2021-06-13 - The Big Ape

Kailey sits happily in the back of the Uber on the ride home. Phone out and eyes glued to the screen as it pings with either a foghorn or pixie bells frequently the short drive home. It seems she is just completely focused into her phone. Which she sometimes does get and Everett knows that. That darned ADHD acting up...or is it? He may not glance the sideways glance while her head stays tilted down. They are quick and surreptitious looks, after all.

And he has his own intentions. For one reason or another. There's the polite banter with the Uber driver, are they native to Gray Harbor or from the town next over. What are they going to do about the storm? Have they heard about the wacko weatherman telling people conspiracies about the weather?

Everett pays more attention to some of it than others, his one or two-word answers to strangers not fending off another attack. So he finds himself looking over to his companion, his partner. People are her thing. But she's got her nose in her phone. There's a brief look down to see what's so riveting, then back up to look at her profile. The back of the Uber doesn't offer a man like him much space, so it's awkward when he turns his torso, as much of his lower body to turn, as best he's able, in Kailey's direction.
At least until their driver lets Everett know he's kicking the seat.

With a mumbled word, the giant's attention drifts back to Kailey. His left arm rises, his index finger extended. To the nape of her neck, he lightly traces from the bottom of her hairline to hem of her top. And if that doesn't get her attention, the growing smile on the right side of his mouth suggests he has other tricks.

Kailey glances up from her phone after the first stroke of Everett's finger. A sweet smile on her face before she looks back at her phone. Tingle dingle ding Goes her phone again. "Oh cool. Sir, our babysitter just scheduled an Uber for her ride home. If you can wait five minutes, she can just pop out to you?" And what Uber is going to say no to an easy two rides in a row. Then Kailey's head is back down to her phone. It's only a few blocks more. Gray Harbor really isn't that big.

Some guys get all the breaks. What a lucky day for the Uber driver. Though Everett would have thought the children were with Lillian but, if he has any inclination otherwise, he doesn't let it show. Instead, returning to Kailey's neck. A silent inhalation before Everett leans back and gently blows alcohol breath flirtatiously against the back of her neck. Then leaning closer, plants the first of three dry kisses to her neck. It may not always be their ritual, after booze and his bad singing, but it wouldn't be uncommon for him either to try his luck.
But then, he's no Uber driver.

Kailey gives a little squeak and her shoulder on that side rises up as goose bumps spread from the breath. "Nnnnnngn! That tickles," She tells him with a giggle, shying slightly away from the seeking kisses. And then her phone chimes again with some art friend friendzone messaging her something silly. Apparently they are drunk too and was dared to try and fit two eggs in her mouth without breaking them...it didn't work and the friend stands there, mouth open, leaning forward to let the egg goo dribble out. "They dared her, then lightly tapped her cheeks when she did it," Kaiey is giggling a LOT at the image as she shares it.

And that is when they arrive at the house. Kailey peers out the window at the house as she gathers up her jacket and purse over one shoulder. "Thanks!" She says to the Uber driver . Not waiting for Ev to open the door for her as she pops out. As if something urgent compelled her she rushes up the walk to the front door and heading straight inside. It would seem that the Uber is, indeed, more lucky so far tonight. A second later Maya comes out to take over the Uber riding home. Waving politely at the tall man.

Leaning in to examine the picture, Everett nods softly, "Mm, so I see. That's quite the fetching look," he murmurs low before his attention returns to teasing. It isn't until she's exiting the vehicle and in a hurry that he pauses to watch her go, his head cast at a curious angle. He thanks the driver as well, using his functioning hand to ease the transition and thrusts his chin upwards at Maya in reply. He waits at his car door, leaving it open for Maya so he can ask if they were good and to get an answer. Then he closes the door for her, like the Prince Charming he can occasionally be before turning towards their house on Oak and advancing towards and into it.

The heavy front doors are closed and locked. There are plenty of criminals out there, and even one in here. Once the house has been secured he arms the console, then looks up as though he has the power to look through the floors as he gingerly removes his leather jacket to hang it up, taking his right hand by the wrist and tucking the palm into his pants pocket. It takes a couple of tries still, his right pinkie keeping the hand from fitting smoothly. But once he's placed his non-functional hand into his pocket, Everett walks further into the house, to check on the babys that were just sat.

Maya smiles and bobs her head. Kailey had paid her earlier. And so waves at the big man before the Uber heads off.

