valkirycr

[valkirycr]

@carol-dcnvers

The trip home is not as fun as Val usually finds it to be. All she can think about is the way Carol's arms wrapped around her at the airport, the soft scent of her shampoo and soap that Val still feels on her own skin too; the soft lips against hers and promises that they would see each other soon.

Not soon enough.

The moment her plane touches the ground, reality hits— and she spends the rest of the weekend catching up to work and catching up to socializing with her nieces who wanted to hear all about Halloween in New Orleans. Val doesn't tell anyone but her best friend about Carol, for fear that she might jinx it this early; but every second spent without thinking about Carol and talking to Carol is as painful as the last one. They have only managed to text in the past two days, and Val wishes that she'd taken photos of her instead. Scrolling the outdated Instagram feed lost its novelty after the fifth time she's done it.

They exchange texts here and there over the weekend, both busy with family, and when Monday comes, Val is already in bed by 8pm, knowing it's the middle of the workday for the engineer.

Still, she takes a picture of herself in her PJs, makeup off and curls splayed on the soft pillows that painfully lack the blonde head laying next to them— a ridiculous thought, really, considering she has never been in Val's bed before. Yet.

[image.png] delivered. Hi. Just laying in bed here, missing you. Almost wrote something as uncool as wish you were here but stopped myself. I do wish it, though. How's your work going? I know lunch is probably over, but call me whenever you can.

[valkirycr]

Her smile is softer as she makes a mental note of the shade of blue that Carol tells her, and she nods slowly. "Blue. Somehow I'm not surprised at all." She laughs, considering that the pillowcases inches away from her are the color of blue skies, and she does remember seeing more details around the house that confirm it, too. "I go back and forth between my favorite color, but I'd go with either a pastel yellow or a violet. Like the flowers." A little shrug, while her fingers draw circles on the bare skin of Carol's waist; knowing that she would miss her terribly as soon as they go their own ways tomorrow. For now.

"I do, but it's only for the time being." She remembers two important meetings she'll have to attend at the embassy the following week, and with November around the corner and then December... she would be free for nearly a month around the holidays. Val doesn't want to get ahead of herself, though, figuring that Carol might break it off earlier than that, so she instead kisses her; a soft lingering kiss before humming against it.

"I'll need you to get better at it. Besides, I know that you'll miss me enough to want to text or call." It's a joke, and perhaps a projection, because she definitely feels that way. She will miss someone who she didn't even know when she woke up this morning... funny how things work out sometimes.

"And though I don't want to sleep I think we should; because I don't want to be both sleep deprived and emotional tomorrow. It's not a pretty sight."

"Blue." She answers offhandedly, as though the mention of her favorite color was the most important part of what the other was saying. It wasn't, but the most important part made her nervous and answering the question of what her favorite color in was the least she could do. "It's blue... like the sky, not like the ocean." There were plenty of shades of blue in the world and the one she found herself attached to was the color of the sky on the summer days that she and Monica would spend flat on the ground, grass itching against their backs, as they put their heads together and tried to figure out just what shapes the clouds were making.

Carol couldn't help but wonder what the other's favorite color was, would it be something predictable? Or something that surprised her? Everything about Val ended up surprising her, from the moment the woman rolled up her sleeves and insisted on getting dirty beneath the plane (in the not-so-fun way). "If only you didn't have to fly halfway across the world tomorrow," the blonde teased, though there was a certain sadness that creeped into her chest. Even after just knowing each other for less than a day, she knew her life would be just a little bit more empty without her. "I should warn you now, I'm absolutely horrible with technology."

[valkirycr]

There is no mistaking the worry etched on Carol's face; and Val understands. Her own impulsiveness and certainty once she's made a decision is near-unwavering; a trait that has been useful at work so far, but sometimes too much for the ones she holds too close to her heart. It's something to bring up in therapy, that's for certain, but in no shape or form does it seem like a bad thing now. Finding Carol, and clicking with her instantly— it seems like one of those things one would only read in romance novels or watch in cheesy movies— and Val suddenly understands the confusing mention of Hallmark movies previously.

Her own brows furrow a little as she second-guesses for a moment... but then Carol's hand is on her cheek and there is a slight exhale that she lets out, satisfying, before tilting her head to press her lips into a soft palm. Once, a short one, and then another lingering one that remains even as she laughs. "Oh I'm most definitely official. I'm notorious when it comes to going after what I want. Even if it gets me killed.", she adds as an afterthought, continuing the joke.

She owes it to herself to try and make this work; and knows that traveling for Carol will be anything but difficult, considering that she does it for work already. The blonde's words mirror her own thoughts, and they are in tune yet again, and Val nods. Her hand reaches to take the one that was holding her cheek, and imprints a kiss against the warm knuckles.

"Neither have I. But I was sure there was something about you from the moment I saw you... and I don't even know your favorite color yet." A soft laugh, through a smile. "Or your birthday, for that matter. And while all this seems absolutely insane..." her head shakes, a streak of curls falling back from behind her ear, "I know what I want. And right now— it's more time with you."

The moment Val pulls away, even just slightly, leaves the blonde with a breath caught in her throat and brow furrowed in a worried confusion. Was that it? Was the other reconsidering the distance between them, wondering if it was worth it after all? She wouldn't blame her, couldn't blame her, not really. They lived in completely different countries, worked vastly different jobs, and most importantly — they'd just met earlier that day. Even for Carol, it felt like a lot. How were they supposed to make it work when she knew she'd never be able to exist in her home the same way again? The kitchen, the living room, the bedroom... they were all better, brighter, warmer with the other woman in them. To go without that already left her chest aching. Maybe it would be better to just cut it off now and call it a day? Stop anything before they fall too deeply past the point of no return.

However, the other didn't go far and the words that followed were anything but a suggestion to put a stop to what they were going to potentially attempt. It was difficult to argue when Val seemed so sure about doing this. There was still a soft swirling of dread deep in her stomach, similar to the fear of flying too close to the sun, worrying about eventually being burned by the end of this. "This all sounds really official for someone you just met today," Carol started, letting her hand come to rest on the other's cheek, her thumb brushing softly against smooth skin. "You would be so murdered if I were a serial killer." The lightness of her teasing alleviates the anxiety of the moment, the way the seconds tick by as slow as the thumping of her heart, but she knew she couldn't joke around what Val was proposing forever. "I've never had to worry about a girl in another state let alone another country and I... can't promise that I know how to make that work, but what I do know is that I don't think I can let this go without at least trying."

[valkirycr]

"Don't know. What I do know that it's always the hot, charming ones." She continues the joke, drowning out her own very loud thoughts about them; not fully committing to the bit. She wants to continue talking about Monica, too, knowing how much her daughter means to Carol; but her chest is constricted and her breath taken away because of a different reason now—the impending choice of what Carol replies and how they deal with all of... this.

Yet, a small smile tilts the corner of her lips upward when the blonde quietly admits that the feeling is very much mutual, and Val squeezes her waist appreciatively. Not quite in disbelief, but still wondering how her world has changed this much in the past twenty four hours. Just last night she was going to sleep, alone, in a hotel room on the other side of the city; after a long three-day conference that she enjoyed. Just last night, Val thought that she needed no one and that loneliness she felt creeping in every time she would get under the sheets at the end of a very long work day was not strong enough to get herself out there.

