mwf-art

[mwf-art]

Ask the author is happening on ig! If you guys have any questions, you can send them here or via mwf.art on instagram ☺️💜

[mwf-art]

For the WYSAP question game:

Will we see a scene with Billie absolutely wonderfully taking care of Mina maybe when she’s in pain/something back related and finally opens up to Billie about that?

🧡💚.

[mwf-art]

Would anyone like to play a little game? Send me WYSAYP? related questions and I’ll answer with:

💚 yes

❤️ no

🧡 maybe you’re onto something

[mwf-art]

Chapter Fifty-Two: Amber.

Summary: Wilhemina Venable felt it was finally time to leave Kineros Robotics and get a job with people who weren’t such morons like Jeff and Mutt. What she didn’t expect, however, was for her new boss to be so damn insufferable. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her, either.

Tag List: @mayfair-fleur @mistysswampmud @paulsonsratched @msvenablx @notmeellaannyy @rwoolfe @golddustdykes​ @lovingsarah @slut-for-sarah @geinobinarie​ (message me to be added if interested!)

Being taken away from her thoughts, Billie Dean looked at Wilhemina. Now that their emotions had calmed down from everything that had happened, Billie found herself… scared. What if she does think I’m a whore? It was stupid to consider that… and yet, she did. We just had a special moment, why am I even thinking about it? Billie Dean was not one to get scared, but after the rush of emotions she had her mind only now seemed to be assimilating everything. “I’m okay. It’s just work.”

Venable wasn’t sure she believed Billie’s words. Did I do something wrong? The question popped in her mind and she nearly bit her lip to stop it from slipping out. Did she find my breasts unattractive? The possibility hadn’t crossed her mind… until now. She did call me a Goddess… The elevator was starting to lose its speed as it approached the seventh floor. Hesitantly, Wilhemina nodded. Before the door could open, she leaned to place a kiss on Billie Dean’s cheek. “Text me when you’re ready for lunch?”

With a nod and a smile, Billie turned to peck Venable on the lips. They let each other go before following inside. At the main office, people still worked quietly. As Wilhemina got settled back into her table, her eyes discreetly tracked Billie Dean until she was out of sight into the hallway. With a sigh, she leaned back on her chair. Certain green eyes watched her, but Venable ignored it.

Entering her office, Billie was met with Jenny quietly typing something on her phone as she sat around the huge table there. “Hi,” she said softly, closing her door as she got inside.

“Hey.” Letting her phone aside, Jenny smiled up at Billie Dean. “Where were you? I couldn’t find you anywhere. I texted and called, but you didn’t answer.”

“I had to go home, I’m sorry.” Billie sat down on her chair and set her purse aside, reaching for her phone inside it. Indeed, there were two missed calls and a few texts from Jenny.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“I’m fine.” Honey eyes moved back to Jenny. The girl frowned playfully.

“Billie Dean… you had to go home just when Ms. Venable came to see you? And she was not on her desk, either…” Jenny opened a smirk.

Billie felt her cheeks tinting as she realized what was implied there. She chuckled and shook her head. “It was not that.”

“Mhm.”

“Truly. We just—we had to have a talk.” Billie Dean looked away. Jenny kept on staring at her with a puzzled look. She sighed. “About Terry…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Billie bit her lip. “I told her everything… after you left, she was really weird and I ended up finding out Emma had said a few things to her…”

“About you and Terry?”

Billie Dean nodded. “She was… she was scared, and there was no postponing that talk anymore.”

“Did you tell her the whole thing?”

“Yes. Everything. I showed her all the documents and pictures.”

Jenny’s eyes grew in size. “The pictures too?”

“I wanted to be completely clear with her. She deserves it.”

“Are you—are you two okay?”

With her lips tugging up, Billie nodded. “We are. I’m just having a few bad thoughts but they’ll go away soon.”

“What thoughts?”

Nibbling on her inner cheek, Billie Dean looked away. She took a deep breath as she pondered her answer. What thoughts? Too many. And they didn’t even make sense. “Insecurities, I suppose.”

“About what?” Jenny set her phone down.

Shifting on the chair, Billie sighed. “I’ve told her I was scared she’d think I’m a whore…”

“That again, Billie?”

“Yeah… but it’s not just that.” Billie Dean shook her head. “It’s stupid, it’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?” Jenny raised her eyebrows. Billie nodded. “Alright… if you ever want to talk, you know I’m here for you.”

“I know. Thank you.” Billie Dean reached to squeeze her hand softly. Jenny offered her a smile and squeezed it back.

Behind her glasses, Wilhemina’s eyes were heavy. I’m tired. Venable had to admit last night hadn’t been the best sleep she had ever had, given she was a little nervous for what the week had in store. She took a deep breath and looked down to the clock on the monitor. 11:30 A.M. Still half an hour to go. Wilhemina decided she’d have to drink some coffee. Floratta Blue was still vivid in her nostrils, clouding her clothes and skin. She bit her lower lip as she walked to the kitchen, phone in hand just in case Billie decided she wanted to have lunch a little earlier. Her mind kept on sending her little reminders from all the places Billie Dean’s lips had been over, causing her cheeks to tingle and her chest to grow warm. Once she had poured herself some coffee, Venable walked to the secluded balcony there, leaning against the wall and taking a deep breath. The cold breeze hit her skin in the most pleasant of ways, contrasting with the warmth there. She closed her eyes, mug on both hands as her cane rested beside her on the wall. Birds sang outside, adding a touch of organicity to the city noises. I wish I had kissed her more. Wilhemina licked her lips, mind entering the thoughts. Her lips might be the best thing I’ve ever felt… Without opening her eyes, Venable brought the mug of coffee up to her lips and took a sip. Billie Dean had grown seemingly nervous at the elevator, and something about it still didn’t sit right with Wilhemina. She nibbled on her inner cheek. Maybe it’s just my head… No, she knew a bit about Billie and it was definitely not something from her head. She frowned, eyes opening as she took another sip of coffee. Setting the mug on the rail, Venable reached for her phone. Biting her lower lip, she clicked on Billie Dean’s contact and stared at it. What even should I send her? It felt so damn stupid to send a text like that. Don’t be scared of showing affection. Billie had said she’d never judge her on that. With another deep breath, Wilhemina finally began to type. ’Hi, just checking if you’re alright. If you need anything, let me know.’ That was the best Venable would manage. It sounds so… cold. Wilhemina didn’t mind sounding cold, but with Billie Dean… She typed again. ’Hi angel, just checking if you’re alright. If you need anything, let me know.’ Without thinking twice, she hit send. “Ugh,” Venable groaned out loud. Shoving her phone back into the pocket of her skirt, she reached for her mug and took another sip. The sky was cloudy today, which meant it would probably rain soon. I love how it smells when it’s rainy. A rainy day never failed to bring peace into Wilhemina’s mind. Taking another sip, Wilhemina hummed at the rich flavor. That coffee was simply the best thing she had ever had in the office. That’s Billie Dean’s lips. Letting out a chuckle, Venable shook her head at herself. Jesus, I’m back at being what? Sixteen? Wilhemina could only assume that’s what being a normal sixteen year-old was like. Leaning her head back against the wall, Venable could feel her phone vibrating in her pocket. Her stomach took a turn. She set the mug back onto the rail and reached for it; Billie Dean’s name lit up on the screen. ’Thank you, darling. I actually do need something, can you come to my office?’ Instantly, Venable reached for her mug and cane and made her way back inside. She quickly washed the mug and left it out to dry before making her way down the hall. Softly, she knocked three times on the door and waited. It didn’t take much for Billie Dean to open it with a smile. Thank Goodness she’s not crying. “Hi, did something happen?”

At the worried look on Wilhemina’s eyes, Billie felt herself melting even more than she already had with the word ‘angel’ on the text. She shook her head and reached for Venable’s free hand, pulling her inside. “Nothing happened, I just wanted to see you.” She closed and locked the door.

Wilhemina gulped. Her ears buzzed lovingly as the corners of her lips inevitably pulled themselves up. “Oh.” Warmth grew inside her chest and cheeks. Honey eyes watched her so sweetly, moving closer and closer. Venable let her cane go, because fuck the cane right now, and her hand reached for Billie Dean’s waist, pulling her closer as her back hit the wall. The sound of the cane falling on the floor was barely heard as their lips met, moving gently and passionately against one another. Their fingers tangled, and Billie made sure to hold Wilhemina tightly on the waist, supporting her up.

Fuck, I love her. Billie Dean gently pulled away, eyes on brown ones. She’s blushing. She bit her lower lip with a smile. “I know you take your work very seriously, I don’t mean to bother you.”

Venable shook her head and leaned to kiss her again. “I take you more seriously,” she whispered.

Billie chuckled and pecked her once more before pulling away to look at brown eyes again. She caressed the fingers against her own. “I thought we could have lunch now?”

Wilhemina nodded. “Sure.” Her ears were still buzzing pleasantly. Definitely the best thing I’ve ever had in the office. She cleared her throat. “Did you—did you actually need something or…?”

“I needed you.”

