Update: Okay, wow... so there will be one final chapter - this is not the end. Just warning you guys that this is a very long chapter. To those who have made it this far, well done. Welcome to Fluffland! I hope you enjoy your stay. Keeping this holiday themed, the final chapter will be out pretty soon. Of course, reviews and alerts, etc are very, very gratefully received. Enjoy!
oxoxoxoxo
Leena honestly had no idea how long she'd been asleep. She remembered waking up to eat some bread and turkey soup, having a quick shower and remembered Claudia holding her as she fell asleep again, but from then on… She had no idea. The space next to her was stone cold. Claudia was gone and though she initially felt panic, she saw a shimmer of gold glimmer behind her closed lids. Blinking open her eyes, she was slightly surprised to see Mrs. Frederic sat at the bottom of her bed, one protective hand on her knee. She swallowed painfully and smacked her lips before attempting to talk. "Can't you at least knock?"
Mrs. Frederic smiled fondly. "No… I'm afraid I can't."
Leena coughed out a chuckle and winced. "I don't… I don't know what happened."
The regal woman sighed and stood up to pull Leena's pajama top up to check on the bruising, tutting at the mottled skin. "That girl really does hit hard."
"Wh…Please, tell me where I've been?" Leena took hold of the woman's hand, eyes filling with tears.
Mrs. Frederic looked down in surprise at the strong grip of her hand.
"Very well…" She paused and looked into her daughter's eyes. Her daughter. She loved her like one, she had all the paperwork, but for some reason, only now did the younger woman in front of her feel like one. She watched as Leena's lip quivered, and smoothed away a tear from her cheek. "You tried to leave the Warehouse. The Warehouse didn't like it."
Leena's brow furrowed in anguish. "I don't understand… I don't… I don't remember anything."
"Leena," Mrs. Frederic's voice was warm. "You are the sole proprietor of this establishment. I gave it to you… it's tied to you. What did you expect would happen if you chose to purposely leave this, the Warehouse and everything with it behind?" At Leena's blank look, she carried on talking. "You tried to leave. The Warehouse, the painting, the B&B, they all share an energy different from everywhere else. An energy that you can't live without. An aura, Leena. You feed off it."
Leena let that sink in. "I can't ever leave?"
"Do you want to?" Mrs. Frederic smirked, already knowing the answer.
Leena sniffled and tried to nod but it turned into a shake of the head.
"As I thought," Irene patted her knee.
"But why don't I remember?" Leena asked sadly. "Why don't I remember anything?"
"That, my dear, was grief." She tapped the woman on the forehead and tucked up the bedclothes passed Leena's shoulders. "You watched your lover die… that's not easy on the human brain, no matter how special that brain is." She placed a lock of hair behind Leena's ear and smiled sadly. "But you're home now."
"Th-the dark vault. Why was I in the dark vault?"
Mrs. Frederic sighed at the questioning. "The typewriter finds weakness in whoever is in its proximity. Even though you weren't here, even if I couldn't track you, the Warehouse could, and it did. It finds you, artifacts find you no matter where you are."
Leena bit her lip. "Claudia found me."
"Yes," Irene clutched her hand and pursed her lip. "She did."
"Why? How?"
The older woman shrugged. "I think you'll have to ask her that." She paused and noticed the bags under Leena's eyes as the innkeeper attempted to understand the situation better. "She… Leena, she loves you very much."
Leena merely nodded and looked down at her hands. A knock on the door interrupted them and Claudia let herself into the room with a tray of breakfast. "Thought I'd see how you- Oh crap," Claudia nearly dropped the tray, her eyes bulging when she noticed Mrs. Frederic sat on the bed next to her friend. "I mean… Hi. Hello. I mean, hello."
"Good morning to you too, Claudia," Mrs. Frederic replied cordially, a small smirk edging its way across her lips.
"Morning," Claudia stuttered.
"I'll leave you two alone," the woman stood. She paused after a beat, then uneasily bent down to deliver a kiss to Leena's forehead before nodding to Claudia and leaving the room.
The junior agent's wide eyed darted from the closing door to the patient in bed, clearly impressed with the display of affection. "How're you feeling?"
"Sore…" Leena's eyes fluttered closed. "Confused, sad… ashamed."
"Ashamed?" Claudia placed the tray on her friend's thighs and crawled onto the bed. "Why are you ashamed? There's nothing to be ashamed about."
Leena lifted the piece of toast up and nibbled on the edge. "I left you," she whispered hoarsely. "I used to think I was your rock, you know?" At Claudia's shake of the head she squirmed in the bed and popped the piece of toast back on the plate. "I know how upset you got when someone left, or when someone didn't trust you," she fiddled with her fingers, twirling the ring on her finger. "And then…"
"Hey," Claudia hushed. "I was pissed, sure. And.. I just…" she closed her eyes and pinched her nose. In honesty, Leena's leaving had hurt her more than words could say, but the woman in front of her was so frail and saddened, letting on would do more damage than anything. "You're home. That's all that matters," she smiled. "Eat your breakfast," she nudged the plate towards the innkeeper. "Cold toast is beastly."
Leena let out a shy grin and took a bite. "Thank you," she said gently after finishing the first slice.
"Don't sweat it…" Claudia shrugged and stroked her knee with a thumb. "God, I missed you." The rawness in her voice caught Leena off guard and all she could do was blink.
"I missed you too… I think." Leena said slowly. "Otherwise… Otherwise I couldn't be here right now, I… Claudia, how did you know where I was?"
Claudia crawled up the bed and lay down, huddling under the covers. "Just knew…" She saw the beginning of a scowl form on her friend's face and rolled her eyes. "I got these headaches… these vision type things. Knew you were hurting."
