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thegirl20Title: Where the lovelight gleams - Part 2
See Part 1 for information.
*
Leighton huddled closer to Blake. They were waiting in the lobby for the cars the network had arranged to take them home. People were coming and going through the revolving doors, each person bringing an icy blast of air with them. Everyone else had been picked up, except Taylor who had come out without her purse and had gone back inside to find it. Blake and Leighton had agreed to wait and make sure she got into her car OK.
“What’s the point in being chauffeur-driven if you freeze to death waiting?” Leighton asked, not really expecting an answer.
Blake smiled and opened her coat, wrapping it around Leighton as well.
”I got it! I got it!” Taylor yelled, jogging up to them.
“Great, we can go now!” Leighton said, pulling away from Blake slightly and missing the warmth immediately.
Taylor held out her arms.
“Christmas group hug!” she cried before grabbing both of them and hugging them tightly.
Blake laughed and kissed Taylor’s cheek.
“Merry Christmas, sweetie,” she said.
Leighton kissed the other cheek.
“I hope Santa brings you what you want,” she said.
Taylor pulled back, looked up and grinned.
“Hey look, you guys are standing under the mistletoe,” she informed them as she was heading out of the door. “Merry Christmas!”
They looked up and found that they were indeed standing under a sprig of mistletoe. Leighton blushed a lovely shade of pink and Blake smiled.
“I guess we should kiss,” Blake said. “With it being traditional and all.”
“Well…we wouldn’t want to fly in the face of tradition,” Leighton agreed, deciding that even a brief, chaste kiss from Blake could probably keep her warm until the New Year.
Blake took Leighton’s hand and laced their fingers together. Then she leaned down so that her nose was touching Leighton’s. She could feel Leighton’s breath, fast and shallow against her lips. Her eyes drifted shut. She closed the distance between them, her lips pressing against Leighton’s, gently at first. Then she opened her mouth.
Leighton thought her heart might have stopped when Blake’s tongue ghosted over her lips, tentatively requesting entry which she granted easily. Leighton wound her fingers into Blake’s hair, pulling her more firmly into the kiss, her other hand sliding up Blake’s back. Blake’s hands were on her waist, keeping her steady though her legs felt weak.
Blake drew the kiss to an end with a series of smaller kisses on and around Leighton’s mouth.
“Miss Meester? Miss Meester, your car is ready.”
Leighton stiffened and pulled away from Blake, her hand flying to her mouth. Blake reached out for her.
“Leight…”
Leighton evaded her grasp, backing away towards the door.
“I…I have to…my car is…God, I’m so sorry.”
She turned and stepped into the revolving door, not giving Blake the opportunity to follow her.
Blake closed her eyes.
”Shit.”
She walked to the window and pressed her forehead against it, just in time to see Leighton’s car drawing away into the night.
”Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.”
“Miss Lively, your car is here.”
Blake sighed. She pushed herself away from the window and went outside, heedless of her coat blowing open in the icy wind. She opened the car door and looked up at the sky.
It was beginning to snow.
*
The taxi moved slowly along a seemingly interminable avenue, the wipers battling valiantly with mammoth snowflakes. It didn’t make much difference, all the windshield revealed was a landscape of vague shapes. New York was shivering under a white blanket and Blake was rubbing her hands together, trying to get some feeling back into them after standing too long in the street with her suitcase, trying to find a brave (or desperate) cab driver in the awful weather.
She checked her phone. She had spent the whole day trying to get in touch with Leighton, to no avail. Her calls went unanswered, her texts seemingly ignored. So she had decided that the only way to get Leighton to talk to her was in person. They were supposed to be riding to the airport together anyway, and they had seats next to each other on the flight to LA. So, a couple hours earlier than planned, Blake had gathered her stuff, wrapped up against the cold, and headed out into the bitter winter’s day.
Alone in the cab, with the radio giving updates on how the snow was affecting various parts of New York life including, worryingly, the airport, Blake allowed herself to think about her behaviour the previous evening. Not for the first time, she cursed her damn impetuousness.
She’d mulled the kiss over in her head pretty much constantly since it happened, and she kept coming to the same conclusion; it was a huge mistake.
It wasn’t a mistake in the sense that she didn’t want to do it, or that she didn’t enjoy it. But it was a mistake to do that to Leighton without warning or preparation or preamble.
Blake had known for a long time that she found Leighton attractive. She found it hard to understand how she could be expected not to. She had also known that she loved Leighton with a fierce intensity that she had rarely experienced, if ever. What she hadn’t done was put those two pieces of knowledge together and think that she was maybe in love with Leighton. But the past few days had really emphasised to her exactly how being with Leighton made her feel. Which was so different to how being with Penn made her feel. Being with Leighton made her feel the way that being with Penn was supposed to make her feel.
Unfortunately, all of Blake’s thoughts chose to come crashing together right at the second she happened to be standing under a sprig of mistletoe with the girl in question, which had led to the kiss. If the thoughts had managed to hold off a little longer, Blake could have composed herself and had a lovely heart-to-heart with Leighton where they talked about feelings and giggled shyly and held hands and went to dinner or something. But no, Blake had to get her tongue involved right at the beginning.
Blake sighed. She really hoped that she hadn’t fucked everything up. And everything actually did mean pretty much everything. Her friendship with Leighton, her potential relationship with Leighton, her relationships with her other co-stars, her job, which almost entirely relied on her interacting with Leighton. But mostly, she just hoped that she’d get another chance to make it right with Leighton.
She hadn’t given Leighton’s reaction to the kiss much thought, preferring to castigate herself for her raging hormones. So when she thought back on it, she saw Leighton backing away, her face a perfect blend between shock and regret. But she’d apologised. What was she apologising for? For not wanting Blake that way? It hadn’t seemed like that when they were kissing. It had felt like Leighton was very much into it. But alcohol is a wonderful lubricant and makes everyone do stupid shit at Christmas parties. Stuff they are embarrassed by. And Blake did not want to be an embarrassing anecdote of Leighton’s.
The cab drew to a shaky halt by the curb and Blake could almost make out Leighton’s building through the snow. She handed over some bills and got out, pulling a hat onto her head and standing her collar up to prevent snow from getting inside her clothing. It became clear that the cab driver wasn’t planning to get out and help her with her bags so she struggled to get them out of the trunk and then slowly navigated the sidewalk over to Leighton’s doorway, already feeling the cold seeping into her skin and clothes.
She pressed the buzzer with a shaking hand, unsure whether it was from nerves or cold. After a second, Leighton’s voice came through the intercom.
”Hello?”
“Hey, it’s…me,” Blake said, rolling her eyes at her own lameness.
“Oh.”
Nothing more was forthcoming and Blake was suddenly gripped with a very real fear that Leighton had walked away and was going to allow her to die from hypothermia on the street.
“Leight?” she tried weakly.
“God you’re stubborn,” Leighton said, a hint of amusement vying with her stern tone.
Blake allowed herself a smile.
“Yep. And also freezing,” she said, her teeth chattering.
“Shit!”
The intercom buzzed, indicating that the door was open. Blake almost fell through it, dragging her baggage and a good pile of snow into the lobby along with it. She took a second just to savour the sensation of being indoors. The elevator pinged and the doors opened, revealing Leighton. She was dressed in old, worn jeans and a hoodie that was at least two sizes too large for her. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and she was wearing her glasses and no make-up. She was beautiful and Blake couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across her lips at the sight.
Leighton powered over, stopping just in front of Blake and shaking her head in wonder.
“I can’t believe you were out in this weather,” she said, quietly. She started gingerly brushing snow off Blake’s shoulders.
“I…h-had to t-talk to you,” Blake said, cringing at how pathetic she sounded, with the shivering and everything.
Leighton sighed.