Venable was sure her legs would give up at any given moment. Taking a shaky breath, she tried holding back the enormous smile that fought to grace her features; it was no use, it appeared anyways. “Silly…” Wilhemina murmured shyly. With a tiny giggle, Billie Dean pecked Venable before pulling away. She reached for her cane down on the floor and handed it to Wilhemina, completely letting her go once she made sure Venable wouldn’t fall. How come Billie never once hesitated when it came to her cane? How come it was so natural to her? So mundane? So normal? I am normal to her. Wilhemina’s chest kept on getting warmer and warmer. “I lo—“ She bit her lip to stop herself. Billie Dean turned back as she grabbed her purse on the chair.

“Huh?”

I love you. Venable shook her head. “I—I love the food you always choose to the office. Maybe we could—maybe we could have lunch here?”

“I was thinking the same.” What was it she was going to say? Billie wouldn’t pry, for if she wanted to say it, she would eventually. “Today is spaghetti, and I’m a sucker for pasta.”

Thank God she didn’t notice it. Wilhemina nodded. The rush of adrenaline that had passed through her body caused her heart to speed up, so she focused on discreetly taking deep breaths. “Perfect. I’ll go turn the computer off.”

“Okay.” Billie walked to Venable and kissed her cheek before reaching to unlock the door. She opened it and stepped aside. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

“Okay.” With a smile, Wilhemina followed to the main office. People were already getting ready to leave for lunch, which meant they’d probably have the whole floor to themselves. As she sat down to turn the computer off, Emma walked to her table. Venable frowned and looked up at her. “Can I help you?”

“Are you really not giving me a chance to talk to you?” Emma’s words were quiet. Wilhemina kept on staring at her, eyebrows drawing closer together. “Let me take you for lunch… just once. We can talk it all out.” Her hand slowly moved closer to Venable’s, which rested on the mouse.

“Leave me alone.” Instantly, Wilhemina pulled away. Emma sighed.

“It’s not fucking fair you won’t even listen to me.”

Venable was at her limit. “It’s not fucking fair you won’t leave me alone when I ask you to. Can’t you understand I was already settled on ending things with you before anything with Billie even happened?” Brown eyes stared furiously at emerald ones, piercing through them. Emma took a deep breath, teeth grinding in anger. “I know you’ve been threatening her, how do you think that makes me feel?”

“She’s lying,” Emma quickly said. The office was now empty, saving from the both of them.

“Don’t you dare,” Wilhemina hissed through her teeth. “Don’t you dare accuse her like that. I’ve seen the texts you’ve sent her. And even if nothing had happened with her, do you think I’d want to have something with someone so fucking low? Someone who says she’s no child when I ask for consent?”

Emma’s eyes opened to the size of the moon. “What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“All I know is that you came to my house a week ago and buried your fingers deep inside me!”

Wilhemina held back a hiss. “Keep your tone down while you speak to me.”

“Oh please,” Emma rolled her eyes.

“It was a mistake. Can’t you see that?”

“How was it a mistake?! Everything was alright until she decided she wanted you to herself! You’re just being a puppet in her game!”

“Keep. Your. Tone. Down.” Reaching for her cane, Venable got up. “Stop talking about her like that,” her voice was back at slipping through her grinding teeth. “Stop it. You have no idea who Billie Dean is. You have no idea what she’s like.”

At the hallway, Billie Dean frowned as she approached the doorframe. She had decided to go check on Wilhemina once the office got quiet, only to hear the faint hostile tone. When honey eyes saw Emma, her insides twisted. She froze in place.

“Oh, I know what she’s like, I’ve known her way longer than you have. I’ve seen her playing that same game on Terry. She t—“

“You don’t know shit!” This time, Venable’s voice increased in volume. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the cane. Emma took a step back. “You don’t know fucking shit and I won’t allow you to talk about my—Billie Dean like that.”

Crossing her arms, Emma scoffed. “Are you two already labeling things?”

“It’s none of your business.” Shit.

“You’ve been seeing her for what? Three days?” Emma shook her head. “What a joke. She must have some really magic fingers to manipulate you like that.”

“You’re disgusting.” Wilhemina’s heart was beating so fast she could hear it inside her head. “Just leave me and Billie Dean alone.” Venable moved to walk to the hallway, only then realizing Billie had been standing there. Oh no.

“You’re the disgusting one! You cheated on me,” Emma continued, walking to block Wilhemina’s path. She frowned as she realized where brown eyes were at, and so she moved to look back. A cynical chuckle left her lips. “Great, just who I wanted to see.” At the doorframe, Billie Dean caught herself not really knowing what to do. She was about to say something when Venable began to speak again.

“How can I cheat on someone I didn’t know I had something with?” Emma turned back to look at her, features so absolutely hurt that Wilhemina almost felt bad. Almost.

“You two really deserve each other,” that was the last thing Emma murmured before storming out of the office.

Taking a slow, deep breath to calm her nerves down, Venable closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she looked down to the floor and gripped the cane harsher and harsher. As Floratta Blue began to invade her nostrils, Wilhemina was brought back to reality. She looked up at Billie. “Angel… are you alright?”

Angel. Billie Dean had decided to give her space, but when Venable looked back at her with nothing but concern and worry—for the second time that day—she opened a small smile and nodded. “Thank you for standing up for me.” She walked to Wilhemina and hugged her tightly, arms on her waist and far from her back. She’s shaking like a leaf.

Taken slightly by surprise, Venable blinked twice as she hugged Billie back, cane resting on her hip and secured on the skirt. She caressed her spine where her own would be curved, nose burying into blonde hair. All her anger slowly began to disappear. “I’ll always stand up for you,” she murmured softly.

Billie Dean nodded. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax against Wilhemina’s, trying to cope with all the adrenaline. After a minute, she turned her head and placed a tiny kiss on Venable’s neck. “Thank you,” she said once again and pulled away. “Are you okay?”

Wilhemina nodded. She reached for her cane. “Just mad… but that’s not new with her.”

“Fair,” Billie chuckled softly. “Me too.”

Venable offered a chuckle back. I wish I had never even exchanged a single word with that bitch. “Lunch?”

“Lunch,” Billie nodded yet again. They walked to the kitchen, and on the table at the center Billie Dean had already grabbed their food. “What do you say we have lunch at my office? I think it’s more secluded.”

Is she trying to hide me? What a stupid thought. Wilhemina held back the urge to laugh at just how absolutely delusional her mind could be at times. But also… it meant she was stressed, and that the conversation with Emma clearly touched something. “I was thinking the same.”

“Yeah? Perfect.” Although Billie’s heart was still somewhat faster than usual, she was trying to get herself together; she had things she wanted to discuss with Venable, after all. Is this even a good time, now? They gathered their food and walked down the hallway and to Billie Dean’s office. Once everything was settled and the door was closed and locked, Billie took a first bite. Her eyes closed as she hummed. “I do love pasta,” she murmured.

Wilhemina motioned her right after. She smiled as she looked at Billie Dean, whom sat at the other side of the wooden surface. “You always enjoy your food… it’s quite lovely.” That made no sense. Venable had already said it out loud, though.

“I really do,” Billie chuckled. She took another bite and reached to pour them both some juice. A smile touched her lips as she filled Wilhemina’s mug. “I love your mug,” she said softly.

Venable smiled back. “Thank you. Me too… even though coral and purple crash horribly,” she laughed.

“Agreed,” Billie laughed back. “But hey… they work together really well.”

With her mind being quick to catch what Billie Dean was implying, Wilhemina smiled. “Very well,” she repeated.

Billie Dean hummed. She took yet another bite, eyes on Venable. She’s so classy… Billie was sure she had never met anyone as such, not even the most famous or the richest of the richest had the class Wilhemina did. After a second of silence, Billie Dean took the courage to start speaking about what she actually wanted to. “I… I actually wanted to talk to you…”

Venable’s stomach dropped. Her appetite momentarily disappeared. She held the fork without really moving it as she stared at honey eyes. “Yes?”

She’s nervous. Billie instantly reached for her free hand. “It’s nothing bad,” she said gently, fingertips caressing the top of Wilhemina’s hand. Venable smiled shyly, but still nervously. “I just… earlier, at my house, did I—did something else happen? Or—or have I said something or is everything alright and I’m just overthinking?”

How can she express herself so clearly? It would always be a mystery to Wilhemina. Her nerves calmed down a bit, but not completely. “You’re just overthinking,” her tone was soft, gentle. The corners of her lips raised up a bit, and her hand turned to tangle her fingers with Billie Dean’s. “But I want to talk to you, too… about earlier as well.”

Laughing a little, Billie nodded. “Go on.”

Venable licked her lips as she searched for the best words she could find. Talking was hard for her most of the time. “Earlier… when we—when we got to the company. You grew quiet and I—I might be wrong, but I felt like you were… perhaps, overthinking something? And I just want to know if everything is alright, or if something happened, or if I… maybe I did something wrong? I figured I’d check on you.”

Two peas in a pod. Billie Dean felt the corners of her lips lifting up, even though she was taken by surprise in a way—which was, safe to say, kind of naive of her, given just how sensible Wilhemina always proved herself to be. Caressing the fingers tangled between her own, Billie nervously licked her lips. She does her best to be honest with me. I should be honest with her, too. “You did nothing wrong, darling. But I… I was in fact overthinking.” Subtly, Venable shifted on the chair. Billie Dean bit her inner cheek and forced herself to keep her eyes on Wilhemina’s. “I guess I have some insecurities when it comes to a few things—we all do, I know—but I… well, I suppose it’s what we talked about earlier, about me… me, um, being a whore.”

