p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Candles aglow, Vanessa blows out the match. She loves that smell, and she inhales it before dropping the matchbook on the counter and turning on the bathtub's jets. Sliding into the scorching bubble bath is just the prescription she needed. Enya plays from the bathroom speakers as she tries to soak away the week. Three extended surgeries in a row made for a long week. Charity has been away in Manchester and is currently on her way home. Charity's absence makes Vanessa's hours at the veterinary clinic easier, mentally. Vanessa hates putting her job over Charity, but it's just the nature of the work. Charity knows that, understands that even, but guilt floods Vanessa sometimes. Life just isn't as enjoyable when Charity isn't there to share it, though. To kiss away a bad day or do something silly that makes Vanessa laugh. Vanessa stares at the clock on the /br /strong style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"9:45/strong br /br /She sighs. There is at least another hour and a half before Charity gets home—that is if the motorways have cleared up at this /br /Vanessa slips deeper into the bath and lets her head rest on the bath pillow. Charity had picked it up for her after her first time in Vanessa's tub. She still doesn't know how Charity managed to sneak it into the bathroom but suspects Chas had something to do with it. Starting to unwind, her thoughts wander lazily. From how adorable Charity is in her selfie in one of the Mancunian bars, to how she wishes she could have gone to Manchester with Charity and Co., to what she wouldn't give to have the metabolism of a twenty-five year old again...Charity must have sent her eight donut pictures from three different shops. Apparently Manchester is "Donut Heaven." Vanessa wonders if she and Charity have any plans for the weekend. She is glad she has the weekend off and hopes they can recharge together. She remembers she needs to get a birthday card out to her dad and make a reservation for his birthday /br /The water has gone lukewarm when she finally emerges. The jets having done their part, her shoulders have relaxed. While toweling off, she can't help checking her phone and smiles when she sees the /br /span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Just got off the motorway. You better not have fallen asleep!/spanbr /br /Vanessa puts on her plush white robe. They had purchased a pair at Paris after a stay-cation for their first anninversary last year. It's still soft and cozy, and full of good memories. She releases the plug in the bath and watches the water swirl down, taking a trail of bubbles in its wake. Blowing out the last of the candles, she texts Charity back while heading into their /br /span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Not asleep yet. Come find me in bed. Alarm is on./spanbr /br /Vanessa slips into some cotton PJ pants. She pulls out one of Charity's old girl band fan shirts and inhales Charity's smell which sends another wave of relaxation over her. It's so old and worn, it's one of the softest things in the drawer. She will miss Charity's mock protest over Vanessa stealing her shirt which usually turns into her signature goofy grin and some cheesy line about how "it might not survive another wash" and how "she might be depriving Charity of her last chance to wear it!" Even though Vanessa's been the only one to wear it in the last /br /As Vanessa pulls back the covers of their King size bed and crawls into her side, she hears the familiar sound of her text /br /span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"I'm on my way. See my location: *GPS attachment/spanbr /br /You can't ever be too safe, and Vanessa is glad Charity has come to appreciate how much Vanessa worries about her. She subtly does little things to check in and tries to ease Vanessa's worrying when she can. Vanessa also tries to give Charity her space to do things on her own and just enjoy her boundless energy. She tries not to come off as overbearing. She's never sure it's /br /Vanessa's starting to doze when she hears the alarm beep off and then chirp at the opened front door when Charity pushes across the threshold. Her heart skips a beat. Charity will have dropped her bags at their entryway and will be heading straight for the kitchen. Hearing her open the fridge and setting the alarm again, Vanessa's eyes flutter closed, exhaustion from her week officially /br /Charity strides into their room, shedding her clothes along the way. Vanessa squints open her /br /"Mmm, good timing." A smile breaks across her face seeing her girlfriend's semi-naked body. "Good to see those donuts didn't go to your hips."br /br /"Hey! I resemble that remark," Charity jabs back, as she climbs into /br /"Come here," Vanessa says, lifting her arm so Charity can snuggle into her. Charity has this amazing talent of being able to sleep anywhere, almost on demand. With all the traveling, she is sleepier than Vanessa. Charity desperately missed the softness of their bed. The sheets are cool on her /br /Charity turns onto her side and fits into the crook of Vanessa's arm, resting her head on her chest, smashing Vanessa's ulna