Myrtle glanced down and saw the small blonde girl had fallen asleep on her per usual. Cordelia rarely stayed awake when Myrtle read to her, no matter what time of the day it was, and would peacefully doze off with her head nestled on the woman's chest. It must have been her melodic and soothing voice, which was less raspy than her mother's and decidedly more pleasant.
Easing her body out from beneath the child, Myrtle tucked her blankets around her sides and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Moving to the door of the room with quiet steps, she pulled the door open, hopping back in surprise as a body tumbled backward onto the floor.
Fiona gasped in surprise, staring up from her position on her back. It was apparent that she had not expected the door to open and by the looks of her eyes, she may have fallen asleep for a few minutes. "Oh, I..."
"Shh, Delia's asleep," Myrtle interrupted her with a hushed whisper as she crouched down next to the Supreme. "Why did you leave?"
"You didn't want me here..." Fiona replied with a whisper, her gaze averting to the bed as she remained on the floor trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of her when she fell backward onto the wooden floor.
"Not true, blondie. You ran off before I could say anything," Myrtle whispered, placing her hand on Fiona's shoulder to help guide her into a seated position. She offered a shy smile, quickly removing her hand once Fiona was sitting upright.
"Oh, I thought...you regretted last night," Fiona continued to whisper, glancing to her sleeping daughter to ensure she wasn't awake. "And you didn't appear to want me here...so I left." A lift of her shoulders accompanied her last statement and Fiona looked down at her hands that she had folded in her lap.
"You didn't get very far, I see. How did you think sleeping on the floor was going to be comfortable?" Myrtle's lips turned upward in a slight smirk as she sunk lower to the ground to sit next to Fiona.
"I didn't...I just...wanted to hear your voice," she said with a hint of shyness, keeping her gaze on her hands.
When no reply was given, Fiona finally lifted her head and was met with Myrtle's right hand coming up to tuck a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. Fiona couldn't help but smile at the endearing gesture and leaned into the redhead's innocent touch that would surely spark some not so innocent thoughts for her later.
"Come on, let's go lie down with Cordelia before she wakes up," Myrtle whispered with a brief smile.
Myrtle had effectively changed the subject, which Fiona interpreted to mean that she either found her confession odd or adorable. Unsure which answer was more accurate, she grasped her friend's hand and pulled her to her feet. Standing nearly toe-to-toe, hands clutched together, the two women stared at each other. "Myr..."
"Hmm?"
"I'm not...upset about what you did...it felt...nice." Fiona finally broke the eye contact first, not wanting to directly see Myrtle's response for fear of possible rejection of some sort.
"Well, don't get used to it." A harsh whisper matched Myrtle's solemn visage.
The hurt returned with a vengeance. It sunk low in Fiona's stomach and she felt the urge to run out of the room once again. Unable to bring her attention back to the redhead, she felt her teeth grind together as she set her jaw. "I see..."
"I'm sorry, Fiona. It never should have happened. I just..." Myrtle trailed off, her whispering becoming faint.
Shaking her head, Fiona lifted a hand to wipe at her eyes with her fingertips, never letting a single droplet of water be seen by the other woman. "Alright, I get it. This never happened." Her whispers became just as cold as Myrtle's earlier response.
"No, no, darling. I just meant that...you deserve so much more. And I shouldn't have taken advantage of you. I'm so sorry," Myrtle sighed heavily and looked down at the floor.
"...take advantage of me?" Her gaze raised to meet Myrtle's face and Fiona shook her head with a mixture of disbelief and confusion gracing the prominent features of her eyebrows. "You didn't take advantage of me. I only had two drinks...three at the most."
Distracted by rustling from the bed, they both looked over to see Cordelia rolling onto her side under the blankets. Myrtle took Fiona's hand and pulled her into the hallway just outside the doorway so as not to disturb the child further. Their voices had increased in volume slightly, and she didn't want to run the risk of waking her before their conversation finished.
