Paper Lanterns

Laine filled me in on the various major events that happened during our many years apart. The most important development to her, though, was the birth of her son, Atticus. She failed to mention a failed marriage or a current husband; I couldn't help but to take note of this with a smile before I brushed it off. She didn't like you then, Billie... why would she now?

She stopped at a door, and produced a key card while she finally let her arm drop from its place around mine. I watched her delicate fingers swipe the card through the lock. We had both changed over the years, but one thing remained... I was still mesmerized by even the littlest things she did. I continued to watch her intensely as she lead me through the doorway. She flung her purse to the side, and slipped out of her heels. She carried them over to a suitcase sitting in one corner, and tossed them on top.

Turning towards me, she gave me a sweet smile. I took in her changed appearance once more, and began to peel away the differences with my eyes. Saving her face for last, I examined her eyes as she continued to stand there. She still had the same imploring, kind eyes as I had remembered... signaling that she was still the same person. I broke eye contact when she began to slowly approach me.

She turned her back to me once again, and pulled her ponytail over her shoulder. Peaking over the opposite shoulder, she spoke, "Unzip me?" She asked.

I brought my hand up to the top of her back mechanically, and pulled the zipper down to the small of her back. Letting my fingers linger over her bare back, I took in all of the tattoos that covered her skin. She moved forward, and pulled her arms out of the sleeves as she walked towards the bathroom. I inched forward into the room, and took a seat on the edge of the bed while I waited.

Not too long after, she walked out in a pair of cotton shorts and an old Hüsker Dü t-shirt that revealed her arms, covered in tattoos which her longsleeved dress did not show. Laine plopped down on the bed next to me, and placed her hand over mine.

"Now, tell me what's wrong?" She asked, giving my hand a slight squeeze.

I let my eyes fall into my lap, briefly glancing at our hands. Her touch was cold, like it always had been. I thought before diving into what I hadn't ever been able to verbalize, "I feel so alone even in a crowd of people..." I began. "Even more so when I'm around people, actually. I can't relate to anyone or anything anymore." I let out a sigh masked with a laugh before I let my eyes lock onto hers, hoping for validation.

"How do you do that?" She asked seriously behind her laughter, which left me confused.

"Do what?"

"Make someone feel like they're not crazy just by expressing how you're feeling..." She smiled briefly before continuing, "You've always been able to do that, music or not."

I shrugged, not really knowing what else to do.

"You may feel like you're alone, and no one understands what you're going through... but those kids aren't coming to your shows and screaming those words back to you for the fun of it." She paused, as if to wait if I were going to say something. When I remained silent, she continued, "You've saved your fan's lives... perhaps it's time to let them save yours."

I sat there, completely shocked. If I could always count on Laine for something, it would be telling me like it is, and leaving me speechless. Finally, I managed to speak under my breath, "Fans don't keep me warm at night."

Unfortunately, she heard this, causing a giggle to escape her lips. "You're lonely for love." She said matter-of-factly as she shook her head.

"What's wrong with that?" I got defensive.

"Nothing, I just expected that you'd have no problem finding someone for that."

I let out a small scoff, "I don't..." I sighed, "I just can't find someone to take from lust into love..."

"Trust me," She began as she sauntered over to the mini bar in her room, pulling out a handful of bottles. "It's not all it's cracked up to be." Laine returned to the bed, and emptied her hands of the liquor onto the mattress. I looked up at her, eyeing her curiously. "Get drunk with me, for old times' sake..." She insisted as she twisted the cap off of a small bottle of Grey Goose, and pushed it to her lips.

I ran my fingers over the various bottles, finally settling on a matching Grey Goose one. I followed Laine's lead, and swallowed the contents of the small bottle. After a while of talking and drinking, I noticed a difference in drinking with my band mates or even with myself than with Laine; I was actually enjoying myself. Not that this surprised me at all.

Eventually, she laid back across the bed, and I did the same. I stared at the ceiling until I felt Laine's round brown eyes on my face. Turning towards her, I saw a look in her eyes that I had never seen in them before. I felt my eyebrow tug up my forehead before Laine draped an arm across my chest.

"BJ..." She murmured, her eyes still glued on mine.

"Hmm?" I hummed, my lips vibrating.

"Why didn't you ever make a move?"

I was too drunk to edit my thoughts, "I didn't know if you wanted that..."

She let out a slight laugh, "But you knew that you wanted it." She said nonchalantly.

I nodded before closing my eyes, realizing that she had known all this time. "I guess if I thought that you wanted me, you would've told me."