Leena lay back and closed her eyes. This was a lot to take in. She covered her face with a hand and let out a long breath. "But… but how."
"How do you read auras?" Claudia propped her head up with a hand. "You just do… I knew you were there, I felt you at the Warehouse… so I found you." Leena kept her eyes closed but pulled her hand away, her shoulder's shaking from quiet crying. Claudia gulped and took the tray in her hands and placed it gently on the floor. Scooting up on the bed, she opened her arms. Leena shuffled forward and clutched Claudia tightly. "Shh, it's okay."
"I'm sorry," Leena sniffed. "I am so sorry."
"It's okay," Claudia stressed again, rubbing her back. "I mean, jeez… I completely lost it when Steve died. You're allowed to be human, okay?" Leena nodded, attempting to hold in the rest of her tears for another time. She didn't want to be this crazy crying, hysterical person that she'd become. But the fact that Claudia held her tightly, and entwined their legs together made things less painful. Mrs. Frederic had been right. Platonic or otherwise, Claudia truly loved her. She felt a peck to her shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut before pulling away. Their noses grazed and Leena made sure to back away further. "I think I'm gonna go downstairs…"
"You sure?" Claudia whispered.
"I want to see everyone. I want to have Christmas."
"Well then!" the agent grinned. "Let's have Christmas." She slipped out of the bed and helped her friend stand up before they made their way downstairs to greet everybody. To Leena's surprise, she even had presents. Sure, she didn't have as many as the others but she didn't care one bit. She was more impressed that they'd done their Christmas shopping early. Claudia didn't have the heart to tell them that they'd bought presents anyway. Just in case the innkeeper came home.
Leena got her Christmas, and an even more enjoyable New Year's Eve which involved Artie drinking far too much and telling everyone he loved them, which then, turned into a hysterical crying session from the old man. Nobody had let it go as of yet, and honestly, he didn't think they ever would.
After a while, Leena got herself accustomed to being back at the B&B. Helena and Myka had safely brought Leena's things home, along with the odd item that had once belonged to Melissa. Though she didn't hurt as much as she had done, Leena sometimes saw the Native American in her dreams, smiling and beckoning her to her. She never did follow her though, she just watched and smiled back with a small wave. In the morning, she'd wake with tears on her cheeks, but she wouldn't feel sad. She'd feel a little wistful, a little cheerful and sometimes, she just left her bed and her bedroom, and lay down in Claudia's instead.
When February arrived, things were pretty much back to normal. Maybe a little too normal. Leena and Claudia had been jumping around each other like teenagers and frankly, Myka and Pete decided they had had enough of it.
"Seriously, Claud… you have got to make a move." Pete groaned, leaning back in his chair as he sat at Artie's desk.
"Quit it, Cupid." the woman in question warned. "Not gonna happen."
"Claudia," Myka thumped her head on the table "You two are so obviously in love it hurts just watching."
"Look who's talking!" Claudia lamented. "H.G freakin' died before you guys did anything about it."
Myka growled a little at the jab and closed her eyes tiredly. She didn't really have to tell anybody the truth, but still… "Honey," she began tentatively, "Leena kinda nearly did too." Claudia closed her eyes and pinched her nose, trying not to lose it.
"What are we talking about?" Steve asked, merrily strolling through Artie's office. He had been reinstated, much to everybody's delight and thanks to the long time at therapy, was pretty much as normal as he had always been before Sykes.
"Claudia and Leena in a tree." Pete said, kicking his feet up.
Steve frowned. "Tree? What tree?"
"Figure of speech, Jinksy," Claudia rolled her eyes.
He grinned suddenly. "Ohh, that kind of tree. Yeah, you guys need to sort things out."
"Oh my God we are not talking about this!" Claudia clenched her fists. "Leena is my friend. A friend I love dearly, yes. But she doesn't like me that way… I'm far too young, she's like… in her late forties, never ages, and she is not in love with me."
The other three agents went silent. "But Helena-" Myka lifted finger.
"Helena," Claudia began, then felt her argument die on her lips. "I just don't want to talk about it, okay?"
"Okay, okay," Pete held up his hands and shared a look with Myka. She nudged him back. He then looked at Steve, who shook his head frantically until a mere chest poke got him talking.
"Shame…" Steve shrugged awkwardly. "I guess… Liam and I will have to go on the skiing weekend for Valentine's instead."
The redhead stopped soldering the circuit board in front of her and looked up, eyes wide. "Skiing weekend? What skiing weekend?"
"Oh just," Pete gave a nonchalant shake of his head, "this getaway thing we planned for you guys in Deadwood but obviously you don't want it so it's cool."
"Deadwood?" Claudia's mouth dropped. "Deadwood, Deadwood? As in.. Terry Peak, Deadwood?"
"Yeah," Pete tilted his head to the side. "King suite… Jacuzzi, spa, massage… casino. That kinda thing." He got the order confirmation from his pocket and peered at the fine print. "Oooh! And a free meal at the grill!" He handed it to Steve with a bat of the eyelashes. "You two lovebirds enjoy."
Claudia's lower lip protruded in a pout and she crossed her arms, trying to hide the disappointment from her face. Myka, Pete and Steve tried to keep their composure until Myka giggled and snatched the pieces of paper from Steve and handed them to Claudia. She stood close and smiled. "Sort things out, okay?" She watched Claudia's eyes glisten, her mouth wide open in shock. "Have fun… don't break anything. I do not want you guys coming back with casts ready to sign."
"For real?" Claudia looked down at the confirmation and felt like she was about to burst into hysterics. Three smiling faces looked back at her.
"You've been through some crazy shit," Pete nodded. "You both need a break. Also, if she declines this… well, she's obviously not worth it... Don't tell her I said that." Claudia nodded back and bit her lip before she drew them all into a hug.