“Billie…” Venable frowned. She squeezed the hand on hers. She’s perfect. How can she have any insecurities? Who was Wilhemina to judge? She embraced them and she would do so with anything Billie Dean brought to the table. “I don’t think that.”

“I know, I just—I’m scared of screwing things up,” Billie blurted out before she could stop herself, eyes falling to the food.

Sucking on her lower lip, Venable’s eyebrows drew closer together a bit more. “So am I… I mean, you…” She took a deep breath. My stomach hurts. Her heart sped up. “You have m-more experience with p-people when it comes to n-nearly everything and I—I’m scared I w-won’t be enough for you in m-many ways…”

Many ways. It was Billie Dean’s turn to frown. She shook her head. “Does that have anything to do with the thoughts you had earlier? At my house?” Her tone was sweet, comforting; Billie wanted nothing more than to understand her.

Hesitantly, Wilhemina nodded. Billie gave her time, for she seemed to be pondering things, fingers caressing hers and eyes far away. After a minute, Venable gulped and blinked once. “M-my body is far from being n-normal,” she nearly whispered, eyes glossy. Billie Dean kept on looking at her with those pools of honey kindness, hand never leaving her own. Wilhemina took a deep, shaky breath. “Y-you… I assume y-you’ve slept with b-beautiful women who h-had no issues, and I—I’m n-not like them. I c-can’t move properly, my back is…” A tear slid down. Venable gulped and tightened her jaw, ignoring it. “My b-back is hideous. And I have s-so much in my mind all the time that I c-can’t help but think y-you’d be better off with any other w-woman.”

“Wilhie…” The tear scared Billie. When did Wilhemina cry? Today had been the first time she had ever seen her doing so. And it was because of the pain I was feeling. How much pain was Venable feeling right now? How much pain did that subject bring her? “So it does have to do with the women I’ve slept with…” I’m a whore.

At the words, Wilhemina instantly shook her head. “Angel, no.” She sniffled quickly, free hand reaching to wipe her cheek dry. No. No no no. “I m-mean—yes, but not in the way you’re implying.”

Billie Dean took a deep breath, eyes growing teary as well as she was back at looking down to the plate of food on the table. It was now simply something organic with no meaning behind it. “I k-know,” she croaked out. “But I s-still feel like shit.” Venable bit her inner cheek, heart aching as she watched her. Billie took yet another deep breath, trying to regulate her emotions. She just opened up to me about something serious. Now is not the time to have pity for myself. Honey eyes looked up to Wilhemina again. What even could she say to her? What even could begin to translate the emotions and feelings she had for that woman? “Darling… you are perfect to me,” Billie Dean’s tone was so damn gentle it resembled a whisper more than anything else. It was visible how Wilhemina tensed up on her chair again. “I don’t talk about your body because I know it makes you uncomfortable, but I do notice it, and I love it.” Venable’s cheeks flushed pink, contrasting with her pale skin. Billie smiled a little to herself as she carefully picked and chose her words, for perhaps that was one of the most important conversations they had ever had. “I think you are absolutely gorgeous—face and body. Earlier… earlier I was—I had never felt like that so fast. So easily.” It was Billie Dean’s turn to blush now. She struggled to keep her eyes on deep brown ones. “You barely touch me and I already have a reaction. I think you’re a masterpiece, and nothing can and will change my mind on that. I’ve never given your back thought, at least not in a bad way, and when it comes to your mobility, my love, that’s the smallest of details to me. If I have to switch houses because you don’t feel comfortable going upstairs, I will. If I have to build a whole new company building for us to work at because something is not ideal for you, I will. I’m aware you might have your limitations but who doesn’t? I mean—I talk to fucking ghosts,” Billie chuckled shyly, which got herself a teary smile from Wilhemina. I’m doing something right. It eased her heart a bit. “There are places I can’t stand for too long, or certain situations in which I can’t manage to stay at during much time… I worry that might be a problem to y-you, too. But then I think back to why I fell in love with you… and how you’ve always treated me and eased me… and then I know it’ll be alright. It’ll be no issue, because I was never too much for you. And you’ll never be too much for me—or too little—no matter how you see it.”

Venable’s cheeks had been silently drenched by now. She squeezed the hand on her own, nodding as she sniffled yet again. Her heart was beating fast and her whole body seemed to have gotten anesthetized; what should she be feeling right now? All Wilhemina knew was that she did, in fact, love that woman. “I…” She licked her lips. Billie Dean smiled at her so damn sweetly, so damn lovingly… Venable’s mind struggled to translate her emotions into words. She was overwhelmed with something so good she doubted she had ever felt like that before—or rather, she knew she had never felt like that before. For a brief moment, Wilhemina truly believed and accepted that Billie wouldn’t leave her. “I… I think… I…” I sound like a broken record machine. Venable could feel how incredibly warm her cheeks were, as well as her chest and ears. I probably look like a tomato. Who cared? Who cared about anything that was not Billie Dean right now? “Y-you’ll never be too much f-for me,” that was the best she managed to croak out.

Billie couldn’t help but bite the tip of her tongue as she smiled brightly to herself. Even though Wilhemina couldn’t find the words, Billie Dean was sure she knew exactly what she was feeling; she was speechless in the best way possible. This is precious. Billie took a mental picture of it and tucked it away inside her favorite pocket of her heart. “I know,” she said softly.

Venable bobbed her head, body tingling. She nibbled on her lower lip. “I’m sorry—I… I can’t f-find the words…” With a tiny chuckle, Billie Dean shook her head. Wilhemina offered her a coy smile. “Just… just k-know I feel the same way and I… I feel s-so lucky to have y-you in my life.” I love you.

Billie was more than fine with the words Venable had managed to find. She got up from her chair and walked to Wilhemina, who was already standing up and ready to embrace her in a tight hug. With her eyes closed, Billie Dean took a deep breath against Venable’s neck. “Thank you for being who you are,” she whispered.

Another tear slid down Wilhemina’s cheek. She cradled Billie’s head with one of her hands, fingers caressing blonde hair. “I think that’s the first time in my life that I’m glad for being who I am.”

The words echoed inside Billie Dean’s heart, caressing and stabbing it at the same time. She pulled away just enough to stare at brown eyes, hands cupping Venable’s cheeks and caressing it with her thumbs, wiping the remaining of the tears away. Two arms wrapped around her own waist, pulling her closer. I love you. She couldn’t say that yet—so soon, so fast. So she leaned closer and kissed those wine lips in front of her, pouring the words on them, speaking through caresses. Wilhemina held her even tighter, lips moving slow, gentle… lips pouring I love you’s all over.

[mwf-art]

[mwf-art]

[mwf-art]

[mwf-art]

Happy (late) Pride Month!! 🏳️‍🌈💕

Mildred Ratched + Lesbian flag 💕

Ig: mwf.art

[mwf-art]

[mwf-art]

[mwf-art]

Chapter Fifty: Amaranth.

Summary: Wilhemina Venable felt it was finally time to leave Kineros Robotics and get a job with people who weren’t such morons like Jeff and Mutt. What she didn’t expect, however, was for her new boss to be so damn insufferable. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her, either.

Tag List: @mayfair-fleur @mistysswampmud @paulsonsratched @msvenablx @notmeellaannyy @rwoolfe @golddustdykes​ @lovingsarah @slut-for-sarah @geinobinarie​ (message me to be added if interested!)

“I said no, of course.” Venable watched how Billie’s chest had begun to move a little faster. She’s nervous. Wilhemina could feel herself starting to grow overwhelmed, and Billie Dean’s fingers no longer felt right tangled in her own. As gentle as she could, Venable pulled her hand away. Billie blinked once, glancing down at their hands. The look that settled on Billie Dean’s face caused Wilhemina to feel even more disappointed in herself. I’m hurting her. But her whole body refused to allow itself to be touched, to be felt, to be noticed as something that existed in physical form. Billie only nodded, waiting for Venable to say something else, anything else. Wilhemina’s jaw was tense again. “B-Billie, what happened between you and Terry?”

For a second, everything Billie Dean could hear was a faint buzz. Slowly, her body recovered from the sudden rush of adrenaline that had just washed down. She licked her dry lips, blinking once or twice. “What did she tell you?” I should have talked to her about it. I should have done it before she had the chance. Venable didn’t answer, she only looked away. Billie frowned a little more, holding her emotions back the best she could. “Wilhie, what did she tell you?”

Wilhie. Venable stared down at the floor, body refusing to allow her voice to come out. She pushed it through. “She just… she told me y-you did the same to her— to Terry… d-date her, I m-mean. And then you—you got tired and just… discarded her.”

“I never dated her,” Billie quickly said. “We went out a few times, but we—we never dated.” Her heart had accelerated its pace, for Billie Dean knew where this was going. “There w-were no feelings, and she was not fired b-because of that. It had nothing to do with o-our so called relationship.” She saw right there in Venable’s eyes how she didn’t seem to believe her. Fuck! Honey eyes filled up with tears. “Wilhemina, I d-don’t know what she told you, b-but it was nothing l-like us. Nothing. It was never serious. We only—we hooked up a few times, but we never even went out on a proper date.”