nerve. Vanessa's fingers start to /br /"Charity..." She breathes out slowly, not wanting to disturb her. "Come closer, find the soft spot."br /br /Charity grunts and adjusts her head slightly, her ear resting on Vanessa's breast. Vanessa remembers she still needs to schedule her annual mammogram and adds it to her lengthy mental to-do list. She thinks about how young and perfect Charity's breasts are, and how she is probably due a mammogram sometime soon too. Vanessa's mind and gaze returns to the woman in her arms, and her fingers start to wander almost aimlessly over her shoulder, down her back, and slowly up again. Vanessa places a kiss on top of her /br /Chairty relishes the thudding in her ear, instantly comforted. She sleepily murmurs, "I can hear your heartbeat," and then her voice trails off, her breathing getting deeper, more relaxed, slipping closer to sleep. Charity usually hates making little romantic gestures, and tries at every expense to cover her romanticist side in public - but with Vanessa, she's comfortable to express herself and her softer and warmer alter-ego. And that's what makes Vanessa so special to /br /Vanessa's breath catches, and her heartbeat zigs and zags, suddenly self-conscious. In an instant her breathing goes irregular, and keeping her heart beating normally, breathing in and out, seems to be the only thought swirling through her mind. Charity doesn't seem to notice, doesn't say anything. Maybe she fell asleep? Vanessa looks down at her peaceful face. Finally biology takes over, and her breathing, her heartbeat return to /br /Charity lifts her head gently and says, "my neck hurts." She shifts up and rolls over to her other side. Vanessa, not wanting to let her go just yet, leans over and plants a few kisses on her arm, down her back, finally moving up to her bare /br /"Goodnight sweetheart," she says in Charity's /br /Charity never knew anyone could love her so much, that she would open herself to loving that much. After DI Bails, she frankly didn't think she would ever feel anything positive again. Charity's thoughts become less coherent, less sad. She reminds herself she made it through, has a second chance at life. At love. She falls asleep with a /br /phr style="margin: 0.875em auto 1.2525em; border-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; width: 359.234px; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.12px; background-color: #ffffff;" /p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"br /br /Charity wakes up emway/em too early on a Saturday. Damn, all that travelling really has messed with her sleeping pattern. It was a long but fun week, and a really late night. After watching Vanessa sleep for a few minutes, she can't ignore the sharp pressure of her full bladder and the cramp throbbing in her knee. She downed a Red Bull before crawling into bed, and this is her punishment. She heads stealthily toward the bathroom, trying not to rouse /br /Minutes later, Vanessa feels Charity shifting the blankets on the bed and starts to stir. She snuggles into the added weight of the /br /"What time is it?" Vanessa asks reaching for Charity, eyes still closed, sleep still in her /br /"Six-ish" Charity /br /Looking at Charity, Vanessa says, "Do you want to go and grab some breakfast at the caf' before there's a two hour wait for a coffee and a bleeding croissant?" Her sleepy grin tells Charity she already knows the /br /Charity feels the covers realigning around her as Vanessa gets up and starts making the bed. "Hey, I'm still lying here you know!" Charity /br /Vanessa replies smugly, "Do you want to go or not?"br /br /Charity groans throwing the sheet over her head. Vanessa throws her hands up and heads over to their walk-in closet. Deciding to get with the program and hoping to catch a glimpse of Vanessa changing, Charity sits /br /"Babe, will you pick me out a t-shirt?"br /br /"Sure, what's the weather supposed to be like?" Vanessa /br /Charity grabs her phone from the nightstand and taps the AccuWeather app. "It's supposed to be quite hot today. 22 Celsius now. Looks like it will be beautiful...just like you."br /br /Vanessa peaks her head out of the closet and looks over at Charity sitting on the edge of the half-made bed with her foot on the floor and her cramping knee still under their sheets. "You know, for the village's best badass, you are such a mush ball!"br /br /"Uh, you wish!" Charity says, incredulous. She throws a pillow Vanessa's way for effect. Charity knows Vanessa's right, but this is their /br /span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Whoosh/span. The pillow lands a foot away from Vanessa's feet blowing air on her ankles. She laughs. "Is that all you've got, Ms Dingle?"br /br /"Is that a challenge, DMV. Woodfield?" Charity giggles, closing the gap from the bed to the closet, grabbing the pillow on the way. Even with her sore knee, she is close enough to kiss Vanessa within seconds. She stops short, tilts her head and looks at Vanessa, one brow arched, waiting for a /br /Vanessa is distracted by Charity's slender and rather appealing waist. Charity usually sleeps in lacey lingerie and a variety of options for her upper half: oversized logo shirts, tight