YAY! An UPDATE!
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They made their way out of the elevator after it became clear that watching movies would not help clear the atmosphere of tension. The trio walked in silence toward the sidewalk, all too engrossed with their thoughts to bother asking the other about their troubles.
"I'm going to go look for Alice." Lana remarked determinedly.
Her voice broke through the two women's thoughts allowing them reprieve from their inner monologues. They looked at her before nodding their heads. After promising to call one another the dark haired beauty left her friends who in turn stared at the other in uncertainty.
"So I guess I'll see you la…" Rowan started but was quickly interrupted.
"Do you have somewhere to be?" Elise asked, wondering where she'd gotten the sudden courage. Perhaps the talk with Terra did more than she realized. Rowan shook her head automatically, enthusiasm clear on her features. "I could really go for Thai tea right now." she remarked.
"Thai tea sounds wonderful." the woman with blue streaks in her black hair replied.
"I know the perfect place." the woman with the chestnut colored mane stated. She paused after remembering her manners. "Did you want to ride with me or do you just want to meet there?" she was unsure.
"I think it'd be better if I rode with you." Rowan smirked rather mysteriously.
The way she spoke was as if a joke had just been told. Elise was certain she'd get the pun sooner or later so she didn't bother asking and led the way to where her car was parked.
Their ride was made in silence and the only time the brunette spoke to the gray eyed woman was when she asked her what she wanted. Now they sat across each other in the booth. Elise was staring out into the wall whilst her counterpart was fiddling with her cup.
It would have been better if they were conversing but the female with the blue streaked mane was content just to be in the taller woman's company.
She could have invited Lana or any other friend she had but she chose to be with her, a practical stranger. This was progress so she couldn't complain. She wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Of course she was a bit thankful when the waiter came in to retrieve their orders.
"I think we can both have another order." Rowan replied.
"With Boba this time." Elise added finally breaking her silence and once their server returned with their orders she looked at the gray eyed beauty. "I'm sorry." she shook her head. "I invited you but I'm not being very sociable."
"I don't mind." a reassuring smile was plastered on her face. "I'm just glad to be here with you."
Rowan kicked herself mentally. She was acting way too eager to be with the other woman but then again she really wasn't one for pretenses. She always went for what she wanted and now wasn't any different and besides, this was a good way to see if she had a chance with the tall brunette.
"That's something Terra would say." Elise remarked wistfully.
"I guess that means we're both accommodating then." was the highlighted beauty's remark. The pensive brunette had not picked up on her dissatisfaction.
It wasn't that Rowan didn't like Terra. She thought the blonde was excellent company. The shorter woman had this innocent yet mysterious appeal. Every time she looked into those bright blues she was met with kindness and warmth but there was always a cloud of obscurity which lay behind all that sincerity.
All though the blonde promised secrecy it didn't impede her caring nature. She witnessed how the teen could be so mischievous yet supportive.
Rowan understood how one could be so enamored with the petite blonde because she herself was beginning to feel a sense of loyalty to her though she hadn't known her for long. Though as enchanting as Terra was, she couldn't hold a candle to Elise's magnetic hold. It was impossible to resist this particular stranger's charms.
That was proven on prom night and up until now, the urge to be near the brunette, to know everything and anything about her hadn't dissipated with time's assistance. Rowan was certain it never would.
"You have no idea." the brunette chuckled. "Terra's always been helpful." she recalled back to those instances where her friend tutored or comforted her. "I've never really been big with math but she always finds time to walk me through the problems patiently and every time I got into a fight with one of my sisters she's always there to remind me that we're still young and we have a lot to learn."
"You really think the world of her." it was obvious.
"I know I've been kind of a big bitch to Rachel but I've been told I tend to be very protective of the ones I care about." her sisters and mother couldn't stress this enough. "Terra says it's one of my most admirable qualities so I guess that's why she doesn't get angry every time I try to provoke Rachel."
"You care about her a great deal." there was heaviness in her tone as she came to terms with something unsolicited.
"Of course." Elise replied as though she thought it was silly for someone to ask a question to which the answer to was more than obvious. "It's impossible not to."
"You love her." the newcomer felt her stomach churn with this undesired truth.
"Of course I do." too absorbed in her musings, she was oblivious to the other woman's pain which had increased tenfold because of her candid declaration. Noting the silence which encumbered them she stared from the table to the dyed beauty. It was then that she realized the implications being made. "As a friend." she quickly added to remedy the situation. "That's all."
