Sophie let out a satisfied breath as she lowered the mug of tea from her lips, looking out at the flurry of snowflakes that were gently falling from the sky. The past week had been something of an eye opener for the brunette and she had come to begrudgingly accept a few things about her life.
Firstly, she had embraced the fact she would be spending Christmas without her family. Since her mother had passed away from cancer two years previous, Sophie's father had moved out of the country to raise his lovechild Jack and her sister, Rosie, had moved to London with her husband Jason in a bid to be a model. Not wanting to travel to either of those places, Sophie decided she was fine with staying at her small flat in Manchester.
Secondly, she needed to stop her self destructive behaviour. Not only was it unhealthy to go out drinking most nights a week and attempt to pull as many girls as she could, it was also becoming tiring and a real financial drain. Having been unable to find a job in her first semester, the brunette had been relying on her student loan to pull her through the year. Unfortunately, this meant that a night on the town was not always an option if she wanted to fill the food cupboards. Sophie had also started to realise that her behaviour wasn't just affecting herself. The countless girls who she'd invited into her bed didn't deserve the way they were treated. Sophie knew that Sian had helped her understand that.
Which brought her to her third eye opener of the past week. Sian. Sophie had accepted that obviously she felt something for Sian. This had been the most difficult thing for the brunette to accept yet somehow, she'd managed to make peace with it. Clearly it could not go on and was far from ideal. The biggest and most obvious problem was that Sian was in a relationship with Sophie's best friend. However. after much contemplation, Sophie knew this was not the only reason she could not have feelings for Sian. There was also the fact Sian had made it blatantly obvious in the past that she wanted nothing to do with Sophie. Then there was that the pair of them couldn't get on without constant bickering. The whole thing was a disaster from beginning to end and the brunette had been trying to figure out a way to overcome whatever it was she felt. Determining what she felt was not an easy task for the Webster girl. She had never felt more than lust for a woman before. Lust was the one thing Sophie knew she felt for certain. Since the first time she had laid eyes on Sian, the brunette knew she wanted her and ever since then it had been a constant struggle to keep inappropriate thoughts from her mind every time she caught a glimpse of Sian around the flat or they spent a moment alone together. But what else did she feel? Sophie couldn't be sure. All she could be sure of was the fact she had to nip it in the bud. Sophie had always prided herself on her loyalty to her friends and regardless of the fact Sian could turn out to be the only woman the brunette had ever felt anything more than lust for, she was more than off limits.
Consequently, as Sophie took the time to clear her head, she had given Sian a wide berth over the past week. It would seem that Sian had been doing the same in return as the brunette could count on one hand the amount of times they had crossed paths since their talk in Laura's bedroom. When they did encounter one another, they couldn't even maintain eye contact never mind exchange niceties. They never glared at one another or made snide comments and it wasn't as if they were enemies. Just strangers.
As it was, it was the last day Sophie had company in the flat. Craig had already packed up and left to go back to his family in Newcastle for the holidays and Laura would be leaving that evening. The red-haired girl was yet to rise from her bed and Sophie was enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning, sipping on the warm liquid in her mug and watching the ever growing snow storm outside.
"If that keeps up, her train might be cancelled."
At the sound of a voice that had become so familiar over the past few months yet so alien for the week just passed, Sophie turned on the spot. She could hardly believe the statement had been aimed at her after the silence she had shared with the other girl recently.
Nodding slowly, Sophie looked into the dazzling blue eyes in front of her for the first time in a week. "Tell me about it."
Sian managed a smile and gestured towards the mug in Sophie's hands, "That tea?"
Not able to think of a decent response, Sophie simply nodded, taking a final mouthful of her tea.
"More like hot chocolate weather don't you think?"
Sophie's lip twitched, "I suppose."
"Want one?" Sian dared to maintain eye contact as she waited for Sophie's response.