soft v-necks that cling to her breasts, long sleeve numbers in the winter, often shirtless in the summer. Oh, how Vanessa misses summer. Last night she settled on a short pair of blue lacy panties that often expose just enough of her ass to drive Vanessa wild; and a tight white tank top, which is currently clinging around her beautiful hour-glass /br /"I see you," Charity says, struggling to hold her challenging /br /Coming back, Vanessa smiles back at Charity. "The last time you challenged me, I think I remember winning."br /br /"You are never going to let that one go, are you?" Charity says with an exaggerated pout, letting the pillow fall so it's dangling by her side, fingers barely holding /br /Vanessa's stomach clenches. It was a low blow, but she'd thought they were having fun. She reminds herself, Charity losing anything is forever a sore subject. "Oh babe, you know I was only teas—"br /br /span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Oomph/span. Before she can apologise, she feels a soft thud against her abdomen. Before she can register Charity's open mouthed smile, she feels another blow to her /br /"Hey! At least make it a fair fight." But Vanessa knows there is no such thing as fair when it comes to pillow fights. Her quick reflexes enable her to duck under Charity's third swing. The momentum of the attempted blow spins Charity around and she stumbles into the closet door frame before she can steady herself and turn toward /br /Vanessa is now armed and ready with a pillow of her own. They look at each other with their sternest battle face. A few moments pass, and they both come undone with laughter. They drop their pillows and end up lying on the floor next to each /br /Charity's face is damp, tears streaming down. Vanessa rolls into Charity. "I. Can't. Breath." She whispers out over non-stop /br /Recovering, Vanessa asks, "Do you still want to go to breakfast?" The ribbed edge of Charity's tank top is rough between her fingers, her mind heading toward her girlfriend's stomach. Before Vanessa can clear the waistband of Charity's knickers, Charity has rolled on top of her and has propped herself up, leaning back into Vanessa's bent /br /"What time is it?" Charity asks, grabbing her phone from the nightstand where she left it for the pillow /br /Vanessa just smiles to herself. For being the quieter and more submissive of the two, she seems to have a stronger sex drive. Maybe it's because she finally found the person she can't get enough of no matter how hard she tries. Maybe it's because Charity is her first proper female lover? Maybe it's because Charity can and does change her focus in an instant. Charity's mind moves a mile a minute. It isn't a problem...yet, and Vanessa decides it is not a conversation she is willing to have right now. Besides, Charity does have her pinned down. She gets back to admiring Charity's /br /"Sorry," Charity says, putting her phone down again and turning to face Vanessa with a sheepish grin, "I got sidetracked by Twitter. It's 6:45. They open at 8."br /br /A light buzz fills Vanessa's body, energy bubbling up from the weight of Charity pressing against her. Vanessa's cheeks warm slightly as her arousal begins pooling in her underwear. A wicked smile breaks across her /br /"What?" Charity asks, "Do I have something in my teeth?"br /br /Vanessa laughs. "I have another challenge for you, but this time we both win."br /br /"I don't understand," Charity /br /"We have to leave here by 7:40 to make it to the cafe before they open at 8, right?" Vanessa asks, not really looking for /br /"Yes. But if you don't—" Charity /br /"That gives me fifty-five minutes to have you as my first course, clean up, get dressed, and get into the car." /pp style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Charity flushes head to toe. The hunger and playfulness in Vanessa's voice flips a switch in Charity, and she has an even better idea./pp style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"br /Charity leans into Vanessa's ear and says, "Why don't you follow me into the shower and we can kill two birds with one stone?"br /br /Before Vanessa can respond, Charity has pushed herself up and off Vanessa, a whimper escaping Vanessa's lips as she processes what Charity just /br /Charity locks eyes with Vanessa. She wiggles out of her lingerie, kicking them onto the bed with a flick of her foot, baring herself. She slinks out of her tank top and tosses it in Vanessa's /br /Vanessa wants to complain about the loss of body heat, about missing the view, but she is overtaken by Charity's smell. She takes a deep breath, inhaling more of her. That smell could solve international conflicts. Vanessa hears the water running. Charity has disappeared into the /br /She bites the tank top then laughs at herself. She really is helpless when it comes to Charity. Even after three years, she is just as turned on as she was when they were in their "honeymoon phase," whatever the hell that means. She doesn't think anything will top that first night though. Getting more worked up at the thought, she lets out an audible groan. She is such a goner. She pushes herself up and follows Charity into their on-suite bathroom./p