the friendships that Maris had with both of her best friends, and just how much they differed from her own. Sarah was that friend she'd had forever, and Paul with his husband from work (who she really would miss a lot) were so unique. She was glad their wedding would also serve as such a good last hurrah for seeing their loved ones for a while. "I'm glad for that, we don't need a wild card on the big day." She made a little "yikes" face.

Sometimes Rory felt like their wedding was becoming more and more of the very exclusive event of the season, which, really, it kinda was. At least for them and probably their people. But every part of it had been truly wonderful thus far. She couldn't think of part of their planning that would have actually given them stress beyond what they could handle. Why did anyone become a bridezilla??

Heading into the cake shop with Maris, she took a moment to take in the way it smelled and all of the cakes they had on display. Even the decor of the shop drove home that they really had picked the right place. She greeted Olivia, who was just as warm as she had been on the phone. And how could she not be? She was bringing them cake.

She appreciated that Olivia gave them the cakes and then went off to do other things; she'd have hated to be watched and scrutinized while she took bites and decided which ones were their favorites.

"Oh no..." Rory made a face as she watched Maris push the cake away, laughing softly as she was chewing a bite of a chocolate-orange. It was good, but that combination wasn't her favorite. Besides, they new what their main cake flavors were, they just had to make sure it tasted how they dreamed it would.

"I'm following you on this journey." Rory reached over with her fork and broke off a pretty tiny bite of the rose and popped it in her mouth before her fiancee could protest. "Okay..." She made a face, her nose flaring a little before she reached for the water they were given. "No." She shook her head, waiting for the 'i told you so' in whatever form it might come.

"I'm going to guess the lavender honey might have the same affect?" But she took a bite of it anyway, just to get it over with. While not as offensive as the rose, it definitely was not the one.

Maris thought about gloating that she'd been right about just how bad the rose was, but ultimately bit her tongue, sort of glad she hadn't been the only one who had to suffer through it. She followed Rory's lead on the next. Lavender was a lot better (and the fact that honey was also included made her smile for obvious reasons) but she was starting to think flowers just didn't belong in cakes.

The next two flavors were much better, slightly unconventional and variations on a theme. "Ooh, I kinda like this," she said, pointing her fork at a slice that tasted like snickerdoodle cookies. But it paled in comparison to even the idea of.

"Oh my god, cookies and cream," Maris gasped as she read the little flag out loud. She dug in immediately, doing a happy little wiggle in her seat as she chewed her bite, covering her mouth because it was much bigger than her previous ones. It really shouldn't have been much of a surprise. Her love of Oreos was well documented and she smirked, digging in again for a second bite.

"I want one of these. To take home. Now."

"See, all the cooking shows are really accurate when they talk about what a delicate balance the flower flavors are." Rory said with a little toss of her hair like she was some expert on the subject - when in any of her baking experiments, she'd never even come close to messing with those kinds of flavors. Though, catching Maris' smile, she wondered if maybe they should request some of that honey buttercream in another flavor of cake.

Rory happily took bite after bite, giving her own reviews and only managing to wee out a couple of flavors for sure. She was in for a second bite of the snickerdoodle (just to be sure) when Maris found the flavor. "Oh my god, how did she know? Your kryptonite."

She was giggling at Maris' reaction, as she slung an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek (so as not to take away from her actually eating the cake.) "I bet we can swing by the hotel and put it in the fridge before we have to get to dinner." A glance around, though nobody was listening or close at all. "Save it for the middle of the night rendezvous."

Rory finally dug into the chocolate with a pink filling, the raspberries coloring it with fresh ones laid in for an added burst of tartness. The dark chocolate cake was rich but light in texture. "Oh my god." She practically moaned, leaning into Maris as she took a sip from her water. "Okay call me crazy but ... since the cake we want is four tiered, why don't we have the top and bottom our chocolate raspberry, but then have the two middle flavors be different ones? We could get your cookies and cream and one other?"

"I'd be cool with that," Maris said, figuring she'd let Rory have more of a vote on that one since she'd already been able to pick out her favorite.

Rory's reaction to the raspberry cake wasn't lost on her. She made sure to fully finish her last bite of cookies and cream and took a big gulp of water, wanting to give it the fresh palate and big moment it deserved.

Maris loved tart things. She hated rich, plain, boring chocolate cake and would completely pass over it if it didn't have some other flavor to break all that sickly sweetness up.

The cake was perfect, exactly what she wanted and exactly why she liked chocolate raspberry cake so much in the first place. But this was by far the best one she ever tried and she couldn't help but wonder if Olivia or just plain excitement was to blame.

It was clear the woman who had made their cakes was a great baker. Even the flavors she didn't like were weaved into light fluffy cakes that she, barely able to follow the instructions on box mix, would never be able to pull off, but did this one taste better because of what was coming? Where she knew it would be eaten and why?

Maris felt almost shy, temporarily humbled by the thought of just how much was coming and just how much it was effecting her.

She held up another forkful for Rory to taste. "Should we practice the whole feeding each other thing so we don't look like idiots?" she half teased.

"Who else are fancy wives with several flavors in one cake, hm?" Rory grinned, bumping her shoulder into hers. It was making her practically giddy now (which yes, could have been in part thanks to the sugar), thinking about their wedding, about the cake they'd have. She could see it, and especially how her niece and nephew would likely get cake all over their little wedding clothes.

She couldn't wait.

Rory watched Maris take in the cake she'd just sampled, her smile stretching across her face as she nodded in agreement. "Unreal, right?" She would have been so disappointed if the cake was dry, or the icing was too sweet. A perfect balance, she'd have to remember to tell that to Olivia when she came back.

It was such a silly thing to feel so good about, cake was just sugar and flour and some delicious mix-ins, but it really did feel like they were solidifying bit by bit the moments of their wedding. Their wedding.