And today, by both pure chance and luck, she may have met a woman of her dreams, that made her laugh and touched her just right, and just so happened to be American. A hum and a nod after, Val finally pulls herself up and props herself to an elbow, looking down at the blonde. She does not necessarily cry, ever, but her throat is a little tight when she speaks all the same.

"I know. But— I'd leave working out the ocean part to me. I'm in the States often enough." A soft inhale. "And who knows, eventually..." She trails off, not wanting to get ahead of herself too much, so she course corrects. "I could be here every weekend, or every other one. I might work hard, but we in Norway take our days off pretty seriously." A soft smile, and all she can think about is kissing her again, despite both her chest and throat tightening with each word. "I don't know your stance on long distance, and I don't have much experience either but for you... I'd make it work."

A serial killer in disguise managed to get a laugh out of her — of all of the accusations, after meeting her ex-wife and daughter in the same night, serial killer is the route she chose? "What disguise am I wearing!?" Carol huffs indignantly, though the sound that fell from her through and her offended words were nothing but soft teasing as they rested, tangled together beneath the blanket, with only the moonlight streaming through the curtains on her windows. "I don't think you can get any less-disguised than we both were tonight." With every single piece of clothing shed as they shared one another's space, lips pressed to every inch of bare skin, there was no room left for disguises.

But it was a worry she wasn't stuck on, hoping that if the other had any concern that she was actually a serial killer, she wouldn't have went home with her that night.

"Oh, definitely not the Reese's. Those likely didn't even make it home." It was a small love of Monica's and she knew she'd never be able to wrestle the chocolate-covered peanut butter from the little girl's hands. Which was fine, since there were far better candy bars in the world.

The conversation takes a turn from candy bars into something she wasn't really expecting to follow up Reese's and with every word that tumbled from Val's lips, her own struggled to be found. She'd been thinking about it, the likelihood of making something work, making this work. She only saw how easily the other fit into her life for one day and she knew that she'd never be able to see it the same again. And there it was, the biggest question of all; would Val want the same thing? Answered, of course, with confirmation that the brunette had been thinking the same things she had all along. "I would." Carol nodded in response, her chin bumping against the top of the other's head. "But an ocean is... a lot to work with."

[valkirycr]

"Right. For all I know, you could be a serial killer in disguise, drawing me in with your pretty face and ridiculously warm body." Val throws back, tilting her head upwards just a little bit to get a look at that face she's already grown so fond of; and it never fails to make her heart skip a beat. Then, her head returns to its previous position, resting against Carol's chest and listening to her heartbeat and the rumble of her words as they pass through her. At first, she is afraid to say anything further; so she just nods along, a finger trailing over a bruise her mouth has left on Carol's skin earlier.

A part of her wishes that the oil leak or whatever else is wrong with the jet lasts at least a day longer; but at the same time life is bound to continue on for both of them; with family waiting for the blonde and work for her. "I'm sure you're getting none of the Reese's, though." Another joke, to release the tension gathering in her shoulders now that Carol's hand has stilled. Val knows that she could never forgive herself if she just lets this go tomorrow; and though it was bound to go this way all along, she makes a decision that she would try to make it work... if Carol feels the same. And, if she makes her carbon footprint a bit higher than usual, if even for a little while until they resolve the technicalities, it may as well be worth it.

It's an another selfish thought, perhaps a little rash too, but she's certain that there's something more between them that she just cannot leave behind, not without prodding at it and uncovering the mixed feelings that rise within her now. Not when Carol pulls her closer and gets quiet too; and Val wonders if she's thinking about the same thing.

With her eyes closing, summoning some strength of professional Val, the diplomat, a throat is cleared. "I do hope you know that tonight wasn't just about sex for me. I mean, it was insanely good, don't get me wrong—" She chuckles, giving Carol's waist a squeeze, "and this may sound a little idealistic of me... but I feel like I have to tell you that I want to see you again. Ocean in between us notwithstanding." A beat. Then two.

"If... you'd like that, of course."

The joke causes her to roll her eyes, but as cheesy as it is, Carol finds herself wanted more. The put-together-fancy-suit in the middle of the airplane hanger caught her attention, but it was the person that Val turned out to be that kept it. Sexy, willing to get her hands dirty, intelligent, and funny as hell, even the cheesy stuff. "You're ridiculous," she mumbled in response and presses a fleeting kiss to the thumb that ghosts across her lips, desperate for any sort of touch that would bring her that much closer to the other. The blonde can tell it's mutual, feeling Val's lips here and there, against whatever skin of hers is nearby. And then, a leg relaxes over her thighs and the arm wrapped around the other's shoulders tightens, bringing her impossibly closer, and feeling her chest begin to relax into the moment.

"You say that now." A brow lifts, teasingly, but there's another missed thump of her heart as it stutters at the thought, the possibility. A mechanical engineer and a Norwegian diplomat from two different sides of the world? How could they even make that work? Besides, she had Monica to focus on, right? But the little girl had clearly taken to the nearby stranger in a way she hadn't expected in their fleeting interaction — would it be that bad to dream? Carol's fingers stilled their movements as the other mentioned the very daughter she'd been thinking about. "Work first. I can't let your plane take off without inspecting it myself," She started, wanting nothing more than to break the plane again herself so Val had a reason to stay. "Then... yeah. The rest of the day is for Monica. I owe her that. Plus, she still has all of the good candy and I have none, so that's unacceptable."

[valkirycr]

Another laugh, because apparently that seems to be her default now, feeling light and carefree; as long as she can see Carol's smiling face and can hold onto her with any limb she can possibly manage. Val is unable to look away, not when the other's eyes linger on her own; and she is already committing to memory the way this feels. It makes her smile falter just a tiny bit when she realizes that tomorrow night it will all be gone, but she's able to cover it by closing her eyes at the soft touch on her back, humming in thanks and leaning further into it; not unlike a cat.

When her eyes open again, her smile is back and so is her laugh. The words and their implication barely register at first, but her awareness of what it might mean puts her mounting anxiety at ease, if only minutely. "I should have known, considering how much the rest of you is hot too." A word accented, she knows the pun is just as bad, but doesn't care at all. Then, her thumb moves from the collarbone to Carol's bottom lip, tracing it back and forth while her eyes look at the motion before looking back up. "Full disclosure, I would easily endure the Louisiana heat if your mouth does that again... anytime." She would also do it without, either way; she thinks desperately, hating that she is unable to make the time stop and let the night last forever, or until they grow tired of each other— whichever comes first.

Her amusement is more prominent, as she draws closer to Carol's side, a knee thrown over a pair of thighs fully accepting the heater aspect of it all, when her head drops on Carol's shoulder and kisses whatever piece of skin she can reach; eyes suddenly heavy with exhaustion. The mention of travel causes an unpleasant tug of her stomach, and Val shakes her head in order to chase it away.

