Chain Reaction 3.1.30: Mr. Wonderful

A/N: This chapter backs up to Mike and Ivy's first night together and then pushes forward.
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Ivy Stewart

     Mike... He's wonderful.

     He's every bit as funny and charming as he was in his videos. I know. I watched them more than once. Some of them more than twice. Sometimes, I'd turn the sound off just so I could look at him.

     It's his eyes. I know it's his plumbing eyes.

     The only reasons I didn't recognize him that day in the bar was because I was weirded out at first by some random guy staring at me, the strange lighting in that bar, and his hair was pulled back. Maybe I put too much stock into recognizing a person by his or her hairstyle.

     Then I thought he was gay. It did make me stop panicking about being interesting enough, but I have to admit I was also a little sad. I'd decided to accept that he could still be Mr. Wonderful in my fantasies. Then he told me he thought I was hot. Then I found out he was bi, not gay. 

     It hurt when we were apart. I was mad I fell that far that fast for someone. It's his plumbing wonderful eyes!!!

     I will do anything to keep those gorgeous eyes looking at me the way they're looking at me right now. 

     My thought gets tested immediately by what he asks for, something I previously considered gross. But it's Mike, and if that's what he wants, I'll give it to him. He's already surprised me as a lover. Hopefully this will be no different.
     But it is.

     It hurts. It hurts like a red-hot poker, almost literally. He told me to tell him if it was too much, but I want him to like it. I don't care if it hurts. I want this gorgeous man with the wonderful eyes to get as much pleasure as he can from my body. And he does. He's really enjoying it. That stops me from stopping him. The fact that he is enjoying me so much makes it worth it. After all, that's my name he's screaming. And then he's done. He pulls out and turns me around.
     I did it. I did it. I made it. I'm sore, yes, but it's not the worst pain. And he's happy.

     Or not? I feel like a child being scolded by a parent. Doesn't he understand?! I have tough competition! His first love! A man! I've never had to compete with a man before.
     I want Mike. I want him to be mine. Just mine.
     But it all backfires when he gets upset with me! Why doesn't he get it? I don't care about physical pain. I want him to look at me with hunger in his eyes. Like he did in the bedroom. Like he did that I saw reflected in the mirror. I'm not a child!
     Mike is wonderful, and I'm trying to be wonderful enough for him. I like being adored by someone I adore, and I think I found that in Mike. Something... permanent.
     He holds me, and I love the way his skin feels against mine. Perfect.

     Everything turns out okay. He and I make some more videos, separately, but we get our respective jobs done. Then, per his uncle's suggestion, Mike takes him up on an idea.

     He rents a little cabana on a tropical island. And he takes me with him! This is wonderful! I'll bet he and Darrin never did anything like this before. Hah!
     It's like a fantasy come to life.

     "Thank you for coming with me. After all the stress of the past weeks... months really... I needed this. I'm really glad you could make it."
     "Two weeks on a tropical island, and you thought I wouldn't come?" I giggle at his expression.

     While I'm giggling, he leans in and says something quietly in my ear, "I'm actually hoping you come several times a day while we're here."
     Gah! How does he do that?! A billion butterflies start dancing mazurkas in my insides. How the plum do I respond to that?

     Then he just sits there and watches me blush. C'mon, Ivy! "Well, we'll just have to see about that." I try to act cool, but I think he sees right through it. I hate how he makes me blush with little effort. It's like I can't hide how easily he affects me.
     He's just staring at me! I bite my lip.
     "Plum, you're beautiful."

     Swoon. Well, only mentally.
     He pulls back and smiles. "Let's go have some fun."
     Huh? Now?

     Turns out he meant make a sand sculpture. Sometimes it's like he's a big kid.
     Once we finish our tiki/gnome thing, I start looking around at the gorgeous scenery. Then Mike distracts me.

      "So, uh," he lets out a nervous laugh, "We've been dating a little while now, right? I'm also kind of lumping before the whole mess ...thing... as part of it."
     "Well, then, that would be more than a few weeks." Where's he going with this?
     "And you, um, like me, right?" It's hard to believe this is the same man that was sitting with me on the couch a little while ago and talking provocatively.
     I'm lost. "Yes? I'd thought that was obvious." Like him? I'm plumbing crazy about him!
     "Yeah! I mean, yeah. Me too. Only you." He lets out a frustrated noise and puts his head in his hands.

