Big Spoon

"Hey, Chlo, do we have any popcorn?"

"I'm not sure, babe, try the top shelf."

"Got it!" Aubrey shouted from the kitchen of the apartment that she shared with her best friend, and now girlfriend, Chloe. "Salty or sweet?"

"Salty. I think we both know you're sweet enough already." Chloe winked as she walking into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist. "Which movie do you wanna watch?"

"Your choice," Aubrey smiled, leaning down to place a light kiss on the smaller girl's lips, "Now, scoot, I'll be in with the popcorn in a sec."

Watching fondly as Chloe skipped back towards the living room, Aubrey's mind was clouded by both excitement and apprehension of the evening to come. Having been Chloe's best friend for 6 years and her girlfriend for almost 8 months, she'd gotten used to Chloe's 'touchy-feely' nature, and had indeed come to love it. She loved being close to Chloe, feeling her hands settle around her waist as they slept, or her warm lips against her collarbones. Needless to say, Aubrey responded instantly to Chloe's touch, but that was very much all she did; respond to it. Aubrey had realised a short way into their relationship that she couldn't be the one to initiate contact with her girlfriend. As much as the rational side of her brain told her that Chloe would respond in the same way that she did, a small, irrational part of Aubrey's mind told her that, if Chloe didn't start it, she obviously didn't want it at all.

Pushing the thought from her mind, Aubrey grabbed the bowl of popcorn from the counter and heading in the same direction her girlfriend had a minute earlier.

"Hey, babe, you probably shouldn't have let me pick the movie," Chloe grinned up at her as she entered the room, "We're watching Dirty Dancing."

"Again?"

"You said my choice!" Chloe pouted, seeing the slightly exasperated look on her the taller girl's face.

"I know, Chlo," Aubrey smiled as she sat next to the redhead, "Dirty Dancing's perfect. Hit play." Reaching for the remote control and starting the movie, Chloe leaned back, resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder and snaking an arm around her waist. Content at the contact, Aubrey relaxed into Chloe's embrace, smiling to herself as they watched the movie for what seemed like the hundredth time.


As the credits rolled down the screen, Aubrey shifted under the weight of her now softly snoring girlfriend. Every time they watched a movie together, Chloe fell asleep before the end; Aubrey wasn't even sure if Chloe had ever seen the end of a movie.

"Hey, Chlo, wake up." She whispered as she lightly shook the sleeping girl. Chloe's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at her girlfriend with a sleepy smile.

"Hi."

"Hey, sleepyhead. Come on, let's go to bed."

"Mmm…" the redhead mumbled, still smiling up at Aubrey, "But I'm really comfy here."

"You might be now, but if we stay here all night you'll end up with a sore neck." Aubrey scolded lightly, "Come on, Chlo, up!" Moving from her position underneath Chloe's arm, the blonde stood in front of the sofa, pulling the smaller girl's arms in attempt to make her follow. Slowly getting to her feet, Chloe moved groggily towards their bedroom, not stopping to look back at her girlfriend as she walked through the open door and fell heavily onto their still made bed.

"Really, Chlo? Couldn't even move the covers?"

Hearing nothing but a small grunt come from their bedroom, Aubrey grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and followed Chloe's lead, closing the bedroom door behind her. Laying down beside the redhead, she spread the blanket over them both, more than aware of how cold it would be with both of them only wearing tank tops over their underwear.

Missing the closeness of the usual sleeping position – the redhead wrapping her arms around Aubrey's waist from behind – she lay silently watching Chloe's chest rise and fall as she slept straight beside her in the bed, their bodies several inches apart. Taking the distance as a sign that Chloe didn't want to resume their normal stance, Aubrey sighed before turned to face away from her girlfriend.

"You could always hug me, you know."

"What?" Aubrey replied bashfully as Chloe's sleep-laced voice floated from behind her.

"I'm always the big spoon."

"What're you talking about, Chlo?" Aubrey asked, turning to face the redhead and trying to hide her nervousness.

"You know what I mean, Bree. I noticed a few days ago when we were going to sleep. At first I thought I was just being silly but I was right. You never hug me. You hug me back, but only if I do it first." Aubrey fell silent, not sure how to reply.

"I, um, I just…" She started, trying to form a sentence in her head, "I just assume if you don't hug me first that you don't want to be close to me."

Sensing Aubrey's embarrassment, Chloe reached between them to entwine her fingers with the blonde's. "Hey, look at me," she whispered, smiling softly as Aubrey's eyes met her own, "I always want to be close to you."

"Really?"

"Yes, Bree, really. I love you, you dork."

"I love you, too." Aubrey replied, her hesitation still apparent.

"Aubrey, if you need me to be the one to hug you all the time, that's okay. Just, sometimes, I'd quite like to be the little spoon."

"No," Aubrey replied, sounding more sure of herself, "I can be the big spoon." A smile crept across her face as the silliness of the conversation became evident, and she leaned in to lightly press her lips to Chloe's.

"If you think about it, you should be the big spoon anyways, you're taller than me." Chloe giggles, her face still close to Aubrey's. "Also, I think we both know you're the more dominant in the relationship."

"This is so not true!" Aubrey argued, laughing as she realised that Chloe was probably right. "I love you, Chloe."

"I love you too." Chloe replied, turning to face away from her girlfriend, smiling when she felt the other girl's arms wrap tightly around her waist. "Dork."

The two girls lay in their blissful silence, Aubrey slowly falling asleep as she heard Chloe whisper, "Hey, Bree."

"Hmm?"

"Sex too. It's okay to start that. I'm pretty sure I want sex most of the time too."

"And you call me a dork."

"What? It's true! I just wanted to tell you!" Chloe protested, twisting in Aubrey's embrace so that their eyes met.

"Yeah, sure, that's why you said it." Aubrey grinned, tightening her arms around Chloe's waist as she pressed their lips roughly together, vowing to herself never to miss another opportunity to be this close to Chloe.