honey - scented ,

" i've been told, im a good teacher, but i also have to note that im a really good student ... fast learner even." especially when it came to people she adored. her laugh dissolving into a throaty hum. back arched into the pressure, muscles yielding beneath cora’s palms like clay under a sculptor’s hands. the irony wasn’t lost on her: an art professor, undone by touch alone. how very postmodern of them. “tight?” she quipped, grazing the shell of cora’s ear as her wife’s mouth wandered her neck. " i might have another place that's ... tighter. " naomi couldn't recall ever being this cheeky, explorative in past relationships, but something about cora made her feel young again. she marveled as she tugged her forward, hips slotting together like puzzle pieces rediscovered. knees sank into the mattress, fabric groaning beneath them as if sharing the secret. her laugh was smoke and sin, raspier now that cora’s mouth had migrated south, branding her collarbone. the shirt peeled away easy, but it was the sudden chill of air against her skin that made her shiver — or maybe it was the way cora’s palms slid around to her front, thumbs brushing the underswell of her breasts casually, like they always did... " a vacation sounds nice ... but we both have a full class load, coming up ... unless you have some sort of magic up your sleeve ..." her grip loosened, fingers walking up cora’s arms until they cradled her jaw. she kissed her slowly, deeply, tongues slack against one another —the kind of kiss that had once made a barista drop an entire carafe of oat milk. " i don't think we're making it to france anytime soon." or to bed... she murmured against cora’s swollen lips, her nipples taut as rose thorns against her wife’s chest.

this was one of love's great miracles , how open the two of them have become. it wasn't long ago that they shied away from so much as touching one another in public , lest what they now understood as their latent feelings — which both of them had up to that point ignored or suppressed — become too powerful to ignore. now , their displays of affection painted the daydreams of most common passersby. or nightmares , depending on their persuasion. the little quip made one eyebrow raise , the tone of her voice rasping. " quel scandale , " she murmured , dragging her tongue flat across naomi's throat and back to her lips. not to do anything yet , just to marvel in the feeling of their breaths mingling so naturally together as her hands shifted , thumbs running just beneath the curve of her breasts as soon as there was nothing impeding her touch. " don't doubt me , i've worked miracles before. " her words drifted away into the haze of the night when naomi kissed her , both eyes closing as if to surrender herself fully to the sensation of it. both arms slowly began to constrict , bringing their bodies flush against one another , and as they continued cora leaned herself back in order to bring the both of them down against the mattress they shared. it never grew old , or stale — the slow pace left her to moan into her wife's mouth , reaching a hand up to clasp at her jaw and hold her there as they cuddled into one another. " perhaps a day trip somewhere . . . somewhere quiet. " her thoughts were disordered , attempting a polite conversation becoming more and more futile as the feeling began to grow within her. before long she rolled herself over , laying herself atop naomi's frame and kissing her again. fingertips brushed gently along the woman's arms before they inevitably sought her hands , fingers linking in and holding on as their kiss deepened. slowly but surely , cora pinned her wife's arms over her head , drunk off the taste of her. even still , her actions were lazy and intimate , laughing under her breath at the comment. " i wouldn't dare send you to bed like this , that would just be cruel of me. " reaching down , a gentle peck on naomi's cheek punctuated as she began to work her way down the woman's chest , tongue lavishing her left breast with attention , then the right , before she could trail a longer line of kisses down her ribcage and her abdomen. " you went first last time. it's only fair. "

“i didn’t realise i was such i catch to the point where she’d try and wife me up and plan out our future family on the first date.” lula pulled a face, it was a shame because she’d seemed okay up until that point. she probably would’ve even slept with her. had thought about doing it anyway… but then remembered just how complicated that could be and didn’t want to rope herself into a three day long never ending date with someone she didn’t see any future with. “that’s the solution you’re coming up with?” it wasn’t like she was desperate for a relationship or anything, she knew the way some people couldn’t be single and she didn’t think that she was one of them. she just didn’t really want to be single for much longer either. “no? you’d wait until… what? the third date to lock in the plans for our life together?”