“C’mon upstairs so we can get you out of those clo-“
She stopped, her eyes going comically wide at what she had been about to say. Blake laughed.
“And here I thought this was gonna be awkward,” she teased.
*
Upstairs, Leighton dispatched Blake to the bedroom to get undressed (and re-dressed, she stressed) while she bustled around in the kitchen, looking for warming foodstuffs like soup and hot-chocolate.
Blake padded into the living-room wearing a pair of Leighton’s shorts, a pair of her fluffy socks and her own sweatshirt which she’d had in her flightbag. She noted Leighton’s absence but decided to curl up on the couch and wait for Leighton to come to her. She half-watched the local news channel that Leighton had on. Various pictures of snow and chaos flashed across the screen, along with a ticker-tape of updates on road closures and delays.
It took longer than it should have for Leighton to appear and Blake suspected that she had been standing in the kitchen, working up the courage to come through. When she did she was holding two steaming cups of hot chocolate. She handed one to Blake and took the other to the furthest away chair she could find.
They both took a moment to cradle their mugs and blow fruitlessly on the much-too-hot liquid. Eventually Leighton sighed and placed her mug on the coffee table. She sat back in her chair and regarded Blake.
“So I guess we should talk,” she said, looking like it was the last thing on earth she wanted to do.
“I guess so,” Blake agreed.
“So, if I’d answered my phone one of the bajillion times you called today, what would you have said?” Leighton asked, curiosity and dread competing for dominance on her face.
Blake smiled timidly.
“I…I’m not sure.”
An eyebrow crept up above the rim of Leighton’s glasses.
“So you were calling incessantly because…”
“Because I wanted to hear your voice and make sure you didn’t hate me,” Blake said quickly, the words all running together.
”Why would I hate you?” Leighton enquired.
“For…you know…kissing you like I did,” Blake mumbled, suddenly very interested in Leighton’s rug.
“Blake,” Leighton’s voice was soft and Blake glanced up to see her looking across at her sadly. Leighton shook her head. “I could never hate you, ever. And the kiss was…wow.”
Blake couldn’t help but grin.
”Wow? Really?” she asked and Leighton rolled her eyes.
“Down stud,” she said, lightly. Her face grew serious. “Why did you do it?”
Blake realised that the answer to that question was very important. Her jumbled thoughts and musings from earlier in the day wouldn’t do. She needed to say the right thing. She looked directly into Leighton’s eyes.
“I…”
*We bring you an important news update*
Both girls turned immediately to look at the TV where the newscaster was looking very grave.
*JFK airport has just announced that it is to close. No more flights will take off today from John F Kennedy airport.*
Blake’s mouth dropped open.
”Shit,” Leighton whispered. She turned to Blake. “D’you think we could get on a flight out of La Gu-“
*More breaking news. La Guardia and Newark airports are also closed to outgoing and incoming flights. No flights will take off from New York City this Christmas Eve. The earliest the airports are expected to open is tomorrow afternoon…*
“Oh my God my mom’s gonna freak!” Blake yelled. “I’ve never missed Christmas at home.”
“Me neither,” Leighton said, quietly.
Just then both of their cellphones chirped into life and they took calls from distraught parents who had been glued to the news on the other coast.
“I know it sucks, Mom…no…no I’m at Leighton’s right now…” Blake said, glancing to the side where Leighton was talking to her own mother.
Their eyes met. Leighton smiled.
“It’s fine mom, Blake’s gonna stay here and we’ll catch a flight out when we can.”
Blake smiled in relief.
”I’m gonna stay with Leighton, mom. Don’t worry about me, OK? I’ll get out there as soon as I can. Yeah, I love you too. Tell everyone else I love them, ‘kay? Bye. Bye.”
Blake hung up as Leighton was doing the same.
”Thanks,” Blake said.
Leighton shrugged.
“Well, there’s no point in us both being alone on Christmas morning,” she inclined her head towards Blake’s suitcase. “And it’s not like you don’t have your own clothes and toothbrush.”
Blake smiled. Leighton walked over to the window and shook her head.
“Listen, I have exactly nothing in the fridge because I was planning to not be here, so I’m gonna run down to the store on the corner and get what supplies I can, OK?”
“D’you want me to come with you?” Blake asked.
“Nah, you just got warm,” Leighton said, shrugging into her coat and tying a scarf around her neck. “Just be prepared to chip me out of a block of ice when I get back.”
Blake saluted. “Yes ma’am.”
Leighton giggled and grabbed a hat, pulling it onto her head, almost over her eyes. She gave Blake a quick wave before turning and heading out of the apartment.
With Leighton gone, Blake had a chance to think about her response to her earlier question: why had she kissed her? Blake’s immediate thought had been to say ‘Because I wanted to’. But that seemed too cocky and hedonistic and not the stuff that dreams are made of. Blake wandered into Leighton’s kitchen and saw that Leighton had some chicken-noodle soup on the stove. She stirred it idly while she considered the answer that she should give to Leighton.
She wished she had a script-writer to come up with something cool and romantic and right. But real life wasn’t scripted and she had nothing but her own thoughts and feelings to fall back on. It might help if she actually understood them herself.
Before she knew it, the door opened and Leighton stumbled in carrying two bags and covered in a thin layer of snow. Blake immediately went to the hallway and took the bags from Leighton, placing them on the ground while Leighton got took off her outer-garments. She was hanging up her coat when Blake suddenly started speaking.
“You asked me earlier why I kissed you and I’ve been trying to think of an answer that makes sense but this is the only one I can come up with because it’s the truth.”
Leighton didn’t turn around, her hands still holding onto her coat. Blake continued to speak to her back.
“I kissed you because I think that I’m probably in love with you. And I say probably because I thought I’d been in love before, but I’ve never felt like this before so I think that might mean that this is, you know, different. I know that I want to be with you all the time. I enjoy being with you more than I enjoy being with anyone. I miss you when I’m not with you. And I kissed you like that because…because I wanted to kiss you like that.”
Blake moved forward and touched Leighton’s shoulder.
“And, for the record, I’d really like to kiss you like that again.”
Leighton made a noise that sounded like a combination of a sob and a laugh. She turned around slowly and Blake saw that there were tears running down her face. She used a knuckle to wipe under each of Leighton’s eyes, her hand finally coming down to hold Leighton’s chin. She started to lean in, her eyes drifting closed. Only to be stopped by Leighton’s hand over her mouth. She opened her eyes in surprise.
“Mmwha?” she asked, somewhat muffled.
Leighton was shaking her head and Blake’s stomach dropped to somewhere around her knees.
“I need to say something,” Leighton said, her voice rough with tears. “That may have been the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard…in a complicated, hard to follow kind of way…but now I need to say my piece before we start randomly kissing…no matter how amazing that sounds.”
Blake almost threw up with relief and she smiled against Leighton’s palm. Leighton, taking it to be a lascivious gesture, flicked Blake’s ear, resulting in a pained yelp.
“Listen to me,” Leighton said, growing serious again. “I…while it’s fantastic that you think that you might possibly be in love with me, I happen to know for absolute certain that I’m in love with you…and I don’t…I don’t want either of us to regret anything we do…or for it to fuck up our friendship.”
Blake put her hands on Leighton’s hips, squeezing gently, peering over the top of Leighton’s hand with eyes large and hopeful.
“So if we’re going to do this, we have to take it slow. So that you can figure out how you feel and we can make sure that neither of us is going to get hurt,” Leighton finished.
She took her hand away from Blake’s mouth, stroking her cheek and tracing the outline of her ear.
Blake sniggered.
“What’s so funny?” Leighton questioned.
“I’m just wondering what the opposite of ‘randomly’ kissing is. Do I, like, have to make an appointment to kiss you?”