She watched the relieved look flash across Rowan's features. In an outsider's point of view, it's understandable that someone would misconstrue her protective nature for a possessive jealous one.
"I see."
"I'm really protective about the people I care about." she declared, reminded of the fact the female sitting in front of her knew nothing about her. "Besides, you have to understand that Terra's never had someone." the hint didn't escape the woman with blue streaks in her hair.
"Really?" being a newcomer, Rowan couldn't comprehend the severity of the situation.
She thought the girl wasn't anything like Alice who enjoyed the company of women frequently but she believed the blonde would have at least dated.
"That's why I'm so concerned." she explained before releasing a small smile as she stared at the beauty before her who had been patiently listening to her venting. "But I suppose there's nothing I can do." the only option was to remain strong and to be there when Terra would need her assistance. She decided it was time to determine whether or not she should take a chance. "Let's talk about something else."
"Like what?"
"Tell me about yourself." the woman looked overwhelmed as she mulled over what to say. The anxiety was expected. She was thinking about something interesting about herself to discuss. "You said before you're interested in cooking right?" she thought back to their conversation during prom night.
"Yes." she was a bit shocked the taller woman remembered. "I'm actually going to attend your university."
"You're transferring?" it occurred to the brunette that she didn't even know which school the highlighted beauty attended. She received a shake of the head. "You're still in high school." a nod.
"I'm graduating this year." Rowan revealed. "I turned18 two months ago." she admitted shyly.
"Belated happy birthday then." Elise accepted the younger woman's age with a kind smile and a small toast. "Our school has a really good culinary program." she informed.
"You're still aiming to be a chef?" the younger woman too remembered their talk.
"Maybe you can be my Sous-chef." the brunette joked.
"As much as I wouldn't mind being underneath you I'm leaning more toward becoming a Pastry chef." her voice was devoid of sexual undertone yet the older woman's raised brow caused her to survey her words. She blushed realizing the double meaning. "I didn't mean it like that."
"I know." she bore no offense. "Even if you did I don't mind." she assured the dyed beauty.
What happened during prom night was still vivid. While the highlighted beauty's date lay passed out on the floor, the two began to talk. Rowan started the conversation by revealing that she would never allow her cousin to set her up with another pathetic loser. To which Elise remarked that sometimes it couldn't be helped because family means having to make sacrifices.
After they had dropped off the boy they spent the night talking. It was incredibly easy to converse and both felt, as cheesy as it sounded, both felt relaxed. That night they were able to know bits and pieces.
They talked about their dreams and their ideals. Elise had become concerned with the passage of time and worried about how her future would affect others. To which Rowan replied that living meant learning. A person had to make mistakes. It was an unavoidable trial but she also added that mistakes could always be corrected.
During the time they spent with one another, the brunette allowed herself to be vulnerable. She wasn't the one giving advice. She didn't need to be strong in front of Rowan.
Not like she did in front of her mother and her sisters. They needed her so she couldn't afford to break. With her friends, well they didn't need her as much but it was too late. She had been keeping things to herself for so long she didn't know how to confide in others. But the stranger came and broke through her walls so effortlessly.
The highlighted beauty was glad that she wasn't being coddled. She wasn't being treated as though she was inexperienced, innocent, or delicate. The older woman treated her with respect.
Elise remembered how Rowan made her advances. The younger woman was nowhere near as direct as Alice. She made subtle hints, sent Elise charming smiles, made fleeting suggestive touches, before she went in for that breathtaking kiss that struck down to her core.
"Really?" Rowan found it hard to believe.
It wasn't that the older woman was prudish or anything of the sort. She merely believed that their one night stand would hold a sore spot seeing as her reaction the day after hadn't been all pleasant. The brunette practically ran out the door.
"Just be yourself." was the suggestion given.
"I want to." she replied but she didn't want to make a wrong move. "But I don't want to send you running for the hills again." the dyed beauty admitted.
"I'm done running." the declaration was made. "I tried my hardest to forget about that night, to forget about you and chalk up everything to the heat of the moment." this was a time for honesty. It was the perfect opportunity to gauge how serious they were about getting to know each other so the brunette forwent her restraint. "But seeing you at the expo just allowed me to see that I've been lying to myself." she paused. "I really want to know you."