"What about you?" She murmurs, tracing circles on Carol's abdomen now that she can't see her face; "What is your plan... for tomorrow, aside from your daughter?"

Everything that followed was thrilling and not a single moment of it managed to wipe the smile from her lips, even with the diplomat's name came tumbling from them and Carol started to truly believe the woman was magic, because she was as close to God as the blonde had ever gotten. But, the moment that came after was something else, something that made her heart stutter as Val flopped on top of her playfully, curls wild and damp and soft skin warm to the touch. The smile dropped from her expression for a mere second, unnoticeable to the other woman as her lips were quick to press a kiss against the top of her head, muffling the groan of protest that fell from her throat.

"I should've warned you that I'm essentially a human heater," Carol joked as Val pulled back just enough for her to meet deep brown hues that she would never grow tired of seeing. The tousled curls that the brunette swept out of her face only added to the movement in her chest, to the way her heart seemed to suddenly skip every beat, and there was only so much she could blame on the multiple orgasms she'd just had. "Great for the winter season, but I have pretty bad news for you once Louisiana summer comes around." She didn't even realize she phrased it in a way that assumed Val would be near her when summer happened, that implied that whatever they had that night would last after. It was fully possible they would never speak to each other once the plane was fixed and the diplomat was back in her own home.

Her fingers naturally fell to the other's back, tips now softly tracing the inked lines she'd gotten a good look at during one of their position switches, somehow already committing them to memory. They continued brushing against soft, bare skin rhythmically. Up and down. She hummed contently at the lazy movement, the smile pullin on her lips once more. "Oh, so now you're worried about sharing your bodily fluids?" Her lips pressed against a warm forehead, feeling more relax with the woman in her arms than anyone she'd met in a long time. "You're going to have a big day tomorrow, plane should be good enough for travel. You should get all the sleep you can, drool included."

[valkirycr]

Val lets out a little surprised ooh! as she is thrown back on the bed, followed by an entertained chuckle and a swoop of her stomach; excitement building in every inch of her body, wanting. Having Carol on top of her like this makes it hard to breathe, so she touches every single part of the skin she can reach, fingernails raking down her abdomen slowly until she hooks her hands in Carol's bottoms; tugging, without a need to speak any longer.

It seems like her smile is etched on her face permanently too, when they remove every part of fabric between them, and when Carol slots herself between her legs, and fades a little when they consume each other, over and over again, with her back arched and persistent moans uncontrollably falling from her lips instead.

Carol is an intelligent woman, funny, kind... and she is really good at this.

They get lost in each other for what seems like hours, and it probably is— and by the time Val reaches for her underwear— too hot to put anything else on, she's sweaty, spent and truly happy. She crawls back into bed, feeling her knees still buckling a little from their last round, and wipes the taste of Carol from under her bottom lip; then all but plops on top of her, laughing at the little groan it draws out.

"Hi." She says, moving her curls out of her own face and shifting them all to one side to look down at the blonde, breath finally slowing down but her heart beating as forcefully as ever while the tip of her finger traces across a collarbone. "You're very warm." She muses against the skin of Carol's chin, then kisses a soft spot under her jawline, her chest pressed tightly against the other. "I hope you're aware that I might drool on you later."

She thought about the inked lines and how much she had yet to see, even with the other bared before her. But she wanted more than to just see Val and she knew that laying there, gaping at the art snaking along smooth skin, would never get her close to what she actually wanted to do which was to touch the woman in front of her until they were both lost in each other instead. Palm rested hotly against Val’s back, fingertips pressing just barely into skin as she shook her head, “You could never lose me.” The words came with a tongue soft over her bottom lip, a deep thrum of her heartbeat, and the feeling of a promise that meant more than just a bit of distraction.

Carol couldn’t predict how the future would go, but she found herself hoping that she could somehow keep her promise and, more importantly, the other woman would want her to keep it.

It couldn’t just be that night for them.

Even though she was going to make the best of it as though it were. The words had left enough of a sinking dread in her stomach that she felt like she needed a distraction — they both did. Her attempt at that was gripping Val’s waist and mustering enough perseverance to flip them, successfully pressing the other into the bed instead. Goose jumped up at the feeling of the bed shake, bothered by interruption as she thankfully kept onto the floor and into the closet out of sight. Her palms rested in the plush comforter on either side of Val’s head and she couldn’t stop herself from closing the distance and pressing her lips to the other’s; playful, excited, absolutely enthralled with everything the woman was. She, embarrassingly enough, had a difficult time wiping the soft smile from her expression, even as she pulled away from the kiss to glance down at the other.

[valkirycr]

Val's head tilts slightly to the side at the delayed reaction, and she watches her in amusement once she figures out just where her attention went. It's not been the first time that day that she noticed the appreciative glance on her tattoos, but it makes her face tinge with a deeper shade either way. Still, she has her own battle to wage against seeing Carol shirtless, and a breath catches in her throat as the hot rod pierces all of her insides at once.

Glad that the attention of the blonde is elsewhere, Val licks her lips, already making a plan of action in her head of what to do next once the tattoo conversation is over. She almost teases Carol and almost asks her if diplomat tattoos were really what she wanted to discuss right now, but no words leave her when soft fingers trailed the ink with such precision that it made her shiver.

They're both breathing heavily, face to face like this, and it takes her a moment, too, to speak. "Some are." She hums, gaze dropping on Carol's fingers. "But not as much as this. I like to think I'm unique." A joke, as her head tilts and leans closer to leave a soft kiss on Carol's cheek.

"It goes all the way down." Her hand taking the one placed upon her chest, she pulls her in for a half-embrace, guiding her fingers all down her own spine in the back; where they used to be right before her shirt came off.

"You can see it now... but I'm afraid I might lose you." A soft chuckle after she whispers it, teasing, as she craves to press her own chest against the blonde's, knowing it will surely set her aflame.

There’s a command coming from the other’s lips, as though it’s the most natural thing in the world, but Carol was far too distracted with the way black lines curved everywhere on the woman’s skin to process it immediately. Black swirls and edges dipped and rose with every muscle, fell over shoulders and collarbones like it belonged there, and she could tell immediately when Val’s shirt came off that there was more to the artwork that she hadn’t even seen yet, lines dipping behind shoulders and onto the others back. She knew she was supposed to be doing something instead of just laying there, but it was difficult to understand what she was supposed to be doing when she forgot how to do something as simple as breathe. The entire night she’d been teased, wondering just where Val’s forearm tattoos led to, only to be gifted the sight just above her now.

A slight, frustrated groan bubbled in her throat. She was so fucked.

In so many more ways than one.

“Off, right.” Finally, the word hit her ears and she repeated it with a nod, sucking in a breath at last. It took only seconds before she was lifting herself up to pull the oversized tee from her body, fully aware that the loss of the material left her significantly more exposed than Val. Her dark hues searched the other’s as her chest rose with each desperate breath and fell in return, not being able to resist drawing the woman closer so her fingertips could trace the lines of the extensive tattoo. “Are all government officials in your side of the planet this tatted or did I just get lucky?”

