Disclaimer: Nothing is my own. Even these words belong in part to Microsoft Office.
Author's Note: Wanted to upload this on here for people who are having LJ difficulties. Reviews are always appreciated :D Cheers and enjoy!
Emma grasped tightly on the hand that pulled her from the taxi and into the cold night air. The alcohol on her breath expelled the chill from her body as she breathed unevenly, hurrying to the front door. Jenny's keys jangled as she retrieved them from her shoulder bag with her spare hand. She raised them triumphantly, throwing Emma a victorious smile from over her shoulder and began, with only a little difficulty, trying to wrestle the key into the lock.
Although not overly drunk both Emma and Jenny had decided to grab at taxi from Cholus and go back for the car in the morning. Emma was naturally anxious about leaving the car overnight, anything could happen. Thieves, vandals… night foxes! All known to be at large and dangerous in Cologne. But her girlfriend had graciously reminded her that it was Emma who fears for Jenny's life every time she gets behind the wheel of a car, let alone every time she gets behind the wheel of a car after a drink or two and Jenny was adamant that leaving the car was 'the lesser of too evils'. Emma's words, not Jenny's. Jenny had called it 'the obvious solution'. So Emma flapped, truth be told. But eventually she had given a reluctant shrug and decided to try and enjoy a night out with her mates. Jenny helped.
"Shit," Jenny hissed, grappling with the lock impatiently as she struggled to turn the key in the door. "Shit, shit, shit."
Emma yawned, she was surprisingly tired after the initial sobering blast of cold air on her skin. She sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe 'not overly drunk' was being a bit too kind. Drowsily, her head found its way to Jenny's shoulder where it rested precariously due to Jenny's incessant fumbling. But Emma was too far-gone to care. Her breathing evened as sleep began to take her.
'Fuck me!' Jenny hissed. The strong scent of Jenny's perfume had long since faded to a mere trace and was now just a part of the scent that Emma had come to know simply as 'Jenny'. She loved that smell, even if it was currently fighting for dominance over the stale scent of sweat from the club. The lights were hot and dancing seemed to be the theme for the night, but Emma didn't mind. She liked watching Jenny dance. Even with guys. Actually, especially with guys.
Emma smiled in Jenny's shoulder, wistful and ready for bed, before suddenly plunging forward, head in a collision course with the floor. Jenny wasn't there anymore. Where'd Jenny go? What happened to Jenny!
Too strong arms caught her before she could completely lose her balance and give herself a 4-day concussion. They helped her back upright and propped her against one of the Bergman's minimally decorated walls. The plaster was cool to the touch and again the cold beneath her fingers roused her a little from her impending coma. Her eyes struggled open once more, only to be met by two, cool blue ones. They were practically smiling at her. Or was that laughter she saw?
"What's so funny?" Emma asked, equipped with a frown and a pout. As her words left her she realised how hoarse her throat was. There must have been a lot of loud, exuberant singing along with all that dancing tonight.
This time Jenny did laugh, warmly. The sound made Emma's nerves jangle and she had to work hard not to let her frown falter. "I can't take you anywhere can I?" Jenny said with an air of arrogance, eyebrow raised. Only the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth said that Jenny would take Emma everywhere if she could.
"Hey!" Emma responded, punctuating her defence with a little punch to Jenny's arm. Her girlfriend grimaced mockingly.
"Not so hard Hilary, ouch."
"Ben kept buying me drinks okay?" Emma pleaded, trying desperately not to look like a crazy-ass lightweight in front of her mysteriously heavyweight girlfriend.
"Okay!" Jenny soothed, both eyebrows raised this time, her hands going to cup Emma's rosy cheeks. Jenny's right thumb traced along her cheek bone, feeling the prickly heat underneath that had been encouraged to the surface with booze. Emma was tired and irritable. Not to mention inebriated. "He's just… it's his way of being nice," Jenny reasoned. She leaned into Emma, rubbing her nose with her own. "Hmm?"
Emma sighed, her body slowly losing the will to stand up on its on two feet. She nodded ever so slightly. Jenny placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Okay?"
The small blonde nodded once more and mumbled a resigned, "Okay". In a rush, Jenny's lips were on hers again, soft and tender. She could feel her smiling into their kiss and she couldn't help but smile in return. All of a sudden Jenny's body was pressed flush to hers; fingers laced through her hair, one hand gripping the front of her coat holding her close. No, not her coat. Her top. Her coat was on the floor already, how did that happen?