" i think the eyes did it honestly , they're maybe your best feature. very alluring. " still , the criticism was noted. none of the women she surrounded herself with would work — not that they were bad people or anything , just that they had slightly different priorities. as for the reaction , shannon's eyebrow raised in faux surprise as she eased back into her chair , bottle in hand. " well damn , when you put it that way. " giggling under her breath , she was left to contemplate how much she was joking. sure , she'd do it if given the opportunity , but for now she still had a plausible way out. she decided to push anyway , leaning back against the table after finishing her bottle. " oh , totes. maybe the fourth , really make sure we earn it before we get to that point. " with a cheeky grin , she planted an elbow on the table and put her head in her hand. " i'm thinking: first date sex , obviously. second date one of us stays over the whole night , we can skip the trauma bonding because we've already basically done that and then we start planning the move. how's that sound ? "

at her age, naomi hadn’t expected to rediscover this kind of hunger , and yet ... here she was tracing the dip of her bestfriends spine, with her fingertips. lazy smile, permanently etched into her face. "ah, so my reputation precedes me." a twinkle in her eye. the softness of cora's laughter wrapped around them, a cozy cocoon infused with late night musings and shared secrets. she leaned closer, lips brushing against the corner of her mouth. “self taught, sweetheart.” she purred, leaning close enough to let cora taste the sleep soft rasp of her voice. “studied under a particularly rigorous tutor though.” her hands slid down to grip cora’s hips, hauling her upright with a grunt that betrayed her own exhaustion. a full day of classes, and a staff meeting that could have easily been an email, would do that to one person. a thumb hooked into the waistband of cora’s pajama pants, tugging her flush against the evidence of naomi’s playful dwindling patience. " well good thing, im an expert, at navigating this place then." her laughter bubbled up as she spun her wife gently by the waist, steering her backward through the hallway with the practiced ease. they might have done this once or twice before ... the bedroom welcomed them with its butter soft lamplight and the faintest whisper of black fig from the diffuser naomi had left running. "sit." she guided cora to the edge of their rumpled king size bed, its sheets still smelling of the lavender detergent they’d bought on a whim last market sunday. kneeling before her, naomi reached for the hem of cora’s sweater, her thumbs brushing the strip of bare skin just above her waistband. " do you need help with this too , or —"

surely their displays of affection disgust their coworkers , not that coraline has found much of a reason to care. before , when they first began dating , it was a much touchier subject — they were sneaking around after all. but now , two years into their marriage , she would almost consider it a crime to hide how she felt in any way. holding hands , a kiss on the cheek , sitting on one another's desks making faces at each other like two teenagers sitting on the hood of a car in the summertime , it felt just as normal now as it did then. " perhaps just a little , " she murmured back , reveling in her wife's embrace. " looks like i taught you a little too well. though , " her voice cut briefly as she was pulled closer , all the easier to reach over and gently kiss naomi's cheek. " i should congratulate you for paying attention — if i recall correctly our lessons were very quickly interrupted by a distraction or two. " or three. by the time they'd walked themselves into their master bedroom , surrounded by their familiar scents , cora found the call of her bed too difficult to ignore. still , she allowed herself to be guided toward it , commanded to sit in a way only one woman on this planet would ever get away with doing. so she did , and when teased , both arms raised to allow the sweater to be shed from her person , revealing only bare skin beneath it. " what a gentleman , " she teased , returning the favor by hooking two fingers into the waistband of her pants. one gentle tug brought her best friend into her lap , and immediately both arms wrapped around her again , hands slipping beneath her shirt and along her back. feeling the tension in the muscle , she likewise pressed her fingertips down along naomi's back , beneath her shoulder blade , as her lips and tongue pressed slowly into the curve of her neck , repeating over and over there. " you didn't tell me how tight you were , " she whispered with a tease and a tired laugh. " i think we could use a vacation , somewhere a little less metropolitan. " while she spoke , idle hands eventually pulled naomi's shirt over her head and discarded it , exposing more for her lips to explore , which they do promptly. as they do , her fingers continue to press down , alternating with the palm of her hand. " lyon is lovely this time of year. i'm already starting to lose track of where we haven't been yet. "

monica bianchi featuring carrie larson / @intimaecys

the  scent  of  of  warm  vanilla  body  wash,  announced  naomi  before  her  voice  did.  she  lingered  in  the  doorway,  backlit  by  the  hall’s  amber  glow.  “professor  —  ”  she  drawled,  the  word  warm  and  honey  thick  with  sleep.  “it’s  half  past  madness.  even  keats  needs  sleep  baby."  naomi  crossed  the  room  in  barefoot  strides,  hands  settling  on  wife's  shoulders,  thumbs  pressing  into  the  rigid  knots  beneath  her  sweater.  “come  to  bed. ” pink  lips  grazing  the  shell  of  corrine’s  ear.  “i’ll  suffer  through  your  defense  of  post modern deconstruction,  and  i’ll  even  let  you  hog  the  sheets.”