Rory's eyes narrowed playfully at her fiancee as she nodded, leaning in and taking the bite from Maris' fork. As much as they could share food and pick off each others' plates, the times they actually fed each other from forks were probably few and far between. "No mess, very classy." Rory leaned in and stole a quick kiss, maybe under the guise of more "practice", but really, she just wanted to. "Alright my turn." She said, spearing a piece of what looked like lemon-vanilla cake on her own fork.

"Be nice," Maris warned, eyes narrowed before leaning in to take her bite.

"I do like the lemon. She does a good job of making sure tart things aren't buried in all the sugar."

Maris drank a bit more water, feeling like she needed a little something to flush out all the sugar currently buzzing through her system. Maris was rethinking her decision to skip lunch in order to save room for cake may have been a bad idea since sugar was even more potent on an otherwise empty stomach, but she knew they'd be going out to dinner soon enough and she had to make some sort of sacrifice somewhere.

Whether it was the sugar or endorphins, it was obvious that Maris was just plain happy, not to mention grateful that Olivia was giving them more space than most of the overeager wedding vendors they'd come in contact with lately.

After taking a quick glance around the shop and finding it mostly empty save for a college age girl having coffee and a rainbow doughnut nearly as big as her head, Maris leaned in to steal a kiss that lingered a bit more than the one that Rory had given her moments before, giggling a little as she pulled one of the curtains at the top of the booth more closely around them. They were mostly for decoration and probably wouldn't shield much, but it was Maris' goofy way of saying, Privacy please.

"I'm always nice." Rory countered with an affected offense, but her eyes were dancing with mischief.

She actually let the moment pass without doing anything, because really, even that could be annoying as hell.

"I agree, I think that should maybe be the second one down? Second smallest? Cause like you said, if our people don't like chocolate, why are they there?"

Rory moved some of the plates around, making sure that their favorites were separate from the rest. She had her own little burst of extra-energy thanks to the sugar, but only allowed herself the moment's distraction. She was buzzing with excitement, one more thing to check off their, yes, list. One more thing that brought them closer to their day. The dress and the cake in one day was a pretty damn good one.

Feeling Maris shift next to her, Rory's attention was immediately shifted back to her. She leaned in, greeting her kiss eagerly, a slow parting of her own lips as she laughed against her love's lips. "Oh you really love this cake, huh?" She grinned, but had her palm against Maris' cheek, drawing her in for another deep kiss.

"Yup, the cake. The cake, definitely."

But the look in Maris' eyes made it clear that if she loved anything, it was Rory.

She lost track of just how many kisses she gave her, her body starting to buzz with the thrill that came with doing something bold, but the moon shifted as their tongues brushed, causing Maris to realize something.

This was what Rory was going to taste like on their wedding day. Okay, maybe there wouldn't be quite so many flavors lingering on her tongue, but the idea still hit her hard, causing a funny tightening feeling in her chest that made her feel ridiculous over getting worked up over something so silly.

Silly or not, it caused her to let out a very uncharacteristically soft sigh, her fingers curling into the fabric of the other woman's dress as her eyes fluttered shut.

And visions of Rory in white blossomed behind them.

"Knew it."

Rory giggled softly, leaning in and greeting each one of Maris' kiss with one of her own to chase after it. She knew they should be keeping things PG-ish, but with every kiss, she wanted to deepen them more, her lips parting, a familiar buzz racing up her spine as their tongues found each other. This wasn't the sugar, this was her fiancee.

As amorous as she could get in seconds with Maris, it wasn't lost on Rory the romantic, loving feeling that hung around them. Every time they did something new that got them closer to their wedding, Rory felt it squarely in her chest.

Rory held onto Maris for a little while longer, breathing with her, keeping her close. "I love you so much." She said kind of out of nowhere, as if it weren't the most obvious thing. She lifted her eyes to look at Maris then, her thumb brushing over her lips. "I can't wait to marry you." It wasn't the first time she'd felt that way, or even said it out loud, but she felt it so strongly.

Soon enough they'd be interrupted by Olivia, but Rory needed a few more minutes of this.

Rory’s sentiments hit Maris hard, her chest tightening just a little bit more as she pressed a feather light kiss to her thumb.

She looked at her fiancee like she was the only thing in the room. The cake and even the fact that the woman who made it would be coming back soon the furthest thing from her mind.

She loved this moment. She knew it was a special one, but she suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here. No, that wasn’t true. She knew of a very specific place she wanted to be: in their hotel room making love, a term she’d always kind of hated but found herself using with alarming regularity because she couldn’t think of any other way to describe what being with her felt like. Any other way to describe the way she wanted to make Rory feel, especially right now because she wasn’t sure she had the words to show just how much she loved and wanted to be her wife too, let alone let Rory know how amazing it felt to hear them.

Maris was soft in a way she rarely was as she stole another kiss that lingered like they had all the time in the world because they did.

They were in the middle of making plans for forever but the world kept turning.

Luckily they had come up for air and parted a tiny bit when Olivia approached.

They told the other woman their selections, promised her they’d be having a cookies and cream cake shipped to their place in Maine soon, then stepped out into the August humidity.

“My dad and Faye are just gonna meet us at the restaurant,” she said, not bothering to check the time, but sort of desperately hoping they’d have a bit to themselves before dinner.

As glad as she was to have spent some time with her friends (and she was just as glad Rory had gotten to pick out her dress and spend time with her loved ones) she kind of wasn’t used to sharing her anymore. It was weird not to have seen her for most of the day. A good sign, really.

Married life wasn’t exactly going to be much of an adjustment or even the horrifying… burden some people painted it out to be. She wanted to see her day in, day out, her only qualm that it wasn’t happening (officially) sooner.

Every day seemed to have some new thrill to it, something that laid another significant stone on the path towards their wedding. Every time she thought about what that day would be like, she had this swell of giddiness in the pit of her stomach.

Enamored would be the best way to describe the way Rory gazed at her fiancee. She smiled, a kind of blushing one when Maris kissed her thumb. Rory was the more obviously soft one of the two of them, but at the same time Rory knew how Maris could be, with her specifically. Rory savored every moment like this one - just like every other moment she spent with Maris.