The leather jacket Everett had gotten Kailey, and which she had worn tonight, was tossed on the back of the couch with her purse. The small downstairs bathroom door was closed and the sound of water running in it's sink can be heard for a few seconds. It shuts off and ten seconds later Kailey emerges. Not immediately seeing Everett she heads into the kitchen. Tonight she hadn't drunk all that much, though she had smoked a lot. And she pulls her vape out now, putting it to her lips for a long pull while she investigates the fridge for a beer.

Finding one she pulls it out, Vape between her lips, and twists the top off. Pulling her smoke from her lips she exhales a cloud of smoke before tilting back the beer and taking several long pulls. Lowering it with a sigh Kailey stares down at the beer without really seeing it. Her face falling into a faintly troubled and thoughtful expression, nibbling on her lower lip absently as she leans on the kitchen island.

Moments later footsteps are heard from the second floor, creeping out of Kailey's side of the upstairs hall, towards the stairs and down them. He can be quiet, sorta, when he has to be. But boots on creaky hardwood floors are even beyond his skills. Coming down the stairs Everett is led by a furry little monster who's split face upturns to look at the familiar shape in the portion of the house where good things happen and the cat heads off without further delay, but neither does she hurry.

Close on her heels, Everett climbs down the stairs and when he spies Kailey, jerks his thumb over his shoulder, "Sleepin' soundly." He nods his head at the furry torpedo, whose pace is slowing his down because he doesn't want to trip over the feline, "Found her napping with Mew again," he adds.
When he gets to the kitchen, his head cants questioningly, noticing her expression even while he reaches out to her with one strong arm, to slip around her waist, "What's wrong, Kitten?"

Kailey glances up as she hears the tell tale footfalls. Taking another drink from the beer as he comes downstairs. Flerken runs up to her and arches her colorful back against Kailey's legs. A loud and purr-filled meow of greeting given before the cat slips out the cat flap. Watching her go Kailey doesn't resist as Everett cozies up to her. But she doesn't look at him either, just letting out a sigh and setting the bottle down. She turns in that encircling arm and looks up at him.

There is a combination of detached worry on her face. Her green eyes are a pale jade in color as she says softly, "You love Lyric." There isn't any rancor in the words, a simple declaration with maybe a hint of regret or sadness, it is hard to tell. The beer gets the return of her attention as she takes another gulp with a hit off her vape as a chaser. The smoke curling out from the corner of her mouth as her gaze returns to Everett's own.

With her turning around in his loose embrace, Everett begins to lean down. As he had prior in the day, stealing a look at Kailey's larger bottom lip while licking his own subconsciously. But only a stand of his hair, dry from the city's rain, slips over his shoulder to touch Kailey bosom. The big man pausing at the accusation.

His initial reaction is plain: surprise. Large eyes go well with his buffled expression. His lips part, the attempt at stealing a smooch forgotten as he stands erect. All except his head which he cocks, his reaction moving to the next, suspicion. He doesn't voice the accusation that she might, for right or wrong, gone into his mind again.

Finally, he frowns softly and squeezes her to him, gently. His gaze drifts over her right shoulder for a second, long enough for him to blink and bring the gaze back to her eyes. He's lied to her before, maybe more times then she knows, but this time. This time he hesitates.
Then purses his lips together. He twitches his head to his right, then he shrugs his left shoulder softly, but he doesn't let go.
"I don't know," he offers. When that isn't enough, for her, for him, he adds, "Yes, I feel something for her, but I don't know what that is. And I don't think it's where you or Lillian are." He pauses to take a breath and releases it in a slow sigh, "I met her at a time when I wasn't open to other people. If I had, I don't know where I'd be right now, but I am glad. I <b>AM</b> glad I'm here with you. With Mew, with Lillian and Que."

Let's try something new, honesty. Thank god he never really drinks that much during karaoke.

Those jade green eyes are locked on Everett's face. Noting every change across his features, his breathing, his stance, all of it. Kailey could probably easily reach into his mind and feel his emotional reaction, but she doesn't. Not this time anyway. As often as he has lied, she's opened her mind's eye to his and even Lillian's emotions. But not now. Now she lets out a soft, slow sigh and nods.

