#cw:kissing

[anyataylorjoy]

Australia (2008) Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007) Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) The Young Victoria (2009) The Notebook (2004) Little Women (2019) Sweet Home Alabama (2002) Spider-Man (2002)

[awanderingdeal]

The best kind of spa day - Chapter 3

Chapter 3! I said this would be the last chapter, but I am thinking there will be one more.

Rating: Explicit (This chapter is more Mature, but the fic on the whole is definitely Explicit)

CW: food talk, drinking of alcohol, mention of C-section, heavy kissing, multiple mentions of sex and mild angst.

For previous chapters, please see my masterlist

And finally…but very importantly…thank you to @lumosinlove for the creation of the most wonderful Natalie Darcy and the sweater weather universe.

P.S. Just a note that Lily had a tattoo that covers her C-section scar, but that is not to say that there is anything wrong with them or that they need to be covered. They are literally a sign that you brought a whole ass human into this world and if you want to wear that with pride then you should.

P.P.S. This hasn't had a final edit yet, so please excuse any mistakes. I'll try and get around to it tomorrow!

Lily leaned back in her chair, rubbing at her stomach. She seemed content, full of food and happiness. Earlier, as they'd been getting their pedicures, Lily had moaned that part of her wished she could stay in this fantasy land where she got pampered all day forever, and Natalie agreed, but alas, tomorrow they had to go back to their everyday lives and responsibilities.

“Finished?” Natalie asked, eyeing up the remains of Lily’s blackberry parfait.

“I can’t eat another thing,” Lily replied with a laugh, “I feel like I’m carrying Harry all over again.”

Natalie reached out to pluck a piece of honeycomb from the plate, popping it into her mouth with a grin, “did you not know there’s an extra shelf in your stomach for dessert?”

“Have at it,” Lily shook her head with a fond disbelief, pushing the plate in Natalie's direction. It didn’t take long for her to finish the last of the desert and after another frozen margarita each, the two of them of them headed back up to their bedroom. There was a wait for the elevator. Natalie took advantage of the lull to wrap her arms around Lily’s waist, swaying them side to side in a silly sort of slow dance. “I’m gonna miss you,” Natalie mumbled into Lily’s hair.

“You’re going to see me in 3 days,” Lily countered, taking Natalie’s hand as the elevator doors opened with a ping. The silence that occupied the space between them seemed more awkward than normal, but Natalie couldn't place exactly why. "Can I ask you a question?" Lily asked just as the reached their floor.

Somewhere in the recesses of her brain, Natalie felt the urge to tell Lily that she had, in fact, just asked a question, but her intuition was telling her Lily wouldn't appreciate the joke just now. "You know you can. What's up?" Natalie replied, reluctantly dropping Lily's hand so she could root in her backpack for the room key. There was a quiet while she searched, but Natalie could hear the cogs in Lily's brain turning, until eventually she found the item and was able to push the door open.

Lily paused just inside the room, looking behind her to watch the door swing shut, like some animal that had just been caged in. She worried her lip between her teeth, a habit Natalie had always gently scolded her for, but this time Natalie squashed the urge to tell her not to do it. "Hey Lilypad, what's going on?" Natalie pressed, sweeping a piece of Lily's hair from her face.

“Would you - What if - I -” Lily stumbled over the start of her sentence a few times before letting out a small frustrated growl. Natalie squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, recognising that Lily just needed a bit of space to work through what could sometimes be a crippling perfectionism. Natalie guessed that a tiny part of it was just her natural personality, but growing up with a sister who twisted every word Lily said into some ugly version of the truth most definitely hadn’t helped.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Natalie cocked her head towards the bed. She noted briefly that the sheets had been changed. Lily swallowed, nodded resolutely and started the short walk without making a sound. Something in the journey helped because as soon as the back of Natalie’s thighs had touched the bedding, words tumbled out of Lily’s mouth.

“Would you still be my friend if we never had sex again?" Lily started. The small gesture Lily made to indicate she hadn't yet finished warmed Natalie's heart; it was the small things that indicated how well her friend knew her were her favourite. "I know when you first asked, you said that I could say no and it wouldn’t change anything about our relationship, but sometimes it feels like now we’ve taken that step maybe you don’t want it to go back?”