"I'd like that very much but," a playful smirk appeared. "Only if you permit me to know everything about you." she stated.
"If it helps," Elise grinned in amusement. "You've already seen me in ways my friends haven't." the words slipped out of her mouth before she could even consider the hidden meaning they possessed. She hadn't meant to refer to that part of the night but from the blush on the younger woman's face, well she knew Rowan didn't particularly mind. Neither did Elise for that matter. "I've been hanging around Alice too much." sexually filled thoughts seemed to be infectious.
The two shared a quick laugh as they thought about the perverted tendencies of their red headed friend who, unbeknownst to the two potential lovers, was staying true to what she believed was her nature.
Lana hung up her phone with a heavy sigh. She had been calling and calling the same number for the past hour but it seemed Alice was intent on being alone for she had avoided all contact with her friends. It had been days after their hang out at Rachel Roth's penthouse and she was becoming increasingly worried. Never had their coquettish friend acted so distant.
No matter how busy Alice was she always found time to call her highlighted counterpart. To say Lana was worried was a blatant understatement.
She thought about calling Alice's brothers to ask if they may know what she was so busy with but could not find it in her to worry the older men. They had all moved out of the house and began living their lives, essentially leaving Alice alone with their father who had absorbed himself with his work ever since his wife left.
They visited once in a while, took their littlest sister out for family gatherings either individually or together. While they loved their sister, they weren't as involved with her life.
It sort of reminded Lana of her own parents who weren't workaholics like Alice's dad. Neither were they caring and nurturing like Elise's mother. Nor were they protective and supportive like Terra's sisters. She had been raised in a loving environment yes, but there wasn't any adoration garnished unto her for her parents were too absorbed in one another to care about their offspring.
She reminded herself that if anything serious happened to the red head she would have been notified seeing as the brother's all knew about the bond the four friends shared.
The black haired beauty was left with one option. She sat in the hallway of Alice's abode in wait. She had situated herself there for about three hours and while she had a key, she couldn't find it in herself to suddenly intrude. Not when she was certain there was no one home for if someone had been inside, she was certain they would have picked up the phone after the thirty seventh time it rang.
At least that's what she thought until she heard a very familiar voice uttering a curse. Instantly she got off the cold floor and retrieved her keys from her pocket.
She rushed inside and found her target in the kitchen nursing a cut on her forefinger. It seemed the red head was trying to cut some spam for breakfast. Upon seeing the bleeding appendage the dark haired beauty forgot her worries and her questions as she automatically headed for the bathroom where she placed the first aid kit.
"Hold still." Lana advised as she took the injured hand in her own before dabbing some alcohol into the wound.
"I can't seem to get anything right." Alice remarked as she shook her head. She had always been a trouble maker, even when she was young. If she hadn't been getting into brawls then she was skirt chasing someone she shouldn't have anything to do with. "I'm nothing like Terra."
Terra was smart, knew her way around the kitchen, athletic, beautiful. Her blonde headed friend seemed so perfect. She understood the attraction. In all honesty the two were perfect together.
"I wouldn't have you any other way." Lana supplied with an honest smile.
Normally those blue eyes would brighten and a lewd grin would appear after that perverted mind would interpret the sexual undertone in her comment. But they only darkened and a dry smile formed upon her lips. She wouldn't dare read into the black haired beauty's statement again. She refused the allowance of hope to fester within her heart once more.
"Of course." she was the kind of person who accepted people despite their flaws.
Alice retracted her hand as she went toward her living room, leaving Lana alone in the kitchen to clean up her mess as always. It was sort of a routine. The red head would forget her notes and she would photocopy her own so her friend could study. When she had messed around or flirted with a girl who was taken, it was Lana that dissolved the situation with her diplomacy. If that failed, then she was the one who tended to her friend's wounds.
It seemed most of their friendship had been spent by the black haired woman tending and caring for her friend. She had bestowed Alice with the love and devotion her own parents denied so freely.
Knowing the red head needed time to be alone she decided to finish her friend's task and began to slice up the spam before frying them in the pan. She knew how Alice loved her spam crunchy so she divided the meat into thin slices. After cooking she laid the concoction out onto the dining table along with a few slices of bread. It was the best she could come up with at the last minute.
