Gloria, unsurprisingly, was somewhat of a tyrant when it came to the kitchen. Erica didn't blame her- the blonde seemed to have little in the way of any kind of sense when it came to soap making. In the hour since they began, Erica had burned two batches of shea butter, dropped a bottle of essential oil and spilt a bowl full of melted beeswax onto the marble countertop.

The older girl had just stared at her. Completely unimpressed and unsurprised and maybe a little disappointed. Frankly, Erica was just glad that she hadn't expressed said disappointment with violence or by dunking her head in the hot wax.

Gloria sighed and rubbed her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. "Okay, Blondie, sit down. You can be on design duty."

"Design duty?" Erica asked, but she moved to turn the fan on as the brunette opened the window. The entire kitchen reeked of lavender; stifling and enough to gag the both of them. As it began to spin over their heads, she pulled off her latex gloves and threw them in the sink.

"You can doodle up something to put on our label. You know, like a logo or something."

Erica arched a blonde brow. "Why do we need a label? I thought we were doing a brochure for the art portion?"

"We are- I mean, you still want to, don't you?" Gloria glanced back at her curiously as she began to spoon white powder into a cup that was placed on the scale she had brought.

"Then why do we need labels?"

"Product recognition," The older girl said simply. She reached over the oven and grabbed another bowl, setting it on the counter next to the scale. "Plus, you put a name on it and people think it's legit."

Erica pursed her lips. Pulling out a sheet of paper from her binder, she wrinkled her nose at the lingering flowery stench as she replied, "I don't remember Finstock saying anything about product recognition."

The brunette shrugged, but didn't stop spooning. Erica recognized it to be citric acid, another thing she had spilled sometime prior and was banned from touching ("That shit's expensive, Reyes! Go pick an essential oil out!"). Her gaze flickered up to the neon pink bandana that kept Gloria's dark hair from her eyes then dropped to the glasses tucked inside the front of her tank top. It was a dark shade of red against her pale skin and almost immorally tight; not that the brunette seemed to notice at all.

"It'll be part of the art portion," Gloria repeated with a tilt of her head. With an arched eyebrow, she added with a shrug, "Besides, dude, bonus marks."

At the little hint of a smile that tugged at the corner of the older girl's mouth, Erica shook her head. "You are such a nerd."

Gloria frowned at that. A very subtle blush crossed her features as she glared at the blonde. "I take pride in my work and I don't want to be responsible for an inferior product."

"So you want to make labels?"

"So I want to give you and your clumsy ass something to keep you busy while I do all the grunt work," Gloria corrected with a sharp smile and a wink.

Erica shot her a sharp look, but said nothing. For a few moments it was silent before the younger girl spoke again, "So, I guess this means you're staying the night again?"

"Better than being alone I guess."

"Couldn't you stay with your band?"

The brunette shot her a curious smirk. "They don't all live in one little hovel. They're not hamsters."

"I never said they were hamsters." Erica kept her head down and hid her smile behind her hand. Resting her face on her fist, she began to doodle; nothing in particular, just a series of random lines inside a box.

"If you want me to go, I can."

The blonde's head shot up. "I never said that!"

Gloria raised a knowing brow. Pleased by her quick reaction (and that Erica might actually want her around), the older girl shrugged. "I'm just saying, if you want me to go, I will. Doesn't matter to me."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I figured your mom would bail on you," Gloria explained; her expression tight. It was less pitying and more angry, something Erica appreciated but she didn't get a chance to comment as the brunette went on, "And your dad seems to be kind of… absent, so I figured you're gonna be alone, I'm gonna alone, why not be alone together?"

Erica tried (and failed) to suppress her wince at the mention of her father. Noting how awkwardly the other girl was shifting her weight, she cleared her throat. "You said your dad lives out of town?"

Gloria added the citric acid to the separate bowl. Not looking at her, she continued to work on their project as she answered with a somewhat stilted, "Yeah."

"Are you two close?"

Gloria tilted her head from side to side as if trying to roll the right response out of her head. "I guess. I mean, we've kind of grown apart since I grew tits, but for the most part we're pretty tight."

"Oh."

She glanced at Erica. The younger girl was fidgeting with her pencil, clearly uncomfortable. Gloria vaguely wondered why. Maybe she had been expecting a different answer, or was uncomfortable with the blunt address of her breasts- ironically, much like her father was. Maybe Erica was just the awkward sort. Pushing the thought away, she went back to the double broiler. With her back to the younger girl, Gloria spoke a bit more freely, "I would've gone to Taksa's, but his dad's a bit weird about me spending the night and Dinah's out of town this weekend. I guess I could've crashed at her place, but I didn't feel like it."

"Are they your-"

"Bandmates, yes. Two of them, anyway."

Erica blushed at the interruption. "Right. Um, what should we call the store?" When Gloria only shrugged, the blonde continued, "I was thinking, maybe we could just call it BHS- Beacon Hills Soaps. You know, keep it simple?"

"Sounds good to me, Blondie." Gloria checked the heat and added the cocoa butter to the broiler. She gave it a careful stir before adding a hint of vanilla essential oil.

