#like i need plush comfy bed. but i wanna be in the shower under the hot stream of water so bad.. :

[t4tmutt]

they should invent a shower i can jerk off in

[octanesimp3000]

The Bunny, The Decoy and the Apex Games #6

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32034451/chapters/79916935 

Summary:

Mornings were usually uninteresting and routine for you on the drop ship. Not with Octavio and Elliott around, however.

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5

————————————————————————–

You didn’t know when you’d fallen asleep the previous night. The last thing you could remember were the sounds of Octavio clicking away on his keyboard as he played some fast-paced parkour game.

Opening your eyes that morning, the last thing you expected to see was a head of green hair poking out from under the covers right next to you in bed but lo and behold, there it was. Out of surprise, you shouted angrily “Octavio, what the hell! I didn’t say you could sleep in my bed!” as you quickly leaped out of bed. Thankfully, you’d not changed out of your day clothes before falling asleep.

Octavio slowly and groggily sat up on the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he said “Where was I supposed to sleep then? I tried sleeping on the floor but it was hard and the carpet was all scratchy.” He looked up at you with bleary eyes and his short green hair sticking straight up as if he’d been electrocuted in his sleep. You couldn’t help but think that sleepy Octavio looked pretty cute, especially with the plush bunny cuddled up close to him.

You tried to push those thoughts out of your mind by focusing on the problem at hand. “Well, I don’t know. Anywhere but in my bed! I’m sure if you asked, the Syndicate would lend you a mattress or something,” you suggested, folding your arms across your chest.

Octavio thought about it for a few moments before he responded “But someone would see me carrying the mattress in here and then, they’ll wonder why we don’t want to share a bed, yknow?” You wished you could have thought of something smart to say in response but you knew Octavio was right. The other Legends would definitely suspect something.

“Fine. But they should have finished fixing that air conditioner by now so it doesn’t matter anyway,” you grumbled as you gathered up some clothes to change into before heading for the showers, leaving Octavio to fall back onto the bed for another 20 minutes of blissful sleep. When you returned, Octavio was propped up into a sitting position on the bed with pillows placed behind his back for extra comfort, typing away furiously on his phone. You sat down at your desk to do your hair and makeup and pulled out a mirror from the drawer, setting it down on the surface. When you heard Octavio throw his phone down with a small groan of annoyance, you asked “You alright, Octavio?”

Octavio picked up his phone again and swiped on its screen for a bit before offering it to you, saying “Look what one of the assholes working at the Syndicate texted me.” You hesitated before taking his phone. Most people preferred to hold their phone up for others when they wanted to show them something. Privacy reasons, you guessed. Yet, here was Octavio just unconditionally handing it to you. No warnings to not swipe to the right or anything. You felt weirdly trusted.

The text message read: ‘Unfortunately, it appears as if the plumber requires some special parts to be ordered in order to fix the air conditioner in your dormitory. The parts will unfortunately take up to 10 days to arrive. I apologize for any inconvenience caused.'

Your mouth fell open in surprise. You were going to have to share a bed with Octavio for another 10 WHOLE DAYS? You didn’t know how to react to this news. You handed Octavio back his phone, and forced a smile onto your face as you explained that you had plans to meet Ajay and Natalie for breakfast, and you would see him later. “W-Wait, Y/N!,” Octavio had begun to say but the door had already clicked shut behind you as you began making your way to the cafeteria.

The ladies of the Apex Games often got together once a week for breakfast to catch up and enjoy some much needed time with the girls. That day, the only one missing from the group was Loba who apparently had an important appointment she had to attend. Once you’d grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs and two slices of toast from the steaming hot chafing dishes, you took your usual seat between Ajay and Natalie.

You’d noticed that there was a strange silence that descended upon the group when you arrived and it suddenly came to you that this was the first ladies’ breakfast since your ‘relationship’ with Octavio went public. You mentally braced yourself for any prying questions as you tucked into your food.

Natalie was the first to break the silence. “So...Y/N, how are things going between you and Octavio?,” she asked sweetly before taking a sip from her mug of coffee. Her eyes had a little glimmer in it that told you she was hungry for any information you would offer. You could almost sense the anticipation in the air and took another bite of toast just to give yourself some time to think of an answer.

“We’re good. It’s kinda hard to keep up with him but I mean, I knew that going into it,” you said with what you hoped was a convincing shy smile. Only when you saw Ajay and Ramya’s shared eyebrow raises did you spot the possible cheeky double entendre of your words. You were just going to launch into a desperate babble to explain what you actually meant but it was probably just as well that you were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of none other than Elliott.

Elliot wore his usual charming smile as he looked around the table at everyone present, pausing for a moment when his gaze landed on you. “Good morning, ladies! You’re all looking wonderful today. Mind if the great Mirage joins you for a bit?,” Elliott asked as he put his hands on his hips, expectantly waiting for someone to invite him to sit down.

“No, Elliott. Women only today,” Renee said bluntly, not one to try and protect anyone’s feelings. Elliott held a hand up to his heart, making a face as if he had been wounded by Renee’s statement. She merely rolled her eyes as she turned to look at the other women present to see what they thought of Elliott joining their meal. Unfortunately for the ‘great Mirage’, most of them were in agreement with Renee.

Elliott laughed the rejection off and said casually “Alright, alright! You ladies need your space, I get it.” He started to walk in the direction of the cafeteria’s entrance but suddenly stopped and quickly came back to the table you were at, excitedly exclaiming “I almost forgot! I’m gonna make some pork chops for dinner tonight, anyone wanna try some?”

Everyone knew about Elliott’s famous pork chop recipe that his mom had created. It was supposedly so tender that the meat would just melt in your mouth. There was no turning down this offer, and everyone present at the table were up for a taste. Pleased at how well his offer was received, Elliott seemed to puff up in pride. He looked pointedly at you and said with a wink “Once you taste it, Y/N, you’re gonna wish you were dating me instead. I bet Octavio can’t make pork chops like I can.”

You couldn’t believe your ears. Did Elliot actually say what you thought he said or were you just starting to go insane from all the pining you did? You stared motionless from the utter shock as Elliott strutted out of the cafeteria like a delighted peacock. Ajay nudged you in the ribs with her elbow and asked with an amazed smile on her face “What was that?! Was Elliott hitting on ya? What love potion have ya got on these boys?”

“I-I’m sure it’s nothing! You know what Elliott’s like. He’s always flirting with literally anyone who’ll listen,” you laughed, waving Ajay’s suggestions away. Secretly, you wished that she was right. Maybe you really did stand a chance with Elliott. You struggled to focus for the rest of the meal and even on your walk back to your dorm, your mind was far off in the stars.

You stared blankly at the door to your dorm for a moment, wondering when on earth you’d gotten back here before turning the doorknob and opening it. Octavio was nowhere to be seen. His things were still scattered about your room and the bedsheets were a tangled mess but no green haired man. However, you spotted a mound of blankets and pillows bundled up at the foot of your bed which was suspiciously wriggling.

You approached the bundle cautiously and reached your leg out towards it to give it a gentle poke with your shoe. Immediately, Octavio popped his head out from amongst the blankets and pillows with a surprised look. “What are you doing down there? If you’re trying to make a pillow fort, that’s the wrong way to do it,” you raised an eyebrow with a confused frown.

“I was just trying to test out if this would be comfy!,” Octavio explained as he tried to hold up as many of the blankets and pillows as he could at once, dropping a few in the process. You must have still looked confused because he continued quickly “Well, you didn’t want me to sleep in your bed so I figured I’d try and make my own down here so you wouldn’t get angry at me.”

