Masks

Let the right one in

Let the old dreams die

Let the wrong ones go

They cannot

They cannot

They cannot do what you want them to do

Oh ...



Let the right one in

Let the old dreams die

Let the wrong ones go

They do not

They do not

They do not see what you want them to

Oh ...

Let the right one in

Let the old things fade

Put the tricks and schemes (for good) away



Ah ... I will advise

Ah ... Until my mouth dries

Ah ... I will advise you to ...



Ah ... let the right one slip in

Slip in

Slip in



And when at last it does

I'd say you were within your rights to bite

The right one and say, "what kept you so long ?"

"What kept you so long ?"

Oh ...

 

--Let the Right One Slip in, by Morrissey

 

 

 

He wept when she told him that she loved him. She was such a sweet girl, an absolute dream, and he simply couldn’t believe that she could possibly care for him: she had to be playing some sort of cruel joke…

 

But no, as he sat there on the end of her bed and cried, she knelt before him, reaching out and cupping his face in her hands.

 

“Richard” she whispered, leaning close to him. “I do… I love you…”

 

He closed his eye and lowered his head, doing his best to keep from breaking into sobs.

 

Melody pressed her forehead to his, stroking his cheeks in an attempt to soothe him. “Please… don’t cry…”

 

“Isn’t… funny…” Richard managed to get out.

 

“I’m not joking” she retorted softly.

 

He took hold of her hands and brought them down from his face, looking at her. “Melody, mmm, I’m no good… not for a girl… like you”

 

“How can you say that? Jimmy loved you… so of course, I love you”

 

Sometimes he forgot that she was Jimmy’s half-sister: she was nothing like her mother. Gillian was a cold-hearted woman, shrewd and calculating… “Melody…”

 

She pressed her right index finger to his lips to silence him and then wiped away his tears. “Let me in” Melody pleaded. She pressed her cheek to his and whispered into his ear. “Please let me in… I don’t want to be all alone in this house anymore. I want to be with you”

 

He closed his eye and sighed: she smelled so good, and her soft skin against his made his body tingle. “I’m, mmm, not a good man…”

 

“Because you kill?” Melody inquired softly. “Jimmy killed… didn’t mean that I loved him any less” Placing her hands on his shoulders, she stood up and gazed down at him. “Stay with me tonight”

 

“Your mother…”

 

“My mother needs my money that my father left to me. She has no power over me”

 

“Then, mmm, why are you here?”

 

Melody smiled sadly. “Tommy. I’m here because I care about Tommy… so are you, I think”

 

Richard nodded in agreement. “The boy… should know about his, mmm, father”

 

“Yes… And you should know about me. I’m not as innocent as I seem… I’m a Darmody, after all”

 

He allowed her to take hold of his left hand and bring it to her knee: Melody helped him to push her skirt up on her right leg, until he found the small gun that she kept there.

 

“Melody” Richard whispered in wonder.

 

“To protect myself and Tommy. There are still some people in this town who want the Darmody’s dead”

 

“It’s my job, mmm, to protect you”

 

Melody smiled. “I know that, and you do a great job… but I’ve got to cover all my bases. My mother is running this house, after all, talking to that jerk Rosetti…”

 

Richard remembered when Rosetti had come by: the Italian had no qualms about hitting on both mother and daughter. It had angered and sickened him to hear Rosetti talk to Melody like that.

 

“Take my gun” Melody implored, still smiling.

 

He slid it out of the garter on her thigh and looked at it. It was a neat little .22, silver with a pearl grip. “Where, mmm, did you get it?”

 

She took a seat next to him on the bed, kicking her shoes off. “Where do you think? Jimmy gave it to me for my birthday last year”

 

Richard inspected the gun, taking it apart. It was a nice little weapon that suited her. “Mmm, you keep it… very clean”

 

Melody sighed and let her hair down from its bun, the dark brown locks covering her shoulders. “Jimmy showed me how to clean it… You know, I really miss him”

 

“I, mmm, miss him, too” Richard replied, putting her gun back together. Turning to her, he handed her the weapon and was taken aback by the way she looked with her hair down. She was beautiful in the low light of the room.

 

“He’s dead, isn’t he?” she asked solemnly.

 

He could only nod and sigh sadly.

 

Now it was Melody’s turn to cry, although she was quick to wipe at her tears. “Mother won’t face it”

 

Surprising himself, Richard reached out and took hold of her small hand, squeezing her fingers with his own.

 

Melody met his gaze and implored once more, “Stay with me tonight, Richard… please”

 

What could he do? She was Jimmy’s half-sister, one of his last links to his friend. He could feel her pain, understand her loneliness… there was no way that he could deny her. “I’ll stay” he promised.

 

Melody smiled and touched his cheek with her left hand. “I want to be with you” she reaffirmed.

