#willaska

***

When Ruby turns two, Bianca and Courtney have a big birthday party for her in the backyard of their house in Venice. It’s April, so the weather is beautiful, and their friends all volunteer to pitch in by bringing food.

Though it doesn’t last long, Ruby is in the midst of a princess faze at this point in her young life, and so her moms have done their best to humor her by turning their backyard into a cotton-candy wonderland. Bianca is between gigs, so for nearly two weeks, she devoted herself full-time to creating felt crowns and capes, huge pink and yellow tissue-paper flowers,  and using cardboard to transform the play structure into a castle. On the day of the party, she and Courtney are up at dawn to decorate the yard, putting the flowers and fluttering fiesta flags up everywhere, as well as pink streamers, motorized bubble machines, and big bunches of pastel-colored balloons. 

Bianca is a pretty decent cook in this story, but she’s not a baker, and basically had an emotional meltdown trying to create the pink-and-roses princess-castle cake of Ruby’s dreams. Mind you, Ruby is turning two, so she could give a shit about symmetry and sharp angles and the fact that half the icing is a darker pink than the other. In fact, she takes one look at the wobbly mound of cake and shrieks with happiness. So even though Bianca is pretty embarrassed with the results, she does have to admit that it made her daughter happy, and is able to let the whole thing go and enjoy the day. 

For the kids, Bianca makes an enormous quantity of dino nuggets, bagel bites and cheese quesadillas, figuring that keeping it simple is the way to go. 

Courtney is responsible for the grill, where she barbecues soyrizo, veggie kebabs, and Mexican street corn, and only lets one or two things char past the point of no return. She also made a big batch of Ruby’s favorite chocolate chip cookies with mini M&Ms, which Bianca decided would be a helpful distraction around the base of the cake. 

Adore shows up first, bringing a container of guacamole and a few bags of chips that she picked up from Whole Foods on the way over. (She’s quite smug about it, too, telling Bianca that it would have been Trader Joe’s, but this is a special occasion, so they’re very welcome.) She’s one of Ruby’s favorite people, though, so the food is less important than the fact that she plays with her and helps her put on the sparkly tutu dress and tiara that Bianca made for her. She even sits down on Ruby’s bedroom floor and allows her to decorate her electric blue hair with all kinds of barrettes and bows. Also, her present for Ruby is a rainbow mermaid tail blanket, and by the end of the party, princesses are out and mermaids are in. 

Bianca and Courtney are grateful to have Adore there to entertain and distract Ruby while they finish setting up. Bianca is almost putting the party favors on one of the folding tables she’s borrowed from her craft service friend, when the first “official” guests ring the doorbell—Jinkx and Ben, with their infant son and a massive watermelon carved into a basket, filled with fruit salad. (Ben is responsible for both the carving and the high ratio of strawberries to other fruits, knowing that they’re Ruby’s favorite. For this, he is proclaimed a “good princess” and given a crown to wear by the guest of honor. Adore is jealous, so Bianca gives her a crown, too.) 

Shea and Sasha arrive next. Sasha has made a gorgeous salad, filled with a dazzling rainbow of Farmer’s Market produce: red and yellow cherry tomatoes, beets, butter lettuce, shredded carrots, red cabbage, toasted pumpkin seeds. She’s sliced the cucumbers into stars and carved radishes into rosettes, and brought multiple mason jars filled with homemade vegan dressings. Shea carries a casserole dish of mac and cheese. When Bianca asks if it’s vegan, Shea looks at her like she’s insane and just says, “Fuck no.” Bianca is reminded in that moment once again why she loves Shea so much, throwing her arms around her and kissing both cheeks. 

Vanessa, Bianca’s favorite sister, is in town, and while she doesn’t bring any food (“The fuck was I supposed to cook with at the hotel?”), she does bring her 3 kids, and Ruby is ecstatic to see her cousins, who she’s been obsessed with ever since their trip to New Orleans for Thanksgiving, following them everywhere on her unsteady, chubby little legs. They love her just as much, showering her with attention and affection and teaching her to say catchphrases from their favorite reality shows. 

When Ruby went through her whole anti-veggie month, especially refusing to eat any green food whatsoever, it was Alaska’s broccoli fritters that saved the day, and she brings a whole tray of them. She also brings Willam, but he’s on good behavior and even manages a whole 3-minute conversation with the birthday princess without using the word “fuck.” 

Tatianna hasn’t been hanging out with their friend group very long, only since January, when she and Courtney reconnected, finding themselves teaching classes in the same gym…but she figures that this is an opportunity to show them that she’s not just some pole-dancing bimbo. She brings two huge trays of homemade enchiladas (even making the sauce herself) and succeeds in impressing them all. 

Naomi shows up with a whole gaggle of her nieces and nephews, along with a bunch of bean and cheese burritos from her favorite place in East LA, which she says are the best in the world, but also she “cannot promise they don’t have lard, so sorry to all the vegetarians here.” Adore confirms this with one bite, and advises her to warn everyone “because that means more for me!” 

By that time, a handful of Ruby’s preschool friends have also arrived, and in spite of some planned party games and activities, the kids have all devolved into racing around the yard and climbing all over the “castle” like maniacs. Courtney gives up on pin the tail on the donkey and tells Bianca to forget about the arts and crafts projects she’d planned. Bianca agrees, and tries not to be annoyed about the fact that Ruby’s brand new dress is pretty much trashed since she’s clearly having so much fun. After awhile, she convinces Ruby to please, please sit down for a few minutes so that she can open her presents, coaching her to remember her manners and make sure she says thank you to everyone. 

Pearl gets there just before they cut the cake, and shocks everyone by bringing, not only a couple of (unopened!) bottles of margarita mix and Casamigos tequila, but also a huge bowl of Bianca’s favorite banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery, which she knows Ruby loved too from their holiday party. Bianca is super touched that she remembered something like that, and Courtney playfully accuses her of flirting and jokingly warns her to back off. (Well it’s like 99% joking.) 

Bianca feels a lot better about the cake after Ruby blows out her candles and it still hasn’t toppled over, and especially seeing her happy squeals when she finds out that the inside is strawberry. 

Later that night, Ruby is passed out in Courtney and Bianca’s bed, snuggled into her mermaid tail blanket with her beloved monkey and a brand-new dinosaur, a ring of pink food coloring around her mouth in spite of vigorous scrubbing, and a contented smile on her face. Courtney rubs her back in circles, marveling at how big she’s getting. 

“Tell me about it,” Bianca says, settling in beside them and pressing a soft kiss to Courtney’s cheek. 

“It’s pretty cool, seeing her turn into like…a real person,” Courtney replies. 

Bianca smiles, touching Ruby’s cheek gently. “Yeah. Sometimes I look at her and wonder where my baby went.” 

“She’ll always be your baby,” Courtney assures her.  

“Mmm…you think she had fun today?” 

“She had so much fun. You did a great job.” 

“You too,” Bianca says, reaching over to lace her fingers with Courtney’s, loving the soft and warm look in her eyes. She lays her head down on the pillow, eyes still locked together. “I guess we’re letting her sleep here tonight, huh?” 

“Birthday treat,” Courtney laughs. 

“Mmkay,” Bianca says, too tired to argue, even though they spent months last year getting her to finally sleep in her own bed. “G’night…”

***

Courtney hovered over Bianca on the bed, practically salivating at the sight of her all disheveled--blouse open, skirt unzipped and pushed down around her thighs, lipstick smeared, normally perfect hair mussed against the pillow. The dark green of her bra and panties looked sinfully gorgeous against her skin, just as Courtney knew it would. Courtney felt almost dizzy as she tugged on her clothes, pulling off her skirt the rest of the way and helping her wriggle out of the blouse.

She pulled one of the lacy bra cups down to reveal her breast, swirling her tongue around the nipple and then blowing on it gently, watching it harden. She took the now stiff nipple back into her mouth and sucked hard, eliciting a moan.

“Baby…” Bianca panted, her own hands sliding up Courtney’s thighs, under her dress.

Courtney continued to press wet kisses over Bianca’s chest, reaching behind her to unhook the bra, watching as her perfect tits spilled out. She was so beautiful, so deliciously sexy, Courtney felt her breath hitch as her eyes roamed greedily over Bianca’s curves.

“Please…” Bianca was trying to ease Courtney’s dress up.

Courtney sat back on her heels to assist, pulling the dress over her head and flinging it aside into the pile of discarded clothes. She slid her hands over Bianca’s body, desperate to touch every inch of her. Bianca seemed to be of the same mind, fingers raking down her ribs to her waist, knuckles brushing teasingly over the front of her cotton panties, which Courtney had now soaked through.

“God, you’re so wet,” Bianca groaned. Finished with teasing, she stuffed her hand down the front of Courtney’s panties, stroking her, pulling gasps of pleasure from her. Her fingers slipped inside easily, curling against Courtney’s g-spot as goosebumps broke out all over her arms.

A low moan escaped Courtney’s lips as she fucked down into Bianca’s fingers, knuckles turning white where she gripped the sheets. Bianca’s spare hand rested on her ass, kneading it, helping her to guide the rhythm of her frantic hips.

Courtney buried her face in Bianca’s neck, losing herself in the scent of her perfume, the familiarity of it only spurring her on as shivers rippled down her spine.

“Fuck, Bianca…” she moaned, trembling on the edge as she began to lose her grip on reality, the room spinning as she hurtled into the dizzying recesses of pleasure, clinging to Bianca for dear life.

*

The sound of Bianca’s name dripping from her lips was perfect. She breathed in the moment greedily, swallowing up her moans as spasms began to rip through Courtney’s body, working her faster and faster. The ache in Bianca’s arm soon burned in the best way, and she pushed through, not stopping until Courtney had collapsed in a heap beside her.

“Was that good, baby?” Bianca pressed a kiss against her temple, smiling at the weak murmur of agreement that escaped her.

Bianca couldn’t help sucking her slick fingers up to her mouth, already addicted to the taste of her, addicted to the feeling of her panting, sated body pressed against Bianca’s in the narrow bed. She sighed happily, one arm curled around Courtney’s shoulders, stroking her sweat-dampened skin.

After a few minutes, Courtney lifted her head and said, “You keep doing that.”

“Keep doing what?”

“You know…” Courtney's eyes lowered bashfully, cheeks still red.

“Making you come?”

“No. I mean, yes, but…” Courtney bit her lip. “I was trying to make you come.”

“Well...I don’t know what to tell you, babydoll,” Bianca smirked. “I guess you have to work faster.”

“Is that a dare?” Courtney’s eyes glittered as she rolled back on top of Bianca, fingers trailing down her collarbone.

“Well, I-” Bianca let out a small gasp as Courtney gently pinched one her nipples between her fingers, a thigh pressed against her, tongue invading her mouth.

She arched up, body thrumming with need as Courtney nibbled against her neck, hot mouth moving swiftly down her body.

Bianca threaded her hands into Courtney’s hair, pretending that she was still in control as she guided her head down. Courtney slipped her fingers underneath the lacy underwear, dragging them down slowly over her thighs.

“You are so fucking hot,” Courtney said, warm breath making Bianca shiver.

She raised her knees, allowing Courtney to pull the panties off, abdomen tight with excitement as she settled in between her legs, fingers dancing up her thighs.

“Yeah?”

“Mmmhmm…” Courtney bent down and placed a light kiss against her, just below her belly button.

“Courtney-”

“Yees?” Courtney drew out the word, nuzzling a cheek against the tenderest spot of her inner thigh.

Bianca gulped.

“Am I doing something wrong?” Courtney asked, suddenly looking a bit insecure about the whole endeavor. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No, I just...I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”

“I want to. Really,” Courtney insisted. “I’m dead sure.”