Wetting her lips, the brunette narrowed her eyes slightly as she regarded the girl in front of her, "Is this a trick?"
Sian laughed, "Why would it be a trick?"
"You haven't spoken to me in a week."
"Neither have you." returned Sian.
Despite herself, Sophie smirked, "I thought that was safer."
"Than?"
"Let's not go there." stated Sophie, a small grin still tugging at the corner of her lips, "So ... hot chocolate eh?"
Sian nodded, "Can I tempt you?"
Sophie ran her tongue along her lower lip, trying her best to keep her mind out of the gutter. It was useless. "You could always tempt me."
"Behave." stated Sian, the twinkle in the corner of her eye contradicting her tone.
Trying her best to ignore the look Sophie was giving her, Sian turned and headed into the kitchen, followed slowly by the brunette.
"It's not that instant stuff is it?" asked Sophie.
Turning on the spot, Sian raised an eyebrow, "You don't have to have one you know."
"Not complaining!" defended Sophie, "Just a question."
"Well as a matter of fact, it's not." stated Sian, "I have some class you know."
"Oh I bet." Sophie slid into one of the chairs at the kitchen table, watching Sian carefully as she poured a carton of milk into a pan on the stove.
Even as she stood with her back to the table, Sian was sure she could feel eyes burning into her. Swallowing hard, the blonde gave the milk a stir, trying her best to concentrate on the task at hand and not on the girl behind her. The week had been difficult. She had listened to every word that Sophie had said to her during their last conversation and the words had played across her mind at least once a day since. She liked Laura, she really did. They had a great time together and their relationship was fun and easy and until a few weeks ago, Sian had absolutely no doubts that it was what made her happy. But now everything had changed. A week ago Sophie had come to Sian complaining that she had gotten into her head and now the blonde feared that the same thing had happened to her. Every moment alone, every conversation, every sideways glance, every argument swam around her brain, tormenting her and making her question everything. Sophie Webster had done something to her.
And just like that her brain was swamped again. A slight pressure against her back and the feel of someone's breath against her neck broke her from her thoughts. Despite everything, Sian felt her body giving in and allowed herself to lean back as she felt two arms wrap themselves around her. Sian's eyes drifted closed as she felt the hot breath behind her move towards her neck and without thinking, the blonde tilted allowing a pair of lips to place a lingering kiss on her pulse point.
Before she could stop herself, a low moan escaped Sian's lips and she leaned into the kiss, clutching onto the kitchen counter. "We can't." whispered Sian, letting out a shaky breath.
"Can't what babe?"
Her eye's shooting open, Sian turned on the spot to see a confused looking Laura staring back at her. Daring a glance behind her girlfriend, Sian saw Sophie sat at the kitchen table, her head down and intently staring at a spot in the wood, a contorted look on her face. Almost as if sensing the blonde's eyes on her, Sophie drew her eyes up so they met the blue looking back at her. She was fairly certain she knew what Sian had been thinking and the thought caused Sophie's stomach to do an involuntary flip. In her head, Sian had leaned into Sophie's touch. Allowed her to press her lips to the soft, sweet smelling skin of her neck. And that moan. Sophie's stomach flipped again. Without knowing who it was touching her, Sian had let that moan out for Sophie.
Swallowing hard and daring to maintain eye contact a millisecond longer, Sophie slowly shuck her head causing Sian's eyes to dart quickly back to Laura's. The red-head seemed not to notice anything was wrong.
Still slightly flustered, Sian cleared her throat and turned back to the milk on the hob, "We have company."
Turning to shoot a quick look at Sophie who was now staring avidly at the table again, Laura then turned back to Sian, an amused look on her face, "It's only Sophie."
"Thanks." mumbled Sophie, rising from the table feeling quite sure that she had already seen enough.
"Sit down Sophie." stated Sian, not needing to look towards the brunette to know she was leaving.
"It's fine." returned Sophie.
