Take Me There
Title: Take Me There
Author: Rachel
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Erica/Addison
Disclaimer: Not mine, will never be mine, though if anyone has a spare Sara Ramirez hanging around, I'll more than gladly take her. I don't own any characters herein, and I will return them (mostly) unharmed once I'm done playing. I am making no money from writing these stories. As a non-profit interpretation of the original work, this constitutes fair use under USC 17.107.
Summary: "Naomi walks into my office without knocking and stops dead, staring at the array of fruit on my desk. I have everything I could find at the Farmer’s Market this morning, and I’m aware that I look completely insane." Addison POV
Words: 4281
Exchange Gift: for
heartsways
Notes: I've fought with this and fought with this and I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I really, really hope that it's okay. I'm sorry. Unbetad simply because I ran out of time. I've checked it over a few times myself, but I can't promise that I've caught everything.
Take Me There
Naomi walks into my office without knocking and stops dead, staring at the array of fruit on my desk. I have everything I could find at the Farmer’s Market this morning, and I’m aware that I look completely insane. I look up sheepishly, feeling my cheeks flush.
“Okay then.” She drags the words out, and I shift self-consciously in my chair, eyes focusing on the painting behind my best friend. Shaking her head, Naomi closes the door and settles herself on the other side of my desk, popping a strawberry into her mouth as she crosses her legs. “Who are you and what did you do with Addison?”
“Is it that unbelievable that I eat this stuff?”
“In this quantity? Yes,” she teases as she reaches for a grape.
I’m sure I have the good sense to look slightly embarrassed as I respond. “I went out with Erica last night?”
“And this explains the fruit how?”
Prodding at a slice of watermelon with a pathetic plastic fork, I mutter, “She kissed me.”
“Finally.”
My head snaps up and I can’t do anything but stare as Naomi steals the piece of melon and pries the fork from my hand. I watch her eat, my mind going a mile a minute.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I shake my head, unable to verbalize my surprise. I know I look like an idiot, but I can’t figure out how Naomi knew that kissing Erica was something I wanted. I was expecting to have to explain that, to defend my desires. This blasé acceptance, I never would have predicted.
“Come on, Addie. Do you think I’m blind and deaf? You’ve been mooning around like a lovesick teenager for weeks. The only time you’ve seemed like yourself is when you’ve been telling me about Erica.” She another bite of watermelon, adding “Which you do a lot,” almost as an afterthought.
“I do not!” It’s a reflexive answer, and I bury my head in my hands at the clear lie. I may have talked more about Erica then I ever did about Pete or Derek - maybe more than both combined. I feel like I’m back in high school again with my first crush.
“Keep tellin’ yourself that, sweetie. But I don’t remember sonnets about Derek’s eyes.
“There haven’t been sonnets.”
“Mmmhmm.”
“There hasn’t been.”
“If you say so.” As she leans over to snag a raspberry, Naomi stops. It’d be funny to watch the look that comes across her face if I wasn’t so afraid of what she might say next. “Did you not like it? Are you comfort eating? ‘Cos I think I need to teach you a few things if you are.”
“No! I mean… yes, I liked it.” I feel myself blush again, knowing that I’m actually going to have to explain myself. Sometimes, I hate having a best friend.
“Then what’s this about?”
I refocus on the desk, not wanting to see the laughter in Naomi’s eyes when I tell her. “She was wearing some kind of fruity lip-gloss. I’m trying to figure out what.” It’s not entirely the truth, but I don’t want to have to explain how truly pathetic I’ve become.
It’s to no avail. Naomi’s known me too long and too well, and as soon as she breaks into laughter, I know she’s put the pieces together. Still, I hope she’ll save me from having to hear it aloud. “You’re trying to recreate it, aren’t you?”
My silence is all the answer she needs and I hear rather than see her stand. “Okay, then. I’ll leave you to your… noble… pursuits.”
Despite myself, I look up, and, at the smug look on my best friend’s face, I reach for a grape, throwing it at her. “I hate you.”