“Will you get tired of me, too?” It was barely a whisper, but one that came in a strong tone and as cold as ice. Venable hated herself for allowing it to come out like that, for allowing her walls to control her like that. Her posture was rigid again, both hands on the cane and head up high. Defensive. Scared.

“I will not.” There was no doubt in that. Billie gulped the lump in her throat. “I d-didn’t get tired of h-her. No one k-knows what happened.” A tear slid down. Billie Dean paid no attention to it. Her hands ached to just hold the woman in front of her. “W-Wilhie… Wilhie, please… I—I don’t k-know what else to tell y-you.” Another tear slipped down, followed by another, and another. She sniffled, never once looking away from Venable. Stop crying, for fuck’s sake!

“Tell me w-what happened.” Wilhemina’s voice trembled, betraying the coldness of her posture. Too many things went through her mind, each one of them taking her to a worst place.

With her eyebrows drawing close together, Billie Dean sniffled. She nodded as she took a deep breath. “Not here.” Venable frowned. “Meet me in the garage in five minutes.”

“Why?”

“T-trust me?”

Wilhemina bit her inner cheek. Staring at those honey oceans that always carried so much kindness, she wondered how could she ever say no to Billie Dean. How could she ever deny her anything when she stared at her with eyes so full of tears and so full of fear. She nodded, and in a gush of even more trust, reached to squeeze one of Billie’s hands. I never meant to hurt her. “I do.”

Taking another deep breath, Billie squeezed Venable’s hand back. “I p-promise I’ll give you a-all the answers.”

Wilhemina nodded. The sight was breaking her heart. Hesitantly, she let Billie Dean’s hand go and followed back to her table, heart beating fast.

Alone in her office, Billie Dean sat back down on her chair. She tried taking a deep breath, but a sob cut through. She felt ashamed. She felt judged by something Venable hadn’t even seen yet. Covering her eyes with her palms, Billie forced her body to calm down; this time, air filled her lungs slowly, completely. Her body craved for nicotine yet again, and she didn’t have another choice but to give in. Reaching for her purse, Billie Dean grabbed a cigarette from the pack she had there along with a lighter and walked to the huge window of her office, opening it carefully. She took drag after drag with eyes staring at nothing at all, focused on blurring colors as she kept herself trapped in all the thoughts that ran through her mind. What if she decides I’m too much for her? Finding someone like Venable had been so hard… it wouldn’t have been anyone but Wilhemina.

It didn’t take long for Venable to get up and walk to the elevator, nail picking on the skin of her thumb— an unconscious, nervous habit. She did notice how Emma stared at her, clearly curious, clearly angry, clearly wanting to get up and follow her to know what was happening. She wouldn’t have the nerve. As Wilhemina stepped into the elevator and the doors closed, she sighed in relief for being the only one there. Her stomach turned as the floors started to go down, mind on Billie, focus on Billie, heart on Billie. What could be so bad? What even could have happened that could be so bad? Why am I so scared? Venable knew why… what if she were being used? What if the Billie Dean she knew was a lie carefully constructed to play some sort of trick on her? I knew it was too good to be true. Billie gave her no reason to think that way, but the part of Wilhemina that refused to see any good on herself screamed louder. As the elevator stopped and the doors opened again, Venable hesitantly followed into a more secluded area of the garage. She hadn’t seen Billie Dean pass through the main office, which meant she wasn’t there yet. She stood there waiting, nibbling on her inner cheek at the same pace her nail dug on her skin. Not even five minutes later, the doors to the elevator opened to reveal Billie, with her sunglasses on and purse in hand. Venable watched her from the corner of her eye, hand squeezing the cane harshly.

As Billie Dean looked around in search of Wilhemina, she caught herself still sniffling the remaining of her tears. Her eyes had grown red and swollen, and her mascara had been all smudged—she tried wiping it off, and at least it got somewhat presentable. Sunglasses were always a lifesaver, though. Her head picked up as she saw a hint of purple, and she watched as Venable stood there so nervous she couldn’t hide it this time. Billie sighed. Please, don’t change your mind. “Hi,” she said softly as she approached Wilhemina.

Turning around, Venable smiled a little. “Hi. She’s wearing glasses. Wilhemina wanted to lean closer and kiss her lips; wanted to hold her hand, comfort her and caress her fingers. But her body refused to allow it, standing on the ground with feet glued on it and refusing to draw closer.

Billie gulped again, eyes falling down. “My car is—is to the left.”

“Your car?” Venable frowned.

Billie Dean nodded. “I need—I want to show you the whole thing.” Her eyes hesitantly moved back to brown ones. Wilhemina looked even more confused. I won’t be able to wait until we get there. Every second that Venable stared at her like that broke her heart a tiny bit more. But also, what was the best to do? Wilhemina was a very logical person, and so perhaps the best was, indeed, to wait.

Venable’s first reaction was to deny getting away from the workplace while she was, technically, working. But Billie Dean was the boss, and even if she weren’t, Billie Dean was her priority right now. So she nodded and followed Billie along until they got to her car. “Thank you,” she nearly whispered as she got in, holding her cane on her lap as Billie Dean closed the door.

“Of course.” Billie walked to the driver’s side and got in as well. She took a deep breath as she buckled up, and then she took her glasses off and turned on the car. Wilhemina watched her closely, eyes tracing each and every line of her. I’m so embarrassed.

Her eyes are blotchy. Venable’s thumb was back at picking on her skin. “Where are we going?” She asked after a second. The car was already moving, and as Wilhemina took a deep breath she realized just how much it smelled like Billie Dean. I want to hold her.

“My house.” Billie licked her lips as she looked over to the sides before moving forward.

“Your house?” What could they possibly do at Billie Dean’s house? Venable was lost; completely lost. She watched as Billie nodded. “Why?”

Billie bit her inner cheek, fingers silently drumming on the wheel. Her stomach kept on twirling. “The… the documents are a-all there.” Her eyes started to grow teary again. She sniffled.

Documents? Wilhemina was starting to grow worried—not for her feelings, not for her trauma, but for Billie Dean. She had seen Billie worried and nervous like that before, and it was never something good. Reach for her hand. Venable eyed them on the wheel. “Billie, you’re worrying me.”

Wiping a tear away, Billie Dean sighed. After a minute or two, she finally gathered the courage to speak again. “I’m scared,” she breathed out. They stopped at a red light, so she was able to look at Venable.

Oh no. Wilhemina didn’t know what to do, how to react, how to comfort Billie when she herself needed comfort. “W-why?” Her voice trembled. Her nerves started to grow agitated. Hiding her feelings had become hard all of a sudden.

“B-because.” Billie Dean sniffled again. Her eyes refused to stay dry. “Terry, she… no one k-knows about i-it. I’ve been d-dealing with that alone, n-no one knows. And I’m scared y-you’ll look at me differently when you f-find out.”Gulping yet again, Venable shook her head. The light turned green, they moved forward. Billie kept on sniffling as she drove, wiping the running tears away the best she could.

Wilhemina had grown quiet again. Would anything be able to make me look at her differently? It wasn’t fair to think something could; not with how Billie Dean had treated her so far, not with the amount of comfort that woman brought to her. She wouldn’t do something that could cause me to look at her differently. Struggling to pass through the walls, Venable began to dig a hole. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, thumb now bleeding. I don’t want to lose her. Haven’t my ways taken too much from me already? Every single time Wilhemina happened to be struggling around Billie, she had been anything but kind, loving, sweet. It’s not fair I don’t do the same. Venable wanted to do the same. She dug and dug and dug until she could see a small amount of the outside, and then she opened her eyes again. Billie Dean kept her waterfall eyes on the road. “B-Billie,” she barely managed to whisper. They stopped at a red light again. Their eyes met. She’s terrified. “I… I l-like you for who you a-are. That’s n-not changing.” Taking all the strength she could, Wilhemina reached for Billie Dean’s free hand. She tangled their fingers and caressed it, feeling the soft skin against her own.

With her face scrunching up with tears, Billie shook her head. Her eyes fell down to their hands, and she squeezed Venable’s back as if it were the last time she would be able to do so. “I-I’m ashamed of what happened,” that was all she managed to whisper.

Wilhemina’s frown grew. She knew that feeling well… almost too well. She kept on caressing the fingers tangled in hers, watching as Billie Dean cried more and more. I should stop talking. She’s driving. Billie had to calm down. “Just… just know I’m here with y-you.”

With another nod, Billie Dean got back to driving. She sniffled nonstop, trying to bring her nerves down. With her hand tangled in Venable’s, her chest filled with air a tiny bit easier.

The rest of the ride was quiet. Billie used the time to calm herself down as best as she could, and Wilhemina never once let her hand go; it was the best she could do right now. When they got to Billie Dean’s house, her eyes were dry and only slightly red. She reached for her purse and opened the garage, gently letting go of Venable’s hand as she parked the car. When the engine stopped, Billie took a deep breath. So did Wilhemina.

