"It's 3:00!" Cosima exclaimed, jumping up from her stool and running to get her bag.
She looked over at the blonde, who was still hunched over her microscope. "Cormier," she stated, "Come on. One day a year, DYAD actually lets us leave two hours early. Two freakin hours! You are not staying one more minute."
Delphine looked up at her and sighed. "I am sorry, Cosima. I have to finish this. It is very important. I will only work a little while longer," she told her.
"It's New Year's Eve! I don't want you to be working all night," Cosima said with a frown.
"Don't worry about me. Go, you have to get ready to go out. You've only been talking about it all day," Delphine replied, shooing her away with her hand.
Cosima sighed. "Okay, but seriously, Cormier, get outta here soon." She put her bag over her shoulder and walked out the door, taking a deep breath as she closed it behind her.
She wanted so badly to ask Delphine to the party with her. She'd wanted to ask her out for months, but she couldn't do it. They were lab partners, for goodness sake, and she had no idea if Delphine would even be into her. They had to work together every day and she didn't want to make things awkward if she said no. So, she pined from a distance, dealing with the slow torture of having to see her every day in her tight pants, those long legs taunting her, god, those long legs, and her smile that lit up the room every time Cosima walked in. It was totally unfair.
Delphine ran her hand through her thick curls as Cosima walked out of the lab. She turned back to her microscope, but her mind was elsewhere. She wished she could spend more time with the spunky brunette. She was so full of life, so opposite from Delphine in a lot of ways. Cosima seemed to have so many friends, while Delphine barely knew anyone in San Francisco. She tended to keep to herself, which is why it was so difficult for her to find the courage to say anything to Cosima about how she felt. Cosima probably had so many women interested in her, Delphine rationalized in her mind, and they worked together, so she certainly didn't want to jeopardize their professional relationship.
Still, she couldn't help but smile every time Cosima walked in the room. The positive energy that surrounded her was intoxicating. Delphine wondered what it would be like to get close to her, to really get to know her, to feel her presence next to her. The blonde sighed, trying hard to focus on her work, knowing the reason why she was staying late was because she was too distracted all day to get much work done.
Cosima flitted around her apartment, trying to decide what to wear. She finally decided on a tight red dress, and did her makeup perfectly. She looked in the full length mirror. "Damn, I look hot," she chuckled to herself. She wished Delphine could see her in that outfit.
She flopped onto her bed, lying on her stomach, and checked her phone. It was 10:00. She knew she should get going to the party, but she couldn't stop thinking about Delphine. The blonde was really the only person she wanted to be with that night.
She took a deep breath and texted her.
Hey Cormier, what are you up to?
She waited a few minutes, checking her phone obsessively until it finally buzzed.
I am still in the lab...I know, don't yell at me.
Cosima sat up, shaking her head.
Cormier! That's crazy! It's New Years!
Delphine smiled and sighed, texting back.
I know. But I just have one more thing to do.
Cosima got an idea. "Screw the party," she said to herself and grabbed her phone.
If you're not leaving the lab, then fine. Stay where you are.
Delphine read the text, her eyebrows furrowing into a confused look. She sent Cosima a question mark and when she didn't receive an answer, she got back to work.
Twenty minutes later, she heard the beep of the ID scanner and jumped. She was not expecting anyone to be coming into the lab this late, especially on New Years. She looked up to see Cosima walk through the door, a large duffel bag in hand.
"Cosima?" the blonde exclaimed, confused as to why she was there. She looked her up and down and swallowed as she walked in. She looks gorgeous, she thought.
Cosima set the bag down and walked up to Delphine. "You wouldn't leave the lab, so I came here," she stated, "There was no way I was letting you spend New Years alone."
"But what about your party?" Delphine asked, a giddy feeling already running through her body. Cosima came here for her?
"Forget the party! I'd much rather spend time with you anyway," she replied, "Uh, I mean, you're totally stuck with me, Cormier, and I don't want to hear another word about it."
Delphine blushed and chuckled. "That is very nice of you, but—"
"What did I just say?" Cosima smirked, tilting her head. "Come on," she said as she grabbed Delphine's hand, picking up the bag with her other hand.
"Wait, where are we going?" Delphine asked.
"To the roof!" Cosima shouted, giggling as she dragged the blonde out the door.
"The roof?" Delphine asked as her heart raced.
Cosima didn't answer and soon enough, they were up on the roof of DYAD, the starry night sky surrounding them.
Cosima wasted no time at all pulling out a blanket and laying it out, followed by bread and cheese and fruit. "Come on," she said, patting the space next to her. "I brought a picnic. And of course, wine," she smiled, holding up the bottle. "We'll be able to see the fireworks from here."
Delphine's heart swelled at the sweet brunette. She wasn't quite sure if she was just being nice or if this was something more, but she decided to go with it. She sat next to Cosima as the woman handed her a glass of wine. "Cheers, Cormier," she stated, flashing her toothy grin that made Delphine's stomach flutter.