You instantly felt regret at having left so abruptly earlier that morning. What had gone through Octavio’s head to make him think that you’d get angry at him for something that he couldn’t control? So much so that he was ready to sleep on the floor like a pet dog. “Octavio, I’m sorry for getting upset at you this morning. You’re welcome to share my bed till they manage to fix that leaky air conditioner in your room, I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor like that,” you said firmly, gesturing at the blankets and pillows.

“Really?! Oh, you’re the best! Thank you, Y/N,” Octavio shouted in delight as he proceeded to leap up from the floor and onto the bed. You shook your head as you laughed at the sight. Octavio got so excited over the smallest things. After wriggling about for a few minutes on the bed, Octavio finally clambered out of bed and said “I’m hitting the practice range! Wanna come?”

You didn’t have anything else planned for the day so you agreed on the condition that he wasn’t about to try launching grenades off his jump pad again. Last time, it’d almost hit you if it wasn’t for your quick reflexes. Octavio laughed and said cheekily “Hmm, I’ll think about it. Come on, come on! Let’s get going!”

Octavio dashed out of the dormitory that you two now shared. For the time being, at least. You quickly chased after him, not wanting to left too far behind. Was this what life would be like for you now? Little did you know, there was still a lot more to come.

[ladyshandioftheendless]

Shandi’s Writer’s Month Prompts!

Day 31: There Was Only One Bed!

Requested by @kategwidt for her Exiles AU! <3

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

StarChild was mortified. 

Not only were they stuck on this dirty planet that they knew absolutely nothing about..

Not only were they forced to stay in some dingy, cheap hotel they barely managed to raise the money for.. 

Not only did he have no servants to tend to his every need.. 

But he lost a coin toss and was stuck sharing a room with Ace. 

Ace of all people. 

And worst of all..there was only one bed. 

“I suppose I’ll be taking the bed.” 

Ace turned to look at him as he drank the last of the beer in his can. “’Scuse me?” 

“Well I’m certainly not sleeping on the floor or in a chair.” 

“Neither am I! Listen Star Diva..none of that entitled crap’s gonna fly here. I’m not lettin’ you throw your weight around and muscle me out of a comfy spot. We’ll share it.” StarChild stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “Me? In that bed..with you?!” 

“Wild right? Thinkin’ about someone other than yourself?” 

“I absolutely refuse!!” 

Ace smirked and held out a quarter. “We could..flip for it~” When StarChild visibly cringed he cackled. “I wouldn’t chance it if I were you!” 

“Fine fine I’ll do it!!” 

“Good choice~” 

“I get to use the bathroom first.” 

“Go on then~” 

~*~

StarChild sighed as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed one of the complimentary robes. It was by no means a plush as the ones he wore back home but it would do. After he lamented over having nothing proper to sleep in he slipped back into his underclothes and wrapped the robe around himself. “Ugh this is so terribly common..” He folded his clothes and carried them out, placing them in a chair. If he was stuck here then he was not going to wear one outfit the whole time. He would need more clothes. But that would come later. Right now he needed sleep.

“My turn~” Ace announced, strolling into the bathroom and closing the door. StarChild was relieved. At least he wouldn’t smell like that awful beer he drank when he came to bed. He took off his robe and buried himself under the covers. He was so close to drifting off..then the bathroom door opened, the light shining directly on him. He groaned and pulled the covers over his head. “Turn that ooooff!” 

“Sorry!” 

When the room went dark again he relaxed, until he felt the mattress dip with Ace’s weight. He stiffened. He never wanted to be this close to Ace with barely any clothes on. His face was heating up very quickly. “J-just keep your back to me and we’ll be fine.” 

“Yeah yeah..” A yawn. “..just don’t bitch at me if I turn in my sleep.” 

“Mmph..that’s fair..” 

~*~

Warm breath against his neck slowly stirred StarChild out of his sleep. He immediately stiffened again. Not only was Ace’s face buried in his shoulder, he was pretty much spooning against him..with a hand on his thigh. He started to panic. Dear Gods..Ace was naked! He could feel everything!! It took all the self control he had not to scream and jump out of the bed! “Mmm..you awake? I feel you shakin’~” 

Bastard! He was doing this on purpose!! 

“Get. Off. Me. Now.” 

“Naaah..I’m comfy~ Too bad you ain’t in your birthday suit..we could fool around~” 

“I’m warning you..” 

“Aw c’mon..you don’t wanna have a little fun~?” 

“I..” His resolve began to fall apart when Ace pressed his lips to his neck. Curse him..it did feel nice. When he gasped he could feel the SpaceMan’s smile against his skin. “You wanna play now~?” 

“..uh-huh..” 

“No regrets later~?” 

“..none..”

“I’ll hold ya to that~” 

“..and you better not tell anyone..” 

“No promises~” 

~END~

[iadorayou-blog]

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After our kiss, I laid my head on Lance's chest like a pillow and we continued to watch the movie. I paid more attention to Lance’s steady breathing than the dialogue of the movie. It was soft and calm. He sounded completely at ease. I felt that way too. Lance just did that to me he just made me feel happy and comforted. I wish I could feel this way all the time.

“Hey, Keith do you hear that?” Lance ripped me out of my trance focused on the subtle rise and fall of his chest.

“No, hear what?” I asked trying to listen to whatever he was hearing.

“It’s like a phone buzzing but mines right here not buzzing.” He said showing me his phone with one notification from Pidge that read ‘you’re a loZer ;-P.’

I looked around for my phone not finding it, “shoot I think I set it down on your bed while we were building the fort.” Lance paused the movie to let me crawl out and get it, “oh I forgot to tell Allura that I left with you she’s been texting and calling. I should call her back give me a second.”

“Feel free. If you wanna step out into the hall you can too.” Lance replied. I opted to stay in his room pacing around the fort.

“Hey, Allura,”

“Keith are you okay? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for so long!” She yelled.

“I know I’m sorry I forgot to tell you I went home with Lance,” I explained

“Oh? I didn’t think you were that type of person Keith.”

“Not like that Allura. We’re just watching a movie. You do owe me brownies though.” She shrieked of excitement I’m sure Lance was able to hear because it practically burst my eardrum.

“Tell me all about it what happened? Did y’all kiss? Did y’all confess? Is that why you didn’t answer the phone because you were kissing?”

“Allura I already said not like that but I am staying the night and I’ll tell you when I get home tomorrow, we’re kinda hanging out right now I just wanted you to know I was okay and safe.”

“Fine just” She paused as if she was searching for the right words, “use a condom.” She finished before abruptly hanging up. I grunted really hoping Lance did not hear any of what Allura said.

I crawled back in the fort to join Lance, “sorry about that,” I started before being cut off.

“Allura is funny.” He teased.

“You heard all that?” I asked timidly.

“Mmmhhhmmmm,” he hummed in response.

“Well pretend you didn’t.” I Burris’s my face in his chest to hide my embarrassment. He soothingly petted my hair.

“Don’t worry I didn’t hear a thing I don’t even know what thing we could be talking about.” He said jokingly. “Now let’s get back to the movie,” he gently shook me to signal I souls turn around and watch.

“But I’m comfy right here,” I groaned my words being muffled by his chest.

“I call bs I am like mostly ribs I doubt you're comfortable.”

“Physically I’ve been better but emotionally I’m the most comfortable I’ve ever been.”

“Well you can still snuggle up to my chest just turn around so you can watch one of my favorite movies with me,” his tone almost a whine, “pretty please?”

“Fine, but you gotta give me a kiss.” I turned over to face him.

He leaned in, “Glad to know I’m not the only one able to be bribed with kisses.” Our lips met again for another soft and sensual kiss. When we pulled back we lingered just inches apart starring into each other’s eyes. “You’re cute,” he started, “I can’t wait until we’re sober and we can make out.”

“Did you already forget about the movie?” I giggled at him.

“Yes. You’re very distracting,” He grinned, “but for real let’s get back to this movie.”