“Eleanor must be here,” Billie Dean broke the silence. It took a minute for Venable to remember whom Eleanor was, but she nodded anyways. Billie got out of the car and walked to the other side, ready to open the door for Wilhemina; she was already getting out. I need another cigarette. As they followed inside, Venable caught herself regretting not bringing her purse along. She had her bottle of Valium there, and even though she had already taken one today, the fear of a panic attack raising was very much present right now. Billie Dean didn’t dare offering a hand to Wilhemina. Right now, she honestly didn’t feel like she deserved to be held by anyone. The living room was substantially tidier this time Venable noticed, and the whole house smelled like a flower she couldn’t quite point to. “Eleanor?” Billie called. In no more than five minutes, a blonde, pale woman walked into the living room holding a cloth.

“Hello, Ms. Howard. I didn’t expect you here so early.”

Ms. Howard. Billie Dean had already asked Eleanor not to call her like that, but she didn’t have the energy to bring that up right now. “It’s alright. Is everything okay? Could you get settled well?”

“Yes. Thank you, Ms. Howard.” The woman smiled. Wilhemina watched how she eyed her once, smile never leaving her lips. She also took notice of how, even though very much distressed, Billie Dean was still as nice as always. How can I ever see her differently? “I’m cleaning the downstairs bathroom and the pool area right now. Should I clean something else first? Would you like me to prepare you lunch?”

Billie shook her head. “It’s perfect as it is, Eleanor. Thank you so much. There’s no need to prepare us lunch, and when you feel like eating, use the house phone and order whatever you’d like, as always.”

“Right.” Eleanor nodded. “Thank you, Ms. Howard. I’ll go back to doing my job, if you need anything just call me.”

“Alright.” Billie Dean offered her the best smile she could. Excusing herself, Eleanor disappeared on the back door. Taking another deep breath, Billie turned to Venable. Going upstairs is hard for her. “I’ll go grab the documents.”

Wilhemina nodded; her chest clenched from how defeated Billie Dean looked. As Billie disappeared upstairs, Venable caught herself sighing. She walked to the couch and took a seat, hands nervously squeezing the cane. Her eyes scanned the room she had seen only once before, trying to distract herself with the details she could capture: the awards on the shelf, the TV that could almost be mistaken by a painting of birds, the beautiful chandelier. It’s all Billie Dean. Venable adored everything. She looked down at her hands and noticed dry blood on the thumb she had been picking on. She bit her lower lip. I should wash it. But Eleanor had said she was cleaning the bathroom, and she didn’t even know where it was. Plus, she didn’t feel comfortable just walking around Billie Dean’s house. I wouldn’t mind if she did so in mine. Somehow it felt different. Footsteps took her away from her thoughts, and so Wilhemina looked up from her hands to watch as Billie approached her with a folder in hand, head down. She gulped.

Here we go. Billie took a deep breath as she sat down next to Venable. Without saying anything, she just handed her the folder. Wilhemina stared at her in confusion. Billie Dean licked her dry lips. “It’s all there,” she said quietly.

It was hesitant, but Venable slowly began to read the papers. Honey eyes watched her closely, already wanting to grow teary again. Fiery eyebrows kept on drawing closer together. I should have brought my glasses. Taking a deep breath as she read the first document, her eyes grew in size as she realized what she was reading. “She’s blackmailing you?!” Wilhemina turned to look at Billie Dean, whom only nodded with her head down. Venable’s frown grew. “Why are you ashamed of it? She’s the one who should be ashamed.”

“Keep—keep on going…”

Instantly, Wilhemina did so. As she turned to the next page, a few screenshots were printed there, along with chunks of texts explaining the context of them. Venable kept on reading further, and suddenly, when she moved to another page, explicit pictures of Billie—clearly taken without her consent—were printed right there, in color and all. Wilhemina’s eyes grew even more and she quickly closed the file. As she moved to look at Billie Dean, she found her still looking down at the floor, lip trembling as she held back the tears. Venable shook her head. “Billie… Billie, look at me.” She saw the way Billie Dean squeezed her eyes shut, tears cascading down. Venable bit her lip harshly. Just grab her hand already. Hesitantly and ignoring the voices in her head that screamed Billie would get mad at her somehow, Venable reached for one of her hands. Billie Dean opened her eyes and slowly looked at Wilhemina. She offered her a sad smile. “Angel… this is not y-your fault.” Too many things spiraled through her mind, but Wilhemina was determined to keep her focus on Billie. What if she’s lying? There was no way Billie Dean would lie about that, with proof and everything. And Venable knew it. Still, her mind tried taking what was good from her, as it always did. Not this time. Not Billie Dean. Trusting was so fucking hard… but Billie deserved it. She had deserved every single leap of faith she had taken for her.

Seeing Wilhemina through the tears was hard, and so Billie Dean clenched her hand for dear life. Her ears buzzed with adrenaline and shame, body shaking slightly. “Those p-pictures… I’ve… she is threatening t-to sell t-them—“ a sob cut through. Billie shook her head and covered her eyes with her palm, sniffling deeply.

Venable shook her head as her blood started to boil. Who the fuck does she think she is? She clenched her jaw harshly. Wilhemina saw red. She wanted to let Billie Dean know just what she thought about that woman, and she almost started to speak before she forced herself to stop: Saturday morning slipped in her mind, how she had exploded when she heard about the threats from Emma, and how that had made Billie uncomfortable, scared. And that was the last thing she wanted right now. So Venable took a deep breath and found a way to shove her rage aside somewhere—anywhere. And then her mind got quiet. And her body stopped trembling. And she found herself… sad. Sad for seeing what the world did to Billie Dean despite it being cruel to herself, too. And her eyes grew misty, so misty they slowly overflowed. But she didn’t care; not now, not with a person she cared so much. What were emotions if not rage? For the first time in a long time, Wilhemina simply felt. “Billie…” She moved closer, because she trusted Billie Dean would never scream at her for showing affection. “Billie Dean… come h-here.” She let her hand go to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer until Billie laid her head on her chest. And then she cradled her tightly, lovingly, fingers tangling in blonde hair and caressing it. Billie Dean kept on sobbing loudly while she clenched everything Wilhemina she could reach. Venable felt her cheeks getting wetter and wetter, but she simply let it be. Her nose buried into Billie’s hair, taking a deep breath. “It’s okay,” she whispered. The sound of Billie Dean’s sobs was one she didn’t think she had ever heard before, and it caused Venable to wonder just how long had she been holding them back, how long had she been postponing all these emotions she was meant to let go so long ago. Billie had always told Wilhemina she needed a break, and perhaps the break was not only physical. The urge to protect something wasn’t usual for Venable—it had happened only twice her whole life, first with Olivia, and then with Purpura—but it was undeniable how it had been growing with Billie Dean; perhaps now it had reached its peak.

As much as Billie tried, she just couldn’t take a proper breath, she just couldn’t stop the sobs from cutting through—so she accepted it. She accepted the fear, the shame, the anger at herself and whatever else and simply cried. She cried and cried as she held onto Wilhemina, trying to trade all her pain for lavender so only the purple crowded her senses and emotions. Her eyes hurt, her nose had grown red, and her body had finally stopped shaking after what seemed to be hours. When she finally gathered enough strength to look up at Venable again, she found her cheeks wet as well, eyes caring concern, comfort, worry and care. She sniffled the best she could and pulled away to properly look at her. “I f-feel like a whore,” she murmured lowly. Wilhemina blinked twice, clearly surprised by the words. “I feel s-so stupid with t-these pictures… how could I not see w-what she was doing?” Hadn’t she cried all she had inside, more tears would for sure come one more time. Billie Dean took a deep, shaky breath. She reached for one of Venable’s hands again, caressing it between her own. “I-I’m so ashamed of it all… I’m so scared y-you’ll think I-I do that with everyone.”

Instantly, Wilhemina shook her head. “Don’t say that, Billie…” Only now she reached to wipe her cheeks clean. “She took advantage of you, none of that is your fault.”

“B-but I did sleep with her because I wanted to.”

Ouch. The thought bothered Venable. She focused on logic. “And there’s nothing wrong with that. But she chose to take advantage, she chose to take those pictures without your consent, and that was entirely on her.” Wilhemina did her best to keep her voice caring, soft.