Natalie tucked her legs up, resting her chin against her knees, taking her time to think over the words. She would be lying if she said they hadn’t hurt, and she didn’t want her response to be in anger. “Lily, I’m sorry if I ever made you feel that way,” Natalie said quietly. She heard Lily breath in deeply, a sentence on the tip of her tongue, then the breath was let out, words exhaled with it. Natalie met Lily’s eyes, finding her voice again, “But I need you to know, I give zero fucks if we never do anything even remotely sexual ever again. Sure, I love being with you. You’re beautiful and attentive, and I love making you feel good. But our friendship will always, always, come first." She paused, letting her answer sink in. "Can I ask why you’re asking now? You’ve seemed so happy these last few days.”

“God, yes, Natalie I’ve loved this weekend. I always love spending time with you,” Lily said quickly. “I’ve just...I’ve noticed that sometimes you get sulky when you know you’re going to see me but in a group. I figured it’s because we can’t, you know…”

“Lilypad, I think this is what is known as a failure to communicate,” Natalie let out a sigh of relief. “I do sometimes get sulky, as you put it. But not because I want to have sex with you all the time. Although, I wouldn't complain about that," she laughed lightly, hoping the small joke would make the air feel a bit less thick. "It’s just because...Look, I adore having all my favourite people in one room. I love watching you be a mom. Watching James shower you in affection makes me happy. I love seeing you laugh with Kase and Al. However, it’s not the same as one - on - one. Whether that’s us watching a movie, or baking or having sex, I love getting to spend time with my best friend. It doesn’t mean I don’t want those group moments, it just means I miss having you all to myself as well.”

Lily wrapped her hand around Natalie’s knee, pulling gently until Natalie relented and allowed herself to be drawn into Lily’s side. Natalie rested her head on Lily’s shoulder, looking up to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry,” Natalie apologised.

Lily shook her head, her ponytail swaying with the movement. “No, I’m sorry for making assumptions,” she countered, tracing her thumb along Natalie’s jawline. “I think I get it. When Harry came along, I craved the time it was just me and James again, but somehow at the same time, I wanted to clutch Harry to my chest and keep him all to myself, whilst also wanting it to be all three of us together. Brains are weird.”

“Brains are weird,” Natalie repeated, chuckling at the truth behind those words.

“And now, I have you too. Whatever this is,” Lily laughed, waving her hand vaguely through the air. “So much love. Too much love.”

“There’s no such thing,” Natalie said adamantly, “Give me all the love.” She turned, tackling Lily against the bed with a laugh, managing to end up with a mouthful of hair. Natalie spluttered, picking red strands from her mouth as she started to pull away, but Lily gripped her t-shirt, stopping her from moving any further way.

“Nope, cuddle time now,” Lily protested.

Natalie wanted to oblige the request, however the faux leather pants she was wearing were practically painted on, and whilst they accentuated her legs wonderfully, they weren’t the most comfortable. “Can we get into pyjamas first?” she suggested.

“A most wonderful idea, Miss Darcy,” Lily agreed, releasing her hold on the t-shirt grasped in her fingers. Natalie shook her head, grazing her lips over Lily’s cheek before she stood, smiling fondly as she watched Lily giggle at her own snooty accent. It was a bit of a chore to drag herself away, but the call of the oversized band t-shirt Natalie had stolen from Kasey at some point over the years was strong. Eventually, she found it beneath her robe, thrown over the back of the armchair nestled into the corner of their hotel room. She was almost able to hear Lily’s smug smirk as she recalled their conversation this morning about storing things in their appropriate places. By the time Natalie had shed her day clothes and pulled the well-worn t-shirt over her head, Lily had already changed into a matching pyjama set, brushed her hair and woven it into a loose braid.

"I don't want to hear a word," Natalie drawled, raising her hand to resemble a stop sign.

"I didn't say anything!" Lily defended, flipping her braid over her shoulder before reaching for her phone. "Do you want music?"

"I could tell you were about to," Natalie retorted, attempting to fold her dirty clothes into her suitcase. Usually, Kasey was the one to complete the seemingly impossible task of getting all the clothes she had brought back into the case at the end of a trip. "Yes please," she nodded, answering Lily's question. "None of that One Direction though."