"You guys rock, you know that?"
"Sure we do," Steve chuckled.
"Wait… Myka?" Claudia had been staring at the printed email for the last three minutes until a wave of panic overcame her. "This says it's for tonight."
Myka feigned cluelessness. "Oh it does? Well… you better go then, huh?"
Claudia sniffed and nodded dumbly before she gave Myka another hug. "You guys… thank you."
"Shh. Go, before everyone gets too sappy." Myka smiled and gave her a little shove towards the door.
"Tell Artie and H.G I say bye," Claudia rushed, "and uhh happy Valentine's. And… yay!" She keyed in the passcode and disappeared out of the door into the umbilicus where she promptly felt her heart pounding in her head. When she got to the car, she had to take a breath. This weekend could change her life. She could come back to Univille as an unavailable woman. She started the engine and let a jubilant chortle out, turning the car before driving out towards the B&B. When she did get home, admittedly she stood outside the building for at least five minutes. Finally, she brought up the courage and put her key in the lock. Opening the door, she was greeted to the smell of what was probably Mexican chicken stew. It was a firm favorite for Claudia, and then the realization hit her. She wouldn't be eating it, she'd be having food somewhere else.
"Someone home?" came the call from the kitchen. When Claudia approached the dining room, she saw the inn chef in all her glory, apron ties around her waist and humming a tune to herself.
"Just me," Claudia threw down her shoulder bag and pushed herself up to sit on the counter top, swinging her legs. She did it mainly because she knew Leena would tut and give her knee a small slap.
"Was it busy?"
"Nope," Claudia picked up a piece of pepper from the chopping board and chewed on the end of it. "Artie and H.G are still crazy BFFs. Myka's gettin' pissed."
"I can imagine." Leena smirked. "Everyone knows Helena's taste in men differs from most."
"Oh ewww!" Claudia put her fingers in her ears. "Take that back. Now." She watched as Leena lost her resolve and began to laugh.
"It's sweet."
"I know," Claudia murmured. "I don't think she cares really… but the two of them geeking out about Warehouse upgrades is starting to annoy her. Only 'cause she hardly sees her now." Leena nodded at that and the awkward silence that they'd been experiencing for the past five months came to bite them on the ass again.
"Listen-"
"Claudia-"
Both women smiled gently at each other until Leena gestured for Claudia to speak first. Claudia felt like she was about to faint and fumbled through her bag to find the hotel reservation. "I…umm..."
And that's how far she got.
Leena raised her eyebrow at the speechless woman and crossed her arms in concern. "You okay?"
'Be my Valentine?' Because that's not lame at all. Claudia groaned to herself and looked down at the papers. She should have at least put them in an envelope or something. "Leena… I umm…" she frowned at herself. "Okay… let's do it this way. Hypothetically speaking… if I told you that I wanted you to come away with me for Valentine's to a ski/spa weekend, you would say… Hypothetically," she repeated, as if that would make the situation any less awkward. She knew if her heart beat any faster she would truly go into cardiac arrest.
Leena was well and truly stumped. She grabbed the table and sat down, gazing thoughtfully at her hands. "I uhh… Sure." She smiled shyly. "I think I'd like that."
And that was it. "You would?" Claudia's mouth widened. "Hypothetically?"
"Hypothetically, and empirically." Leena nodded slowly.
"Oh…" the redhead squeaked.
"Oh?"
"Wow…" Claudia smiled and fiddled with the bracelets on her wrist. "Then… I have to say pack light 'cause that's where we're going."
"What?" Leena stared at the small brochure that her friend handed over with wide eyes. "What?"
Cheesy as it was, Claudia couldn't stop the words from falling out of her mouth. "I want you to be my Valentine… so… we better go get ready."
Leena's fingers shook as she took the small brochure from her friend's hand. "Wait… what?"
"You and me, spa, skiing, Deadwood. The whole package. And we check in in…" She looked at her watch, "2 hours."
"Holy shit." Leena was still doing a trout impression.
"Did you just swear?" Claudia giggled.
The innkeeper nodded mutely and she got up, delivered a soft, somewhat stunned kiss to the corner of Claudia's mouth before she disappeared to go upstairs.
The computer geek stood still for a brief moment and gave a victorious fist pump before she turned off the stove where the dinner was bubbling away. She scribbled a note to the others, placed it on top of the counter before dashing up herself to pack for their trip. "Leena?"
"Yeah?" Leena gave a distracted reply.
"Where's the keys to the garage?"
"On the hook by the door!" Leena shouted back, looking down at herself in dismay. She was grubby, and her hair smelled of spices and in this moment she felt truly and utterly gross. Throwing some relatively nice underwear sets into her hold all she let out a groan. This was completely ridiculous. Exciting. Impulsive, also. But most of all, ridiculous. Skiing. What the fuck do you bring to a skiing holiday? She'd never been skiing so she had no idea. She settled with a few waterproof trekking pants, along with some hose and some… sunglasses. Where are my sunglasses? It took twenty minutes, but overall Leena had to admit she was pretty proud of herself and she lugged the suitcase (she'd upgraded) down the stairs.
"You all packed?" Claudia asked, her voice wavering with excitement.
"Think so…" Leena nodded. "You do realize telling me so briefly is the meanest thing anyone can do."
"Okay, okay," Claudia sighed and hesitantly rested both hands on her friend's shoulder. "swimsuit?"
"Oh… god, no." Leena wriggled free and dashed back upstairs.
"Socks?" Claudia called up the stairs.
"Got!"
"Hat?"