Leighton smiled. “You could try that.”
Blake looked at her watch.
“How about Christmas eve 2008…around 3.57?”
“Sounds perfect,” Leighton said, winding her arms around Blake’s neck, bringing their bodies into closer contact.
Blake was still looking at her watch.
“OK…wait for it…10…9…8…”
Leighton growled playfully and pulled Blake down to meet her lips. Blake melted into the embrace, her arms going around Leighton’s waist. They kissed languidly, unhurriedly, experimentally. There was no mistletoe nor wine to fuel this kiss, just a desire to feel and taste and discover one another. Leighton gently pulled away, rubbing her thumb over Blake’s lower lip in consolation when she pouted. She looked up at Blake and smiled.
“Still ‘wow’.”
*
Later in the evening, Blake was flicking through channels, waiting for Leighton to get changed into her pyjamas.
“Find anything decent?” Leighton yelled from her bedroom.
Blake frowned.
“Well…’It’s a Wonderful Life’ is just starting,” she answered, unenthused. She had never seen what all the fuss was about with that movie.
Leighton padded through and Blake bit her lip. Leighton was wearing green flannel pyjamas with ponies all over them. She was adorable. Leighton rolled her eyes.
“I realise these are the least sexy things I could’ve put on, but they’re my warm, comfy, ‘it’s snowing outside’ jammies.”
“I think they’re sexy,” Blake said, without a hint of sarcasm.
“And I think you’re a liar,” Leighton said, but blushed at the compliment.
She sat down next to Blake on the couch, drawing her feet up underneath her and inching up so that she was leaning against Blake’s side. She frowned.
“Actually…I know this is the big Christmas classic and everything, but I’ve always kinda hated this movie. D’you mind if we don’t watch it?”
Blake’s face broke out into a wide grin.
“I hate it too. It’s so fucking depressing. And it’s black and white.”
Leighton laughed in delight.
“I think you’re the first person who’s ever agreed with me about this movie.”
“Must be fate, babe,” Blake said.
“So what’s your favourite Christmas movie?” Leighton asked, picking up Blake’s hand and entwining their fingers. “Because if it’s ‘Deck The Halls’, we’re breaking up.”
Blake didn’t even have to think.
“Muppet Christmas Carol”
Leighton’s eyes widened behind her glasses. She stood up and picked up a DVD case from next to the TV.
“It might just be fate,” she said, holding up the case for Blake to see.
It was ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’.
*
Blake swirled water around in her mouth and spat into the sink. A second later, Leighton did the same thing. They had taken an extraordinarily long time to brush their teeth. Blake hadn’t wanted to be the first to finish because she was unsure what the sleeping arrangements were to be and she didn’t want to be presumptuous. She stood awkwardly, hands clasped behind her back, waiting for Leighton to finish up.
Leighton turned around and surprised her with a quick, cold, minty kiss right on the lips, before slipping her hand into Blake’s and urging her along behind her. Blake was confused when she saw they were heading into Leighton’s bedroom. Once inside, she hesitated as Leighton drew back the covers.
“Are…are you sure…”
Leighton looked up.
“Oh…I thought we could…just sleep-sleep together…I mean, if that’s OK…”
“No, no that’s fine!” Blake assured her, pulling back the covers on her side of the bed and climbing in quickly. “It was just that you said you wanted to take things slowly…then when you brought me in here, I was just making sure…”
Leighton took off her glassed and laid them on the bedside table before climbing in beside Blake. She leaned up on her elbow, looking down at Blake. She brushed some stray hairs away from Blake’s eyes and leaned down to press a soft kiss against her forehead.
“I can think of nothing that I’d like better than to wake up beside you on Christmas morning,” Leighton said, her voice an awed whisper, like she couldn’t quite believe what she was saying.
Blake smiled beautifully and held out an arm so that Leighton could snuggle against her side. Leighton turned out the lamp and did just that, resting her head on Blake’s shoulder and draping an arm across her abdomen.
The reflection from the snow outside the window gave the room an almost unnatural glow. Blake lay awake and listened to Leighton’s breath become deep and even, warm air tickling her neck. She glanced across at the clock on Leighton’s side and saw that it was almost midnight. She lay in silence, watching the seconds tick away. When the hands moved to twelve she turned her head and pressed a kiss to Leighton’s cheek.
“Merry Christmas, baby.”
*
Blake awoke to a delightful weight pressing down on her.
She smiled without opening her eyes as Leighton trailed kisses along her neck, up onto her chin, finally bringing their lips together. Blake opened her eyes to find dark brown ones looking down at her.
”Well, good morning to you too,” she said, her voice scratchy with sleep.
Leighton grinned.
“Merry Christmas.”
Blake reached behind Leighton’s neck and pulled her in for a more thorough greeting. Blake’s fingers wound into Leighton’s hair, deepening the kiss. Leighton’s thigh moved between Blake’s legs and Blake unconsciously raised her hips against the contact, creating a rhythm which complimented the kiss.
Leighton pulled away and pushed herself up onto her knees, noting Blake’s crestfallen expression as she tied her hair up into a loose bun. Blake was immediately aware of the wetness between her legs and squirmed away from Leighton a little, clamping her thighs together, thinking that Leighton probably didn’t count this as taking it slowly.
Leighton stopped her retreat by straddling her hips, a knee on either side and her ass squarely in Blake’s crotch. Blake’s hands immediately went to Leighton’s hips and she looked up at her with questioning eyes.
“I thought you said we shou-“
Leighton reached down and undid the top button of her pyjama top, effectively rendering Blake mute. She continued down until all of the buttons were undone, the top hanging open tantalisingly for a moment before she let it slip from her shoulders. Blake just stared. Leighton tilted her head.
“Did I break you?” she whispered, tickling Blake’s side.
Blake was jolted out of her stupor by the movement and managed to bring her eyes back up to meet Leighton’s.
“Uh…maybe?” Blake said, her voice higher than normal.
“I thought maybe we could…spend some time…getting to know each other,” Leighton said, her cheeks becoming flushed as she said the words that had sounded sexy in her head, but to her ears sounded corny, and more than a little pervy.
Blake’s thumbs caressed the soft skin of Leighton’s belly.
“I…I…”
“C’mon, Lively…aren’t you supposed to be the cool one?” Leighton teased, still blushing under Blake’s worshipping gaze.
Blake looked up.
“Are you sure? I mean, you said you wanted to, you know, take it slow…and I’m sorry if I’m being a hick, but to me this isn’t all that slow and I sure as hell don’t want you to regret anything and…”
Leighton placed a single finger over Blake’s lips to quiet her. Then she replaced it with her mouth for a chaste kiss. She sat back up.
“I won’t regret this. I want this. I’ve wanted this for so long. But if you want to wait we ca-“
“No!” Blake almost yelled and Leighton laughed, her breasts bouncing in a most distracting manner.
“I mean…if you want to then I’m totally OK with it,” Blake said.
Leighton nodded slightly. Then she took Blake’s right hand from where it rested on her hip and guided it around to her abdomen, up through the valley between her breasts, before taking Blake’s middle finger into her mouth and sucking it gently.
Blake’s mouth went completely dry at the sight, which was pretty much the opposite of what was happening elsewhere. She watched, mesmerised as Leighton took the wet digit and used it to circle around her nipple, the coral skin puckering and hardening into a tight peak.
Blake couldn’t be an idle participant any longer. She dragged her hand out of Leighton’s grasp and moved both hands to Leighton’s back, holding her as she sat up in bed, bringing their lips together in a clumsy crash of a kiss. Leighton’s hands wound into her hair as Blake’s lips moved lower, licking a line down Leighton’s neck and pressing her nose into the hollow of her throat for a second.
