Meeting her Neighbour's Needs

Danica watched as Colson lugged his kid's paraphenalia from the car to the house. Loaded with a pram, nappy bag, and assorted kids toys and clothes and books, and trying to usher the children ahead of him to the house, he looked like he was at breaking point.

Danica didn't know how he did it, a widower with two small children. She struggled enough as a single parent to her own two teenagers, and they spent half the time with their dad.

Somehow Colson got his kids into the house, and then re-appeared moments later to unpack groceries from the car.

"Kids!" Danica called to her teenagers. "We've got to give Colson a hand." She'd resisted rushing out to help him earlier, she knew it made him feel useless, and she didn't want that, but it was starting to rain, and his toddler was already following him back outside, minus one shoe.

---

"Thanks, Danica." Colson gave her a weak smile as she and her children appeared by his side. "You really don't have to."

He had bags under his eyes, a deep furrow across his brow.

"Are you getting enough sleep?" she asked.

He choked on a laugh. "What parent gets enough sleep? Even when Michelle was alive we never had enough sleep."

Danica followed him through the house, to set the bags of groceries on the kitchen bench.

"Are you getting any time away from the kids?"

"'Course I am. It's called work."

"Right. But you're not going to survive long if you don't get a break of some sort, from both work and kids."

He sagged against the bench, as Danica's children continued to fetch the groceries, and Danica started putting them away. "What choice do I have?" He rubbed his forehead. "It's okay, really. A hard week, that's all. Last Wednesday was a year since she passed. It was hard."

Danica nodded. "What do you miss most of all?"

"Touch." Colson's eyes widened, as though he hadn't expected to say such a thing. "I mean. I loved her. I still do. I miss her so much. But she's not here and the kids hang off me twenty-four/seven and I'd just like to snuggle with someone who isn't going to wipe a snotty nose over me or poke my eye out or scratch me or accidentally kick me in the balls, you know?" He chuckled, but it sounded forced. He sighed. "This too shall pass, right? They're not tiny forever. Next thing they'll be off to school and then they'll be moved out before I know it. I should enjoy this time, while I can."

Danica raised a brow. "That's bullshit, you know? I mean, yes, before you know it they'll be taller than you and eating you out of house and home," she gestured down the hall to where she could hear her kids talking to Colson's youngsters. "And yes it happens in the blink of an eye. But you can't enjoy the moments, or even give your kids the attention they need, if you don't look after yourself, first."

She reached out to take his hand. "If you want to snuggle, I'm happy to be someone you can snuggle with, if you need it."

His eyes widened again. "But the kids - "

"My two have been babysitting for months now. They've got some good references if you want them. They can watch your kids for a few hours - free of charge by the way - and then you can catch up on sleep, or even go out for a drink, or hook up with someone else if that suits you better."

Colson bit his lip, his gaze holding hers. Danica wished she could read his mind, was he going to kick her out? Was a year as a widower not long enough? She just wanted to help.

"Could they - " his voice broke, and he coughed to clear it. "Could we do that now? Is now too soon?"

Danica squeezed his hand. "Now is just fine. Let me tell the kids."

She headed down the hall to find her children had been dragged into a game by the younger kids, teddies and dolls and trucks all involved. It made her heart swell, that despite everything she and her husband had gone through, they'd still managed to raise such good kids.

As expected they were happy to watch Colson's little ones, and Danica dragged Colson over to her place.

"Would you like a drink first? A coffee? A glass of wine?"

"Coffee would be great, thanks." They sat in silence while the coffee brewed, and Danica glanced up to see Colson had his eyes closed, apparently enjoying the silence.

She poured their drinks and took him outside to sit in the garden.

"I feel like I've forgotten something." He shook his head. "They'll be all right, won't they?"

"They'll be fine. They're just next door, we'll hear them scream if they injure themselves."

"Really?" Colson grimaced. "Sorry about that."

Danica shrugged. "It's one of the joys of living so close. I'm pretty certain if you'd lived next door when my kids were little you would've heard all sorts of screaming." And not just from the kids.

Colson downed his coffee, and set the cup on the table. "Thank you for this Danica. It's been great. But we don't have to go any further. I don't want to impose on you, especially not for something so, intimate."

