i can barely hang on to myself

It's past midnight when Addison finally climbs the stairs in her apartment building to get to her home. She's exhausted, two show days take a lot of her energy still. When she enters her small apartment, it feels like a weight is actively lifted off her shoulders.

She doesn't notice the window to the fire escape is slightly ajar.

She chucks her bag against the dresser by the door and kicks off her shoes. On her way to the bathroom, she sheds more and more of her clothing. A jacket chucked over a chair. Her pants dropped in the middle of the floor. Her shirt a few steps further, half thrown towards her bedroom, but vastly missing the mark.

She half recognises the sound of a chair scraping, but writes it off as being caused by her thrown shirt.

Her bra and underwear get dumped next to her hamper. Addison sighs as she steps in the shower, turning on the water. It's cold. She cusses when the drops collide onto her chest, instinctively wraps her arms around herself to shield herself from the temperature until she gets used to it.

It takes longer than she thought it would, which only strikes her as odd for a few moments.

Addison throws some water in her face eventually. Her hands rubbing against her cheeks in an attempt to wipe off the remnants of stage make up. Watches the tinted water go down the drain. With her eyes closed again, she sets off washing her short hair. It's quick, a means to an end moreso than a true way of taking care of herself.

A slight breeze pushes the door of her bathroom open further, makes the hair in her neck stand up.

It's enough for her to open her eyes. It leads to her cussing again when a bit of shampoo settles in her left one, but she looks over her right shoulder to briefly scan the room.

Nothing.

Addison shakes her head, blames the exhaustion. Maybe she's hallucinating. She cups her hands, fills them with water and throws it in her face in an attempt to wake herself up a little more. She just needs to get through this shower and she can head to bed. It's fine. It's all fine.

Her shower gel smells like wild cherries. The scent is an assault on her sense of smell, but Hailey likes it and it was too expensive to let it go to waste like that. She makes it a point to use the bare minimum amount to both feel clean and not get annoyed by the scent. Left arm. Right arm. Fingers lingering as she spreads suds across her chest and torso. A bit of a dance to get it all over her back.

A familiar chuckle from the other side of the bathroom.

Addison's hands stop mid-motion. She then turns around, nearly slipping in the process. Thank God she's well-balanced. Her eyes cross with Raylee's and she instinctively throws her arms across her chest in an attempt to cover up while inhaling to let out a scream.

"Ssh, baby. Nothing to be scared of." Her tone is slightly condescending, a corner of her mouth curls upwards as the vampire lets her eyes roam Addison's small frame. The words stop Addison's breath in her throat just moments before she screams, and instead Addison just stands there, a deer caught in headlights as the shower water crashes against her shoulders.

"What are you… how did you…" she's stammering half phrases as she tries to pull a towel closer. Raylee doesn't give her an explanation, instead she just laughs coldly as she gets up from the toilet cover and makes her way over to Addison. She snatches the towel away, too, leaving the actress exposed.

"C'mon now, let me see."

"I'm literally showering—"

"Let. Me. See."

Raylee enunciates every word, can see Addison's resolve melting in real time. Addison —albeit reluctantly— shifts on her feet as she drops her arms to her side. The assault of the running water leaves her uncomfortable, shivering under Raylee's watchful eye.

Raylee approaches slowly. Toys with Addison as if she were a mouse. Addison can feel the other woman's eyes linger on her chest and it takes effort to not try and cover up again, even moreso when the gaze lowers. Raylee moves her index finger in a circle then. Addison turns around like a good dog desperate for a treat. Eyes closed to keep the water out of them again. Struggling to breathe a little due to the water. The sound only interrupted by the occasional shift in Raylee's movement, whenever the cuffs in her hair collide.

Addison finds herself wincing when she feels a fingernail drag along her spine. She tries her best to keep from moving, reacting, but she can't help but angle into the touch.

"You can turn the water off now, baby," Raylee whispers the words, but she might as well have screamed them at the top of her lungs. Addison reaches over and turns the water off, then gets pulled back by Raylee. She damn near forgets to breathe for a second once again when Raylee's hands slide along her hips. One of them rests there, the other sliding up along her sternum.

Addison sighs as Raylee's fingers trail along her ribcage. Her body acts on its own, she shifts to press her legs together as she leans back against Raylee's chest. Raylee uses the window to press her lips to Addison's ear.

"Nu-uh baby, I said let me see." Raylee briefly digs her nails into Addison's hip before moving away from her. Addison's response is instant. She spreads her legs again, reaches a hand back to try and grab onto Raylee in a desperate plea for more.

"That's my pretty girl…" Raylee murmurs the words before she pulls Addison flush against her and lets a hand slide between Addison's legs.

Raylee's taking it terribly slow. She keeps barely missing Addison's nipples, Addison's clitoris. It may well be torture. Addison reaches for Raylee's wrist in an attempt to lead her to her goal, but she's left disappointed when Raylee instead pulls her hand away.

"Use your words, baby. I won't understand if you're not using your words."

Addison's blushing now, eyes open as she looks over her shoulder at Raylee's expression. Raylee's hard to read, but she's sure enough the woman's enjoying herself. Addison's about to speak up when Raylee flicks a finger against her clit. She moans her name, fingers grasping for nothing but air.