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Part 9 - Finite (cont.)

I listened as Babs relayed the high points of the wedding, especially the open bar and the fight her mom got into with her new stepdad five minutes after the vows.

She finished, "One of the screens there had on something called 'esports'. I was just drunk enough to find it entertaining. Oh shit, I should've had the bartender put on wrestling. But that was the shitshow part of the week. Seeing my great-uncle and cousins was awesome. I went to this water park with Edith. We ate some great food and I was blown away by a surprise gift from my great-uncle. It was life-changing. But, God, I need a shower from the drive. Again, just checking in. Greg is okay though?" She clung to my shoulder with her gaze serious and unwavering.

I calmly assured her, "Greg is fine. I took care of everything. Everything should be worked out with the weekend. See you on Monday."

Babs relaxed but kept a frown of concern. She waved glumly and slipped back out the front, locking it again with her key before leaving.

A moment later, the bathroom door clicked and Lina emerged. She looked down the hallway and over at me, asking, "Was that Babs? It sounded like her, but I was afraid to just pop out."

How much had she heard? I nodded and told Lina, "She just wanted to make sure everyone was okay. She faced some stresses but also relief related to family. She took quite a drive today. I know she would never want to worry you but there were phone issues, so she couldn't do anything about it."

To my relief, Lina just caught a few clear words through the door. Greg. Esports. Water park. "Sounds like she mentioned our week. And she isn't mad, thank goodness. I still would've liked to talk to her but she's probably worn out. I can try her landline tomorrow."

Cutting it real close, you cheeky, Babs-profanity bet-keepers...

With that little moment over, I had a chance to appreciate the clothes Lina had changed into from her scrubs. A simple, short-sleeved white top with a single, Half-Life 3 lambda over the left side. Her chest made the logo really...pop. Below she had on a pair of blue, drawstring cotton pants which dipped tantalizingly-low to reveal a midriff.

[https://i.imgur.com/WwmV43J.jpg]

With a wide smile, she pointed between me and her and remarked, "We totally match now!" She was right. Even though my pants were more a pale gray and the blue of my top was no match for the tone she sported from the waist down.

Grinning, she poked the logo gently, cleared her throat, and asked, "So...have you ever played Half-Life?"

Babs definitely rubbed off on her. "I...have some experience. I bought everything by Valve in the last summer sale."

She raised a pale eyebrow. "Ooh? What's your...Steam library like?"

"Bigger than I could ever possibly...fully use." 

Leaning against the desk, she teased, "I'll be the judge of that. I'll see how you handle your...joystick. Greg told me you dabble in retro, especially Playstation 2. It has a huge library...the biggest of any...hehheh...hehehehe..." She turned away and just barely stifled her giggles. 

I let myself laugh too. She wiped at her eyes and noted, "Oh, woo. As I said before, I had quite an interesting week of learning with Babs. And I'd also like to learn more about you, if you're willing to share."

Glancing down, I sighed. "We...just started talking today for the first time in a long while. I'm glad I got the opportunity to tell you stuff I was afraid to admit for so long and I'm relieved you're alright with it all. I just...it's been a long week. So..."

She reached over and touched my hand. "I know. But I also know what I want. I want to play some games with you, John. Please?" 

My body was ready to follow her anywhere but my mind had those worrying thoughts. The ticking clock. The truth of who she was. The near-lies and omissions I spun. 

But, Babs-profanity, I really wanted to play games with her, no matter what the results were. She beamed when I agreed and gathered up her stuff. 

The drive to my apartment was shorter than the trek to Babs' place. Along the way, I picked up a half-veggie, half-supreme pizza, salad, breadsticks, and a liter bottle of Faygo in a flavor Lina wanted. 

Compared to my car, I felt rather proud of my apartment. There were a few papers stacked along the counter past the entryway but it was otherwise cozy and organized. A nice, suede couch stretched out before my PC area and PS2 collection. 

A quick check of the fridge revealed a few casualties from my time away. Some cheese which was old even last week and leftover egg salad which should've been put out of its misery long ago with a flamethrower. Fortunately, I just bought eggs right before all this. 

But food wasn't really on Lina's mind as she crossed her legs on the shag carpet and skimmed gleefully through each and every game.

"Arc the Lad! My gosh! I was looking all over the state for weeks before I found a copy of this. So fun! Also, this is a nice setup but I feel you get the best results from a quality CRT with S-video. Component, the five connector one, also looks pretty decent for the era even on flat panels. I've seen some converter devices provide a clearer, sharper image but they can wash out the colors and produce rampant aliasing. Emulation is also an option as well as finding a PS3 with hardware backwards-compatibility. But I...heh...digress."

I enjoyed her digressions. I did have a CRT but it needed to be repaired. Eventually, it would have a section off to the side where the retro titles could grow. Lina gave a few recommendations for what should go where while she pulled up some online posts of her collection. I reacted with smiles and questions.

Soon, she returned to sifting through my collection. She picked out five titles and set everything up. It had been a long time since Greg stopped over to play. She handled it all delicately, unraveling the controllers and placing the first disk on the slide-out tray.

The cords were much shorter than they seemed in college. We had to scoot the couch closer to feel comfortable. First up was Twisted Metal: Black. It was the first game of the generation I ever played at a kiosk, back when such things weren't just a neglected afterthought at a store.

We leveled a whole neighborhood with our weapons and launched through the air at each other. Lina kept her controller in her lap and giggled every time the rumble function kicked in. I was rusty, running away and trying to strafe her on the sly but she slaughtered me for several rounds. I did win a few on a warehouse map. 