Bianca chuckled softly, finally letting her body relax completely. It felt strange, the surrender, but also like exactly what she needed.

***

Later that night, folded in Bianca’s arms, playing with her fingers, Courtney found her mind wandering, the pesky insecurities that she’d been pushing aside all day rearing their ugly heads. Thoughts she’d never had before with anyone she’d been with, like where is this going and does she like me the way I like her and how do I measure up.

“B...can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Bianca nuzzled into the back of her head.

“How many girlfriends have you had?”

Bianca laughed.

“I’m serious!” Courtney squeezed her hand.  

“Well…I haven’t exactly had any...formal arrangements,” Bianca finally said.

“Oh.”

“You know, I just never had much use for the word ‘girlfriend.’”

Courtney turned around to face her, cheeks warm and a little flushed as she asked, “Do you think you would ever...want one?”  

A grin spread across Bianca’s face and she asked, “Why, you wanna be my girlfriend?”

She looked adorable, but Courtney couldn’t tell if the expression on her face was because she was teasing, or because she was actually into the idea.

“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Courtney countered, heart racing.  

“I asked you first.”

Courtney swallowed. She knew that she was being silly. This conversation probably should have waited a bit. But biding her time was never Courtney’s strength. She was more the “shut your eyes and leap” type.

“Well…I know it’s probably too soon to label it. I just wanted to know what you think about...us. Eventually.” She bit her lip, cheeks now burning with embarrassment.

“Okay, and I asked you what you wanted.” Bianca’s dimples deepened, and Courtney couldn’t help touching them.

“I don’t want to pressure you,” Courtney said. Her voice felt small and stupid and she squeezed her eyes shut.

“I don’t feel pressured,” Bianca said, pulling her closer. “And you still haven’t answered. Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

“Yes,” Courtney admitted, face pressed to Bianca’s shoulder, her words muffled.

Bianca cupped her chin and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips.

“Good.”

“You don’t think it’s too soon?” Courtney searched her dark eyes.

“It’s a little soon. But...you’re a lot hot. So...”

Courtney laughed, feeling her whole body melting against Bianca with a relieved sigh. This was all she wanted, this closeness. To know that Bianca wanted her, that they were on the same page. It was never like this with boys; any boyfriend she’d ever had had been a fleeting whim, some guy who chased her until she finally said yes, and then quickly grew bored of once the novelty wore off. With Bianca, she found herself, maybe for the first time, subject to a kind of uncontrolled, soul-crushing desire. The whole ordeal was incredibly embarrassing, not to mention an emotional rollercoaster.

“Are you happy?” Bianca whispered against her mouth.

“Uh huh...now I know what to call you when I tell my mum.”

Bianca lifted one eyebrow. “What exactly are you planning to tell her?”

“Everything! We’re very close,” Courtney said.

“Everything?!”

“Well, no, not everything.” Courtney buried her face back into Bianca’s neck with a giggle, and Bianca wrapped her up into a hug.

“Perfect.”  

***

Courtney had plenty of choice opinions about the United States, but one thing she would never complain about was how big and elaborate American Halloween celebrations were. She loved all of it, but especially the costumes, getting to live a fantasy for a night.

And this year, she’d convinced Bianca to do a couples costume, something she’d always wanted to do. (She was a little surprised, and a lot grateful, at how easily Bianca went along with it.) After a trip to both a Halloween shop and a high end vintage store, they’d settled on Bonnie and Clyde, Bianca pulling her sewing machine out from under the bed in order to perfect the tailoring and make sure all the details were accurate, really getting into the spirit.

Courtney loved her costume--a form-fitting sweater, pencil skirt, and jaunty little beret. But she loved Bianca’s Clyde costume even more. She’d never in her life seen anything as sexy as Bianca in high-waisted pin-stripe pants, suspenders and a fedora, coat slung casually over her shoulders.

She sat at the desk chair, gazing lovingly up at Bianca in her suit as she bobby-pinned her beret securely in place, and it was all she could do to keep from drooling. Alaska stood in front of her makeup mirror, putting the finishing touches on her Morticia Addams look.

Willam opened the door to announce that she was ready to go, and immediately rolled her eyes. “Goddamn, this is some gay shit.”

“I know, aren’t we cute?” Courtney replied, shrugging benignly.

“Sure,” Willam said, as if she was one to judge, standing there in her sluttiest dress and pair of 6-inch heels.

“What are you supposed to be, anyway?” Courtney asked her, one eyebrow raised.

“A person who’s gonna get laid tonight,” Willam answered, as if it was obvious. She turned her attention to Bianca. “And you…you look…”

“What?” Bianca bristled, clearly ready for an insult, crossing her arms.

“Kinda hot?” Willam finished.

“That’s what I said!” Alaska exclaimed from across the room.

Bianca opened her mouth, about to toss out a sarcastic reply, when Courtney snaked her arms around her waist, pulling her into her lap.

“Totally hot,” she whispered.

“Ugh, you just ruined it,” Willam said, flouncing out of the room.

There was something especially thrilling for Courtney about being back at Sierra’s, with Bianca for real this time, everyone in the club knowing that they belonged together. She hung on to her arm, only half-listening to the conversation her roommates had struck up with Raja and Manila, mostly just gazing at Bianca with heart eyes and thinking about how sexy she looked in her suit. And making a plan of attack for exactly how she was gonna rip it off later. She already knew that some kind of special underwear was involved--she’d seen the bag that morning, emblazoned with the logo from a vintage shop downtown, but Bianca had stopped her before she’d had a chance to peek, telling her that it was a surprise.

She looked back at Manila, who was finishing a story, saying, “...but she really needed those chips, I guess it was worth it!”

The rest of the group burst out laughing, Raja covering her face with her hand as Manila leaned in to kiss her cheek, and Courtney realized that she had no goddamn clue what they were talking about. But no matter. Her eyes wandered around the crowded club, spotting a welcome sight on stage--Adore and her band setting up. She squealed happily, squeezing Bianca’s hand.

“Omigod, that’s Adore!”

“Great, my favorite person,” came Bianca’s sarcastic reply, and Courtney laughed. After all, everything had worked out, so why would she be holding a grudge?

“She’s cool. You don’t like her?” Raja asked, head tilted curiously.

“Well…”

“We should go say hi,” Courtney said.

“Pass.”

“Come on,” Courtney cajoled, wrapping her hands around Bianca’s arm. “Don’t you think we should thank her?”

“Thank her for what?”

“For being cool, and kind, and helping us actually admit our feelings?” Courtney raised her eyebrows.  

“Please,” Bianca scoffed.

“Fine, don’t come, but I’m gonna go say hi,” Courtney told her, and turned towards the stage.

Bianca grabbed her sleeve, sternly saying, “No, you’re fuckin’ not.”

Alaska gasped slightly, eyebrows shooting up, and Willam lifted her drink to muffle her incredulous laughter. Even Raja and Manila looked scandalized, eyes wide as they watched the drama unfold.

“Ohhh shit,” Manila whispered, fingers digging into Raja’s arm.

Courtney turned back to Bianca slowly. Normally, she didn’t mind her girlfriend’s overbearing, Type-A bossiness. In fact, she found it cute. But this was over the line, and everyone else seemed to agree. Just because Courtney was easygoing did not mean that she was a pushover, and if Bianca thought she could order her around, or forbid her from talking to someone, she had another think coming.

There was a heated moment as Courtney stared Bianca down, no one saying anything. Courtney could feel Bianca’s grip loosening, see her hard expression faltering as her cheeks grew red.

“I mean...uh...just kidding?” Bianca finally stammered out, letting go completely, forcing a guilty smile.

“Good one,” Courtney said simply, turning and heading to the stage without a second glance. She smiled to herself when she heard Bianca’s footsteps behind her, catching up.

“You know, maybe...” Bianca said, clearing her throat, “maybe we should both say hi.”

“Right.” Courtney slipped her hand into Bianca’s to show her that all was forgiven, feeling rather victorious as she bounded over to Adore, waving up at her. “Adore! Hey! Happy Halloween!”

“Heyyy!” Adore cried back. “Omigod, you look so fuckin’ cute!”

“Thank you. You do too!”

Adore was dressed as what appeared to be a goth zombie cat. She pawed the air with one fishnet-clad hand and said, “Meow.”

Courtney giggled, adding, “I didn’t realize you guys were performing tonight, I’m so psyched to see you again!”

“Aww, thanks! I’m glad things worked out with you guys, you-” She paused then, doing a double-take, looking Bianca up and down, finishing with a simple, “Damn.”

Courtney giggled again, wrapping her hands around Bianca’s arm, proud to be with her and happy that she was getting exactly the reaction she deserved to that costume. Even cuter was how all the attention seemed to catch her off-guard, clearing her throat and shifting around, the faintest blush coloring her cheeks.

“Um...We wanted to say thanks, for looking out for Courtney when I was, uh-”

“Being a fucking idiot?” Adore supplied.

“Yeah.”

“It was my pleasure,” Adore said, smiling sweetly. She gave both of them another once-over, then asked, “So...what are you guys doin’ after the party?”

Bianca’s spine stiffened and Courtney laughed, telling her, “Relax, she’s kidding.”

“I’m totally kidding,” Adore said, then after a beat shook her head and caught Courtney’s eye, mouthing, ‘I’m not kidding.’

Courtney giggled some more, enjoying the attention from Adore just as much last time.

“Is that Alaska calling us?” Bianca asked, tugging slightly on Courtney’s arm.

“No? Adore, I wanted to ask you if you-”

“Coming, Alaska!” Bianca called loudly to no one, pulling Courtney away.

Nobody believed Bianca for a second, but at least she’d made a small effort. It was better than nothing.

“Bye, Adore! Break a leg!” Courtney tossed one last glance at Adore, giving her a half eye-roll, receiving a flirty wink in return.

“Byeee!”

After some wheedling and pouting, Courtney convinced Bianca to dance, and now she got to feel her up on the dance floor, the thought of jealous eyes on them making Courtney’s heart hammer in her chest.

“Are you having a good time?” Bianca asked, as Courtney fingered her suspenders.

“Mmhmm...are you?”

“Yeah. But you know what would be better?” Bianca murmured.  

“What?”

“If all the rest of these people were...somewhere else.”

Courtney shivered slightly, Bianca’s eyes on her doing all kinds of things to her. She gazed up at her, feeling like the luckiest girl alive to be getting undivided attention from someone so perfect, so beautiful.

“What people?” Courtney finally asked, eyes falling closed as Bianca’s lips found her neck, letting the world fall away, music and lights and bodies around them blurring into an indistinguishable swirl of energy. The only thing that mattered was Bianca, and her hands, and her lips, the frantic pulse of their heartbeats in sync.

“Let’s get out of here.”

***

As well as they knew each other before hooking up, there was still a lot that surprised Bianca about Courtney. New little quirks and qualities she was constantly learning about. But maybe the most welcome surprise was her voracious sexual appetite, how her constant hunger made Bianca feel more desirable than she ever had before.

Tonight was no exception, as Courtney pulled off her costume in a desperate rush, eyes taking her in. She’d selected a cream and powder-blue vintage lingerie set, decorated with almost demure eyelet around the edges, a sharp contrast to her tailored costume. Courtney kneeled over her, looking hungry and wild-eyed, like she wanted to swallow her whole.

“You like?” Bianca asked softly, and instead of words, the answer she got was a pained whimper, Courtney capturing her lips in a kiss that left her breathless and reeling.

“Do you know how sexy you are, B?” Courtney whispered, hands wandering over her body. She seemed to be working hard to slow her own breathing, chest heaving slowly.

