Late enough for the moon to raise between slowly scattering clouds, the interior of Hecate's headquarters, albeit calm, were full of the golden hue of candlelight, its gleam keeping the silver of the moon at bay.
Inside the office, with the gleam of the candles filtering beneath the door but finding no curious students that could knock on the door, the untouched bed occupied a large portion of it, followed up by the books that, pristine, waited patiently to be the ones picked and occupy the place at the small yet functional nightstand at the left of the bed. That night, however, didn't bring quiet reading and, as such, two witches were hunched atop their respective work. One of them seated at the office's table and the other comfortable seated at one of the two armchairs that had been a recent purchase.
Hecate growled at the papers she was still marking, each number written on her angular handwriting at one corner, black sinuous ink quietly arranging itself if she changed her mind about the student's work.
"Not done yet?" Pippa Pentangle's voice reached to Hecate as the tall woman picked up yet another paper of the pile at her right, left fingers drumming on the watch that, instead of hanging from her neck as usual, was now resting next to her, in a soft purple cushion. One she would pick it up as sun rose and another day began.
The blonde witch was still surrounded by her own pile of work. Less student's papers and more bureaucracy related, however, her pile wasn't as imposing as Hecate and, one leg crossed over the other as she munched happily on a small doughnut, she looked twice as relaxed as the other woman. Something Hecate was too close to growl at before recomposing herself, back as straight as ever.
"I am starting to think that I should talk with Ada on starting a class on handwriting. Each day it passes these witches seem to have worse penmanship than the last."
It came closer to a whine than intended and Hecate bit down on the tip of her tongue; not appreciating how her tiredness was beginning to seep through. It wasn't that late, she thought, glancing at the clock at the silver numbers that winked at her, cockily, for her to be this tired.
Albeit, a voice on her head whispered, it wasn't tiredness what made her read and re-read each line, sometimes unable to focus completely on the task at hand.
Pippa's laughter woke her up from her reverie as the blonde bit gingerly on her doughnut and shrugged, the pink and white camisole she wore almost slipping to one side as she did so.
"Are you sure that is what is bothering you?"
Hecate could feel her nostrils flaring at the question, a small yet strong blush threatening to claw up the collar of her dress. She, unlike Pippa, still needed to change.
The blonde witch was right, of course, that wasn't what was bothering Hecate. Or, at least, not as much as to make her unable to focus enough on each paper. The culprit for that was precisely the other woman who, with a small tilt of her head and blonde hair already down, looked like the proverbial cat about to catch the mouse.
She hated that side of Pippa, her brain whispered somberly as she felt her fingers twitch that she didn't hate it, still holding her pen, her magic bubbling just a little too close to the surface. A side that had been there when they had been kids but not as strong, not as rooted on her. Years, another voice added, did that to people; made them capable of seeing what as children weren't able to.
And, precisely because of that Hecate knew that Pippa's new rule of trying to be together every other month, sharing headquarters and playing with her like a fiddle was a way to make her a mumbling idiot.
She could almost see it on Pippa's eyes, the challenge there that never disappeared, no matter if they were alone of not. The glow calling for her as Pippa managed to sneak a caress in front of both students and colleges, the trepidation when the blonde kissed her goodbye, far too close to her lips.
"I know you want this." She could hear the words. "But I won't make it easy for you."
Coughing as she realized she had been staring at the other witch for far too long, Hecate chastised herself, coming back to the present. Mind out of the gutter. That had been a rule she had imposed herself when Pippa had begun the game, small smiles curving lips Hecate found more and more dragged to with every new conversation.
Just as they were kids, perhaps, but different. A good kind of different maybe, one that made Hecate burn with want.
"Hecate?"
The brunette blinked, realizing that she, yet again, had lost herself on her musings. Ears way too hot, she pointed feebly at the doughnut that, half-eaten was still on the other woman's hand.
"I'm just worried about crumbs." She muttered, and she saw the way Pippa's eyes narrowed just slightly at her words. "I'll never understand how you like these things… too much sugar."
The blonde glanced at the doughnut, falling silent for a second, making Hecate think that maybe, maybe, she was going to be able to return to her papers, grade them and go to sleep without being subjected to more teasing. She, of course, was wrong.