As the matches went on, I noticed her closing the distance between us on the couch. Eventually, we were touching hips.

She was warm against my warmth. Feeling her sweet-smelling shape sitting comfortably against me was an immense distraction which propelled her to several victories.

After that, we stopped to eat but she didn't go far from my side. Her lavender scent, with gentle perspiration like a light mist, quickened my pulse.

Next up was one of the wrestling games Greg always insisted on playing back in college. Bombastic attacks and swift button mashings brought her squirming and rolling around next to me. 

It was not fair but I held my own. She mouthed some of the character names with a grumble of annoyance. I asked what was wrong. She explained, "It's been too long since I played this. Gosh, I told Babs a whole bunch of wrestler names when she asked but I screwed them up. Stupid..."

I assured her it would be fine as she piledrove me into the ground then bent my leg over her head to pin me. We slammed each other over and over, going harder.

We were each focused. I was getting used to her presence, even though I was sweating an embarrassing amount. Right as I was about to nail her with a leg, I felt something warm, soft, and wet on my cheek. Turning, I was not prepared for her lips to meet mine. 

I'd kissed Lucy and Colleen many times. It'd been exciting, fun, and a little weird. This was like being hit by a wave. My lower bits were delirious and aching. Her tongue pressed in my mouth and she wrapped an arm around to hold me. Vaguely, I realized she had pressed the start button to pause the game. 

Her controller fell away and mine joined hers. The kisses were ravenous, as insistent on victory as her gameplay had been. Her body edged towards my lap without settling in. The whole area was like a grenade about to go off. I flowed with her lips, trying to kiss back just as strongly. 

Slowly, she pulled back and looked at me with a blissful smile.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

[https://i.imgur.com/9B7oRag.jpg]

She confessed, "I think you're really sexy too. I've thought about you a lot and I've...I've gotten off thinking of you. A lot...A loooot...from your hair, to your lean body, to hazy stuff in my imagination which Babs helped me see clearly."

Her hands roamed over me, eventually settling in my lap. As adeptly as any other joystick she'd wielded so far, she had a hold on me. She smiled and traced me. I was not going to last long like this. I was amazed it had survived without going nuts already. 

Lina prodded my waistband and eased herself fully onto my lap. She gave a gasp and I felt pushed to the edge by her on top of me. With a quick kiss, she whispered, "I have to pee so bad."

RIP. Totally and completely RIP. Objectively, Babs' getting off was better but this was mine, all mine and it was with the woman I loved.

As I eased down, Lina stood and looked rather satisfied with herself, like she'd just won a very intimate match.

Catching my breath, I went to the bedroom to change. Lina crept into the adjoining restroom, giving me a little aftershock as she shut the door behind her. This was not how I expected my Friday evening to go, not from this morning, certainly not from a week ago.

I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and walked over to the closed restroom door. When Lina emerged, she noticed me and grinned. I clasped her hand and slipped behind her. I wrapped my hands around her waist and whispered, "You are so sexy, Lina, that words fail me. Whoever hurts you, including me, is a fool. Whoever has witnessed your beauty and doesn't crave your smile will never understand the joys they're missing." 

She squirmed and led my hands upward, to the warm, soft swells above. I was gentle but persistent. The sounds she made, small but rising, brought my bits to tiredly nudge her soft backside. She leaned into it and urged herself to the same edge she'd taken me.

Lina turned and looked at me with fire burning in her gaze, a flame to rival Babs. That moment could've gone so many ways but the tension in her body relaxed. She needed another trip to the bathroom and a slight change but she returned with ease, flashing a wink as she remarked, "That's enough fun for one night."

The games were pretty much done and she'd beaten me at the most physical competition. We sprawled out on the couch, Lina leaning against me (just out of range of my lap), and enjoyed a random movie on streaming.

She snickered halfway through a slice of pizza she grabbed with a meaty hunk of sausage on it and asked, "Sooo...does this mean we're a couple now?"

Deep breath. "Does that make you happy?" She nodded eagerly against me. I proclaimed, "Me too. I love your sexy, tiny bladder. I love your skillful joystick play. I love your beautiful hair, your radiant bliss, your soft body. And I want to be with you...every single day we have together." We shared another lingering, deep kiss.

Her heartbeat felt so tiny but thunderous against me. It slowed as she dipped her eyes. Gently, she whispered, "Thank you. Thank you so much. It feels good. So good. So nice..."

She relaxed against me with her eyes drooping under the weight of the day. "I never...could imagine a day like this. Beautiful. So beautiful. I had no idea...that sharing and being with someone else, who wanted to be with me, could ever be for me..."

I stroked her hair. My hand grazed a tear on the way down. She smiled and murmured, "No matter what happens, I'm happy...and grateful. No matter what..." Her head dipped with those little snores Babs described so vividly.

I turned the sound down, even though there was no sign it would rouse Lina. This was how it happened. This was how she was made. This was how she would be unmade. In dreams.

I wanted to get her a blanket. but she clung to me so closely that I couldn't release myself without dropping her to the couch. So, I stayed there and kissed her on the head.

It wasn't fair. Dammit, it was not fair. She had a right to exist. She had a right to see what would be next for her. To witness a bewildering morning where she and Greg woke to find each other. To feel gleeful as she shared all her discoveries with her twin. And hobo eggs. Enough for everyone.

I swallowed with a rough sickness in my throat. She would never know what and why. That was on me, for the rest of my life. My choice. 

Mercy.