It was Thursday afternoon, Chelsea's favorite time of the week. She only had two classes on Thursday and they were both in the morning. She had about three hours after her class let out at 11:25 that she usually spent doing homework or reading on the comfy oversized couch in her apartment, using the precious hours of silence to their fullest. Then Raven would get home from her early afternoon class and the girls would spend the entire afternoon and evening together. They had agreed that they needed this time each week to relax and unwind and had therefore banned any talk of school. Both girls looked forward to their special afternoons together. It didn't matter what they did, they always had a ton of fun with each other.

Today, Chelsea was caught up on all her school work so she curled up in a corner of the couch reading Wicked. She was completely enthralled with the clever story and had lost track of the time.

"Bang!"

Chelsea jumped a mile off the couch as the front door slammed so hard even the hinges rattled. She looked up sharply to see Raven stomping into the room in a fury. Before Chelsea could open her mouth to ask her friend what was wrong, Raven let loose.

"I could kill her, Chels. I could just kill her. I knew she was shady but I never really thought she would stoop this low."

"Who-?"

"That bitch, Alisa. She doesn't like me because I get better grades and have gotten into more shows than she has. But now she's gone too far. She sabotaged my entry for the Fashion Frenzy. I went to the workroom to grab my sketchbook after class and there was paint spilled all over my worktable and my manikin. My dress, my beautiful dress, was still dripping paint."

"That's terrible, Rae, but how do you know it was her? Was she there? What if it was someone else, or if it was an accident?"

Raven practically growled as she answered Chelsea. "Ha! That was no accident. No, Alisa wasn't in the room, but I know it was her. The paint was that hideous sky blue color she's always over-using in her designs and I noticed her watching me in class this morning with this smug expression. I knew she was up to something, I just didn't know what it was."

Chelsea gave up trying to calm her roommate. Once Raven got going on a tirade like this, there was no way of stopping her. Chelsea could hardly even follow her ranting and raving. She tried to focus on what she was saying, but suddenly she found herself distracted by the look in Raven's eyes. They were flashing bright with a fire that Chelsea had only ever seen a few other times, mostly in high school when Alana used to provoke her. Chelsea was struck by how those fiery brown eyes reflected Raven's passionate nature. They blazed with anger and indignation as Raven got herself more and more riled up.

Chelsea came back to her senses when she realized that as Raven continued her rant, her voice had risen steadily until she was almost yelling. Although Chelsea knew that her friend needed to vent her anger, she was beginning to worry about the neighbors. She had to do something to diffuse Raven, and she needed to do it now. A thought flashed through her mind. It was risky, but it just might work.

It happened so quickly that Raven never saw it coming. One moment she was talking about that awful Alisa, and then suddenly her lips were captured in an insistent kiss. She let out a tiny gasp of surprise, but it only allowed Chelsea to deepen the kiss. All thoughts of Alisa flew out of Raven's head as she felt Chelsea wrap her hands around her hips and pull their bodies together. Raven's eyes fluttered shut and she returned the kiss passionately. She parted her lips slightly, inviting Chelsea to explore further. As their tongues dueled for dominance, Raven buried her hands in her friend's luxurious auburn hair. She pressed herself impossibly closer to Chelsea, needing to feel their bodies meld together.

Many long moments later Chelsea gradually eased their lips apart. She placed one, then two light pecks on Raven's waiting lips before pulling back farther. She tried to calm her racing heart and catch her breath as they stared into one another's eyes. Raven's golden brown eyes were still ablaze, but Chelsea knew it was no longer due to anger. She said a quick, silent prayer of thanks that her plan had worked. She grinned smugly at Raven, who was also still trying to compose herself. "I thought maybe that would shut you up."

"Shut me up, huh? You play dirty, Daniels."

"You haven't begun to see dirty, Baxter!"

"Is that so? Well I want to see that! But first," Raven's eyes softened at this point, "don't you think we should at least talk about this? I mean, what are doing here? What does this mean? How did this happen? This is gonna change things. We need to-"

"You know what, Rae? I think we do enough talking. But as for your concerns, what we're doing is taking our friendship, our relationship, to a new level. We're doing what I've wanted to do with you for a long time. What it means is that I love you, and that love is more than just as a friend. I don't know how or when it happened, but you stole my heart with your passion, craziness, and caring. Yes, things will change, but I know that our friendship is strong and that no matter what happens, we'll always be best friends. If you feel the same way, that's all I need to know."

"I do. I love you too, and I've wanted this for a while. I just needed to be sure you felt it too."

"Now that we're on the same page," Chelsea laced a finger through one of the belt loops on Raven's jeans and pulled her close again, "I think I'm done talking. You've got better things to do with those gorgeous lips of yours."

"Hm, and what would that be, I wonder? Could it be-"

Chelsea cut her off by pressing a finger to Raven's lips. "Anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

Raven tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. "It might have come up once or twice. Point taken."

