“This is the part where you crack a joke.” Merlynn slyly goaded the man who hadn’t let go of her. “Lynn…are you okay?” the man asked in a rough weathered voice. Merlynn held him tighter burying her face into his shoulder. “I am now.” Merlynn spoke quietly as she nuzzled her face deeper, picking up hints of his cologne. Their embrace wasn’t long, as Gloria and Abbey emerged onto the roof armed to the teeth. “Hands where I can see them bub!” Gloria snarled as she racked the twelve-gauge shotgun she held with a deadly grip. The man released Merlynn slowly raising his hands and began to chuckle. “Something’ funny?” Gloria barked as she trained her double-barreled beast on the man. He then turned, still chuckling and spoke, “Hi girls.”
“Nick of Time!?” Abbey burst out in sudden glee as she charged wrapping him in her bone crunching grip. “Heya Abs! Please no monikers I haven’t used that in ages! Please just call me Nickolas!” Nickolas grunted under Abbey’s force. “Long time no see Nick! Where were you this morning!? Could have really used you with that whole alien thing.” Gloria grunted as she lowered her weapon and walked over to Merlynn checking on her. “Mom…you, okay?” Gloria whimpered slightly. “I'll be fine sweetie, some rest and I’ll be right as rain.” Gloria's face turned sour then began brimming with Nick of…I mean Nickolas, can I ask you a question?” Abbey asked as she dug the tip of her shoe in the roof. “Sure, thing lass, shoot.” Nickolas answered with a smile. “So, about your powers…” Abbey began her question but lost her words. Nickolas realized what she was hinting at and quickly cut in, “Ahh you're referring to my speed. I promise you I can do much more than run fast. It’s a byproduct of one of my abilities, specifically channeling kinetic energy. Honestly with your abilities you could probably repurpose them in a way for you to run faster too, like your flight for instance.” Abbey stood star struck. Not only had she learned her idols true name but got to learn a little about how his powers worked and even got advice with her own powers. “Hello? Mission Control to Abbey! Come in Abbey!” Nickolas teasingly called out as he lightly tapped his knuckles on her forehead. "Falling face fucking first off a roof top isn’t OKAY MOM!” Gloria erupted in seething anger pulling Abbey out of her trance.
“Hey, Nickolas, don’t suppose you’d be willing to tell me your origin story, would you?” Abbey asked urging him to follow her back to the lift. “That depends. Do you like Chinese food?” Nickolas asked with a large grin. “Yes…why?” Abbey asked confused. Then in a dust blown blur Nickolas was gone. “This isn’t the time for this GLORIA, I TOLD YOU I WAS OKAY!” Merlynn shouted back her own voice filling with anger. As Abbey began to ponder what to do Nickolas reappeared holding several large bags, all oozing with the succulent smell of hot warm food.
“Your timing is impeccable, shall we?” Abbey asked with a cooing smile. “We shall lass! Looks like the fireworks are about to pop off too.” Nickolas cracked a joke shifting his eyes towards Merlynn and Gloria. “I was talking to the food, but I guess you can come too.” Abbey replied in a dead pan tone then broke into raucous laughter. “Now about that origin story!” Abbey demanded as she snatched a few bags away from Nickolas and stepped into the lift. “So, there I was, out in the field's miles away from Dublin, chasing a Leprechaun…” Nickolas’s voice was cut off as the lift clanged shut and began its descent.
The sky grew ominous once more as clouds moved in blotting out the stars and moon. Thunder could be heard off in the distance gurgling as it chugged closer. “What aren’t you telling me Mom!?” Gloria pleaded with her mother her voice wracked with heated pain. Merlynn’s eyes swelled slightly with pressure as she took a step closer. “Sweetie, please understand that I haven’t been trying to hide anything from you. I…honestly, I’ve been having a hard time with it myself.” Merlynn answered, her voice filled with sorrow and worried stress. Gloria took a step closer and reached out for her mother pulling her into a comforting hug. “Gods this feels weird to say but it’s okay, Mom I’m here for you. I always will just as you’ve always been there for me.” Gloria wept softly as she whispered into her mother's ear.
Merlynn wept with her daughter as she began to chuckle slightly. “Your right, that is weird, I should be saying that to you.” After sharing a hearty laugh, they began walking back to the lift, still holding onto one another. “Will you tell me what’s been bothering you now?” Gloria asked patiently, given knowing her mother was hurting. “Is it okay if we wait till the morning at least? I promise I’ll tell you everything over a cup of coffee.” Merlynn asked giving her daughter the pouty lip treatment. Gloria smiled and nodded as the lift unceremoniously made its noisy return. They entered the lift in silence riding it back down to the apartment.
