Prompt: Imagine your OTP mutually agreeing to be friends with benefits and nothing more. One night, right after orgasm, Person B mutters "I love you" into Person A's ear.
It started out simply enough. They were both drunk and very horny. They both knew that neither one of them have had any sexual encounters in a long time. They were roommates, they tended to know when the other slept with someone (the walls were thin).
Sarah had left right after and then blatantly avoided Delphine the next day. Sarah had pretended she didn't know what Delphine was talking about every time she brought it up.
The second time they were both drunk again. Sarah returning from another failed attempt at picking someone up at a bar. Sarah had stayed that night, but had been gone before Delphine woke up.
When Delphine had finally been able to sit Sarah down and talk about it, Sarah had been less than helpful. The conversation consisted of Delphine talking and Sarah shrugging. After a long conversation that shouldn't have been that long, they had agreed to be friends with benefits.
They never talked about it. There wasn't much to say but, they never mentioned it outside the bed. Or couch. Or shower. Or wherever they happened to be.
It slowly transformed from fucking to making love. Something that had been fast and rough changed to slow and gentle. It went from Sarah leaving in the morning to Delphine making her breakfast and kissing her cheek before she left for work.
They never talked about it. Sarah tried to convince herself that everything was purely platonic. She tried to pretend that when Delphine brushed her hand on the small of her back that it was a friendly sign of affection. She told herself when she crawled into Delphine's bed it was just the need of a warm body beside her, not because of any feelings for Delphine.
It wasn't until after one of their encounters the need to talk about it increased. Delphine had rolled over and buried her face in Sarah's neck. Sarah wrapped her arm around the scientist and pulled her closer. It wasn't unusual for this to happen as it was becoming more frequent.
"I love you." Delphine muttered into Sarah's shoulder.
"What?" Sarah exclaimed, pushing Delphine away.
"I-I am sorry Sarah. I didn't – I don't know why I said that." Delphine stammered
Sarah got up and grabbed her clothes and threw them on in a rush. Delphine stood up and tried to reach for Sarah.
"Sarah please, I'm sorry. Come back to bed, please." Delphine begged.
Sarah didn't respond. Delphine grabbed Sarah's arm in an attempt to stop her from leaving. Sarah shrugged her off and stormed out.
Sarah pretended the tears that fell after she left had nothing to do with Delphine.
It was weeks before they saw each other again. They never seemed to be in the apartment at the same time. And if they were Sarah shut herself in her room or found an excuse to leave. When Delphine knocked on Sarah's door Sarah ignored her and turned her music up louder.
It wasn't until Sarah came in and heard Delphine crying had they been in the same room for longer than a minute. Delphine had begun to stammer out apologizes. Sarah apologized too, in her own way. She pressed her lips to Delphine's and tried to convey her feelings through action not words.
They did talk about it. After clothes ended up on the floor and Sarah's head ended up between Delphine's legs. Sarah wasn't good with words but the message wasn't lost on Delphine.
It had taken some time but eventually they figured out the dynamic of their new relationship. It had taken longer for Sarah to tell anyone and even longer for her to show affection in public. It was Delphine who first said I love you. Sarah didn't say it back, not at first, but the kiss she gave Delphine told the scientist that Sarah loved her too.