Naomi sidesteps neatly and the grape smacks against the door, sliding harmlessly to the floor. “You love me.” Before I can dispute that, she continues, “So when are you seeing her again?”
“Tonight.” I feel the smile spreading across my face at the thought. I’m undeniably smitten.
“Is that date two or three?”
“Three.”
Naomi smirks. “You ready for that?”
“Ready for what?”
“Doesn’t date three usually end up in the bedroom?”
Suddenly, my anticipation is accompanied by nerves, and I groan.
“Save that for Erica.” She says the blonde’s name with a kind of dreamy lilt, and I know she’s mocking me.
“I really, really hate you.”
Naomi opens the door, looking down at the remains of the grape as she does so. “Don’t forget to clean that up before you leave.”
I nod, not really listening to her any more, and I don’t really notice as she leaves me alone with my thoughts. Suddenly, I have something much more important to worry about than what flavor Erica’s lip gloss might have been. I drop my head to the edge of my desk, sighing heavily as I start to wonder what the blonde I think I’m falling for is expecting tonight.
As much as I know I want her, I’m not sure I’m ready.
***
Walking along the beach hand in hand with Erica may be the most romantic thing I’ve ever experienced. I think it’s unexpected for both of us that this is so easy, but I don’t want to dig any deeper. Maybe not knowing why we fit so well is a part of how wonderful this is, and I don’t want to mess this up before we’ve even gotten started.
The only illumination comes from the moon and stars and the distant lights of Los Angeles, painting the beach in swathes of gray and blue. The light ocean spray is salty on my lips, and Erica’s hand is warm in mine, the heat of her body so close to my own as comforting as it is electrifying.
“This was perfect.”
She almost sounds surprised as she responds, the warm velvet tones of her voice wrapping around the words. “It was.”
Her eyes sparkle in the moonlight, and I feel like we’re the only people in the world. We’re definitely alone on the stretch of beach beyond her back deck, and I want to kiss her with all the feeling I’ve been suppressing for far too long. Maybe even since that first night in a dark bar. I know she was almost intoxicating back then, and right now, I’m drunk on her. The twinge of jealousy I felt towards Callie that night wasn’t wholly about having everything she could ever want at her fingertips if she was just brave enough to accept what Erica was silently offering her. I won’t make the same mistake, but I need this to be Erica’s decision. She’s never talked about it, but I sense the hurt beneath the surface. I want - so much - to be the one who makes it disappear. I lean in slowly, hoping we’re on the same page. I give her time to move away, sending up a silent prayer that she won’t. She doesn’t. Actually, she meets me halfway, the soft, tentative touch of her lips against my own stealing my breath from my lungs, my heart pounding as I lose myself in the gentle play of her lips against mine, feeling contentment and arousal fighting each other for control of my body. Inevitably, desire wins. I slide my fingers into hair as soft as silk, tugging her closer as her arms wrap around me.
It was just supposed to be one kiss. One gentle, goodnight kiss, enough to satisfy my need to be close to her, but as she pulls me ever closer, I lose the battle with my hormones. Enveloping her in a tight embrace, I can’t think of anything but how soft she feel, the scent of her perfume musky but sweet and perfectly Erica. It carries me away on a tide of emotion so strong that it threatens to drown me.
I could so easily fall in love with her.
Erica’s tongue strokes my bottom lip and I eagerly open for her, longing to truly taste her, to be completely intoxicated by everything she is and everything she could be.
Eventually, after the need for oxygen forces us to part, I pull her tightly against me, wrapping her in my arms. For long moments, I enjoy holding her, just being close to her and feeling every inch of her body against mine. I never imagined that I could fit so well with another woman, but now I’m wondering how I missed this experience earlier.
She pulls away from me and casts her eyes towards the floor, a small smile sneaking onto her lips as she looks back up. She’s nervous, and I’m glad because it makes my own nerves okay. It settles the bats that have invaded my stomach, immediately shrinking them to the almost comforting flutter of butterflies. For a long moment, I look at the soft curls that settle just above her shoulders and I can almost feel them tangled between my fingers. I definitely feel the warmth that trickles down my spine; infusing me with something that I can no longer pretend is not desire. It’s involuntary, but my tongue dampens my lips and I’m sure I catch her eyes darkening slightly as they follow the movement. The moment elongates and I lose myself in her gaze for what feels like an eternity, the air around us almost crackling with my anticipation.
