Pulling her hood forward so it hid her face, Anairë slid out of the side door and carefully closed it behind her. She hadn't gotten caught yet, but she didn't want to tempt fate. Sneaking down the hall was always the hardest part anyway. Now that she was outside all she had to do was climb the oak tree next to the wall, hop over and she'd be out.
Getting back in was always more difficult than getting out, but she wasn't too anxious over being late home. Her dad had left on a business trip to Kuala Lumpur and wouldn't be back for two weeks, and her mum would understand.
Hopefully.
She just needed to get outside and clear her head.
What she really needed was to forget her idiotic ex-boyfriend and his crackpot half-brother. She had always thought that he was a bit obsessive over his half-brother. When he'd followed him out of the country over some hare-brained idea, she was certain.
She wasn't about to play second fiddle to someone who was 50% daddy issues and 50% angst. Breaking up had been...not sad, more regretful. It had been her longest ever relationship, and she had never felt so much for one person before.
But there was only so much a girl could take.
He had seemed resigned to it, almost like he'd known it was coming. After she had hung up from Skype, she had sat motionless on her bed. Just staring at the wall and wondering what the hell her next move was going to be.
Suddenly having a bit of brainless fun was just what she wanted.
With practiced ease, she landed lightly on the uneven concrete footpath. The hazy glow of lithium streetlights coloured everything burnt orange. Charcoal clouds gliding through the soft navy sky half obscuring the crescent moon.
She pushed up the sleeve of her hoodie to check her watch. She definitely had the right time.
The music was deafening. The bass was vibrating through the floor, pulsing like a beating heart. It was only April but the crowd of people had driven the temperature up until it was sweltering. Out of all the house parties she'd been to, this had to be one of the best.
Obviously someone's oblivious parents were away for the weekend.
With skill she weaved her way through the thick crowd towards the kitchen in search of some cooler air and a little bit of silence. There was only so much house music she could take before it began to give her a pounding headache. Finally pushing through into the kitchen, the frigid air was a welcome relief.
It was a moment before she spotted the girl leaning against the counter.
She was casually draped against the counter-top, holding a can of Miller Light in her left hand. A loose braid of dark auburn curls lay over her right shoulder. Her dark eyes and full lips emphasised by dramatic make-up. As she lifted the can to her mouth, delicate gold and silver bangles slid down her arms, glimmering in the dim light. She started when she noticed Anairë standing at the door, beer spilling and staining her lacy white crop top.
"Anairë" She choked between breaths, "I wasn't expecting to see you here"
"Nerdanel...I ah...haven't seen you in a while" Anairë said awkwardly.
It wasn't that she disliked Nerdanel; she actually liked her a lot. She was clever, snarky and good fun to be around. It was more the way they knew each other. When they'd first met, she'd been dating Nolofinwë, and Nerdanel had been going out with Fëanáro.
Awkward? Yeah. Just Anairë's luck? Yeah.
"So, how have you been?" Anairë moved to sit on one of the kitchen chairs.
"Dealing with my piece of shit ex-boyfriend leaving the country without telling me" Nerdanel's tone was acerbic. She grimaced as she realised her can was empty. "He even took the bloody cats with him. How the fuck he's gonna care for seven cats by himself I haven't a clue. Anyway, I'm rambling" She put the empty can down and turned to face Anairë properly, "How have you been? What with Nolo and everything..." she trailed off.
Anairë shrugged, "I felt like something was going to happen soon anyway. If it wasn't this it would have been something else"
Nerdanel smiled, and something light and bubbly bloomed in Anairë's chest. "You're so much more mature than me" Nerdanel said lightly, "I try but I can never get it right"
"Oh believe me, when he texted me to say he'd gone with Fëanáro I wanted to murder him, resurrect him and then murder him again" Anairë sighed. She tapped her fingers on the table, a nervous habit she was trying to get rid of. "But I realised pretty soon after that there wasn't any point in raging. He's gone and there's nothing I can do about it. I have to live my life"
"Preach" Nerdanel grinned, grabbing two more cans and offering one to Anairë. Anairë took it without hesitation and smiled back.
Hours melted away, they had both migrated to the floor, and sat propped up against the kitchen wall. Anairë's galaxy-printed hoodie draped over their shoulders against the cold. Neither had even thought of going back inside to the party.
Anairë began to say something, when the door flew open with a bang. A distraught Rúmil poked his head through "Get out!" he hissed, "Someone called the cops!"
