A/N:

Trigger Warning: Mention of Sexual Assault


Letting her fingertips lightly glide across the other girl's cheek, Zoe couldn't help but smile at how soft Madison looked. It was a comforting sight really, and not one Zoe was privy to nearly as often as she liked to be either. Madison could be such a spitfire at times, and so it was nice seeing her like this. Even if it did require her to be tucked deeply within a slumberous state, her mind dreaming about her life before all this. Or at least that's what the young witch assumed the former starlet would be dreaming of, back when her life was more glitz and glamor than it was eye of newt and cauldron bubble. Taking in her rosy pale complexion, Zoe always found herself obsessing over the little things that made Madison beautiful instead of the obvious ones. Sure, her skin was silky smooth, and her lips were the very definition of kissable, but the Black Widow could spend hours just staring at her eyelashes. She could waste the entire day away fixating on her cherub cheeks or the shape of her nose, or how Madison was a total blanket hog. And yet as she sat there, fingertips no longer touching the sleeping girl's face for fear that she would wake before her time, Zoe . This was perfection, this was home…

Suddenly, the train came to a halt and the doe-eyed beauty whose head had been lying ever so peacefully on the other girl's shoulder, started to wake. A disgruntled little noise escaped Madison's lips and as she started to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she couldn't help but whine in protest, "What? How are we here already? That was like two seconds tops."

"I promise you'll get to sleep all you want when we get to the hotel," Zoe compromised, a reassuring smile spreading across her face. Looking out the window, she was glad to see the hustle and bustle of the train station outside. Not only had they made it in one piece, but they were ahead of schedule too! It was all going to work out very nicely, she was sure of it.

X

"I don't like the way the concierge looked at you."

"He was just being friendly," Zoe explained, a dubious expression taking root on her face as her brows furrowed and her hands swatted at the other girl's words. She hated when Madison would get like this, all possessive and paranoid over a mere figment of her own imagination.

"Friendly my ass," the telekinetic fumed, her high heels clacking against the bedroom floor as they entered their new suite. Placing her black roll-in luggage on the bed, Madison immediately turned on heel, so she could properly face her lover, "His mouth was talking about restaurants, but his eyes were totally checking you out. That guy was a perv, Zoey. It was gross."

In all honesty, it was rather endearing to see Madison all worked up like this. Perhaps if she hadn't been so Hell bent on making the most of their time together, she would've humored her lover's fantasy a bit longer. However, that wasn't the case and so Zoe had every intention of ensuring that not a moment was spared. After all, there wasn't enough time. "Well…" she started, the exasperation slowly but surely leaving her voice as a soft exhale trailed after her words, "What exactly would you like me to do about that dear?" Condescending as her tone might have been, Zoe knew she had won. Whether she liked it or not, Madison wasn't making a lick of sense right now.

"Whatever," what she lacked in logic and reason, she made up for in wit and aggression. Rolling her eyes, she willed Zoe's suitcase (who's handle had yet to leave its owners clenched fist) across the room until it laid flat on the floor, opened on its side. "Don't come crying to me when he tries to hit on you or something. I don't know why I even let you talk me into coming here, we could've done way better than this three-star shit hole. I bet you the sheets are-"

"Covered in bed bugs and the shampoo will probably give us lice, and the food will leave us blowing chunks for weeks. God Madison, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you throw the same exact tantrum every time we stop somewhere," Zoe hated diminishing the other witch's feelings down to a melodramatic spell or a theatric episode, but even she had her limits. And if there was one thing Madison knew how to do exceedingly well, it was get on her nerves like no one else. Well, when she wanted to anyways. Other times, Madison could be quite a team player, "Also, last I checked, my suitcase didn't do anything to you. I'm the one who pissed you off. So, if you're going to throw something across the room, try something a little less fragile next time."

As she watched the other girl move across the room to pick up and close her luggage, Madison's eyes softened for a moment and she could have sworn an apology was sitting right on the tip of her tongue. And yet, she found herself unable to utter a word in response. Making her way into the bathroom, Madison closed and locked the door with a mere flick of the wrist and began to do what she always did whenever things became too stressful. She was going to shower.