Billie Dean sighed. “We never e-even went out on a date… it was p-purely sex… meaningless… stupid.” She shook her head and looked away, back at the floor. Venable gulped uncomfortably; it was definitely not pleasant to think about Billie kissing someone else, let alone having sex with them. It was a tough realization for Wilhemina, to understand that she was, in fact, jealous. Not that it mattered right now, not that it mattered at all. So many forgotten emotions rolled through her body, making it hard to think clearly. “I think w-we saw each other maybe f-four or five times… in s-six months. I d-didn’t feel good about it anymore… about feeling u-used the next day, every t-time.” Slowly, honey eyes moved back to brown ones. Venable squeezed her hand gently, encouraging her to keep going. “I t-told her I’d love t-to remain friends, b-but I didn’t want the sex anymore. She g-got really mad at me, told me I had been leaning her on, that I s-should have been honest from day one. I w-was… I t-told her after it h-happened the first time, after a p-party for wrapping up the last season of the show, we w-were both drunk… I barely remember it.” Billie shook her head. “I t-told her it h-had been a mistake, she offered for u-us to be casual… I figured i-it wouldn’t be a problem, s-she saw other people, she seemed nice e-enough even though I k-knew there was nothing romantic there for m-me…” A low, bitter chuckle left Billie Dean’s lips. She sighed. “Her w-work had never been the b-best, but she d-did the job and that w-was sufficient… or so I thought. I e-ended up finding numerous mistakes some time later, two o-or three months after w-we stopped seeing each other. I tried t-talking to her, a-asked her to be more careful… she i-insisted I was punishing her for s-some reason… so I h-had to fire her. She told everyone i-it had to do with our relationship—we d-didn’t even have a relationship, n-not in the way she implied, and she was aware of that. Gosh, she tried sleeping w-with Jenny for fuck’s sake!” Wilhemina watched Billie quietly, giving her the time she needed to let it all out. “A day a-after many accusatory t-texts, she sent me t-the first picture. A week later, I h-had all of them along w-with threats of selling them t-to the media if I d-didn’t agree t-to pay her a fee for f-firing her—which had already b-been paid, but she demanded for more. I g-gave in at first… she kept on asking for more… finally, I c-contacted my lawyer. We are… we’re building a c-case…” Billie Dean looked down again. It was all laid out now, clear as day for Venable to see and understand and judge as she pleased. Billie had nothing else to lose. I should have never slept with her, Billie’s mind shouted, I should have contacted my lawyer before, I should have stopped after the first time, I should have, I should have, I should have, I should have…

Digesting everything would take some time, but Wilhemina certainly would. She kept on caressing Billie Dean’s hand, heart beating fast, eyes glossy. What could she even say to that? Billie stared at her as if she were waiting for Venable to decide her faith on death penalty or not, eyes big, lip trapped between her teeth. Wilhemina blinked once, causing matching tears to slip down. Billie frowned in fear. “I d-don’t know what t-to tell you,” she began, slow and gentle and caring and just so unsure of how to word all these foreign emotions. “But I’m here for you. I’m h-here with you. This is not your fault, Billie Dean… none of it is your fault. You did nothing w-wrong, and it breaks m-my heart to see how much that woman i-is causing you to suffer.” Another tear slipped down. “You don’t deserve it,” she nearly breathed out, cheeks getting drenched again. She fought not to allow her eyes to overflow too much, but it was useless.

I’ve never seen her cry before. It shouldn’t, but it caused Billie to worry even more. In her nervous state, comprehending the size of the intimacy she had just reached was nearly impossible. “Don’t c-cry…” With her free hand, Billie Dean carefully wiped a tear away from Venable’s cheeks.

“Why were you so a-shamed of telling me that?” Wilhemina leaned her cheek on Billie’s palm, eyes and hand never leaving hers.

Billie Dean gulped. Her thumb caressed Venable’s cheekbone, stomach twisting and turning in nervous patterns still. “Because I j-judge myself… so I was s-scared you’d judge me, too… and I would l-lose you…”

“I would never judge y-you for that, angel…” The worry dimple was back between Wilhemina’s eyebrows. She turned her head to place a kiss on Billie Dean’s hand.

“I-it’s not just that… I just… you are so—so classy and so intelligent and absolutely captivating and I…” Billie sighed. “I’ve slept w-with women I barely k-knew because I decided a relationship was n-not for me. I went to bars, I had o-one-night stands, I had given up on love because h-how could anyone decide my ways were worth it? And n-now that you’re here I just… I feel so ashamed.”

Oh. The voices inside Venable’s head wanted to start talking again, whispering all kinds of degrading things towards herself. Wilhemina fought hard, refusing to allow them to win; they wouldn’t this time, for now she was not alone anymore, for now she had Billie Dean. She’ll stop liking you as soon as she realizes you have no experience in anything. She probably saw hundreds of bodies that are better than yours. Did Billie even do something worth the crucifying her mind always did? Wasn’t she a single, grown woman who felt comfortable enough to explore a thing society deemed as so absolutely wrong? And for what reason? Why was it wrong? It was definitely not Billie’s fault that she didn’t have experiences as such, that she felt so uncomfortable in her own skin. “You don’t have to be ashamed for h-having a life, Billie.” She sat up straight. Honey eyes looked away as Billie Dean brought her hand back towards herself, nervously playing with her fingers that previously caressed Wilhemina’s cheek. “So what you had one-night stands? So what y-you’ve slept with women you met at bars? That doesn’t make you less of a person, Billie. It doesn’t make you unworthy of love. You could have slept with a different woman a day for all I care, and that wouldn’t make a difference to how I feel towards you.” She hadn’t slept with anyone in years, and she still felt unworthy of love, too… why did it even matter, after all?

“It was—it wasn’t even one per week, probably one-night stand a month,” Billie Dean murmured.

“It’s just an example,” Venable said softly. Billie nodded. Wilhemina smiled sadly. I love her. She nibbled on her lip as she thought, pondering her words. “O-of course I don’t enjoy thinking a-about you sleeping with other people… but it’s because—it’s because I…” I want you to myself. I want to be good enough for you. “I imagine you don’t enjoy thinking about me and Emma, either.” Logic. Logic was good.

Billie Dean instantly shook her head as she grimaced slightly. The corners of Wilhemina’s lips turned up, and for a second all the weight on Billie’s shoulders disappeared. The world could end and she would not give a damn as long as she had that woman with her. Leaning closer, Billie Dean kissed Venable right on the lips, lingering there as she felt a hand caressing her cheek. “I don’t ever want to kiss anyone else,” she whispered.

“Me either.” Wilhemina kissed her again, smiling to herself as she held Billie as close as she could, as tight as she could manage.

Breaking the kiss after a moment, Billie Dean stared at brown eyes. Her heart was still beating fast, and her eyes still threatened to grow teary. After a second, she spoke again. “So… do you still wanna be with me?” She murmured.

“What have I just said, silly?”

Billie Dean’s cheeks tinted pink. “I’m just making sure…”

“You’re cute.” Venable leaned to kiss her on the nose, just like Billie did to her. “Yes, I do.” Will she when she sees just how fucked up I am when it comes to intimacy?

[mwf-art]

[mwf-art]

[mwf-art]

[mwf-art]

Chapter Forty-Eight: Bisque.

Summary: Wilhemina Venable felt it was finally time to leave Kineros Robotics and get a job with people who weren’t such morons like Jeff and Mutt. What she didn’t expect, however, was for her new boss to be so damn insufferable. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her, either.

Tag List: @mayfair-fleur @mistysswampmud @paulsonsratched @msvenablx @notmeellaannyy @rwoolfe @golddustdykes​ @lovingsarah @slut-for-sarah @geinobinarie​ (message me to be added if interested!)

“Affection memories are the best kind,” Billie’s words came as soft as melted butter. “How old were you?”

I’m not sure I have many of those. “Six.”

“I wish I could have seen young Wilhemina eating cheesecake for the first time.” The corners of Billie Dean’s sparkled lightly. Venable couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as she took another bite.

“Do you have any pictures from when you were young?”

Even though the question seemed a little odd, Billie had learned not to judge. It was safe to say their experiences in life had been very different, even though they shared their fair amount of similarities. She nodded as she took a bite. “I do. Why?”

Wilhemina shrugged. “I’d like to see them… sometime. If that’s alright with you.”

“Of course.” Weird. But it made sense… Billie did want to see younger Venable, too.

Wilhemina nodded slowly as she looked down at her plate. I think I might have a few pictures from school… Granted, she had always hated taking pictures. Brown eyes moved back up to Billie Dean, and a small smile graced Venable’s features as she realized the small amount of cream cheese on Billie’s face. “Your chin,” she said softly.

“Hm?”

“You have cream cheese on your chin.”

“Oh.” Billie let her fork go and reached for a napkin. She chuckled as she wiped her face clean. “Thank you.” Embarrassing.

“Of course.” I can’t believe the nerve of her to look good even with cream cheese on her face.

Carefully taking one last bite, Billie Dean set her plate aside. She licked her lips and made sure no bits were left on her cheeks. Venable still savored the dessert, and so honey eyes watched her. In no time, they were back at the living room with the dishwasher all loaded and running. Purpura sleepily watched them from her spot at the center table.

“That was good,” Billie sat back down at the couch, right beside Wilhemina, whom nodded.

“When did you first find out you had a talent for finding good food?” Venable teased as she leaned back against the couch. Billie Dean let out a small chuckle. Is it safe to feel that comfortable around her? That was a constant doubt in her mind.

“I think it’s a talent only for you.” She reached for one of Venable’s legs, hand resting on her knee and caressing it on top of the pants.

Wilhemina smiled to herself. Floratta Blue permeated her house in comforting tones of coral. “If you say so…”

“Mhm.” Leaning closer, Billie kissed Wilhemina’s cheek before resting back on the couch.

With the corners of her eyes sparkling lightly, Venable turned her head to stare at Billie Dean. The caresses on her leg no longer felt foreign. Such a short time… Things with Emma had taken so long so develop to whatever it had been. How was any of that even happening with Billie? “Will you help me set my iPad?”

“Of course.”