I want to kiss her again.
Desperately.
Apparently, Erica has the same idea, her eyes darkened by more than the lack of light. Reaching towards me, her long fingers run down the sides of my jacket, playing with the zipper once she reaches my waist.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” she whispers before she leans in and lets her lips play gently against mine. She pulls away too soon, and I can’t help but sigh as it looks like she’s about to turn away.
Grabbing her wrist and running my fingers along the tender skin there, I murmur, “It doesn’t have to be over.”
She looks confused. “It doesn’t?”
“No.” I kiss her once more, hungrily this time, hoping desperately that she’ll get the message I’m trying to convey. I don’t want to have to leave her tonight. I’m still nervous, but I know this is what I want, and I don’t think those nerves are going to subside any further than they have with her tongue stroking against mine, her desire for me evident in the way her arms slide around me and tighten as though she can’t get me close enough. She’s intoxicating.
This time, when she pulls away from the kiss, we’re both gasping for air and there’s nothing but her in my world. I lose myself in her gaze, and I think she might feel the same way. No one has ever looked at me with the kind of focus Erica does, and it sends shivers of anticipation rocketing across my skin. I was wrong this afternoon. I’m more than ready for this. If she doesn’t invite me in, I think I might die, and it’s completely ridiculous that I don’t think I’m exaggerating, not even for a second. I want this to be her decision though, so I just watch her as the emotions play across her face. I see the nerves and the want and what may even be a slight twinge of fear.
Eventually, she extracts herself from my embrace, and I sigh as I realize that I’m going to have to take this into my own hands. Brushing a lock of silky hair away from her face, I take a step closer, nuzzling against her neck as I whisper “Invite me in.”
Erica sighs, her hands tangling in my hair and holding me close. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t just… think you’re sure? I’m not going to regret this in the morning. I know what I want. Do you?”
“Erica. I’m not Callie. Whatever happened with her… this isn’t the same thing. I can’t pretend that I’m not scared. But I’m not scared enough to let it stop me. Aren’t you scared too?”
“I don’t think we’re afraid of the same thing.”
I drop a light kiss on her pulse point and she leans into the contact, a breathy whimper escaping her. It sets my heart beating faster and I want to hear it again, so I let my lips trace the line of her jaw, my tongue sneaking out to stroke the shell of her ear. “Tell me what you’re scared of.”
She swallows hard and I trace her spine with my hands, hoping to soothe her. This is about something more than my desire to know what she feels like spread beneath me. I think Callie may have hurt her more than I can imagine, and this is about proving to Erica that she’s desirable for everything that she is; the good and the bad. That she’s a woman that anyone would be lucky to have in their life; someone to be treasured. In some ways, I hate my friend for whatever it is that she did, but in others, I can only thank her for propelling Erica Hahn into my life. This woman is a gift and I’m not fool enough to turn it down. “Erica, please… tell me what you’re scared of.”
“What if you don’t like it?” It’s so quiet I’m not sure that I’ve heard her right, but the slight shake of her body against my own tells me that I did. The fear I sense imbues me with a protectiveness that I’ve never felt before and I move away from her slightly, needing her to see the sincerity in my eyes when I answer her.
It’s the wrong decision. She takes my movement as a rejection and as she steps out of my arms, I can see her closing down on me, dismissing the trust that we’ve built in the months since she came to California. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll-“
“Erica.”
“Don’t, Addison. I get it.” She turns on her heel and starts up the steps to her deck. For a second I’m frozen in place, but then I realize that this is probably going to be my only chance to get through to her. If I let her brood on this, if I let her have time and space, she’s not going to let those walls fall again.