Rory could spent hours and hours kissing Maris, and god how easy it would be to get carried away ... but thankfully they figured out how to stop themselves at some point.

"Well that was a rousing success." Rory declared as she slipped her sunglasses over her eyes and kept tight hold of Maris' hand. "Perfect. Mom will walk with us. I don't trust her not to get lost." She grinned, but ... was pretty serious about that. Her mother, bless her, wasn't always the best with directions.

"Is it obnoxious to say I missed you this morning?" Rory smirked, raising their clasped hands so she could kiss the back of Maris'. Rory loved her time with her mom and Sarah, loved that Maris had her space as well, but whenever they came back together, it felt like hours had been far too long.

As they made their way back to the hotel, she pulled Maris in close to her as soon as the elevator doors shut behind them, leaving them alone. She could say a million and one things right then, but decided instead to spend the half a minute of their elevator ride stealing her for a deep kiss.

Maris’ teeth sunk into her lower lip as Rory kissed the back of her hand, shaking her head in response to the other woman’s question.

“I missed you too,” she murmured.

She laughed when Rory was on her as soon as the doors closed, but the sound was swallowed up by her lover’s lips. It brought back a memory of a very similar elevator kiss they’d had before. Probably their first one, really. Maris had muttered something about elevators having cameras even though she still wasn’t quite sure if they did. She’d kissed Rory anyway, just like she was kissing her now, but there was really no comparison. Maris had lost a ton of inhibitions since then, not that she’d ever had very many to begin with but it seemed her last one was long gone. She liked PDA now, or was at least so eager to have Rory at any moment and any time that it barely registered anymore.

She pressed Rory against the wall almost immediately, her mouth opening under hers. In her haste, she’d made a mistake. She’d pushed Rory into the panel, which meant they’d accidentally lit up an entire row of buttons in their wake.

The ride was going to be a little longer than expected, but Maris barely noticed as her fingers twined themselves into Rory’s hair and she let out a soft purr at her lover’s kisses.

If it were anyone else, or if it was told to her by someone, Rory would probably roll her eyes a little at the kind of attachment she and Maris shared. You had to be in this kind of thing to actually understand it. Even though they'd only been apart for a few hours, right now in particular it felt pretty significant.

They had to take their moments when they came, even if that was a quick elevator ride. Her own mind raced back to the same memory, unable to forget certain moments of their relationship. She sighed softly against her love's lips, almost a little whine to the sound as her back hit the wall.

Maris' hands on her sent heat racing up her spine, her own hands gripping Maris' hips and holding her tightly against her. At the first ding of a floor, Rory tore her lips away ... but let out a soft laugh when she realized they were about seven floors from theirs. "Clever," She grinned before seizing Maris' lips again. Her body arched, pressing herself into her lover. She wouldn't be worrying about the elevator's stops for a while yet.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Maris said with a laugh, but she wasn't too worried about proving her case.

She gasped a little as Rory came closer, fingers digging into her lover's hips as she pressed her own more firmly against her. When another stop came and the elevator stayed empty, Maris got bolder, lifting her lover a bit as she roughly pushed her dress up past her hips. Another pointless stop emboldened Maris even more. Her tongue pushed past Rory's lips as her hand slipped into her panties, her strokes slightly hesitant because she wasn't quite sure if Rory would be keen on them.

This was new and not just because they'd been (relatively) subdued in elevators before. It was very public, with a few more chances of being caught, but if Maris' rapidly pounding chest, easily felt when they were as close together as they were, was any indication, she was very much into it and not thinking much about the risks.

"You're so fucking wet," she purred against her lips in almost awe, smoothing her thumb over her clit.

Rory just laughed, shaking her head a little as she nudged her nose against Maris'. She was far too enamored with her fiancee to worry about a silly thing like the doors opening.

Which, for better or for worse, was the case as she clung to Maris. She arched her back just a little, pressing herself into Maris as she kissed her deeply, a hushed gasp breaking their lips apart as she felt Maris lift the skirt of her dress up her hips. Her heart lurched in her chest, pounding almost immediately as a surge of adrenaline raced through her veins. She should have warned against this, that they didn't have time and anyone could step on... but really who was going up from another floor in the afternoon anyway?

There was no logic left in her head, just pure heat and desire as she let out a low moan against her fiancee's lips. Her hips instinctively rocked into her hand. "Fuck," She gasped against her lips, dragging her tongue over Maris' lower lip and kissing her fiercely.

Every floor they passed was another danger. Anyone could see them. Hell, they could get kicked out. But Rory's fingers tangled in Maris' hair, clutching onto her as she breathed a hissing sound against her lips. Her clit throbbed at Maris' touch. "I need you." She panted pathetically, another door opening, but she barely registered it as it closed again, one more safe floor.

The moment she realized Rory was into what they were doing and willing to take the risk, Maris' hesitation (something that was strange for her heated moments like these, especially with Rory) faded.

She hadn't quite forgotten the stops, that this was dangerous and ill advised, but that was probably why this felt as good as it did.

She and Rory probably should have never started getting carried away at work either. That didn't mean she'd ever considered stopping.

And they'd had a few close calls. This was precisely the sort of danger she craved. She was used to it, really. It was kind of how they had fallen for each other in the first place.

But this...this was on a whole other level. Which is why Maris' eyes were dark and she was left ever so slightly panting as she rubbed her girlfriend's pussy. There was no grace to it really. Her fingers were rough, fast, there was a certain desperation to please her lover now because she didn't know if the next stop would give them another chance.

But then the elevator door dinged one last time and they finally reached their floor. She paused for a moment, looking out into the hallway, then back at her girlfriend, wondering, somewhat irrationally, if they should stay. Moving to their room meant finally having a bit of privacy. But it also meant stopping, at least momentarily to make it to their room.