"You must be hungry," Cosima said as she offered her a piece of bread and cheese. "Stuck in the lab for hours...tsk tsk."
Delphine nodded and chuckled. "Yes, thank you," she replied, taking the food.
They ate and drank, enjoying each other's company. Delphine looked at Cosima with such a glint in her eyes. She could watch this woman talk all day. She was so interesting, and the way her mouth moved when she spoke...Delphine could lose herself in it.
After they polished off a bottle of wine, Cosima laid down on her back, staring up at the stars. She looked over at Delphine, wanting so badly to reach out and touch her, to connect that electricity she had been feeling all night.
"Hey," Cosima whispered, "Come lay down, here." She patted her stomach. "I'm a comfy pillow," she joked.
Delphine giggled and obliged, lying down perpendicular to the brunette on her back, her head resting on Cosima's midsection. She could feel the rise and fall of Cosima's stomach as she breathed and the touch comforted her.
Delphine turned her head up toward Cosima, smiling. "Thank you, Cosima," she whispered, "This was very sweet of you."
Cosima grinned back, watching how Delphine's eyes sparkled in the moonlight. "Don't mention it. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now," she replied, sweetly.
"What about all your friends?" Delphine asked, her eyes never leaving Cosima's gaze.
Cosima looked back and her and smirked. "Honestly, you're the only person I wanted to spend New Years with," she admitted.
Delphine felt her heart skip a beat.
Cosima reached down to run her fingers softly through Delphine's curly locks. "Your hair is so nice," she told her.
Delphine closed her her eyes for a moment at the touch, feeling her body warm. "It's kind of a mess to deal with," she confessed.
"It's beautiful," Cosima responded, digging her fingers in a little more to gently massage the blonde's head.
Delphine opened her eyes and grinned. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You're beautiful."
Delphine blushed and bit her lip. "So are you," she replied.
Cosima felt a surge of electricity run through her body. "Delphine?"
"Hmm?" she breathed, "You never say my first name." She smiled at the cheeky brunette.
"I know," Cosima grinned, chuckling a little.
"I like it," Delphine told her.
"Well, Delphine," the brunette started, her fingers playing with the end of one of Delphine's long curls, "I've been wanting to ask you out for months."
Delphine's eyes lit up. "Oh, then why didn't you?"
"Oh, I, um, I just didn't want to ruin anything, you know, make things awkward, I mean, we do have to work together every day," she rambled.
Delphine rolled over onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows next to Cosima as she moved in a little closer. She put her face right next to the smaller woman's. "Well," she whispered, "Why don't you ask me now?"
"Now?" Cosima teased, her heart pounding inside her chest.
"Mhmm," Delphine nodded.
Cosima smirked. "Okay," she replied, "Delphine, will you go out with me sometime?
Delphine furrowed her brow, giving Cosima a quizzical look. "Hmm, I do not know," she answered. "I mean, we do have to work together every day," she teased.
Cosima gave her a fake pout and Delphine chuckled.
"I am kidding, chérie, but I think technically it would have to be our second date, seeing as tonight was our first," she told her.
"Oh, this is a date?" Cosima asked, teasing. "I never said it was a date."
"Well, you blew off a whole party for me," Delphine replied, "What was I supposed to think?"
Cosima grinned wide before responding. "You're supposed to think that I, uh," she started, quietly, "that I'm super into you and I didn't want to spend New Years without you."
Delphine opened her mouth to let out a shaky breath, her mind only on one thing. Her face was inches away from Cosima's mouth as her eyes flickered down to her lips.
All of a sudden, a loud crack was heard and Delphine jumped.
"Oh my god, the fireworks!" Cosima squealed.
Delphine breathed heavily, from the intense moment they had just shared and the sound that she had not been expecting. She sat up, smiling at the display. "It is wonderful!" she exclaimed.
Cosima sat up, shifting herself closer so she was behind Delphine. She wrapped her arms tentatively around Delphine's torso from behind and whispered, "Is this okay?"
Delphine inhaled sharply at the touch, gripping tightly to Cosima's forearm and nodding. She felt the brunette's fingers run over her stomach, squeezing gently, and she leaned back into her.
Cosima brushed Delphine's hair out of the way with her hand, allowing her access to the blonde's neck as she placed a gentle kiss there. Delphine smelled so good, way better than Cosima had imagined, and she felt like she was floating, holding her like that.
Delphine could feel tingles running over her skin and she grinned to herself. This was not what she had expected from this night at all, but she was not complaining one bit.
"Guess it's midnight," Cosima whispered, "Happy New Year, Delphine."
"Je t'adresses tous mes voeux pour la nouvelle année, Cosima," Delphine replied.
She turned, putting her hands on both sides of Cosima's face. She looked into her eyes sweetly before moving in to slowly to press her lips against the brunette's.
Cosima whimpered into the kiss, grasping Delphine's sides tightly and pulling her closer, their warm bodies intermingling, falling into the touch they had both been craving for so long.
It was a happy new year, indeed.