eclipse (a collection)

Rattlesnake shake

prompt: masturbation
pairing: alex skolnick/krista belladonna (gothic lit au)

It was one of those nights where the lake effect had rolled into that particular part of upstate New York and a fine layer of hoarfrost had crossed over every plant and every edge of every fence post. It had been a long time coming with the house there, but Krista and Alex had managed to bring it back for themselves, even though Mrs. Jones and Peter swore that they would be back in time. The cold rain beckoned off in the distance, and it would be there in no time to wash away the frozen fog and perhaps warrant a blanket of snow before sunrise: and yet, despite the cold courtesy of the black waters of Lake Ontario, Krista kept her bedroom window open to let in a bit of fresh air.

It had been a few hours since she had lay Olivia down and nearly an hour since Alex had lay down to sleep on the couch.

She had offered him to share the bed with her so he could be a bit more comfortable, but he promised her that he was alright being in the next room on the couch.

She had changed into a white silken nightgown and ran a hairbrush through her short, shoulder-length blonde hair when she caught the sound of the rain on the roof overhead. She stopped and she peered out the doorway to the hallway as well as the entrance to the living room: the two of them were sound asleep.

Though he was in the heart of his twenties, Alex did seem like a baby to her in his own rite. He had walked into her life when she needed that dose of comfort following Joey's demise, in the same vein of how Olivia was the one piece of Joey she had left behind there on Earth. Add to this, he had a habit of being fussy whenever there was a slight disagreement between the two of them.

He lay out there on the couch, sound asleep under those big heavy blankets from the hall closet: a part of her thought of walking out there all to kiss him on the forehead, a new habit that she still had yet to acquaint herself with.

Krista ran the brush through her hair some more and then she set it down on top of the dresser: she adjusted the collar of her nightgown one last time before she climbed into bed and tugged the blankets over her body. She reached up and switched off the lamp, which in turn engulfed the room around her in sheer darkness.

She lay down and rested her hands on her stomach underneath the blankets.

The sound of the rain on the roof acted as her white noise machine.

Olivia made soft little whimpers in the next room, but she never woke up.

Krista sighed through her nose and she brought a hand to the side of the bed to her left. Though it had been two years, she could still feel him there. His memory had faded from the mattress, but not from her flesh or from her mind. The body never forgot where it came from and who it interacted with, and Joey's absence rang throughout her like the clapper of a bell. He gave her Olivia and he gave her the house, and moreover, he gave her all of the secrets that he had kept at bay for so long.

If only she could speak to him again. If only she could feel him again.

Though it had been two years, she could still feel him on her fingertips. How she longed to feel him for real that time around: two years and she still had her moments whereby she missed him with such pain. He was the love of her life. He would always be the love of her life.

Alex was kind enough to fill the void in her life, but he lacked the same shape of Joey.

Her fingers crossed over the top of the mattress right next to her.

Her other hand over her breasts, the way that Joey used to touch her and feel her up. The nightgown was comprised of nothing more than two layers of lace upon a single layer of fine white satin: such thin fabric, that she could feel her nipples right underneath there.