She slipped her sticky fingers into Rory's mouth while she thought about what she should do, rubbing her pussy with the palm of her other hand because she sort of couldn't bear to not touch Rory, to deny her the pleasure she so clearly needed. There was another beat of hesitation but the look on Rory's face sealed the deal.

She punched the stop button, then kissed Rory hard. They were finishing this here.

Her fingers, now wet from Rory's mouth slid back down her body before she slipped inside her. Knowing she could take it, Maris used three fingers instead of her usual two groaning softly as she felt the other woman's pussy adjust around them.

This was the most daring they'd been, and that was certainly saying something. This wasn't tucking themselves into the back of Maris' car or even the rush of a glass window. They could very well get caught at any moment, and yet Rory couldn't bring herself to care enough to stop. Her heart was pounding, her head dizzy with want for her fiancee as she gripped her tighter.

Rory felt insatiable, dangerous and desperate for more. She always felt in another world with Maris when they were in the throes of how passionate they always were with each other. This felt beyond even that. Maris was the only thing she could focus on.

Her eyes focused on Maris as she took her fingers into her mouth, a low moan rumbling from deep in her throat. She didn't want to stop. She didn't want Maris an inch further away from her. Her hips rocked against her other hand, insistently.

If it were possible, her cheeks went redder when Maris hit the stop button on the elevator. They were doing this. Thank god.

"C'mere." She managed to get out before she kissed Maris hard, her tongue seeking out hers just as a guttural moan sounded from her. The way Maris' fingers felt inside of her made her whine, her vision blurry as her hips bucked against her. "Maris..." She gasped her name, a hand curling into a fist in Maris' hair. Her free hand moved down between their bodies, grunting a little frustrated growl as she cupped Maris' breast through her dress. Rory felt primal, the need she had for this woman unmatched.

Her hand moved lower, tugging at the fabric of Maris' skirt until she could feel the soft flesh of her ass against her hand. She gripped onto her harder than she probably meant to, her hips rocking all the more to fuck her hand in time with Maris' movements.

Maris let out a low chuckle against Rory's lips when she heard her whimper. "I knew you'd like that," she murmured, her voice thick as she gave her fingers a little twist inside her.

She liked how tightly she was being held, letting out a soft growl as Rory gripped her ass in particular.

They had a bit more privacy now that the doors were staying closed. They didn't need to rush anymore, but Maris' pace was still somewhat frantic. She was still rough, pumping her fingers in and out of Rory with enough urgency and force that her arm was beginning to ache but she didn't care. She pressed her hips into her, a precious sliver of bare skin touching Rory's since her lover had hiked up her skirt, pinning her ever so slightly to the wall while still giving her room to meet her thrusts.

"Come on, Rory," she coaxed in her ear once her tongue had slowly traveled along the curve of her neck. "Come for me. All over my fingers, come on," She moved her thumb upward to toy with her clit, panting with her in time.

"You know me too well." Rory laughed back, her breath labored and breathy as her hips suddenly jerked in response to Maris' fingers. There was never a time when Rory wasn't wet when Maris touched her, but the anger and excitement of all of this made her all the more so.

Her short nails dug into Maris' ass, her knee lifting up against her hip to give Maris more space, and herself more leverage. She rocked insistently into Maris' hand, panting and moaning while trying to muffle it somewhat.

Try as she may to slow or steady her breathing, she couldn't. She was losing herself to the entirety of their stolen moment, so much so that the moment Maris' coaxing words hit her ears, her body began to tremble. "Fuck, fuck," She hissed, her tremors giving way to an orgasm that she had to bite at Maris' shoulder through the fabric of her dress in order to muffle her moans somewhat. She came predictably hard, her eyes blurring as she leaned her face into Maris' neck. "Holy fuck, woman." She managed to pant out with a laugh, her fingers still shaking some as she rode that high.

Maris cried out, her eyes fluttering shut as Rory's teeth sunk into her shoulder, keenly felt even through the thick ribbed fabric of her dress. The little spike of pain(something they both knew she liked) worked in her lover's favor. It caused her to inch even closer. And fuck Rory that much harder, little moans spilling from her lips like she was the one being pleased because there was nothing about this that wasn't doing something for her.

She didn't stop until Rory had succumb to blissful stillness, giving her slow, lingering kisses that stole her breath while giving her time to get it back again. She eased her fingers out of her and brought them to her lips so she could finally have a taste. Laser focused on her lover and the task at hand, she'd forgotten where they were toward the end of things.

Feeling Rory's gaze on her, watching her fiancee watch her lick her fingers queen made the enclosed space feel even smaller. Maris suddenly felt very warm even though her dress was much thinner than her lover's.

"God, that was fun," she murmured, kissing along the curve of Rory's neck as she reached behind her to press the button to let them out, but not before leaning up to whisper one last thing in her ear.

"For the record? After about the third stop I made up my mind that if someone came on I was just gonna let them watch me fuck you."

Maris smirked like she'd just told Rory the weather, pushing away from her and starting down the hall. She knew the other woman would catch up.

She'd always had a sort of innate confidence in her walk, but there was an extra cocky little sway in her hips that hadn't really been there moments before. She was feeling very proud of herself, though her confidence faltered just a bit when Rory's mom peeked her head out of her room and startled her.

"Ms. Ber-" She swallowed, remembering Rory's insistence that she didn't have to be quite so formal with her mom, but old habits died hard. "Evelyn, hi."

"Sorry," Rory mumbled through a laugh when she could breathe enough to speak. She brushed her fingers over Maris' shoulder and knew she'd have to give it a good inspection in a little bit. The way Maris fucked her always sent her reeling, barely able to stand up straight, but this felt out of the stratosphere.

The aftershocks rocked her body a few more times until she could stand straight, kissing her deeply moments after she saw Maris slip her fingers into her mouth. The way she looked licking her sex from her fingers was just too good and threatened to make her want to press their luck even further. Instead, she kissed her again, grinning into the kiss.

"That was sensational." She agreed, kissing her cheek and then her forehead. She wanted Maris, but also knew the longer they stayed there, the more obvious it would become to someone else that there was a problem.