After the somewhat disastrous force Erica proved to be in the kitchen, Gloria had decided to forego making actual soap and stick to the simpler art of bath fizzes. She could always make the other products at home (and fully intended to, somewhere safe from Erica's beautiful but clumsy hands) but since they needed a product for Finstock to inspect, the older girl figured it would be best to actually finish what they started- even if what they finished was a completely different product that what they originally agreed upon.

"Okay, how about this then? I mean, I can do it up on the computer later, make it fancier and stuff, but for a rough outline…"

Gloria glanced back at her. Her gaze drifted from the girl's pink cheeks to the paper. The design was simple, just BHS with a series of feminine little flowers and vines. Very suitable for what they were selling and who their target buyers were, the older girl told her with a small smile. When Erica beamed with pride, the brunette was quick to look away. The expression was innocent and sweet on the younger girl and something Gloria wasn't equipped to handle.

In truth, Gloria had never been very comfortable with anything even close to sex. She had never thought about boys or girls- never really looked at anyone in a way that could be considered attraction. Even now, she wasn't thinking necessarily sexual thoughts about the Reyes girl- just affectionate ones. She liked seeing her face light up, liked seeing her loosen up a bit around her- mostly Gloria just liked that she didn't seem so afraid of her. She hadn't been lying when she said she didn't care what people thought of her- that was entirely true. But there was a vast difference between people and a person, and in truth, Gloria wanted the particular person in front of her to like her.

Maybe even something a bit more than just like; she hadn't missed the way Erica's eyes seem to drag over her form. At first she thought she was just comparing. It seemed like a lot of girls did that with her. Gloria assumed it was because of how she dressed. It seemed like a lot of women she came into contact with had something to say about her attire. About how inappropriate it was, or how she was showing too much skin or how she looked like a slut. The thought was laughable, but Erica didn't look at her the way they did. There wasn't any judgment in her eyes, just a bit of want. Not a lot, but some and Gloria wasn't quite sure how she could get more.

She had been trying to be nice. Trying to keep her temper in check and not snap at the blonde, but restraint had never been a close friend to Gloria. Swallowing, she added the cocoa butter to the mix of citric acid, baking soda and Kaolin clay. The brunette jerked her head to her bag, "Do me a solid and put the cupcake liners in that muffin tray, will ya?"

Erica blinked in surprise- mostly because Gloria had been oddly quiet for the past few minutes. "Oh, sure."

The blonde moved to the pink duffle bag and began to route through it. The tray was at the very bottom, under a few changes of clothes and her backpack. She grabbed it and tossed it on the counter beside the older girl. Peering over Gloria's shoulder, Erica watched as she continued to work the mixture with her hands. The younger teen didn't miss how the brunette tensed as she moved to stand a bit closer.

Gloria arched a brow at her. "Can I help you?"

With a faint blush, Erica stepped back once more. "Sorry."

The older girl lifted a weak shoulder. "It's cool. Liners?"

"Huh?" Erica blinked, trying to place what she thought was an obscure insult to her person before she realized what Gloria meant. Her blush darkened. "Oh, right, just a second."

The dark haired girl smirked as the blonde went back to the bag. She added a spritz of Witch Hazel to the mixture before repeating the squeeze test. When the mixture held its shape, she looked over to Erica. "Find 'em?"

Erica didn't speak. She had simply reached into the duffle without looking and was now standing completely still.

Gloria arched a brow. "Blondie?"

Still not moving and her cheeks had gone an alarming shade of red.

The brunette faltered. "Erica? You're not having a seizure, are you?"

"N-no," The blonde cleared her throat and shook her head. "I um… you have your underwear in here?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, I may have, um…I'm holding them. I'm holding your underwear. I am so sorry." Erica squeezed her eyes shut but couldn't manage to let the undergarments go. They were black satin tangas and felt frankly amazing in her hand. Her mind had already gone to a million different places- all of which involved Gloria.

Like Gloria splayed out on her back in nothing but them. They'd be almost transparent- Erica could tell by how thin the material was. The blonde shifted awkwardly, but couldn't push the image from her head. Of how Gloria's long, pale legs out look in them, about whether her mound would press against them, of how they'd cup her ass.

"Erica. Erica, put my damn panties down."

The blonde nodded eagerly. Swallowing, she choked out, "That's a good idea."

Gloria with her hand down the front of them; touching herself and writhing on the bed- on Erica's bed.

Gloria pointed at her with a very stern finger. Cheeks a faint shade of pink and eyes narrowed, she reminded her, "You're still holding them."

"I know."

"Well, stop it."

"I'm sorry. I- I'm sorry," Giving the satin one last rub between her finger tips, Erica dropped them back into the bag. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing." Gloria winked at her. "You think they're hot by themselves, you should see how I look in them."

When Erica only gaped at her, the brunette looked away. Sarcastically congratulating herself on being super creepy and way to forward, Gloria clenched her jaw. Embarrassment ate at her and she didn't notice at flustered grin cross Erica's lips. Blowing a strand of her dark hair from her eyes, Gloria asked, "These take a couple hours to set, any idea what we could do in the mean time?"