[valkirycr]

They were alone at last. The fact that didn't excite her only for the obvious, the way they were close now without any stupid costumes in the way and pressing against each other as much as it was humanly possible; it was also the fact that there was no music, no rowdy crowd, no exes coming through the door and Val could just enjoy... her.

She feels the grin against her lips and she smiles in turn too, a soft sigh leaving her lips when cool fingers touch her warm back; leaving goosebumps in their wake. "Don't go all shy on me now." She teases, when she feels Carol hesitate a little bit, but understands what point she's trying to make. When their lips meet once again, Val wraps her arms around the blonde's waist and kisses her a little deeper; suddenly not wanting to rush any of it. Images flash behind her eyelids of her lips touching every inch of Carol's body beneath that soft shirt, and the thought makes her roll her lips just a little.

Without any warning, her hands pull back to rest on Carol's chest and then she pushes, not strongly at all, just enough to guide the other to lay on her back while Val works on the buttons of her own top she's just put on. Her heart hammers in her chest at the way Carol looks at her, they both smile, and Val knows right there that this is no one night stand. It possibly cannot be.

With her shirt unbuttoned, nothing underneath, the fabric shrugs down her shoulders and lingers at her elbows. Her shoulder tattoos splay under her collarbone and across her chest, leading all the way to the top of her spine on her back. Then, her fingers set underneath Carol's shirt too, feeling the muscle on both sides of her waist, inching them upward. "Off." She hums, not asking this time. "I want to feel you against me."

There she was with the questions again. It was sort of adorable, how courteous the woman was being, and she couldn’t help but wonder how to make this moment last forever. A stranger, someone she’d met less than twenty-four hours ago, was straddling her in bed, smelling like her soap, wearing her clothes, and while this would be a lot for anyone, while Carol should find it weird and rushed and confusing, she simply felt like she couldn’t get enough of it, like it was the most normal position in the planet to be in, and she didn’t want to let it go so easily.

But what was she supposed to do? Ask a Norwegian diplomat to marry her?

A soft chuckle at the internal thought escaped from her lips and she couldn’t stop the grin from growing as she looked up at the brunette, palms falling to the muscular thighs of the other, completely at ease. Maybe in another universe, she would have asked a complete stranger to marry her. Maybe in another universe they were already married and she didn’t have to ask at all. Then again, maybe they were superheroes who regularly saved planets and called each other work wives on their business calls. Crazier things have happened, right?

”Better,” Carol confirmed as she met dark hues through relax, hooded lids. Even as she felt the exhaustion of the day wash over her, she somehow had never felt more awake either. One hand left warm thighs to cup the back of the other’s neck instead, the other hand sliding beneath the shirt Val had chosen to rest on the exposed skin of her waist. She pulled the woman closer, their foreheads resting against each other’s for a moment, Carol giving a moment for the brunette to object, to be courteous. Then, she pressed her lips against Val’s; soft and aching and like it could very well be the last time they’re able to do this.

[valkirycr]

This time, Val laughs louder even though she doesn't mean to make fun of Carol's vulnerability, but the way the question is posed makes the tension in her chest simply dissipate and she feels much lighter than she had previously; despite the costume that feels constricting now—when she wants to feel Carol's skin against her own. "It's not as if you cheated on your wife with me. That would have been awkward." A low chuckle, while her hand still lingered on the blonde's strong jawline. "And Monica is one cute, smart kid, it is not a wonder that you are her mom."

Then the kisses come and all the laughter is wiped off Val's lips, her mind focused entirely of how soft Carol's lips are against her own. They have done a fair share of kissing tonight, but the brunette does not feel like it would ever be... enough. Aware of her own chocolate breath, she chuckles.

"That is classified information, and between Monica and me. None of your business." She jokes, loving the way Carol's face lights up whenever they talk about her daughter. Rightfully so, for if Val were in her shoes, she would not stop talking about her either. Yet, she understands the secretive way she omitted her from the previous conversations earlier that night; mentioning baggage of any kind on a first date would get awkward, quickly. There are no grudges held for her silence whatsoever, and Val is simply happy to be here with her tonight.

Their hands are, naturally, clasped together when they get off the couch, and all thoughts of the previous event disappear the moment Val finds herself in Carol's bedroom. Even though she does not know her as well as she'd like, the entire room feels exactly like her, from the sheets on the bed and curtains on the windows; and the little blanket for the cat sitting at the edge of the mattress. It makes Val's heart ache once more; and she does not allow herself to think what it would look like if they both lived here... together.

Luckily, distraction comes in the form of a well-equipped closet and Val spends her time trailing her fingers over different sets of fabric; not because she's particularly picky, but because this is yet another part of Carol's personality that she has yet to uncover. Band tees are aplenty, and Val makes a mental note to ask her what her favorite artist is a while later (aside from Britney Spears, she supposes); but one gray set of pajamas catches her attention, both in looks and the feel under her fingers.

Upon further inspection she realizes it's a top part only, but she does not object; as she pulls a set of Adidas joggers to match next. Happy with her choice, she's eager to ask Carol if she could peruse her shower to cool down; and once she comes out of the bathroom, she finds the blonde lounging on the bed and her stomach flips.

Her own hair is out of the braid now too, falling curly just past her shoulders; and her face is completely make-up free— a look that not many strangers are privy to, not even the casual hookups she's had over the last several years. And here she is, completely bare in front of Carol, wearing her clothes and smelling like her soap, and Val tries hard not to think about how at home she feels.

Coming to the edge of the bed where Carol is sitting, Val slots herself between her legs and rests hands on top of her shoulders. "Thank you, for letting me stay." She murmurs, cupping the soft face with both her hands and meeting her lips in a soft kiss. "I do have to ask— are you a cuddler, or more of a sleep-on-the-edge kind of a gal?"

Not that she wants to sleep; not yet. All she can think about is moving on top of Carol and kissing her until they both tire or consume each other whole. "I'm a fan the physical touch myself." She is then realizing that she had just asked another question when Carol had let her know that she had other things in mind— not involving asking or answering any questions that would mean skirting around the fact that they were alone once more, with no other distractions in sight. To save face, Val pulls her knees upwards until she is straddling the other on top of the bed, giving her another kiss. "Better." She murmurs, letting a hand down to trail down Carol's spine. Safe. Comfortable.

She couldn’t help but wonder just what water they had to drink in Oslo that would produce someone like the woman she’d met that day, someone that she didn’t even know twenty-four hours ago and now wasn’t sure if she could ever go another twenty-four hours without. Or was crazy, wasn’t it? Thoughts like that? The actual feeling of not being able to exist without the stranger on her couch. There was no doubt that feeling rumbling low in her chest sailed right past stupid and straight to crazy, but Carol couldn’t stop it once it started and glancing at the ceiling did little to offer her reprieve from it.

“Is it? Mutual? Even after you found out about my whole secret family?” She was mid-soft chuckle, relishing in her own amusement of the messed up situation that just happened, when a warm hand came to rest on her cheek and the laughter suddenly died on her lips. The blonde allowed her gaze to be diverted back to Val and wondered why she ever bothers to look away from the woman in the first place.

