Cosima's touch was light, her fingertips dancing across freckled skin as gently as the early morning light that washed over them both; her eyes mimicked her hands, moving constantly, committing every minute atom of the moment to memory. She noted the differences in the colors of the curled strands sheathing a cotton pillow case, some almost blindingly golden, others nearing the mahogany of the furniture in their temporary room; she tucked away the crescent shaped shadows Delphine's eyelashes splayed across the tops of her cheekbones; she held tight to the warmth of the lithe body tucked against her chest and the solid, comforting form of five fingers wrapped around her waist, even in slumber. She didn't have the heart to rouse the blonde nestled cozily beneath the covers, despite knowing it wouldn't be long before at least one of their bandmates came barreling through the door, requesting that they leave early to make it to Portland with enough time to settle in before their gig that evening.
"Delphine," she finally whispered, her fingers still diligently tracing up and down the other woman's vertebrae, "we need to get up." The blonde shook her head slightly, burying further into the chest she'd used as a pillow for the majority of the night before pulling the sheets further up underneath her chin. Chuckling, Cosima tilted her head downward, ignoring the slightly awkward angle, and pressed a placating kiss atop sun-kissed curls. "Everyone else will be awake soon, and Felix and Sarah aren't good at the whole knocking before entering a room thing," she continued, hoping to appeal to Delphine's still present modesty.
"I want to pretend it is just you and me, ma cherie, for just a few minutes more." The words were whispered in the lowest of tones, a cross between an embarrassed confession and tempting manipulator. Regardless of the intention, Cosima's heart swelled and a small smile etched itself into her cheeks – one of contentment, of agreement, of illogical love. She wrapped her arms more tightly around the slender frame shrouding her in warmth, soaking in the last moments of peace she'd have for the next few hours, if not days, jolting slightly when three sharp knocks interrupted their silence.
"Come in, Ali," she called out, her tone revealing her frustration with the disruption, despite being secretly pleased that Alison was the one sent to them, as she at least had the good sense to announce herself before entering.
"Is everyone decent?" Her voice, much higher pitched than that of her sisters, rose another octave at her question, a tell-tale sign that she was uncomfortable with being sent to rouse the pair. Hearing an affirmative, her ponytail swung through the air as she peered around the door, eyes falling on her sister and their bandmate, intimately intertwined, though covered. "We'd like to get on the road within the hour, but there is breakfast downstairs, if you two would like something." Cosima nodded, acknowledging the information without pulling away from Delphine's form, still comfortably settled against her chest. The dreadlocked brunette was surprised when Alison sent her a gentle smile, nodding shyly before closing the door behind her.
The blonde snuggled just that much closer, tilting her head up to press a kiss against Cosima's throat before begrudgingly pulling back the sheets and maneuvering her body into a sitting position, happily accepting the pops and cracks her neck emitted. Pulling a loose fitting blouse over her head, she absentmindedly handed the other woman her own bag, focusing her attention on the opposite wall as she shimmied into a pair of high-waisted shorts and slipped sandals onto her feet.
"Delphine, you okay?" The shaking timber of Cosima's voice effectively pulled Delphine's gaze toward her, any self-control she'd mustered wavering quickly.
She flashed a small smile, her hazel eyes crinkled at the corners, and nodded, keeping her gaze locked on wavering orbs a similar shade to her own. "I just know if I watch you, we won't ever make it to breakfast," she admitted, her cheeks flushing crimson as memories of the night before flashed through her mind's eye, snuck around the atria of her heart, and settled between her thighs, her nerve endings dancing dangerously and pleading with her to maintain contact with the brunette now grinning in her direction. It was a new feeling, the rise within her, one she wasn't sure she'd ever become accustomed to, but all the same, one that she was beginning to welcome with open arms each time her chest constricted and her pulse spiked.
Cosima chuckled lightly as she slipped her arms through an oversized cardigan and returned her rings to their respective fingers, watching the subtle shifts in Delphine's body language. She crawled across the bed on her hands and knees, sitting back on her calves when she was just inches away from the other woman, leaning forward to press a searing kiss against lips that molded to hers without second thought.
"Cosima?" Pulling back once the questioning whisper hit her ears, the brunette nodded earnestly, encouraging Delphine to continue by entangling their fingers and squeezing gently, feeling the nerves radiating through her appendages. "Are you –" the drummer stopped, shaking her head self-deprecatingly. "What are we –" Despite the broken fragments the sentences were, it was easy enough to interpret the meaning as Delphine's voice shook and her hands fared no better.
"We're whatever you'd like us to be." For someone who thrived on empirical fact and preferred exacted results, Cosima allowed the other half of herself win out in the emotional battle royale she was experiencing. For all the statistics in the world, just as much of who she was centered around fluidity. It was in her first psychology class that she encountered the idea of nature versus nurture, and had since done more research than she would have liked to admit on the notion, comparing the theories to the observational data she'd gathered watching Beth, Alison, and Sarah. While they all shared more than a fair few common characteristics that could surely be chalked up to genetics – undeniable protective instincts, a stubborn streak rivalled only by one another, and a penchant for recklessness in some form or fashion – she knew she was a far cry from Sarah's guardedness, Beth's overly confident front, and Alison's impersonation of perfection personified. Perhaps it was how she was raised, or perhaps it lay in the arms of the astrology she couldn't believe in, or perhaps it was simply that she was programmed in some way to be the flowing water to her sisters' fires, but regardless of how or why, Cosima had never been more grateful than she was in this moment to be as comfortable with her fluidity as she was.
"I'd like to think that you were mine," Delphine finally whispered, clearly as caught up in her own head as the woman just inches away from her was. "I'd like to think that you are only mine."
"Then I'm yours." It was a simple enough statement, one that she punctuated with a tender kiss, her thumb brushing across her girlfriend's cheekbone, hoping she could instill promises through the brush of skin on skin. "I'm only yours." The nearly blinding smile she received in response was more than Cosima could have hoped for, and she sent a quick pulse of pressure through their palms before unfolding her legs from beneath her body and standing, pulling her girlfriend with her. "But, I'm also completely starving, so can we please go eat?"
AN: Please don't hate me, given that this is quite possibly the shortest chapter I have ever posted on any of my stories. I want to apologize for the completely unforgivable gap in between updates, and say that I'm going to try and start posting more regularly. I would have added quite a bit more to this, but I didn't want you to have to wait any longer than you already have, nor did I want you to think I've abandoned this story!
Also, if you're interested, I'll be posting a teacher!Cophine AU in the next week or so I'd expect (part of the first chapter is already written). So, if you set up an author alert, you'll know when that is posted, or you can check up on me (and annoy me about updating things) on my tumblr: cosima-phdhaus. :)
So, as always, I hope you enjoyed, despite the brevity! x Aimee
