Cherry Lips

Summary: Valerie's thoughts were a whirlwind inside her mind after that kiss.

Valerie couldn't stop touching her lips with shaky fingers. She could still feel Kristina's soft lips pressed against hers. She'd reacted badly and she knew it. It was just that the feelings that one kiss had invoked in her had startled her. Valerie had never felt like that before. Not with Dante, not with Curtis, nor any guy she'd dated in high school or college. Her heart ached as she remembered how she'd shouted at Kristina and how quickly she'd left. With a groan, she covered her face with her hands and gripped her hair.

She jumped at the feel of a hand on her shoulder and glanced up to meet the eyes of her cousin, Lulu.

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked worriedly.

Valerie swallowed hard and gave her a strained smile. "I'm fine. I just...have a headache."

Lulu raised an eyebrow and took a seat across from Valerie. "Come on, Val. You're talking to an investigative journalist. That's not going to work on me."

The other woman looked away. Part of her wanted to say nothing, especially not to Lulu considering their past. The other part of her needed to get this off her chest. That side ended up winning out. "I really messed up with Kristina earlier and I can't stop thinking about it."

Lulu's eyes widened curiously. She'd noticed how Valerie couldn't seem to stop touching her lips. "Did she kiss you?" She blurted out.

Valerie felt a flush come up her cheeks before she nodded. "I freaked out and told her I'm not gay."

Her cousin let out a hiss through her teeth and winced at that information. "That's a bit harsh."

Valerie sniffled. "I know." She said miserably. "Kristina kept trying to call me back, but I ignored her."

The other woman wetted her lips and asked, "You've never been interested in another woman before?"

The darker haired woman lowered her head and shook it. "I've only ever been involved with guys. They never made me feel like that, though."

Lulu had to stop herself from smiling knowingly. "And how did it make you feel?" She wondered.

Valerie shrugged helplessly and laughed. "I don't even know how to explain it." Her gaze lowered to her hands. "I've just never felt like that way until she kissed me and it scared me."

Lulu reached out to take Valerie's hands in hers to which she was grateful. "Nothing has ever happened between you two before?"

Valerie looked away at that, recalling the moment more than a year ago when she'd kissed Kristina to help her make Parker jealous. "Well...not exactly." She uttered.

Lulu hmmed. "You and Kristina are supposed to be friends. I think that you should talk to her about how you feel. Explain yourself. Explain why you acted the way you did."

Valerie stared through the door and gazed at Kristina where she wiping off the tables. She tried to gather her courage for the conversation she was about to have. Taking a breath, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The tiny bell overhead dinged and Kristina looked up. Her eyes widened and she froze when she saw Valerie. She let go of the rag she'd been cleaning the tables with and crossed her arms over her chest protectively. "What are you doing here?" She asked, voice strained.

The other woman moved farther into the room, heart aching at Kristina's behavior. God, she'd really screwed up. "I just...wanted to apologize for my reaction earlier. I was horrible."

Kristina looked down. "It's okay. I shouldn't have just kissed you like that. It's my fault."

Valerie's eyes widened and she shook her head emphatically. "It wasn't! You did nothing wrong and I even kissed you back. That's what scared me. I've never felt that way before. All my life, I've been one way and with you, I've realized that might not be who I am. I've dated men and I've never felt that way with any of them. It's even more complicated with you being my friend. I hate the idea of messing things up but I feel like I already did with how I acted."

Kristina bit her lip and moved forward. "I'd only dated men until I met Parker. It was when I met her that I realized I might not be as straight as I thought. Sexuality can be fluid. There's more than gay or straight and I'm fine with being your friend and helping you realize your identity."

The taller woman moved until she and Kristina's feet touched. Her gaze flickered from Kristina's eyes to her lips without her seeming to realize it. "What if I want to be more than friends?"

The shorter of the two gave a smile that lit up her face, hand going to cup Valerie's cheek, stroking it gently. She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed a too soft, much too brief kiss to the corner of Valerie's lips. She lowered herself to her feet and grinned up at the woman in front of her. "Then we'll work on it when we get there." SHe answered, voice full of promise.