"Goddamn…" Leena muttered under her breath and hastily threw a hat into her case along with some gloves. Raiding her nightstand, she found other essentials, including some sunscreen that she'd randomly found, then finally zipped up the case. She hadn't even begun to think about what this meant. When she met Claudia down in the lobby, arms full of skiing gear, it was then it all sunk in. They were going away together. And that meant… what exactly. Two friends? She gazed into Claudia's sparkling eyes, aura shimmering and oozing happiness. Flecks of orange fluttered around Claudia's head. Excitement… a little trepidation. She smiled, finally.
"You ready?"
Leena nodded. "I think I am."
Trunk full and front door locked, Leena found herself sitting in her own SUV, waiting for the redhead to start the car. "This is insane," she shook her head. "You are insane."
"I know," Claudia chuckled and with the ignition fired up, they were on their way.
The silence in the car was overwhelming until Leena broke it with an embarrassed babble. "I umm… I've never celebrated valentine's before."
Claudia frowned. "What are you talking about? You make cupcakes every damn year!" She chuckled.
Leena fidgeted in her seat and jutted her jaw forward. "I never had anybody to truly give them to. I mean… I never had a date for valentine's."
"Seriously?" Claudia turned her head briefly before looking to the road. "Well then…" she took a breath. "First time for everything, huh?"
A ball of excitement settled in Leena's belly and she nodded with a smile. "Yeah…"
After a stop at a vendor for fries and hotdogs, an hour and a half later, the two women pulled up to the hotel where they were staying. "Holy cow…" Claudia's eyes popped out at the size of the place.
Leena's soon followed when she woke up from her light doze. "Claudia… How on Earth…"
The women stared openly at the huge building until Claudia made a move to leave the parked car. Leena followed suit. They dragged their suitcases to the lobby where they were greeted by a rather smiley brunette. "Welcome to the Black Hills Lodge and Spa, can I help you?"
Claudia blinked . "Yes, actually," she fumbled for the papers in her bag. "I'd like to check in…" She handed the paperwork and driver's license over to the woman and took a sideways glance at Leena who looked like she was about to keel over from excitement. Who knew that an innkeeper could be so enthralled by a visit to a rather local hotel? She smiled and did everything she could not to reach out and clasp her friend's hand.
"Of course." The woman smiled again and typed a few things in on the swanky computer resting boastfully on the desk. "You booked the king suite, am I right?"
"Yes…" Claudia fibbed.
"We have the deluxe queen twin if you'd prefer?" The receptionist glanced at the two women.
"Umm… no, this is fine." Claudia held in a growl until her voice turned sickly sweet. " King is fine, right…honey?" Even she cringed.
"Right," Leena squinted her eyes and nodded. She could sense the negative energy on the woman and did everything she could to stop feeling skittish.
"No, that's fine," the receptionist sat up and cleared her throat. "Here is your room key, you're in room 196, your spa brochure…" she handed the pack over to the redhead, "and anything else you need help with, don't hesitate to call down."
"Thanks," Claudia finally grinned and watched as a bellboy approached to take their luggage.
"This is surreal," Leena whispered, leaning closer to her friend as they followed the man who led the way.
"Right?" Claudia chuckled and they made the quick elevator journey until the inevitable came and Claudia tipped the bellboy. Soon they were left alone in front of the room.
Putting the keycard in the slot, Claudia chirped a "yay," when it opened on first try and she turned the handle and let them both in.
"Oh my…" Leena held her breath as she entered the room. It was stunning. A huge bed lay in the middle of the room, earthy brown shades of satin bedcovers folded made neatly on top. A small box of chocolates lay at the foot of the bed. It was rustic, romantic… rose petals scattered the dresser, a bottle of champagne in a cooler sat waiting. "Claudia…"
Claudia swallowed her shock down and made a beeline for the alcohol. This whole situation was so far out of her comfort zone, she knew she needed something to calm her down. She turned to see Leena shuffling their bags towards the corner of the room with her foot and held out a glass. "Care to join me?" You are not James Bond. This is not you… Though you could beat him any day at poker. She shook her head at herself. That is besides the point. You are Claudia Donovan. Be Claudia Donovan. "I umm… okay, I'm kinda having a hard time trying to treat this as completely normal."
Leena blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You, me…" Claudia huffed, and popped the cork, her nose wrinkling into a smile instinctively when Leena let out a chortle at the stream of bubbles that emerged. "Us." Maybe Artie's advice was pretty good after all.
Leena swallowed and nodded, then reached out to place her hand on Claudia's bicep. "We'll take this slow. Let's just be as we are. Friends having fun…"
"Yes," Claudia nodded hastily. "Friends…I like that. Wonderful…" She gulped and necked back the glass of champagne. "More?" She filled her own glass and Leena guffawed. She clinked her glass with the agent's and took a sip of her own drink.
"Pretty good," Leena licked her lips, then surprised Claudia by moving away from her and leaving the room all together.
"Are you kidding me?"
Claudia's head soared at the gasp from the bathroom and she dashed over to see a Jacuzzi with more rose petals scattered around the brim. "Holy…"
Leena turned to her with an astonished grin. "Let's go in." She was practically vibrating with enthusiasm.
"Already?" Claudia laughed but felt her belly doing somersaults.
Leena actually pouted. "I have a flute of champagne in my hand and a Jacuzzi in front of me. Honey, that's like having PB without the J. And I smell."
Claudia felt her cheeks warm and didn't know whether to blame the woman in front of her, or the champagne. She sighed. "Let me get my bikini."
Leena put down the drinks and clapped her hands jubilantly before disappearing out of the room to find her own swimsuit. Claudia shook her head with a smile and put the plug into the drain then turned on the tap. She found a suitable temperature and turned to the door. It was then, she froze. She was stuck. Leena was getting changed and sure, she'd seen her nearly naked before but this was entirely different and…crap. "You nearly done?"