Afternoon dawned and night arrived pretty fast. Shades of orange invaded the living room as Billie Dean was just done helping Wilhemina set everything, and then Venable got up to turn the light on. The iPad now lay charging on the corner table, already with the purple case on and a few apps installed. Honey eyes watched as Wilhemina caressed Purpura on her way back to the couch, and as she was about to comment on her trousers, her phone began to ring from her purse. Brown eyes moved to hers. Billie Dean bit her lower lip and wished the name on the screen didn’t start with the letter ‘E’—thankfully, it didn’t. “It’s Jenny,” she told Venable before walking to the bathroom, receiving a nod back. Closing the door, Billie quickly picked it up. “Hello?”

“Stop ignoring my texts!” From the other side, Jenny yelled teasingly.

“I’m not!” Billie said with a chuckle. “I just haven’t been around my phone today.”

“Oh! Oh—oh! You’re at her house?!”

Laughing, Billie Dean moved to sit down on the closed toilet lid. “Yes, I am.” Her words were quiet, low.

“Did you spend the night? Oh, of course you did!”

Billie couldn’t help but find Jenny’s excitement funny. “I did, but nothing happened.”

“How come?”

“We’re going slow.”

“Did you make out at least?”

“Jenny!”

“Come on!”

Smiling to herself, Billie Dean nodded on the phone. “Yes…”

“So she does have feelings for you, huh?”

“… yes.”

“Where’s my ‘You told me, Jenny. You’re always right, Jenny. I should give you a raise, Jenny.’?”

“Shut up!” Billie chuckled yet again, hearing as the girl did the same on the other side of the phone. After a moment, she bit her lip. Their laughs died down. “Thank you…”

“You’re welcome,” Jenny’s voice came softly, now. “On a more serious note, is everything alright? Is she treating you well and not like she’s made out of ice?”

Billie Dean shook her head. “She’s the sweetest, Jenny…”

“If you say so.”

“Truly.”

“I believe you.”

Billie licked her lips as she thought. “Was Emma alright? Yesterday, when you dropped her home?”Silence. Billie Dean felt Jenny shifting on the other side of the line. Oh no.

“She was just drunk. Do you really want to talk about her now?”

“She said something about Terry, didn’t she?”

Jenny took a deep breath. Billie gulped. “She said a lot of things…”

“Jenny…”

“Yes. She did talk about Terry.”

“Fuck,” Billie breathed out. Closing her eyes, she reached to massage her temple. “What did she say?”

“I don’t remember exactly—or rather, I didn’t understand it very well— but it was something that had to do with telling Wilhemina about her.” Billie Dean groaned. “She was drunk and very much mad at you, I doubt she’ll do anything,” Jenny tried to amend. It didn’t help much.

“She thinks she knows what happened, and she’s assuming that’s what I am doing with Wilhemina.”

“Yeah…”

“That’s not it, Jenny. Terry wasn’t even fired because of that!” Her voice raised a little. Billie quickly took notice of it and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.

From the other side, Jenny gulped. “I know, Billie… but you do know that a few people can’t help but make that connection, right?”

Billie Dean took a deep breath. “Yes…” And it fucking sucks. Just another thing people assumed about her life, as if she didn’t have enough of that already.

“Have you told her about it?”

“Wilhemina?”

“Yes.”

“No… not yet.” Honey eyes fell down. Billie sucked on her lower lip. “I think it’s too soon.”

“Billie, it’s either you telling her or her possibly finding it out through Emma… and I really don’t think you’d like the latter.”

“I know,” Billie Dean murmured. “What else did she tell you?”

“She just cried a lot… and called you a bunch of names.”

“Fair,” she murmured again.

“Not really, but we’ll not dwell on that right now.” Billie nodded to herself. “Are you spending the weekend there?”

“Yes.” Taking a deep breath, Billie Dean sat up a little better. “Why?”

“Just asking. The reports about the party should be out on Monday, and we need to approve the pictures for the special.”

“Right. You can ask them to e-mail me the material.” I desperately need a break from working. The end of the year was always hectic for Billie Dean.

“Already did. They’re waiting on an answer until Monday, noon.”

“Perfect. We can do it in the morning, then.”

“Mhm.”

“Do I need to do anything this weekend?” Billie had found Jenny’s question a little odd, so it was always best to ask.

“Not really. I was just curious about you and her,” the girl chuckled.

“Oh.” Chuckling back, Billie got up from the lid. That’s good at least. “I’ll tell you more on Monday.”

“Good. I’ll be waiting excitedly as the reason for all of that to be happening I am.”

“Silly,” Billie Dean teased back. “Alright, I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Alright. Have a good weekend, wink wink.”

“You too, you annoying human.” With both of them laughing, Billie ended the call. She looked up to the mirror and fixed her clothes and hair, eyes glued on herself. She sighed. She’ll think I do that with everybody. Maybe that talk could wait until Monday… or at least until tomorrow. Billie Dean decided she wouldn’t think about it now. At least not for the night. She still had another whole day before the next week, after all.

Quietly stepping out of the bathroom, Billie Dean walked back to the living room; she didn’t find Venable there. “Wilhie?”

“In the bedroom,” Venable called back.

Quietly still, Billie Dean followed that way. As she got to the room, her eyes were graced with the lovely image of Wilhemina, sitting on the bed with Purpura and a tube of lotion by her side. Lavender notes invaded her nostrils. Billie smiled. “Are you moisturizing her?” She remembered Venable had said something about it, once.

Wilhemina nodded. She reached for more of the lotion and gently caressed the cat’s back, which purred lowly. “Winter makes her skin drier.”

“She’s so well behaved.” Carefully, Billie sat down beside Wilhemina. She watched as her hands worked on Purpura, so gentle and caring. And with such long and dainty fingers… not now. Billie Dean licked her lips and looked back up at Venable, watching the way she was so absolutely focused on the cat, with lips curling up and eyes so soft above the sky of freckles there. To be loved by her must be holy. She could only wish to experience that one day. “Can I help?”

Taken positively aback, deep brown eyes met honey ones. “To moisturize her?” Billie nodded. Venable opened a smile. “Of course.” She reached for the lotion and pushed it closer to Billie Dean. “Here. Her chest is missing still.

“Okay.” As gentle as she could, Billie Dean scooped a small amount of lotion on her fingers and began to caress the cat’s chest, right underneath her neck. Purpura purred a little louder, shifting on the mattress to accommodate the hand. Billie smiled, and as she looked up at Wilhemina, their eyes and smile met again. Air seemed scarce all of a sudden. I want to give her the world.

I love her. When had anyone ever treated Purpura like that? When had anyone wanted to be a part of her life like that? How scary? How good? How foreign? “She likes it,” Wilhemina said, voice as soft as melted butter. “She likes you.”

With a tiny chuckle, Billie Dean used all of her strength to take her eyes off of Venable and look back at the cat. “I like her, too.” With her free hand and mindful of her nails, she reached to pet the cat’s head. Purpura leaned against it, eyes closed. Another chuckle left Billie’s lips.

With her teeth trapping her lips in order not to allow them to smile too big, Wilhemina kept on watching them. She pulled her hands away and wiped them on a towel she had taken, cleaning them of the lotion. After a minute or two, she spoke again. “Thank you for being so nice to her…”

“Of course,” Billie Dean’s eyebrows drew closer in confusion. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Venable shrugged. My mind clearly works wrong. “It’s just that… a few people can be mean because of—of how she looks.” Just like they are to me. She nervously licked her lips. “You know… the skin.”

Billie’s frown grew for a second until she understood just how deep the topic actually was. Her eyes reflected nothing but kindness now. “There’s nothing wrong with how she looks, Wilhie… and even if there were, quote on quote, something wrong about her, that wouldn’t be an excuse for people to treat her in any way but kind.” Gulping again, Wilhemina nodded. She took a discrete deep breath and clutched the small purple towel on her lap. Billie Dean took notice of it. She’s nervous. With her own heart picking up slightly in speed, Billie looked down at the cat for a second before looking back up at Venable. Her lips curled up on the corners. “Besides, I think she looks really cute.”

This time, it was Wilhemina who looked away from Billie Dean. Her cheeks tinted softly. The underlying tone of their conversation was very much explicit. “R-really?”

“Oh, yeah.” She knows I’m talking about her. There was no need to point that out. Billie had been learning compliments and words of affirmation were better left in the murky, at least for now. “More than cute, I think she’s beautiful.” Clutching the towel in her hands a little harsher, Venable nodded quietly. She slowly looked back up, and when her eyes met honey ones again, she found a look in them that left her warm all over, sweet all over, comforted all over. Billie Dean’s smile grew lovingly, pouring affection all over. Carefully not to disturb Purpura, Billie scooted closer to Wilhemina, hand reaching to cup one of her cheeks—slowly, so she could ask her to stop if she wanted. She didn’t. Billie Dean’s thumb caressed the plump crimson skin with so much tenderness it nearly hurt. Venable sighed lowly. “You’re beautiful, Wilhemina,” she whispered, voice as soft as a cozy blanket and as sweet as honey. She could feel Venable’s breath against her lips, faster than usual and oh so inviting. So she kissed her, slow and gentle and affectionate.