She became aware of her own breathing, fast and erratic against Leighton’s damp skin. She pressed a kiss against the top of Leighton’s breast, marvelling at the swell of flesh against her lips. She was suddenly overcome with the need to confess. She pulled back and looked up at Leighton.
“I’ve never done this before,” she said.
“Huh?” Leighton said, confused by the turn of events and a little frustrated that Blake’s progress down her body had halted. Then she realised what Blake was saying. “Never?”
“Not with a girl, no,” Blake mumbled. “I mean, I’ve done stuff with girls…just not…all the stuff.”
Leighton’s smile was surprised, but not unkind. She shifted her position a little so that she was kneeling between Blake’s legs instead of straddling them. She leaned in and kissed Blake squarely on the mouth while her hands pushed Blake’s t-shirt up her back. They had to break the kiss briefly so that the t-shirt could come off. Leighton urged Blake back down onto the bed and stretched herself out on top of her.
She used both hands to push the hair off Blake’s brow before smiling down at her. Then she kissed Blake’s lips, softly, slowly. After a few moments of thorough exploration, Leighton was on the move. She nipped her way along Blake’s jaw until she reached her earlobe, biting on it gently and tugging a little. Blake’s hands trailed up Leighton’s back.
Leighton turned her attention to Blake’s neck, licking a stripe down the column of her throat, her tongue halting at the centre of her clavicle. She turned her face to the side and nuzzled Blake’s breast, feeling Blake inhale sharply when she took an erect nipple into her mouth, teasing it with tiny licks before flattening her tongue, letting the slightly rough surface drag against the sensitive flesh. Blake gasped, her hand tangling in Leighton’s hair, keeping her in place.
Leighton had no intention of moving far. She was enjoying the feel of Blake’s body moving underneath her own far too much. Blake kept whispering ‘Jesus’, over and over, which Leighton took to be a good sign. Her own body was humming with arousal, a steady and distinct throbbing happening between her legs and she had to rein in the desire to touch herself to relieve the ache.
Almost as if she knew what Leighton was thinking, Blake’s thigh moved up between her own, giving her purchase and pressure right where she needed it. In reciprocation, Leighton’s hand whispered down Blake’s abdomen and slipped into her shorts. Feeling the extent of Blake’s arousal against her fingers sent a jolt of electricity directly to Leighton’s core and she pressed against Blake’s thigh even as she was sliding two fingers into her.
“Oh God!” Blake whispered.
Leighton leaned her weight on her forearm and pushed herself up so that she could see Blake’s face. Her eyes were tightly closed, beads of sweat adorning her top lip. Leighton leaned down and kissed her, changing her rhythm to a slightly faster pace. The kiss was sloppy, Blake was unable to concentrate on anything but the need for release.
“Please,” she begged, forcing her eyes open.
Leighton smiled and added a third finger, driving deeper into Blake and using the heel of her hand to apply just the right amount of pressure. She pressed herself harder against Blake’s thigh.
Blake’s breath hitched and her head snapped back against the pillow. Her hips rose up to meet Leighton’s hand and Leighton felt her go weak. A second later, Leighton followed. Her head dropped forward onto Blake’s shoulder, panting against damp skin.
Blake kissed Leighton's neck, letting her tongue linger on the pulse point, enjoying the visceral evidence of her effect on Leighton. She pressed her nose into Leighton's hair.
"You're..."
"Amazing? Brilliant? The best ever?" Leighton joked, pulling Blake's arm until it was tight around her waist, with Blake spooning her from behind.
"Sometimes words are shit," Blake decided, her hair flopping over her eyes as she tried to see Leighton’s face. "Words don't do justice to what you are. But those will do for starters."
"Mmmhmm," Leighton said, still breathing heavily. "I was thinking. You better be careful...you know there's a history with virgins at Christmas."
Blake poked her in the side.
"Hey! I wasn't a virgin," she protested.
"You were a girl-virgin," Leighton teased. "I'm just saying...maybe you'd better buy a test, just in case Jesus feels like a comeback this year."
"You're a riot," Blake grumbled. "I wasn't a virgin so why would he pick me?"
"Nothing says 'Happy Birthday Baby Jesus' like first-time lesbian sex," Leighton said, happily. “Plus, you probably got his attention with the amount of times you said his name.”
Blake sat up and threw the covers off, clambering out of bed. Leighton sat up, alarmed.
"Hey! Hey, I was kidding, come back to bed," she begged, saddened to see Blake's flesh disappearing under a t-shirt and a dressing gown.
Blake kneeled on the bed and kissed Leighton softly.
"I have to go make breakfast, it's a thing."
And without further explanation, she swept out of the bedroom, leaving Leighton slightly bewildered. She got herself out of bed and located Blake's sweatshirt from the previous night. She slipped it on, inhaling Blake's scent, and headed out into the kitchen.
She entered to the not unpleasant sight of Blake's ass sticking out of one of her cabinets.
"What are you doing?" Leighton asked, leaning against the counter.
"Aha!" Blake appeared triumphantly holding a box instant pancake mix aloft like a trophy.
Leighton raised an eyebrow.
"Pancakes?"
Blake busied herself getting bowls and spoons and various other cooking utensils. She glanced over her shoulder at Leighton and grinned sheepishly.
“We always have pancakes on Christmas morning for breakfast, and we always have a contest to see who can make theirs look the most festive. It’s, like, a tradition. It’s dumb, I know but…”
“No, I think it’s sweet,” Leighton said, walking up to Blake and wrapping her arms around her waist from behind, pressing her ear between Blake’s shoulder blades. Her hold was dislodged when Blake began to stir her mixture vigorously and Leighton retreated to sit on the counter and watch Blake’s attempts at cooking.
“Do you usually make the pancakes?” Leighton enquired, as she watched Blake fish the particularly large lumps out of the mixture and flick them into the sink.
“Nah, my mom does, but it’s not hard,” Blake said, pouring a generous amount of thick liquid into a hot pan.
“Did you put any grease in tha-“
“Shit! It’s all stuck!” Blake exclaimed, scraping at the rapidly burning concoction.
Leighton pushed herself off the counter and went to help. Between the two of them they managed to produce some edible pancakes and set about decorating them with cream and sprinkles and anything else they could find.
Leighton smiled as she watched Blake gleefully squirt cream into an approximation of a beard on her pancake.
“I’ve never won at this,” Blake said, as she shoved two Reese’s Pieces into her pancake as eyes. “My brothers are super-competitive and my sister’s a perfectionist so…”
Leighton put their creations side by side. Blake’s was Santa’s face all decked out with cream and candy. Leighton had drawn a Christmas Tree with syrup and decorated it with sprinkles in neat lines.
”I think you won this year,” Leighton said, bumping Blake with her hip.
Blake looked doubtfully between her own messy masterpiece and Leighton’s precise work of art.
“Let’s call it a tie,” Blake said, pulling Leighton into a hug and kissing her cheek, making it sticky with syrup and cream.
They smiled at each other for a long, happy moment.
“This is gonna be the best Christmas ever,” Blake said.
Leighton laughed.
“We’re snowed in. We’re thousands of miles from our families. And it’s not even 9am yet! How can you possibly know this is gonna be the best Christmas ever?”
Blake shrugged.
“Maybe I’m psychic?”
“Psycho, maybe,” Leighton muttered, squealing when Blake tickled her.
“I told you yesterday, I like being with you more than anything,” Blake said simply. “So being with you for Christmas automatically makes it the best Christmas ever.”
Leighton’s eyes filled with tears and she tried to blink them away.
“Well, I think I’ll take that as a challenge.”
Blake’s eyebrows drew together in confusion.
“A challenge?”
Leighton draped a hand behind Blake’s neck and gently drew her in. Just before their lips met, she whispered an answer to Blake’s question.