     "Mike?"
     "Sorry. It's just I've never asked someone to be my girlfriend before. Like... officially. And now the whole thing feels silly since yeah, of course you are. Right?" He looks at my frozen, happy expression. "Sorry. I'm just... I'm just being a goofball again."
     I suddenly throw my arms around his neck, completely giddy. He sighs in a kind of relief and wraps his arms around my waist.
     Mike really does like me! It's not that I'm just some girl he's dating. It's the most wonderful thing! And it's all I can do not to jump up and down, clapping my hands like a little girl.
     He sighs again. "Sorry. I was just trying to take it from just dating to... officially dating, but that all feels juvenile right now."
     I can't hide the higher pitch in my voice. "Yes, I'll go steady with you!" I don't care if that's like a teenager thing. I know that's what he meant.
     He freezes for a second, just a second, before he cracks up laughing. He keeps holding me, and we rock back and forth for a bit. Then his arms tighten, and he speaks into my hair. "Thank you for getting what I was trying to say."

     You see that guy? The one standing next to me. The one with the dreamy eyes? That's my boyfriend. MY boyfriend! And he's wonderful. And I want to be just as wonderful for him.

     Taking the selfie prompts Mike to go fish out his real camera from the luggage, and we go exploring and taking pictures along the way.

     Mike tries to get me to pose, but I feel ridiculous. I didn't know he was snapping the button on the one on the left.

     Mike, of course, has absolutely zero concern about feeling ridiculous. I tell him he could be a model, and he laughs like I told a good joke.
     Next, we grab a bite to eat before heading back to the cabana...

     And Mike starts fulfilling his earlier promise he made on the couch. I love how much I turn this gorgeous man on.
     Later, he gets up and cooks dinner. I'm still so impressed he can cook so well! His big thing is fresh ingredients, claiming he doesn't want food with preservatives in it if he can help it.
     Since he was wonderful enough to cook, I offer to do the dishes. When he sees I've finished, he surprises me.

      I let out the tiniest gasp, and he moans as his hand squeezes my breast. His other hand starts pulling up the back of my skirt.
      "Ivy," he says into my neck and shoulder, "don't bother wearing panties for the next two weeks." Then he pulls mine off and sticks his head up under my skirt.

    I have a very difficult time trying to remain calm so as not to worry those walking near the house. I'm just a woman standing at the sink. That's all. Just a woman at the sink... whose boyfriend is driving her out of her mind.
       In addition to forgoing the underwear, I learn not to bother getting dressed when coming out of the shower.

     Mike is insatiable. I didn't think men liked to do this very much. I'll never deny him. How could I?

       Indeed, how could I deny those eyes anything?

      It's not like he doesn't seek his own satisfaction, and he hasn't asked to take me in the same way he did in his bathroom our first night. I know it's coming, but until then, I give it to him like this.
      I don't want to make him seem cold. In fact, he's just the opposite. I'm just not used to someone wanting me so much. Every day, we wake up and woohoo, go have fun somewhere on the island, come back, shower, and then woohoo again--twice. He keeps telling me how incredible I am and that he can't get enough of me. He asks me to please tell him if it's too much.
     But it's never too much. I want him to want me like this. Because I'll never get enough of him.

      I worry it's too one-sided, though. And I tell him this. He only smiles an impish grin and says he likes it.
     But I don't want to be outdone.

      I notice he never even thinks about stopping me when I want to do anything to him. This isn't really something I like--except for the fact that it's Michael. I'll do anything for Michael.
      He still manages to surprise me, though, like one evening when I take a nap on the couch (after woohoo), and he comes in from a quick jog.

      I feel his tongue and notice he's between my legs again. "Miiiiiike..." It's almost a whine. Almost.
      His hand comes up to my breast. "Mm?" He doesn't stop.
      "I was sleeping." I'm really, really tired. We only have a few days left here, and I'm exhausted.
      He lifts his head. "I know. It's just you looked so sweet. And this is a nice, short dress." He goes right back to what he was doing.
      I whimper. I can't believe how quickly he learned to get good at this.
      He stops and looks up at me, concerned. "Ivy, is it too much? I don't have to, you know."
      No! "No, don't stop. It's just I'm so tired."
      He blinks a few times, watching me. "I'll let you get some sleep."
      Oh no. I have to give him what he wants. "No, Mike! You can't leave me like this after waking me up like that." I pull him back to me where he'd started to get up.
      The impish grin returns. "Well, if you insist."
      I go in and out of sleep as he drives me over the edge. And then I have fantastic dreams about him. Dreams that I happily bring to life the next day, much to his delight.