"Wait!" Leena grumbled at the straps on her swimming costume and finally managed to shrug them over her shoulder. She looked down at herself and sighed with a shake of the head. There was no way in hell Claudia was going to like this, but she couldn't keep the agent in the bathroom for the whole weekend. "Okay… ready." she exhaled shakily.
Claudia opened the door and stopped breathing there and then. Her eyes scanned Leena's body, upwards until she finally reached her face. A look of discomfort flashed across Leena's face and she squirmed in her spot, trying to cover herself up.
"Sorry," Leena tittered nervously, "I've had this thing for years… it's a little tatty." She pulled at the material across her belly awkwardly.
"No, no…" Claudia swallowed. "You look great." Oh my god, those boobs. "I'll just umm… I'll just be a sec." she crouched down by her luggage and pulled out her black and white dotted bikini set. Leena nodded and excused herself, passing her friend. Their arms brushed accidentally causing the innkeeper to scuttle off even faster until she made it to the bathroom and shut the door with a firm slam. She pressed herself up against the back of the door and closed her eyes. The tension was driving her crazy and yet… she still couldn't make a move. Maybe it was the age thing. Maybe it was Melissa, or something… she didn't know, but she knew if anything was going to happen, Claudia would have to be the one to start it. She also knew this would continue until things were resolved.
She waited for a little while, but soon things got a little chilly, and to save further embarrassment in the chest region, she sat in the filling bath and took a cautious sip of her champagne. "Claud?"
"Hmm?" the harried voice came through the door.
"Can you get my wash bag?"
"Sure," Claudia turned back and grabbed the small drawstring bag, then reentered the bathroom. "Here…" She handed the bag over to the soggy woman and watched with curiosity when Leena got out a small bottle and put a dollop on her hands before smoothing it through her hair. "Wait… you're having a bath?"
"Umm… it is what this is, right?" Leena looked around the still filling tub.
"It's a Jacuzzi… you can't have a bath in a Jacuzzi." Claudia grumbled, before casually slipping into the warm water. Leena grinned and started up the stream system, then handed Claudia her champagne.
"My hair stinks of paprika, and you dragged me 2 hours away in the middle of making dinner. Can you blame me?"
"Fair point," Claudia smiled and sipped her drink. She felt the innkeeper's thigh brush against hers and moved her own leg away with a clear of the throat.
"Cute bikini," Leena broke the silence with a blush.
Claudia looked down at herself. "Thanks…" She splashed the water a little with her fingers and lifted her gaze to Leena's hair which was now pretty slick and was traveling down her back. They sipped on their champagne silently, until Leena moved to turn the tap off. Her left leg lay over Claudia's under the water and this time, Claudia didn't move away. Instead, she delicately took the flute from her friend's hand, put it to the side and stood on her knees. Leena watched her curiously, her eyes never leaving the agent's. Unable to stop herself, Claudia closed the distance and captured Leena's lips with hers. Both women sat frozen in the hot pool of water until Claudia attempted to pull away. Leena's hand emerged from under the water and held her still, fingers tangling in the damp lower tendrils of Claudia's hair. She kissed her back fiercely, water sloshing around them as they tried to get comfortable. "Wait," Claudia pulled away and licked her lips. "I just need to… need to breathe for a second," she whispered, both hands on Leena's shoulders.
The innkeeper merely smiled back patiently and took a sneaky slurp of her drink. "You okay?"
Claudia closed her eyes and nodded. "This shit just got real, huh?"
"That okay with you?" Leena swallowed and placed her glass back on the side of the bath as the water bubbled around them.
Claudia smiled widely. "Yeah…" She sat up slowly, then placed herself in Leena's lap and dipped her head to taste the remnants of champagne on Leena's lips. She moaned and opened her mouth a little wider when she felt Leena get more demanding.
Leena's eyes were shut tightly, her hands clutching at Claudia's back, skin slipping against her palms. This was it. Claudia was hers now, and would be as long as she lived. Nothing could stop them any more and with that thought, she lay back, bringing the junior agent along with her. She couldn't stop the smile worm its way across her face when Claudia reached down and clasped their hands together. They battled a little, pushing their hands back and forth until the water caused them to slip and fall further into the water. Claudia spluttered and pulled back, giggling. "Are you okay?"
Leena's head dunked under the water. When she emerged she coughed and nodded, the bubbles now moving from gentle to intense. She laughed and let out a wide grin. Claudia bit on a knuckle and helped move some of the strands of curly hair from her face. Leena reached over, distracting herself with more champagne. Claudia smiled coyly and did the same, trying to keep her eyes away from Leena's cleavage. The innkeeper caught the slip and looked down at herself, pursing her lips. Claudia groaned and closed her eyes. "Sorry…"
"It's okay…" Leena mumbled back. "You umm… you can look if you want."
Claudia's hand fell from her face and into the water. "Really?"
"Mmhmm," Leena hummed. "You can… you can also kiss me again, if you want." Claudia swallowed and leaned forward. She cupped the woman's face and gently pecked her lips. She backed away and saw Leena's eyes closed, her eyebrows raised as if waiting for her friend to continue. Claudia smiled and brought her lips to Leena's again, one hand now wrapped in her wet hair. The other reached down and tentatively took hold of her breast. When she felt Leena's tongue touch hers, she squeezed softly and heard the moan. The vibration against her lips felt divine and when Leena clutched her closer, she slipped her fingers beneath the neckline of the swimsuit. Leena's nipple hardened immediately causing Claudia to back away with a gasp.
"Wh…are you okay?" the innkeeper opened her eyes and blinked foggily.
"We need to get out of here."
"Here meaning…" Leena asked slowly.