 

“Don’t, mmm, tease”

 

She shook her head. “Never”

 

And then he found himself closing his eye as she leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to his mouth. God, but if that didn’t send fire through his entire body from head to toe. He tried not to react physically, but it was futile… with just one kiss, she had made him hard. Richard knew that she had locked the door to her room and closed the curtains: they were alone and secure. “Melody…”

 

Oh, but she loved the way that he said her name. Getting up, she moved to stand in front of him and reached behind herself to unzip her light blue dress.

 

He watched her silently, feeling his heart begin to beat faster and his breathing quicken.

 

Her dress hit the floor, leaving her in her underclothes and stockings. Melody undid her bra and pushed her panties down, stepping out of the white lace. She wore only her nylons now…

 

Richard took her hands when she offered them to him, standing with her. The sweet thing pressed her body to his and kissed him again, lightly. “I…” he tried.

 

“I’m not very experienced” she confessed, placing her hands on his shoulders. “I hope that doesn’t bother you”

 

“No” he answered bluntly. He wanted to tell her that he had only been with one girl before, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

 

Melody undid his vest and pushed it from his shoulders. Next, she undid his tie, her fingers shaking so that he had to help her. Richard watched as if from outside of himself as she undid the buttons on his dress shirt and slid the item off of him. She grasped onto his undershirt…

 

Richard allowed her to lift the item, but when she moved to bring it over his head, he stopped her, afraid that she would dislodge his mask.

 

“Richard… please, take it off”

 

He looked at her, aghast. “Melody…”

 

“You think that I haven’t seen you without it?” she queried sweetly. “You take it off when you sleep”

 

“You… watch me… sleep? In my… room?”

 

Melody nodded, blushing. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to crawl in next to you” Kissing his cheek, she took hold of his mask and, ever so gently, pulled it away from his face.

 

He waited for her to scream, waited for her to push him away from her… but she didn’t. Instead, she reverently placed his mask on the left nightstand by her bed and returned to him.

 

Richard was trembling by the time that she was standing before him again.

 

Melody cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, daring to touch her tongue to his…

 

He sighed in a combination of pleasure and relief, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her flush against him.

 

Oh, god, but she could feel his hardness pressing to her belly. She ached for him in ways that she couldn’t say…

 

This time when she moved to take his undershirt off, he didn’t stop her. Melody grinned at the sight of his upper body, his chest lightly covered in crisp hair. She ran her fingers through it and caressed his nipples.

 

Richard pressed his forehead to hers and reached between the two of them to undo his fly as he kicked off his boots and socks. She helped him out of his pants and boxers, leaving the both of them gloriously naked.

 

“I love you” she whispered, wrapping her arms around him.

 

He wasn’t exactly sure what to do, but instinct kicked in and he picked her up into his arms and laid her down on her bed. Richard took her gun from the mattress and placed it beside his mask before he climbed into bed with her.

 

They came together, kissing and caressing. Melody ran her fingers through his hair and pressed her chest to his, placing tender kisses upon his face.

 

Down her body he went, finding her left breast and brushing his face over the peak. Her nipples were a beautiful shade of pink against her skin, as if she were made of porcelain, and her breasts were so full and round. Richard kissed and licked her flesh as she sighed.

 

“Richard…” Melody pleaded as he shifted to her other breast. “Oh, god…”

 

He wasn’t sure what was happening: it all seemed like some sort of wonderful dream. Suddenly she had her legs around his waist and she was trying to draw him inside of her. “Melody, I…”

 

“I don’t care” she replied. “I want you inside of me… please”

 

Taking a deep breath, he pushed his hips forward: there was a moment of tension, her barrier, and he wanted to withdraw, but she was determined. Grasping his shoulders, she moved forward, impaling herself on him. Her maidenhead snapped around his cock and he immediately grew still.

 

Beneath him, Melody gasped, doing her best to keep from crying. She knew that it would hurt her first time, but she had been unprepared for the stinging and the sense of fullness that she had with him inside of her.

 

Feeling bad for hurting her, Richard tried to withdraw, but she stopped him by digging her nails into his back.

 

“No” Melody denied, clawing at him desperately, “Stay inside of me”

 

“But… I’m hurting you”

 

“It will pass” she answered, managing a smile for him. “Don’t leave me…”

 

“Never” he retorted, doing his best to smile back at her.

 

She took a deep breath and did her best to center herself, denying the pain and focusing on the pleasurable sensation of him inside of her. “Please, Richard… make love to me”

 

Resting his good cheek against hers, he slowly withdrew and then filled her once more. He heard her hiss with discomfort, but she only held him tighter to her.