At the quiet squeak Erica gave, Gloria looked over at her. Her hand was once more buried in the pink duffle and her blush had returned full force.

The older girl sighed at it, "You're holding my bra, aren't you?"

The blonde pulled it out. Sure enough, a matching black satin balconette bra was in her hands. She held it up to her own chest. Shock and a bit of irritation in her voice, she snapped, "You brought lingerie to my house?!"

"Um, yeah?"

"Why?!"

"They're good for my ego," The older girl explained with a casual shrug. "Like you don't have a bunch of slinky stuff upstairs, Reyes."

Erica blinked. A hint of wariness crossing her features, she asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gloria ran her gaze over the blonde's body. "You can hide it under all the mom jeans and baggy clothes you want, Blondie, but you've got quite the rack yourself."

"No, I- well, I mean, I get by," Erica admitted before scowling at her. "But I don't flaunt my underwear around!"

"Neither do I-" When Erica pursed her lips and pointedly dropped her eyes to the swell of her tank top, where sure enough, her black racerback bra was fairly visible. At least, the top of the cups were, as well as the straps. Gloria crossed her arms defensively over her breasts. "If you don't like it, don't look- and put that down!"

Erica tossed the bra back into the duffle with a frown. A bit awkwardly, she asked, "Where'd you get all that stuff anyway?"

Gloria looked a bit skeptical and maybe a bit hurt. "What'd you mean?"

Erica bit her lip, not liking how the older girl was regarding her now. She was clearly on edge, her guard was up and the blonde felt a twinge of disappointment. "I mean, this isn't exactly the kind of stuff you buy with your mom."

"It's not?" Gloria blinked in surprise. She pulled off the latex gloves and grabbed the cupcake liners from the bag with only a quick glance in her direction. "My mom's always been cool about stuff like that."

The younger teen's brows rose with surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, didn't your mom ever take you bra shopping?"

Erica shrugged, fighting the heat in her cheeks. "Well, yeah, but I never bought anything like that."

"Why not?"

"I don't know- no one to wear it for, I guess."

As Erica rubbed the back of her neck, Gloria stepped forward. She swept her gaze over the blonde's form once more, taking in her oversized sweatshirt and baggy yoga pants as she spoke, "So? You don't have to wear anything for anyone. Sometimes it's nice just to feel sexy, ya know?"

Erica shifted her weight from foot to foot, but didn't meet her gaze. At least, not until Gloria was only a foot away.

"You wanna try them on?"

The blonde's brown eyes widened as they snapped up to the brunette's mild features. "What?"

"They're clean, I swear." Gloria swallowed her anxiety down, a little bit embarrassed that she was even asking. The thought in Reyes in something other than mom jeans was making her feel a bit strange, making her a bit restless and warm. The thought of her in her underwear- in Gloria's underwear, was making her downright hot. Licking her lips, she picked up the bra. "We're about the same size. They'd probably fit you okay…I mean, if you wanted to."

"Y-yeah?" Erica faltered. The older girl's gaze wasn't hard or assertive. In fact it was shyer than she had seen it and the blonde shifted a bit closer to her. "I mean…we are pretty close, huh? In size, I mean."

"Yeah, well, my hips are a bit broader, but you should be fine." Gloria clenched her jaw a moment, looking over the blonde's shoulder to distract herself from her earnest stare and the curious glint in Erica's brown eyes. The older girl licked her lips as she looked back down at the blonde, only to find her biting her own plump bottom lip. Gloria's gaze snapped back to the wall. "I mean, I… you could just throw your clothes on over them. No one would know, I mean, if your parents came home or whatever."

The blonde smirked, enjoying the slightly flush on the brunette's pale skin. Shifting a bit closer to her, Erica grinned, catlike and provocative. "You'd know. You'd know I was wearing them. Your panties."

"Well, yeah, but…" The older girl dug her nails into the palms of her hand and met her gaze. "No one else would have to know. Just us."

"Just us?"

Gloria nodded, but didn't tear her gaze away from Erica's brown eyes. "Yeah. Just us." When Erica bit her lip, her hazel eyes dropped to her mouth. Ignoring the heat pooling in her abdomen, the brunette shrugged. Her tone wasn't quite as aloof as she wanted it to be as she told her, "But it's up to you, Blondie. No skin off my back."

Erica took a deep breath. With a wicked smile, she took the bra from her. "Well, I mean, there's no harm in trying, right? No one has to know."

"Right." Gloria swallowed again as the blonde reached down and grabbed her black satin panties from the duffle.

Without another word, Erica left the room, only tossing the stunned brunette a wink as she went. The older girl stared after her. She couldn't really understand why her stomach felt so tight or her skin so hot. Mostly she couldn't fathom the change in Erica- not that she didn't like it. Mostly that she had gone from meek to wanton in a flip of a switch. It was a little disconcerting, but Gloria had to admit…Erica wore confidence rather well.

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Don't forget to review!