I chase after her, catching her arm before she reaches the door and she spins round to face me with fire in her eyes. Before she can unleash any of her hurt in defense, I draw her into my body, bringing our lips together in a heated kiss. She tries to pull away from me, but my arms are wrapped around her and she acquiesces, opening her mouth to my questing tongue. We fight each other for control of the kiss and a moan reaches my ears. I’m not sure if it was her or me, but it doesn’t matter. I just need to make my point. I need to show her that I want her, and when oxygen forces us to part, I don’t give her a chance to talk.
“Erica, I want this. I want this so much I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want it.” Doubt is still evident in her eyes, so I continue, laying myself on the line for the sake of the woman who’s consumed my every thought for weeks now. “I’m not scared that I won’t like it. I’m scared that I don’t know what to do. I’m terrified that I’m not going to be what you expect and, honestly, I’ve never been this nervous. I know what I’m doing, but… this time I don’t.” My eyes close involuntarily, and it’s the biggest relief of my life when she lifts one hand to my face, stroking my cheek almost reverently.
“Addison… I’m not exactly an expert. I’ve only been with one woman… and she-“
Jealousy flares and I cut her off “I don’t want to talk about Callie.”
“Me neither. She’s the last person I want to be thinking about right now. I just… want you.”
With that, she kisses me again, and this time it’s tender and almost loving. My hands move to her face of their own volition, and hers slide back into my hair, the gentle tug of her fingers sending shockwaves of desire through my body. We part for just a second, our eyes locking, reassurance passing between us as we move seamlessly into another kiss. I don’t notice as she walks us backwards, and it’s only the door against my back that lets me know that she’s turned us around. I’m lost in the softness of her and how utterly right it feels to be in her arms.
My eyes flutter open as Erica moves away and I reach for her again, intent on bringing her lips back to my own. She laughs lightly and whispers, “I just want to open the door.”
The second the key is in the lock, I bring us back together, immediately plunging my tongue into the warmth of her mouth. I’m so lost in her that I don’t notice anything around us as we stumble through the house, our lips fused together, the kiss all-encompassing.
***
The confidence that got us here all but dissipates with the shedding of our clothes. I’m overcome with desire for the woman above me, her skin hot against my own, flush with the desire that flows between us. Her weight is resting on one elbow as she stares down at me, our faces inches apart and a curtain of blonde curls shutting us off from the world. My heart is hammering wildly in my chest and I’m struggling to control my breathing as I watch her watching me. Her eyes dart rapidly across my face, memorizing every feature as her hand traces what I think is supposed to be a soothing path up and down my side. It has almost the opposite effect, my nerves awakening with every touch.
Erica’s eyes dilate further as she lowers her body further against mine, both of us moaning as our breasts come into contact. The ends of blonde curls tickle my shoulders and Erica slides one leg between mine, straddling my thigh. She kisses me again, just as I feel her wetness meet my thigh. It enflames my own arousal; a heated shudder passing through me as I moan into the kiss. My hips undulate against Erica’s, and, finally, her hand drifts higher, cupping my breast. My nipple hardens almost to the point of pain under her ministrations, and I feel her smile into our kiss as I strain for more contact, arching into her touch.
Her lips trail across my jaw slowly, before latching onto my neck as her hand drifts lower, gently stroking my stomach. “Please, Erica.” It’s a desperate groan, a plea for something I’m not entirely sure of. I just want her touching me, showing me how much she wants me and how to love her in return. As her hand continues its path across my body and down the outside of my thigh, she shifts her body, resting it between my legs and sucking one nipple into the warm, wet cavern of her mouth. I lose all sense of everything but her, drowning in the need that envelops me.
Just when I think I can’t take it anymore, I feel a whisper of a touch on my inner thigh and I push towards the contact, my legs parting further, offering her the access we both crave. At my hungry moan, Erica’s fingers finally slide into the heat at my core, sliding easily through the moisture that’s gathered there. I feel the vibrations of her answering moan against my breast and then she slides into me, thrusting gently in time with my hips. Her thumb brushes my clit, mesmerizing circles that push my desire ever higher, and I’m soaring, looking out over the edge of a cliff from which I long to dive headfirst into the waves. I know I’m saying something, but I have no idea what as she moves against me, above me, inside me. She curls her fingers against a spot I never knew existed, and I fall, welcoming the tsunami that breaks across my body, a burning wave that takes me under and carries me to a place I’ve never before been, but know I want to visit again and again.
