Untitled drabble...
Hey, esso? Remember how I was going to have the break-up with Mark? Yeah, that's kinda not happening. I wanted to skip straight to the angsty-but-gorgeous first kiss. I'm still going to be mean to Mark, but only by reference and memory.
"That's it!" Jen crowed. "They're all done! Exams finished, essays handed in, hello holidays, how we've missed you!" She grabbed Lori's hands, swinging her best friend around in a wild circle. They laughed, a shared jubilee, Lori's hands entwining around Jen's. Her fingers lingered as Jen pulled away, clapping her hands.
"Two whole months before we have to think about a single lecture. And you know how we're celebrating?" Lori chimed in on the third note. "You and me, and the bottle makes three tonight." They sang loud and off-key. A passing exam official shook his head at them.
"So," said Lori, calming down and adjusting her glasses, "Pugs, is it?"
Jen grinned. "You're a mindreader. Must be how you pass all these exams."
"Hey, I'm just smart, and you're boring and predictable. Pugs it is." They picked up their bags. "Just us, or do you want loud and noisy protection - in case Mark's there again?"
Jen paused, looking down, exuberance fading. "Yeah, Mark." She sighed. "You're supposed to stop me from dating creeps like him."
Lori tucked her arm around Jen's elbow. "That's what I've been trying to do for four years. But you keep skipping the dating and going straight to the sex - and how am I supposed to stop you then?"
"Tranquilisers?" They both laughed.
"Well, I'll try to remember to bring the dartgun next time." Lori paused. "Will I need it tonight?"
Jen looked at her. "Why would you need it?"
Lori's voice was light and casual. "Well, for instance, if you were planning to invite a certain young Irishman."
"Ruaridh? Nah. He's nice, and cute, but I don't think he's interested. Besides, I don't really think your sofa-bed will fit two people. Not that I'm not grateful for it," Jen added hurriedly. "It's a hell of a lot better than having to go back home."
"Relax," Lori laughed. "I'm not going to kick you out. I did the prodigal thing myself, remember? Wouldn't wish it on anyone." Her voice softened. "You know that."
Jen smiled. Breaking up with Mark just two months after moving in with him had been hard, but her friend had spared her the embarrassment of having to crawl back to her parents after her grand departure.
Arm in arm, she and Lori headed for the tramstop.
"Lor?"
"Mm?"
"Do you even own a tranquiliser gun?"
* * * * *
The pub that night was hectic with noise and smoke. Jen laughed, too loudly, at Ruaridh's pick-up line - a quote from Buffy. Blushing, she took a swig from her drink. She saw Lori, smiling, pretend to take aim at him, and snorted into the glass.
"Are you all right?" yelled Ruaridh, over the noise.
"Never better," answered Jen.
"D'ye want another?" Ruaridh indicated her empty glass. Jen looked over to Lori again, then shook her head.
"Thanks, but I'm good. You go." She wormed through the crowd to where Lori was standing talking to Em and Theresa. Theresa was absently stroking the buzz-cut on Em's neck as they listened to Lori. Jen groaned as she leaned against the wall on Lori's other side.
"That boy," she said, when Lori turned to her, "that boy is trying to get me drunk."
"Do I need the gun?"
"Hell no. He tried the 'non-dating beverage' line on me."
"Like Mark?"
"Yeah." Jen scanned the crowd a little nervously. "Speaking of, should I duck and cover?"
"Mm, I don't think so, I haven't seen the Balding Wookie yet. Maybe he finally got the message?"
The song changed. Em whispered in Theresa's ear, they smiled, headed for the dance floor, hand in hand. Jen blinked.
"So those two are..."
"Skipping the dating?" Lori finished. "Yeah. About time - they've had crushes on each other for months now."
Jen blinked again. "I think I missed that."
Lori sighed, shaking her head. "I think you missed that too."
* * * * *
Jen stumbled tiredly as she climbed the steps to Lori's flat. "Being drunk is way more fun," she grumbled, then yawned hugely. Lori arched one eyebrow.
"You think?"
"Not much just now," Jen conceded. Her feet were aching, and she was looking forward to simply collapsing into bed. She groaned. Lori looked concerned.
