Before the Dawn - part 3
Title: Before the Dawn (part 3)
POLITICAL ANIMALS FIC
The car ride wasn't awkward, oddly enough. At least, it wasn't to Susan, who was admittedly the queen of awkward situations. Dinner was... well dinner was wonderful, if she was telling the truth. They made a simple pasta dish, salad on the side, and a glass of white wine. Sitting there, at the kitchen island, Susan thought she could do this forever. There was something so simple, so real and organic about eating dinner with Elaine, like they had done so for years but it never got old.
Elaine was waiting for Susan to get weird about it all, but the more time passed, the more relaxed she got. They were both too tired to make anything fancy - really, Elaine was too tired and Susan was an awful cook - so pasta it was. It felt very natural to Elaine, who was so used to cooking by herself, to have another body in the kitchen with her. Not just another body, she would remind herself, Susan Berg.
The conversation was light, no mention of recent events, no more talk about their pasts.
"My god, I don't think I've laughed this hard in years," exclaimed Elaine, who was having trouble keeping herself from snorting through her laughter, something Susan found utterly adorable. Susan had told a story about a senator she'd covered years ago, before she was known by so many for bashing at the woman sitting across from her.
She smiled quietly. "I'm sorry, you know."
"About what?" Elaine was confused, her smile fading. Weren't they having a good time? Had she been out of the game so long that she didn't know when things were going wrong?
"The things I wrote about you, they were..."
"True, for the most part," and a realization hit Elaine - they could never have a real relationship if this was standing in their way. Susan had made her career denouncing Elaine. "I should have left Bud much earlier than I did. And if I can't take a little criticism, well then, I'm in the wrong game." Susan bowed her head, still unsure. "Susan, all that time you spent attacking me, it was because of my marriage, never because of my stance on certain issues."
"Well I agreed with everything you stood for - except for staying with your husband, of course."
"There you go then," and with that, the subject dropped and Elaine speared a piece of lettuce with her fork.
When they were finished they each cleared their plates, taking them to the sink to be washed. "I'll wash, you dry?" asked Susan.
Soon both women were covered in soap, laughing at the other and at the ridiculousness of the situation. As the laughter died down, they held each other’s gaze, and leaning forward, Elaine passed her lips over Susan's. And just as soon as it started, Susan pulled back with a gasp. The spark was there instantly, a visceral reaction for both of them, and within a second Susan leaned back in, grabbing Elaine by the back of her head, crushing their mouths together.
Elaine guided them to her bedroom, pulling off Susan's shirt, unzipping her skirt, and somehow their mouths still clashed in a duel for dominance. Susan made quick work of Elaine's pants and jacket, and when the buttons on her shirt proved to be too much, she ripped it off instead.
"That shirt was one of my favorites," Elaine murmured, biting Susan's earlobe.
"Tough," replied Susan, and the giggle that was forming in the back of her throat turned into a moan as Elaine cupped her left breast, pulling her bra down.
Soon both women were naked on the bed, kissing softly, biting occasionally, when Elaine hesitated and looked down at Susan. "Are you sure you want this?"
"I want you. Are you sure you want me? I'm pretty fucked up, if you hadn't heard."
"You're not so bad," said Elaine, smiling, leaning down for a kiss.
"You're not so bad yourself."
part 4 awaits...