“Look who’s talking,” Bianca said. She pushed Courtney’s blouse off her shoulders, revealing her own dark burgundy lipstick mark from earlier, and then unzipped her skirt with shaky fingers. And fuck, she was wearing Bianca’s own underwear, a lacy red pair, and it was so hot Bianca could barely hold it together. “Shit.”  

Courtney smiled down at her and began to slowly undress her, pressing kisses to every inch of bared skin. Bianca threaded a hand into her hair, the other gripping a handful of sheets.

“Don’t forget to-”

“Relax,” Courtney said with a smirk. “I know what you like.”

Fuck. Tingles rippled through Bianca’s body, and it was a few long moments before she could gather her wits, raising herself up on her elbow and forcing out a sarcastic reply. “Excuse me, ma’am, it’s been three weeks, how are you this cocky?”

Courtney grinned adorably, turning her lips towards Bianca’s thigh, sucking gently at first, then harder, bringing a faint mark to the surface of her skin. When Bianca tightened a hand in her hair, pressing her head down, Courtney actually looked up at her and laughed.

“Nice try.”

“Fuck…” Bianca huffed out a sigh, falling backwards. She watched Courtney through heavy-lidded eyes as she continued to tease her, peppering her thighs with kisses soft as butterfly wings.

And then, she proceeded at the most infuriatingly leisurely pace--treating her body like an endless buffet spread out before her, making sure to taste everything before going back for more. Bianca’s chest heaved, choking back her whimpers so as not to reveal how well it was working.

It was her own damn fault. Bianca knew that. Of course, everything she’d said about going slow was to blame for the current torture that she was suffering through. She just didn’t anticipate Courtney catching on so quickly, besting her at her own game so completely.

Holding back wasn’t possible anymore, and she let out a moan, body arching into Courtney’s hot mouth, grinding against her tongue, unraveling completely in her arms. Soon she was gasping, slick with sweat, and still Courtney didn’t let up, sucking kisses up her stomach, fingers sliding easily inside her as a mouth closed around her nipple.

“Fuck, fuck…” Tears collected in Bianca’s eyes as she came once again, blonde hair clutched in her hands. She was so far gone that she barely noticed Courtney’s lips traveling up her collarbone, didn’t comprehend what she whispered into her ear. “...What?”

“I said,” Courtney repeated, punctuating her statement with a soft kiss on her pulse point, “Thank you for being such a good girl for me.”

The only response Bianca managed was a breathy sigh, then a sharp gasp as Courtney eased her fingers out. She put them into her own mouth first, then gave Bianca a naughty look, sliding two fingers past her parted lips.

“Taste how fucking delicious you are…”

Bianca obeyed, shivering with pleasure.

“There you go…” Courtney cooed, before adding again, “Such a good girl.”

“Are you patronizing me?” Bianca asked groggily, turning her face towards Courtney, eyes struggling to stay open.

“Yes...do you like it?”

The truth was, Bianca liked all of it. She liked how easy it was for them to switch roles, how Courtney kept her on her toes.  

She liked the late-night cuddling and the stupid couple’s costume and bringing a huge bouquet of pink roses to Courtney’s first Cabaret performance. She liked how easy it was to put a smile on her face, to make her laugh, how they constantly found new things to bicker about. She liked standing in the grocery check-out with fingers laced together, cooking dinner side by side, and the comfortable weight of a head on her shoulder while they curled up for movie night.

She liked Courtney’s dry sense of humor and her infectious enthusiasm, her surprising self-assuredness. She liked her softness and her sense of whimsy, how they always had fun together no matter what they were doing. She liked how much Courtney cared about things, how she’d get indignantly angry at litter and engage in heated political debates in the middle of house parties.

Most of all, she liked Courtney.

One evening, while standing at the stove, she glanced up to see Courtney chopping vegetables for their salad, making that cute, dumb face where her tongue poked slightly out of the side of her mouth, and she was struck with a new thought. A warm feeling bloomed in her chest as Courtney put a piece of red pepper into her mouth.

“Hey…”

Courtney looked up questioningly, the pepper dangling from her lips like a cigarette, and Bianca knew that she needed to blurt it out before she lost her nerve.

“I love you, you know.”

Green eyes went wide, and there was a split second of nausea, Bianca not knowing what to expect. And then before she had a chance to blink, Courtney had closed the distance between then, sweeping her up into her arms. The kiss that followed sucked all the air out of her lungs, made her dizzy to the point where she had to grapple for the counter to stay upright.

“I love you too, B, I love you so much…” Courtney murmured against her mouth, immediately going in for another urgent kiss. Hands slid up to cradle her face, thumbs stroking her cheekbones.

“Yeah?” she panted.

“So, so fucking much.”

Bianca wrapped her arms tighter around Courtney’s waist.

“Well thank fuck for that.”

***

Courtney wouldn’t lie: her grades had suffered this semester. There was a good month where her head was entirely in the clouds, so wrapped up in the honeymoon bliss of her new relationship that she avoided any and all responsibilities, procrastinating and putting things off, until so much work had piled up that catching up felt like a daunting task.

But catch up she did, working her ass off during much of November. Between her classes, the play, and Bianca, she barely had a moment to stop and look around. Maybe that’s why she missed all the signs.

Or, maybe they were just real good at sneaking around.

Either way, it came as an absolute shock when she found out about Willam and Alaska. At least, at first it was a shock. But an even bigger shock was the way Willam blushed and stammered when Courtney interrogated her. They’d known each other for over two years, and Courtney had never seen her so self conscious. It was actually rather adorable.  

The more she thought about it, though, the more obvious it seemed. They’d had a special bond from the beginning, a kind of affectionate camaraderie that must have made them perfectly compatible. And when she reported the news to Bianca, her girlfriend seemed to agree: it just kind of made sense, didn’t it?

Formally, officially switching rooms also made sense. They set aside Saturday to do it, but it ended up taking less than an hour, since so many of their things had already migrated. Looked like they’d be able to make it to brunch earlier than they planned.

“Do you want to push the beds together?” Courtney asked, stripping off her yoga pants and t-shirt to look through her closet for something to wear. She’d seen Willam and Alaska doing just that with the beds, and thought it was probably a good idea. They’d certainly have a lot more space.

“Nah…” Bianca wrapped her arms around Courtney’s waist from behind, pulling her onto her own bed and wrestling her onto her back. “I kinda like being stuffed into a twin bed, it gives me an excuse to snuggle you.”

Courtney giggled, surrendering fully to the attack. She reached up to touch Bianca’s cheek.

“Nobody would ever believe how snuggly you are.”

“Nope,” Bianca told her solemnly. “And don’t tell. It would completely destroy my boss-ass bitch reputation.”

“Hmm...but isn’t the true boss the person who can admit how much they like snuggling?” Courtney raised an eyebrow, challenging her.

“Don’t try those backwards logic mind tricks on me, missy.” Bianca tickled her ribs until she was laughing so hard she gasped for air.

“Okay, okay…I give up!”

Bianca grinned, dimples deep in her cheeks, and lay down beside her, a head on her shoulder, nose tucked against her neck. It was a perfect, lovely moment. Except...Courtney let out a deep sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Bianca asked, taking her hand and placing a kiss inside her wrist.

“Why do you think something’s wrong?” Courtney asked.

“Because I know you, and that wasn’t a happy sigh. So...tell me what’s wrong.”

“Well…” Courtney hesitated, not really wanting to share her current, embarrassing thoughts. “It’s kind of dumb.”

“I mean, most of what you say is pretty dumb, so…”

Courtney chuckled weakly, and Bianca lifted her head.

“That was a joke.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I-”

Bianca brushed a light kiss against her lips, so gentle, and then Courtney couldn’t stop the tears that began trickling down her cheeks. She sat up, hiding her face in her hands.

“Babydoll...please tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s so stupid,” Courtney said, still covering her face, feeling silly and childish. “I just...I’m gonna miss you next week, when you go home.”

“For Thanksgiving?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m only going for 4 days,” Bianca reminded her, nuzzling her cheeks.

“I know! I told you it was stupid,” Courtney laughed, letting Bianca kiss away the tears. “I feel like a fucking idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot. You’re sweet.”

“I think I must be getting my period,” Courtney said, shaking her head. How could she be getting this upset over a long weekend apart? Since when had she become such a co-dependent, emotional nightmare? “I’m sorry.”

Bianca cocked her head to the side, and for a few moments, Courtney couldn’t bear to meet her gaze. When she finally did, expecting to see a judgmental grin, or that signature smirk, both of which she would fully deserve, she was surprised to instead find warm brown eyes, soft with compassion.

“You should come with me,” Bianca said.  

“What? Be serious.”

“I am serious.” Bianca sat up, reaching for her laptop. “It’ll be fun! I think you’d like New Orleans, and as it’s bound to be nicer than whatever sad little event the International Student Center is planning.”

Courtney rubbed her eyes. “Bianca, you can’t possibly be-”

“Look, there’s still seats left on my flights,” Bianca said. “It’s a shitty connection, but it’s cheap. So...wanna come?”

“You really mean it?” Courtney whispered.

“Definitely. It’ll make the weekend ten times better to have you there.”  

“And your mum won’t mind?”

“She’s got 5 kids and 6 grandkids, you think she’ll notice one extra person?” Bianca asked.

“That’s true...I assume I’ll blend right in.”

Bianca let out a cackle, shaking her head. “Perfectly. Does that mean yes?”

The smile on Courtney’s face was making her cheeks hurt. She crawled over to Bianca, throwing her arms around her neck.

“Yes. Definitely yes.” Courtney smiled, tears finally drying on her cheeks, leaning a head on Bianca’s shoulders as she purchased the tickets. She fingered the zipper on Bianca’s sweatshirt and asked, “Do you think your family will like me?”

“They’ll love you.”

“Because you love me?” she asked, batting her lashes.

“No, they could give half a shit about my opinions. They’ll love you because you’re infuriatingly lovable. It’s one of your most annoying qualities.”

Courtney giggled, pressing a series of kisses to Bianca’s face. “I love you too, B.”

“Done,” Bianca said, setting the computer aside and turning towards Coutney with a grin. “Are you happy?”

“So happy,” Courtney whispered, capturing her lips in a sweet, soft kiss.

“Good.” Bianca rested her forehead against Courtney’s, dimples deep in her cheeks.  

“So...are you excited to fuck me in your childhood bed?” Courtney asked, and Bianca burst out laughing, flipping her onto her back.

“You filthy bitch…” Bianca growled in her ear.

“Does that mean yes?” Courtney asked, lashes fluttering.

“Hell yeah.” Bianca began to trail kisses down her jaw, and Courtney sighed happily, feeling like a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Bianca had already said that she loved her, but a piece of her had been stressing, privately: what did Bianca mean by that? Did she love her the way Courtney loved Bianca? Now, she felt like she could finally bask in the blissful knowledge that they really were on the same page. Courtney raked her nails up Bianca’s back, under her sweatshirt, eyes falling closed as Bianca’s lips moved to her neck, fingers slipping under her bralette.

“Hey, bitches, are we doing brunch or what?” Willam banged open the door. “Oh my god, can you ever just stop?”

“Yeah, soz. We got distracted,” Courtney said with a grin, still laying down, making a very halfhearted attempt to cover her chest.

“Clearly.”

“Well...oops,” she laughed, then furrowed her brow in confusion. “Bill, what are you wearing? It’s November.”

“Yeah, in California,” Willam said, slipping on a pair of sunglasses. She was dressed in a floaty little sundress with spaghetti straps and a pair of platform sandals.

“You’re gonna freeze!”

“If she wants to freeze, let her freeze,” Bianca said, then added, “Give us like 20 minutes to get ready.”

“You can have 15! I want a mimosa, goddammit!” Willam barked, shutting the door.

“Joke’s on her,” Bianca murmured, lips grazing Courtney’s pulse point. “‘Cause I only need 5.”