"What's wrong?"
"I just remembered, I've got to make up the sofa bed." Jen leaned against the wall, eyes shut, as Lori fished in her bag for the keys. "I really can't be bothered."
"Doesn't sleeping on just the sofa hurt your neck?"
"Oh yeah." Jen sighed, and followed Lori into the flat. "Guess I'll just have to do it, then."
Lori's voice was hesitant. "You could just share my bed."
Jen blinked owlishly at Lori, sensing the conversation was suddenly important. Lori had her head down, concentrating on unbuttoning her coat.
"Uh, that's okay. I mean, thanks, but, I wouldn't want to disturb you or anything."
Lori sighed.
"Okay." She hugged Jen. "G'night."
Abruptly, Lori leaned in and kissed her. Jen's eyes flew open, wonder-wide, at the sudden flooding warmth. Lori pulled back, eyes hesitant. Jen brushed trembling fingers across her lips.
"Lor..." She reached for her friend.
"Sssh," Lori smiled. "Sssh."
"Lor, I've never -"
"I know."
Soft lips, darting tongue, smooth skin, Lori's mouth at the dip of her neck, the curve of her jaw. Gentle nails cradling her head, and Jen buried her head in Lori's collarbone, arms wrapping around her back. Lori's lips curved into a smile against her ear.
"You still want the sofa?"
* * * * *
If that's as hideously romance-novel as I fear, editing tips are more than welcome!
This was just a fun bit of whimsy:
maclabhrain: Perhaps if I stay away from CG even more, then {censored} will admit to
being an insensitive *&%#% too?
O9 Factor: *rolls eyes* What gave you THAT idea?
maclabhrain: Some little delusion that's curled up in my ear.
It's got green polka-dots...
maclabhrain: I've got another one in my other ear, which is pink and yellow, and
tells me I'm a nice person, really. I try to ignore it, and accept
I've got good qualities that don't eradicate the bad ones...
maclabhrain: There're a lot of delusions living in my headspace, come to think of
it. They're all cute and fuzzy - maybe that's why it's so hard to
get rid of them?
Heh, fuzzy little delusions with polka-dots and tufty ears. So cute you've just got to love them....
"That's it!" Jen crowed. "They're all done! Exams finished, essays handed in, hello holidays, how we've missed you!" She grabbed Lori's hands, swinging her best friend around in a wild circle. They laughed, a shared jubilee, Lori's hands entwining around Jen's. Her fingers lingered as Jen pulled away, clapping her hands.
"Two whole months before we have to think about a single lecture. And you know how we're celebrating?" Lori chimed in on the third note. "You and me, and the bottle makes three tonight." They sang loud and off-key. A passing exam official shook his head at them.
"So," said Lori, calming down and adjusting her glasses, "Pugs, is it?"
Jen grinned. "You're a mindreader. Must be how you pass all these exams."
"Hey, I'm just smart, and you're boring and predictable. Pugs it is." They picked up their bags. "Just us, or do you want loud and noisy protection - in case Mark's there again?"
Jen paused, looking down, exuberance fading. "Yeah, Mark." She sighed. "You're supposed to stop me from dating creeps like him."
Lori tucked her arm around Jen's elbow. "That's what I've been trying to do for four years. But you keep skipping the dating and going straight to the sex - and how am I supposed to stop you then?"
"Tranquilisers?" They both laughed.
"Well, I'll try to remember to bring the dartgun next time." Lori paused. "Will I need it tonight?"
Jen looked at her. "Why would you need it?"
Lori's voice was light and casual. "Well, for instance, if you were planning to invite a certain young Irishman."
"Ruaridh? Nah. He's nice, and cute, but I don't think he's interested. Besides, I don't really think your sofa-bed will fit two people. Not that I'm not grateful for it," Jen added hurriedly. "It's a hell of a lot better than having to go back home."
"Relax," Lori laughed. "I'm not going to kick you out. I did the prodigal thing myself, remember? Wouldn't wish it on anyone." Her voice softened. "You know that."
Jen smiled. Breaking up with Mark just two months after moving in with him had been hard, but her friend had spared her the embarrassment of having to crawl back to her parents after her grand departure.