"The tub," Claudia grinned and kissed her again. She turned off the system blindly with her hand and stood up gracefully. Leena's eyes were glued to her body, mouth agape. "Up here…"
"Oh god," Leena's gaze shot upward and she gave an embarrassed laugh before pinching her nose. "Sorry…"
"Don't be sorry," Claudia shimmied her hips and wrapped herself in one of the fluffy towels. "You want a piece of this, who am I to judge?" She sniggered at Leena's howl of embarrassment.
"Claudia," she whined. "Just… pass me that damn towel."
"Whatever you say," the younger woman wrapped herself in a robe handed her friend a large folded towel, then left the room to get comfortable on the king sized bed with her name on it. She took a deep breath and exhaled, shrugging off her bikini bottoms, before digging through her stuff and finding a pair of slacks and a tank top to put on. She took out her iPad and switched it on. Checking her emails and her tumblr, she felt a smile tug at her lips when Leena opened the door and shuffled into the room, holding her robe closed. "You wanna get changed? I won't peek," she promised.
Leena rolled her eyes but nodded and was able to dress into something more comfortable in peace. She finally slipped into bed, slightly impressed that Claudia had stuck to her usual left side of the mattress. Claudia put the tablet away and kicked her feet up, arms behind her head. "Look, I don't want it to be awkward between us, okay?" she began. "I just, I'm…" she rolled onto her side and thinned her lips when Leena copied the gesture. She wriggled closer until their noses were practically touching. "I think I'm in love with you. Wait, no… that's not fair." She sniffed. "I know I am."
Leena wasn't expecting the surge of emotion that overcame her when she heard the modest whisper, or the sob that jumped from her throat. She covered her eyes with a hand. "I think I love you too," she whimpered in a muffled tone. Claudia glowed and shuffled even closer until their fronts touched.
"Hey…" She moved Leena's hands away from her face and pulled her down to kiss her lips. She backed away.
"I love you," Leena whispered, more confident now. "I love you." She smiled as Claudia hastily wiped her tears away, then kissed her again. Claudia shifted and tangled her legs with Leena's. She lifted up and hovered over the innkeeper with a smirk, before reaching down to capture her lips again. Claudia shrieked when Leena flipped them over and straddled her hips, pinning her hands down with a grin.
"Feels so weird," Claudia squirmed under the woman's hold. "Being able to touch you."
"I have your hands pinned," Leena raised an eyebrow. "How are you touching me?"
Claudia rolled her eyes and struggled under the weight until she managed to sit up. "C'mere…" She pulled Leena closer, hands in wet hair and bit down gently on her lower lip before continuing to kiss her with abandon. Leena groaned and let herself grind against the redhead's thighs lightly. "Oh man…" She took hold of Leena's hips, clenching hard before moving down to her ass and giving a tender squeeze. Leena reciprocated by dipping her head to suckle on Claudia's neck.
She smiled at Claudia's sudden moan and sucked a little harder. They hugged tightly, hands running up and down each others' backs until a knock on the door sounded and Leena pulled away in frustration. "Oh, come on!"
"Patience," Claudia intoned with a smirk and a tap on the nose, then wriggled out from under her new girlfriend and got up to answer the door.
"Spare towels, ma'am," a maid stood at the doorway with a pile. "Apologies, for…" she peered through the door to see a frustrated Leena flopped out on the bed with a hand over her face, "… the disturbance. I hope you have a pleasant stay."
"Oh," Claudia wrinkled her nose. "We will. Thank you… for the towels." She gave her best charming smile and shut the door hastily before turning and throwing the towels on to the bed. One conveniently landed over Leena's head and the innkeeper sat up as fast as she could before pulling the newly washed fabric off her face. "Oooh…" Claudia caught the scowl on Leena's face. "You mad?"
"No," Leena rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. "I'm just… I dunno, overwhelmed?"
"Me too…" Claudia lay back down and shimmied across the mattress until she was a hair's breadth away from Leena's face. "You know what I think…" She swirled her finger around Leena's chest and lowered her head to kiss the smooth skin.
"I don't actually." Leena closed her eyes and gave a blissful smile. "contrary to popular belief, I don't read minds." She couldn't describe the things she was feeling. The desire, the happiness… the impatience. When she felt a kiss pressed against her lips she relaxed them with a smile and let Claudia in. Tongues battled, hands groped at flesh until Claudia couldn't stand anymore and she pulled away. They agreed to slow down and decided to glam up a little and try out the bar. Getting changed in front of each other was bizarre, but the two women dealt well enough, despite the occasional distracted gawk.
"What can I get you two ladies?" A handsome barman grinned easily at Claudia and Leena who were making themselves comfortable on the barstools provided.
Claudia straightened her flannel shirt and cleared her throat awkwardly. "JD and Coke, good sir, and whatever she's having."
"I.D?"
She sighed and handed over her driver's license. Cringe. He nodded and glanced over to Leena who asked for the same, but diet.
Claudia groaned and thumped her head on the table. "Kill me…"
"What?" Leena placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why?"
"Because I'm trying to be all cool and suave and sexy and I'm the total opposite, and just…"
Leena wanted to stop her with a kiss, but this being South Dakota… well, she didn't want to risk it. So she placed her fingers on Claudia's lips and smiled. "You are being cool and… well, suave maybe not, but sexy yes."
"I am?" Claudia sat up and glanced cautiously at the barman who handed them their drinks. "Put it on our tab? 196."
"Sure thing," the man smiled. "Enjoy, ladies." He winked at both of them wandered off to serve somebody else.
Leena smirked and glanced at the woman next to her who held up her glass. "To us." Claudia finally said shyly.