There was so much beauty in the dark brown hues of the other, so much resting deep down that she hadn’t even touched the surface of learning yet, something she ached to do in the few hours they had left together. It wasn’t enough time, there was no denying that, and she was torn between spending it talking or spending it with her lips pressed against the other’s and bodies tangled so tight that maybe it would be impossible for Val to leave at all. Could she make both happen? She wasn’t sure about it, but she was sure she was desperate for every little bit of the woman the other was willing to give. “How much chocolate did you have?” Carol finally narrowed her eyes suspiciously after the second kiss, catching Val before she pulled away fully for one last kiss (for the moment) and humming against the definite chocolate taste on the other’s lips. “She’ll give you diabetes if you let her… it why we have to hide the Reese’s.”

It all felt normal. Too normal. Sitting on her couch, lips on the other’s, referencing Monica as though they’d both known her forever. With the way Val had been entertaining the young girl, it seemed like she had. It was all… somehow perfect. In the back of her mind there lingered a reminder that Val was a fancy diplomat for whole other country and Carol had a life here… there was no way to even attempt to make anything past that night work. But, it’s why those thoughts remained in the back of her mind, at least for that night. There was no sense thinking about what couldn’t happen, when she had a night full of things that could happen at her fingertips.

“Come on, I’ve been waiting all day to get you out of that wildly inconvenient costume,” Carol teased as she finally pulled herself away from the other and the comfort of the couch to lead the woman to another part of her home she hadn’t seen yet — the bedroom. The blonde directed her to a closet off to the side of the room with instructions to pick whatever she’d feel most comfortable in and stripped herself of her own costume in favor of the oversized tee she swapped it out for, the comfort of the material helping the tension from the events that evening disappear from her shoulders. Goose was already curled in a discarded throw blanket at the bottom of the bed fast asleep and Carol made herself comfortable nearby as she waited for Val finish changing.

[valkirycr]

The emotion on Carol's face is apparent; the ever so slight the furrow of a brow, guilt and maybe a little bit of shame... and Val wants to kiss her. Not to dissipate any of the feelings that the blonde felt, but because she feels a rush of affection from before come back (not that it had ever left fully in the first place). "Oslo. Thought you knew that already." Her smile is brighter when the teasing returns and it is nearly laughable how at ease they are around each other. Val thinks briefly about telling this story, about an American engineer she's met and developed feelings for in less than a day, and sees the skeptic looks on her friends' faces without actually having to witness them.

Val, smitten? It was unheard of.

Her knee nudges Carol's thigh in response to the teasing and a chuckle leaves her, releasing some of that tension she's held in her body from the moment the girl and her other mom knocked on the door. "If it makes you feel better... I think it's stupid too." She murmurs, crinkles in her eyes apparent as she jokes. "But the feeling is certainly mutual." I want you, she wants to repeat, but also add that it's not only the sexual attraction that makes her say it. Her heart beats faster just thinking about it, and her bottom lip catches between her teeth when Carol looks away and up at the ceiling.

In a swift movement, the free hand reaches out, cupping a jawline to gently force eye contact again. "Or it might be just this costume doing it for you." A joke, to break the melancholy feeling that lingers between them; and without a warning she leans forward to place a soft kiss on Carol's lips. Nothing but a brush of skin against another, but she does it again, the pleasant knot in her stomach returning.

"Speaking of which..." She speaks lowly against her lips before pulling away, "I'd very much like to get out of this bloody leather. Do you have anything I could change into?"

Bold, perhaps, to assume that Carol would want her to. Then again, there would have to be some serious case of miscommunication between them if she'd read the signs wrong. "And then we can tallk... or do whatever you want." She wants to hear the story there, of her and her ex and she wants to know what makes her so nervous about the coparenting... neither of which is a topic for the first day of meeting someone.

And, selfishly once more, Val wants her all to herself tonight. Whatever that may entail.

“I do,” Carol easily insisted and even though the tension still remained from the short interruption that happened prior, the close proximity of the other somehow offered a comfort she didn’t expect and appreciated more than she knew how to describe. There had to be some sort of magic at play, though she was hardly a believer in such things, because anyone else that had known her for less than a day would have run the moment a kid calling her mom showed up, but Val hadn’t. Instead, she sat on the ground tasting chocolates and holding the damn cat as though it were something she did every day and even when the moment passed, she was still there, offering words that the blonde didn’t feel like she deserved.

She couldn’t help but cast a soft smile in the woman’s direction, a gentle shake of her head in disbelief. “Where did you even come from?” The whispered musing fell from her thoughts and even though her bottom lip quivered in such a slight why that she barely even felt it, she could already feel the tension she typically held onto for days, weeks, months begin to fade away from her body.

“I just want to be courteous… if you want to change your mind.” Her smile grew, ever so slightly with the teasing words she echoed from earlier, and she relaxed into the couch, head resting near Val’s elbow, turned slightly so she could watch every muscle in the other’s expression flex with each and every breath. “But I’d really like you to stay… because I don’t think I could forget about you either. Which is… so stupid because we just met this morning, but there’s just something about you I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of.” Carol breathed out as her gaze fell toward the bare white ceiling of the living room. The last few hours felt like a lifetime, somehow.

[valkirycr]

She can see the tension in Carol's shoulders, even with the little time she's known her; and despite the awkward situation Val still think she's beautiful, even when looking like a kicked puppy. Eyes are warm as she watches her interact with Monica; and Val almost tells the girl that she can absolutely stay the night and excuse herself— but the other mom steps in before she can react. A selfish part of her is thankful, unready to part ways with the blonde again, and another breaks her heart upon seeing the disappointment on Monica's little face.

They say their goodbyes, and Val realizes that she's barely let out a breath while that was happening; and the silence fills the living room, and it's loud, despite the TV booming in the background and Goose purring in her lap.

At first, neither of them speak and Val doesn't even know where to begin, the hurt still there embedded beneath her chest— but sympathy overwhelms it, seeing the genuine regret on Carol's face, knowing how hard it must be. After all, she is the one that travels and leaves all the time, and she cannot imagine what it would be like if there was a child in the mix, too.

Gently lifting the cat and putting her on the pillow where Monica had just been sitting, Val gets up and sits on the couch next to Carol; far away enough not to encroach on her space but close enough for her folded knee to touch the side of Carol's thigh, fully turned to her. "You don't have to apologize to me." She hums, swallowing the you don't owe me a thing stuck in her throat. Instead, a smile. "Families are hard, especially under these circumstances." Shared parenting; she means. A child of divorced parents herself, Val vividly remembers what it was like growing up in two households— and though both her parents were better than the majority of her friends', it was still an incredibly difficult thing to balance.

"We're cool, really." She muses, leaning her head on the hand propped on the back of the couch. "I'm okay with staying... if you are. And if not, I'll completely understand too. Just say the word."

She wants to reach out now, but knows that her place is not to console the other until explicitly asked; they have known each other for barely a day, after all. And then, a little softer: "But for the record; I could never forget you exist. Even if I tried really hard."