***

“Hmmm...I don’t know what I want,” Courtney said, looking over the drink menu. It was such a beautiful day with such great company that she’d forgotten to look until the server, a harried looking girl called Michelle, appeared at their table.

“Bitch, just pick something!” said Willam. “Some of us want to start day drinking while it’s still daytime.”

“I’m sorry!” Courtney laughed. “It’s just that today is so special, and-”

“Ugh,” Willam groaned, and Alaska hushed her gently with a hand on her thigh.

“-And I need something appropriately celebratory. Not a boring old mimosa. Although...I mean I do like champagne…”

Bianca reached over and lowered her menu, telling the server to, “Just bring her a bellini.”

“What’s a bellini?”

“You’ll love it,” Bianca promised. “It’s peach juice and prosecco. Sweet and bubbly.”

“Just like you, Court,” Alaska added with a grin.

Despite the sneaking suspicion that she was being mocked, Courtney looked up at Michelle and nodded. “That sounds perfect.”

She nodded, giving a quick salute and then scampering back inside.

Courtney scanned through the menu again, determined not to make them all wait for her when it was time to order food. She quickly made a decision and then closed the menu, looking around at her friends with a happy sigh.

In spite of the chilly Autumn breeze, the sun was bright in the sky, warming them gently. It was so nice to be together like this, finally, as couples. She tilted her head, realizing that Alaska’s turquoise pleather motorcycle jacket was very familiar.

“Alaska, I love your jacket.” Courtney took a delicate sip of her water.

“It’s Will’s,” Alaska said.

Courtney rested her chin in her hand, gazing at Alaska and Willam with heart eyes, unable to hide her grin.

“I know! It’s sooo cuuuute...”

“Calm your farm,” Willam said, pointing a fork at her.

“That’s so Aussie!” Alaska giggled, leaning over to press a quick kiss to Willam’s cheek. And to Courtney’s absolute delight, a pink flush crept into her face.

She turned to Bianca, lashes fluttering, wrapping her hands around her arm.

“Should we share clothes, too?”

“Oh yeah. I really want to wear your hipster Coachella shit,” Bianca said, gesturing to Courtney’s palazzo pants and crop top covered in pink pineapples.

“You’d look adorable as.”

“That’s so Aussie,” Willam cut in as she sucked on an ice cube.

“Come on, imagine how good your ass would look in these pants,” Courtney said.

“Yeah, no thanks.”

Courtney bumped her shoulder lightly, lips turning down in an exaggerated pout. “I’m serious!”

“Okay, well, you can borrow my sweater if you want?” Bianca finally offered.

“Perfect,” Courtney laughed. She laid a head on Bianca’s shoulder, shifting her gaze back towards Willam and Alaska, who were engaged in what they probably thought was a very sly game of footsie.

The best part was Willam’s face--the almost shy expression on her face every time Alaska touched her. In the more than two years that Courtney had known Willam, all she’d ever heard was talk about sex in the crudest possible terms--nothing whatsoever about romance. Now, seeing her sneaking peeks at Alaska from behind her menu, cheeks flushed, Courtney couldn’t help but watch her happily, a dreaming smile tugging at her lips.

After awhile, Willam finally caught on to being watched, looking up to catch Courtney’s eye.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I just...like seeing your soft squishy parts,” Courtney said.

Willam clutched her chest in mock offense. “Are you calling me fat, you dumb slut?”

“Yeah,” Courtney laughed, blowing a kiss across the table.

Willam scoffed, burying her face back into her menu, attention now completely focused on Alaska.

“Do you know what you want this time?” Bianca asked, kissing the top of her head.

“Yes, why?”

Bianca gestured to Michelle approaching the table, then spoke up. “Hi, I’ll have the French toast combo with scrambled eggs and fruit?”

“Sure thing.” She turned to Courtney.

“Can I get the kale salad with extra avocado?” Courtney asked. “And, uh…”

“You want fries, don’t you?” Bianca asked with a wry grin.

“For the table!” Courtney said, giving Bianca her best puppy eyes.

“Yeah, right,” Bianca laughed, then said to Michelle, “And an order of sweet potato fries.”

As they handed over their menus, it became clear that Alaska and Willam had no idea what was going on, still hidden behind their menus, giggling. Bianca cleared her throat loudly.

"Uh, if you two are done playing footsie, would you mind telling poor Michelle what you want to eat?"

Alaska’s head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise, a guilty expression as she locked eyes with Michelle, tapping a pen against her little notepad.  

"Sorry," Alaska said, blushing slightly and handing over her menu. “Huevos rancheros, please.”

“And for you?” Michelle asked Willam.

“Uhh...a garden salad and shrimp and grits. But no grits.”

“So...just shrimp?” Michelle asked slowly.

“Yes.” Willam said.

“Alllright. I’ll go grab your drinks.” Michelle turned and left, heading back inside.

“You know, the south would never allow that ‘no grits’ business,” said Bianca, disapproval all over her face.

Courtney smiled to herself, reminding her girlfriend that, “I feel like the south probably isn’t too keen on a lot of things we do.”

“Fair,” Bianca laughed, dimples deep in her cheeks.

When the drinks came, Willam immediately downed her mimosa as expected. Bianca, on the other hand, began to season her Bloody Mary with extreme concentration. First, she squeezed in the lemon, then added a healthy amount of pepper and quite a bit of hot sauce, tasting it carefully every time she added anything.

It wasn’t until Courtney covered her mouth to muffle her giggles that Bianca caught on that she was being watched.

“What?”

“Nothing. You’re just cute.”

Bianca narrowed her eyes, and for a second, Courtney thought that maybe she was annoyed. But then her dimples appeared as she replied, “You’re cute.”

Courtney climbed into her lap, loving the feeling of Bianca’s arms securely around her waist. She leaned forward and kissed her lightly. Their drinks now forgotten, Bianca kissed her back, lips moving to her neck and then slowly up her jawline. Courtney sighed happily, in no hurry to go back to her drink, perfectly content to just bask in the moment as Bianca nuzzled her cheek.

“Alright, this is getting embarrassing,” Bianca finally said, picking up her Bloody Mary, brown eyes sparkling.

Courtney grinned and kissed her neck one more time, taking a moment to inhale the sweet, fresh scent of her perfume before picking up her own drink, fingers pinching the stem of her glass delicately.

Bianca tapped Alaska on the wrist.

“You know, you’re a really good person,” she said.

“Oh?” Alaska cocked her head, bracing for the punchline.  

“I mean, adopting a stray.” Bianca gestured to Willam. “Most people would be worried about diseases and shit, but you...you’ve got a good soul. Bless your heart.”

Alaska crossed her arms, leaning forward with a challenging grin. “So if she’s a stray, what are you?”  

“Oh, I was raised by wolves,” Bianca admitted, and she and Alaska both cackled gleefully.

Courtney watched them, cheeks hurting now from the permanent smile on her face, turning her attention to Willam to beam at her once again.  

"Ugh." Willam met Courtney’s eyes, shaking her head. "I know that look."

"What look-" Courtney gasped.

"You're gonna give a speech or-"

"No!"

"-make a sappy little toast aren't you?"

Courtney scoffed before smiling mischievously. “Well…”

"Knew it."

Courtney stuck her tongue out at Willam, then said, “It’s not really a toast. I just wanted to say…” She grinned at Alaska, then back at Willam. “I'm really happy we got to spend this semester together. And next, too. I can't imagine finding better friends, or roommates, than you guys."

"Gross," Willam said, suppressing her smile as she took a sip of her mimosa.

"I think it was sweet, Court," Alaska said, not making the slightest attempt to hide her own dazzling smile as she looked right at Courtney, holding out her glass. "I'm glad we get to spend this year together, too."

Courtney reached across the table to clink glasses, then leaned back, snuggling into Bianca’s arms.

“Hey,” Bianca whispered softly into her ear, “What do you say we ditch the other whores and go make out in the car?”

Courtney burst into giggles, twisting around to press a kiss to Bianca’s lips.

“Well, if you guys are determined to be sappy bastards, then at least we should get a good pic,” Willam said with a resigned sigh.

“Yay!” Courtney clapped, jumping up and pulling Bianca into her own seat beside Willam, already striking a pose.

"For Instagram?" asked Alaska.

"Of course," Willam said. She held up her phone, Courtney and Bianca leaning into the frame, Courtney making her best supermodel faces, giving all kinds of angles.

"What's the tag gonna be?" Bianca asked, cracking up as she caught Courtney’s eye in the camera screen, kissing her cheek.

“CouplesGoals,” Willam announced, her smile deepening as everyone burst out laughing.

The final photo was a bit of a mess: Alaska’s head on Willam’s shoulder, her eyes half closed, mid-laugh; Willam with a smug smile, arm around Alaska, pulling her close; Courtney’s head thrown back in glee; Bianca’s grin in profile, face buried in Courtney’s neck.

***

Courtney was thrilled. Finally in Bianca’s arms, something she’d longed for since the first day they met--even if it had taken her awhile to admit it to herself. She flung herself into it with all of that pent-up longing, an urgent need to prove how certain she was that this wasn’t a mistake.

Her kisses were passionate, messy, almost frantic, making her way down Bianca’s body. When she began to slide Bianca’s bottoms off, a hand covered hers, stopping her.

“Whatcha doin’ down there?”

“I thought I would eat your pussy,” Courtney replied, doing her best to sound confident.

“Uh huh. And do you know how to do that?” Bianca asked, an amused smirk on her lips.

“Uhh…” Of course she didn’t, in spite of the several embarrassing google searches in her browser history, which ultimately ended up confusing her more than helping. But Bianca didn’t need to know that. “I’ve read some stuff. Figured I’d wing it.”

“I mean, I appreciate the thought, but, wouldn’t you like some instructions first?” Bianca cupped her face, tilting her chin up, tucking some hair behind her ear.

“I thought you like girls who know what they’re doing,” Courtney admitted, resisting the urge to press into Bianca’s hand like a cat.

“True. But...I can’t expect you to be psychic, can I? Why don’t I give you a live demo?” Her fingers drifted through Courtney’s hair, then scratched her scalp lightly, causing shivers to run through her.

It took less than half a second for Courtney to say, “Okay.”

Bianca grinned at her, moving aside to give her space on the narrow bed.

“Lie down.”

Courtney complied immediately, getting a tingling little thrill when Bianca’s grin deepened, heart pounding as she pressed a kiss to Courtney’s open mouth.

“Are you ready?” she murmured, hands sliding over Courtney’s body, making her skin prickle.

“Yes.”

“Take off your panties,” Bianca instructed.

Courtney raised her hips, saying, “You do it.”

Bianca’s head tilted at her, amused.

“I’m sorry, who’s running the show here?”

“Please,” Courtney pouted sweetly, fluttering her lashes.

“You’re a brat,” Bianca said, eyes sparkling with amusement as she hooked her fingers into the side of Courtney’s panties and slid them slowly down her legs. “And oh, look...telling the truth about being a natural blonde, huh?”

“Dead on.” With a victorious grin, Courtney spread her legs, giving Bianca space to settle between them. Her abdomen was tense with excitement as Bianca placed a soft, teasing kiss just below her belly button, then looked up with a smile. She locked eyes with Courtney, barely moving, one hand drifting slowly up and down her thigh.

“Go ahead,” Courtney urged.  

“What makes you think I haven’t already started?” Bianca asked. “See...you have to make sure she’s reallyready.”

She bent down slowly, placing an excruciatingly soft kiss just inside Courtney’s knee.

“I’m ready,” Courtney said, failing to keep the pitiful whine out of her voice.

Bianca didn’t answer, just smiled to herself and continued to trail featherlight kisses along her thighs.