Rory shot her a cheeky grin, kissing her one more time before they got off the elevator "For the record? I wouldn't have even noticed." Truthfully, the world had stopped spinning as far as she was concerned.

They couldn't be in a private space fast enough as far as she was concerned, but the door opening and her mother poking her head out shocked her. She felt flushed and a little dizzy, as though she had just been caught in the act as a teenager. "Hi mom, good nap?" Was all she could think to say. Evelyn affirmed that yes, she'd had a good nap, but her brow crinkled. "Sweetheart you look flushed, are you feeling alright?"

Rory's heart just about jumped into her throat, but she managed to nod. "mmhm. Oh I'm fine! it's just really hot outside." She gripped Mari's hand for moral support. Evelyn said she'd take a shower and meet them in the lobby in 45. "Great!" Rory chimed in a little too quickly, giving a little wave and tugging Maris down the rest of the hallway. "Oh my god." She was laughing by the time she got her key out, fumbling for it as she shook her head. "Wow."

Running into Rory's mom took the wind out of Maris' sails ever so slightly. She seemed to have bought Rory's excuse about the heat (they were stuck in the middle of an exceptionally hot summer, after all) and there was no way she could have seen or even heard what they were up to in the elevator but Maris felt similarly flustered, borderline embarrassed because what would be more mortifying than being caught by Rory's mother?

Especially since she was still a little concerned about winning her over and staying in her good graces. Especially now that Evelyn was going to be a permanent part of her life.

Figuring her fiancee was already flustered enough, Maris didn't engage in her usual teasing as Rory unlocked the door.

She had a second dress (and a third, just in case she decided she didn't like the others she'd packed or she and Rory ended up going somewhere nice) but Maris had been relatively fine in just keeping what she had on. It was a little more casual than what she wore to even work. But it was nice and it suited her, the ribbed material emphasizing her slight curves without making her feel like she was drawing too much attention. More importantly, it was one of her few completely sleeveless dresses, a must on a day as brutally hot as their current one.

But the journey back to the hotel and then their elevator encounter had her feeling uncomfortably warm, despite the fact that she and Rory had turned up the air conditioning pretty high upon arrival.

She pulled it over her head with one swift motion before Rory had even closed the door behind her, relatively unconcerned about someone seeing in because it wasn't like she was completely naked underneath. Besides, her bra and high waisted panties were the same olive color as her dress and relatively modest, covering more than the average bikini these days. Since she planned on wearing the same sandals to dinner, she kept them on as she walked over to her suitcase.

She was undeniably turned on by everything that happened before, but pleasing Rory had been rewarding in and of itself. With so little time before they had to meet up with her parent, Maris was sort of fine with not getting carried away and having her turn later, which is why she was fine with just changing now that they were in the room.

But she could feel Rory's desire even though she hadn't really mentioned it and had a feeling she wouldn't be putting on any clothes for a while yet. She unzipped her suitcase slowly, letting Rory decide what was going to happen next.

The silver lining here really was that at least her mom hadn't been right outside the door when it opened? Small miracles, she supposed. But still, it was a bit awkward and certainly a buzzkill ... but there wasn't really anything that could entirely take away the buzz -- especially after that.

Rory was snickering as she pushed open the door to their room, making a big show of pushing her hands against the door once Maris was in and locking all of the locks. "Oh my god." She repeated, shaking her head as she turned back around to look at her fiancee.

She kept her back against the door for a few minutes more, watching Maris as she took off her dress and moved about the room. Their interruption in the hallway didn't actually do much to shift the focus of her mind. Rory still felt the warmth in her body that her orgasm had given her.

They didn't have a lot of time, but they had some. And that was all she needed.

Rory stalked across the room a moment later, kicking off her shoes somewhere along the way until she was behind Maris, her hands slipping around her stomach as she pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, then her shoulder. "You spoil me, you know?" She murmured softly against her fiancee's ear, as her hand moved down her stomach.

Rory kissed the spot on Maris' shoulder she'd bitten, the little pink welt there indicative of the force she'd used. Thankfully she hadn't broken the skin or anything. Still, she sucked softly at the spot, as her hand moved down between Maris' thighs and began to rub the palm of her hand against her through the thin fabric of her panties. "It makes me want you even more, every fucking time."

Maris let out a throaty laugh as Rory pulled her to her. "Mmm, you're fun to spoil," she purred. She automatically leaned back into her, her body reacting to the sudden shift even before her brain had a chance to.

Her arousal was apparent the moment Rory touched her, but her panties (and her lover's hand) got even slicker once she brought her mouth to the mark she'd just left.

Maris moaned. The spot was still tender and the twinge of pain that followed soon turned into a full body shiver that had her relaxing even more into Rory's embrace.

"Are you have sure you have time to fuck me, darling? Hardly seems practical..."

Their little tryst in the elevator was the very definition of impractical but Maris had always gotten a thrill out of playing hard to get.

Even though it was painfully obvious she had already given in, her chest was rising and falling much faster than it had been moments before. Her breath hitched as she felt a fresh wave of wetness and warmth between her legs.

"I was just thinking the same thing." She smirked against Maris' ear, her voice holding a low kind of humming to it.

Rory had a tendency to be pretty affable, easy to get along with, always wanting to please. She didn't like making others feel uncomfortable, and yet with all of that, Maris' question only earned a wide grin from her, her teeth bared against Maris' skin and touching gently.

"They'll wait if we need them to." It was brash and demanding, insistent as her hand that began to rub a little more deliberately against the ever-slick fabric of her panties.

They had some time. Not enough for everything Rory wanted to do, but enough just the same. She kissed her shoulder again, her free hand sliding up her body, greedily squeezing one of Maris' breasts as she worked her hand to shove aside Maris' panties and get direct contact with her pussy.