Arm in arm, she and Lori headed for the tramstop.
"Lor?"
"Mm?"
"Do you even own a tranquiliser gun?"
* * * * *
The pub that night was hectic with noise and smoke. Jen laughed, too loudly, at Ruaridh's pick-up line - a quote from Buffy. Blushing, she took a swig from her drink. She saw Lori, smiling, pretend to take aim at him, and snorted into the glass.
"Are you all right?" yelled Ruaridh, over the noise.
"Never better," answered Jen.
"D'ye want another?" Ruaridh indicated her empty glass. Jen looked over to Lori again, then shook her head.
"Thanks, but I'm good. You go." She wormed through the crowd to where Lori was standing talking to Em and Theresa. Theresa was absently stroking the buzz-cut on Em's neck as they listened to Lori. Jen groaned as she leaned against the wall on Lori's other side.
"That boy," she said, when Lori turned to her, "that boy is trying to get me drunk."
"Do I need the gun?"
"Hell no. He tried the 'non-dating beverage' line on me."
"Like Mark?"
"Yeah." Jen scanned the crowd a little nervously. "Speaking of, should I duck and cover?"
"Mm, I don't think so, I haven't seen the Balding Wookie yet. Maybe he finally got the message?"
The song changed. Em whispered in Theresa's ear, they smiled, headed for the dance floor, hand in hand. Jen blinked.
"So those two are..."
"Skipping the dating?" Lori finished. "Yeah. About time - they've had crushes on each other for months now."
Jen blinked again. "I think I missed that."
Lori sighed, shaking her head. "I think you missed that too."
* * * * *
Jen stumbled tiredly as she climbed the steps to Lori's flat. "Being drunk is way more fun," she grumbled, then yawned hugely. Lori arched one eyebrow.
"You think?"
"Not much just now," Jen conceded. Her feet were aching, and she was looking forward to simply collapsing into bed. She groaned. Lori looked concerned.
"What's wrong?"
"I just remembered, I've got to make up the sofa bed." Jen leaned against the wall, eyes shut, as Lori fished in her bag for the keys. "I really can't be bothered."
"Doesn't sleeping on just the sofa hurt your neck?"
"Oh yeah." Jen sighed, and followed Lori into the flat. "Guess I'll just have to do it, then."
Lori's voice was hesitant. "You could just share my bed."
Jen blinked owlishly at Lori, sensing the conversation was suddenly important. Lori had her head down, concentrating on unbuttoning her coat.
"Uh, that's okay. I mean, thanks, but, I wouldn't want to disturb you or anything."
Lori sighed.
"Okay." She hugged Jen. "G'night."
Abruptly, Lori leaned in and kissed her. Jen's eyes flew open, wonder-wide, at the sudden flooding warmth. Lori pulled back, eyes hesitant. Jen brushed trembling fingers across her lips.
"Lor..." She reached for her friend.
"Sssh," Lori smiled. "Sssh."
"Lor, I've never -"
"I know."
Soft lips, darting tongue, smooth skin, Lori's mouth at the dip of her neck, the curve of her jaw. Gentle nails cradling her head, and Jen buried her head in Lori's collarbone, arms wrapping around her back. Lori's lips curved into a smile against her ear.
"You still want the sofa?"
* * * * *
If that's as hideously romance-novel as I fear, editing tips are more than welcome!
This was just a fun bit of whimsy:
maclabhrain: Perhaps if I stay away from CG even more, then {censored} will admit to
being an insensitive *&%#% too?
O9 Factor: *rolls eyes* What gave you THAT idea?
maclabhrain: Some little delusion that's curled up in my ear.
It's got green polka-dots...
maclabhrain: I've got another one in my other ear, which is pink and yellow, and
tells me I'm a nice person, really. I try to ignore it, and accept
I've got good qualities that don't eradicate the bad ones...
maclabhrain: There're a lot of delusions living in my headspace, come to think of
it. They're all cute and fuzzy - maybe that's why it's so hard to
get rid of them?
Heh, fuzzy little delusions with polka-dots and tufty ears. So cute you've just got to love them....