Author's Note: It has been raining really badly here and I was inspired to write this after seeing all of the flooding. WARNING! Very slight slash ahead.
Julie had not been attracted to a woman in years. She realized that as she discreetly studied her female co-worker, someone who Julie considered to be her best friend. Kirsten Cohen, the woman Julie was watching, was rambling on about their current predicament. Instead of listening, Julie was unable to stop herself from admiring Kirsten. The way her blond hair shimmered in the sunlight that was filtering into the office through the blinds, how her blue eyes seemed to sparkle as she spoke. Julie forced herself to look away before her friend caught on that the brunette was staring.
"Can you believe this?" Kirsten scoffed. She ran one hand through her hair with a sigh.
Kirsten was referring to the fact that they were trapped in The Newport Group. It had been raining nonstop for three days, and it had not been any different that morning. The flooding began shortly after the two had arrived in the building. As they were entering, people were hurrying to leave. Julie and Kirsten didn't think anything about those who were leaving, they just assumed that the people had places to be. Now the roads were closed due to the extremely high waters, leaving Julie, Kirsten, and a few other people stranded.
"We should have ditched the paperwork and gone home," Julie commented. Her eyes were cast downward, afraid to meet the gaze of Kirsten for some reason. "At least we have food and bathrooms here."
Although Kirsten could understand Julie's statement, the blond didn't exactly feel the same way. She was worried about her family; her husband and sons. With another sigh, Kirsten was glad that she was stuck in the office with someone she liked, and not one of the other Newpsies.
"I'm just worried," Kirsten softly said. She abandoned the swivel chair behind her desk and joined Julie on the plush couch. "I haven't heard from any of them…"
Kirsten bit her bottom lip, a habit she had picked up from Julie. The two were almost always around each other, so little quirks like the lip biting had been transferred from one to the other. Even though Kirsten tried to stop, the habit was unconscious and only present when she was nervous.
The blond hadn't noticed, but Julie was looking at her again. She watched Kirsten gently nibble her bottom lip, and a grin appeared on Julie's face. She couldn't help but notice how adorable Kirsten looked.
"It'll be okay," Julie soothed as she pulled herself out of her trance. "I'm sure they are fine."
Kirsten shook her head. Her blue eyes seemed to glisten as she raised her head to meet Julie's gaze. She looked as if she were moments away from tears, and it made Julie want to comfort her. Before even considering her actions, the brunette wrapped her arms around Kirsten. Moving her hand up and down in a consoling motion, Julie felt a briefly familiar rush of emotions that she had not experienced in years, but decided it was best to keep these feelings to herself. There was not any reason to upset Kirsten any more than she already was.
"They're fine, Kiks." Julie's lips were mere inches away from Kirsten's ear, and both women became aware of that. The only people that had ever been so intimately close to Kirsten were Jimmy Cooper, her ex-boyfriend from a very long time ago, and her husband. For Julie, being so close to a woman she had feelings for but knew the emotions were not mutual was a recipe for disaster. She began to withdraw from the embrace, but Kirsten quickly tightened her grip on the brunette. Julie was on the person able to keep her calm at that moment, whether she knew it or not.
The blond gave Julie a quick kiss on the cheek, a standard move in Newport Beach. As they finally separated, Julie's cheeks were flushed and she couldn't hide it.
"I'm sorry," Kirsten was quick to apologize. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Kirsten really didn't know what would make Julie blush like that. It was just a friendly kiss, or at least from Kirsten's point of view it was.
Julie nodded, her cheeks still on fire. "No problem, KiKi."
In a comfortable silence, Julie and Kirsten sipped their bottled water and attempted to make things return to their previous state. Small talk began, and their evening appeared to be back on its course. Kirsten was still confused as to why Julie had blushed the way she had, but she didn't voice her questions. Julie was just happy that Kirsten hadn't made a big deal out of her blushing. But she made a mental note that accepting kisses on the cheek from Kirsten was no longer something she could do. In the midst of their happy conversation, each woman kept her questions and worries silent. They had enough to worry about as it was without adding a possible scandal into the mix.