“To make next Christmas even better.”
See Part 1 for information.
*
Leighton huddled closer to Blake. They were waiting in the lobby for the cars the network had arranged to take them home. People were coming and going through the revolving doors, each person bringing an icy blast of air with them. Everyone else had been picked up, except Taylor who had come out without her purse and had gone back inside to find it. Blake and Leighton had agreed to wait and make sure she got into her car OK.
“What’s the point in being chauffeur-driven if you freeze to death waiting?” Leighton asked, not really expecting an answer.
Blake smiled and opened her coat, wrapping it around Leighton as well.
”I got it! I got it!” Taylor yelled, jogging up to them.
“Great, we can go now!” Leighton said, pulling away from Blake slightly and missing the warmth immediately.
Taylor held out her arms.
“Christmas group hug!” she cried before grabbing both of them and hugging them tightly.
Blake laughed and kissed Taylor’s cheek.
“Merry Christmas, sweetie,” she said.
Leighton kissed the other cheek.
“I hope Santa brings you what you want,” she said.
Taylor pulled back, looked up and grinned.
“Hey look, you guys are standing under the mistletoe,” she informed them as she was heading out of the door. “Merry Christmas!”
They looked up and found that they were indeed standing under a sprig of mistletoe. Leighton blushed a lovely shade of pink and Blake smiled.
“I guess we should kiss,” Blake said. “With it being traditional and all.”
“Well…we wouldn’t want to fly in the face of tradition,” Leighton agreed, deciding that even a brief, chaste kiss from Blake could probably keep her warm until the New Year.
Blake took Leighton’s hand and laced their fingers together. Then she leaned down so that her nose was touching Leighton’s. She could feel Leighton’s breath, fast and shallow against her lips. Her eyes drifted shut. She closed the distance between them, her lips pressing against Leighton’s, gently at first. Then she opened her mouth.
Leighton thought her heart might have stopped when Blake’s tongue ghosted over her lips, tentatively requesting entry which she granted easily. Leighton wound her fingers into Blake’s hair, pulling her more firmly into the kiss, her other hand sliding up Blake’s back. Blake’s hands were on her waist, keeping her steady though her legs felt weak.
Blake drew the kiss to an end with a series of smaller kisses on and around Leighton’s mouth.
“Miss Meester? Miss Meester, your car is ready.”
Leighton stiffened and pulled away from Blake, her hand flying to her mouth. Blake reached out for her.
“Leight…”
Leighton evaded her grasp, backing away towards the door.
“I…I have to…my car is…God, I’m so sorry.”
She turned and stepped into the revolving door, not giving Blake the opportunity to follow her.
Blake closed her eyes.
”Shit.”
She walked to the window and pressed her forehead against it, just in time to see Leighton’s car drawing away into the night.
”Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.”
“Miss Lively, your car is here.”
Blake sighed. She pushed herself away from the window and went outside, heedless of her coat blowing open in the icy wind. She opened the car door and looked up at the sky.
It was beginning to snow.
*
The taxi moved slowly along a seemingly interminable avenue, the wipers battling valiantly with mammoth snowflakes. It didn’t make much difference, all the windshield revealed was a landscape of vague shapes. New York was shivering under a white blanket and Blake was rubbing her hands together, trying to get some feeling back into them after standing too long in the street with her suitcase, trying to find a brave (or desperate) cab driver in the awful weather.
She checked her phone. She had spent the whole day trying to get in touch with Leighton, to no avail. Her calls went unanswered, her texts seemingly ignored. So she had decided that the only way to get Leighton to talk to her was in person. They were supposed to be riding to the airport together anyway, and they had seats next to each other on the flight to LA. So, a couple hours earlier than planned, Blake had gathered her stuff, wrapped up against the cold, and headed out into the bitter winter’s day.
Alone in the cab, with the radio giving updates on how the snow was affecting various parts of New York life including, worryingly, the airport, Blake allowed herself to think about her behaviour the previous evening. Not for the first time, she cursed her damn impetuousness.
She’d mulled the kiss over in her head pretty much constantly since it happened, and she kept coming to the same conclusion; it was a huge mistake.
It wasn’t a mistake in the sense that she didn’t want to do it, or that she didn’t enjoy it. But it was a mistake to do that to Leighton without warning or preparation or preamble.
Blake had known for a long time that she found Leighton attractive. She found it hard to understand how she could be expected not to. She had also known that she loved Leighton with a fierce intensity that she had rarely experienced, if ever. What she hadn’t done was put those two pieces of knowledge together and think that she was maybe in love with Leighton. But the past few days had really emphasised to her exactly how being with Leighton made her feel. Which was so different to how being with Penn made her feel. Being with Leighton made her feel the way that being with Penn was supposed to make her feel.
Unfortunately, all of Blake’s thoughts chose to come crashing together right at the second she happened to be standing under a sprig of mistletoe with the girl in question, which had led to the kiss. If the thoughts had managed to hold off a little longer, Blake could have composed herself and had a lovely heart-to-heart with Leighton where they talked about feelings and giggled shyly and held hands and went to dinner or something. But no, Blake had to get her tongue involved right at the beginning.
Blake sighed. She really hoped that she hadn’t fucked everything up. And everything actually did mean pretty much everything. Her friendship with Leighton, her potential relationship with Leighton, her relationships with her other co-stars, her job, which almost entirely relied on her interacting with Leighton. But mostly, she just hoped that she’d get another chance to make it right with Leighton.
She hadn’t given Leighton’s reaction to the kiss much thought, preferring to castigate herself for her raging hormones. So when she thought back on it, she saw Leighton backing away, her face a perfect blend between shock and regret. But she’d apologised. What was she apologising for? For not wanting Blake that way? It hadn’t seemed like that when they were kissing. It had felt like Leighton was very much into it. But alcohol is a wonderful lubricant and makes everyone do stupid shit at Christmas parties. Stuff they are embarrassed by. And Blake did not want to be an embarrassing anecdote of Leighton’s.
The cab drew to a shaky halt by the curb and Blake could almost make out Leighton’s building through the snow. She handed over some bills and got out, pulling a hat onto her head and standing her collar up to prevent snow from getting inside her clothing. It became clear that the cab driver wasn’t planning to get out and help her with her bags so she struggled to get them out of the trunk and then slowly navigated the sidewalk over to Leighton’s doorway, already feeling the cold seeping into her skin and clothes.
She pressed the buzzer with a shaking hand, unsure whether it was from nerves or cold. After a second, Leighton’s voice came through the intercom.
”Hello?”
“Hey, it’s…me,” Blake said, rolling her eyes at her own lameness.
“Oh.”
Nothing more was forthcoming and Blake was suddenly gripped with a very real fear that Leighton had walked away and was going to allow her to die from hypothermia on the street.
“Leight?” she tried weakly.
“God you’re stubborn,” Leighton said, a hint of amusement vying with her stern tone.
Blake allowed herself a smile.
“Yep. And also freezing,” she said, her teeth chattering.
“Shit!”
The intercom buzzed, indicating that the door was open. Blake almost fell through it, dragging her baggage and a good pile of snow into the lobby along with it. She took a second just to savour the sensation of being indoors. The elevator pinged and the doors opened, revealing Leighton. She was dressed in old, worn jeans and a hoodie that was at least two sizes too large for her. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and she was wearing her glasses and no make-up. She was beautiful and Blake couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across her lips at the sight.
Leighton powered over, stopping just in front of Blake and shaking her head in wonder.
“I can’t believe you were out in this weather,” she said, quietly. She started gingerly brushing snow off Blake’s shoulders.
“I…h-had to t-talk to you,” Blake said, cringing at how pathetic she sounded, with the shivering and everything.
Leighton sighed.