“You want her to be dripping wet...quivering...a needy mess…” Bianca’s hot breath ghosted over her, and Courtney whimpered.

“I hope you know,” she gasped out, “this means I’m gonna be torturing you back.”

Bianca looked up, catching her eye with a mischievous glint.

“Counting on it.”

*

Bianca knew that she was being a bit of a sadistic bitch, but she couldn’t help it. Courtney was just so cute, with her cheeks flushed a bright pink, whimpering with need every time she so much as breathed against her.

“You can feel her with your fingers, to really see how wet she is,” Bianca said, letting the back of her knuckles graze her pussy; and Jesus Christ, wet was an understatement. Courtney squirmed against her hand, breath hitching. Bianca looked into her lust-darkened eyes, bringing her fingers up to her mouth to lick slowly.

“Taste her…”

Courtney inhaled sharply, watching Bianca in a trance as she licked her fingers clean. Her other hand still rested on her warm thigh, and she could feel the muscles tensing beneath her.

Finally satisfied that she was ready, Bianca bent down, hovering over her for a few moments until she could see her trembling.

“You wanna go in soft,” she said, before licking her slowly, tongue flat against her.

Courtney arched up, clutching Bianca’s sheets in her fist.

“Every girl is different,” Bianca explained, nuzzling against her. “And usually, you’re gonna get very little in the way of direct instructions. So...you have to try different things. See what works.”

Bianca swirled her tongue around, trying to watch Courtney’s reaction through her fringe of dark lashes. And then, when she began to flick her tongue, Courtney’s hips began to roll, a hand tangling into her hair and pressing down on the back of her head.

Pausing to reach behind her own head and tap Courtney’s hand, Bianca looked up at her with a smirk.

“If she’s pushing on the back of your head, she’s probably trying to tell you to go harder.”

“Yeah,” Courtney affirmed, nodding frantically. “Harder…”

“So, you can listen. Or, you can tease her a little more...back off and go even softer.”

The aggrieved whimper that came out of Courtney’s mouth next, accompanied by vigorous thrusting of her hips, was almost enough to make Bianca laugh. If she’d had to guess ahead of time, she’d have pegged Courtney as someone who wanted everything gentle and soft. Beautiful to look at, but pure vanilla--possibly even boring, in the way that pretty girls so often are. The rabid maniac trying to fuck her face was an enchanting surprise.

“Teasing is especially fun when she’s a bit of a freak,” Bianca told her with a light cackle.

“I-” Whatever Courtney’s response was going to be, it was cut off with a broken moan, body in overdrive as she fell apart, gasping for air.

“Are you gonna remember this?” Bianca asked, “Because it’s all gonna be on the test. You should really be taking notes…”

“Oh God, Bianca, please…” she managed to choke out.

*

“Okay,” Bianca said, voice low and sexy, causing Courtney to shiver. “Pay attention, because this part is important..”

Courtney was neither a virgin nor a prude. She was fairly certain that she knew her own body. But the rapturous pleasure that ripped through her when Bianca began to suck on her clit was a new feeling entirely.

She twisted Bianca’s hair in her fists, moaning her name, grinding against her tongue as wave after wave of ecstasy hit her, until she finally collapsed in a sweaty heap. It felt like her bones were made of spaghetti--as weak as a rag doll, unable to even lift her head. She barely noticed Bianca sucking soft kisses into her skin, up her torso, until they were once again face to face, Bianca hovering over her with a satisfied smirk on her face.

“So...you like to fuck, huh?”

In spite of her exhaustion, Courtney chuckled drily.

“I’ve been trying to tell you…” she mumbled, and Bianca laughed, continuing to kiss her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting so long,” Bianca said. Her hands slid into Courtney’s hair, cradling the back of her head, lips trailing over her jaw.  

“I forgive you,” Courtney sighed, enjoying the tender affection. It was so gentle, and sweet, and made Courtney feel precious, warmth spreading through her to her toes. She reached a hand up to touch Bianca’s cheek.

As they kissed again, a giggle slipped from Courtney’s lips.

“What?” Bianca asked, nuzzling against her.

“You’re just...a little different than I expected,” Courtney admitted.

“Oh yeah? How so?”

“Well…” Courtney bit her lip, looking into Bianca’s dark eyes. “I just didn’t think you’d be so...I dunno. Sweet.”

“Disappointed?” Bianca whispered.

“No. I like you like this…”

“Well, don’t tell anyone,” Bianca warned. “You’ll ruin my reputation.”

“Okay,” Courtney said, fingers circling her left dimple. “I’ll just say you fucked me and then pushed me off the bed.”

Bianca laughed. “So, you’ve watched my sex tape?”

“Mmmhm,” Courtney giggled, feeling that familiar pride she always got when she made Bianca laugh.

As Bianca’s hot mouth found her neck, Courtney felt a tightness returning to her belly. She arched up, and Bianca chuckled slightly, bearing down against her.

“B…” Courtney whimpered, “It’s supposed to be your turn now.”

“I was trying to give you a few minutes to recover,” Bianca said, a wicked glint in her eye, hips rolling. “But I guess I can’t help myself.”  

Courtney’s breath came faster as her nails raked down Bianca’s back, gliding over her sweat-dampened skin. Feeling Bianca’s naked breasts against her own only made her long for more. She slipped her fingers under Bianca’s waistband, pushing her panties down impatiently.

“Can I help you with something?” Bianca raised her hips slightly to let Courtney push her panties down farther, until they got caught around her thighs.

“Please, B, please…”

“Yes, baby? Tell me what you want.”

“I want to feel you against me,” Courtney said, a desperate edge in her voice as she dug her fingers into Bianca’s ass, thighs spreading even more.

Bianca complied, pulling her panties off the rest of the way and then grinding down against Courtney’s welcoming body, making her gasp with pleasure. Courtney captured Bianca’s mouth in a kiss, nothing between them now but slick wetness as Bianca rubbed against her.

“Oh, fuck…”

*

Bianca raised herself up on her elbows, unable to resist watching Courtney’s beautiful face as she fell apart, cheeks flushed red, lips swollen, hips arching again and again. She reached down to butterfly her pussy open, grinding harder against her exposed, swollen clit. Courtney clung to Bianca for dear life as fingers sought out her heat, finding her dripping wet.

The way she moaned shamelessly made Bianca want to fuck her absolutely senseless.

“Hey…” she murmured into Courtney’s ear, not missing the telltale shiver. “I got another idea…”

Courtney turned towards her, lips chasing hers, soft sighs of pleasure turning to an indignant whine as Bianca rolled away, slipping off the bed.

“Patience, babydoll...” Bianca said, ducking under the bed to pull out a plastic box with the vague label of “SUPPLIES.” She pulled off the lid and pawed through the box, finding the dildo she was looking for, a very nice little beginner one in light pink, and placing it on the bed with a wicked smirk. “How do you feel about a strap-on?”

Courtney bit her lip, rolling over onto her side, thighs pressed together.

“I mean, I’ve never worn one before, but I’m willing to try…” she said, eyes fluttering.

“Very funny,” Bianca told her, watching her giggle and reach forward to touch the toy.

“It doesn’t really look like a dick,” she declared, running her fingers down the smooth length of it.

“Well...I’m not trying to trick you,” Bianca said, then paused before adding, “You can say no if you don’t want to-”

“I don’t wanna say no,” Courtney said, tilting her head, eyes still a bit glazed. “Let’s do it.”

Bianca grinned, dimples deep in her cheeks as she slipped on the harness and pushed the dildo through the ring, climbing back onto the bed. She handed Courtney a bottle of lube, then leaned back on her elbows, waiting.

“Do you want me to…”

“What do you want to do?” Bianca challenged, and Courtney lunged towards her, pulling her into a kiss.

She coated the toy generously with lube, a messy endeavor that was made even messier from her hurried enthusiasm. As she kneeled over Bianca, guiding the dildo towards her, Bianca started to tell her to take it slow, but she was too late, Courtney sitting down firmly against her with a gasp.

“Are you okay?” Bianca asked, tracing light patterns up her thighs, waiting for her to adjust.

Courtney nodded, leaning forward, starting to rock slowly. Getting to act out a literal fantasy was new for Bianca, and it took her brain a minute to catch up to what was happening, this golden-haired goddess riding her the way she’d dreamed of. Bianca groaned, mesmerized by her tits. She reached up to toy with them, and as her fingers brushed over the dark pink of her hardened nipples, Courtney let out a broken moan.

All Bianca wanted was to hear that sound again, and so she kept at it, pinching and rolling her nipples between her fingers, finally lifting her head to take one into her mouth, sucking gently at first and then harder, teeth nibbling at her, doing anything she could to chase the beautiful sound of Courtney coming apart.

*

“Oh, god…” Courtney’s thighs squeezed Bianca’s hips as she thrust forward frantically, unable to get enough of her. She thought she’d wanted her before, but nothing she’d imagined could compare to the real thing, the heat of her smooth, soft skin, the feel of her luscious curves, the way her hands felt on Courtney’s trembling body. Best of all, the look in her dark eyes as she gazed up at Courtney with pure, open desire, taking one of Courtney’s tits into her mouth, tingles shooting straight to her core as a tongue circled her nipple.

Courtney was so wrapped up in the moment that the sudden buzzing of the vibrator caught her completely off guard, lighting her up from within, making her cry out. Fingers dug into Bianca’s shoulders as she gasped for breath.

“Do you like that?”

The question barely registered in Courtney’s addled mind, but she answered on auto, nodding vigorously, the rolling waves of vibration washing over her. She whimpered pitifully as Bianca took control, pushing her onto her back, capturing her mouth in a kiss as she began to drive her hips forward faster and faster. Her controlled rhythm kept Courtney torturously on the edge, clawing at her back.

When Bianca turned the vibrator up, Courtney nearly blacked out, writhing beneath her, coming hard, and then again before she could catch a single breath, her entire body like a live wire as Bianca kept pumping her hips, slower now, teeth buried in the tender skin of her neck as she moaned, eyes rolled back.

Her mind was completely empty of everything but white-hot pleasure, lungs burning with a lack of oxygen, every thrust pushing her deeper and deeper into blissful agony, until she collapsed in exhaustion.

When Courtney’s eyes fluttered open, to the feeling of Bianca pressing soft kisses all over her face, she was drenched in sweat and still gasping for air. It could have been a minute later, or 10, or 10 years--she had no idea.

She wrapped her arms tighter around Bianca’s waist, holding her close.

“Wow.”

Bianca giggled softly, an adorably girlish sound, nuzzling into her cheek, and Courtney sighed against her, realizing that she still hadn’t reciprocated. This was turning into an upsettingly one-sided arrangement. Of course, there was the chance that the vibrator had made up for Courtney’s own lack of follow-through.

“Did you come?” Courtney asked hopefully, twirling a lock of Bianca’s hair around her finger.

“I did,” Bianca assured her. “You?”

“So many times.” Courtney let out a giddy laugh.

“Oh yeah? How many?”

“I lost count,” she admitted, head dropping backwards with a sleepy sigh.

For a few moments, they just breathed in the silence, bodies pressed together in a tangled heap, so sated that they soon drifted off to a contented sleep.

***

When Bianca’s eyes opened again, the evening sky had grown dark and Courtney was snuggled tight against her, tracing around her nipples so lightly, it made her shudder. She turned to Courtney with a dimpled grin.

“Hi,” Courtney said, eyes sparkling at her.

“Hey…How are you feeling?”

“Perfect...amazing…” Courtney stretched, making Bianca shift to give her more room. She flung a leg over Bianca’s, mouth turned up into a smirk. “So...are you glad I debated you into fucking me?”