She smiled impishly and leaned in to capture Chelsea's lips. The kiss began sweetly but quickly grew in heat and passion. Chelsea took control of the kiss and nibbled on Raven's bottom lip, eliciting a low moan from the darker girl. Without breaking the kiss, Chelsea carefully guided Raven backward to sit down on the couch. She climbed onto Raven's lap, straddling her legs. They continued kissing passionately and hands began to wander anew. Chelsea's hands were buried in Raven's hair, her thumbs traveling a teasing path along the graceful sweep of her neck. Raven took advantage of their current position by running her hands lightly along the redhead's legs before coming to rest in the back pockets of her jeans. It was Chelsea's turn to moan as she felt Raven pull their hips even closer together. Unconsciously she began to roll her hips, seeking more contact. Raven pulled her head back for just a moment, and searched hazel eyes clouded with lust. Underneath the haze she found what she was looking for, the warmth of love and certainty. Satisfied, she lowered her lips to meet the delicate skin along Chelsea's collarbone. She kissed a trail up to her ear and nibbled the lobe teasingly. Then she whispered softly, "I'm ready. I need you to touch me, Chels. Love me."

Chelsea shivered at the words and the warm breath whispering against her sensitive skin. She eased herself up off the couch and took both of Raven's hands in hers. "C'mon, babygirl," she said, leading the way to her bedroom. She shut the bedroom door softly behind them and gathered Raven into her arms. They kissed deeply as Chelsea brought her hands down to buttons on her lover's shirt. She unbuttoned them slowly, savoring the feel of each new inch of skin she exposed. Finally she pushed the opened shirt off Raven's shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Raven played her fingers along the bottom hem of Chelsea's t-shirt, inching it up along her flat stomach. Chelsea laid her hands on top of Raven's and together they pulled her shirt up and off. Chelsea reached a hand behind her back to unhook her own bra, then she carefully released the front clasp of Raven's bra. Chelsea's breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of the caramel beauty standing before her.

Raven felt herself flush at the attention. She felt equally overwhelmed by Chelsea's beauty, but all she could think about was feeling that silky skin against her own. She reached for the fly of Chelsea's jeans, making quick work of the buttons. She slid her fingers along soft skin and hooked them over jeans and panties. She slid the clothing down over soft hips and allowed them to join the other clothes on the floor. Chelsea took another step closer and undid Raven's pants. She smiled at the sexy black panties underneath, and pulled them down in one smooth motion. Raven moved onto the bed and tugged Chelsea down on top of her. Both women gasped at the feel of their bare bodies pressed together. Their bodies intertwined perfectly, effortlessly. Raven reached up to push a stray lock of Chelsea's hair behind her ear then pulled her into a fevered kiss. As they kissed, their bodies began moving together sensually.

Chelsea pulled back and shifted so that she was hovering above Raven's beautiful, curvy body. She peppered kisses along her shoulders and neck and nipped at the sensitive pulse point there. Raven moaned and urged her on. Lips continued a trail down Raven's body, tenderly caressing the rise of her breasts. Chelsea looked hungrily into fiery honey eyes as she wrapped her lips around a hard, dark-chocolate toned nipple. She swiped her tongue back and forth across the sensitive bud, occasionally sucking it into her mouth and grazing it gently with her teeth. She could feel Raven writing beneath her, straining for more. She switched her attentions to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment. She brought a hand up to caress caramel skin. She smoothed her hand along Raven's side, brushing the curve of her breast, moving down over waist and hip, sliding inward along her abdomen to linger teasingly on her inner thigh.

Raven's hips bucked and she lifted her head to look pleadingly at Chelsea. "Please, Chels?"

Chelsea saw the need in her lover's eyes and knew it was time. She shifted just slightly, so that they were face to face. Then she moved her hand to Raven's center. She slid a finger along her length then back up to find her clit. She caressed the sensitive bud delicately, moving her fingers in a soft circle.

Raven rolled her hips, matching her partner's rhythm. Her eyes fluttered shut and she bit her bottom lip. She could feel the storm building within, the incredible pleasure that Chelsea was giving her threatening to overflow. She struggled to open her eyes to look into her lover's, and managed to murmur Chelsea's name before her body shook with an explosive orgasm.

As soon as Raven came back to herself, she reached out to run a hand along Chelsea's cheek and pull her in for a kiss. Then she surprised the redhead by rolling them over so that she was on top. She kissed Chelsea soundly, then slid sensually down her body to focus her loving attention on rosy nipples. She drew a rosy bud into her mouth and teased the tip with her tongue. Chelsea's breathing hitched each time Raven grazed her nipples with her teeth. Raven noticed her lover's response and started to nibble a bit stronger. Soon Chelsea was moaning and had buried her hands in Raven's hair.

"Don't stop, Rae."

Raven could sense the tension increasing in Chelsea's body. She slipped a hand down between their bodies as she continued to nibble and play with the sensitive buds. Her fingers explored Chelsea's wetness, playing over her clit and teasing her opening. When Raven's wandering fingers finally slid deep inside her center, Chelsea instantly felt the waves of orgasm overtake her.

Raven eased herself back up alongside the redhead and pulled her close. Chelsea cuddled even closer, wrapping an arm around Raven's mid-section. Chelsea tipped her head up to look into her lover's eyes. "You're allowed to talk now, you know," she teased lovingly.

Raven smiled softly before responding. "I know. But I feel like we don't need words anymore. Except for these: I love you, Chels."

"I love you too, Rae."