"I told you that was James!" Lily laughed, making several contemplative sounds before the first notes of a familiar banjo started to play.

Mumford and Sons. The band had been one of Natalie's favourites since forever, but they also reminded her of the long afternoon she had spent with one arm slung around Lily's shoulders, the sun beating down on their necks as they sipped on plastic cups full of some concoction Thomas had formulated. They had sung along to the live music until their voices were hoarse, at which point they'd crawled back to their tent to nap before an evening of more music and alcohol. The almost-kiss that had happened in that tent had been the catalyst they'd needed to discuss the growing sexual tension between the two of them, ultimately leading to this very moment. Natalie threw a look over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow just slightly at Lily. "Nice choice."

Lily hummed scooting backwards, to make herself comfortable against the wall of pillows on the bed. She patted the spot beside her, a warm smile settling over her face, “Come, sit, I’ll do that for you later.”

“You’re an angel, Lilypad,” Natalie beamed, hurrying away from the bulging case before Lily changed her mind. She rounded the bed, jumping onto the free side with a soft “ooft,” crawling into the cocoon Lily had formed with her arms.

“I was so happy on that weekend, so happy and so confused,” Lily murmured as Natalie had wriggled herself into a comfortable position. “I swear I would have just ignored all those weird feelings forever if you hadn’t made me pull my head out of my ass. I will admit having that conversation while making flat pack furniture was a first," she continued, curling a strand of Natalie’s hair around her finger.

Natalie chuckled, remembering how Lily had nearly hammered her thumb off in the process, her attention more focused on the proposal of friends-with-benefits type of relationship than the tool she was wielding. "Hmm, you do look good in a tool belt though," Natalie quipped, playing the tips of her fingers gently over the tattoo peeking out from between the silk shorts and cami Lily was wearing. The tail feathers of the peacock merged beautifully with the scar left behind by the emergency C-section Lily had ended up having to bring baby Harry into the world. “Just remember, this was and always is supposed to be fun, okay? If it’s ever not fun for you anymore then something needs to change,” Natalie hummed.

Lily nodded, releasing the curl of hair and resting her palm on Natalie’s cheek, “You too. This is a two way thing. We both need to be happy.”

“Yeah, me too,” Natalie agreed, nuzzling into the cool of Lily’s hand with a soft sigh. “I’d like a kiss, please? If that’s okay?” she asked quietly. It wasn’t often that Natalie felt shy or uncertain asking for things, but after their recent conversation she didn’t want Lily to get the wrong idea.

“Of course,” Lily replied, her hand wandering to brush across Natalie's lips, as if her fingers were trying to memorise each ridge and curve in them. She bent close, hovering, her breath warm against Natalie’s face as she waited for Natalie to take the affection she wanted. The kiss started off slow and tender, their lips moving softly against one another until Lily pushed insistently into Natalie’s mouth, parting her lips with ease. Natalie's heart didn’t pound in the same way it had the first time they had kissed anymore, but there was something even more special about the familiarity of it all. Her heart didn’t pound, but rather it settled, as if it knew this was part of home. Natalie couldn’t help wrapping her tongue around Lily’s, battling against the intrusion; the taste of tequila lingering from the cocktails they had drunk earlier was sharp amongst the other notes of Lily’s mouth she was well acquainted with. She would let Lily lead soon, but not without putting up the pretence of a fight. “Stop,” Lily laughed, pressing Natalie back against the pillows with a feigned growl. “You’re so competitive.”

Natalie gave an affirmative grunt, her lips curling into a smile, “Mmm, but I win either way.”

“Shut up, and let me kiss you,” Lily scolded playfully, joining their lips again before Natalie could think of a clever reply.

Natalie didn’t know how long they kissed for, drifting between heated and subdued, sometimes just breathing against one another, finally pulling apart when they came to the unspoken agreement that whatever wound needed healing had been. First with words, then with their bodies.

“I know earlier I said you could introduce me to your friend, but I think I’m a bit emotionally drained for new acquaintances tonight,” Lily said, cutting through the silence.

“No, of course. That’s fine. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time for that at a later date,” Natalie nodded. “Any ideas on what we could do though? I’m not feeling a film tonight, but I’m too relaxed for anything that requires any energy,” Natalie mused, her voice still a little breathy.

