a/n: song mentioned in this chapter is "She's So Mean" by Matchbox Twenty.
Any comments, advice or suggestions on how you'd like the story to develop are welcome.
Across the Window
II
"Sit, sit! Good boy!", Delphine pat her dog's head and gave him a treat. They've been out playing for 10 minutes now and she's started to like the California weather more and more. She was just about to go back in the house when she heard someone call out.
"Hey, you!", she turned around, but couldn't see anybody. She narrowed her eyebrows in confusion and just when she was ready to let it go she felt a touch on her shoulder. She instantly tensed and jerked her body away.
"Woah, woah.. It's okay, I won't bite", just then she noticed it's a girl that she saw from the window days before. Being near her, she for once noticed the features of her face, but it did not take her long to realize that girl appeared nude again. Abruptly, she looked away."Don't be afraid", smugness obvious in her voice. Delphine found herself being embarrassed, her cheeks have turned completely red and she started breathing much faster. She had no idea what was happening or what the girl wanted, but her eyes were quickly back on her.
"I.. Um..", Delphine struggled to find the right words, and that the other girl seemed to find amusing. She smirked, somewhat adoringly looking at the girl. Slowly, she reached out her hand and touched the other girl's cheek. Delphine was already confused, but this move just left her completely clueless. Any thoughts that may've popped on her mind were quickly erased as brunette stepped closer closing the gap between them.
"Merde", Delphine cursed as she heard her alarm go off. Wiping the sleep out of her eyes she sat up on the side of her bed. "What is wrong with me?", she thought remembering her dream. She sighed as she got up, walking by the window she glanced at the one across. No one was there. She wasn't sure why, but that left her feeling disappointed.
"It's just a dream", she mumbled to herself. It's been 4 days since they've moved in and the girl from the house next door seemed to be way too often on display to her than she thought she should. They haven't spoken a word, yet she's seen her naked total 3 times now and that sure has made an impression on her. She just wasn't sure how exactly she felt about it. Delphine's always been confident and even though only 17, she seemed to have gotten it all together. This neighbor, on the other side, made her think things through again and that left her baffled.
"She's an uptown, get-around, anything-goes girl", Cosima sang along dancing to the beat. She was home alone and that meant loud music, complete freedom and doing absolutely nothing and everything. "Her clothes are on the floor and all your records are scratched", she continued being louder and louder.
Delphine was on her bed reading when she heard the voice singing. She walked to her window and faced the familiar sight. "Aaah, does this girl have any parents?", she thought, but once again she found herself watching her nevertheless. She was confused and it was upsetting her. She's never had problems solving any puzzles, but what she was feeling right now was making her question things about herself. Things she's never thought of and that made her frustrated.
"Sayin' yeaah, you want her", Delphine was brought back from her thoughts as the girl raised her voice.
Gasp! And she froze. The other pair of eyes met hers. She felt like she's stopped breathing, she opened her mouth to say something, yell out, more likely, to explain herself. The other girl, though, wasn't bothered by the scene as much, so she turned around and continued to dance. Quickly, Delphine was gone behind the curtains. She panicked. She was caught and that made her feel so embarrassed. Not thinking it through, she stormed out of the house.
"You really have no problems with nudity, do you?", her voice sounded a bit more aggressive than she's used to.
Cosima opened the door in just a towel, she narrowed her eyes at the girl talking to her. "None", her lips formed an amusing smirk as she confidently responded.
Delphine was taken back by the swift response. She had no idea what she was doing on the porch of this girl's house. Telling her to stop walking around naked was obviously not gonna work and she wasn't sure that's really what she wanted. But she was there, standing right in front of her and she was waiting for her reply. "God, I am such an idiot", she thought. She hoped for a hole to appear and suck her in right now. Cosima raised her eyebrows at the girl who was blatantly staring at her now for longer than it felt she should. "So..", Cosima started but was cut off. "Well, how would you feel if I walked around naked all day for you to see?"
As soon as she said it, Cosima's smirk grew wider and Delphine just then realized how bad she sounded.
"Hmm, think I wouldn't mind that actually", brunette replied as she scanned the girl's body. Delphine was already blushing before, but right now she felt like she's gotten impossibly red. She cleared her throat as if she was about to reply when the girl in front reached her hand out. "Cosima", she said. Delphine looked at the hand in front of her and then back at the girl. She tried to focus, clear her head and just act normal and this gesture somehow calmed her. "Delphine", she shook her hand and the other girl smiled in return.
"You wanna come in, Delphine?"
"I didn't even tell my parents I was going out and I should probably get back to my book", that's what her response sounded like in her head. "Sure", is what she actually said, and she stepped inside following the girl in the towel.
"Now this would be my humble room", Cosima announced as they went through the door, "Though you probably know that already", she joked. Delphine blushed at the statement.
"I'm just kidding around", she said and Delphine forced a chuckle.
"You want something to drink?"
"Water", blonde girl replied with a tight smile,"Please", she added.
