Indigo [Try Pink Act Two] by Max Ellendale

set the weapon down, she leapt at me and I hugged her,
lifting her off the ground to spin her once. She laughed and tossed her head
back, then set her feet down. Her smile was endless and her firm kiss told me
she enjoyed our celebratory embrace.
    "Did your dad hunt?" she asked as we carried the gun
back to the house.
    "Yes but not for sport. We ate what he killed growing up. He
made sure to use every part of the animal that he could, and what he couldn't,
he would leave under vulture nests or something, like the organ meat," I
told her.
    "That's sensitive of him," she said, taking my hand
after we locked up the house for the night. "I have somewhere to take you
tomorrow."
    "Where?"
    "Not far. In the woods a little," she said, walking
backward while she held my hand. Her smile, impish and playful, only made me
chuckle.
    "That's creepy of you, Jilly. Are you going to sacrifice me
to the spirits of South Dakota?" I followed her up the stairs when she
walked backward. It wasn't dark out yet but when Jilly led, I often followed.
Even if I didn't intend to.
    "Mhmm. That's my intention."
    On the landing of the loft, boxes of all shapes and sizes filled
the previously empty space. It looked like someone tried to turn cardboard into
building blocks. "Where'd this come from?"
    "Had it all delivered while you slept this morning."
    "Again with the missing out because I'm unconscious? Are you
drugging me?"
    "Nope. I'm taking advantage of your recuperative sleep,"
she said, laughing. "Everything up here is for you. When you're ready, I
want you to open it all. Okay?"
    "Okay, creeper. If this is for me, what's for you?" I
asked, lifting a brow at her.
    "I'll show you," she said, taking my hand again and
leading me around the corner. The bedroom door stood ajar and she pushed it
open to reveal the perfect fluffy bed. A California King on a thick,
solid-looking wood frame that she set with new pillows and linens except for
our old blanket. The whole room smelled of fabric softener and newness.
Matching nightstands, a padded rocking chair, and pulled back curtains all
coordinated with the decor.
    "This looks like heaven," I said.
    "It's our new bed. No more sleeping on the sofa."
    "Jilly, you're amazing to do all of this, you know
that?" I said when she tugged me over to the bed. She hopped onto it and
flopped back in an ungraceful sprawl. I joined her, though I couldn't take my
eyes away from the room. The dark wood paneling gave it a cozy, protected feel
that had me aching for the comfort of sleep. The bedroom, set so far away from
the rest of the house, didn't echo like the other big rooms did, and it was so
quiet.
    "I'm enjoying doing it. I'm enjoying being here."
    "I can tell." With her hair strewn across the bed, she
was beautiful. She was always beautiful. "So am I. Because of you."
    "Well, I certainly wouldn't enjoy it by myself." She
laughed at me and swatted my knee.
    "Hey." I laughed as well and she yanked me forward by my
shirt to lean over her. I kissed her without hesitation and her fingers tangled
in my hair. She rolled us over so that she was on top and kept me in the kiss
the whole time.
    Her giant sweater fell away and she stripped off her shirt. Her
bra followed and she dove back down to kiss me. I kept my hands still on her
hips until she moved over to straddle my pelvis. She ended the kiss to gaze
down at me and laced her fingers with mine.
    "Are you sure?" I asked her, barely above a whisper and
she nodded.
    "It's been so long," she said, her eyes growing a bit
glassy when she bit her lip.
    "Okay." I brought her hands to mine and kissed them.
"Okay, but let's do this right and together." She watched me as I sat
up, guiding her into my lap. Her hands already began to shake a bit with just
the idea of it. "Come." I gestured to the pillows and she climbed off
so we could unmake the bed. I pulled the sheets back, dimmed the lights, and we
kissed in between every shift of movement.
    We stood beside the bed and helped undress