this was bound to happen in a marriage between two career academics. to hear cora tell it , she would drop just about anything if naomi called to her — and so she does , perhaps often enough that she was occasionally required to spend an evening in their shared study , flanked by her books and a musty light. instinct brings her head rolling back into her wife's touch , bewitched again by the sound of her voice. " oh . . . so listening to me talk is torture now , is it. " her tone jests , interrupted by a gentle moan or two as naomi worked her thumbs down into her back. " mmhh . . . i suppose i could be convinced. " in truth , she had entirely lost track of time. spinning around in her chair , she found her arms wrapped around her wife's waist , slowly rising up to meet her with a tired grin. " who taught you to be so convincing. " leaving a lingering kiss on her lips , cora's arms dangled to her side , fingers reaching out and eventually curling themselves into naomi's hand with a muffled yawn. " oh goodness — i appear to be lost , " she began with a giggle , faking a mild , dramatic tone. " — . . . would you be so kind as to escort me ? you seem to know what you're doing. "

"—and that's why i'm never letting you set me up with one of your friends again. what a total fucking bust," lula sighed, draining off the last of her drink before tapping her fingers against the side of her glass. a stray drop of the liquor had made it to the outside, which she promptly swiped up and brought the digit to her mouth. "seriously, where do you find these people?"

" okay , in total fairness to me , i had no idea she was going to ask if you'd be down for ivf on the first date. so , my bad. " robin had always been a character , but shannon assumed she'd at least try keep it buttoned up. that's what she gets for trying to play wingwoman. " you must've gotten her excited , bless her heart. " toying with the bottle in her hand , she shrugged. it's a valid question , considering this was the third time they've tried this. " i don't know dude , gay friendships are weird. like half the people i go clubbing with are girls i've either slept with or who slept with my other friends. " she's still in close contact with a couple of her exes — not that they'd hook up unless one or both were preposterously drunk , but they're always nice to have around. " at this point i might as well ask you out. at least i wouldn't pull a kendall and ask if you had plans to move in together within the next two weeks. "

it was always so easy when they were young to brazenly decide things like the two of them moving in together. quinn remembered distinctly imagining the two of them sharing an apartment in new york and never living with anyone else. now, with med school looming on the horizon, everything felt far more uncertain. she'd seen herself entirely alone, finding herself or something, but that was before. now, if she even allowed herself to think of being apart from georgia for a second her heart physically ached. she didn't say anything else about it, though. she just needed to live in the fantasy of this summer for now. she tried and failed to stifle her grin as george implied that it was all on her that she liked teasing her. "oh, so you're victim blaming me now. i see how it is." she giggled, a cheeky grin forming on her face, one that lasted as george began to undo the rest of the buttons on her vest. there was no bra to speak of underneath it and as her torso was revealed and her skin felt cool air on it, her nipples pebbled underneath the fabric. she let it sit like that, open and revealing the valley of skin between her breasts, head tilting to the side as she willed the other to come close again and she did. quinn happily let herself be pulled down, eyes fluttering shut as her mouth got to work peppering her in kisses. she wrapped her arms around george's neck, sighing dreamily as that pet name was whispered into her ear and she shivered. "yeah, i really do." she sighed, eyes opening to meet her blurry gaze with their foreheads pressed together. her cheeks ached from how much she'd been smiling, warmth enveloping her whole body at just being held by the other girl. "no, but it's part of the fun... and i can't exactly go walking around in nothing, can i?" she giggled, teeth biting into her lower lip as she moved herself to nestle her face into george's neck. "as much as i bet you'd like that, you perv." the words were teasing, anticipating the response she thought would come. she mouthed against her neck softly, placing a soft kiss there and then let her teeth drag softly over her skin. "elaborate on said ideas." she requested and then tilted her head up, so her voice would brush against her ear. "please?"