Eager to face her friend she followed her out into the living room and found a cigarette planted between her lips and an ashtray filled with cigarette butts on the coffee table.
"You're smoking again?" this was serious.
Alice shrugged before inhaling her smoking stick and exhaling a cloud in the shape of a perfect O. Lana shook her head in disappointment.
"Something's just can't be helped." the dark haired woman was taken back.
She was unaccustomed to the cryptic behavior. Usually the red head was always so forward with what she wanted. Usually she would never be so distant but yet here Alice was, sitting on the other end of the couch all too absorbed in her own world to try and include Lana who wanted nothing more than to be able to restore the red head to her usually jovial and flirty self.
"If you tell me what's bothering you, I can help." always so quick to offer her aid.
"I'm sure Terra deserves your attention more than I do." she looked away from those peering green depths fearing her resolve may break if she continue to stare.
Lana was confused. All she could gather was this had something to do with their blonde friend seeing as Alice couldn't stop mentioning her name but the why was unclear. It dawned on her then, remembering the jealous looks that the red head sent Terra's way every time the blonde touched her.
She had noticed Alice's attraction the first day they met. The red head was so blatant with her desires. She surmised her friend wanted to bed her desperately and that was why she pursued her so fervently.
But as they found out more about each other Alice's flirting became less provocative. It became less about her words and more about her actions. She wasn't as loud about wanting to roll in the sheets with her friend. It was her way of conveying her seriousness while also allowing the dark haired woman to be certain that she was still very much interested. And until she had been sure that the attraction was shared, she continued on with her night time activities.
Over the years Alice continued to add notches onto her bedpost but the numbers had been dwindling as she began to frequent taking the intelligent woman in her arms.
They would hold each other in a manner fit for lovers. They would share their deepest darkest secrets and seek comfort and warmth from each other first before they confronted their friends with their troubles. Lana thought she had made it obvious that she wanted more too but apparently she was wrong.
"That's not true." she declared.
"I suppose." another drag was taken from the cigarette. "Then again, I can't imagine her ever coming to you for support." she chuckled bitterly. "She isn't a fuck up like me." as they sat facing one another the unshed tears, accompanied by bitterness and perhaps acceptance, could be seen. "I can understand why you'd want her."
Alice wanted nothing more than for Lana to be happy but the ache in her chest was just too much and she had spent a good amount of time blaming the fact that she had not acted fast enough. She hated herself for allowing the chance to be with Lana slip through her fingers. And then she began to remind herself that she didn't stand a chance to begin with, seeing as how she was so reckless. Perhaps she could never be the type of person Lana would want.
The green eyed college student had never seen her friend so distraught. It clued her in to how much Alice truly felt so perhaps it was time to take the step they'd both been eager to make.
"But I don't." Lana moved closer and took the cigarette from her friend's mouth, placed it unto the ashtray, before cupping the red head's cheeks. "I don't want to be with Terra." green eyes shone with honesty yet Alice remained skeptic. The dark haired college student took a deep breath. "I've never felt that way for her." perhaps she would have to be the one to make the first move seeing as the red head was too dense to pick up on her obvious hints. "I can't because I'm too preoccupied with my feelings for y…"
"Good morning gorgeo…" the unrecognizable voice interrupted.
There in the hallway stood a beauty with her hair ruffled and love bites covering her neck. The sight made Lana cringe. It was all too painful. She quickly retracted her hands while Alice got up from the couch and greeted her one time bed partner.
"Good morning to you too." Alice greeted.
"I left my number by your nightstand." she revealed. The unknown woman whispered something into the red head's ear before planting a kiss on the red head's lips and Lana suddenly had the urge to vomit. "Call me." she said before taking her leave.
The red head turned around to face her current visitor. She wasn't dense. The unfinished confession had been made. She knew what Lana was going to say. She knew who Lana truly wanted. Here was concrete evidence that her flirtations were received not out of kindness or playfulness. Her advances were reciprocated because Lana wanted her. But ever the fuck up, she had made a mess of things once more. Alice headed into the living room ready to fix whatever damage had been done.
As she walked she realized she was too caught up with what she was seeing that she didn't try to listen to her friend's conversation. If she did she would have noted the sarcasm in Lana's voice.
"I'm sorry." the red head started.
"Stop." Lana shook her head. "You don't owe me an explanation." a tear escaped from her eye and she was quick to wipe it off her face. "We're just friends." she reminded as her voice cracked with emotion.