Danica leaned forward and put her hand on Colson's knee. "It's no imposition. Really. You're an attractive man, and I can see all you do for your kids."

"I just…." He looked away, then back down to his lap. "I'm still not ready for a relationship."

"It doesn't have to be a relationship. It can be a one off. Or a casual thing. Humans need touch. We get sick without it. We can just hug, if it helps. Or snuggle in a bed, or whatever you need."

His gaze flicked to hers, and then away again. "Really?"

She nodded. "Really."

---

Colson chose to snuggle. Danica led him to her bedroom, and stripped off to her underwear and t-shirt. He did the same, though his gaze never met hers.

"How do you want to do this?" she asked. "Do you want to spoon, or - "

"Could you hold me?" His voice was gravelly.

"Absolutely."

They faced each other in bed, arms awkwardly around each other

Colson closed his eyes. "I miss her."

"She seemed nice. I wish I'd got to know her better."

"She was the best. But I never realised how hard she worked. I never told her how much I appreciated what she did, because I believed the hype about motherhood being easy." Tears rolled down his face, and Danica held him as his body shook. "I've lost the best thing that's ever happened to me, and now I've got a whole lifetime ahead of me without her in it."

Danica wrapped her arms around him, and let him cry. Colson opened his eyes, his gaze meeting Danica's. She pressed her forehead against his.

"You're allowed to find another special someone, Colson. You don't have to be alone forever. I'm Michelle wouldn't want that for you, or the kids."

Colson raised a hand to cup her cheek. "I don't know how I would've got through this last year without you Danica. Thank you. For everything."

"It was nothing. That's what neighbours do, right? Look out for each other?"

Colson pressed his lips against hers.

Danica returned the kiss, and Colson ran a hand down her back to pull her close, his cock pressing against her thigh.

It made Danica so horny, she accidentally let out a moan, and Colson flinched, and pulled away.

"Shit. Sorry. You said a snuggle." He sat up and swung his legs out of the bed. "I should go. I don't think I can hold myself back."

Danica grabbed his arm. "I said, 'whatever you need'. And I meant that. Even if it means sex."

His gaze held hers. "Even if it's desperate-I-haven't-fucked-forever sex, and it's more about my body's urges than any emotional connection?"

Danica nodded. "Even if it's that." She dropped her hand to cup his cock through his underwear. "Like I said before, humans need touch. And that includes sexual touch. Lay back down, Colson. Let me fulfil your needs."

He swallowed, and for a moment Danica thought he might refuse, but then he lay beside her again, brushing her hair from her face to kiss her again.

Danica guided a hand to her breast, her hands stroking his back as his breath grew ragged.

He kissed down her neck, and she pulled her t-shirt over her head, then removed her bra.

A strangled sound emerged from his throat as his gaze came to rest on her breasts, and then he was kissing and sucking on her nipples, his fingers slipping beneath the waistband of her knickers to brush through her dark curls.

He seemed to be holding back, so she removed her knickers and spread her legs. "Fuck me, Colson."

He glanced up at her, his eyes wide, then pushed her onto her back, kicking off his own underwear before sliding between her legs.

His cock was pulsing, and the feel of it against her bare skin made her wet.

He sat up, pulling off his t-shirt, and she admired his body, reaching out to run her hands up his torso and through the tuft of hair on his chest.

He leaned over her and she wrapped her legs around him, guiding his cock to her pussy. He gave a few short sharp thrusts, easing his way inside, and Danica wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, her hands roaming down his back to grab his buttocks as she met him thrust for thrust.

He groaned, holding her tight as he gave in to his needs, his cock pounding in and out of her as desire took over. Too soon he came, sagging on to her.

"Shit, that was too fast. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She held his face between her hands. "We're here to meet your needs, I can sort myself out."

"But you shouldn't have to."

He slid beneath the covers, and moments later his tongue was on her clit, lapping and sucking, his fingers sliding inside.

Danica gasped. His touch let an orgasm build inside her, pleasure swirling up through her body, building in intensity until she climaxed, her fingers wound through his hair.

"Oh my god." She moaned as she came, and he kissed his way back up her body.

"That did it for you, then?"

"It did."

"Good." He nodded. "I want to make sure I'm welcome back another time."

Danica smiled. "You're always welcome here, Colson. You, and your children. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. If I can fulfil that need, I will."

---

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