as far as she knew , there'd always be time to figure it out. love , especially one as potent as this , could do that to someone. there was always more time , always more chances. the books they brought up with them lingered on georgia's mind — she could never keep up with quinn , but she could still be there. how far would she go for the girl who haunted every dream she'd ever had since that night ? no distance could stop her. " not my fault you're a , so damn good at it and b , such a good teacher. " by the time the vest had dropped open completely georgia already understood what was going on , but the sight of her just barely covered by it was thrilling. maybe more thrilling than it would be if she had just shown up naked. after a few moments holding her , she sat the two of them up again , quinn on her lap , both hands on her hips to keep her steady so she could trail a line of kisses down her throat , over her collarbone and between her breasts. " then i'll call you that however much you like. " lost in her own world , her hands eventually creep up along quinn's back as she dotted kiss after kiss against her sternum , just barely teasing the edge of her breasts , content to stay there for as long as she'd be allowed to. the little teases made her giggle , enough to where she eventually found her way back up to the girl's lips with a grin. " noooooo , i'd hate it. " loosely bringing her arms around quinn again , georgia slowly dragged her tongue over her best friend's throat until she reached her lips. " nobody else gets to see you like this but me. " allowing her eyes to fall shut , drifting in the way in the feeling of quinn's teeth against her skin , one of her hands finally reached beneath her skirt , gently cupping her ass and pressing in , as if to encourage her to rock her hips down. georgia's eyes rolled back when quinn spoke right into her ear , a brief moan escaping her at the sheer thrill of it. while she explained , she let them take turns dotting marks over one another's neck. " i want to eat you out , " she began , voice hazy and lustful. " but . . . i want you to leave all this on. i want to bend you over and get under your skirt. " another thing that came so naturally with quinn — saying what she wanted. " i wanna' make you cum with your clothes still on . . . then we can get it off and i can fuck you properly. "

as they reached george's room, she toed off her loafers, socked feet trailing closer to the other girl as she put down her books and did the same. she was blatantly checking her out as she did it, looking the stark contrast to her in her pleated skirt and tailored vest. she really had dressed for studying... kind of. enough so that she thought she looked hot and that george might see her skirt and want to bend her over. she figured she'd made the right call as the other came close suddenly and they were no longer wasting time on small talk. she was entirely swept up in it, soft sounds of approval expressed into her mouth as she kissed her back fervently. her own tongue was eager, sliding against hers and a spark seemed to shift through her whole body, waking her up. as they transferred over to the bed, she happily straddled george's waist, one hand pressing into the sheets below them and the other cupping her face tenderly. she leaned forward when they took their moment to breathe, the lips on her neck making her tilt her head up and moan softly. "i missed you too, baby. so much." the words were spoken softly, the pet name more natural than she'd expected. her hair was all fanned out against her shoulders and probably poking her best friend in the face, so she reluctantly pulled up, using the hair elastic on her wrist to pull her hair up into a ponytail as she looked down at georgia below her. her dark eyes seemed to flood with a mix of lust and adoration just looking at her and she smirked, reaching to undo the top button on her vest. "you're so hot." she said it like a complaint. "are you doing it on purpose? trying to torture me with horniness?" quinn was grinning, her cheeks aching from it as she leaned down slowly again, her voice lower. "especially when you call me darling like that."

the way they longed for each other felt so juvenile , exactly like it should. two kids who barely knew anything , only that they would barely be able to breathe if the other wasn't there keeping them centered. " yeah ? we already talking about moving in ? " not like they hadn't discussed it before , just not in this context. at least , not consciously in this context. " i'd spend every night of my life in that treehouse on that shitty mattress if it meant you'd hold me , you know. " and she meant it — whenever she was alone , she found herself rolling up a blanket just enough to approximate what it felt like to wrap herself around quinn's body , but even that couldn't really mimic what she wanted to feel. it couldn't match her heartbeat , the smell of her hair , the feeling of her jaw beneath georgia's lips leaving little pecks in the middle of the night when she had trouble drifting off. though happy to be lost in her affection , the moment of pause made her think , though it wasn't something she'd confront right now. after all , what future did she have if quinn wasn't in it ? not much time to think about that when her eyes drifted shut , every nerve in her body focused on the sensation of quinn's tongue against hers , the way their lips moved perfectly in sync. cradling her closer , geroge went limp on her bed , watching her best friend tie her hair back. not that she'd complain — the smell was intoxicating , dangerous. almost as much as the sound of quinn's voice calling her that name , one that left her staring starry eyed up at her again with that goofy smile on her face. " me ? tease you ? now who would ever teach me how to do something like that ? " letting her hands run flat against quinn's stomach , george let herself undo a second button , then another , never once breaking eye contact. the skirt alone would've been enough , but that truly gave her pause. " couldn't have been you , could it ? " as soon as every button had been undone , she leaned up , arms wrapped tightly around quinn's frame. lips slowly trailed kisses along her jaw , her cheek , over her ear as she let herself gently nibble on the earlobe , only to whisper: " you like it when i call you that , darlin' ? " slowly drifting back again , george brought her forehead against quinn's , only to lay back down , bringing the two falling back against the bed again. but this time she just held her , thumb stroking the skin of her back where it had found itself , nose dragging tenderly over her own. " you didn't have to wear a skirt for me to want to pay attention to your ass you know. " another childish giggle , as strong arms constricted tighter , wanting and needing to feel all of them pressed as close together as they could be. " it's giving me a few ideas though. "