“First time I enjoyed losing an argument…”

Courtney giggled, pushing Bianca onto her back and slipping a leg in between hers, lips seeking out Bianca’s for a deep, messy kiss. Bianca buried her hands into Courtney’s hair, enjoying the feel of a firm thigh against her. It was no longer rushed and desperate the way it had been earlier.  

It took Bianca a few minutes to catch on to what she was doing: lips brushing down her jaw to her neck, tongue over her collarbone, then circling her nipples. Slowly heading lower and lower.

“Court...what are you-”

“Fulfilling a promise…” Her breath was hot against Bianca’s abdomen, making her insides twist. She looked up at Bianca, batting her eyes innocently, bottom lip still brushing against her skin. “Is this okay?”

Bianca gulped. She was used to being in control, but could feel herself slipping, breath hitching as Courtney nibbled softly against her. When she didn’t immediately answer, Courtney crawled back up to capture her bottom lip in a heated kiss, teeth tugging it just enough that Bianca’s fingers dug into her waist. The way she hovered over Bianca’s body on her hands and knees, tits rubbing against Bianca’s own, made her shiver.

“I’m supposed to check, right?” Courtney asked, fingers skating up Bianca’s inner thigh to seek out her warm, wet pussy.

Bianca inhaled sharply, watching through heavy-lidded eyes as Courtney brought her slick fingers to her mouth, sucking hungrily at them, the satisfied noise she made so filthy that it made Bianca’s heart pound.

“Should I keep going?” Courtney asked, and Bianca nodded, allowing herself to relax backwards, enjoy the way she explored her body with a combination of tender affection and sordid greediness.

Her fingers curled back into Courtney’s hair as her head dipped lower and lower, eyes finally falling closed to concentrate on the heat of her tongue, when a bang on the door caused her to jump clean out of her skin.

“Bianca! Tell whatever slut you’ve got in there to cover up, we’re coming in!”

“Fuck me dead!” Courtney shrieked as the door flew open, snatching up a pillow to use as an ineffective privacy shield.

Willam stood in the doorway with her mouth open, just staring at them in absolute shock.

“That’s so Aussie,” giggled Alaska’s voice from behind her. “...Isn’t it?”

Willam turned around to ask incredulously, “Did you know it was Courtney she was fucking in there?”

“Yeah. Sorry. She’s loud.”  

“Huh…Not with guys,” Willam said.

Bianca was just getting over her shock of being interrupted in such a vulnerable state, her initial terror turning to indignant anger.  

“Excuse me!” she exclaimed, sitting up. “Is there a fucking reason for this invasion?!”

“Yes, asshole. Alaska’s been sexiled out here for hours and she needs to get her stuff,” Willam replied, hand on her hip.

“Shit.” Bianca glanced outside. The darkness had registered, but not the fact that they’d been keeping Alaska in purgatory. She would have felt a little bad...if she didn’t feel so fucking good.

“Omigod, Alaska, I’m so sorry!” Courtney cried guiltily. “I didn’t realize what time it was-”

“Clearly,” Willam said. “Get whatever you need, Lask. You can have Courtney’s bed tonight.” She turned back to Courtney, shaking her head with a scowl that just barely covered how amused she was. “I assume that’s okay with you, you fuckin’ whore?”

“Yes, of course!” Courtney said.

Bianca reached down for her blankets, which were piled down at the foot of the bed, pulling them up over their naked bodies to finally cover them both properly while Alaska retrieved her things.

“I guess she figured out what the tights meant,” she murmured into Courtney’s ear, earning a delighted laugh. Bianca pressed a kiss to her cheek, then unable to resist, nibbled softly down her jaw, almost immediately forgetting about their unwelcome company, whispering again into her skin, “God, you’re fucking delicious…”

Courtney’s cheeks were a lovely pink as she lowered the blanket slightly to say goodnight to the other girls.

“One word of advice, Bianca,” Willam said, holding the door open as Alaska scampered out. “...be careful.”

Bianca turned to her, glowering at her with a look that told Willam she better quickly shut the fucking door, but Willam continued.

“You know that thing about koalas and chlamydia...she could be patient zero…” she added.

Bianca leaned over and picked up one of Courtney’s sneakers from the ground beside the bed, hurling it towards Willam’s head with full force. She ducked, laughing, as it hit the door.

“Hey, I’m just looking out for your health!”

“Go!” Bianca yelled, blood pressure rising as Willam stuck out her tongue and finally shut the door behind her. She gave herself a few moments to shake off her irritation before turning back to Courtney with a smile. “Hey…”

“Hi.” Courtney bit her lip, suddenly bashful, and Bianca cupped her cheek gently.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah! I’m glad they know, actually,” Courtney said. “But…”

“But what?” Bianca felt a slight dread creep into the edges of her thoughts.

“But I kind of...have to pee.”

“Oh, yeah. Me too, actually,” Bianca chuckled, tossing the covers off. “And we should probably eat some dinner.”

“You’re still hungry?” Courtney asked, eyes flashing with a naughty glint.

Bianca laughed, utterly charmed. As she slid down from the bed, she caught Courtney’s gaze once again, dimples deep in her cheeks.

***

In the morning, once Bianca left for work, Courtney wandered back into her own room and flopped onto her unmade bed in a starry-eyed daze.

“Well well well. Look who’s joining us. The newest baby dyke,” Willam proclaimed, looking up from doing Alaska’s makeup.

“Will,” Alaska scolded, but Courtney just giggled, hugging a pillow to her chest.

She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night; neither of them did. And it was painful when Bianca finally slipped out of bed this morning to shower and get ready for work. Although Courtney had to admit, there was something sexy about watching her get ready--the almost choreographed routine of her hair and makeup, clad in a silky robe that kept slipping off her tanned shoulder, so enticing that Courtney eventually had to crawl to the edge of the bed to press a soft kiss against her. And then, when she began to get dressed, she allowed Courtney to dictate what she wore, down to the undergarments. She’d been amused when Courtney insisted on the set of forest green lingerie she’d bought that first week, the ones that had been at the center of Courtney’s most reckless fantasies.

“You like these?” Bianca had teased, dangling the panties between her fingers, laughing at the desperate edge in Courtney’s voice when she’d answered with a whispered ‘yes.’

Courtney curled around her pillow, counting the hours in her head until she would see Bianca again. She had an evening class after work, which meant that by the time she got home, Courtney would be stuck in her Cabaret rehearsal. It would be close to 11 pm before they’d be in the same room. Endless.

Willam looked up again, shaking her head and saying, “Surprised you can still walk after last night.”

“And this morning,” Courtney couldn’t help saying, with a cheeky grin. She nearly shivered with the memory of Bianca’s fingers working her into ecstasy while she was still in a sleepy, blissful haze, and then the intoxicating scent of her perfume right before she left, that glimpse she gave Courtney of the lingerie lingering in her mind, giving her something to obsess over all day.

Willam made a disgusted face, then began to fuss with Alaska’s hair.

“So...Ms. Del Rio took good care of you?” Alaska asked kindly, one eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, I’ll say…” Courtney smiled dreamily. “Did you know that you could come more than once, like in a row?”

“Everyone knows that, Courtney,” Willam said with an eye roll.

“No, I know, like in theory, but did you know actually?” Courtney sat up, eyes wide.

“Omigod,” Willam groaned. “She’s already fucked half your brain cells out.”

Alaska stifled a laugh, saying, “I’m real happy for you, Court.”

“Thank you. She just so…” Courtney searched for words, but came up empty. Shit, maybe Willam was right about her brain cells. She took a deep breath, noticing Alaska’s outfit for the first time. It was something she’d never worn before, and she looked adorable. “Alaska, I love that outfit! How come I’ve never seen it before?”

“It’s Willam’s.”

“Yeah, she had to borrow clothes since someone was getting railed in her bedroom this morning,” Willam said.

“Oh.” Courtney fell backwards, collapsing on the bed in blissful giggles. “Oops.”  

***

One thing that Bianca enjoyed about being the oldest one in their little group was that the others often assumed she was wise and experienced, even when she wasn’t. She liked the respect that came along with them believing that she knew things, and didn’t do much to dissuade their (sometimes incorrect) assumptions.

The truth was, though, as much experience as Bianca had with girls, she had never technically been in a “relationship.” She’d had plenty of one-night stands, but there wasn’t ever anyone that she felt justified calling a girlfriend.

Even though Courtney had blithely brushed aside her concerns about hooking up with a roommate, it didn’t totally negate them. She knew that, as close as they were and as much time as they spent together, there wasn’t going to be anything casual about their relationship. Even now, when it had been less than a day.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she got home that night to find a note on her pillow.

Had to go to rehearsal, but there’s a surprise for you in the fridge. XO, C

The surprise turned out to be homemade banana pudding, which was shocking to Bianca for two reasons. One, because in the months that she’d known Courtney, what she’d witnessed of her “cooking” was mostly just blending up smoothies or making kale chips, and very occasionally cooking some vegetables in a pan to dump over rice. To see what looked like a made-from-scratch dessert...even if it was terrible, the effort was overwhelmingly apparent. And two, banana pudding was Bianca’s favorite food, but she couldn’t for the life of her remembering ever telling that to Courtney.

She wanted to wait and maybe eat it together, but after about an hour, her resolve broke down, and she was in for a third surprise. It was good.

“How’s it taste?” Alaska asked, leaning on the doorframe.

“Oh, uh...it’s...it’s great, actually.”

“That was her third try,” her roommate confided, an amused smile playing on her lips. “She really likes you.”

“Well…” Bianca swallowed uncomfortably. “I really like her, too.”

But was it too much, too fast? Bianca couldn’t focus on her homework, mind too busy with racing, anxious thoughts. She tried to distract herself, sitting with Alaska (and then Willam, once she got home) and watching an idiotic reality show that they loved, all about children’s competitive cheerleading.

Courtney got back to the apartment around ten, immediately flying into the living room and climbing directly into Bianca’s lap, kissing her deeply, clearly unconcerned about their potential audience.

“Hey there,” Bianca murmured, when they finally came up for air. “How was your day?”

“It was the longest day of my life,” Courtney breathed, nuzzling into her neck. “I’m so glad to be home.”

In some ways, this was Bianca’s worst nightmare. So many feelings. Soft, gooey feelings, exposed and raw. But on the other hand, she did feel awfully warm in Bianca’s arms, and she smelled like heaven, and maybe feelings weren’t the worst thing in the world…

“Did you try the pudding?” Courtney asked. “Was it okay?”

“It was perfect.”

“Good.” Courtney twirled a lock of hair, lashes fluttering, and whispered, “Show me the bra…”

“There are other people in the room, you know,” Bianca murmured back, feeling her cheeks heat up.  

“So? Come on, just a peek.” Courtney tugged at her top button.

“Ugh...”

Courtney looked up, amused at Willam’s interruption. “What, Bill? You got an opinion to share?”

“Yeah. You’re being gross,” Willam said. “And you’ve never acted this way with a guy.”  

“Bianca’s better than a guy,” said Courtney.

Bianca looked up at Willam and offered a little shrug. “My dick vibrates.”

Alaska burst out laughing, looking up from her laptop. “Hard to argue with that logic, eh Will?”

“Whatever,” Willam said, rolling her eyes.

Courtney’s attention was back on Bianca, fingering her button, and Bianca gave a little nod of consent, letting her open it, a sharp inhale immediately following. It was, quite frankly, thrilling to see her so turned on just from a glimpse down her top. And then her head snapped up, almost like getting startled out of a dream, saying, “Alaska…?”

“Yes, Courtney?”

“Do you want to...borrow my bed again?”

“I already put my stuff in your room,” Alaska informed her.

“Oh, okay...beaut.” Courtney slid from Bianca’s lap and sauntered into her bedroom, Bianca quickly scrambling behind.