Erica slides back up my body, her lips playing against mine as she brings me slowly back down. I force my eyes to open and a whimper escapes me as she removes her fingers, tracing a damp line of electricity across my body as her hand comes to rest above my heart. She’s so beautiful that it’s almost heartbreaking, her irises violet halos as she looks down at me. I breathe “That was amazing” and a smile illuminates her features, something telling me that that was exactly what she needed to hear.
“It was,” she murmurs as she kisses me again. Enough strength returns to my satiated limbs in that moment that I can roll us, the urge to touch her almost overwhelming as I feel my arousal spark to life once more.
“It’s not over yet.”
***
I slide back into consciousness from the most amazing dream to find Erica watching me. She’s wrapped in my arms, her body pressed against mine tightly, a look of wonder on her face. “Morning.” The word is rough, the remnants of sleep thickening my voice.
Gently, Erica brushes a hand across my cheek, smiling at me as she whispers, “You stayed.”
“Where would I have gone?” I snuggle into her body, lightly kissing her shoulder, enjoying the closeness of the morning after. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this kind of connection with someone before, and I don’t want to leave the warmth of her embrace.
Erica must feel the same as she looks over at the clock on her bedside table and groans. “I have to be at the hospital in an hour.”
I lean up, glancing at the clock myself and realizing that I’m never going to make it to the clinic in time. I have less time than she does, and LA traffic is not going to work in my favor. I whimper at the thought of leaving her embrace, but I know I have to. I kiss her lazily, marveling at the emotions that even this simple contact arouses. “I have to go.” It’s a whisper against her lips, and I know she can hear the reluctance in my tone.
“I know. Call me later?”
“Of course.” I climb out of bed, immediately wanting to clamber back in beside her. As I gather my clothes, I glance back at her. She’s resting on one elbow, the covers settled around her waist, a smile on her face as she watches me. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” She seems honestly perplexed, but I can’t believe that she has no idea what her gaze is doing to me.
“Like that. I can’t leave when you’re looking at me like that.”
She laughs, her eyes dancing with mirth, and I turn back to the search for my panties. I’m sure they’re around here somewhere. I hear footsteps padding across the floor, and I look up to see Erica wrapped in a white sheet, a scrap of black fabric hanging from her finger. “Looking for these?”
I can’t help but kiss her again as I take my underwear, feeling a flush heat my cheeks as I realize that I’m completely naked. As her palms meet my lower back, I almost jump away from her, fighting with my hormones as they threaten to derail me from my task.
Erica laughs again, and I smile back at her as I pull my clothes on. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I really am confused.
“For last night. For staying.”
“You’re incredible. Last night was amazing. And there’s nowhere else I’d have wanted to be.” We kiss again, and I’m thankful for the layers of fabric that now separate our bodies. I think it’s the only thing that stops me from climbing back into bed with her and showing her exactly how much I mean those words. Reluctantly, I pull away, heading for the door. “I’ll call you later.”
“I’m counting on it.”
I make it halfway down the drive to my car before I realize I’ve forgotten something. I can hardly believe what I’m doing as I knock on the door and shift my weight nervously. Erica’s still wearing only the sheet when she opens the door, her smile radiant as she looks at me. I pull her against me once more, kissing her thoroughly before forcing myself to turn away, rapidly walking back towards my car before I tempt myself back inside. “What was that for?”
I don’t look back until my keys are in the car door. With a smile, I call back to her “I just wanted to kiss you again.” Wanted isn’t really a strong enough term, and I add “I’ll see you tonight” as I open the door and slide into the driver’s seat, glancing back to see that Erica’s still in the doorway, the smile still on her face.
As I pull out into the early morning gridlock that reaches even this far from the city, my mind is still with the woman that I just left, and I know that this is going to be a very long day.