"We've never been just friends." for the first time they stood in front of each other no longer masking the sentiments they held.
This wasn't the time for half joking statements. Alice wouldn't dare attempt to crack one now because even she realized the gravity of their situation for they had reach that pivotal point beyond touches and embraces. The line beyond mere flirtation and pure infatuation would be crossed possibly signaling the end of their friendship.
"I have to go." she couldn't do this now.
There was too much anger and disappointment flowing through her that she couldn't think straight. Alice was being serious which rarely happened but Lana on the other hand wasn't being her usually calm and collected self.
Ever the logical person, the dark haired beauty knew she had to clear her mind before she spoke the words of insult and degradation that had been resting on the tip of her tongue. She knew she had no right to judge the red head but that didn't mean her agony wasn't compelling her to scream obscenities at the taller woman.
Acting out of anger wouldn't get them anywhere. She had to think, to get away, so before Alice could say anything else, she ran out the door and left the red head to suffer in desolation.
There was only one place she could go, the person aside from Alice whom she could always count on. She was coincidentally the very same person who started this chaos but Lana didn't dare blame Terra. Everything between them had been innocent until their friend's jealousy had muddled things.
In her distraught state, she hadn't managed to call the younger woman so the blonde was surprised to open Rachel Roth's door and found a tear stained Lana in her view.
"Lana…" she instantly pulled the taller woman into her arms.
The dark haired human accepted the embrace as she cried in the ever sympathetic teen's arms. The blonde pulled her gently into the living room and they sat on the couch whilst she continued to cry. Tears were streaming from her eyes straight onto her friend's shirt but the guised elemental had no complaints.
She continued to hold the frantic woman demanding no explanations and offered soothing comfort by circling her hand on the middle of the taller woman's back instead of whispering promises of an optimistic future.
"I don't even know why I'm acting like this." Lana remarked as she calmed and wiped her tears dry. Terra made no remarks, allowing her to explain as much as she wanted in her own pace. The blonde only held a look of concern and exuded sympathy. "I'm acting like she just cheated on me." the intelligent human rationalized.
Being a rather intuitive individual she knew exactly who her friend was talking about. Alice had been dancing around the prospect of romance with the intelligent human. Whilst she and Elise never pestered them about their feelings because they knew pressuring their red headed friend would hinder progress. Lana knew this as well and being the patient woman that she was she allowed things to develop under Alice's terms.
"But nevertheless you feel betrayed and not just by her." she observed. "Mostly by yourself." the blonde contributed.
"I thought she'd changed." they all had because even though their red headed friend had been flirting with random girls she hadn't bedded anyone in months. "I'm angry at myself for believing that she did." she admitted as fresh tears spilled from her eyes though they were less fluid than previous. "I thought she was ready for..." she shook her head. "And she sleeps with some girl." the breath released did little to relieve her of the tension she felt. "I'm overreacting." she had seen the red head with other women before.
"No you aren't." Terra defended her friend from her rationale self. "You have every right to feel whatever you're feeling especially the way things evolved between you two." she stated. "That's why this time is different."
Alice had been instigating such romantic situations by spending frequent amounts of time with Lana, often sharing the same space and that meant she would always hold the shorter woman in a manner which depicted feelings of an amorous nature. In a way Lana felt like she had been led on and Terra would have to agree.
After pouring her heart out to her friend, the dark haired beauty fell asleep due to exhaustion. She certainly suffered an emotional rollercoaster.
Terra remained in her seat whilst her friend slept soundly. It was really heart wrenching to watch the usually collected woman break down and whilst she wanted nothing to be angry at the one who caused her friend to be in such state, it was impossible. Alice was her friend as well and she knew well enough to know why she acted so impetuously. Still she sympathized with both her friends and hoped they'd be able to mend this conflict and find their way to each other.
When Rachel Roth arrived home the sight that greeted her made her uneasy. She had walked into the living room to find Terra's fingers lost in the sleeping Lana's tresses.
"I didn't know we were having company." her tone was icier than usual.
"I'm sorry." Terra's instant apology made the older woman feel guilty. The teen didn't do anything wrong so she didn't have to suffer for her pettiness. "I didn't know either."
"It's fine." she assured. "I have some papers to go over." with that Rachel Roth sought solace in her home office.