We continued to watch the movie snuggled together. Lance was such a romantic, he loved sweet kisses, snuggles, and quiet intimacy in general. He simply enjoyed just being with someone he likes. I could tell because the smile hardly left his face. He would kiss the top of my head from time to time as if to remind me he was there.

We continued on like this for a while, I could tell why Lance wanted to watch this movie so bad. It’s probably some of the best representation the gays have. To be fair we don’t have a lot but even if we did this would still be some of the best. It kept us engaged and invested. The movie ended with the main character and his love interest kissing on the Ferris Wheel.

“Keith we should go to the state fair when it comes around,” Lance said excitedly.

“Why do you wanna kiss on top of the Ferris wheel just like they did?” I joked.

“I mean it would be cute but I mostly go through the mirror maze with you and play all those games that you have to shoot like a bottle or something because I have incredible aim.” He bragged, “I’m gonna win you a prize.”

“Well, what if I wanna win you a prize?” I turned to face him when the credits started to roll.

“I mean it’s not like I can stop you.” He said, “I do need to stop the feeling if chlorine on my skin though,” he started to pull away, “so I’m going to need you to let go of me so I can go shower.”

But I just clung to him tighter, “Um no we’re not allowed to stop cuddling that’s illegal.”

“I mean, you could always join me,” he smirked playfully at me.

“Lance,” they “I know I know we agreed but you didn’t want to let go so I had to offer. Besides it was a joke,” he paused before he quietly continued, “mostly.”

“Fine, I will release you from my grasp to go shower.” I let go of him but he didn’t move.

“You have to shower after me though, I don’t want my bed to smell like chlorine.” He kissed my forehead and got up to shower. I rolled to the center of the fort and shrouded myself in the blankets and my eyes were difficult to keep open. I dug around for my phone to look for the time. It was only midnight but it felt more like three in the morning. I skimmed my notifications seeing mostly ones from Instagram stating Allura was going live. There was a text from Shiro, “so I hear you have a boyfriend now ;)” followed by, “if he breaks your heart I will break him in half, but in other news, I too have a boyfriend now!”

I quickly typed out a reply, “actually Lance isn’t my boyfriend we just kissed and now I’m at his house but with the way, he’s talking I bet we’ll be boyfriends soon.”

“Wait it’s Lance? All Allura said was that you had a boyfriend. Did my flirting tips work?” He replied so fast it seemed like he was waiting.

“Yeah it’s Lance and no your flirting tips didn’t work I didn’t even try them. Adam’s flirting tips worked.”

“Speaking of Adam”

“I knew he liked you!” I replied before he was done typing.

“He’s my boyfriend. Wait how did you know I just found out????”

“Shiro he was flirting with you in front of me during our weekly Skype call. You’re just dumb.”

“Okay yeah, but you don’t have to say it.”

“ANYWAYS I’m happy for you but if he hurts you I will destroy his entire bloodline.”

“Thank you and I’ll let him know LOL!!!!”

“Please never type that again.”

“Don’t tell me what to do u r a minor go to bed.”

“Lance is in the shower and he won’t let us get into his bed until we shower so I’m waiting on the floor in our fort.”

“Well, nap on the floor you should rest u need beauty sleep you look like an ogre in the morning.”

“Thanks, I hate u goodnight”

“I’m joking but you never get enough sleep anyways”

With that, I put my phone back at my side and settled into the blankets again and shut my eyes. I was out like a light. I’ve always been a light sleeper but that night for some reason I fell asleep hard and fast. I didn’t even hear Lance get out of the shower. It didn’t feel like much time had passed before Lance was by my side trying to wake me up.

“Keith… wake up… Keith…” He was gently nudging me waiting for me to open my eyes.

“Mmmmmmmmm, don't wanna…” I groaned.

“Keith if you don’t shower tonight you’ll feel gross in the morning. Also, you need to finish your drink and take some vitamins or you’ll wake up with a hangover,” I groaned at him again, “I promise you you’ll feel better in the morning I put a towel and pajamas on the counter for you and started up the shower so it’s warm.”

“Fine.” I reached out for him to help me up.

“I’ll clean up out here, pull out the vitamins you need, and be in bed ready to cuddle you until you fall asleep again, okay?” I nodded and went to the bathroom. Discarded my clothes onto the floor and hopped into the shower, he was right it was warm and it felt nice to clean off.

I completed my regular shower routine and got out I dried off and put on the clothes Lance left out for me. One of his t-shirts and a plush pair of fleece pajama pants. It was so much more comfortable than what I had been wearing. Also, the added comfort that they were Lance’s.

I went back into his room and just as he said the fort was completely cleaned up and he was in his bed playing some game on his phone.

“There’s the beautiful boy!” I blushed, “your drink and some vitamins are on my desk: a low dose of over the counter iron supplements, calcium chews, vitamin D, and some melatonin.” He pointed to the corner of his desk where my drink and the vitamins he listed sat out ready for me. I chewed up the calcium gummy and then took the pills with my drink finishing it off. Lance lifted the cover and patted the space in the bed next to him. I crawled under the covers and snuggled up to him nuzzling my head into his chest. Lance hit a button on his phone that turned off the lights and combed his fingers through my hair and once again that night I was out like a light.

[h-styles-babes]

Harry Styles Blurb/Request #3

This was the last one requested by the lovely @imaginesyouwilllove. Thank you so much for your requests, babes! I had a lot of fun writing them :) I’ve also got requests to continue the “Fancy seeing you here.” blurb as well as the “Me and the boys will handle it.” blurb, so those will probably be up in the coming week. 

Enjoy :)

*Gif is not mine.*

14. “How do I even put up with you?”

Normally, Y/N was more than happy to spend an entire evening cuddled up on the couch with her boyfriend and watching a film before going to bed. And for how much Harry had expressed in the past that he liked being the little spoon, he spent a lot of time being the big spoon because he liked running his fingers through Y/N’s hair, and having her laid across his chest, and feeling her face burrow into the crook of his neck, her little breaths puffing out as she got relaxed. She always smelled so good, too, like coconut from the shampoo she used and lavender from her body wash. He especially loved when they took a bath together before settling into the couch. Y/N had originally made fun of the large collection of bath bombs Harry kept under his bathroom sink, but now she nearly begged for a bath so they could use one. They always made her skin so soft and smell like whatever was in them. 

Today, though, was the first full day Harry had been back from a two week business trip to the States. He’d gotten back in late the night before, and Y/N was already asleep in their bed when he got home, so he’d just taken a shower and got into bed with her, curling his body around her own and drifting off almost immediately. When he’d woken the next morning, it was to her fingers in his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. He hummed and nuzzled further into her, not opening his eyes just yet. He felt plenty rested, he just knew if he actually acknowledged that he was awake, she’d most likely stop, and he didn’t want that.

“I know you’re awake, Harry,” she giggled. He felt a shift in the bed and then there were kisses being placed along his forehead and down his cheek, over his jaw. She was basically just avoiding his lips, even though he puckered them in invitation. “Haven’t seen yeh in two weeks. Wanna see your pretty eyes, H.”

He peeked one open at her, and he couldn’t help the catch in his breath as his vision cleared and she came into focus. He’d always found her exceptionally beautiful, from the first time they met, he thought she was the most gorgeous girl in the room. When he told Y/N that, she’d scoffed and made a comment about them being at an after party for a Victoria’s Secret fashion show where most if not all of the models were attending. Harry had held firm in his opinion, though, and he’d never gone back on it in the years since. He loved when she got herself done up for them to go out, loved seeing the lipstick painting her pretty mouth and loved the way her eyeliner made her eyes look more sultry than they already were. 

But he lived for the times like this, when she had no makeup on and a beautiful smile on her face. Her skin was so supple and her cheeks pinked up naturally and her lips were always so plush. He loved that she was so comfortable around him that she let him see this side of her. 