They'd been travelling by train for hours and despite advocating relentlessly for the first-class comfort and speed of a sports car or a limousine, Madison ultimately gave in to the other girl's desire for a more financially conscience means of transportation. Something which, according to Zoe, offered them a scenic route that they'd surely miss out on if they chose to travel by anything else. Although Madison found the entire experience to be foreign and kind of unappealing, even she couldn't ignore how content and at peace Zoe looked every time they passed an open field or a multi-colored tree covered terrain. In all truth, their cross-country trip had been going pretty well. That was, until she decided to get all up in arms about the man behind the desk who had looked at Zoe in a way that Madison knew all too well.

Stupid fucking Zoey. Turning on the faucet, she waited for the warm water to start streaming down before she slipped off her clothes and began to get undressed. There was something about a long, hot shower that soothed Madison's nerves like nothing else. Whether she was boiling with rage or shivering with sadness, all of her troubles were less with warm water and heavy stream. Can't she see I'm just looking out for her? Getting into the tub, she closes the floral printed shower curtain and reaches for the nearby bar of lavender scented soap before scrubbing away at her delicate skin. Her mind felt heavy, like it was going to burst at any moment. Can't she see I worry because I give a shit? Madison didn't mean to be so ill-tempered and domineering, she just couldn't bear the thought of something happening to the other girl. Especially while they were here together. Especially when they were meant to protect and look after each other. How could she not say something? What if something were to happen? What if Zoe got hurt (or worse)? Everyone would blame Madison, look at her as though she were inadequate or insufficient. Besides, she'd never forgive herself. Not if something happened to Zoe, especially something as terrible as that. For fucks sake Zoey. Try as she did to remain indifferent and unbothered to every heartbreaking sentiment and anxiety inducing thought which plagued both her mind and heart, Madison found herself moved to tears. That was the thing about her and showers. Aside from being soothing and relaxing, Madison learned at a very young age that they were also the perfect place to lose one's composure. No one could ever tell the difference between legitimate tears and shampoo getting in one's eyes.

Suddenly, the bathroom door came creaking open and despite wanting nothing more than the peace and quiet of her own solitude, Madison was almost kind of relieved. Not that she'd ever admit it of course. Letting an irritated groan escape her quivering lips, the frustrated blonde hastily began to wash out her eyes in hope the bath water would conceal the sincerity of the moment, "God Zoey, would it kill you to give me five minutes by myself? Isn't it bad enough we have to spend every waking hour of this fucking trip glued to the hip? I just want a moment to-"

Just then, the floral printed shower curtain came flying open and Madison was left to hold her tongue. Although, what she saw standing before her made her want to take back every word. Nude and trembling with her eyes as wet as her own, Zoey stood there with a painstakingly distraught look on her eyes, "I'm sorry. I know you're only looking out for me. I forgot about what happened to you that night at the party. I mean, obviously I didn't forget-forget, but we never talked about it again. I never took a chance to consider the kind of effect that had on you. You just recovered so quickly, I never even had the chance to…It doesn't matter. I'm so sorry."

"How? How the fuck did you know this was even about that?" Madison was shocked for lack of a better word. Doing her best to keep from shaking any more than she already was, she let her gaze drift back to the opened door behind them and willed it shut instantly. It was already bad enough they were both naked and vulnerable, the last thing they needed was a draft.

"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you think way too loudly for me not to hear," the other witch explained, a half-laugh trailing behind her words as she tried her hardest to force a smile. Zoe couldn't believe she had been so oblivious. It had never been about the concierge or his wandering eyes, Madison knew she could take care of herself. It was about something deeper than that, something neither girl had ever properly addressed. Until now that is, "I didn't mean to either. I just…You got so pissed and I couldn't tell what was wrong. I'm sorry if that's creepy or invasive, I promise I'll try not to make a habit of it. I just hate when you shut me out like that. I-" The frantic blonde instantly found herself silenced by the other girl's lips pressed softly against her own. Not knowing what else to say or do, Zoe kissed the other girl back in hopes that Madison would be able to feel just how sorry she really was.