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The lift clanged with an audible clunk as it reached Merlynn’s floor. She and Gloria emerged yawning, both feeling the weariness of sleep creep upon them. Gloria emptied the shotgun returning the weapon to the hanging rack on the wall and the rounds into a nearby box that read “Dragon’s Breath" in big red letters. As they approached the kitchen, they could smell hints of Chinese food seeping all around them. Feeling her stomach for the second time today, Merlynn moaned slightly as she walked through the kitchen and into the living room where Nickolas was wrapping up his origin story while using a dumpling and egg roll as stand ins for props.
“There better be some lo-mien for me!” Merlynn teasingly scoffed as she dropped down onto the cushioned bean bag couch. Nickolas smiled as best he could however, Merlynn could tell he was uncomfortable. While she and Nick had been seeing each other off and on romantically and casually as of late their relationship strained as Merlynn pushed for more. Her expression soured a bit as she dwelled in her thoughts then felt a warm to-go container slip into her hands. Before long Merlynn found herself slurping noodle heaven, Gloria fought with determination to squeeze another egg roll into her mouth, and lastly everyone’s eyes fell only the last lone dumpling glistening with soy sauce begging to be eaten.
Everyone’s eyes snapped up to meet one another followed by a round of devilish smiles. As lighting flashed and boomed everyone lunged for the final dumpling at once. It soon turned into a duel of chopsticks and forks as each of them playfully fought over the remaining morsel. Finally, Abbey pulled away from the rabid pack toting a pleased gleeful smile. As she began to slowly creep away the others noticed that the dumpling was no longer there. “Get her!!! She’s making off with the dumpling!!!” Merlynn shot up from her seat pointing at the fleeing Abbey. Without a moment to lose Gloria and Nickolas leapt into the air tackling Abbey to the ground. They began tickling her calling out for her to give up the goods.
As Abbey buckled under the persistent onslaught of tickle doom, Merlynn snickered pulling out the true dumpling from a pocket dimension and popped it into her mouth. “That bitch! SHE PLAYED US!” Abbey shouted between tickles. Nickolas and Gloria turned to Merlynn shooting daggers her way as they crept closer wiggling their fingers in a prelude of what was to come. “Bring it on.” Merlynn quoted in a distant dead pan tone. Laughter and giggles erupted as they all piled onto Merlynn wrestling her down.
After thoroughly wearing themselves out they bid each other a good morning and decided to lay down for a few hours. Nickolas washed off in the bathroom as Merlynn laid her things down in random succession, too tired to care were. Scents of warm mint and tobacco wafted through the air as steam billowed from the bathroom. Merlynn grinned a wicked smile as her last garment slipped off and she slid into the shower alongside Nickolas. She pressed her naked body against his now soapy back. “Care to give a girl a hand?” She seductively cooed in his ear rubbing her lewd body against his. Nickolas turned to face her with a wicked grin of his own. Merlynn bit her lip as she stepped closer. “Or rather maybe I should give you a hand.” Her grin widened as her cheeks began to blush. She moved her hands across his slick chest and hips as the water beat against them both.
“Lynn, we agreed we weren’t going to do this anymore.” Nickolas’s face fell somber despite Merlynn having him in her grasp. His head swelled with mixed passion and sadness as he felt his body succumbing to her intent. Nickolas moaned a bit then pulled her forward into the stream and locking his lips with hers. They held each other as they passionately kissed under the steamy stream. Moving gently, Nickolas retrieved a purple bottle of shampoo working it into a lather in Merlynn’s hair. She pulled away from the kiss moaning as Nickolas’s fingers plunged down to her scalp massaging in the shampoo. He then twisted her soapy locks into a tight bun spinning her around as he pressed his body and into her backside. Grabbing body soap and a washcloth he proceeded to wash her body while caressing her with his free hand.
Merlynn’s mind raced mad with fervent thoughts, her body aching for Nickolas. She pushed him backwards into the wall as she turned locking her lips with his again. She wrapped her slick body around his, still kissing him deeply and turned the water off behind them. With a snap of her fingers their bodies and hair quickly dried as if a sudden burst of wind lifted all the water away. Nickolas chuckled “This has to be the last time Lynn.” He chuckled between breathes. Merlynn replied by deepening the kiss and climbing into his arms.
Nickolas carefully and gracefully maneuvered Merlynn and himself out of the shower and into Merlynn’s room softly setting her down onto her bed. Pulling away for air Nickolas felt Merlynn’s arms snake around his hips pulling him down towards her. With a quick gesture Merlynn felt immense pleasure letting loose a deep lewd moan. She quivered gleefully as Nickolas climbed on the bed with her. As she wrapped her legs around his hips locking him in place, they moved in heated rhythm with tiny gasps of pleasure escaping their lips. As Merlynn felt the denouement approaching, she rolled Nickolas on his back. Merlynn quivered and quaked, arching her back wildly, when her head began to spin, and vision flashed hot white.