Finally facing the brunette, Sian gave Sophie a look that she couldn't decipher, "I've made enough for you so sit down. It'll go to waste otherwise."
"No really I-"
"Sit!" ordered Sian, nodding at the chair the brunette had just risen from as Sophie slowly sank back into it.
Slightly confused by the exchange she had just watched, Laura looked between the two girls before shaking her head and placing a quick kiss on Sian's cheek. "If you're still making the drinks babe, I'm just gonna jump in the shower real quick."
Sian nodded her head, adding the chocolate to the pan and stirring as Laura placed a final kiss on her shoulder before leaving the room. Once her girlfriend had gone, Sian visibly let out a sigh.
In the last few minutes, Sophie had gone from feeling unsure about being alone in the kitchen with Sian, to damn right uncomfortable and now felt nothing but confusion as she noticed the blonde's relief now Laura was out of the room. Her mind drifted back to just a few moments ago and as she let her brain recount the low moan that had escaped Sian's lips, Sophie was powerless as she felt a small twinge below. Even after a week of not speaking to Sian, not being alone with Sian, not even looking at Sian it was obvious that the brunette still didn't have her feelings in check.
Turning back towards the blonde, Sophie could see that Sian was using all of her energy to remain facing forward and focused on the drink she was stirring in the pan. Unable to stop herself and not entirely sure what she was about to do, Sophie's body acted of it's own accord as she felt herself rise to her feet and take a few steps towards the stove.
Sian held her breath as she heard the sound of the chair legs scraping across the floor. Not daring to turn, she bit down on her lip as her heart rate increased dramatically. If Sian didn't know better, she'd say her heart was trying to make a bid for freedom from her chest, the pounding only increasing in power with every beat.
And there it was again. That pressure and heat against her back as another person's body pressed against her. But this time she noticed the differences. She noticed the smell of the sweet perfume that she wasn't so familiar with. She felt the difference in body shape as the person behind her pressed her body into the kitchen counter. Again, Sian's hands grasped the counter as she tried anything she could to calm her racing heart and level out her breathing.
Two hands rested on her waist, not like the first pair had a few minutes ago. These hands were soft and gentle, not holding her tight as if she were a possession. Fingertips traced lightly over her hips, almost as if they were trying to memorise every inch of the body they touched. As the body pressed slightly harder against her, Sian felt one of the hands leave her hips as it was raised hirer to move the hair back from the blonde's neck, fingers brushing over then skin as they did so and leaving goosebumps in their wake.
Still trying to level out her breathing and failing, Sian let out a small gasp and a shiver ran down her spine as she felt breath on her neck. As the hand moved back to rest on her hip, Sian gripped on to the worktop harder. A second passed and then the breath was against her neck, the goosebumps rising again as Sian knew a pair of lips must be mere millimeters from her skin.
"Do you want me to stop?"
At the sound of Sophie's voice, Sian felt her stomach flip over. She knew what her answer should be, knew how wrong this was and yet her body was defying her. With every light trace of fingertips against her hips, every hot breath on the back of her neck, Sian felt a shiver pass down her spine. Despite herself, Sian slowly shook her head.
Unable to stop a small smirk tracing her lips, Sophie's hands tightened on Sian's waist and leaning forward the smallest of fractions, she finally pressed her lips to Sian's neck.
The fact that Laura was in just the other room, the fact that the hot chocolate was probably ruined now, the fact that this was so incredibly wrong didn't matter. Sian raised one of her arms, resting her hand on the back of the brunette's neck as she tilted her head to the side.
"Fuck." breathed out Sian, followed by a satisfied moan as Sophie kissed along her neck, finally reaching the blonde's ear lobe and biting down on it gently.
A final kiss was placed against Sian's pulse point and then it was over. The heat of the body pressed against her was no more and Sian felt the winter chill against her back. Turning on the spot as she realised what had happened, Sian saw that she was alone. Sophie had gone. And Sian now had no idea what to do.