If she hadn't woken up enough already a soft but insistent bite from Jenny on Emma's bottom lip brought her well truly back into the world of the living. Seeing her opportunity Jenny ran her tongue over the now tender area before finding Emma's with her own eliciting a small and involuntary moan. Emma allowed her hands to grasp at the thin material covering Jenny's lower back, quickly find their way underneath. The brunette's skins was on fire and the smell that before Emma simply thought of as Jenny was quickly becoming way too intoxicating. Fuck me, Emma thought. Or did she speak it? She couldn't hear anything over the sound of her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest.
Her knees were still struggling to keep her upright but now for a completely different reason. Emma's hands traced round her girlfriend's hips, soft, smooth skins beneath her fingers, and settled on Jenny's stomach. She pushed a little, not to push Jenny off of her but to edge her towards the Bergman's sofa which right then was looking very inviting. But Jenny refused to move and instead pushed Emma back, back into the wall with force.
The brunette stood, breathing heavily and frozen in front of Emma. It was only now that she realised Jenny's shirt was torn. Her eyes were darker now, darker than she'd ever seen, and Emma found that she could no longer look Jenny's way.
"Do you want me to?" came Jenny's voice through the darkness. It was then Emma realised they hadn't even got round to switching the lights on.
"What?" Emma found herself frowning again, this time in confusion.
Her girlfriend inspected what was left of her shirt, sighed and shrugged it off to reveal a tasteful black bra underneath. Emma swallowed. Hard. She remembered one of the many lessons 10 Things I Hate About You had taught her. Nobody owns black underwear unless they want someone to see it. She'd scoffed at the time but Emma couldn't help wondering if Jenny had picked out that bra in the hope that maybe, just maybe, Emma would see it that night. The blonde quietly hoped so.
Jenny shifted from foot to foot. Was she nervous about something? It would have been cute if it hadn't been for her state of wondrous undress. She then caught Emma with her eyes matter-of-factly, brows raised. "Emma..." her voice was loaded. It wasn't a question. It almost sounded like a warning.
Oh God! Realisation hit. Emma clapped her hand over her mouth and Jenny couldn't help but smile. I said it. "I said it didn't I?"
The brunette nodded and her smile grew wider as a blush began to creep into the blonde's cheeks. Emma groaned, scrunched her eyes closed and leaned her head back against the wall. She felt Jenny's fingers entwine with hers and found herself being pulled forward where her forehead came to rest against her girlfriend's. Emma kept her eyes firmly shut. How could she have been so stupid? She knows Jenny wants to, she knows she's not used to waiting like this. And it's not like she couldn't just go somewhere else for it. She wouldn't even have to leave this God damn house. Fuck. She didn't mean it literally, it had just slipped out. Had she got Jenny's hopes up? She'd know if could just look into those blue eyes but she couldn't bring herself to.
"Fuck…" Emma mumbled. She tried to twist away but Jenny had her.
"We're not ready," Jenny whispered.
Emma gripped Jenny's hands tight with frustration. "No. You're ready. I'm…I'm useless."
"Emma! This thing here, you and me, we're a 'we'. And if one of us isn't ready then neither of us are okay? Especially if we're drunk."
"Yeah, I er, I guess I'm a little drunk," Emma admitted, smiling sheepishly. Jenny bit her bottom lip, biting back a ridiculous smile. "But you!" she wrestled her hand free and gave her captor a prod in the shoulder. "You're gone," teased Emma. She knew that she was by far more hammered than her girlfriend but it felt good to be able to pretend. And Jenny was gracious enough to let her.
"Uh huh. I think you're going to have to carry me to bed my dear." She said with the briefest of winks.
Emma placed both her hands on Jenny's bear shoulders and spoke with a solemn nod. "I think that would be a recipe for disaster my darling." The brunette tugged on the waistband of Emma's jeans, bringing her closer once again and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. When they parted Jenny wrapped her hands round her and tucked her head into the crook of her neck. Jenny's hot breath on the soft, sensitive skin of Emma's neck was soothing and the blonde almost managed to forgot her girlfriend was practically naked from the waste up… almost. So she closed her eyes and did the same, placing a gentle kiss on Jenny's neck.
They stayed like that for a while. Just breathing in the scent of each other. Finding comfort in each other's arms.
The sound of keys being driven into locks broke both girls from their reverie.