“C’mon upstairs so we can get you out of those clo-“
She stopped, her eyes going comically wide at what she had been about to say. Blake laughed.
“And here I thought this was gonna be awkward,” she teased.
*
Upstairs, Leighton dispatched Blake to the bedroom to get undressed (and re-dressed, she stressed) while she bustled around in the kitchen, looking for warming foodstuffs like soup and hot-chocolate.
Blake padded into the living-room wearing a pair of Leighton’s shorts, a pair of her fluffy socks and her own sweatshirt which she’d had in her flightbag. She noted Leighton’s absence but decided to curl up on the couch and wait for Leighton to come to her. She half-watched the local news channel that Leighton had on. Various pictures of snow and chaos flashed across the screen, along with a ticker-tape of updates on road closures and delays.
It took longer than it should have for Leighton to appear and Blake suspected that she had been standing in the kitchen, working up the courage to come through. When she did she was holding two steaming cups of hot chocolate. She handed one to Blake and took the other to the furthest away chair she could find.
They both took a moment to cradle their mugs and blow fruitlessly on the much-too-hot liquid. Eventually Leighton sighed and placed her mug on the coffee table. She sat back in her chair and regarded Blake.
“So I guess we should talk,” she said, looking like it was the last thing on earth she wanted to do.
“I guess so,” Blake agreed.
“So, if I’d answered my phone one of the bajillion times you called today, what would you have said?” Leighton asked, curiosity and dread competing for dominance on her face.
Blake smiled timidly.
“I…I’m not sure.”
An eyebrow crept up above the rim of Leighton’s glasses.
“So you were calling incessantly because…”
“Because I wanted to hear your voice and make sure you didn’t hate me,” Blake said quickly, the words all running together.
”Why would I hate you?” Leighton enquired.
“For…you know…kissing you like I did,” Blake mumbled, suddenly very interested in Leighton’s rug.
“Blake,” Leighton’s voice was soft and Blake glanced up to see her looking across at her sadly. Leighton shook her head. “I could never hate you, ever. And the kiss was…wow.”
Blake couldn’t help but grin.
”Wow? Really?” she asked and Leighton rolled her eyes.
“Down stud,” she said, lightly. Her face grew serious. “Why did you do it?”
Blake realised that the answer to that question was very important. Her jumbled thoughts and musings from earlier in the day wouldn’t do. She needed to say the right thing. She looked directly into Leighton’s eyes.
“I…”
*We bring you an important news update*
Both girls turned immediately to look at the TV where the newscaster was looking very grave.
*JFK airport has just announced that it is to close. No more flights will take off today from John F Kennedy airport.*
Blake’s mouth dropped open.
”Shit,” Leighton whispered. She turned to Blake. “D’you think we could get on a flight out of La Gu-“
*More breaking news. La Guardia and Newark airports are also closed to outgoing and incoming flights. No flights will take off from New York City this Christmas Eve. The earliest the airports are expected to open is tomorrow afternoon…*
“Oh my God my mom’s gonna freak!” Blake yelled. “I’ve never missed Christmas at home.”
“Me neither,” Leighton said, quietly.
Just then both of their cellphones chirped into life and they took calls from distraught parents who had been glued to the news on the other coast.
“I know it sucks, Mom…no…no I’m at Leighton’s right now…” Blake said, glancing to the side where Leighton was talking to her own mother.
Their eyes met. Leighton smiled.
“It’s fine mom, Blake’s gonna stay here and we’ll catch a flight out when we can.”
Blake smiled in relief.
”I’m gonna stay with Leighton, mom. Don’t worry about me, OK? I’ll get out there as soon as I can. Yeah, I love you too. Tell everyone else I love them, ‘kay? Bye. Bye.”
Blake hung up as Leighton was doing the same.
”Thanks,” Blake said.
Leighton shrugged.
“Well, there’s no point in us both being alone on Christmas morning,” she inclined her head towards Blake’s suitcase. “And it’s not like you don’t have your own clothes and toothbrush.”
Blake smiled. Leighton walked over to the window and shook her head.
“Listen, I have exactly nothing in the fridge because I was planning to not be here, so I’m gonna run down to the store on the corner and get what supplies I can, OK?”
“D’you want me to come with you?” Blake asked.
“Nah, you just got warm,” Leighton said, shrugging into her coat and tying a scarf around her neck. “Just be prepared to chip me out of a block of ice when I get back.”
Blake saluted. “Yes ma’am.”
Leighton giggled and grabbed a hat, pulling it onto her head, almost over her eyes. She gave Blake a quick wave before turning and heading out of the apartment.
With Leighton gone, Blake had a chance to think about her response to her earlier question: why had she kissed her? Blake’s immediate thought had been to say ‘Because I wanted to’. But that seemed too cocky and hedonistic and not the stuff that dreams are made of. Blake wandered into Leighton’s kitchen and saw that Leighton had some chicken-noodle soup on the stove. She stirred it idly while she considered the answer that she should give to Leighton.
She wished she had a script-writer to come up with something cool and romantic and right. But real life wasn’t scripted and she had nothing but her own thoughts and feelings to fall back on. It might help if she actually understood them herself.
Before she knew it, the door opened and Leighton stumbled in carrying two bags and covered in a thin layer of snow. Blake immediately went to the hallway and took the bags from Leighton, placing them on the ground while Leighton got took off her outer-garments. She was hanging up her coat when Blake suddenly started speaking.
“You asked me earlier why I kissed you and I’ve been trying to think of an answer that makes sense but this is the only one I can come up with because it’s the truth.”
Leighton didn’t turn around, her hands still holding onto her coat. Blake continued to speak to her back.
“I kissed you because I think that I’m probably in love with you. And I say probably because I thought I’d been in love before, but I’ve never felt like this before so I think that might mean that this is, you know, different. I know that I want to be with you all the time. I enjoy being with you more than I enjoy being with anyone. I miss you when I’m not with you. And I kissed you like that because…because I wanted to kiss you like that.”
Blake moved forward and touched Leighton’s shoulder.
“And, for the record, I’d really like to kiss you like that again.”
Leighton made a noise that sounded like a combination of a sob and a laugh. She turned around slowly and Blake saw that there were tears running down her face. She used a knuckle to wipe under each of Leighton’s eyes, her hand finally coming down to hold Leighton’s chin. She started to lean in, her eyes drifting closed. Only to be stopped by Leighton’s hand over her mouth. She opened her eyes in surprise.
“Mmwha?” she asked, somewhat muffled.
Leighton was shaking her head and Blake’s stomach dropped to somewhere around her knees.
“I need to say something,” Leighton said, her voice rough with tears. “That may have been the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard…in a complicated, hard to follow kind of way…but now I need to say my piece before we start randomly kissing…no matter how amazing that sounds.”
Blake almost threw up with relief and she smiled against Leighton’s palm. Leighton, taking it to be a lascivious gesture, flicked Blake’s ear, resulting in a pained yelp.
“Listen to me,” Leighton said, growing serious again. “I…while it’s fantastic that you think that you might possibly be in love with me, I happen to know for absolute certain that I’m in love with you…and I don’t…I don’t want either of us to regret anything we do…or for it to fuck up our friendship.”
Blake put her hands on Leighton’s hips, squeezing gently, peering over the top of Leighton’s hand with eyes large and hopeful.
“So if we’re going to do this, we have to take it slow. So that you can figure out how you feel and we can make sure that neither of us is going to get hurt,” Leighton finished.
She took her hand away from Blake’s mouth, stroking her cheek and tracing the outline of her ear.
Blake sniggered.
“What’s so funny?” Leighton questioned.
“I’m just wondering what the opposite of ‘randomly’ kissing is. Do I, like, have to make an appointment to kiss you?”
Leighton smiled. “You could try that.”