"Got it", and she was out of the room. Delphine looked around. She saw a few photographs on the shelves and assumed that's Cosima's family. Looking at the photo of a girl who couldn't be more than 5 at the time posing in an over-sized white coat, she smiled.
"Want some ice in it?", she heard Cosima call out. Jerking in surprise she bumped against the desk she was next to.
"Sure", she yelled back. Her eyes caught the light from the computer screen before her.
The Immunology Link lit in front of her. She was familiar with this particular page. In fact, she probably spent too much time on this site and the fact that this girl she's just met seemed to find the interest in it as well, made her feel slightly more comfortable and confident with herself than she was just moments ago.
"Oh..", Cosima appeared behind her, "That was just something I was looking at, sorry", she said reaching over to turn the screen off. The roles reversed and now it was Cosima that felt a little foolish. "Here you go", she passed water to the girl.
"Thanks", she smiled as she felt girl's fingers brush against her own when she reached out for the cold glass.
"Umm, sit wherever you want. I'll just grab some clothes", Cosima walked to the closet picking out something to wear. Delphine observed her doing this as she sat down on the bed and took a sip of water. Brunette suddenly dropped a towel and reached for the panties. She knew other girl's eyes were on her and she enjoyed the attention. "You alright?, she teasingly announced glancing over the shoulder.
Delphine was obviously once again caught off guard by her actions, but she managed to get herself together faster than before. "Excellent", she bit her lower lip looking at the side for a moment, before looking at the brunette once again, "Do you need help with that?", she asked as the girl clasped her bra closed.
Cosima raised an eyebrow at the sudden confidence she was getting from the girl. She turned around and just then actually noticed the person sitting on her bed. She skimed over her body; Her blonde hair was settling on her shoulders, her brown eyes piercing. She was leaning back on her elbows and white shirt revealed just enough of her chest that was rising rhythmically. Looking lower, she run her eyes over girl's bare legs. Her skin was pale, but looked incredibly soft. "Um..", she looked up at her lips then scrunched her eyebrows looking away and shook her head no as she cleared her throat.
Delphine nodded once, her mood suddenly changing. She saw the way girl looked at her and even though she was the one fully dressed in the room, she felt completely bare. Bare, yes, but uncomfortable, somehow not. She couldn't say this wasn't another thing that made her confused, but at the moment she didn't feel like questioning it.
Cosima shook all the thoughts she had out of her head and pulled shorts and a shirt on. "You ever smoked pot, Delphine?", Cosima asked eyeing the girl.
Delphine looked surprised at her words as she wasn't sure where they came from. "Non, just a few cigarettes once", she responded.
"Oh, that's a completely different thing", she waved her hand.
"Wait, you actually have some?", Delphine questioned.
"No, but I know someone who does"
"I don't think that's such a good idea, rebel", she said jokingly.
"Oh, is it not?", Cosima sneered walking towards the girl, "How'd you know?", she settled on the bed next to the girl crossing her legs on the bed.
"I've read about it", she nodded and turned on the side to face the girl, "Scientists have proved that, even though it puts you in the state of relaxation, it has many bad effects..", brunette carefully listened, her eyes moving every now and then from her eyes to her lips, "like for example, distorted perception, memory loss, trouble studying, disorientation"
Cosima smiled at the way Delphine spoke about this with so much interest, "Wow, you really did your homework", she chuckled.
Delphine just then looked up, seeing brunette smile she did the same, "Shut up", she rolled her eyes and playfully tossed a pillow that was next to her at the girl before her.
"Getting defensive, I see", she laughed tossing it away and pushing the girl down on her back and hovering over her. Delphine tried to roll her off, but she was quick to pin her arms down almost instantly as she felt them move up. "You forgot hallucinations, geek", she grinned at the girl that was struggling under her. They held a gaze for a moment and Delphine once again felt the same intense look which made her gulp audibly. Brunette moved off her and sat back on the bed.
"So you do know a thing or two, turns out", blonde joked as she too moved up on the side of the bed fixing her hair.
"Excuse me? A thing or two?", Cosima gasped pretending to be insulted.
"Cos? Cosima?", a woman called out, "You up there?"
"Yeah, mom, I'm here", she answered and looked back at Delphine mouthing, "Sorry, just a second", as she got up.
The door opened and her mother appeared there, "Hey", she looked at the blonde girl, "There you are. Delphine, right?", Dana smiled at her, "I think your mother's looking for you"
"Oh", she stood up abruptly, "Right, I totally forgot", she fumbled looking from Cosima to her mother quickly as she approached the door, "Thank you!", she smiled at Dana, "Umm", she looked back at Cosima unsure of what to do, "Gotta go", she nodded off and started walking towards the stairs.
Cosima smiled at the girl's clumsiness, "See you around, Delphine", she waved off. Hearing the door close, she turned to her mother, "You're home early", she stated forcing a grin.
"Mhm", Dana squinted her eyes at her daughter, "Didn't I say no girls in your room?"