She hadn't wanted to cause the teen any trouble and thought it best to let the two be, convinced that the dark haired college student's presence would divert the blonde's attention from her.
The half demon tried her best to pretend like nothing was bothering her for Terra's sake because unlike Alice she hadn't avoided the blonde for she didn't want to cause her any unnecessary strain. They passed the days acting the way they usually did around each other, sharing not only pleasant witty conversation but also body warmth.
Though throughout the time they spent Terra noticed there had been something bothering the older woman but said nothing. She was confident the half demon would come to her in time.
When Lana awoke the blonde had offered for her to stay the night but the dark haired beauty declined. No doubt she felt she had troubled her friend enough for one night. Besides, she had vented and now she had to think about what to say to Alice. She had to think about what she should do now that she'd confessed. Well it was an unfinished confession but it didn't take a genius to know where the admission was heading.
After her unexpected visitor took her leave, Terra made her move to Rachel Roth's office. She stood in the hallway and knocked on the door. After receiving no response she allowed herself inside.
"Dinner's ready." she informed the brooding woman.
Her words broke through the half demon's thoughts. The older woman turned and looked at her, offering a gentle smile as she nodded. But beyond the glass frames, Terra could see the trouble brewing.
After finishing her work she joined the blonde for dinner. The silence was eerie. All that could be heard was the sound of their lips lightly smacking, their utensils scraping against their plates, and Luna's occasional chewing. Terra had watched the older woman who had been staring at her empty plate. As always, the blonde respected her hostess's privacy and made no inquiries as she picked up the plates.
The sound of running water broke through Rachel Roth's reverie. She sensed the concern that spewed from her guest who, from the sound of it, was wiping the dishes dry.
When the blonde finished with her shower she walked into her room and found the half demon sitting cross-legged on her mattress, without her disguise. After Raven had finished with her own bath she had patiently waited for the teen to finish. Upon seeing the teen the older woman parted her legs slowly. An inviting smile was sent Terra's way as the older woman patted the space between her appendages. The young elemental gladly took the offered place.
The older woman used her powers to guide a brush into her hand before proceeding to brush those luscious blonde locks. The accessory was placed aside after the task was done.
"I apologize." the half demon realized her attempts at being normal had been unsuccessful. She couldn't be blamed. The blonde had a stringent effect on her emotions. Terra certainly had a way of making her feel. "I realize I'm not being very congenial." it was a weak apology but it was the best she could muster. "I assure you my mood has nothing to do with the fact you had a visitor." she assured. "I have told to treat this as your home."
And it really wasn't because it wasn't the fact they had an unexpected guest. It was the guest herself who disturbed her as well the position the pair had been. The way their bodies had been joined bothered the half demon greatly.
"I know." her head tilted in concern. "You've been rather thoughtful these past few days."
"I can never get anything past you." her lips cracked into a small smirk. "I am sorry for worrying you." she had never lied to Terra. True she had kept secrets but she had never made false claims so she wouldn't begin now. "I've just been busy mulling over something that I find bothersome."
"I'm here when you're ready." the gentle reminder was given.
"I suppose now's a good a time as any." she had been plagued for the past few days. Restless nights were spent tossing in turning as she tried to determine the younger counterpart's relationship with the black haired college student. "I've been wondering about you."
"Me?" Terra was confused.
"Well," those red eyes shone with uncertainty. "I've been thinking about what the nature of your relationship is with Lana." the blonde was dumbfounded. She wondered why the hell everyone thought there was something into their innocent friendship. "I saw you two in the kitchen a few days ago." Raven replied after sensing her bewilderment.
"Oh." she recalled the incident in the kitchen when Lana confronted her about any feelings she had for the woman she was not conversing with. "Is that why you've been… troubled?"
She thought back to that night they all hung out at the penthouse, the night where Alice left and when the elder woman cultivated her disturbed behavior. It hadn't occurred to Terra that her secret love would ever be resentful of the bond she shared with her friends.
That had to be it. Rachel Roth was jealous of her friendship with Lana. Friends often become envious when they see their companions in the company of others. She convinced herself there was nothing romantic about the half demon's jealousy.
"Yes." the older woman replied unabashedly. "Normally I wouldn't be prying into someone's love life." Terra's eyes all but bulged out of their sockets. "But because it's you, I find myself incredibly," the older half demon paused, trying to search for the right word to describe her predicament. A predicament she had yet to determine the cause of. This wasn't merely because of friendly concern. She wasn't naïve. "Vexed." she finished.