sure, sex had been fun with people who weren't george, but with her... it was something else entirely. it was an outpouring of passion, something so overwhelming that she'd cried post-orgasm with her going on twice now. it made quinn laugh in retrospect, but she knew it was because of how deep her feelings ran. she hadn't quite known it, but she'd never slept with someone she was in love with until georgia and now she was practically addicted. she spent almost all her time around her and if not in her general vicinity, she was thinking about her or texting her. it was laughable for her to play coy, ending their kiss just so she could begin leading them away from the house, but she liked teasing george a little too much. "what? that's a slanderous accusation, woodward, and i won't stand for it." she spoke while walking backwards back down the path out the front of her house, dropping the frown quickly to grin at her again before she turned around and george fell into step with her. "what do i need a backpack for when i have those strong arms of yours?" she teased and then, knowing other well enough to know she wanted to be touched, she looped her arm around georgia's and leaned into her as they made their way to her house. she laughed softly as she asked if she was actually planning on making her study. "mm, i don't know. we could do strip flash cards or something...." she gave her a playful grin before giggling again. "we can watch a movie if you want... and wherever you want, i'm not fussy. maybe i can stay over tonight, too? i think my bed is faulty or something, it's freezing when i don't have you in it." quinn had never been such a hopeless romantic, but finally realising you were in love with your best friend tended to do that to a person. as they reached her door, she pulled back, allowing her to unlock it. "is anyone home?"

it wasn't much of a transition at all , when she thought about it for more than a second or two. everything she and quinn had been doing — they'd basically already been doing , just arbitrarily stopping before they got more physical. they'd cuddled through the night before , and maybe in the night she could remember her friend's lips on her throat. but they'd become more open about it now , even to the point of letting the emotion overtake them. and every time she cried , there was georgia , brushing her tears away and holding her until it stopped , assuring her how cute she thought it was. " you know it's only slander if it's not true right ? i think if we brought it up in a court of law i'd win. " rolling her eyes , she felt a certain comfort when quinn's arm linked with hers , the two of them slowing down as not to yank the other around down the street. slow enough for george to lean over and kiss her cheek again. " that sounds like a horrible idea , and i'd obviously be down for it , but not right now please. " when they reached the door , she paused. the keys were in her pockets. she had books in her arms. turning around slowly , she awkwardly offloaded the weight back into quinn's grasp with a laugh only to immediately sooth her with a kiss to the forehead. " yeah , that's so weird. now that you mention it , it feels wrong when i don't have one of your legs wrapped around my waist either. or your face in my neck. " finally getting the door to her small little home open , once she pocketed her keys georgia immediately took the books back so they could walk up the stairs to her room. " they might be later , who knows. they usually go out dancing friday night. " as dysfunctional as her parents were , it was a tradition she always admired. looking over her shoulder on their way down the hall , she grinned. " maybe that'll be us one day. you know , minus all fighting and the drinking and whatnot. it's kinda' romantic. " gently setting quinn's books down as soon as she got inside , george immediately kicked off her shoes and discarded the flannel she'd worn , leaving just her jeans and a tank top underneath. when she did , turning around , she grinned , as if contemplating something. " — . . . yeah , i can't stand it anymore. " one arm immediately flung itself around the girl's body , left hand planted on her jawline as george kissed her again , as slowly and intimately as she could. and now , in the privacy of her home , she finally allowed her head to tilt , opening enough room to feel her tongue fill quinn's mouth , ebbing and flowing with her as they drifted backward. it wasn't long before she'd lain herself on the bed , her best friend on top of her , in a heap of passion and laughter. when she finally needed a breath , georgia leaned forward again , gently kissing her neck. " missed you so much darlin'. you have now idea how badly i needed that. "