“Goodnight, guys!” Bianca tossed out.

Courtney gave a little wave to her other roommates before shutting the door firmly, cutting off the sound of their amused laughter. Then she turned and flashed the naughtiest, most wicked grin Bianca had ever seen.

***

Courtney stirred, rolling into the scent of Bianca’s shampoo on the pillow, eyes fluttering open. She blinked, slightly confused, before realizing that she was in the bed alone. Sitting up on her elbows, she saw Bianca at her desk, hunched over a textbook with a highlighter, black-framed glasses on her face, reddish-brown hair pulled into a messy bun. Courtney smiled slightly; as beautiful as she found Bianca when she was dolled up and looking like a million bucks, there was always something sweet and comforting about seeing her like that.

“Hi,” Courtney said, biting her lip.

“Hey.” Bianca barely glanced her way, turning a page in her textbook.

“Did you sleep okay?”

“Yup.”

Courtney cleared her throat, suddenly self-conscious, becoming more and more aware of the fact that Bianca clearly didn’t want to talk. She thought, the night before, that they’d finally made some progress. That they were finally a small step closer to becoming...whatever they were supposed to.

But now, in the harsh light of day, she wasn’t so sure. After a few more moments of awkward silence, Courtney got the hint, swinging her legs off the side of the bed and gathering up her dress, shoes, and bag.

“Um...I’ll wash your T-shirt and get it back to you-”

“Thanks.”

Courtney let out a little sigh and exited, crossing through the living room, startled by Alaska’s voice saying, “Morning,” from the sofa.

“Lasky!” Courtney exclaimed, surprised. “Did you sleep here?”

“Yeah,” came the quiet, drawn-out reply. “I didn’t want to intrude on whatever...you guys had going on.”

Eyes widening in sympathy and guilt, Courtney rushed over to the couch to apologize.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” she cried, flinging herself onto the couch.

“It’s okay,” Alaska assured her with a remarkably sincere smile before inquiring, “How’d you sleep? It’s so hard to imagine Bianca being all cuddly.”

Feeling her cheeks beginning to grow warm, Courtney glanced away with a soft smile as she mentioned vaguely, “She was alright.” Then thinking better of it, added in a rushed, “Nothing happened, by the way.”

“Uh huh. That’s what she said,” Alaska said with an indulgent nod, then admitted slyly, “I didn’t really believe her, though.”

Cocking her head to the side, Courtney asked, “Do you believe me? Because nothing…” she forced herself to repeat, trying not to sound bitter, “nothing happened.”

It wasn’t just the “nothing happening” that made Courtney feel frustrated. It was also how easily she’d chickened out and let Bianca off the hook the second she’d realized that she wasn’t angry. She was so relieved that things were okay between them that she’d stopped pressing her for any real answers. And this morning, it seemed like her window for any kind of honesty had slammed shut. Bianca’s walls were up once again, and maybe they always would be.

“It honestly doesn’t matter what I believe,” Alaska informed her, tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear. She plastered on a reassuring smile as she stressed, “As long as you’re good.”

“I’m good,” Courtney affirmed just a little too loudly and quickly. “I just feel so bad that you had to crash out here. You could have had your bed. Or my bed!”

“It’s fine,” Alaska laughed. “Besides, there’s never any way of telling what kind of creature Willam’s gonna bring home from the club.”

Giggling away at the light jab, Courtney agreed, “That’s true…” Still, her guilt persisted despite the attempt at deflection and she had to backtrack, “Anyway...I’m sorry.”

A hint of sadness tinged Alaska’s voice as she shook her head and admitted with a rueful grin, “It’s really fine, I promise. Sleeping on the couch is not the worst thing that happened to me last night. Not by a longshot.”

The statement caught Courtney’s attention immediately but before she even had the presence of mind to question her further, the sound of her and Willam’s bedroom door being opened pulled her focus away from Alaska. In an undeniable state of anger, Willam marched straight from the bedroom towards the bathroom, all but slamming that door shut to boot.

As if to confirm Courtney’s growing suspicions of a falling out, Alaska immediately brought a hand to her head and let her shoulders sink in defeat. Clearly something unpleasant had happened at the club.

Placing a consoling hand to her roommate’s shoulder, Courtney carefully inquired, “Are you okay?” When no response came, her voice dipped even softer as she asked, “Did something happen? Do you need to talk-”

Straightening her slumped shoulders and slapping on a shaky smile, Alaska attempted to ease her concerns. “No no, don’t worry. I’m just being dramatic.”

Though far from convinced, Courtney knew it’d be best not to press the conversation any further. Nodding her head, she gave an agreeable, “Okay,” and let the topic drop. Before she left Alaska alone however, she pulled her in for a tight, comforting squeeze and assured her, “I’m here if you change your mind.”

She received a grateful nod of the head, but other than that, Alaska gave no indication she would take Courtney up on the offer. Not that Courtney blamed her. She doubted if she could even bring herself to fully discuss the mess she had gotten herself into with Bianca. So leaving the situation as it was, Courtney slipped into her bedroom to curl up and try to forget what a mess she’d made of things. Which turned out to be far easier said than done.

***

Courtney couldn’t focus during rehearsal. All she could think about was Bianca, and their stupid, confusing game of hot and cold. Even though it seemed like they made up, her icy demeanor this morning made Courtney unsettled. And worse, every time Courtney closed her eyes, she saw that look on her face in the bathroom. That intense, angry glare.

She’d seen Bianca angry before, but it had never been directed at her, and remembering it made her feel as weak and insecure as it had last night.

And then on the other hand, there was Adore. Being with her had been such a relief. No games, no guessing, just a beautiful and charming girl who wanted her and wasn’t afraid to show it. And in her arms, at least in the beginning before Bianca ruined everything, Courtney felt so good. So why was that one look, those few angry words, enough to stop all of Courtney’s fun? Prevent her from enjoying a casual hook-up with a compliant, enthusiastic, sexy stranger.

She couldn’t help wondering if Bianca would have done the same thing had Adore been a man. Not that there’d been much likelihood of that happening. At least, not last night. But was Adore right? Was she just jealous? It certainly seemed like that was part of the story.

So, she stumbled through ‘Wilkommen,’ mind spinning, and then completely blanked on the choreography during ‘Don’t Tell Mama.’

During the break, she slumped against the wall, sighing, trying her best to breathe deeply and get her shit together, when a hand on her shoulder made her look up.

It was Shea, a senior who was playing the Emcee, who had clearly noticed her fuck-ups, because she had a concerned look on her face as she asked, “Rough day, huh?”

“Um, yeah,” Courtney admitted. “Soz.”

“Don’t apologize. We all have our shit. Wanna talk about it?” Shea asked.

“Well...it’s complicated. I’m kind of having an issue with this...girl I like,” Courtney said, surprised at how easily the words rolled off her tongue.

“My specialty,” Shea told her, grinning wryly. “Go on…”

Courtney bit her lip. It could be good to unburden herself. It had certainly felt good to confess her feelings to Adore last night. So she took a deep breath, the whole story tumbling out quickly.

“She’s my roommate. And like, things have always been a bit...confusing. She flirts with me constantly, but it’s always in a way where it seems like she’s half kidding. And for awhile, that was fun, but lately it’s like she’s been pulling away, which is just-” Courtney sighed, trying to hold back tears as she continued. “She keeps finding ways to basically tell me that she doesn’t want anything more than friendship. So, fine, I got the hint. But then yesterday...”

Courtney trailed off. Somehow recounting the story made her even more unsure. Was she really seeing any of this clearly?

“Yeah?” Shea prodded.

“Well...we were at Sierra’s, and I met this girl, and I really liked her, and it was just...easy, you know?”

“An easy girl at Sierra’s? Sounds like a perfect night to me,” Shea said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, well, it would have been. But then Bianca like, interrupted us, because according to her, she was concerned that I was too drunk. I don’t know, she really got into my head, and we fought, and then I couldn’t enjoy it anymore. So I ended up leaving the club and we made up. I think? I fell asleep in her bed, and it was...I don’t know, it felt almost like we’d had some kind of a breakthrough. But now today she’s being weird again. I don’t know what to do.”

“Have you...okay, keep in mind that this might be a radical suggestion,” Shea said, “But have you considered talking to her? Maybe telling her how you feel?”

“I’ve tried!” Courtney exclaimed. “I’ve tried so many times. Or...I don’t know, it feels like I’ve tried.”

“Have you tried...while you’re wearing that?” Shea asked, eyes looking down pointedly at Courtney’s rehearsal clothes, a skimpy spaghetti-strap tank top and pair of tiny shorts. When she met Courtney’s eyes again, there was a wicked smirk on her face.

Courtney laughed, some of the tension finally leaving her shoulders.

“I’m not kidding,” Shea insisted.

“I appreciate your support,” Courtney giggled.

“Look. Go home, don’t change-”

At that, Courtney laughed again.

“And tell her how you fuckin’ feel,” Shea finished. “Open the door, invite her in...so to speak. If nothing else, then at least you’ll know that you were honest.”

“Well...you’re not actually the first one to give me that advice.” Courtney recalled Adore last night, telling her practically the same thing.

“There you go. Time to listen. Also...try to relax and forget about this shit while you’re here.” Shea slung an arm around her shoulder, continuing bluntly, “Or you’re gonna keep forgetting the choreo and Jonathan’s gonna replace your ass.”

Later, as Courtney walked home, she found herself getting more and more convinced that this was all just a giant misunderstanding. There had been so many signs. So many moments when Courtney was certain that Bianca liked her. And she became more and more determined to finally crack through Bianca’s walls.

How to do it was another question entirely. But she supposed that listening to Shea and keeping the short shorts on wouldn’t hurt.

***

Bianca knew that she’d brought this situation upon herself. She knew from the beginning, really, that she was in dangerous territory. But she’d blithely ignored the signs, the red flags, everything telling her that she needed to reign it in--and now, of course, everything was a mess.

Part of her was a bit resentful. Why should she have to deprive herself of some healthy fun? It wasn’t her fault that her straight (okay, bicurious, if she was honest) roommate found her so goddamn irresistible. She hadn’t done anything wrong--just some playful flirting, which she’d been clear from the beginning wasn’t meant to be taken seriously. She’d actually gone out of her way to overstate the boundaries.

But the smarter part...the more realistic part, knew that she was slightly full of shit. Knew that she’d done nothing, really, to stop the runaway train. And worse, that she’d allowed the situation at Sierra’s to get the better of her; her reaction to Courtney and Adore was entirely inappropriate and totally unjustified. She’d managed to squirm out of the conversation last night, probably due mostly to Courtney’s convenient intoxication. And this morning, too, managed to avoid any direct, uncomfortable questions. But Courtney wasn’t dumb, or a pushover, and she knew those questions would come sooner or later.

Bianca hated uncertainty. And right now, everything felt uncertain, which was both aggravating and deeply unsettling. The only good thing today had going for it was that by noon, everyone had left, and she had the place to herself.

Taking a long, relaxing bath when you share a bathroom with 3 other girls is a rare luxury. Unfortunately, in spite of the privacy and severely depleting her Lush supply, Bianca felt no better after her extended soak. She tried another tactic as the tub drained: vigorous exfoliation in the shower, scrubbing her body from head to toe until her skin felt raw. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t help either. Whatever was bothering her was clearly more than skin deep.

She emerged from the steamy bathroom still anxious, still defeated. And so, finally resigned, she slunk back to her bedroom and pulled out a book that her Global Communications professor had recommended, settling onto her bed and hoping to at least get something productive done today.

The soft knock on her door a little while later made her stomach drop. Shit.

“Come in,” she said, resigned to the fact that this was happening, folding down the page she was on and sliding her book onto the dresser.

