Page 80 of Memories Like Fangs
“Can you just cut them off me? I don’t want these. I don’t want to remember any more of the past few days than I have to.”
“Of course.” I leaned down and unholstered Tina from her sheath. Then, I carefully sliced Byrd’s sweater, leggings, bra, and underwear so they fell without her having to lift her arm or anything. Byrd was left bare and gorgeous as ever, even with the spots of dried blood on her body and still-healing bruises, scrapes, and cuts. The only thing she wore was her mother’s necklace, the black obsidian with its gold chain restingbeautifully on top of her sternum and underboob tattoo. Her eyes never left me as I replaced Tina in her holster before I took hers and Amy’s off from around my ankles. I took off my hoodie, pants, bra, and boxer briefs and set them all on the counter next to her. Finally, I took down my ponytail to let my curls fall.
“Let’s wash all of this away,” I said, taking her up in my arms again for us to go into the shower. I sat her on one of the benches, knowing that she was too weak to stand for very long. I was slow, methodical, and intentional with every swipe I did on her body. I washed all of the grime and hurt from the past almost two weeks away. I don’t think I have ever been so gentle in my life. I even scrubbed her necklace to remove all the blood from the chain and the stone. Around where her wounds once were, I was careful not to scrub too hard since I knew they were incredibly tender. The hot water turned my tan skin red, and I couldn’t tell if the sheen of water on my forehead was from sweat or the steam, but I didn’t care. It didn’t matter.
All that mattered was that Byrd was cared for right now.
After washing her body, I moved to her hair. It was not as grown out as last time I had washed it, but with the dirt and dried blood there, it would definitely need a wash and retwist now. I took my time rinsing each individual loc and ensuring they were dripping with water. The water was a reddish black with specks of dirt as it went down the drain. When it ran clear, I massaged the shampoo and eventually the conditioner into her scalp and roots. I worked on her hair for even longer than before, applying the right amount of pressure to make her eyes roll in her head and her toes curl. She moaned softly in elation. I smiled. I loved working on my girl’s hair. It was thick and curly, which meant it required more work and attention. But it was worth it to help her feel more like herself. I could tell that it meant the world to her, so it meant the universe to me.
When I was done, I turned off the shower and quickly lifted Byrd into the bath so she wouldn’t lose any of her warmth from the shower. The water was at the perfect level, although I was sure that was the magic of the tub at work since I knew it took me a good minute to wash Byrd fully. I turned off the faucet and grabbed the wash day bin. The cold air sent goosebumps down my skin before I joined Byrd behind her in the bathtub. Being mindful of her wings and tail, I pulled her back against me so I could work on retwisting her locs.
As meticulously as I could, I parted each loc before working in the magicked gel that required no sitting time under a hair dryer. Then, I spun the loc between my palms before twisting it further with my fingers. When I had two completed, I twisted them together into a two-strand twist to help Byrd’s retwist last longer. Byrd sighed, relaxing against my chest as I worked. The two of us were quiet, but it was a comfortable, peaceful silence. It was like the easy, soft breeze and sunshine after a hurricane, when you find your home isn’t as damaged as you thought.
I tied her hair into a bun on top of her head when I was done. Then, I presented Byrd with a mirror and declared, “And, you’re all done, Sweetness. I figured you might want your hair out of your face and not think about it for a while. I hope that’s okay.”
Byrd gasped at the sight of her hair. For a moment, my self-doubt crept in, overwhelming anything else. What if she hated it? But then, Byrd beamed. “Of course it’s fucking okay! It’s just what I need right now.”
Then, Byrd turned around in the tub to face me. The water threatened to slosh over the edges, but it stayed within the tub. She crossed her hands behind my neck as she placed her legs on either side of my hips, fitting perfectly against me like she was made for me and I for her.
“Thank you so much for taking care of me like only you know how.”
“I would do anything for you,mi vida.”
“Anything?”
I raised my slitted eyebrow at her question.
Before I could ask her anything further, she leaned down and kissed me.
Chamomile
QUINN
Fuck me.
Her lips were so soft that the kissached. It was not the kind of kiss that set fires or electrified like hers usually did for me. No, this one was the kind that healed the burns on your heart and soul. Byrd’s lips moved against my own with a gentleness that treated me like I was a fragile thing while also shattering me. It was as if she was relearning how our lips danced with each other after years apart, like she was trying to savor the taste of me before I disappeared, like this moment was all we had and there was no before or after. Her kiss was a whisper of a prayer, like I was a sacred being that would grant her grace and salvation. I hoped I could be. I know that’s what she was for me.
Gods, I had missed this.
I missed her.
She tasted just as sweet as she smelled. Even now, after her shower and surrounded by the smells of the holidays, Byrd still tasted like brown sugar and salted caramel on my tongue. I thought I had a sweet tooth like no other, but I couldn’t get enough of Byrd or the frenzy she put me through. I loved the way that she was always cooler than me or anything around her, likeshe needed my warmth to survive. The feeling of her thick thighs straddling my hips was maddening. What I loved most was that with her, everything else faded to nothing. What I had missed most about my girl was how the voices of rejection, failure, disappointment, doubt, and insecurity finally shut the fuck up when she was near. She made it impossible for me to ever believe I could be anything less than good if I was enough for her.
My hands rose without thinking. One hand went to her thigh, my thumb brushing where her thigh met her hip. The other lifted from the water to her neck to pull her even closer to me. The black rock around her neck was hot enough to feel like it was burning me as it was stuck between us. I wanted more of her, all of her. I could drink oceans of Byrd and still be thirsty for her.
The world could end around us, but if Byrd kissed me like this, I would go with the biggest smile on my face.
I wanted to stay like this forever, kissing her, holding her, and loving her. I wanted to let her undo me completely. But then, I heard her wings vibrate in the water, causing ripples in the tub. Her hold around my neck lacked her usual supernatural strength. As relaxed as her body was, there was a tremor of exhaustion that drowned out the ease. Reality washed over me just like ice water hitting my face. I had just carried her away from Lilah not even three hours ago. Yet, here I was acting like she wasn’t recovering from the edge of death.
Wow, Quinn, way to think clit first,I thought as guilt curled through my chest like the steam clouds from the shower and bath.
I broke our kiss, resting my forehead against hers as I tried to steady my breathing. My voice was hoarse as I murmured. “We can’t do this right now, baby girl… not yet. You still need to heal.”
Byrd sighed, her breath ghosting over my lips. I thought it was out of resolve, but I felt a spark of frustration through our bond. Then, she tried to kiss me again, but I was ready this time.Despite how fucking hard it was, I put some distance between us by pulling back from her completely. Byrd’s pupils were no longer thin slits but were blown into circles with a thin outline of purple around them. Her lips were as swollen as mine felt, and her chest was heaving.
“Quinn, please, I just…” Byrd’s talons grazed my shoulders, and she struggled to find words for what she wanted to say. “I-I want to remember what it feels like to be yours.”
I didn’t think there was more that could break within me, but here was something else. “You never forgot, and you don’t need to prove anything to me, Sweetness. You’re mine always. Nothing can change that?—”
