I knew Micah was going to be home when I got there. And I also knew that I'd only have two very short hours with our sub before Lola would get home. I really needed more than that with him. We all went out together a lot, but I liked having smaller dates too and it had been weeks since just Micah and I had been out together. I had to get the decorations up, but also, I wanted some time with him. I dropped the bags of decorations right inside the front door and then I went in search of him. I really wished that we had more time together before the others got home, including the kids, because I was definitely interested in more than just decorating with him that afternoon.
"Micah?" I called out.
"Upstairs. This bathroom is filthy!"
Five people shared it, even though we had a guest bath. It was the nicer, and larger, bathroom. I wasn't surprised it had gotten dirty since the last time he'd really scrubbed it clean. Which, if I had to guess, was probably just last week. He was great at keeping things clean, generally, and the best part was that he truly enjoyed it. We didn't ask him to get a job and he didn't need to. He contributed to our house by keeping it clean and beautiful.
I found him on his hands and knees scrubbing the tile in the shower. He'd taken off his shirt at some point, leaving him in just his binder. "Hey you."
He glanced back at me and smiled. "Did you get all the decorations?"
"I did. They're downstairs. Wash up and come join me in the bedroom for a moment. You're done cleaning for right now. If you need to go back to something, you can do it later. But, Micah, the house is gorgeous and spotless. Any dirt won't be something that someone but you notices anyway."
I walked away before he could argue with me. I was sure that there was probably something I was missing. There usually was. There'd be a speck of dirt or some smudge or something that bothered him enough to go clean it and that was fine. But we had other things to do right then.
I went into the bedroom and to my section of the closet. I'd been wearing jeans, but even though they were nice jeans, they weren't what I wanted to be wearing for the party. I tossed my clothes in the dirty hamper and stood there in just a bra and panties. I'd only just picked out which dress I was going to wear that night when Micah came in.
I caught the little lick of his lips as he looked me over. "I wish we had time too, believe me, but we don't." Not for anything fun the way I wanted to at least. "On your knees by the bed."
He didn't question me, though his eyes did get a bit wider. I could guess where he was going with it, and that wasn't where I needed his thoughts to be. We had a little jewelry box on the dresser and I went to it. Simple, black, and made of hand carved wood. I ran my fingers over the simple celtic design on top before opening it up.
"With the kids here tonight, we need to change your collar into something a bit less noticeable."
I pulled a thick silver chain from his jewelry box and turned around to find him touching the simple nylon one around his neck.
He didn't look happy about it one bit, but he had to know that it had to be done. "I know we need to. But I like my everyday collar," he quietly said.
Rubbing his short hair, I sat down on the bed beside where he knelt. "I know you do. And I like it too. But the kids are a little young to start understanding that dynamic of our relationship. I'm actually really surprised how cool they are with five adults being in love." I slid my hand down his cheek to his neck. "I'm going to unclip it now. The other collar, your silver one, is going to go right on. You'll only be without a collar for a few seconds, if that, and you can hold your everyday collar while I put your other one on okay?"
He nodded and leaned forward, resting his forehead on my thigh as I unclipped the little plastic buckle on his collar. It had been his first one with us. No wonder it was so special to him. It was to all of us too. He lifted his hand for it and I gave the collar to him instantly. It was his. He could hang onto it for as long as he wanted to.
I was quick to slip the cool metal around his neck and then clip it together at the nape of his neck. He breathed again. We'd never once withheld a collar from him, but the feeling of being without the collar wasn't about that. I ran my hands through his hair and I was glad that we'd done this first instead of focusing on the decorations. They could wait. This was my time with Micah and that was more important right now.
We stayed like that, with me running my fingers through his hair, for a good ten minutes. It was time I was glad to spend with him and it wasn't wasted at all. When he was ready to get up again he handed his everyday collar back to me and then he sat back on his heels. I leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. I lingered on his lips, happily taking his affection as he gave it.
But we had things to do. So I stood up and went back to his jewelry box, putting his collar in its place. Then it was time for me to get dressed. The dress was fitted across my chest. I'd had it altered to fit my flat chest and slim hips. I loved that it was a soft pale pink and that it flowed around my knees. It made me feel pretty and feminine.
"I like that one on you."
Micah was sitting on the bed now. I came over and kissed him again, taking his face in my hands. I really wanted to wait a bit and spend more time in the bedroom with him. How much time did we really need to put up streamers anyway? Probably more than I was giving us if let my thoughts continue down their path.
"How was work this morning?"
I'd only had to work for four hours in the vet office and I hadn't been in triage, so it went well. "Good. I did five spays and took a few heartworm tests. The rest of my day had been shots and dogs throwing up because their food was switched too quickly. There was a guinea pig though. He was acting a bit off. Doctor Keller took care of him though. I'm no good with exotics. You would have thought he was super cute though."
I slid onto the bed with him, putting a thigh on either side of his hips. He brought his hands to my thighs. We didn't have time for anything. I knew that. But I'd missed him and being connected to him physically like this was important for us. I kissed him again and breathed deeply, reminding myself that we couldn't go further, as he pushed my skirt up my thighs and slid his hands around my hips.
"We have to decorate," I protested. It was a weak protest though. Barely anything. Especially when I had him there, offering himself up so easily to me.
"We have time for a massage though, don't we?"
I could never resist one of his massages. I gave him one more quick kiss on his soft perfect lips before I laid down on the bed behind him. The sheets smelled like lavender. I was glad that we were back to using that essential oil in his laundry soap mixes. I had not been a big fan of the clove leaf one that he'd made for us, though the eucalyptus had been amazing. I loved that smell.
"What would you like for your oil?"
"Hm…" I had no idea what he had left. "Do you have any sweet almond oil left? Maybe with a bit of mint in it?"
He laughed. "You want to smell like a candy cane now?"
"There are worse things to smell like." I turned and watched him go to his stash. We had plenty of oils. Some for massaging. Some for diffusing. Some for when we were playing with each other or ourselves. The sweet almond oil was light and didn't leave my skin feeling greasy like some of them did. Lola loved her coconut oil though. I loved that it made her skin taste like coconut pie.
He sat down on the bed beside me, and then he was kneeling over my hips as he rubbed the oil into my shoulders and exposed neck. It would have been easier without my dress on, but I wasn't going to take it off again. If I did, it wouldn't go back on for a while.
His small fingers were perfect. I was quickly relaxed and warm under his careful work and soon enough I was trying not to fall asleep and it felt like he'd barely started. "We need to stop, as much as I hate to say it."
"Am I hurting you?" He sounded so worried as he slipped off my hips.
I pulled him down beside me and wished that we could stay in bed just like that for a few hours at least. If not all night. It had been a while since we'd had a date that was just the two of us.
"We have time for me to go down on you," he offered.
I loved him for offering, but just me getting off wasn't really what I had in mind, as much as I would have loved to look down and see myself between his lips. I kissed him again. One last time before we both got up and I got to putting up the decorations for the party. "Thanks, but I'd rather that you have fun too. And don't tell me that getting me off would be fun for you. As much as I know that's true, I like seeing you get off too."
He pouted, for a moment, and then he was getting up. I joined him at the edge of the bed. "What can I help you with then?"
"Want to help me make a mess of the house with lots of streamers?"
"Sure." He didn't sound particularly happy about it. Maybe he was picturing just what I'd meant by a mess. I could be a disaster inducing tornado when given half the chance. But he loved me anyway.
I'd made sure not to get glitter this time. But I did get plenty of other things. I just didn't want to hear about how glitter never came out of anything again. We went downstairs, hand in hand, and my bare feet thumping against the carpet as we walked. I never had figured out how to walk quietly.