"Stay the fuck out of my head, Zoey."

And just like that, with tears streaming down each of their faces, Madison desperately pulled the other girl into her embrace and let herself become entangled in the moment. As the warm water gently poured over their bodies and Zoe's lips fervently pressed themselves against that of the young pyrokinetic's, she found herself melting for the other girl's touch. This wasn't the first time they had been this close to one another and yet as they stood there, lip locked and shaken from the high rising tension of the moment, it was almost as though they were touching one another for the very first time all over again. Zoe, with all the newfound confidence and maturity that came with being one of the brightest and most efficient teachers at the Academy, still felt clumsy as ever when it came to such intimate matters.

There'd only been three people she'd ever shared her bed with and Madison was one of them, but this was different. Whereas Madison, never once having received a single complaint from any of her previous dalliances, was the furthest thing from sexually insecure as one could be. She'd taken many a lover in the past and although there wasn't a single part of the other girl's body she wasn't already familiar with, she didn't want to startle Zoey. Not when she knew how sensitive she was about being with someone physically.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to," Madison explains, her eyes wide with a kind of sincerity and concern she rarely showed for anyone point period. Let alone someone she'd been arguing with only moments prior to all this, "I mean it. I won't be upset or anything."

"No, it's okay. Really, I want this. I want to do this," Zoe didn't think those words did the desire she could feel blistering beneath her pale skin any justice, but it didn't take much more confirmation than that for Madison to continue. Zoe could feel herself growing impatient and as Madison's lips moved away from her own and began to work away at her tender neck, she couldn't help but moan in sensual agreement. Once she felt Madison place her hands on her body as she pushed her weight against her, forcing Zoe's back to come into contact with the bathroom wall, she knew the time for begging and apologizing was over. This was all that truly mattered…

X

Lying in bed with both her thirst and desire simultaneously satiated, Zoe didn't know what to feel anymore. As she held Madison beneath her grip, spooning her close and taking in the smell of her freshly bathed body, Zoe could feel the silence growing worse and worse. She knew she had to say something, "That was really amazing. You're really amazing, Madison."

"I know…" A confidently playful grin immediately planted itself across the little spoon's lips and although a part of her wanted nothing more than to reap the pleasures of the moment, even she couldn't ignore how Zoey's sensitivity was practically tangible. For all her collective nature and over all put togetherness tried to withstand, Madison knew Zoe was nothing short of completely and utterly overwhelmed. "You were pretty great yourself." A few months ago, Madison probably would've reached over for a cigarette, assuaging her need to feel the burn of anything other than her own feelings. She didn't want to be afraid of her feelings though. Not this time, not with Zoey at least.

"I was clumsy."

"Well, practice makes perfect."

Zoe didn't know what to say to that. Perhaps Madison was right, perhaps she would get better at being physical with her after various trial and error attempts. Not that she intended to be so calculative about it, after all she was talking about sex. She was talking about what they had just done and what they would probably continue to do many times throughout this trip. It was kind of mind boggling to think about, "You know, I'm sorry I didn't realize why you were upset earlier. I should've known better and I appreciate that you give a shit about me Madison, I really do. But you know if anyone ever tried to attack me like that, my body would-"

"Can we please not talk about that right now? It's too much."

Nodding her head in a rather anxious kind of comprehension, Zoe didn't say a word. She knew where Madison was coming from and for now, she was more than willing to comfort in the way the other girl gripped and pulled at her touch. Reaffirming her grasp around the smaller witch's waist, Zoe simply took in her scent and smiled. She'd wait an eternity as long as it meant having Madison like this, all to herself and vulnerable as ever. What more could she ask from a girl who was already trying her best? I love you. I love you so much, "That's okay. We don't have to do anything you don't want to."