Standing from the armchair and putting her papers aside with one small burst of magic, the blonde approached her, sauntering almost until she could look at her, inches above her as Hecate was still at the desk, pen so tightly clutched she feared for its integrity.
Gorgeous, her mind provided as she stared at the camisole the blonde wore, the way it let Hecate think of curves and skin. Temptress, her more rational side muttered to her. An epithet she wasn't sure Pippa would have any problems with it.
The aforementioned blonde simply smirked at her and held the doughnut close to Hecate's lips, enough for her to almost taste the sugar on them.
"Come on, try it." She said, mirth on her voice. "One bite. Only one and I will clean all the crumbs."
Licking her lips, the brunette tried to look away, only for the sweet to follow her every time she tried to move away. It wasn't threatening, she thought, but just like Pippa's continuous flirting, it was relentless.
A flirting she didn't mind having, her less rational side added, sounding too much like her younger self when she had realized that she, in fact, wanted to be the one who kissed Pippa under the mistletoe that year. A stupid idea that hadn't been fulfilled.
She could feel her magic still buzzing, strong enough for Pippa's one to realize it, close as she was. Cursing that and a transfer spell always at the ready, she stared directly at the blonde's eyes, shuddering as she saw the unadulterated desire that floated there before Pippa masked it away. She wasn't the only one feeling at the edge then, she realized it.
"I don't like sweets." She said, and she wondered if that was their thing, speak on riddles and just want for the other to keep on dancing.
Pippa huffed at that, rolling her eyes with her free hand crossed just below her chest, the camisole's fabric bunching up as she did so. Something Hecate tried her hardest not to look at.
"That's a lie and we both know it. You used to adore eating candy when you thought no one was looking. You had that horrible stomach ache back when we were 13, don't you…"?
Hecate shook her head, remembering all too well that night, the first of many in where both she and Pippa had shared a bed, going against every rule about curfews that existed on their school, giggling even with the ache clawing at her insides.
She wondered if Pippa also remembered the night in the same fashion she did. Coward, her less rational voice whispered. You know that she does.
Brushing her fingers against the paper she had been grading as she put the pen down, she rose her hand, palm up, and tried to feign as much annoyance as possible.
"Fine, Pippa." She muttered, quickly. "Give it to me."
A taste wouldn't be that bad, would it? She shot at the rational part of her mind, the one that, sternly, looked at her from one corner of her brain. A taste of what exactly? Shot back the voice but Hecate couldn't answer to that. Apparently, Pippa didn't as well because, after a few seconds of amazement, the blonde took a step back, enough to let Hecate stand as the brunette realized, still seated, and put the doughnut away.
"No, I don't want to anymore."
Hecate sighed, she knew that there it was the moment in where their game tended to stop until the next time Pippa felt like playing. A silent challenge and call to her, telling her to be the one who pushed the boundaries, to step further away from them. She never moved further and, as such, Pippa moved away and waited, knowledge on her eyes and a gentle smile on her lips.
It was, perhaps, the lateness of the night, the camisole or just the way Pippa hadn't still moved away but Hecate felt the name of the blonde rising through her throat, exploding just above her mouth, parting her lips.
"Pippa…"
Question or plea, the doughnut appeared back in front of her, taunting her in a way that made Hecate arch a brow and glance at the now beaming blonde. A bite, she thought, a small bite and then she would…
Would what? Her rational side seethed.
Pushing it away, she reached for the doughnut, opening her mouth while not once looking away from Pippa, taking into the way the blonde's magic was positively bubbling and seizing inside the other woman's chest strong enough for her to sense it.
Which was enough distraction for her to realize just as she closed her mouth around the pastry that it had been magicked away.
"I was going to eat that!" She protested as Pippa burst out laughing.
"Really?" The blonde's eyes turned darker once again, lopsided smirk hanging from her lips.
Hecate growled.
"Pippa." She breathed again, and the blonde softened her eyes, presenting her the pastry just as Hecate, finally, rose from the chair, towering slightly over the other woman. She felt about to burst, and she could feel her magic pulling her skin taut on several places, making her mouth feel like sandpaper as she glanced between them, close enough and yet not really.
The pastry, as Hecate found out and would never admit it to a soul, was delicious.
Pippa's lips, however, were better.