     It's our last night here, and we're out on the porch. Music plays at the nearby beach, and Mike asks me to dance.

     Since it was our last day here, we spent more time than normal outside, finally getting the tan that people might expect to see from two people who'd been on a two-week-long island vacation.
     I sigh happily. This is wonderful.
     Mike also sighs, but his has a different feel to it. I get a tiny bit worried. "Ivy, thank you again for coming with me. Sometimes I just need to get away. And this has been the best two weeks of my life."
     That's it. I'm positive now. I love him. How could I not? I won't tell him yet, though, because I've made that mistake in the past in a previous relationship. I got clingy, too clingy, for that guy. Trevor. Then he told me I never made him happy, never gave him anything he wanted, and he broke up with me, breaking my heart. That memory keeps me in check, and it makes me pay attention and just follow Mike's lead. "For me as well." I lay my head on his chest. Oh, Mike!

     He lets out a kind of laughing breath while I happily smell the sun on his skin. "Really? I've not been... driving you up the wall?"
     I've grown to hate that catch phrase. "No."
     He sighs again. "At first, I was just desperately trying to make up for that time in my house at my bathroom sink. Then, I got kind of... carried away. Again." Pause. "I had no idea I was making you that tired."
     I snuggle more into him. "I told you not to worry about it." Please don't stop adoring me. I'll take it however you want to give it.
     "Well, too bad. I am."

     I lift my head. "Mike! How many times do I need to tell you that all I want is to make you happy?"
     He gives me a look like he's trying to figure me out. "Well, what if what makes me happy is making you happy?"
     "I'm happy!"
     "No you're not; you're exhausted!"
     "And happy." Are we really arguing/discussing this?
     He stares at me some more. "Why do you never say no?"
     "I say no."
     "When? Because you haven't yet since... well, since the livestream. I tried to stop the other night on the couch, thinking you'd finally met your limit, but you stopped me from stopping. Then I find you totally out. At first, I was upset, but then I felt like the biggest jerk in history. I've been trying to figure out how to bring this up. You have to tell me when you've had enough."
      I hate how it looks like he's mad at me... just for giving him what he wants. I can't help myself. "Because enough is never enough."

      He kisses me, and it's such a relief. But it's over too fast.
      "Ivy, I'm not mad at you. I just want to know why."
      "I already told you."
      "You said that because you thought that's what I wanted to hear. You always act like what you want doesn't matter. That makes me mad."
      I feel tears coming. "But what I want is for you to like me."
      He kisses me again--just a little longer this time. "I think it's obvious that I do, but I like you best when you're honest. Not that I think you're lying exactly. It's just... Don't let me do this to you!" He lightly shakes me. "It's not what I want!"
      Dammit. I'm crying now. I've gone the complete opposite of how I was during those few weeks I thought he wanted Darrin back. I didn't want to get my heart involved, so I did my best to ignore him. That didn't work at the spa. After my massage was done and I stood up to go, he said things I've only heard in my dreams. I knew if I didn't at least give being with him another try that I'd regret it. So I did. And he proved to me that although he may not be 100% over Darrin, he's not getting back with him. And I know that was him, Darrin, that night on the livestream, the 'super-cop' guy. I was upset until I saw Mike's expression. He held no look of pain or regret. I knew I had to cement that, to make him want only me, and that led to everything that happened that night. And what happened these past few weeks. Now that my heart is in it, I'll do anything to keep it. "Then please tell me what you want. Because I don't want to lose you."
      He sinks into me, into my hair. "Aw, Ivy. Plum it all to hell!"

      Mike, when he's at his best, is the sweetest, most wonderful man I've ever known. Even at his worst, he's not the worst. And he's so romantic.
      He pulls back just enough to speak, his lips still brushing against mine. "You're not going to lose me, Ivy. You'd have to work really hard to try and get rid of me. Because when you're you, really you, I can't get enough. Stop trying just to make me happy. Even if I look upset, there's no way I couldn't be happy because I have you, and I'm falling in love with you."
     I thread my fingers into his hair when he kisses me again. Yes! Mike! I want to tell him, but I fear I'll sound crazy. Maybe I am crazy. Crazy about Mr. Wonderful.