"Thank you for not lying to me," Kailey says in a quiet voice. Those lips her loves to kiss and nibble spread into a wan smile as her free hand reaches up, playing with the zipper of his jacket. "I can tell you feel for her, the way you were...nuzzling and looking at her. I see you look at Lil that way too." A short pause as she considers her next words. "I'm not mad...just..." The word she is searching for seems to fail her. The zipper released for her hand to make a lazy circle as she bites her lower lip in thought.

"I dunno...not sad, not mad, just a little hurt and anxious I guess?" Kailey shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders, sighing in frustration. "I felt like I...didn't exist to you tonight...when I was singing you-" Again she shakes her head and takes a sip of the beer. The last sip of it so she sets it on the counter, "Never mind. I'm being stupid..." And she turns away to put her hands on the kitchen counter, staring hard at it in consternation.

Her first words of a reply make Everett's lips pull into a wide smile. It's a thing people say, and Everett's just people it turns out, "I'd never lie to you, Kitten," he replies quickly, a knee-jerk reaction while his working hand slips a little lower on her waist before pulling back to cup her pelvis. Where he can squeeze with affection. And when her hand lifts up to play with his jacket zipper, he returns his head back down, letting his hair curtain to the sides as he gingerly places his forehead against hers

"You know," he begins, taking a pause to smile at her while she's looking away, "She says the same thing about the way I look at you. I can't-- I guess I can't help being expressive. Or would you rather I not show you how I feel for you?" Even as he asks the question he leans down a smidge, just to stroke his temple against her own. His smile doesn't waver, because he's sure of the answer.
Silent, he watches her searching for the word. Mostly watching the way she bites her bottom lip, only to look back up when she speaks again and he frowns softly and briefly. When she deflects, he shakes his head, pulling it back from the soothing touches.

"No, you're not being stupid. You can't help the way you feel, and thank you for sharing your feelings with me." He pauses while she rotates again, then closes in again, leaning his weight more than a little against her rump while his arm encircles her left shoulder to clutch her right. It's the best hug he can give. "You're right. I made you feel, what, small? Ignored? And I shouldn't do that. That's my fault. You're important to me, Kiki. Very important and if something I did, or something I didn't do hurt you then that's my fault, and I'm sorry for that. I didn't know I was doing that to you and I shoulda."
Leaning forward, she feels his lips against the back of her hair, while trying to speak without moving his mouth makes his bashful voice muffled. "I'm sorry," he repeats. "That was our night and I fu--fucked it up."

When the tall man claims he would never lie to Kailey, she turns slightly to look over her shoulder at him. This time the hurt leaks through and he knows a little that she has caught him before. And chosen to say nothing. "Right..." She agrees blandly as she puts the silver vape pen to her lips.

The affectionate touches get little response. Instead another faint white cloud briefly hangs in the air as she hears him out. The corner of her lips twitching at his apology. Her head bobs as she takes another draw and lets the smoke trickle out. After an uncomfortable pause she says, "I don't mind sharing...but...yeah...it was our night..."

Turning around again she looks up at him somberly. "If you do want to pursue Lyric...you just gotta ask. I mean, she's fucking hot and I'd do her too."

If he lets the hurt in her eyes affect him, there's little outward evidence. His concern is continued touching, nuzzling and otherwise being sickly affectionate without being overly so. She scores the point with emphasis and he winces by facial muscles only, looking uninspired with his own actions. "And there's a storm rolling in," implying a limit on their nights. "Well," he offers, rolling the word in his mouth like an unpleasant lozenge. "How about we call this one a bust and we do something else? Just the two of us because you're hanging out with a big, thick idiot?"

"She is pretty hot," he admits freely with a small nod of his head, looking down at her mouth again through partially closed eyelids. He leans in again, canting his head softly to the side so his nose brushes her kiss when he steals a small peck from her lips. When he pulls back, it isn't far, not even a full inch so his breath, alcohol, and cigarette, wafts beneath her nose. "I'd have to be some kind of special jerk to do that to you on our night AND ask you for that. Especially with the reaction, our little family got from the ADA. Or," he mulls something over for the span it takes to look down at her lips again, "are you asking me to put her in our group?"
With the question about alternative motives hanging in the air, Everett steals another peck, this time using his lips to pinch her lower lip lightly before pulling back the same distance, "My girlfriend's girlfriend."

"You are that," Kailey replies with a cute little pout for the big, thick idiot, batting her eyes at him. It's good for getting herself a kiss and she nuzzles him in turn. "I'm not...no? Uh...I'm just saying..." Kailey's cheeks have turned red as she blushes and stumbles over her own words. Complete with her biting her lower lip.