"To us." Leena repeated. She chinked her glass with Claudia's and watched the young agent sip her drink. "God," she lowered her voice. "I really wanna kiss you."
"Yeah?" Claudia's eyebrows waggled and she looked around the relatively empty bar. "Really, really quickly."
Leena smiled and leaned forward to peck her lips hastily before pulling back with an even wider grin.
"Why do I get the feeling that this is the most exciting thing you've ever done?" Claudia settled a hand on her best friend's thigh. Leena shrugged a little shyly, then took a long sip of her whiskey, ending with a wince.
"God…"
"Yeah, I don't think this is a single," Claudia nodded and put her glass down. "You wanna head over to the couch?"
"Sure," Leena got up from the stool as coolly as she could and followed the redhead over to a secluded area of the bar. She sat down and tried not to let Claudia's aura bother her too much. Claudia, it seemed, was happier than she'd ever seen her in her life. And that thought completely terrified her. Was she the right woman, no… person to keep Claudia happy? To keep this special aura there for as long as she could? She felt Claudia's arm wrap around her, fingers discreetly playing with the hair at the nape of her neck.
"You okay? Very quiet…" Claudia murmured after a few moments of silence. Where was this confidence coming from? Granted, she'd sometimes seen Claudia locking lips with strangers so maybe this wasn't so weird.
Leena gave an embarrassed titter and rolled her eyes. "Your aura… It's uhh… very…"
"Very what?" Claudia leaned back, eyes scanning the innkeeper's intently. At Leena's silence she prodded further. "Very what?"
"Sexy?" Leena offered weakly. "Just… overwhelming." Claudia's mouth widened, not expecting the mousey admission. "Look, Claudia… this is kinda weird for me okay? I just… I find you so attractive, and I know I'm in love with you and just…"
"The age, right?" Claudia smiled. "Hey, it's cool alright? I don't…" she paused and held her breath then started again. "It freaked me out at first, but right now I swear to god I don't give a damn."
"You're sure…" Leena said slowly.
With a quick glance around the room to make sure nobody was watching, Claudia kissed Leena briefly and pulled away with a nod. "Pretty sure," she smiled.
Leena gave a ridiculously wide grin and picked up her glass, taking a mouthful of her drink before settling back against Claudia's arm.
With three drinks down, both women found themselves getting a little tipsy. Claudia leaned against the billiard table heavily and took her next shot. "So…" she potted the nearest stripe. "How old do you say you are? You know… when people ask."
Leena nibbled on her thumb and screwed off the tip, then screwed it back on. "28."
"Really?" Claudia wrinkled her nose.
The innkeeper's mouth dropped open in shock. "You think I look older?"
"What? No!" Claudia thought on her feet. "I just… it's a little strange to say the same thing, year after year." She held in an urge to lick her lips when Leena bent over to take a shot. Biting her lip instead, she looked up at the ceiling and counted to five. Suddenly a thought overcame her and she covered her mouth.
"What's the matter?" Leena frowned. She stood and leaned against the cue, one leg curled around the bottom.
"You," she pointed a finger. "You don't have a birthday…" She watched Leena's eyes cast downwards toward the billiard table and sighed, approaching her carefully. "All these years and not once have we celebrated your birthday." She watched the woman's shoulder's slump. "Leena, I'm sorry… that sucks."
Leena sniffed and gave a nonchalant shrug. "It's fine. I don't know when I was born."
Claudia pressed a hand against her hip and rubbed her side with her thumb. "Mrs. F never gave you a birth date? You know… just for the fun."
"No," Leena frowned. "Why would she? It isn't even that big a deal-"
"Woah, woah," Claudia began to flail. "Not big of a deal? It's a birthday. It's the day that makes you go 'Shit, look at me. I'm alive and I have friends and family that love me.'" She cried. "Not big a deal?" She knew she was getting a little drunk, otherwise she wouldn't be drinking Godfathers but this needed to be said. Placing her hands on Leena's shoulders, Claudia looked into her eyes. "Pick a date."
"I'm sorry?" Confused hazel eyes blinked back at her.
"For your birthday, goober." Claudia smiled. "Pick a date, and we'll make it a birthday."
"But that doesn't make sense," Leena was having a hard time processing this. The pool game was long abandoned and while Claudia was winning, her fogged mind decided this was far more important than some silly stick and ball game. "It wouldn't be a birthday because I don't know when I was born."
Claudia was really, really glad the bar was still as empty as it had been when they'd entered three hours beforehand. She perched on the edge of the table and took hold of Leena's waist before pulling her close. "A birthday isn't about that…" she sighed. "Seriously? For a woman who is so obsessed in making everybody's birthdays that little bit more fabulous, you really do have a skewed view on the whole celebration thing…" She saw sorrowful eyes blink back at her. "Okay… what does it say on your passport?"
"April 3rd" Leena mumbled.
"See?" Claudia smiled. "You have a birthday! And in two months we'll have a birthday party."
"Claudia, no-"
The agent tutted and moved away. "You forced us to wear silly hats for Artie's last birthday, you don't get out of this one easily."
Leena's half-hearted grumble turned into more of a smile than anything, and she nodded silently before they continued with their game.
At midnight, both Claudia and Leena decided they were far too drunk and far too tired to play any more cue games, attack the quiz machines, or drink, so they waved goodbye to the barman in heaps of giggles and stumbled towards their room. Claudia was a gadget girl, but she could not for the life of her work the keycard system. Leena's hands and body pressed up against her wasn't helping, neither was the completely stupid amount of alcohol she'd consumed. "God damn…"
"Use your screwdriver thingy," Leena whined, hands playfully rested on her ass.