Getting chewed out by her ex-wife was never on her to-do list that night, but there she was, the cold humidity of Louisiana biting against the skin her costume left exposed as Maria spoke strongly about how disappointed she was in things like this continuing to happen — meaning Carol’s complete and utter failure at being a present mom in Monica’s life after she moved out. It wasn’t entirely her fault, she was trying. Truly. But it was a weird situation and one that she hadn’t managed to fix no matter how much she knew the little girl had wanted her to and that left it difficult to face Monica most days. The guilt ate her alive and so she buried it in literally everything else she could find; work, fixing up her car, one night stands, sometimes even alcohol and a trashy tv show if she was feeling adventurous.

She’d never meant for Val to bear witness to this part of her, not when she knew that the other would likely return to her fancy job in Norway and forget all about her. There was something about being cracked wide open for the other to see that caused more panic to rise in her chest than the words that Maria tossed her way did.

At least she knew what to expect from the woman she once called her wife — and deserved every little bit of it.

And she wasn’t innocent either, sharing a few of her own raised words of excuses and complaints until they both eventually ran out of steam and she remembered that Monica was left in the house with Val and neither one asked for the awkward situation they now found themselves in. So they shelved the argument and Carol opened the front door, padding her way back into the house and toward the sounds of tv and soft laughter she heard coming from the living room. The thought of wanting to see Val in her living room on just a random Tuesday after work hit her full force as her gaze landed on the woman who was entertaining a very excited Monica, Goose settled warmly in her lap. If anxiety and discomfort weren’t already prickling on the top of her skin, she would’ve melted immediately at the side.

But instead, she remained on edge and nodded as she caught Val’s question, trying to convey just how thankful she was for the other’s ease in the situation that presented itself. It was weird, Carol knew that, but it was entirely on her for forgetting. She bit her lip in hesitation before she approached the two and settled on her knees in front of Monica, taking the little girl’s hands in hers. She wasn’t so little anymore, Carol knew that. Almost ten was a big deal and she knew that the other understood more of what was going on than anyone gave her credit for, but it broke her heart thinking about it.

“I’m really sorry that I forgot about tonight,” the blonde admitted, the feeling of both of the other women’s eyes on her, one waiting in the doorway and the other nearby, almost made her retreat from the situation entirely, though she powered on for the sake of Monica. “I was talking to your mom and we were thinking maybe I can stop by tomorrow and you can tell me all about tonight and we can snack on all of the good candy you got, even the Reese’s I know you stole from the cabinet,” the teasing words came with a soft grin and a poke to the girl’s nose, “And we can even pull the Christmas decorations out from the barn while I’m there, how does that sound?”

It wasn’t the solution Monica wanted, not when she tried to argue about how she was there already and was having fun showing the cool costumed Valkyrie all of her candy and why couldn’t she just stay. Thankfully, Maria chimed in and was commanding enough to leave Monica gathering her candy back in her bag and Carol standing up regretfully as the little girl gave her a hug goodbye, the blonde whispering “I’ll be there, I promise”. A tiny wave and polite goodbye toward Val was all that left before Carol walked the two to the door and returned a moment later, alone, with a breath that she’d been holding since the final knock on the door.

“I’m sorry,” Carol admitted, a soft desperation in the quiet murmur of her tone as she motioned toward the front of the house, the tv still droning on as she dropped down onto the couch nearby and ran her hands over her face. “I wasn’t expecting… I was an idiot who forgot they were supposed to stop by tonight when I agreed to meet up. It was weird, I know, and I totally understand if you just want me to take you back to the hotel and you can forget I even exist.”

[valkirycr]

The look of panic on Carol's face, coupled with a slew of profanities as she scrambles to make herself look decent causes both confusion and a questioning glance from the ambassador, her eyebrow arching ever so slightly as she watches her nearly trip over their shoes. There is nothing that Val can immediately think of that would warrant such a reaction, but then the door opens and a child's voice fills the room. "Shit," escapes her lips too, more of a hiss than anything else as she pulls the costume back on her arms and thankful that they have not gotten to the point where she's stepped out of it completely.

One step forward, curious, as she peeks through the door leading to the entryway; and sees a gorgeous woman and an adorable little girl that throws her arms around the shoulders she's just had her mouth on; the memory like heat pricking the base of her neck. Then the Mom comes, and Val might just be as good as blending into the wall; trying to ignore the unpleasant tug in her gut.

So, Carol has a daughter— and while it seems fitting now that she sees them interact, a part of her is jealous of not having known this before. The blonde owes her nothing, after all, and for all Val knew this was just a one-off thing... but the sting of the realization coming sooner than she was comfortable with hurt nonetheless.

The other mom looks up before Val can slip back into the kitchen and they nod at each other politely; and the brunette wishes she was dressed in anything else but the dumb costume right now. And before the things could get better; they seemingly get worse, because Carol is leaving the little girl alone in the hallway; with Val on the other end of it.

Hi, the girl calls brightly, probably still happy about the praises she's just gotten about her costume and a sizeable bag of candy she's holding, so Val has no other choice but to engage. "Hi." She responds with a soft smile on her face. "I'm Val. What's your name?"

At first, she expects the girl to be wary of her, perhaps even hostile (her nieces being exactly like that towards people they didn't know), but the girl is an angel, as she tells her her name — Monica — and seems happy when Val tells her that she loves her name and her costume.

A Norwegian diplomat, Carol? comes from the outside and Val needs to take a little breath to keep the friendly face for Monica while her heart hammers in her chest. Then,

"They do that all the time. They think I don't hear, but I always do. Do you have any Reese's chocolate?" The girl continues on talking about how they are her favorite, while Val tries to control her own whiplash and take all of this information that has fallen into her lap as suddenly as her plane did; in the midst of this family's drama. Still, the girl is at no fault of her parents, so Val promises that she'd look for the Reese's with her until her moms come back in.

Monica already knows where to look, and keeps talking about her night of trick-or-treating like she's known Val for ages, and asks about her costume (You're like one of the ladies from the Viking books Mama Carol reads to me!) and Val likes how well spoken she is for someone so young; and can certainly see the parts of Carol in her, too. It makes her heart ache as they get to the living room; which she didn't even have the chance to see before... all this.

That's how Carol finds them, sitting on the floor in front of the TV, with Goose in her lap as Monica gives her different chocolates to try (What do you mean you never tried Hershey's cookies and creme?), and when Val notices her presence she looks up, a smile, albeit a little sad lights up her face.

"Hi. You okay?"

”Ah, yes,” Carol acknowledged, her grin growing against warm lips that felt like everything she’d ever wanted in life. “How very diplomatic of you.” She couldn’t help but wonder, in that moment when her skin was searing with the others touch and a flush was coating her cheeks at just how much she needed Val to touch her, what the other could do if she wasn’t so worried about being courteous and the blonde knew she wanted more time with the woman than she’d ever have on one singular night.