Blake looked at her watch.
“How about Christmas eve 2008…around 3.57?”
“Sounds perfect,” Leighton said, winding her arms around Blake’s neck, bringing their bodies into closer contact.
Blake was still looking at her watch.
“OK…wait for it…10…9…8…”
Leighton growled playfully and pulled Blake down to meet her lips. Blake melted into the embrace, her arms going around Leighton’s waist. They kissed languidly, unhurriedly, experimentally. There was no mistletoe nor wine to fuel this kiss, just a desire to feel and taste and discover one another. Leighton gently pulled away, rubbing her thumb over Blake’s lower lip in consolation when she pouted. She looked up at Blake and smiled.
“Still ‘wow’.”
*
Later in the evening, Blake was flicking through channels, waiting for Leighton to get changed into her pyjamas.
“Find anything decent?” Leighton yelled from her bedroom.
Blake frowned.
“Well…’It’s a Wonderful Life’ is just starting,” she answered, unenthused. She had never seen what all the fuss was about with that movie.
Leighton padded through and Blake bit her lip. Leighton was wearing green flannel pyjamas with ponies all over them. She was adorable. Leighton rolled her eyes.
“I realise these are the least sexy things I could’ve put on, but they’re my warm, comfy, ‘it’s snowing outside’ jammies.”
“I think they’re sexy,” Blake said, without a hint of sarcasm.
“And I think you’re a liar,” Leighton said, but blushed at the compliment.
She sat down next to Blake on the couch, drawing her feet up underneath her and inching up so that she was leaning against Blake’s side. She frowned.
“Actually…I know this is the big Christmas classic and everything, but I’ve always kinda hated this movie. D’you mind if we don’t watch it?”
Blake’s face broke out into a wide grin.
“I hate it too. It’s so fucking depressing. And it’s black and white.”
Leighton laughed in delight.
“I think you’re the first person who’s ever agreed with me about this movie.”
“Must be fate, babe,” Blake said.
“So what’s your favourite Christmas movie?” Leighton asked, picking up Blake’s hand and entwining their fingers. “Because if it’s ‘Deck The Halls’, we’re breaking up.”
Blake didn’t even have to think.
“Muppet Christmas Carol”
Leighton’s eyes widened behind her glasses. She stood up and picked up a DVD case from next to the TV.
“It might just be fate,” she said, holding up the case for Blake to see.
It was ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’.
*
Blake swirled water around in her mouth and spat into the sink. A second later, Leighton did the same thing. They had taken an extraordinarily long time to brush their teeth. Blake hadn’t wanted to be the first to finish because she was unsure what the sleeping arrangements were to be and she didn’t want to be presumptuous. She stood awkwardly, hands clasped behind her back, waiting for Leighton to finish up.
Leighton turned around and surprised her with a quick, cold, minty kiss right on the lips, before slipping her hand into Blake’s and urging her along behind her. Blake was confused when she saw they were heading into Leighton’s bedroom. Once inside, she hesitated as Leighton drew back the covers.
“Are…are you sure…”
Leighton looked up.
“Oh…I thought we could…just sleep-sleep together…I mean, if that’s OK…”
“No, no that’s fine!” Blake assured her, pulling back the covers on her side of the bed and climbing in quickly. “It was just that you said you wanted to take things slowly…then when you brought me in here, I was just making sure…”
Leighton took off her glassed and laid them on the bedside table before climbing in beside Blake. She leaned up on her elbow, looking down at Blake. She brushed some stray hairs away from Blake’s eyes and leaned down to press a soft kiss against her forehead.
“I can think of nothing that I’d like better than to wake up beside you on Christmas morning,” Leighton said, her voice an awed whisper, like she couldn’t quite believe what she was saying.
Blake smiled beautifully and held out an arm so that Leighton could snuggle against her side. Leighton turned out the lamp and did just that, resting her head on Blake’s shoulder and draping an arm across her abdomen.
The reflection from the snow outside the window gave the room an almost unnatural glow. Blake lay awake and listened to Leighton’s breath become deep and even, warm air tickling her neck. She glanced across at the clock on Leighton’s side and saw that it was almost midnight. She lay in silence, watching the seconds tick away. When the hands moved to twelve she turned her head and pressed a kiss to Leighton’s cheek.
“Merry Christmas, baby.”
*
Blake awoke to a delightful weight pressing down on her.
She smiled without opening her eyes as Leighton trailed kisses along her neck, up onto her chin, finally bringing their lips together. Blake opened her eyes to find dark brown ones looking down at her.
”Well, good morning to you too,” she said, her voice scratchy with sleep.
Leighton grinned.
“Merry Christmas.”
Blake reached behind Leighton’s neck and pulled her in for a more thorough greeting. Blake’s fingers wound into Leighton’s hair, deepening the kiss. Leighton’s thigh moved between Blake’s legs and Blake unconsciously raised her hips against the contact, creating a rhythm which complimented the kiss.
Leighton pulled away and pushed herself up onto her knees, noting Blake’s crestfallen expression as she tied her hair up into a loose bun. Blake was immediately aware of the wetness between her legs and squirmed away from Leighton a little, clamping her thighs together, thinking that Leighton probably didn’t count this as taking it slowly.
Leighton stopped her retreat by straddling her hips, a knee on either side and her ass squarely in Blake’s crotch. Blake’s hands immediately went to Leighton’s hips and she looked up at her with questioning eyes.
“I thought you said we shou-“
Leighton reached down and undid the top button of her pyjama top, effectively rendering Blake mute. She continued down until all of the buttons were undone, the top hanging open tantalisingly for a moment before she let it slip from her shoulders. Blake just stared. Leighton tilted her head.
“Did I break you?” she whispered, tickling Blake’s side.
Blake was jolted out of her stupor by the movement and managed to bring her eyes back up to meet Leighton’s.
“Uh…maybe?” Blake said, her voice higher than normal.
“I thought maybe we could…spend some time…getting to know each other,” Leighton said, her cheeks becoming flushed as she said the words that had sounded sexy in her head, but to her ears sounded corny, and more than a little pervy.
Blake’s thumbs caressed the soft skin of Leighton’s belly.
“I…I…”
“C’mon, Lively…aren’t you supposed to be the cool one?” Leighton teased, still blushing under Blake’s worshipping gaze.
Blake looked up.
“Are you sure? I mean, you said you wanted to, you know, take it slow…and I’m sorry if I’m being a hick, but to me this isn’t all that slow and I sure as hell don’t want you to regret anything and…”
Leighton placed a single finger over Blake’s lips to quiet her. Then she replaced it with her mouth for a chaste kiss. She sat back up.
“I won’t regret this. I want this. I’ve wanted this for so long. But if you want to wait we ca-“
“No!” Blake almost yelled and Leighton laughed, her breasts bouncing in a most distracting manner.
“I mean…if you want to then I’m totally OK with it,” Blake said.
Leighton nodded slightly. Then she took Blake’s right hand from where it rested on her hip and guided it around to her abdomen, up through the valley between her breasts, before taking Blake’s middle finger into her mouth and sucking it gently.
Blake’s mouth went completely dry at the sight, which was pretty much the opposite of what was happening elsewhere. She watched, mesmerised as Leighton took the wet digit and used it to circle around her nipple, the coral skin puckering and hardening into a tight peak.
Blake couldn’t be an idle participant any longer. She dragged her hand out of Leighton’s grasp and moved both hands to Leighton’s back, holding her as she sat up in bed, bringing their lips together in a clumsy crash of a kiss. Leighton’s hands wound into her hair as Blake’s lips moved lower, licking a line down Leighton’s neck and pressing her nose into the hollow of her throat for a second.