This time, she was the one who nodded as she turned her vision to face the ceiling. I thought for a moment, quickly deciding that this was it. Inhibitions aside, I was finally going to make my move. I propped myself up on my side with an elbow, and watched Laine as she remained still, only flinching for a second upon feeling my weight transfer.

Swallowing hard, I hovered over Laine's face; still... she did not move. If I didn't hear her breath catch in her throat, I would have thought she was sleeping. I brought my free hand to her face, pushing away a strand that covered her eyes. I stayed there, examining her features until finally, her hands wrapped around the back of my neck. She didn't pull me in, she was merely resting her hands there; she was waiting for me to go through with it. I smirked, always stubborn, I thought before closing the gap between us and finally connecting our lips for the first time.

The kiss was sweet at first, until she gripped her hands around my hair. This sent me into a fit of passion as I parted her lips with my tongue, an action that was met with her tongue softly colliding with mine. I pulled my leg around to the other side of her torso, hovering over her as I deepened the intensity of the kiss. She moaned into my lips, pushing her hips forward to signal that she wanted more.

I parted from her lips only to reattach them to her neck, leaving a trail of small kisses until I reached her collarbone. I began to suck on the tender skin, her hands pulling harder at my head. I let my head roll back into her pull before connecting our eyes.

A smirk danced across her lips as she pulled my ear to her them, "You've made it this far, are you going to stop now?" She whispered, her teeth grazing against my earlobe; the sensation sending shivers throughout my entire body. Suddenly, I didn't feel drunk anymore, but my fears were still at bay.

Without a word, I rose from the bed, resting my weight on Laine's hips as I began to unbutton my shirt. She watched intently until I was half-way down. Then she reached forward, and pulled the shirt over my head, tossing it to an unknown destination as my eyes remained fixed on her. She looped her arms around my torso before pulling me towards her, and flipping us in what seemed to be one fluid motion.

She brought her hands to the hem of her shirt, and pulled it off to reveal a perky set of mounds that came into a point at her erect nipples. I buried my face in her breasts, taking her perfectly pink nipple in between my teeth. She gasped as I gave it a tug before clamping my lips around it, flicking my tongue over it gently as I brought my hand to her other breast. As I massaged it lightly, she let out a moan.

She rested her hands on my bare chest, and rolled her head back in absolute pleasure. I let my body fall into the bed once she began to grind into me. She snapped her head forward, and directed her attention to my belt. Within a matter of seconds, she had my belt undone along with my pants. I began to shimmy out of the fabric that constricted around me as I grew more and more excited.

Once I was stripped of my jeans, Laine crawled over me, and laid vertically on the bed. While I did the same, I watched her free herself of her shorts and panties. As soon as I returned to my position over her, she yanked my boxers down, revealing my hard member. Once my underwear was completely off of my body, I teased her opening, rubbing my tip against her wetness.

She pulled at me, urging me even closer to her. "Do it, Billie." She pleaded, her voice strained with desire. I obliged, entering her slowly. Once I felt myself fill her completely, I let out a low groan. She let out a sound that closely matched my own as I began to thrust, slowly at first until I picked up my pace. I reveled in the feeling of my hips colliding into her, softly at first until I could no longer control my wild movements.

Still, she wanted more, "Faster..." She cried as I pushed into her hard, causing a high-pitched grunt to escape her lips.

I did as I was told, and rode out the rest of my time until I felt her body spasm around me, signaling her climax. I picked up my speed and force until her hips rolled high, and her mouth hung open, in too much ecstasy to scream. Her tightened muscles around my member causing my own orgasm, the feeling better than I had remembered.

I collapsed next to her, exhausted from the exertion I had put forth that was well worth it. I wiped the beads of sweat that collected on my forehead, and tried to catch my breath. She remained still for a moment before cuddling into my side. Neither of us said a word, we just smiled at each other before laying our heads back down, into the pillows.

---------------------

I woke up without even realizing that I had fallen asleep. Rolling over, I discovered that I was in an empty bed. I sat up, and rested my face into my hands. I turned my head to the side where Laine had been the night before, and noticed a piece of paper with the initials BJ on the pillow. I opened the note, and read...

Sorry I left without saying goodbye, I was going to be late for my flight. You looked too peaceful to wake up, so I let you sleep. Hopefully you do before noon though, that's when the room needs to be cleared.

I took the liberty of programming my number into your phone, so use it!

- Laine
and thank you for last night. xoxo

I glanced to the bedside clock; it was ten minutes to twelve. I laid back in bed before getting dressed, and leaving the empty room with two minutes to spare.