"I don't know why everyone thinks I'm in love with Lana." she shook her head.
"I never mentioned anything about love." the word alarmed the half demon not because she detested the notion but because the problem was worse than she thought. Sensing the weight of the oncoming conversation, Luna excused herself from the room. "Are you?" Raven forced the words out of her mouth, finding them distasteful and taut.
"As a friend." Terra assured. "I love her only as my friend."
Raven had been too preoccupied with her pain that she hadn't taken the time to decipher the blonde's tone. If she had she would have been able to detect Terra's longing.
"I see." she trusted the teen and knew the blonde wouldn't lie, especially not to her, so the older woman felt as though that weight on her chest had been lifted. She could breathe easier knowing her friend was free of romantic hassles with the black haired student. "I'll be able to sleep well tonight." the older woman grinned as relief coursed through her entire body.
"I'm glad." she was interrupted.
Before Terra could say anything else to the other woman she found a pair of arms locked around her waist. She accepted the touch and did not resist when her hostess gently pulled her up toward the headboard of the bed frame. They sat on the bed in silence with Raven's back pressed against the wood and Terra settled securely between her limbs.
"I'm incredibly relieved." the older woman confessed.
"But you know," she frowned as she turned her face to Raven. "I'm kind of surprised that the idea of me being in love with Lana upsets you so much."
She didn't understand. The half demon obviously wasn't opposed to same sex couples and clearly she no longer held opposition to emotions like adoration and care since she had professed feeling this way for her younger counterpart countless times already. So the teen wondered what the older woman's reasoning could be.
"I despise the idea." Raven corrected and the blonde could see she wasn't lying.
The older woman waited for the teen to gather this new information, her eyes never leaving Terra. A cloud of mystification encircled those bright blues she loved to stare into.
"Why?" she questioned before she could stop herself.
She wondered why the half demon detested her having any sort of a love life since she didn't seem to really mind before. Raven hinted about her and Beast Boy before without any sort of disdain to the idea of the notion. She had been indifferent when she asked of the teen's suitors and if she was interested in anyone. Terra couldn't help but wonder what changed.
"She may be suitable as your friend," she paused. "Lana is not fit to be with you." the half demon's aversion was clear.
Terra believed her reaction was entirely rooted on the basis of friendship. Her elitist friend only wanted what was best for her and nothing more. She wouldn't dare allow herself to hope for the half demon to return her affections. She had to remain discouraged for hoping could shatter her heart to pieces. Hope could only lead to despair.
"Lana's really smart." she began to list her friend's desirable qualities. "And kind, understanding, and beautiful." Raven scowled, hating the idea that Terra was even considering Lana could ever be good enough. "If she isn't fit for me I don't know who would be."
"I know." the assurance was given.
The conviction in the half demon's tone was steadfast that the blonde couldn't find it in her to rebut. She thought about all the others and could not picture them ever being suitable.
"Well you have nothing to worry about seeing as Lana has feelings for someone else." she didn't want to disclose too much information though she was sure that the older woman knew. "They're going through a bit of a rough patch right now." she was worried. "I really hope they'll make it through this."
"Lana's incapable of holding grudges." the assurance, as insulting as it sounded, actually comforted the blonde. Terra agreed with her older counterpart who may not have known exactly what happened but was more than capable of mustering up a logical hypothesis. She knew Alice had to be in the fault mostly because of that look in her eyes from their previous encounter. "She'll forgive the flirt."
Terra could only nod as she began to feel a warm sensation which deprived her of the ability to think. Raven had just pressed a comforting kiss on the nape of her neck.
"You're being awfully touchy today." her tone allowed the older woman to know she didn't mind it at all.
"I just feel incredibly ..." she'd been weighed down by the veil of jealousy but now that it had been lifted desire seemed to have taken its place. "Content." it wasn't a total lie since exuberance was one of the leading emotions which controlled her usually desolate disposition.
Uncertain of what the other woman felt for her, she simply didn't disclose the other emotions which compelled her to attach herself to her shorter counterpart.
"Maybe I should put myself in compromising positions more often." she liked that Raven was lavishing her with such attention.