“We could do a few more chapters of Seven Husbands?” Lily suggested, her features schooled into something that Natalie guessed was supposed to be innocent. It probably would have been successful if Natalie didn’t know her so well.

“You mean I could read a few more chapters to you,” Natalie said, raising an eyebrow.

“Wow, what a wonderful plan,” Lily grinned.

“Uhh huh,” Natalie rolled her eyes affectionately, “I wonder how I thought of it.” She rolled away from Lily a little bit too enthusiastically, swearing as she collided with the bedside table. Shaking off the jolt of pain, she grabbed the paperback. It was an insult to injury when she realised she was going to have to sit up anyway if she wanted to read comfortably. Once Lily had plumped the pillows up, Natalie sat back against them, removing the bookmark and clearing her throat as she began to read.

Lily burrowed further and further under the blankets she had wrapped herself in, until just a pair of green eyes and a flash of red hair was visible. Natalie smiled down fondly at her, not even caring that her voice was starting to feel scratchy. A few pages later, the entire bundle was shaking with Lily’s sobs, her head now buried into Natalie’s lap. Deciding that was her cue to stop reading for the night, Natalie placed the book down and curled her body around Lily’s in a hug. “Are you okay?” she asked tentatively. Whilst she wasn’t one to find herself crying about books, it wasn’t unusual for her to come across Alex sobbing over some fictional character or other and he could be very sensitive about it, despite what he would argue.

“I’ll be fine,” Lily laughed wetly, blinking away tears. “I just want them to be happy. It sucks.”

“It’s just a book, Lilypad,” Natalie chuckled, deciding to risk her wrath.

“You are heartless,” Lily sniffled, trying to bend her head against the blankets to wipe at the damp, without having to untangle herself. Natalie took pity on her, dabbing at the tear tracks, leaving a kiss on each cheek once she was finished. “Thanks,” Lily whispered.

“I’m gonna tell you something, but you have to promise not to shoot the messenger,” Natalie said, distancing herself from Lily a little.

“What?” Lily frowned.

“We still need to brush our teeth,” Natalie rushed out, although she was fairly sure that her eyes revealed the slight glee she was getting from the situation.

The screech that left Lily’s mouth a few seconds later somewhat resembled a pterodactyl.

“Sorry, beautiful,” Natalie tugged at the edges of the blanket. “But teeth hygiene is important y’know.” Lily huffed, but made a vague attempt at helping Natalie release her from the fortress she had created. For all Lily’s complaints, they were both back in bed, cuddled under the sheets less than five minutes later.

“I’ll set an alarm for the morning,” Natalie noted, stretching her arm in the direction of the bedside table, grasping at the air until her fingers grasped around her phone, grunting triumphantly at her success. She had accumulated a few messages over the last few hours. Mostly, she ignored them, but fired off a quick reply to Alex before opening the message from Kasey.

She let out a low whistle, sitting more upright in Lily’s hold as she took in the photo she’d been sent.

“You okay?” Lily asked.

“Well, I don’t think we need to feel guilty about our boys being alone,” Natalie reasoned, turning her screen so Lily could see the photo. James was sprawled across Kasey’s bare chest, his dark hair even more tussled than usual, Kasey’s large hand resting casually on his hip bone. Natalie prided herself on having an eagle eye for who Kasey might be interested in, but she had to admit she hadn’t seen this one coming. Not that she minded one bit.

“Is that?” Lily zoomed in on the picture, looking at the dark mark on the crook of James’ neck. “Huh, interesting,” she hummed, her smile growing wider by the second. “Very interesting. Tell him I said I hope they had fun.”

Natalie didn’t have to wait long for a reply, snorting out a laugh at her boyfriend’s comment. “Kase says James is very good with his tongue,” she told Lily nonchalantly, already tapping out response telling Kasey she was going to sleep now, and for him to have a good night, adding a winking emoji for effect.

“I am aware,” Lily smirked, manipulating the pillows into a more comfortable position for sleeping. Natalie took that as her hint to put her phone down, settling herself close behind Lily, tangling their legs together. They probably wouldn’t stay this way for long, Lily always complaining that Natalie was a human furnace after a few minutes, but it was nice while it lasted.