“Can we just relax all day?” Harry asked, opening his other eye.

Y/N smiled and leaned down to press a chaste kiss against the corner of his mouth. “Of course. Sounds lovely, babe.”

So, Harry pulled on a pair of sweats and traveled down the stairs behind Y/N. He could smell something in the kitchen, and she told him that she’d gone out to get bagels while she let him sleep. He thanked her with a kiss to her shoulder. They ate their bagels as Harry told her about his trip back to the States. He’d been in LA finishing up some last minute touches on his album as well as meeting up with Jeff in order to get his promotion schedule nailed down for the final time. There’d also been a bit of business in selling his home in Beverly Hills. He wouldn’t be in LA often enough from then on to warrant owning the house, and he wanted to purchase something in New York instead, so he’d gone through some paperwork in order to put it on the market. Y/N was excited about having him in England more, especially since he’d spent most of the previous year in LA when he wasn’t off filming or in a studio. They kept in contact as much as they could, but a long distance relationship was straining on even the strongest of couples. 

When breakfast was done, Y/N cleaned up as Harry treaded off to the living room to make it as comfy as possible with blankets and pillows. He called to her and asked what movie she wanted to watch. When she couldn’t come to a decision, he rolled his eyes and put on the first thing that came up on his suggested list on Netflix. Given how many rom-coms they watched, it was no surprise when Definitely, Maybe was what popped up. He figured Y/N would appreciate it given the love she had for Ryan Reynolds (not that he held it against her—Reynolds was a handsome man).

He could see the little smirk on her face when she saw what movie he had chosen. Her smirk turned into a smile when she saw the cuddle haven he’d made the couch into. She curled into a corner of it and snuggled down in the plush blankets. 

Harry crawled over her and pulled her legs out so she was spread out across the length of the couch.

“What are yeh doing, Haz?” she asked. She wheezed exaggeratedly as he pressed his body down on top of her, nuzzling his head into her breasts.  

“Wanna cuddle,” he mumbled, his voice distorted from the way his cheek was squished against her chest. “Missed yeh.”

“Little spoon kinda day?” she guessed with a chuckle. She ran her fingers through his hair as he nodded. She dropped a kiss to the top of his head as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and she raised her knees up so she cradled his body more comfortably against her’s. 

She didn’t mind being the big spoon when he needed it. She quite liked feeling the heat and weight of his body pressed against her’s and the certain amount of vulnerability that it required on Harry’s part. For as long as she’d known him, he’d always been a perfectly approachable person and willing to be friends with just about anyone, but, like most English people, he had a bit of a problem being open and candid with others. It took her nearly five months of dating to get him to admit that he was interested in being exclusive with her, even though he had no intention of dating anyone else, he later admitted. It took them over a year and a half to exchange ‘I love yous’ because he seemed to be afraid of his own emotions when it came to commitment. And while Harry had always loved a proper cuddle, he’d been hesitant about being so exposed with another person. 

Y/N understood a lot of it came from his years of being used by people he thought were his friends and getting burned by ex’s that had only really been with him for their own exposure. And even though he knew Y/N had no interest in any of those things when they’d been dating for a few months and she’d been more than happy with keeping things under the radar, he’d still been really apprehensive about being one hundred percent in this relationship. She tried very hard not to take it personally, especially after gleaning some information of his past relationships from the other boys in the band and even his family. She did, however, try everything in her power to make him see that she was there for the long haul, and she had no intention of using her relationship with him in order to further herself in any way. She had a normal mundane job and the only reason she’d even been at the after party where they met was because her best friend was a journalist covering the event and she’d had a plus one that she’d extended to Y/N.

Halfway through the film, Y/N was pretty sure Harry had fallen asleep, so she stopped playing with his hair and rested her hand on his back. Within seconds, there was a whining sound from him and he nudged his head against her.

“Babe,” he whined.

“What?” she laughed. Needy Harry wasn’t something she saw often. The last time he was like this was when he’d come back to London the first time after spending nearly two months straight filming on location. 

“Why’d yeh stop?” She could feel him pouting out his puffy bottom lip.

She chuckled and put her fingers back in his hair, taking up the same slow strokes she’d been doing earlier. He sighed against her and pressed his lips to her sternum. When she took to pressing her fingers into the muscles along his neck, he hummed, urging her to keep going. She thought it was kind of adorable that he was so needy and acting like such a little puppy. 

When the movie finally ended, and she was absolutely sure that Harry was completely asleep this time, she tried to extricate herself from his hold with as little disturbance as possible, but she soon gave up because she knew there was no way that she could without waking him. He was completely wrapped around her, so she had no choice but to wake him, which she probably should anyway. If he slept much during the day, she knew he’d complain tonight about not being able to fall asleep.

“Harry, love,” she cooed, stroking his hair out of his face. “Need to wake up, babe. Can’t keep fallin’ asleep like this.”

He groaned and she felt his arms tighten around her. “No.” It was gruff and firm and she knew he was just pouting now. “Keep cuddlin’ me. I’ve been gone fo’ two weeks. Why won’t yeh cuddle me?”

“I am cuddlin’ yeh, H,” she protested with a huff. “But you’re squishin’ me. And I need to pee.”

“If I let yeh up to pee, can we go to the bedroom and cuddle more? Wanna be the little spoon.”

“We’ll cuddle more, promise. Now let me up, yeh goon.”

With a shuffle, he was off her and she dashed off to the loo to relieve her bladder. When she walked into the room, Harry was curled up on the bed, mobile open and she knew he was probably scrolling through Instagram while he waited for her. The man may never really post anything on social media, but he spent a lot of his free time looking at posts. He also had a group chat with his friends in America on Instagram, so he spent good chunks of time there, chatting back and forth to make plans for the next time he showed up in the States.

When he saw Y/N emerge, he instantly closed his phone and made grabby hands at her. 

She chuckled as she walked over to the edge of the bed they shared. “How do I even put up with you? So demanding,” she joked.

She’d never seen him so needy, and she thought it was endearing, but there was also a part of her that thought perhaps there was something deeper to his constant need for contact today. Not that she was complaining, but she would be a bad girlfriend if she wasn’t curious or if she didn’t meet his needs.

She climbed into the bed behind him and pressed herself to his back, curving herself around his body like he usually did to her when they laid in bed. She tucked one arm under his neck and then she wrapped the other around his chest, going up under the hem of his shirt so she could brush against his skin. She played with the cross on the end of his chain briefly before lazily running her fingers through the course hairs he’d started to grow on his chest. She’d teased him about it at first since it’d taken him abut twenty-one years to grow chest hair, but she actually really liked it, much like she liked the hair of his happy trail and the facial hair he let grow out when he didn’t have any public events going on. 

He sighed as she nuzzled her nose into the nape of his neck and then brushed her lips agains the skin just below his hairline. He scooted his hand up on the bed to tangle with her free one, tracing each finger lovingly.

“Am I too needy?” he asked, thinking he was bothering her with all the attention he was seeking today.

“I was just joking, H. I actually quite like lovin’ on yeh like this.” To prove her point, she laid a trail of kisses against the side of his neck to his shoulder where his collar covered the rest of his skin. He smelled like his shower gel, and Y/N figured he’d taken a shower as soon as he got home last night. 

“Just missed yeh. Need a bit o’ lovin’,” he admitted. 

“I’m more than happy to give it,” she promised. “I’m your girlfriend and I love you. I’d love on yeh all the time if you’d let me.”

“Know yeh like being the little spoon, though.”

“Yeh don’t always have to be the big spoon, Harry. Yeh can depend on me sometimes, too. Two way street, love.” She moved her kisses to his jaw then, before pressing a smacking one against his cheek. 