She moaned, pulling her against her as she backed towards the bed, only letting her go (reluctantly, at that) as she moved around Maris. She kissed her deeply, easing her down to the bed. Rory's cheeks were flushed with desire as she gazed down at her fiancee, but she made quick work to peel Maris' panties off and toss them wherever in the room. She kissed her again, deeply, her tongue finding hers as she slid her fingers back between her lover's thighs, rolling the pads of her fingertips over her clit.

Maris' gaze stayed locked on Rory as she guided her back on the bed. The way she looked at her combined with the anticipation of what was going to happen next had her heart pounding so hard she was consciously aware of it, half convinced Rory could see it nearly jumping out of her chest.

She gasped when she was touched, the sensation more intense now that there were no barriers between Rory's hand and her pussy. Her body automatically bucked upward, her tongue sweeping over Rory's as she slowly fell into her lover's rhythm with a soft mmm of pleasure that buzzed between their mouths.

The afternoon sun was beaming down hard and thanks to curtains that weren't completely smoothed out to cover the whole window, a sliver of light seemed to shine directly on them. Normally Maris would have been annoyed, but there was no time to fix it. Besides, it was warm, pleasant against her already flushed skin and lit Rory up just right, giving her more of a glow than Maris, probably pathetically already thought she had.

"Beautiful," she huffed as she worked her hips, fingers dancing along Rory's cheek. "So fucking beautiful and mine."

It couldn't be any kind of a secret that Maris had put Rory in a certain kind of way. She had a one-track mind, her whole attention focused on her fiancee. Rory took in every breath and sigh, the way her body moved, how her chest rose and fell.

Rory's face split into a wide grin at the gasp she earned, a low groan rumbling from deep in her throat as she pressed her hand more insistently, rubbing the heel of her hand against Maris' clit. She kissed her deeply, soft sounds of pleasure escaping between them. Rory could swear up and down she felt as much pleasure (a different kind, naturally) when she was the one giving her fiancee pleasure.

"Oh you're so soft, baby." Rory beamed down at her, a little cheeky, yes, but she punctuated her tease by slipping her middle finger inside of her lover. "And sweet." She kissed her again. "And fucking beautiful, and fucking mine." She echoed Maris' sentiments, curling her finger inside of her.

Her lips dragged down her throat, the words striking something all the more primal inside of her. She knew what she wanted, how she needed to please her love. In another moment, she'd knelt by the bed, her finger joined by a second one, pumping a slow but steady rhythm as she pressed her mouth to Maris' pussy, slowly lapping her tongue over her clit once, twice, building an easy pace.

Maris' eyes flashed with almost defiance, her body automatically bucking underneath her like she didn't want to be submissive or pinned when she heard Rory speak. Soft and sweet were not descriptors she put much stock in and certainly not compliments she wanted to hear in regard to herself no matter who they were coming from. The last thing she wanted to be seen as was some sort of pathetic, helpless, sap but she really was a goner, for Rory and this moment because when her lover slipped inside her she groaned, losing a little of her fight.

Because giving into her and pleasure was all she really could and really wanted to do.

Besides, Rory's last two words were much easier to take, the last one making her feel just a little bit warmer than she had moments before.

She wanted to be hers. Hell, she wanted to take her down to the courthouse, timelines and careful wedding plans be damned, the moment she'd tasted that cake on Rory's tongue.

Even though there was no denying she already was. That was what made Maris extra feisty, really. The tiniest bit defensive, even because she wondered if Rory already knew. Could she sense just how badly she wanted to marry her? Did she read Maris' mind as they crossed the street and she stared at the looming brick building for a moment longer than she should have?

God, she'd mocked and scorned women who had weddings babies on the brain.

Now she couldn't stop thinking about them either.

But when Rory's mouth slipped between her legs it was (thankfully) impossible to think of anything else.

She groaned, a low sound bubbling up from the pit of her stomach that she almost immediately tried to put a stop to, not quite so far gone yet that she'd been able to forget Rory's mom was down the hall.

She often joked that she and Rory were especially loud in hotel rooms, no real surprise considering they'd made some of their best (and naughtiest) memories in them but that just wouldn't do this time around.

Maris bit down on her knuckle as her other hand slowly slid down her body and into Rory's hair, but not before a softly hissed yes of pleasure escaped her lips.

Rory had to giggle, a throaty, guttural kind of sound at the reaction she garnered from Maris when she said those words. Rory had a pretty good idea of how Maris might react to them, and had an amused reaction when she was right. It fueled her fire all the more, wanting to assert her own dominance just as her fiancee had in the elevator. Now their circumstances weren't as elicit here, but that didn't matter. It'd be a little more difficult to do what she had in mind while in an elevator anyway.

The day had been already perfect, and she was feeling in such a way about her fiancee, their plans, the life they were building together and all of the fun they were having along the way. And that was all before the incredible orgasm she'd been given moments before. Any blip on the day now wouldn't even register. She loved this woman, and in a little more than a month, she'd be calling her wife.

So she was bound to seize every single moment to savor their love and sex life as fiancees. God, September couldn't come fast enough, truly.

But for now her attention was solely on task. She huffed her own little sound as Maris' voice echoed into the room, however muffled it was. She wanted to tell her to let it all go, but knew why she was doing what she was doing to quell the noise. Still, that just seemed to drive her crazy all the more.

Her free hand dug into her thigh, spreading her wider for her as her tongue flicked in rapid movements over her clit before drawing it between her lips and sucking softly. She moaned, pumping her fingers a little faster, curling against her inner walls as her palm grew slick with her lover's sex.

"Fuck, you always taste so good," She panted, groaning as she breathed deeply. She couldn't stay up long, her tongue quickly lapping against Maris' clit again as her fingers worked faster, more deliberate to match pace with her tongue. She could always get lost in the way her love tasted, her whole body nothing more than a being entirely enraptured by her fiancee.

It was a good thing Maris attempted to quiet herself when she did. When Rory's mouth latched onto her clit she cried out, her hips lifting off the bed as she took in a shaky breath.