It is only made worse by Everett not-quite singing those last words. It causes her to giggle as she leans into him. Dipping her head in to rest against his chest for a few more shakes of her mirth. "If you still want to date her I'm fine with it. As long as my days are still -my- days and all that...," Kailey says with her face comfortably pressed into the strong chest. Listening to the strong beating of his heart and hiding the burning of her cheeks.

Then she says something softly as she turns to press a kiss into the tee shirt. It sounded like Kailey said, "'Specially if I get to watch."

His smile widens softly, briefly when she agrees with him that he's an idiot, his head down, attentively watching her while she grows more crimson against his teasing. His eyes flicker down for a second and then back up and that kiss her cuteness, pout, and batting of eyes pays off when her lip is bitten. His functioning arm lifts up to uncurl around her waist and with a crooked finger, uplifts her chin while he tucks his own down to his chest so he can lightly press his lips to hers. His head tilts a little more, deepening the kiss all that much more and his arm moves behind her head to cup the nape of her neck. He has no words, not yet, not while tasting her and by the small, guttural sound that follows, won't until he has to come up for air.

When his hunger for her kiss subsides, there are three small pecks to chase the long kiss. His hand moves down to her shoulders and follows her dress down to come to a rest holding her right ass cheek tightly in his grip, his thump rhythmlessly stroking her through the purple dress and universe stockings. There's an occasional knead while he whispers, having retreated his lips only far enough as is necessary to speak. There's a nod, one, of his head while he agrees, "You're nights, your days should be your days. And I should be paying attention to you, not to other girls. I'm a bad boy. Thank you for letting me know." He glances down at her mouth again, his smile slowly returning just as she places her head against his chest.

About the murmured words, she feels his body stiffen against her own, but he asks, "Mm? Did you say... something?"

Kailey presses her lips together even as she smiles. His question elicits a little shake of her head against his chest. "Mmm, nope. Nothing of consequence," She says as she turns her head up to kiss Everett. The best distraction to deploy against him. "I believe you said something about making it up to me?" She murmers just before their lips meet. A silent invitation as her arms move up to lock about his neck.

A throaty noise of disbelief follows her reluctance to compound on what she murmured, though he keeps smiling softly anyways. A brief look of the same disbelief then falls hook, line, and sinker for the distraction. Probably works every time.

His grip tightens, squeezing before he gives the hand-hold of her a slow roll and lets go. But only for a moment when his hand is felt slyly pulling up the skirt while his attention is mostly on his lips and how he's moving them against hers, parting them to invite her tongue to meet his as he touches her with his.
When his hand reaches the top of her dress he slips his hand under, stretching out everything beneath to feel the curvature of her rump in his palm to knead again, hard. Rough. And followed by a short, but guttural growl.

A soft growl is given in return as Kailey's lips part and her tongue darts out to play with his own. As his hand cups her bottom she giggles into the kiss. He feels her arms tense and her legs through that hand on her buttocks. Then she gives a little hop to wrap her legs around his hips and arms tighter around his neck. "Upstairs," Is the one word when she briefly comes up for air a second.

The grip of his hand becomes all that much stronger, using his strength to hold her up with just the one hand with the assistance of her clinging to his neck, to his hips. Somewhere he heard her, but he's slow to obey. Instead canting his head to the other side as he lunges forward to capture her lips again after they've escaped saying that single word, his kissing hurried and hungry.

So much so she feels him lift and place her on the counter, at least for a moment, leaning forward to conquer her with his lips, with his tongue. Leaving her on the counter allows him to shift how he holds her, from up, to against, pulling her against the front of his jeans just in case she was curious. To grind, more then a couple of times before that hand lifts her up again this time to stumble like the blind from their kitchen, towards the stairs and up them, taking each stair slowly, calculated and not because he doesn't want to drop her but for the stroking action it provides.

Up, up, up to the heavyside layer...

Kailey has strange things go through her head at the oddest moments. It is why at one point, as he carries her up the stairs, she giggles within their deep and passionate kissing. Though while they take the stairs she leaves his mouth alone and opts to place kisses and nibbles on his neck. Him tripping would be bad right now. It works, right?

Up and into his bedroom they go. And down and onto the big and plush bed. And by the time she is landing she is reaching to pull off her dress, while shoes are kicked off onto the floor. And all that entails. It was going to be a very good night after all.