“Don’t want yeh to think less of me,” he admitted in a timid little voice that broke her heart. Two years in and he still couldn’t be completely vulnerable around her. She didn’t really blame him though, even though it hurt a bit. He’d been through so much in his time on this earth and his experiences hadn’t all been good when dealing with relationships.

“Harry, I don’t think yeh understand how much I love you. I’d never think less of yeh for needing me to be the emotional support yeh need. You’re allowed to be vulnerable. You’re allowed to be emotional. You’re allowed to be needy. I’m here for it all, no matter what. Love yeh for who yeh are, not who you think I need yeh to be.”

Y/N felt the heave of his shoulders and she knew he was crying without any other indication. He always started off cries by taking a deep breath. Her confirmation came in a few tears dripping onto her arm from where she had it tucked under his head. She lifted her body over his a little and used her arm to turn his head toward her. There weren’t a lot of tears and his eyes were only a little red, but he was trying to avoid her gaze, muttering apologies under his breath.

“You’re allowed to cry, too, baby. Never gonna judge yeh for it,” she promised. She softly brushed her lips over his, tasting the salt of his tears but not caring even a bit. “I love you.”

He took a deep breath and pressed their lips together harder, appreciating the comfort her presence brought and her insistence that he was allowed to be solely him when they were together. He hadn’t been looking for a relationship when he’d met her, but she’d snuck herself into his life in the most unassuming way until she was just a part of his every day happenings. He’d resisted anything serious with her because he’d been hurt in the past and he knew if he started anything up with her, it’d be intense and adult and committed. As much as he refuted it, he had serious commitment issues and he’d refused to believe for a long time that she was all in without any catches or caveats. He still had a hard time believing it, but she proved to him over and over again that her love for him was as unconditional as it got between two people who weren’t family.

No matter how much he couldn’t see it at the time, she was exactly what he needed in his life. He wasn't sure what he’d do if he didn’t have her with him through all that had happened in the last couple years. She was a constant in his life that he was beyond thankful for, and he figured it was about time to let her in completely. He hated the guard he put up—it was so tiring when they pretty much lived together—and he was ready for it to come down.

“I love you, too. So much.”

[artificialqueens]

Something Borrowed 3/? (Witney) - Miss Bianca & jazz

Summary: This was going to be Courtney’s first visit to her childhood home in five years, and she’d made a lot of plans. Obviously, none of them had included falling into a whirlwind, summer love affair with her father’s 28-year-old fiancée, three months before the planned wedding. But sometimes, things just happened.

Miss Bianca’s A/N: We did it again, folks! Another week, another chapter - this time with more plot. For those of you who don’t know and are interested, jazz and I have tags on both of our blogs for things that remind us of this fic, here and here. Also, @alaskasthrone made an absolutely fantastic Spotify playlist for this fic, which jazz and I love, so definitely check that out for a soundtrack. As always, tell us what you think - here, on ao3, or through either of our blogs.

jazz’s A/N: More sexual tension! More denial!! More drama!!! Also, thank you x a million to everyone who’s been invested in this fic, it means the world to us <3 Here’s Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 if you missed them!

“Courtney!” Willam’s voice filtered up the stairs, and Courtney groaned, rolling onto her side.

“Courtney, c’mere!”

Sighing, Courtney kicked off her comforter, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment longer as she adjusted to the soft light filtering into her bedroom. She begrudgingly slid out of bed, running a hand through her messy hair and shuffling over to the doorway.

“What?” she yelled back.

“Just come down!”

Courtney leaned against the wall, debating. She could stay in her room and ignore Willam, which was very tempting. But the other woman would just keep calling her, and potentially come up and bother her, if she didn’t go down. As Courtney had learned, avoiding Willam was impossible.  

She grabbed her phone, heading down to find Willam lying on her back on the plush rug in the big, open foyer. Her hair was spread out under her, she wasn’t wearing pants, and she looked slightly pouty.

“What is it?” Courtney demanded, stifling a yawn and leaning against the banister. “What on earth are you doing?”

“Oh, hi!” Willam kicked her legs, smiling up at Courtney. “Nothing. Cute pajamas.”

“Willam!”

“I love those little shorts,” Willam added. “Turn around, I wanna see your butt.”

“I was asleep!”

“I was bored,” Willam said with a shrug, patting the floor next to her. “Come sit.”

“No!” Courtney crossed her arms. She wasn’t usually grumpy in the mornings, but Willam was especially skilled at irritating her.

“Ugh, you’re the worst.” Willam rolled her eyes.

She stretched her arms over her head, and the shirt she was wearing rode up her waist. Courtney spotted the hickey she’d left below Willam’s bellybutton, and couldn’t help remembering how Willam’s skin had tasted, crushed between her teeth. She swallowed.

Willam hooked her fingers under the hem of the shirt, tugging it up a few inches higher and shifting her hips so her abs flexed invitingly. Realizing what Willam was doing, Courtney managed to shake herself out of her trance, her gaze drifting up to Willam’s face.

“Sure you don’t wanna sit down, kitten?” Willam’s smile was mischievous now, and as her hand moved over her chest, Courtney recognized the pattern of her shirt.

“Wait a second,” Courtney said. “That’s my shirt.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Why the hell are you wearing my shirt?” Courtney griped, her voice still thick with sleep.

“It’s comfy,” Willam said, as if it was no big deal. “What, you want it back?”

“Yes!”

“Come take it off me, then.”

Willam’s smile had gone from playful to dangerous, and she straightened one of her legs, laying it flat against the floor and dragging her fingernails slowly over her bare thigh. Courtney wanted to replace Willam’s hand with hers, scratch up the smooth tanned skin and snap the waistband of her panties against her hip.

“Oh my god,” Courtney exhaled, looking up at the ceiling. “Stop that, it’s too early for this.”

“Come on, Court,” Willam said, half whining, her pout reappearing. “You know you want to.”

“It’s not gonna happen,” Courtney insisted, rubbing her eyes. “Can I go back to bed?”

“No. Come sit with me.”

“I’m not gonna sit with you,” Courtney said, turning to go back upstairs.

“I’ll tell Dave I’m worried that we’re not connecting,” Willam called, and Courtney stopped. “Get him to send us out on another girls’ shopping trip, or maybe to the spa this time. That would be fun, hmm?”

Sighing, Courtney spun back around. She could handle sitting next to Willam on the floor for awhile if her only alternative was another excursion with her to god knows where.

She dropped down next to Willam, cross legged, stifling another yawn. Almost immediately, Willam’s hand was on her knee, rubbing gently.

“I’m gonna need you to not, Willam.”

“Stop being so uptight,” Willam complained, her hand returning to her stomach.

“Stop seducing me,” Courtney retorted.

“See, I would,” Willam said. “But I have this thing where I cross lines that I probably shouldn’t. It’s like, my brand, or whatever.”

“Oh, my god, do you know how dumb that sounds?”

“Also, nobody eats pussy that enthusiastically without wanting to do it again,” Willam added, ignoring her. “I’m not stupid, Court.”

“We’re not talking about this.”

“Okay, let’s talk about how you’re blushing again.”

“Shut up!”

“No. It’s cute.”

Courtney groaned, her head in her hands. Willam was right, she was blushing, as usual. It was hard not to, when the other woman took every opportunity to fluster and proposition her.

“Look,” she said. “How about we just pretend that it… never happened?”

“I don’t wanna.”

“Why?” Courtney demanded, annoyed.

“Because I didn’t get to eat you out.”

“Willam!” Courtney exclaimed, folding her arms protectively over her stomach, as if somehow, Willam might notice how heat was pooling there. “You have to stop! This is wrong on so many levels. You’re engaged.”

Willam slid off her ring, letting it fall onto the carpet carelessly.

“Not right now,” she said, smirking.

“You’re engaged to my father.”

“So what?”