Startled into wakefulness, Anairë hauled herself and Nerdanel up off the floor. Nerdanel tied Anairë's discarded hoodie around her waist, grabbed Anairë's wrist and ran towards the back-door. "Come on, I don't live far from here" she murmured, before pulling the door open with force and flinging herself out.
The fence in the back-garden was easy to scale, adrenaline giving Anairë that extra push she needed. Her heart was beating staccato with excitement and fear. She caught Nerdanel's hand as they ran, exhilarated at her own daring.
She had no idea what she was doing and it was glorious.
Nerdanel fumbled for the key in the pocket of her faded denim shorts. "My dad is out of town for the weekend, so we got the place to ourselves" she whispered. "Why are you whispering?" Anairë laughed. "Neighbours" Nerdanel mouthed, pointing at the house next door. Unlocking the front door with ease, she walked through, Anairë following with slight hesitation.
She could feel the throb of her heart in her chest, anticipation thrumming. What exactly was she doing here? On the surface Nerdanel was just letting her stay the night so she wouldn't have to walk home at 3AM. It couldn't just be that could it? Or had she misinterpreted the looks she'd been getting?
"Do you want a glass of water or something?" Nerdanel called from the kitchen. "Sure, thanks" Anairë replied, looking around the hall. She caught sight of a picture of Nerdanel, standing next to a tall broad-shouldered man with an impressive beard.
Nerdanel walked back into the hall holding two cups of water. "I don't know about you but my mouth gets so dry after I drink" she said with a rueful little smile. "Thanks" Anairë took the glass; she wanted to say something else but didn't have a clue as to what. An awkward silence stretched between them, both looking anywhere but at each other.
Anticipation prickled over her skin, a bright feeling pooling in her stomach. "Should I sleep on the couch?" it was hard to hear herself over the noise of her heart pounding in her ears. Nerdanel's lips were slightly parted and dammit she shouldn't be staring at them.
"You don't have to" Nerdanel stepped closer, putting the glass down on the hall table. She obviously meant to say something else, but stopped short. She was only an inch or two taller than Anairë but she still had to look down to meet her eyes. For a second there was nothing but Nerdanel's breath on her lips.
She closed the distance, leaning up and kissing Nerdanel.
For a split second Nerdanel froze, before she responded with heat, pressing forward, tilting her head and deepening the kiss. Anairë made a small noise as she found herself pushed up against the wall, wrapping her arms around Nerdanel's neck. After a minute they finally broke apart to breathe, Anairë both trembling with satisfaction and the need for more.
Nerdanel's hand slid up her back, toying with the clasp of her bra. "Your room?" Anairë shivered and moved into the light touch. "Yeah" A playful smile lit up Nerdanel's face, and for the second time that night she took Anairë's hand.
It was early when Anairë woke up, pale rays of light slinking through the gap in the curtains. It took her a second to realise that it wasn't her room. She sat up with a start, coming home late was one thing; not coming home at all was a horse of a different colour. Feeling around frantically in the dim half-light, a wave of relief swept her as she found it on the bedside locker.
A sleepy groan came from beside her, and an arm wrapped around her bare waist, pulling her back down to the bed. "What's all the moving about" Nerdanel mumbled into her hair, tracing imaginary patterns on Anairë's hips. "I've got to text my mum, just to let her know I'm not dead" Anairë twitched and giggled as Nerdanel moved up to her ribs.
"Ticklish?" Nerdanel sped up the touch, Anairë squirming against her chest and laughing helplessly. "Stop it" Anairë gasped, feeling Nerdanel grin against the back of her neck. "Or else?" Nerdanel slowed but didn't stop completely. As her grip loosened, Anairë turned in her arms and kissed her, winding a hand into Nerdanel's hair. A soft little moan escaped Nerdanel, her lips parting under Anairë's tongue. They stayed like that for a while, until the shrill trilling of Anairë's phone made them break apart.
"Hello?" The look of surprise on Anairë's face was almost comical. She pulled away and sat up straight, the sheets bunching around her waist. Nerdanel propped her head up on her hand, "Who is it?" she whispered as Anairë's face changed from surprised to relieved. "Just my mum" she whispered back.
"Yeah um the party ran a bit late, but I met up with one of my friends so I stayed over at hers" Anairë said in her best innocent voice. Nerdanel held back an indulgent smile and got out of the bed, pulling on an over-sized Babymetal t-shirt and grey shorts. "Do you want breakfast? I've got blueberry muffins" Nerdanel called over her shoulder as she padded downstairs.
"Sure thing yeah" Anairë replied with a smile, "Who was that? I'll uh...tell you later"