She wanted to insist how far past changing her mind she was, even from the moment they’d met each other’s gaze in the hanger bay, but being pulled against the other, without a single question for permission this time, caught her words in her throat and only the crackle of what remained of them slipped from her lips, amused and entirely approving at the new sense of friction the position gave her. The feeling of teeth gripping the skin above her bra, a pinch that rippled a sense of pleasure across every muscle in her body, caused her hips to press impossibly closer to Val’s thigh as her fingernails pressed sharply into the flesh on the back of the woman’s neck. The action caused a breathless chuckle to fall from her lips and she wasn’t sure if it was a reaction of pleasure or the disbelief at how insane that day had gone. It surely couldn’t get any crazier, right?

And then there was a knock on the door. Firm and insistent and clearly not the first knock that was attempted. A groan left her lips as the other pulled back and even the kiss against her cheek couldn’t make up for the increase in space between them. Her mind raced to catch up and it took her a second to process what Val said. “Wait — what time is it?” Her brow lifted, eyes sided just slightly as she glanced around the kitchen for some kind of clock and her eyes landed on the digital display of her microwave. Too late for trick or treaters meant trick or treating was over and that realization triggered the memory of a promise she’d made just a few days earlier. “Shit.”

Monica. Sweet little Monica, excited to show off her costume, to talk excitedly about the candy she managed to swindle the old ladies out of with her dimples… and Maria.

Carol stepped away and frantically started buttoning up the shirt she was still wearing. “Shit, shit, shit.” Her eyes searched for the grey cardigan on the floor but gave up after not being able to immediately find it and worried about the growing bruise on her chest and making sure the buttoned shirt covered it. There was no salvaging anything else, she knew that much as she ran her hand through her mussed hair and glance back at Val apologetically, and a little regretfully, before moving out of the kitchen and into her entry way to open the door, only managing to trip on discarded shoes once on her way.

Monica’s excited voice floated into the house immediately upon opening the door, giving Carol a good opportunity to ignore the look she knew she was getting from Maria. She wasn’t going to be able to avoid the inevitable scolding forever, but she let the little girl run into her arms and squeezed her tightly around the astronaut suit she donned. “Lieutenant Trouble!” She greeted softly, a tone only reserved for the girl in her arms. The return greeting of ‘Mom!’ was unavoidable and the back of her neck bristled at the feeling of Val’s gaze she knew was inevitably on her. “You look fantastic… did grandma make this for you?” Carol questioned, holding Monica at arm’s length as she got a good look at the costume she knew that Maria’s mom created just for the little girl and while Monica rambled on about it, she dared a glance at Maria only to be met with the look she knew was there all along.

“Hey kiddo, why don’t you wait right inside for a moment while we talk, okay?” She stepped aside to guide Monica just inside the door, telling her to stay there while she stepped outside and shut the door behind her.

Maria had some choice words for her as soon as the door was shut, most muffled by the barrier between the outside and inside of the house, Carol trying her best to give a good excuse as to why she had completely forgotten about the fact that they were supposed to be stopping by that night, but completely failing at it and her explanation only provoked the other woman’s voice to raise as she questioned, ‘A Norwegian diplomat, Carol!?’

[valkirycr]

Val can feel how labored Carol's breath has become when they fall into each other with ease, knowing that her own body would simply float away if it was not held by the gravitational pull of the other; pinned against the counter like that. There's a little eyeroll as the other chastises her for the wording choice, but her gaze cannot tear away from how soft and smooth the skin of Carol's shoulders and chest looks. "I'm simply trying to be... courteous. Giving you space to change your mind if you wish it."

It's a joke as much as she's being serious, because the way she sees the other looking at her mirrors her own desire; and knows that Carol is more than capable to rip every remaining fabric of Val's costume if she gets the urge to. After all; she'd seen her work with machinery before.

They are both impatient, because the moment the cardigan is removed and the shirt slinging halfway off Carol's arms, Val's hands find a way back to her lower back and then travel lower, a hum both appreciative and wanting leaving her when her fingers are gripping over the skirt and pulling Carol ever so closer, until her legs are slotted tightly with her own. Val can feel those muscular thighs that she's had the pleasure of touching earlier now grip one of her own tightly; and she all but forces Carol to grind slightly against it.

This elicits another low moan from the diplomat, as she kisses the skin right above the hem of Carol's bra; and this time when she bites, she doesn't care much about not leaving a mark.

With desire pooling around deep within her stomach with how Carol's body reacts to her, rendering it hard to breathe, she barely hears the sound outside their little bubble there against the countertop. They both seem to miss it too, until it comes again, louder, a knock on the door both firm and impatient that breaks apart their embrace. Her head lifts, a slight frown furrowing her eyebrows, but her eyes are still lidded as she tries to pull herself away from the thought avalanche of sinful things she was planning to do in a minute.

"Isn't it a bit late for trick or treaters?" She hums, giving Carol a little peck on the cheek, missing the warmth of her body instantly and feeling a little... irritated at the interruption.

“We are so not talking about movies right now,” Carol couldn’t help but mumble right before the other closes the distance between them and her laugh of amusement was left tumbling against Val’s lips, falling silent as they both fell into the kiss that the blonde wasn’t entirely sure she’d ever manage to climb out of (or even wanted to attempt that). She’d brought others home before, had her fun with them, but none of those moments ever felt like this one and that had nothing to do with the way the touch burned against the bare skin of her back or the way her stomach rolled with each second they spent pressed against one another or even the sound that falls from the other’s throat when their lips finally connected. No, those reactions had little to do with the growing feeling in the deepest part of her chest, nothing to do with how different this one felt from many others, but that was what the alcohol was for, right?

Almost two drinks into the night left little room for thinking about just how limited their time together was, how much she craved more of it, and not just what they were doing either. There was a desire to see Val in her kitchen at the end of a long day, to see her wrapped in the thick comforter in her bed, to listen to her hum a song in the shower… all things that were about as likely to happen as, well, a faulty plane happening at the exact right time and landing on her service, she supposed.

The finger hooking beneath the knot on her shirt pulled her from her thoughts and every breath she’d been struggling to catch fell from her lungs, leaving her absolutely breathless as she nodded, the heat surging beneath her skin dipping lower, and lower, lower until she was sure she’d end up in a puddle of nothing but desire by the end of this moment. “That’s still kind of asking,” Carol teased as she finally processed the added please at the end of the other’s sentence, but she grinned against Val’s lips, snagged a chaste kiss as she she dropped her arms between them just long enough to shrug the grey cardigan off, followed by the white button up that she was eager to discard. “But it’s progress.” The shirt, however, was not making as much progress as she liked, the starched material falling off her shoulders but too distracted with the kissing the other to pull it off fully.

[valkirycr]

She notices the almost empty cup on the counter now and her stomach flips; there's nothing quite pleasant like having the woman you like reciprocate those feelings— and for her it was rare enough to render this entire evening... special. Val tries not to think about an entire ocean between them and all the logistics that would need to be figured out if it continues past tonight; and tries to live in the moment more, as her therapist would often advise. Usually she would shrug such a thing off, but being here, in front of Carol, has never made being present easier.

Her pacing thoughts, now pleasantly subdued with a glass and a half of alcohol coursing through her veins, come to a confusing halt when she hears the softly spoken sentence between them, and her head tilts a little, a brief chuckle leaving her. "What?"