“You’re impossible,” Courtney muttered, shaking her head. “I’m going back to bed.”

“Can I come?”

“No!” Courtney insisted. She stood up, tugging her shorts down to cover more of her thighs. “I got it out of my system, Willam. It was a one-time thing.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” Willam retorted.

“Just let it go,” Courtney said, turning around and starting to walk towards the stairs.

“Wait!” Willam said. “Here’s your shirt.”

Her eyes widening, Courtney looked over her shoulder to see Willam propping herself up on one elbow, now entirely naked aside from her panties. Courtney’s shirt was in her outstretched hand, and she was sporting a satisfied smile.

It took everything in her not to give in again, chuck off her tank top and cover Willam’s body with hers. Images from only days agoflashed through her mind, memories of Willam moaning and tugging her hair and kissing her until she didn’t know which way was up.

But Courtney was responsible. She had self-control.

Snatching the shirt out of Willam’s hand, she strode up the stairs, resisting the urge to look back and get a bird’s eye view of her father’s fiancee spread out nearly naked on the carpet.

“Those shorts really do look great on you,” Willam called after her. “They’d look better on the floor, though.”

Courtney ignored her, rolling her eyes and suppressing a smile.

—–

The more Courtney tried to keep Willam off of her mind, the more difficult it became. Their relationship had been like a game since the beginning, and Willam was still playing to win – which, to her, seemed to mean being able to fuck Courtney whenever she felt like it.

Courtney, for her part, wasn’t entirely sure she was capable of continuing to play.

After another encounter downstairs, this time in her father’s presence, a frazzled Courtney had resorted to taking a cold shower, cliched as it was. Willam had quite literally been breathing down her neck, resulting in her body reacting in all sorts of ways that it shouldn’t have been.

She’d been preparing dessert in advance, or trying to, with Dave sitting at the bar and reading a newspaper. Apparently deciding that the way she was cutting the peaches wasn’t efficient, Willam had come up behind her to demonstrate, her chest pressing to Courtney’s back and hands covering hers.

Courtney shuddered, and turned the water colder.

She could still taste peach juice from the slice Willam had fed her, watching her lips hungrily, before licking off her own fingers.

Dave, meanwhile, had been delighted that the two were finally getting along, completely oblivious to the fact that Courtney was crumbling from the inside out.

Huffing irritably, Courtney turned the water off. Whoever had claimed that cold showers worked was a liar.

She wrapped a fluffy towel around her body, wet hair plastered to her neck, and wondered at what point she’d become someone who resorted to standing under a stream of freezing water in an effort to squelch the not-so-appropriate thoughts she was having about her father’s fiancee.

A few weeks ago, her largest concern was whether or not her luggage would be overweight on her way to Los Angeles. Now, as Courtney moisturized her face, she couldn’t believe such a time ever existed –  when she wasn’t envisioning the curve of Willam’s calves in her Louboutins and repeating the pet names the other woman kept calling her over and over in her mind.

Courtney needed to get a grip, and fast.

She flicked on her hair dryer, and stared at herself in the mirror, hoping that if she kept herself firmly fixed in reality, the ghost sensations of Willam’s body pressed against hers might go away.

She had no such luck. It was like her brain was permanently trapped in a feedback loop, replaying whatever encounter had happened most recently until it drove her insane. Courtney could only hope that, with time and space, she’d be able to kick this phase that she was clearly going through.

She set the dryer down, fluffing her hair. Letting the towel slide partially off her body, clutched against her chest with one hand, she opened the bathroom door.

As soon as she stepped back into her room, Courtney was greeted by the sight of Willam in a thin camisole and yoga pants, sitting cross legged on the floor in front of her closet and humming absentmindedly. She nearly dropped her towel.

“What the hell?” she exclaimed, trying and failing to wrap the towel more tightly around herself again. Willam looked up at her.

“Just putting some crap in your closet,” Willam said nonchalantly, picking up a shoe by the ankle strap. “Don’t let me interrupt you.”

“Interrupt me doing what?” Courtney demanded.

“I dunno, getting dressed,” Willam said, shrugging. “Or not. I don’t know what you do in your spare time.”

“Get out of my room!”

Willam rolled her eyes, and leaned back on her hands, giving Courtney a look.

“Alright, well, at least look away,” Courtney said, doing her best to sound scandalized. “I’m naked!”

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, girl.”

“Willam! I told you, we’re not talking about that.” She shifted uncomfortably, goosebumps rising on her skin.

“You look kinda cold,” Willam observed, tilting her head to the side.

Courtney watched helplessly as Willam stood, starting to close the gap in between the two of them slowly.

“Uh, maybe a little,” she managed to say, her eyes wandering to fix momentarily on the sway of Willam’s hips.

She wanted to move backwards, cover herself up, yell and curse at Willam to get out, but the words wouldn’t come. Immobilized, she wet her lips, trying to figure out what she was supposed to be feeling in this moment.

Willam was in her space now, and both the air and her towel felt much too thin. The space between them was heated, and even though Courtney might’ve been a tiny bit cold before, she definitely wasn’t anymore.

The look on Willam’s face was still surprisingly innocent, and Courtney was positive that it was a mask for something else. Willam parted her lips slightly, her hands brushing over Courtney’s arms and making her shiver again. A small smile was forming in the corner of Willam’s mouth, and her gaze traveled down Courtney’s neck to her chest, where she was still clutching the towel desperately.

“Lemme take that,” Willam said, her voice just a breathy murmur. She rested a hand on top of Courtney’s, her fingers cool on Courtney’s heated skin.

“I…” Courtney started, and Willam tugged lightly on the towel.

“I just wanna warm you up, sweetheart,” Willam said, her eyes flicking up to meet Courtney’s.

And there was the seduction, hiding under the innocence – the slight quirk to her lips, the bedroom eyes. The pet name. Courtney’s grip loosened, and the towel slid from her hands.

Willam caught it and cloaked it around Courtney’s shoulders, using her hold on the towel to pull Courtney ever so slightly closer. She was even more exposed than before, but Willam was so close now that it almost didn’t matter, their noses nearly brushing together.

“See?” Willam whispered. “Isn’t that better?”

Her lungs refusing to work, Courtney gave a small nod. Willam tilted her head, her breath ghosting over Courtney’s lips, and Courtney was relatively sure that the only thing keeping her on her feet right now was the hold Willam had on her.

Willam was intoxicating, and she smelled like sex and coconut, and it was impossible to resist her like this.

If it weren’t for Dave’s booming voice calling out for Willam down the hall, Courtney probably would’ve given in.

“Willam! Come and look at this!”

Courtney could feel Willam’s little huff of frustration against her lips, and then the other woman was backing away slightly, one finger playing with one of Courtney’s blonde curls.

“Duty calls, kitten,” she murmured, her tone almost wistful. “You know where to find me.”

With one last playful tug of Courtney’s hair, she spun around, and headed for the doorway. Courtney deflated, her body already missing Willam’s closeness, her electrifying touch.

“Coming, honey!”

The door slammed shut behind Willam, and Courtney collapsed back onto her bed, her head spinning.

Sleep wouldn’t come easy for her tonight, she could already tell. There was heat pooling low in her abdomen, and she was flustered all over again, still slightly weak from the sheer sexual tension that Willam managed to create with every movement.

Not bothering to get dressed, Courtney turned off the overhead lights and flicked on her nightlight. Attempting to tuck herself into bed, she lay there with the blankets pulled up to her chin for mere moments, before kicking them off of her completely. She felt hot and restless and uptight, and it was all Willam’s fault.

Despite her protests, Courtney wanted Willam back in her room desperately. She wanted her pressed close and invading her personal space, wanted her lips against her skin or whispering in her ear, and she despised Willam for making her want it, making her crazy.