"I would advise against that." she grimaced. "Unless you wish to be tied down to this bed forever." it had meant to be a threat but strangely it came out more like a proposition.
The older woman's hold on Terra tightened as she began to press her nose against the shorter woman's soft skin and a realization occurred. The blonde had ignored the rather possessive hold but as she felt the shapes being traced on her abdomen her brain came upon a rather intriguing but impossible notion.
"Careful." she advised. "It almost seems like you're jealous." the teen voiced her idea.
The word used to mean very little to Raven. It used to be nothing more than a definition in the dictionary. That was before she actually experienced its effects. She was becoming closer and closer to the reason why she was feeling miserable now that the emotion had been named. She smirked slightly. She never expected to ever encounter such a trivial emotion yet here she was fully acquainted with the green eyed monster.
"And what if I was?"
She questioned, gauging the blonde's reaction. It was becoming more apparent, the cause for that wrench in her stomach. She had thought about when the ache started appearing first.
Her initial encounter with agony occurred when Terra turned away from her kiss. The idea of the teen's rejection caused her great distress and misery. Then she became reacquainted with this intense discomfort any time someone came in contact with the teen in a manner the half demon deemed romantic. It was proven again tonight that she couldn't stand the younger woman in the arms of another. Even the idea made her queasy.
"Then I'd say you've nothing to be jealous of." she remarked.
The older woman didn't know that no one would ever possess the teen's heart, not when it already belonged to her. She had stolen Terra's core right from the moment they met. There would be no one else and the blonde accepted this long ago.
"And no one." she demanded as she buried her face in the younger woman's neck.
"So am I to reject everyone's advances until they get your approval?" the blonde teased as she melted into the half demon's gentle yet suggestive touch.
"There's only one who is suitable." the revelation was easily, eagerly, accepted by the half demon.
"And who would that be?" she questioned partly out of curiosity and the other part was of course for entertainment. "Flash?" she asked jokingly and received no response. "Wonder Girl?" still no response. "Pantha?" she continued to name names, expecting to get an amused reaction from the half demon.
Before she could name another her chin was caught between the older woman's index finger and thumb. Raven tenderly guided her face so that she would have the opportunity to look into those bright blue pools.
"I thought it was obvious." she was a bit disappointed.
"No." the blonde was now genuinely interested. She couldn't think of any other super powered being that Raven would object to or ridicule. "Who?"
"Me." the half demon stated thinking this should have been obvious.
"You?" Terra was dumbstruck. She expected the older woman to suddenly ridicule her, to take it back, but as she looked into those red eyes she found sincerity. "Raven…"
"I didn't know I was never an option." the taller woman was sullen.
She had been expecting her name to spew forth from the young teen's mouth and it pained her that the blonde never even considered her. The older woman was beginning to think she may not have a chance. Perhaps Terra only saw her as an older sister.
"To be honest," the half elemental swallowed. She chose her words carefully, wanting to speak honestly but not divulge her secret love for the half demon. "Yours was the first name that came to mind." it was the only name that came up. Raven was the only one she'd ever wanted to be with. She was the only one Terra would ever give her everything to. "I just didn't want to say anything because I didn't want you to know." she replied, her cheeks red with sentiment. "I never thought you'd think of us like that."
"You know…" she smiled at the adorable teen in her arms who, in the middle of her confession, had twisted her body so that they could sit face to face. Her hands locked behind the blonde as they proceeded to lie unto the bed. "You would be my first choice." she whispered before placing a tender kiss on the smaller woman's forehead. "My only choice."
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I love the title. I think it fits the situation so well for all of the characters involved in this chapter. Triangles. Hehe... If anyone's confused about whose jealous of whom well it's like this: Rowan and Alice are jealous of Terra while Raven is incredibly jealous of Lana. That about sums up that horribly unecessary triad.
More and more it seems like our two favorite heroine's are coming closer to accepting their feelings. Well, Raven is beginning to realize the strength of her connection to Terra.
It's more realistic this way to me. I've found that a lot of things can get left out because of miscommunication. If we rely solely on our powers of observation sometimes our insecurities can cloud our judgement. Raven's starting to communicate with Terra not only about her past and her feelings but she's actually addressing the fact that she HAS them for TERRA! YAY! Big step for her!
Now how does Terra feel about these improvements between their relations? Tune in for more...
Thanks all so much for the reviews!