"Fiona, I know you." Now she could talk freely, but still kept somewhat quiet. Myrtle pulled one hand away so she could cup it against the Supreme's cheek. "You. You want a handsome man with a lot of money. Not some awkward headmistress that fusses over whether the correct flowers are set out on the table for dinner or cries at the drop of a hat at old noir films. This. Me. It isn't what you want." Myrtle's demeanor had softened a bit as she spoke to Fiona and she squeezed the blonde's fingers. "It was a lovely kiss, but we would never work. We're nothing alike at all...we'd fight too much." A forced grin crossed her lips at the comment. "You understand, don't you, darling?"
Shoulder-length blonde strands shuffled with the several shakes of her head, brushing over the bare skin of her shoulders as Fiona raised her eyes to meet Myrtle's. "No, no, I don't understand." The Supreme turned her head just enough to press her lips warmly to Myrtle's wrist and then she tugged the woman's hand away from her face, now clasping both of her hands in her own. "I don't understand how you think you can tell me how to live my life. You don't get to tell me what to do. Or tell me who I want to be with. That's not how this works, Myrtle."
Dark brown eyes narrowed and Fiona took a step closer to the redheaded witch. "Myr. Since you've kissed me, all I can think about is what it would feel like to do it again. I do want this." In a bold act of solidifying her feelings, Fiona leaned forward, touching her lips to the side of Myrtle's mouth. "And I'm counting on us fighting like two alley cats. I can't wait." A saucy smirk appeared on her lips as she breathed against the woman's lips, her breathing quickening at their close proximity. "Do you understand?"
If Myrtle had not been so aroused by the simple placement of Fiona being close to her body, her chuckle would have been louder, but it was a weak one at best. She gave a half shake of her head. "So a few hours of thinking about a silly kiss, and that's all it takes? I should have guessed..."
Further commentary from the redhead was silenced by Fiona's soft lips covering Myrtle's mouth. Neither moved for a moment, and stayed statuesque, lips lingering on one another in a motionless kiss. Held together by invisible glue, they both closed their eyes, feeling each others breath tickle the sensitive skin above their upper lips, neither wanting to be the one to part from the other first. The fit was effortless and natural, and Myrtle could smell light traces of mint on the woman's mouth.
"Auntie MyrMyr..." a sleepy voice undid the glue between their lips, and Myrtle whirled around just in time to see Cordelia appear in the doorway, tiny hands rubbing at her eyes.
"Oh, sweet baby, I'm right here." Myrtle bent slightly to sweep the little girl up from the floor, balancing her on her folded arms in front of her.
Fiona glanced away, using the back of her hand to wipe away non-existent evidence from her lips. Returning her attention back to the two, she brushed her fingertips over Cordelia's silky locks. It bothered her that she no longer felt the heavy guilt when her very own daughter preferred to garner Myrtle's attention rather than her's, although she still felt a tinge of jealousy. She wanted to prove to herself, Cordelia, and Myrtle, that she could be maternal. It would just take time. Her own mother had never been one to show affection, and so the cycle continued when she first bore Cordelia. After living with Myrtle, though, she realized that she could end the cycle, or at least work toward it.
Catching Myrtle's approving smile as she continued to stroke her daughter's hair, Fiona returned a warm smile and then leaned in close to peck her lips on Cordelia's cheek. The girl released a giggle, and nuzzled her face into Myrtle's neck.
"I hungy...it breakfast yet?" Cordelia peered up at Myrtle's face and then glanced to her mother.
"Yes, baby, it's breakfast time. Let's go get something to eat with Aunt Myr. Maybe she'll make us those special pancakes." Fiona slid a hand discreetly to Myrtle's hip, giving it a gentle squeeze.
With a soft gasp, the little blonde girl looked between the two women excitedly. "Oh, p'ease?! Will you make 'em?!" Her skinny arms encircled Myrtle's neck and she hugged her as tightly as she could manage for a small child.
Flashing a look to Fiona as the Supreme's hand still lingered at her hip, Myrtle smiled at Cordelia and nodded. "Yes, darling, I will. And your mother will be a great helper for me, right Fiona?" A knowing smirk was given to the woman, knowing full well how much she despised cooking, and Myrtle walked past her toward the staircase.
"Oh, yes, of course, Myrtle dear," she replied, biting back any further remark as she followed them downstairs, her gaze completely entranced by the sway of the redhead's hips in front of her.