Claudia chuckled and put her hands in her pockets until she found the sonic screwdriver and quickly opened the door. With the door closed and their privacy regained, both women hastily stripped down, falling about the room. It was freezing, and Leena was the first to jump under the covers of the king-sized bed. Claudia joined her and found the button to her own jeans. "Let's take off our clothes."
"Wait, what?" Leena slurred. "Why?"
"Because," Claudia shrugged. "1, 2, 3..." she hastily shrugged down her pants and Leena had no choice but to follow.
Leena hastily pulled off her jumper and threw it at the other end of the room. Next came her bra, then her jeans. Claudia did the same with her top. "This is crazy."
"I know," Claudia giggled and lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.
Leena tried to calm her racing heart. Next to her was a stark naked Claudia, and she didn't even know if she could touch her. "I feel like I'm in ninth grade."
"You didn't go to school!" Claudia rolled her eyes.
"Neither did you," Leena chortled, and poked her side, then froze. "That was your breast." she said dumbly.
"Yes, it was." Claudia smiled and rolled onto her side. "This doesn't have to be awkward, you know."
"It feels awkward…" the innkeeper cringed and covered her face.
"Okay, okay… sit up." Claudia commanded suddenly and let the quilt fall from her chest.
"What? No!" Leena clutched the remaining part of her duvet in her hands desperately.
"Sit up," Claudia groaned and pulled Leena's hand away. "Leena, come on…" Leena swallowed and closed her eyes, slowly raising up. Sure she was drunk, but it didn't mean she wasn't nervous as hell. "Get this into that super, amazing thick skull of yours." She leaned forward and kissed her. "I love you. I am in love with you."
Leena sighed, hooded eyes looking up uncertainly. "Jesus, Leena…" Claudia practically growled and pulled the rest of the duvet away. "I'm hot for you, okay? If I say I'm in love with someone it means I wanna rip your clothes off like I'm in a Torchwood episode, okay?"
"You do…" the innkeeper seemed surprised by this.
"Seriously?" Claudia whined. "You are like a brick wall sometimes." She leaned forward and kissed her friend again, before pulling back and placing an unsure hand on her breast. "I am freaking out about this too, and this is totally weird for me because hey, you're a girl and I'm a girl and I've never done this before." Another kiss, this time a little deeper, "But I love you. And if you're not in this as much as I thought you were just tell me because I can get ove-" Claudia was cut off by Leena's lips on hers. Oh thank goddess. Claudia closed her eyes and felt the woman settle on top of her. A groan slipped from Leena's lips when Claudia reached up to grasp at her breasts, hands clenching tightly. She rocked and bent down to press their torsos together and placed a thigh in between the redhead's legs.
"Oh jesus…" Claudia reached up to clutch the back of Leena's neck, one arm moving down to pinch at the base of her back. Their lips reconnected and she arched her back when the innkeeper thrust lightly against her. The kiss grew hungry, teeth biting at each other's lips until Claudia couldn't take anymore. "Oh… okay.. Woah," she pulled away and gave one more kiss to her lover's lips before scrambling away. "Not…not yet. Soon, I promise, but not yet."
Leena smiled patiently, the alcohol beginning to wear off, although very slowly. She sat up and rubbed Claudia's back tenderly. "I can wait as long as you want…" She wasn't exactly expecting the cackle that erupted from Claudia. "You okay?"
Claudia didn't even mind that she was naked anymore. She fell onto the bed holding her belly as she took gasping breaths. "You really can wait as long as I need you to…" she sniffed and covered her face before bursting into another heap of giggles.
"That's not funny…" Leena grouched.
"It is," Claudia chortled. "Because when I'm fifty, you'll be 28. Well, you'll be well into your eighties… oh my god," she wheezed.
Leena felt her lip quiver. "Glad that's so hysterical for you." she rubbed her eyes and tried to get out of bed but was stopped by a strong hand wrapped around her wrist.
"Don't you even get it?" Claudia wiped her own eyes with her free hand. She knew she probably wouldn't have burst out laughing if she wasn't drunk but right now she couldn't keep it in. "I don't give a frak." She pulled Leena onto her lap and immediately felt bad for her outburst, wiping tears from Leena's cheeks. "Oh crap, I didn't mean to make you cry. Just…" she felt the woman's breasts press against her chin and though she acknowledged it, it didn't make her feel as squirrelly as she thought it would. "Jesus christ, I 'm trying to tell you that I don't care how old you are, or how long it takes for us to have… you know…"
"Sex," Leena supplied helpfully with a sniffle.
"Right," Claudia grinned and stroked Leena's cheek with a thumb, wiping tears away. "I'm in this."
"Me too," Leena nodded. She bit her lip to keep it from shaking.
"Good," the redhead smiled further, pulling them both down onto the mattress until Leena was wrapped in her arms. "So…" she broke the silence after a minute and pressed her lips against Leena's. "skiing or spa in the morning?"
"Skiing." Leena murmured sleepily. "That way if I hurt my tushie, I can have a massage the next day."
"Tushie," Claudia scoffed with a shake of the head. "Nobody's touching your 'tushie' but me."
"Okay," Leena nodded and backed herself into Claudia's arms. "But we're still going skiing tomorrow." Claudia smiled and pressed her lips to the smooth skin of Leena's back. She got a little distracted and found herself fluttering kisses across the impossibly soft crook of the innkeeper's neck.
"Mmm… Claudia," Leena warned, half asleep. It did feel nice though.
"Sorry…" the young agent bit her lip and held in a happy squeal. "Night…"
"Goodnight," came the reply. Leena smiled and heard Claudia shift a little closer, a little tighter. "I love you."
"Love you too…" the redhead bubbled. She couldn't hold in her excitement. She lightly scratched Leena's belly, then relaxed her arms and allowed herself the sleep that she needed.
TBC