"You feel so good. God, always..." she purred back, a slightly twisted echo of Rory's compliment. She wasn't getting any quieter. If anything her pants and wordless cries, were increasing in frequency and volume, but Maris took her hand away from her mouth anyway, realizing that red, gnawed on knuckles might lead to some questions at dinner. She opted for shifting a pillow ever so slightly toward her face so she could moan into instead, the last bit of her lipstick that Rory hadn't managed to kiss off in the elevator leaving faint streaks on the pure white cover.

"A little slower, with your tongue..." Her voice kicked up a notch, a slightly high pitched whine when Rory did what she wanted before she finished her thought. "Oh god, yeah, there..."

The pillow swallowed up most but not all of the noise she made as she fell apart, the hand in Rory's hair losing it's ability to grip for a moment as pleasure coursed through her. It slipped downward, coming to rest on the back of Rory's neck, which she gripped, hard, keeping her exactly where she was as her hips rode out the last few aftershocks of her orgasm.

Those sweet sounds from her lover always got her heart racing, making her eager to earn more and more. She never had enough.

Rory simply purred her agreement, her lips vibrating against Maris' clit as she moved her fingers in a slightly quicker rhythm. Watching Maris attempt to keep herself quiet struck something so primal in her, she had to make the concentrated effort to keep herself at an easy pace. She loved the way Maris lost herself to her, knowing it mirrored her own way of undoing when the tables were turned.

And the direction, as always, made her shiver. She did as she was told, groaning at the affirmation and the wave that flooded her tongue and made her want more. She lapped slowly, dragging the flat of her tongue over her clit again, and again. Her fingers still moved at an easy pace, her wrist muscle taut as she fucked her lover.

Bringing Maris to orgasm would forever be something that took her breath away, even if her mouth wasn't entirely occupied by her lover's pussy. "Oh god, that's it." She moaned as she pulled her mouth away, watching Maris come down from her orgasm but her fingers still moved to fuck her, slowly, dragging out every last shock and shudder. "That's my girl." She purred, the ache in her neck from Maris' fingers only adding to her own pleasure.

Rory bowed her head and pressed a slow, lingering kiss back to Maris' pussy, rolling her tongue over her folds one last time before pulling her fingers out of her and slowly moving up her body. She kissed her stomach and then nipped at her bra with her teeth, a wicked grin on her face as she settled between her fiancee's thighs and brushed her hand through her hair. "I love you." She murmured, kissing her softly, slipping her tongue in her mouth to let Maris taste herself. "And now we really have to get ready."

Maris shook her head, making a noise of disapproval it took her a moment for her to remember how to form words as Rory slid upwards and settled between her thighs. She closed, then tightened them around her, keeping her exactly where she was.

"Mmm, nope. I refuse," she grumbled playfully, grabbing a bit of the fabric at the front of Rory's dress to pull her down for an even deeper kiss.

She didn't stop until they were breathless, a little voice in the back of her mind hissing for more, but she knew her fiancee was right.

She let out a groan, covering her face a little as she whispered a slightly sheepish confession.

"Is it bad I don't want to go?"

She knew their parents finally meeting was a big moment. An important one, even. She didn't want her dad and Rory's mom to meet for the first time at the wedding. She wasn't even worried about how it would go, even though her father could be a little standoffish around strangers. She knew it would be fine. It would probably even be fun but... she liked having Rory all to herself and wanted exactly that even before they'd started getting carried away in the elevator. After hanging out with Jenna & Eli for half the day, Maris had sort of had her fill of people who weren't Rory.

It was her turn to brush some hair out of her lover's face, her lips twitching once she got a clear view of it.

God, she was beautiful.

"Five more minutes," she said cheekily, leaning up for another kiss.

Rory loved few moments more than those they shared in the moments right after sex. When all filters were gone, their bodies spent, their beings aglow with pure love and adoration and yes, that thread of possessiveness to them.

She held Maris, laughing softly into her lips as she kissed her. Her hands slid in between Maris' back and the mattress, pulling their bodies flush against each other as she nestled into her spot. Her lips parted, tongue finding Maris' in that slow, deep kind of kiss that would have taken her breath away even if she wasn't already a little short on it.

"It's not bad. They've gotta be able to fend for themselves, right? They're adults!" She giggled, kissing her again, quickly. While the move was meant to be one that she then launched herself into standing up, she kept her spot.

While it was a big moment for them, Rory didn't really worry about it. Evelyn got along with most people; her only real worry was that she'd talk John's ear off and drive him nuts. That's why the show after dinner was a brilliant one. Eventually they could just pass off their parents to spend time together, she hoped. Then they could be left to their own devices.

"Five more minutes." She affirmed, her smile widening as she gazed down at Maris. Sometimes it was hard to believe that they had found each other again, or even that this exquisite, beautiful, smart, sassy woman was going to be her wife. "And don't worry, we'll have plenty of time for more. Later."

Maris wouldn't have traded those extra five minutes for the world, but they meant she had to spend less time getting ready than she normally liked.

Luckily there wasn't too much to do to make herself presentable before meeting her dad and Faye at the restaurant they'd chosen. Maris ran a brush through her hair, slapped on some fresh lipstick and put on a fairly simple wrap dress, an old staple from her teaching wardrobe that she thought looked just as nice on a night out. She spent a few extra seconds making sure was tied securely because as pretty as it was, that particular style of clothing had always made her a bit nervous about wardrobe malfunctions.

The restaurant was only a block away from the hotel, but Maris had never been more grateful for air conditioning as she slipped inside.

Her dad and Faye were already waiting at the hostess station. The restaurant wasn't overly fancy but it was nice, slightly upscale with no particular style of cuisine on offer. Maris couldn't help but smile. It was a smart move on her father's part considering he didn't actually know what Rory's mom would like.

"Evelyn, this is my dad, John. And my stepmom, Faye."

Since Maris thought she didn't need a mother, step or otherwise and that Faye marrying her father hardly made the other woman hers, Maris rarely referred to Faye as such, but the older woman (who was dressed fairly simply for a change in a pale pink dress of her own) seemed delighted by the title.