Courtney pushed open the door, hesitating slightly. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, like she’d been hurrying in the chilly autumn air, and she was dressed in distractingly skimpy rehearsal clothes.  

“Are you busy? I wanted to talk.”

“Nope.” Bianca tried to sound nonchalant, crossing her legs and tilting her head innocently. “What’s on your mind, dollface?”

Courtney strode forward and sat on the bed.

“Last night.”

“Yes?”

“Well. You said that you were worried that I’d drank too much. Right?”

“Yeah, I thought that you were-”

“But then why were you so mad?” Courtney’s direct, unwavering gaze made Bianca slightly uncomfortable.

“Well…”

“Because you weren’t acting concerned. You weren’t acting like you were worried about a friend’s safety. You were acting angry.” Courtney didn’t wait for her to respond before adding pointedly. “Some might even say jealous.”

She folded her arms, waiting for Bianca’s answer.

Bianca said nothing, instead choosing to stare at her with an expression just shy of a glare. In a way, she’d been prepared for this line of questioning. After all, she’d been there. She knew what happened. But she wasn’t prepared for the questions to come this fast, be this direct.

This was a whole new side of Courtney. No longer the soft, agreeable little doll that she’d become accustomed to. The girl staring at her was unapologetic, prepared to take no shit. It made Bianca panic; and when Bianca panicked-

“We're done with this,” Bianca declared stonily, reaching for her book.

Courtney stopped her, actually jumped up and snatched the book out of her reach.

“No, we're not!”

“Courtney,” Bianca said warningly. She expected that and a fierce glare to be enough for Courtney to back off, yet to her mild surprise Courtney merely shook her head.

“We need to talk about this. I deserve an answer.”

“There's nothing to fucking talk about!” Bianca shouted in spite of trying to keep her voice steady and emotionless. “I already told you why and if you don't want to believe me, that’s on you. Now give me my book.”

She held her hand out expectantly, determined not to give up without a fight.

Exasperated, Courtney tossed the book aside and cried out, “Why do you keep pretending that it didn't happen?”

“What didn't happen?” came Bianca’s mocking reply.

“That you got jealous!” Courtney snapped back, then paused, taking a breath before admitting, “And I get it, okay? I was too, after I saw you flirting with that ranga.”

“What’s a ranga? Is that so Aussie?” Bianca asked with a devious grin.

“Don’t try to be cute. The redhead you were talking to. At the tables?”

Bianca frowned, trying to remember, then realized who Courtney meant. “Oh…her...”

“Yeah, her.”

“That was a two-minute conversation,” Bianca said defensively.

“Well...” Courtney began, chewing on her lip, fingers nervously fidgeting as she continued, “That’s the point. I saw that and it made me feel...I don’t know, jealous and hurt, even though I knew that wasn’t really justified, or fair to you. You’re allowed to flirt with whoever you want, right?”

A tightness began to creep into Bianca’s throat. Was Courtney saying what it sounded like she was saying?

“But, then Adore started paying attention to me and suddenly I felt okay again,” she continued, and inexplicable anger took over, crushing the hope that had begun to bloom in Bianca’s chest.  

“Great, good for you,” Bianca growled. “Why don’t you call her, then?”

“I don’t want to call her! I want you to admit that you saw me leave with her and you followed. You weren’t worried about my safety, you wanted to stop us from doing anything. Why can't you just admit that?” she asked desperately. Her eyes were pleading now and her voice started to crack.

And Bianca, of course, had no answer. She looked away, swallowing, then back at Courtney, still searching for something to say. But Courtney beat her to the punch once again.

“I think...maybe you like me,” she spoke softly. “Don’t you?”

When no answer came, once again, she tossed the book down and reached out, a hand on Bianca’s forearm.

“Well, I like you. If I didn’t like you, I’d have stayed in the club with Adore. That would have been the easiest thing. But I didn’t, because I care about you. And I think you know that...so why can’t we even talk about it like fucking adults?”

It wasn’t enough, was all Bianca could think. Courtney’s possibly temporary interest was not a reason to potentially fuck up a friendship, not to mention make their living situation extremely precarious.

Sneering, yet still not moving away, Bianca told her, “Nothing about this would be a good idea.”

“Why not?” Courtney couldn’t help saying, eyes rolling.

“Uh, about a million reasons,” Bianca said. “We’re roommates, we’re friends, and if things go south--scratch that, when things go south, it’ll be a fucking mess.”

“Could be worth it,” Courtney said, a smile pulling at her lips. “And I mean, I have heaps of other friends, so…”

Thoroughly annoyed by Courtney’s nonchalance, Bianca then went for a low blow by reminding her, “Okay, how about the fact that you've never been with a woman before?”

“So what?”

“So, I don’t even know if you’re gay. Or what you are. Maybe you’re just...confused.”

“Yeah, maybe!” Courtney burst out. “Maybe I don’t know what I am either. But labels aren’t really my priority right now. All I care about, all that matters, is that I like you.”

“What is the point of this conversation, anyway? Do you really think you can debate me into fucking you?” Bianca asked.

Courtney’s smile turned bittersweet, a sigh leaving her. She scooted closer to Bianca, their knees now touching, speaking gently and carefully.

“No, you’re right. I just wanted to tell you that I can’t stop thinking about you. And I don’t think it’s just some fleeting curiosity. I like everything about you...how smart you are, how funny, how even when you're teasing or mad at me like last night, I still wanna be close to you. I always have. You’re just so...so beautiful,” she finished, eyes soft and misty. No longer fighting, or trying to prove a point. No longer indignant or demanding an answer. Just looking at Bianca in that irresistible way, like she’d hung the moon. “And I think...it could be really great, if we gave it a shot.”

Bianca’s mind raced. How did this conversation go so off the rails, so quickly? What was she supposed to say to that?

“Maybe I’m wrong, though,” Courtney conceded lightly. “Maybe you don’t feel the same way. Maybe it’s all in my head.”

“Courtney-”

“If you tell me I’m wrong, I’ll leave. I won’t bother you about this again. So. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Courtney looked at her, challenging but still somehow soft and vulnerable. This was Bianca’s out. This was a gift, and they both knew it. And the smart thing to do would have been to take that gift and just tell her that she was wrong. Sorry for leading you on, dollface. Hope we can still be friends.

Instead, Bianca was an idiot.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because. You’re not wrong, but-”

The smile that spread across Courtney’s face, lighting up her eyes, was yet another reminder to Bianca of how thoroughly she’d fucked this up.

“But listen,” she continued, “I told myself a long time ago that I would not, under any circumstances, be the kind of asshole who tried to seduce straight girls.”

“I’m not-”

“I know, I know, you don’t know what you are. But that’s the point, Court. I don’t want to be like, taking advantage of the fact that you’re confused right now. Okay? I just…” Bianca sighed. “God, I really should have just let you fuck that green-haired slut, huh?”

Courtney chuckled at that.

“I just...I made a promise to myself. That no matter what, I wasn’t gonna lay a hand on you.”

“Hmm.” Courtney made a small noise, backing off a little bit. “Okay.”

It was too easy, and her eyes still had that sparkle. So Bianca’s heart was still in her throat.

“I understand what you’re saying, B. And I would never want to make you feel like you have to break a personal promise.”

Bianca began to get the distinct impression that she was being mocked, in spite of the sweet and empathetic way that Courtney was speaking--or maybe because of it.

“But, if you’ll hear it...I do have a small counterpoint,” Courtney added.  

“Fine.”

“Are you sure?” Courtney asked. “I don’t want to nag you. So if your mind is made up, I-”

“Just tell me your fuckin’ counterpoint.”

“Okay.” Courtney inched forward, “Here it is.”

Bianca’s eyes shifted to her knee, where Courtney’s hand had settled. Her breathing remained shallow, body unmoving. When she looked back into Courtney’s glittering green eyes, felt the soft hand slide up her thigh, her breath hitched.

“Do you want me to stop?” Courtney whispered.

Her pulse now racing, Bianca shook her head slightly, watching Courtney’s beautiful face as her eyes went soft. She leaned closer, lips hovering over Bianca’s, so close that Bianca swore she could taste her. Her free hand tangled into Bianca’s hair, fingers running through it as she cupped her cheek.

When their mouths were mere millimeters apart, Bianca’s eyes finally fell closed, lips parting in anticipation, hands moving to Courtney’s waist. Courtney brushed their lips together, so soft Bianca thought she may have imagined it.

*

Courtney had been dreaming of this for so long; it was hard for her to believe that it was really happening. She took her time, thumbs stroking Bianca’s cheeks, nose nuzzling into her gently before finally pressing their lips together. Her mouth was pillowy soft and warm, and Courtney couldn’t help smiling against her as she deepened the kiss, tongue slipping inside her mouth to luxuriate in the taste of her.

“Court, wait...are you really sure this is what you want?” Bianca asked, pulling back just a little to search her eyes.

Still panting, Courtney took a moment to compose herself, enough to look into Bianca’s eyes and say, “Dead sure.”  

“Ugh, that’s so Aussie,” Bianca stated, and Courtney laughed, pulling her close again.

“Shut up,” she whispered, going in for another soft kiss.  

And then, like a dam bursting open, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Bianca’s shoulders and climbing into her lap. A low moan left Bianca’s lips as she rolled her hips forward, which emboldened Courtney to continue, rocking against her. Her lips trailed down Bianca’s jaw to her neck, finding the tenderest spot to graze with her teeth before sucking gently.

*

“Shit,” Bianca murmured, fingers digging into Courtney’s waist.

Why on earth had she been fighting this?

She supposed that from the beginning, the fact that Courtney was straight had addled her mind. Made her off-limits in a way that allowed Bianca to pretend that she was keeping her distance. And the fact that this ‘straight’ girl seemed so into her? That made it better--an exercise in self-control, which Bianca deluded herself into thinking that she was winning. At least until this weekend.

Now though, with Courtney finally in her arms, enthusiastically devouring her neck, pulling at the buttons of her top, she finally allowed herself to relax.

“You’re really jumping into this lesbian thing with both feet, huh?” Bianca asked breathlessly.

“Is there any other way to do it?” Courtney murmured, licking up her throat, then pushing Bianca’s top open and letting out a gratified sigh.

The way she drank Bianca in with hungry, greedy eyes made hairs stand up on the back of her neck. And then she reached forward, hands sliding up Bianca’s torso, cupping her tits.

“God, you’re so sexy,” Courtney breathed, running the back of her fingers over Bianca’s achingly hard nipples.

“Shit,” Bianca groaned again, arching up. The frantic pulsing between her legs begged her to take back control—to fling Courtney onto her back and make her forget her own name. But part of her was also thrilled by how self-assured Courtney was, how quickly she’d been able to work Bianca up to the point of pain.

“Do you like that, B?” Courtney asked softly. Her body weight pressed down as fingers continued to casually toy with her nipples.

Bianca looked up at her, bleary-eyed with lust, and admitted, “I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.”

Courtney giggled adorably, laying a light kiss against Bianca’s temple.

“Hold that thought,” she then said, jumping up from the bed.

Bianca lifted herself onto her elbows and blinked at her, a bit dazed, as she rifled through her dresser.

“What...what the hell are you looking for?”

“Just something to...aha!” Courtney pulled out a pair of black tights and ran to the door, tying them around the handle.

“We haven’t really established that code,” Bianca said.

“She’s smart. She’ll figure it out.” Courtney shut the door firmly, turning back to Bianca with a wicked grin. She whipped off her shirt (and bra) in one fluid motion, tossing them to the floor, then took her sweet time sauntering back to the bed, asking, “Where were we?”

Bianca cleared her throat, trying to tear her eyes from her perfect little tits before answering hoarsely, “You were teasing the shit out of me.”