With blood rushing up to her head, Wilhemina felt her hands trembling against the cloth. She did the best she could and let go of it, reaching to caress Billie’s arm as she kissed her back. Their lips danced slowly and passionately, and for a split second Venable felt herself losing touch with the parts that could be so damn horrible to her. Her lips picked up in intensity, and she subconsciously scooted closer to Billie Dean, too. Purpura meowed from between them, therefore causing the kiss the break. Wilhemina took a deep breath as she stared at Billie’s eyes, lips rosy and tingling deliciously. Billie Dean watched her closely, thumb still tracing Venable’s cheek. I’m terrified things will change. Reality set back in. Wilhemina gulped. “I’m n-not used to that…”

“Compliments?” Venable nodded. I know. Billie smiled sadly. “Any chance I can help you get used to them?”

With her cheeks still red and hot, Wilhemina bit her lower lip. Hesitantly, she nodded. “It might take a while…” It might never happen at all.

With the softest smile she could manage, Billie Dean reached to tuck a lock of red hair behind Venable’s ear. “That’s okay,” she whispered. Billie felt as dark brown eyes fell down to her lips, so she leaned closer and kissed Wilhemina again, which got herself a sweet sigh. Billie Dean pulled away just enough to stare at Venable. “I’m not in a rush.” She had said that already, about many things, but she would never grow tired of easing Wilhemina’s mind.

And yet again, there she was… bare, raw in front of Billie. Vulnerable, and yet she didn’t feel so scared. That’s scary. Would that become something usual for her?

Sunday morning arrived as sweetly as the past night had been; Wilhemina found herself falling asleep tangled in Billie Dean’s arms again, this time receiving kisses on the forehead until she, eventually, allowed sleep to win. When the first ray of sunlight slipped through the curtains, their limbs were still tangled and their skin was still warm from their embrace. It was Venable who opened her eyes first, eyebrows close as she frowned from the light. When her vision wasn’t so blurry anymore, Wilhemina focused on whatever was in front of her—it happened to be Billie, still fast asleep and with her lips inches away from her own. She took a deep breath. I kissed her. Venable licked her own chapped lips, body falling slowly into reality as it got aware of its position: legs tangled with Billie Dean’s, an arm that wasn’t its own wrapped around her waist, feet touching, blonde hair tickling her face. How lovely was it, to not wake up alone? To not always be by herself? Wilhemina took another deep breath, brown oceans examining the face in front of hers. Is she even real? Venable still had her doubts. Billie frowned as a strand of her own hair tickled her face, nose scrunching up. Wilhemina smiled to herself and reached to pull the strand of hair away and behind Billie Dean’s ear. As she pulled her hand away, she couldn’t help but brush her knuckles against Billie’s face, caressing her peachy skin. I shouldn’t be so attached already. How could she not? When that woman treated her and made her feel a way she had never experienced before? Venable watched as Billie Dean began to slowly open her eyes. She smiled sleepily to herself.

Letting out a small sigh, Billie hummed as her vision came into consciousness, body snuggling closer to whatever was providing it warmth. Lavender soon clouded her senses, and so Billie Dean finally fixated on the face in front of her. Her lips mirrored Wilhemina’s sleepy smile. Was she watching me? “Hi,” Billie croaked out, as sweet as she could manage in her state.

“Hello.” Venable’s smile grew as her cheeks began to tint for some reason. Down her legs, she felt as Billie Dean’s foot caressed her own. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

Billie shook her head before hiding her face against the pillow to cover a yawn. Her hand reached for Wilhemina’s waist and pulled her closer. “You didn’t.” She looked back at dark brown eyes. “I wouldn’t have minded if you had, though.”

Venable nodded at the words as spidery fingers slowly moved up to cup Billie Dean’s cheek. Wilhemina just stared at her for a minute before taking a deep breath. “I like waking up next to you,” she whispered. I didn’t know not being alone could ever feel this way.

Coral fingernails scratched softly against the cloth of Venable’s purple pajamas, caressing her waist and the small of her back. Billie Dean leaned closer and kissed her gently on the lips. I hope my breath is tolerable. “I like waking up next to you, too,” she whispered back. Wilhemina stared at her like she was made of all the stars in the universe, eyes shining and all. Billie couldn’t help but pull her even closer, and this time Venable’s hand fell down to her waist and pulled her closer, too. Their bodies left no space between each other, breaths mingling. “I sleep pretty well when I’m with you… you’re warm and you don’t snore,” she teased.

Chuckling lowly, Wilhemina bit her lip to stop her smile from growing too much. “Why, thank you. I could say the same, but your feet are freezing,” she teased back, because being playful didn’t come with a sentence of being punished when it came to Billie Dean.

With a laugh, Billie made sure her feet were well tangled with Venable’s. “I don’t know why they’re so cold.”

Wilhemina hummed. She reached for the hand that caressed her waist and tangled her fingers with Billie Dean’s. “So is your hand.” She caressed the cold digits between her own, trying to warm them up. “Are you cold?”

“Not really.” Billie licked her lips, and part of her heart still melted every time she was reminded of how just how caring Venable was with her. “Are you?”

“No,” Wilhemina shook her head. She let go of Billie Dean’s hand and now caressed her arm, even though Billie had said she wasn’t cold. Billie Dean didn’t mind, not at all. She kept a smile printed on her lips. “Are you hungry?” I should have bought some pastries.

“A little.”

“I can cook us an omelette, or maybe I can go out and get a few pastries, if you’d like. There’s this—“

“Wilhie,” Billie Dean cut Venable gently just as she was about to start lifting the covers to get out of bed. Wilhemina looked at her. “Can we cuddle a little?”

With her cheeks turning purple, Venable nodded. She blinked twice before slowly snuggling closer to Billie again. “Sorry,” she whispered.

Billie Dean shook her head. Hadn’t it been Wilhemina, she could have thought that maybe there was something wrong with her, but being Venable, she knew she was simply eager to please. “You don’t have to apologize,” she whispered back. Her hand found its place on Wilhemina’s waist again, caressing it. She’s always so anxious.

With a nod, brown eyes fell down. Venable took a deep breath. I’m so idiotic. The deprecating voice was already up and running. She gulped and looked back at honey oceans, legs tangling back with Billie’s. After a moment, she spoke again. “I like cuddling with you,” she said, because part of her felt like Billie Dean could maybe be thinking otherwise, and she didn’t want to ever cause Billie Dean to think like that.

She’s worried. Opening a smile, Billie reached to pull a strand of read hair away from Venable’s eyes. “I know, darling. I didn’t think otherwise.”

Darling. Wilhemina didn’t know if her stomach would ever stop turning with the pet name. This is the second time she’s called me that. How delicious did it feel? “Good,” she murmured somewhat shyly.

Billie Dean hummed back, hand caressing her waist slowly, feeling as it rose and fell with Venable’s breathing. She stared at those chocolate eyes in front of her, watching the way they moved away and back to her own. She’s shy. Her lips curled up softly. “Did you dream of anything?”

Wilhemina shook her head, eyes struggling to stay at brown ones. “Not that I remember. Did you?”

Billie Dean had actually had a dream; she saw a woman, hair red just like Venable’s, face full of suffering and with lines well marked. She cried, but couldn’t speak. Wilhemina didn’t need to know that. “Not really.” Venable hummed. Billie licked her lips, eyes tracing the soft freckles on Wilhemina’s cheeks. “I love your freckles,” she said after a second.

To be stared at like that had never felt good… not until Billie Dean. Venable’s skin grew red still, but not from being uncomfortable. “I’m not a huge fan of them…”

What’s new? Wilhemina didn’t seem to be a huge fan of anything that made her who she was. Billie didn’t need to point that out, but she did keep that in mind. “You always cover them, don’t you?” Venable nodded. Billie Dean opened a sad smile. “I love them,” she repeated.

Wilhemina gulped. She nodded again, eyes falling down before going back up. She licked her sudden dry lips. “Thank you.”

Billie couldn’t help but smile a little more. It was clear Venable wasn’t used to being complimented, or having any kind of intimacy with people, but there was something so sweet about it… so strangely pure, in a way. Most people wouldn’t see it that way, but Billie Dean had never been most people. So she leaned closer and placed a small kiss on Wilhemina’s nose, and then another one on her left cheek, and another one on her right one, right on top of the freckles. Wilhemina blinked twice, and with a chuckle Billie Dean kissed her full on the lips, reaching to cup her face.

Sunday went by with nothing but sweet kisses being shared and a movie or two being watched. When the night began to fall down again, Billie Dean hesitantly went back home, but with the promise of seeing each other on Monday morning. Billie knew she should have talked about Terry; knew she should have brought it up before anyone else had the chance, but how could she when Venable looked at her so lovingly and gave her more trust than she had ever given anyone in a long time? Billie Dean simply didn’t have the guts to do it. And she prayed no one would before she could master the courage to do so.

At night, Wilhemina caught herself missing the warmth of another body next to her. Floratta Blue lingered in the air only slightly, and Venable wished she could smell more of it. Fear clouded her senses before sleep could, trying to trick her, trying to scare her. Wilhemina closed her eyes and thought about Billie; about the kiss they shared just before she entered her car and drove home that evening. Nothing would change in the morning. Nothing would change in the week. Right?

[mwf-art]

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it! Bringing back this very much pissed Venable 😝💜

Kineros Robotics was fond of enjoying the Holidays. All of them. And Wilhemina found it absolutely stupid that she was required to be a part of it, too. Also, who the fuck had decorated her office like that?

Ig: mwf.art

[mwf-art]