 

His pace was slow and steady: the ecstasy that he felt was immense. She was so hot and tight around him, so much so that he thought that he might lose control…

 

Melody gasped as he touched something inside of her that was incredibly sensitive. It felt good, oh, so good. “Richard” she whispered, running her right hand up into his hair, “Oh, god… keep going…”

 

He couldn’t have stopped if he had wanted to: his movements were slow but instinctual, joining his hips to hers. Richard tried to bite back a moan, but failed miserably.

 

“Yes” Melody encouraged, kissing his cheek. “You feel so good”

 

He wanted to tell her the same thing, but he wasn’t sure that he could speak… it was taking all of his strength to keep from coming before she did.

 

The pain was ebbing for her now and changing into bliss. There was a knot building in her stomach, pleasurable and tight. She held him close with her legs and gasped as the ecstasy mounted…

 

“Melody…” he managed, finding it hard to breathe, “I can’t… hold on…”

 

“Let go” she implored, her fingers tightening in his hair. “Please… I want you to come…”

 

“You… too…” Richard answered. He wanted her to find her pleasure, to enjoy him as much as he enjoyed her.    

 

“I will, just… don’t stop…”

 

He didn’t dare. His cock was screaming for release, and he gave in, allowing himself to come.

 

Melody heard him growl and then grunt… she felt his cock throb within her as he came in thick, hot jets. That was enough to push her over the edge: her entire body spasmed, the pleasure white hot between her legs. She held onto him and cried his name…

 

When Richard came back to himself, he was panting, a light sheen of sweat on his skin. He realized that he had collapsed on Melody: gathering his strength, he moved to dismount her, but she stopped him by grabbing onto his shoulders.

 

“Stay inside of me” she pleaded.

 

“Don’t want… to crush… you…”

 

Giggling, Melody maneuvered the two of them so that they were on their sides, Richard still inside of her because she kept her left leg draped over his waist. She pressed her face to his chest, kissing the hollow of his throat. “Richard” she breathed as she panted, “that was wonderful…”

 

He rested his chin on the top of her head, inhaling her scent. Richard had never really held a woman before, but he put his right arm around her as she snuggled close to him. “I… hurt… you” he stated worriedly.

 

“It had to be: it was my first time” Melody responded.

 

The gravity of the situation hit him: she had given her virginity to him, and it meant something. It meant that she wasn’t kidding when she said that she loved him. Richard felt like he was going to cry again, this time, from joy…

 

Melody pressed a kiss to his chest and sighed happily. “You know, Jimmy was right”

 

“Jimmy?” he queried, hoping that she didn’t hear the emotional tremor in his voice.

 

She nodded gently, running her left hand over his back, her fingers questing over his skin. “He told me I should wait until I was in love… He was right”

 

Richard swallowed hard: damn it, this all seemed like a dream. He wanted to pinch himself to be sure that it was real… “Jimmy… loved you…”

 

“Jimmy loved a lot of people. He always loved mama, no matter what foolishness she was up to”

 

“You don’t?”

 

Melody pulled back a little bit so that she could see him. Most of the wounded side of his face was hidden in the pillow he was lying upon. “Don’t get me wrong, Richard… I love her, but I don’t trust her. I learned not to trust her a long time ago. She’s… not quite right”

 

“Mmm” Richard agreed, meeting her gaze. He still felt a bit embarrassed of his face as she looked at him, but the sensation was lessening.

 

Reaching up, Melody stroked his cheek with her thumb. “I’m sure that she’ll have something to say about the two of us being together, but I don’t care: I want to be with you”

 

“Your mother… has every right… to protect you”

 

“From you?” she laughed. “Richard, you’re no different than Jimmy was. It’s not like you’re some kind of monster”

 

“My… face…”

 

Melody shook her head hard. “Don’t you dare… You’re a soldier and that’s a good thing. What happened to you, your injuries… that was unfortunate, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a good man. One of the last things that Jimmy said to me was that it was time for you to come home from the war, and he was right. I’m asking you to come home and be with me… Love me if you can, know me as a man can know a woman… but don’t you EVER think less of yourself because of what happened”

 

He could see that she meant what she said, and emotion flooded him. Richard lowered his gaze to her shoulder, unsure of how to react.

 

Melody smiled sadly: god, but he had obviously been so hurt and mistreated. She could see why Jimmy had taken Richard under his wing. Her brother had always been a compassionate man, loyal to his friends and family. Leaning forward, she kissed Richard’s forehead and then his mouth, feeling his mustache against her skin. It wasn’t lost on her that he was still hard inside of her, and frankly, she wanted him again… “Richard?”

 

“Yes?” he replied, turning his gaze back to hers.

 

“Make love to me again”

 

“Mmm… Melody… I don’t want… to hurt you”

 

“You won’t hurt me” she answered, kissing him once more and pulling at his shoulder in an attempt to get him to cover her body with his.

 

God help him, but Richard gave in… and it was even better the second time around.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

TBC