She knew that her pride would never let her seek Willam out, but for a moment, she wondered what might happen if she did.

She imagined Willam sneaking back into her room, quiet and alluring, shedding her clothes at the foot of the bed and crawling up Courtney’s body slowly, breath leaving a trail of goosebumps up Courtney’s bare chest.

The thought made Courtney ache, and she couldn’t help running her own hand over her chest, tracing the path with light fingertips. Willam’s mouth would feel so much better, on her stomach, her ribs, her nipples. Palming her own breast, she bit her lip, letting her eyes fall shut.

Willam would keep her quiet, catching Courtney’s soft moans with her tongue pressed against Courtney’s teeth. Or, better yet, she’d tell her to keep quiet like a good girl, demanding it from her in a husky whisper, lips grazing across Courtney’s earlobe.

And Courtney could be good, if Willam wanted her to. She whimpered quietly, pinching her nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

She wouldn’t make much noise, but Willam would kiss her dizzy at the slightest sound anyway, pull on her hair and nip at her lower lip and make it even harder not to moan. She’d dig her hands into Courtney’s hips roughly, kiss her neck and leave marks like before, only darker and spreading down to her chest this time.

And when Willam finally settled herself in between Courtney’s legs, she’d have to stuff Courtney’s mouth with three fingers just to keep her from crying out.

Courtney snaked a hand down her body, her thighs spreading instinctively, and dipped her fingers into the wetness pooling at her entrance, dragging it up to rub around her clit. A quiet groan escaped her lips, back arching.

She was so wet that it was embarrassing, and she thought Willam might mock her for it as she touched her, fingertips teasing over her hole as she called her princess or sweetheart and laughed quietly into her neck.

Courtney wanted to whine at the thought, and she could feel her face getting hot. Pressing two fingers inside herself easily, she struggled to catch her breath, squeezing her eyes shut.

With the way Willam ran her mouth regularly, Courtney knew that she’d be skilled with her tongue. She’d open her up, have her writhing and whimpering on the sheets, grabbing fistfuls of the Egyptian cotton in a hopeless attempt to maintain some kind of control.

Willam was a tease in conversation, and Courtney was sure that she’d be the same way in bed, difficult and stubborn. She forced herself to slow her movements down, sliding her fingers out of her clenching channel and back up to play with her clit instead. She’d never been particularly good at self-restraint, being used to getting what she wanted quickly, but the idea of Willam teasing her mercilessly with her tongue until she was on the edge of tears drove her wild with arousal.

Or maybe Willam would let her come, and then keep going. Hold Courtney’s jerking hips down with one hand and press three fingers into her with the other, spreading her open, tongue still hot on Courtney’s over-sensitive bundle of nerves.

Courtney rubbed herself more frantically now, every muscle in her body tensing up. She felt the familiar coiling in the space between her hips, and Willam’s voice echoed in her head.

“Come for me, kitten.”

Her head snapped back against the pillows, and she bit down on her fist as lights flashed behind her eyes, her orgasm rushing through her and leaving her a sticky, shuddering mess.

As her breathing started to even out, Courtney slid her hand back up her torso, sucking her fingers into her mouth lazily. She could already feel her eyelids getting heavy, comfortable warmth spreading through her body and a small smile on her lips.

She thought of Willam as she fell asleep, soft skin pressed close and cool fingers tracing her collarbone, light as air.

—–

Courtney woke up the next morning – bordering on the afternoon – with the distinct feeling that she’d made a terrible mistake. It took her brain a few moments to catch up with her body.

“Oh my god,” Courtney breathed.

It all came flooding back to her then, the realization hitting her like a ton of bricks.

She pulled the covers up over her head, ashamed of her lack of control. What had she been thinking? How could she have become so desperate that she’d lost herself in fantasies about Willam and gotten off on them?

Courtney wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. Clearly, she was more hopeless than she’d originally thought. She had no idea how she was going to face Willam now, with all the things she’d imagined her doing the night before.

She couldn’t stay in bed forever, though. Eventually, Courtney knew she’d have to put on a brave face and step back into reality, look Willam in the eyes knowing full well that she’d pictured her face buried between her thighs.

Courtney figured she might as well just get it over with. Slipping on a robe, she made her way down the hall, resolving to brew herself a cup of coffee and interact with Willam as little as was humanly possible.

Of course, the first thing Courtney heard as she walked downstairs was Willam’s music playing from the kitchen. Groaning, she rubbed her forehead, already dreading the impending confrontation.

“Jesus Christ, can you fucking turn that down?” Courtney exclaimed as she walked through the archway into the kitchen.

Willam, who was lounging on a stool at the bar, made a face before lowering the volume.

“Damn, what crawled up your ass last night?”

“N-Nothing!” Courtney caught herself starting to stammer, and shut her mouth, striding around Willam to the coffee maker.

“You sure about that, princess?”

Courtney clenched her hands into fists momentarily, before opening the cupboard with a lot more aggression than was probably necessary and grabbing a mug at random. What was that rule she’d been taught as a child? If she didn’t have anything nice to say, she might as well say nothing at all.

“Don’t break that,” Willam said. “It’s Tiffany, and I haven’t even used it yet.”

Taking a deep breath, Courtney put the mug back, and grabbed a different one.

“Ooh, she’s petty,” Willam commented.

Trying her best to forget that Willam was behind her, Courtney continued to go through the motions, appreciating how the coffee maker nearly drowned out the hip hop music.

“Can you make me some?” Willam asked loudly.

Courtney rolled her eyes, and continued to ignore Willam.

“Rude.”

There was a pause, and Courtney shut off the coffee maker.

“Why aren’t you talking back?” Willam wondered out loud. “Was it something I said? Something I did?”

Closing her eyes, Courtney huffed out a sigh.

“Are you still upset that I had to run out on you like that last night?” Courtney swore she could hear the smirk in Willam’s tone. “You know, we can pick up right where we left off. You just gotta take off that robe, and we’re in business.”

The idea of Willam cornering her against the sink, untying her robe and pushing it open, sent a flash of heat straight down to her core. Furious at herself, she spun around, glaring at Willam.

“You know this is borderline sexual harassment, right?” she demanded angrily, her voice coming out louder than she intended. “I told you to stop!”

Willam’s lips parted, and a quick range of emotions flashed over her face, from surprise to alarm to a confused expression that seemed slightly hurt.

“Court, I…” Willam just stared at her for a moment, before shaking her head. “I wouldn’t have… I thought you, um…”

“Well, you thought wrong,” Courtney snapped. She poured the coffee with shaky hands. “I’m not fucking interested.”

Picking up the mug, she walked back around the bar and towards the stairs, not wanting to stay in the kitchen any longer. Willam was still silent, and when Courtney glanced at her briefly on her way past, she could see the slight crease in Willam’s brow, the uncharacteristic softness of her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry,” Willam said quietly behind her.

Courtney’s breath caught, and she nearly stopped walking. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued, taking the steps as quickly as was possible with her coffee mug in hand.

As soon as she reached the upstairs landing, the guilt hit her like a train.

Willam had no idea of what Courtney had spent her night doing, and without that context, Courtney had practically gone from nearly giving in and kissing her again to claiming harassment overnight.

And the fact that Willam had dropped the seductive act and genuinely apologized, just because Courtney had overreacted and accused her of something she wasn’t even guilty of, made Courtney feel even worse.

Aware that the damage had already been done, she took a scalding sip of her drink and retreated to her room, her chest tight.

She’d already lost half of the day to sleeping in. At this point, she didn’t see much of a reason to do anything productive, and leaving the relative safety of her room seemed like an invitation for disaster.

Courtney did everything she could think of to distract herself. She rearranged the photos on her wall, and unpacked the remainder of her clothes. She sat in her chair and checked every social media platform she knew of, multiple times, and lay on her stomach on her bed watching Netflix, too preoccupied to pay even the slightest bit of attention.