All the while she now leans back on the counter comfortably, unsure if she can take another kiss from Carol just by standing up without any support. Hands settle on Carol's hips at the same time hers are put on Val's shoulders, and she pulls her closer; gladly getting pinned between the countertop and the other woman. "What Hallmark movie?"

She must have missed something in the conversation earlier, she figures, but does not linger on it too fervently. If the blonde does not want to elaborate, she would just ask later; because Carol is threatening her now and it renders the heat in her stomach too hard to ignore. Dipping her head lower, she kisses an exposed collarbone; and only several chaste kisses up her neck now before their lips meet again. "Impatient", she teases against her mouth, sure that Carol can feel the smirk. It's the languid kiss again, deep and wanting, and though they only have this night as a certainty between them; Val takes her time. A moan that spills from her throat when she tastes rum and coke on Carol's tongue, and her fingers rest comfortably splayed on the blonde's lower back. She breaks the kiss briefly, without moving her lips away.

"Since you told me not to ask..." Eyes flutter open just briefly when their lips brush together, to hook a finger behind the knot holding the white button up together and tug it loose, "Take this off. Please."

She’s halfway through her drink by the time Val resurfaces from giving the cat her attention — not because it’s actually been that long, a complete minute at the most, but she’s so desperate to drown that ache deep in her chest that has sent her into a spiral of confusion that she’d do anything, even chug a glass of rum and coke like she was in college herself. When the woman pops back up, picking Goose up to press a kiss to her fur and warranting a soft chuckle of amusement from Carol (who the cat must hate if the attention she was allowing Val to give her willingly said anything), she offered a shake of her head at the question.

There was no world in which she would ever deny that costume coming off, as it should have hours ago. The top portion was a start, but the choking sound that caught in Carol’s throat as the other moved toward the sink and sleeves of tattoos winding up both arms, impressively muscled arms, were finally exposed. She’s wondered earlier, at the hanger bay, where the forearm tattoos went and where they ended and she wasn’t quite sure she would have survived the answer in front of her colleagues.

Realizing she may have stopped breathing in the time it took for Val to dap some water at her neck and rejoin her near the counter, she finally sucked in a sharp breath, coinciding with the feeling of a warm thumb against the muscles of her abdomen that rippled in response. “Just like a dumb Hallmark movie,” Carol mumbled, forgetting that the whole movie spiel had been entirely in her head and might sound crazy being mentioned randomly, because it wasn’t like this was Christmas and she ran a failing Christmas ornament shop in a small town and the other was a big business man who would eventually save her business and fall in love with her.

No. It was just an ironic combination of events that led a Norwegian diplomat to her particular airport that day — and an incredibly lucky faulty plane. Instead of elaborating, she set her almost empty glass down in the counter where she leaned and moved both of her hands to trail fingers up the woman’s arms before coming to a rest on her shoulders. “You really have to stop asking to do things around here or I might actually combust and I promise it’s probably not as pretty as I look right now.”

[valkirycr]

Tessa Thompson photographed for BUNCH Magazine, 2018

[valkirycr]

The cat, Goose, is her instant best friend the moment she reaches out to pet her, and it helps to distract herself from the way Carol looks in the short skirt and a helmet on her head. Utterly ridiculous, some would say, but Val is sure that her heart might stop beating if she allows herself to just look and not do something about it soon.

Still, Goose steals her attention for a little while, and when she resurfaces from beneath the counter top, Val makes the point of lifting the cat too and giving her a little kiss before letting her go her own away. "I somehow doubt that she's anything but an angel, as evident right there." A soft chuckle, catching in her throat when she sees Carol's hair down the first time. Her hands close around the glass of rum and coke; and the brunette takes a sip to deal with the heat that's nearly suffocating at this point.

"Would you mind if I took the top part of this ridiculous costume off?" She asks already reaching for the zipper on her back; and grateful that Carol shakes her head, Val pulls her hands out of the leather sleeves and feeling her skin breathe for the first time she's left the hotel. "Shit, I don't think this costume is made for Louisiana's heat, even this time of the year."

It's a joke, and Val is already at the sink, tapping her wetted hands on her forearms and at a pulse point of her neck. The upper part of the costume hangs off her hips now, leaving her in nothing but a white tank top and a sports bra underneath; and under Carol's gaze she's suddenly very glad for making conscious choices to lift weights and have her arms entirely tattooed.

Once she feels the slight breeze on the skin she touched with her own wet hands, she rejoins the blonde by the counter, reaching out with the hand not holding the drink to hook a finger in the hem of her skirt. There's a fleeting thought about how she never wants to leave here, but it's too painful to think about now. Instead, she pulls the other closer gently.

"I'm glad that my plane landed in your hangar today." Her words are sincere, her thumb brushing the skin of Carol's abdomen. Whatever thoughts flood her mind next feel like too much, so Val exhales slowly and instead, with a gentle smile on her faces says— "It's truly unfair, how beautiful you look right now. And before we start a party of any kind... I'd very much like to kiss you again."

It was hardly a home with no one to enjoy it besides herself and a cat and sometimes a tiny girl who loved to look at the stars and dance in the kitchen while shoving her face full of morning pancakes — but Carol wouldn’t deny that it was a house, at least, that held a certain beauty. The creaky wooden door, the yellow paint that was chipped in places and worn in others, the twisted tree in the front that was far older than she could ever dream of being, they held the charm that a lot of homes in Louisiana had. They’d been there long before her and would still be standing long after she was gone. There was beauty in that.

Though, absolutely no house or tree or being could ever compare to the woman herself. The woman that seemingly fell from the sky right into her life and for some reason, something inside of Carol never wanted her to leave it. Would it be weird? After seeing Val in her house, in her entryway, in her space… to ask if she’d stay forever?

If only her life were a movie.

She knew the chances of ever hearing from the other after that night were slim, so she was going to soak up every little smile and laugh and breathy sound that fell from Val’s lips and commit them to memory, so even long after the diplomat left, the sound of her would still remain.

Carol didn’t even care that the other’s helmet was plopped atop her head when she was able to melt into a kiss that was unlike any others. It lacked the urgency they’d felt at the bar, no longer were they stars colliding against each other in desperation. It was slow and languid and it felt like… home. And it left the blonde with a certain ache the moment they parted, an ache that she’d never really noticed until then. It was different than the one that ached across her body for the other’s touch. Instead, this lingered deep in her chest and only grew the moment she watched Val drop to the ground in front of the orange cat that appeared at the most inconvenient of times.

“It’s because it’s not a cat,” Carol couldn’t help but joke as she moved into the kitchen area nearby to grab them a simple glass of rum and Coke. Not her favorite, but nothing would compare to the taste of the Witches’ Road cocktail after that night. She slid the one glass across the counter in the direction of where the other was still crouched. The blonde took the moment to set the helmet down and pull out the pigtails from her costume, shaking her now-wavy hair loose. “That’s Goose. Pretty sure she’s more alien demon spawn than cat. Showed up one day and just never left, just spends her days eating everything in sight and licking herself. Could put in a little work from time to time.” The last sentence was said with a pointed look toward the orange cat as Carol sipped on the drink in her hand.