She became aware of her own breathing, fast and erratic against Leighton’s damp skin. She pressed a kiss against the top of Leighton’s breast, marvelling at the swell of flesh against her lips. She was suddenly overcome with the need to confess. She pulled back and looked up at Leighton.
“I’ve never done this before,” she said.
“Huh?” Leighton said, confused by the turn of events and a little frustrated that Blake’s progress down her body had halted. Then she realised what Blake was saying. “Never?”
“Not with a girl, no,” Blake mumbled. “I mean, I’ve done stuff with girls…just not…all the stuff.”
Leighton’s smile was surprised, but not unkind. She shifted her position a little so that she was kneeling between Blake’s legs instead of straddling them. She leaned in and kissed Blake squarely on the mouth while her hands pushed Blake’s t-shirt up her back. They had to break the kiss briefly so that the t-shirt could come off. Leighton urged Blake back down onto the bed and stretched herself out on top of her.
She used both hands to push the hair off Blake’s brow before smiling down at her. Then she kissed Blake’s lips, softly, slowly. After a few moments of thorough exploration, Leighton was on the move. She nipped her way along Blake’s jaw until she reached her earlobe, biting on it gently and tugging a little. Blake’s hands trailed up Leighton’s back.
Leighton turned her attention to Blake’s neck, licking a stripe down the column of her throat, her tongue halting at the centre of her clavicle. She turned her face to the side and nuzzled Blake’s breast, feeling Blake inhale sharply when she took an erect nipple into her mouth, teasing it with tiny licks before flattening her tongue, letting the slightly rough surface drag against the sensitive flesh. Blake gasped, her hand tangling in Leighton’s hair, keeping her in place.
Leighton had no intention of moving far. She was enjoying the feel of Blake’s body moving underneath her own far too much. Blake kept whispering ‘Jesus’, over and over, which Leighton took to be a good sign. Her own body was humming with arousal, a steady and distinct throbbing happening between her legs and she had to rein in the desire to touch herself to relieve the ache.
Almost as if she knew what Leighton was thinking, Blake’s thigh moved up between her own, giving her purchase and pressure right where she needed it. In reciprocation, Leighton’s hand whispered down Blake’s abdomen and slipped into her shorts. Feeling the extent of Blake’s arousal against her fingers sent a jolt of electricity directly to Leighton’s core and she pressed against Blake’s thigh even as she was sliding two fingers into her.
“Oh God!” Blake whispered.
Leighton leaned her weight on her forearm and pushed herself up so that she could see Blake’s face. Her eyes were tightly closed, beads of sweat adorning her top lip. Leighton leaned down and kissed her, changing her rhythm to a slightly faster pace. The kiss was sloppy, Blake was unable to concentrate on anything but the need for release.
“Please,” she begged, forcing her eyes open.
Leighton smiled and added a third finger, driving deeper into Blake and using the heel of her hand to apply just the right amount of pressure. She pressed herself harder against Blake’s thigh.
Blake’s breath hitched and her head snapped back against the pillow. Her hips rose up to meet Leighton’s hand and Leighton felt her go weak. A second later, Leighton followed. Her head dropped forward onto Blake’s shoulder, panting against damp skin.
Blake kissed Leighton's neck, letting her tongue linger on the pulse point, enjoying the visceral evidence of her effect on Leighton. She pressed her nose into Leighton's hair.
"You're..."
"Amazing? Brilliant? The best ever?" Leighton joked, pulling Blake's arm until it was tight around her waist, with Blake spooning her from behind.
"Sometimes words are shit," Blake decided, her hair flopping over her eyes as she tried to see Leighton’s face. "Words don't do justice to what you are. But those will do for starters."
"Mmmhmm," Leighton said, still breathing heavily. "I was thinking. You better be careful...you know there's a history with virgins at Christmas."
Blake poked her in the side.
"Hey! I wasn't a virgin," she protested.
"You were a girl-virgin," Leighton teased. "I'm just saying...maybe you'd better buy a test, just in case Jesus feels like a comeback this year."
"You're a riot," Blake grumbled. "I wasn't a virgin so why would he pick me?"
"Nothing says 'Happy Birthday Baby Jesus' like first-time lesbian sex," Leighton said, happily. “Plus, you probably got his attention with the amount of times you said his name.”
Blake sat up and threw the covers off, clambering out of bed. Leighton sat up, alarmed.
"Hey! Hey, I was kidding, come back to bed," she begged, saddened to see Blake's flesh disappearing under a t-shirt and a dressing gown.
Blake kneeled on the bed and kissed Leighton softly.
"I have to go make breakfast, it's a thing."
And without further explanation, she swept out of the bedroom, leaving Leighton slightly bewildered. She got herself out of bed and located Blake's sweatshirt from the previous night. She slipped it on, inhaling Blake's scent, and headed out into the kitchen.
She entered to the not unpleasant sight of Blake's ass sticking out of one of her cabinets.
"What are you doing?" Leighton asked, leaning against the counter.
"Aha!" Blake appeared triumphantly holding a box instant pancake mix aloft like a trophy.
Leighton raised an eyebrow.
"Pancakes?"
Blake busied herself getting bowls and spoons and various other cooking utensils. She glanced over her shoulder at Leighton and grinned sheepishly.
“We always have pancakes on Christmas morning for breakfast, and we always have a contest to see who can make theirs look the most festive. It’s, like, a tradition. It’s dumb, I know but…”
“No, I think it’s sweet,” Leighton said, walking up to Blake and wrapping her arms around her waist from behind, pressing her ear between Blake’s shoulder blades. Her hold was dislodged when Blake began to stir her mixture vigorously and Leighton retreated to sit on the counter and watch Blake’s attempts at cooking.
“Do you usually make the pancakes?” Leighton enquired, as she watched Blake fish the particularly large lumps out of the mixture and flick them into the sink.
“Nah, my mom does, but it’s not hard,” Blake said, pouring a generous amount of thick liquid into a hot pan.
“Did you put any grease in tha-“
“Shit! It’s all stuck!” Blake exclaimed, scraping at the rapidly burning concoction.
Leighton pushed herself off the counter and went to help. Between the two of them they managed to produce some edible pancakes and set about decorating them with cream and sprinkles and anything else they could find.
Leighton smiled as she watched Blake gleefully squirt cream into an approximation of a beard on her pancake.
“I’ve never won at this,” Blake said, as she shoved two Reese’s Pieces into her pancake as eyes. “My brothers are super-competitive and my sister’s a perfectionist so…”
Leighton put their creations side by side. Blake’s was Santa’s face all decked out with cream and candy. Leighton had drawn a Christmas Tree with syrup and decorated it with sprinkles in neat lines.
”I think you won this year,” Leighton said, bumping Blake with her hip.
Blake looked doubtfully between her own messy masterpiece and Leighton’s precise work of art.
“Let’s call it a tie,” Blake said, pulling Leighton into a hug and kissing her cheek, making it sticky with syrup and cream.
They smiled at each other for a long, happy moment.
“This is gonna be the best Christmas ever,” Blake said.
Leighton laughed.
“We’re snowed in. We’re thousands of miles from our families. And it’s not even 9am yet! How can you possibly know this is gonna be the best Christmas ever?”
Blake shrugged.
“Maybe I’m psychic?”
“Psycho, maybe,” Leighton muttered, squealing when Blake tickled her.
“I told you yesterday, I like being with you more than anything,” Blake said simply. “So being with you for Christmas automatically makes it the best Christmas ever.”
Leighton’s eyes filled with tears and she tried to blink them away.
“Well, I think I’ll take that as a challenge.”
Blake’s eyebrows drew together in confusion.
“A challenge?”
Leighton draped a hand behind Blake’s neck and gently drew her in. Just before their lips met, she whispered an answer to Blake’s question.
“To make next Christmas even better.”