"Shit!" they both exclaimed, jumping apart as if scolded. Jenny wheeled round to the door. 'Ben, ' She whispered. Ben had insisted on staying out until closing time. Was it that late?
There was a muffled "Jenny?" from the other side of the door and more grinding of locks. If Jenny struggled to get in, Ben was certainly finding it hard. All of a sudden Jenny had hold of Emma's hand and she was being dragged through the front room and up the stairs, two steps at a time, all the while attempting not to squeal with laughter and wake the Bergmanns.
They barrelled into Jenny's room, pushed the door closed and fell onto the bed in a pile of limbs and laughter. Both shushing each other, hands over each other's mouths, they fell silent, listening for Ben's footfalls up the stairs. Eventually they came but stopped just outside Jenny's door. Both girls, still and silent saw the door handle begin to turn and the door crept open ever so slightly.
"Ben, get out. What the…?" Jenny started but she was interrupted as a hand snuck round the small gap between the door and the frame and hung a torn piece of green material on the handle.
"Thought you might want this back," they heard Ben whisper from the other side of the door. 'Though I wouldn't recommended wearing that it public again. Although, I wouldn't have recommended it in the first place to be honest.'
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Good night Ben."
"'Night Jenny, Emma."
"'Night. Thanks for getting me drunk with no strings attached."
"Anytime," was the response as he pulled the door closed. And then he was gone.
Emma flopped back down once more whilst Jenny changed for bed.
"You know it's not about sex right?" she called softly from the bathroom.
"Huh?"
"I mean sex is nice, don't get me wrong, but we can wait. It's not a race… it's not… it's not like you have any competition." Jenny emerged from the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe, taking in the sight of the small woman who had claimed her bed as her own. Her face in the pillows, legs already tangled in the sheets.
"You're not getting up are." No response. Well, it wasn't really a question. Jenny sighed as she anticipated their first quarrel of the morning. Emma ranting about sleeping in her clothes, how embarrassed she would have been if one of the Bergmanns came in. What would they think of her? Coming home so late, rolling into bed smelling of booze. She shook her head as she slipped under the covers, snuggling up next to the girl she loved.
"Next time, let's try not to mix our drinks hmm?" Jenny whispered. Emma groaned.
"How come you're so…?" she managed.
"Practice," Jenny shrugged.
"When?" Emma asked, quickly losing her battle with sleep.
Jenny shook her head. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to be having. She prayed for Emma to fall asleep, forget, anything but when she looked down her girlfriend's eyes were now open and gazing up at her. Innocent, unassuming. Jenny sighed, resigned. "London." She offered. "Berlin, Johannesburg... before here". Emma smiled and that seemed to appease her the moment. No doubt she'd have more questions eventually. She'd been patient with Jenny. She closed her eyes once more and buried her head in the brunette's neck.
"I love you Jenny," she spoke; the words tickled Jenny's neck and sent the trace of a shiver down her spine.
Jenny kissed the top of Emma's head and murmured the same confession into her hair, breathing in the soothing lavender scent of her shampoo.
"Remember," Jenny spoke softly. "If you get too drunk how are you supposed to remember how great I was so you can tell all your friends the next day."
"I hate you," Emma groaned but Jenny simply laughed and showered her with a flurry of the lightest kisses. Their hands found each other's and soon Emma was fast asleep, with Jenny not too far behind.
Just as sleep was about to take her the buzz of a phone woke Jenny with a start. Begrudgingly she slipped out of Emma's grasp and clawed at her bedside table in the dark. When she finally found some purchase she flipped open her phone and the dim light from the screen illuminated the room. Emma's perfect soft features looked so striking now with shadows forming across her cheekbones and beneath her eyes, across her adorable nose. Jenny found herself smiling again and had to drag her attention away from her sleeping beauty and back to the cause of the disturbance.
She had a text. Who was texting her at this time of night? Opening it she read the sender's name. Erika.
Shit. Not now. Jenny rubbed her eyes and read on trying to quell the concern that had begun to churn in her stomach.
Expect a phone call in the morning. Dad's dead. - E
She closed her phone with a start and the room was again bathed in darkness. Shit. Maybe Emma would be getting her answers sooner than she thought. She'll certainly be asking questions in the morning when Jenny tells her she has to leave for London that very day.
Jenny groaned and placed the miserable device back on her table and tried as hard as she could to become entangled with Emma once more. But not matter how hard she tried or how much she tossed and turned, she couldn't get comfortable. Not anymore.
Jenny didn't sleep that night.