She stripped her bed bare, just to remake it with fresh sheets. When the sun started to set, she changed out of her robe and into pajamas, in hopes that it might make her feel better, cleaner.

It didn’t. When Courtney stared in her mirror, she was still the same girl she’d been earlier, taking her anger at herself out on someone else. Only now, the guilt was weighing more heavily, contorting her face into something ugly.

Eventually, Courtney found herself perched on the edge of her bed, frustrated and fidgety. She knew she needed to apologize to Willam, but she was stubborn, and, if she were being totally honest, a little bit scared.

She’d been avoiding her closet, knowing full well it’d be the opposite of a distraction. It was practically bursting with reminders of Willam, from her shoes to her lingerie to the stupid fur coat Courtney still hadn’t been able to lose for longer than 6 hours.

With a sigh, Courtney walked over to it and slid open the doors. As she rifled through the hanging clothes, she could hear the front door open and slam shut again, the sounds of her father coming home late from work.

It was a Wednesday, which meant he’d be leaving again soon for his office’s weekly night out - their destination probably a strip club or something similar. His footsteps came up the stairs, assumedly heading towards his office.

Making a split second decision, Courtney grabbed the fur coat out of her closet and opened her bedroom door. Returning Willam’s clothes was a good excuse to go talk to her, and she figured she’d probably have a few minutes to apologize, with Dave nearby as a buffer if necessary.

She was padding down the hallway in bare feet towards the master bedroom when she heard her father’s raised voice spilling out from behind the partially open door, and she slowed to listen.

“What do you mean, you lost it?” Dave was saying.

“I didn’t lose it, I left it on the kitchen counter,” Willam said, her voice far quieter. She didn’t sound like herself, and it made Courtney anxious.

“Oh, you left it there, did you?”

“Yeah, I –”

“And did you leave your brain down there, too?” His voice turned cold, and Courtney’s stomach lurched. “No, wait, you’d have to have a brain to lose it.”

“Dave –”

“Do you have any idea how much that ring cost?”

Courtney took a small step closer, tilting her head and peering through the doorway to see her father standing at his full height and glaring. Willam wasn’t visible.

“Do you?” he demanded. “No? Well, let me give you a hint. That ring cost more than all your stupid shoes put together, and more than you’ve made in your entire life.”

He stepped forward, out of Courtney’s line of vision.

“And it’s definitely worth a hell of a lot more than you are.”  

Flinching, Courtney listened helplessly, silently willing Willam to fight back, to say something, anything.

“I’ve given you everything you own, and you think you have the right to be careless with it?” He was practically yelling now, and the tone of his voice was familiar enough to trigger very unpleasant memories in Courtney’s mind. “You were whoring yourself out at a cheap bar when I met you, and you’d still fucking be there if I hadn’t taken a liking to you!”

Willam murmured something that Courtney couldn’t hear.

“Yeah, a bartender, sure,” Dave said spitefully. “I’m sure every bartender trades blowjobs for tips, huh?”

Courtney’s blood was boiling. She’d started to think that maybe her father had changed since she’d last seen him, but that obviously wasn’t the case: it seemed that he was worse than ever.

“I have to leave, the taxi’s nearly here,” Dave said, his voice still cold and venomous. “I don’t ever want to see that ring off your finger again, unless I take it off myself. And believe me, you don’t want that to happen.”

Her eyes widening, Courtney glanced around, trying to figure out where to hide when her father left the bedroom. There was an empty guest room behind her, the door slightly ajar, and she slipped inside.

Courtney waited with bated breath as Dave’s heavy, quick footsteps passed. She tentatively poked her head out into the hall, assuring that the coast was clear, before gingerly approaching the master bedroom.

Pausing at the doorway, she clutched the fur coat tighter to her chest. For a moment, she contemplated just walking away, figuring there was always the possibility that her presence would only make things worse. But then, she heard Willam take a shaky breath, and she bit the bullet and rapped on the doorframe lightly instead.

“What is it?” Willam sounded younger than Courtney had ever heard her, and she pushed open the door, stepping inside hesitantly.

Willam wasn’t looking at her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, arms wrapped loosely around herself, staring almost vacantly into space. The strap of the black negligee she was wearing was sliding off her shoulder, and despite her heavy makeup, she looked so small that Courtney thought she could probably pick her up and hold her like a child.

Walking over to her slowly, Courtney set the coat down beside her. After a moment, she hopped up on the high bed as well, the fur forming a divider between them.

“You shouldn’t let him talk to you like that,” she said finally, looking down at her hands.

“Why not?” For once, there was no edge to Willam’s voice, no glint in her eyes. “He’s right.”

“He’s not, though,” Courtney replied.

Willam let out a short, humorless laugh.

“And how do you know that?” she asked rhetorically.

“I just do. You deserve better.”

“Oh, get off your high horse,” Willam said. “I know exactly what you think of me, Court, and it’s not all that much better than what your father thinks of me.”

“Willam, I…”

“It’s fine,” Willam said, shaking her head slightly. “I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Courtney said, reaching for Willam instinctively and then thinking better of it, her hand dropping to rest on the fur coat between them. “You’re a human being, Will. Not a possession, or a punching bag, or a blow-up sex doll, or whatever else he’s trying to turn you into.”

“He had a bad day,” Willam said, her voice small.

“Don’t make excuses for him,” Courtney objected. “He’s been having bad days and taking out his anger on the woman in his bedroom for as long as I’ve been alive.”

Willam looked at her for the first time, a hint of curiosity on her face.

“I didn’t mean to do it, too, though,” Courtney added.

“Didn’t mean to do what?”

“What I said earlier, in the kitchen,” Courtney said, taking her time. “I didn’t mean it, but I think I did exactly what he does.”

Willam stared at her for a moment, her expression unreadable, before looking down at her feet.

“That’s why I’m here, actually,” Courtney continued. “I wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For snapping at you.” Courtney closed her eyes momentarily. “For playing the victim, and making you think you’d read all the signs wrong, when you didn’t.”

“Oh,” Willam said. When Courtney glanced over at her, the corners of her eyes were crinkled slightly, the beginnings of a small smile in her upper lip.

“I don’t know you that well,” Courtney said. “And I’m not even sure that I like you very much.”

The smile widened, and Willam looked over at her again.

“But I do know that you’re smart,” Courtney said seriously. “And independent. And charming, when you want to be.”

Willam nodded slightly, crossing her legs at the ankles and swinging her feet a little.

“And you’re definitely worth more than a fucking shiny rock,” Courtney finished, biting out the last words. “No matter how big and fancy looking it is.”

Lifting her hand from her lap, Willam rested it on top of Courtney’s where it lay on the coat. Courtney nearly jumped, her gaze darting up to meet Willam’s. The spark that had been missing from Willam’s eyes was returning, her smile soft and the farthest thing from dangerous.

After a long moment, they pulled their hands away simultaneously, noticing the palpable shift in the mood. Willam cleared her throat.

“I should probably go get that dumb rock, before I forget,” Willam said.

“And I should probably leave your bedroom,” Courtney added, rubbing the back of her neck.

Sliding off the bed, Willam got to her feet, tugging down the hem of her negligee. Courtney hopped down as well, and before she could leave, Willam was pressing the fur coat into her arms.

“Um, goodnight,” Courtney said, awkwardly hugging the coat to her chest and heading for the door.

“Goodnight, Courtney.”

It wasn’t until Courtney had returned to her bedroom that she remembered the coat wasn’t hers, and that the whole reason she’d gone to visit Willam in the first place was to take it back. The other woman had managed to get it into Courtney’s room again, without even having to do the work herself.

She hung it back up in her closet with a slightly exasperated smile on her face, discovering that she didn’t really mind at all.