"Nice to meet you," she said, but she was beaming a bit more at Maris as she said it.

Once introductions were over, they were seated at a large table with a pretty great view of everything going on on the streets outside. Faye ordered a cosmo and John ordered a Manhattan, but he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when Maris only asked for water. "You sure you don't want a drink, Mari? They make their own whiskey here."

Maris smiled, shaking her head as she looked over her menu. "No thanks, I had some drinks with Jenna and Eli when Rory was dress shopping earlier."

"Oh, Rory's gotten her dress too!?," Faye cooed, before turning her attention to Rory. "Wait until you see Maris'. So chic. I took a picture of her on my phone so John could see but he won't even look at it!"

Maris' dad smiled at Rory. "I want to be surprised too."

Maris' raised an eyebrow, wondering why she hadn't thought to take a photo of the dress she'd chosen at the shop. She knew what it looked like, obviously. But she often felt like she was forgetting key details of what it looked like on her, the listing on the designer's website obviously not quite the same.

"Can I see it?" she asked suddenly, sliding a little closer to Faye so she could take a peek at her phone.

It wasn't a great photo. Maris was in motion, completely unaware her photo was being taken while Jenna fiddled with the zipper because the one on the sample wouldn't quite stay but she found herself smiling anyway.

Yup, it was definitely the one.

Or would be once it was the right color.

"Send that to me?" she asked, handing Faye back her phone.

Those five minutes were indeed precious, but hell did it make actually getting up that much harder. Rory managed to scramble herself together, looking like she hadn't just thoroughly fucked her fiancee and been utterly ravaged in the elevator. She ended up pulling her hair up and off of her neck, both for the sake of the heat and to make sure it wasn't a total mess.

By the time they arrived with her mom in tow, she was glad they'd taken the extra time together. Her mother was already talking both of their ears off, but Rory was in a great mood about it. Rory did wince a little as Evelyn boisterously met John and Faye, loudly announcing that she was a hugger before doing just that to the both of them. Rory's hand just tightened in Maris' grip to stop herself from yanking her mother back. But the affectionate gene ran strong in the Italians.

She was glad to be sitting, and glad that things seemed to be going well already. Rory was genuinely glad for Faye being there, and could certainly see a world where Faye and Evelyn became thick as thieves.

Rory was pretty ravenous thanks to pre-dinner activities, but got just as distracted when dress talk was on the table. She felt a blush in her cheeks when Faye cooed at her, grinning so wide her face ached a little. "I did." She affirmed, her gaze shifting to Maris. "I can't wait to see it." The tone she meant to be pretty light, but instead it felt like an intimate thing she meant just for Maris. She couldn't really help how much she was looking forward to it, though.

When the phone was brought out, Rory became very interested in her menu, even if she'd already chosen what she wanted to eat. She did lift her gaze to John, sharing a smile with him. Moments like that one were few and far between with John, but they always gave Rory this feeling that knocked her squarely in her chest. She didn't know what it was like to have a father, or even someone like him at all. Even sharing a moment of adoration over Maris felt like a unique, beautiful thing.

"Oh it's beautiful, I'm sure our girls will look stunning on their big day. You know Rory's sister went with one of those big poofy skirts..." Rory cut a look at her mother, making sure she wasn't going to reveal a single thing about her own dress. "Oh, Aurora. I'm not going to say anything, and I think they all know your aversion to big poofy skirts." She tsked her tongue and turned her attention to asking John for a recommendation on a drink.

Rory hung her head and sighed, but she was laughing, her arm draping over the back of Maris' chair as she leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. "Maybe we really should have eloped." She murmured against her ear, still laughing as she pulled back to reach for her own water and take a long drink from it.

"I like a full skirt!" Faye said. "The first dress Maris tried on... well, I thought she looked like a princess, her aunt did too. But the one she went with is more-"

Maris shot her stepmom a warning look not to give too much away, sure now, more than ever her former favorite dress definitely wasn't the one. Plenty of women may have wanted to look like a princess on their wedding day. She wasn't one of them.

And if she had to look like royalty well, she would have much rather been a queen.

"There's still time," Maris muttered, not sure she was joking, especially after lingering at the steps of the courthouse that morning.

Conversation became easy and stopped only a little once their food arrived. Maris was busy trying to cut a particularly thick steak, half listening when her father said something that made her stomach sink.

"I just wish they weren't moving so far."

Maris thought her dad had taken the news they were moving to England fairly well. He seemed surprised, but relatively happy for them. This was the first she'd heard he had some reservations about the idea, but she supposed she could hardly blame him. She'd never even been in a different city from him until she moved to Maine to set up in her grandfather's house.

"We have plenty of rooms in the new house, dad. You can visit whenever you want."

"Well you guys don't have to wear them!" Rory laughed, shaking her head at the two women and their opinions on dresses. So long as neither of them were giving any semblance of hints, she wasn't going to worry about it.

Rory loved her dress, and it was already enough of a struggle to keep something she was so excited about from her fiancee.

If Rory had gone with her very early-on ideas of however she dreamed up a wedding, she'd likely be in a giant poofy dress and probably have some kind of a flower crown and full on gazebo situation. Or a mermaid dress. There had been a lot of dream wedding scenarios when she was younger, even if she never actually put a lot of stock into marriage itself back then. A weird duality, but Rory was glad that her tastes had evolved here.

John's comment had Rory looking up as well. She supposed no matter how close she and her mother were, it was a bit different because she'd already moved far enough away. A whole different coast wasn't all that different than another country. A plane ride was a plane ride, even if it tacked on a few more hours. But with Maris and John, they really only had to plan a quick drive to be there.

"I hope you will, John." Rory nodded with a smile. "I hope you all will. We have so much we want to do to the house over time, that it'll be nice to have you all see what we're up to between visits."

Rory was definitely trying to soothe some of the sting of their move, but at the same time. she knew there would be some growing pains.