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Ten hour day finally at an end, sore and exhausted and smelly, Janis needed to crash into a couch about five hours ago. More than ever, she was grateful for Regina's old silver spoon, as she wasn't quite certain she would have managed to reach their top floor apartment if it wasn't for the elevator in their much-nicer-than-average building.
"Hey babe, I'm… home…"
Janis's keys clang against Regina's in the bowl next to their front door and she smelled a distant candle scent, something recent and flowery, but all lights were off and there was no visible sign of her. Janis sighed. It better not be kitty play again. I still feel soiled from that. The dreadful voice came from the bedroom.
"In here," Regina purred.
Janis passed a hand over her face. Not fucking five seconds of being home and she was already being requested. Not an eye blink to herself. Someday, someone would have to teach that woman the concept of patience. Janis shuddered at the realization that the person would inevitably have to be her.
She purposely took her time dropping off her bag, her coat, her boots, going as far as choosing to first remove all of her jewelry and tights and socks while she was at it and… Regina cleared her throat in the distance.
"I said, in here."
Janis shook her head, the beginning of a smile coming whether she wanted it or not. Pushing her hair back, she supposed she had no choice but to follow the order so kindly given.
"What the…"
"Draw me like one of your French girls."
Draped seductively under a sheer little nothing of a square (Janis thought she recognized one of Regina's silk scarves chosen for this little effect), her impossible hassle of a fiancée was lying across their queen size bed like she was America's new hottest snack. There were fresh bunches of red roses on both nightstands, some petals littering the bed and sticking to Regina's bare skin, and a slow jazzy piano music was playing.
Janis walked right past her to grab a fresh shirt from the closet, stretching her arms at full length before putting it on. Regina had always liked her back, she had admitted before.
"Actually, our model is a student from Michigan. She just does it for weed money."
Janis was now changing into lounge sweatpants − for good measure, they were Regina's fuzzy champagne pink ones − and though she had her back to her, she could almost hear Regina's impatience. Too much time being granted everything she so much as glanced at, she had grown into compassion but hadn't quite entirely lost the childish demanding attitude when she didn't get her way. Janis loved her, but she was tired tonight.
"You know what I meant!" Regina's snappy tone clashed with the sensuality of the image she presented. "You never draw me."
Janis had entire notebooks making a case for the opposite.
"Yes, I do," she retorted, "All the fucking time. C'mon, if you wanna hook up, sure, we'll make it quick, but take off that tissue over there and come here. I'm tired and…"
"I want you to draw me."
Under cutesy smiles and hair twirling, Regina was iron and steel and all Janis could do was give her an exaggerated sigh and get her sketchpad. She sat at Regina's vanity and crossed a leg over her knee to put down the pad. Ready to draw.
"I love you and I hate you," she said.
Regina only took a more provocative pose, winking naughtily as soon as Janis's pencil touched paper.
"See, that wasn't that difficult."
Regina was beautiful. She was proud and exigent and perfectionist and assertive and strong, and she was beautiful. Janis sometimes feared that indulging her whims too often might make Regina get a big head about her again. Still, reluctant as she was, it wasn't all that bad to be sitting at home, clearing her mind and just sketch beautiful Regina.
"I've always wanted to be a model."
Janis smirked as she erased a line, trying to get the shape of Regina's butt exactly right.
"You're a lawyer," she pointed out, cocking an eyebrow at Regina.
"And you're distracted. What kind of artist are you?"
Janis went back to her drawing, which wasn't too far from being done − she had decided that Regina would have to be content with a sketch.
"One who worked all day and just wanted to cuddle with her girlfriend when she got home late," she mumbled and Regina pretended not to hear her.
"So, are you almost done?" She asked, leaning up to try and sneak a peek at the page.
Janis hid the sketchpad, turning it flat against her tummy, and gestured for Regina to get back into pose.
"I'm not an expert on modeling," she said, "But I've heard it takes more than five minutes." She gave Regina a cheeky grin. "Don't move."
"Or what, are you gonna spank me?" Regina replied in that moany voice of hers.
"I've already said no to that."
A few more strokes and Regina sighed. She stretched an arm and put it back into place.
"I said don't move."
Another dramatic protest eyeroll. Regina George, maker of mountains in a sparse field of near flat molehills. But Janis had known this, hadn't she? It was just too damn tempting to bicker with Regina, to pull on those pigtails only because they both knew that if shit hit the fan, they would have each other's back ten times over, a million times over. Forgiveness and love came at a price and that price was precisely the length of one overdrawn posing session. A bargain against the gift of patience. She kept drawing and mere minutes turned into more and Regina was growing more than bored but kept still. That was worthy of a little breadcrumb of a compliment.
"You look nice," she said. Sure, compliments were the last thing Regina's ego ever needed but it had always been true, at twelve, at twenty and especially now, she had always thought it. "You're beautiful."
"Thank you," Regina said like the sky was blue, like water was wet. "You're not so bad yourself, baby."
They smiled at each other. Janis could almost have forgotten how tired she was, how much Regina could get to her nerves sometimes, for all the simple affection they exchanged then without saying a word. Loving Regina had taken time, had taken work, but every day she reaped the rewards of the effort. Regina loved being loved, but she paid that to the last penny when it came to it. She had her own ways of showing it.
"Careful what you say to me, madam," Janis said, still smiling. Standing up, she hid a yawn behind her fist and threw the sketchpad on the bed towards Regina. "I have a fiancée, she's very jealous."
Regina rolled her eyes with fondness before jumping on the sketchpad to look at the result. Her reaction was immediate.
"Is this just doodles of skulls and flowers?"
Janis snorted. She shrugged and dropped flat on the bed, her face buried into the soft silk sheets. Regina had a taste for the highest thread counts you could find and Janis, who had never bought bed sheets for herself in her life, found herself enjoying that luxury. A few rose petals stuck to her face and she languidly rubbed them off.
"There's you too," she said, muffled. "I finished you in like five minutes but you were being annoying, so…"
Regina's hand touched her back, flat against it, rubbing it gently as she presumably looked at the drawing so eagerly requested. It felt nice and Janis wondered if she would fall asleep just like that.
"Does my butt look like that?"
Janis reached and laid a hand on said posterior, giving it a light squeeze.
"You mean perfect? Yeah, yeah it does."
She heard a huff of air that might have been a sigh or a laugh.
"I like it," came the final verdict. "Thank you."
A kiss was pressed on her hair and Janis smiled dumbly into the bed. If she rolled over a little bit, she could probably grab the covers with her and sleep burrito style…
"Okay, well you need a bath right now."
Janis groaned. Subtle.
"I'll fill the tub for you," Regina hurried to add.
Janis felt some rustling on the bed and the weight of Regina was gone. Rolling over a quarter of a turn, she saw her walk into the bathroom, still every bit as naked as before. The door was open. Janis found a reason to keep her eyes open for the time it took Regina to leave her angle of view and start pouring one of her crazy baths with all sorts of soaps that probably cost as much as Janis made in a day. Hot steamy air started filling both rooms with its strong scents.
"There, this'll make you feel amazing." Her head peeking through the door of the ensuite again, Regina added, "And if after that you're still up for hooking up…"
Janis laughed.
"Raincheck, babe," she said as she let Regina grab her hands and lead her to the tub in all her naked glory.
Once in hot bubbly water and leaning back into Regina's embrace, she felt better already. She turned her head against her, kissed her neck − and regretted it, her lips full of soap, but Regina missed the grimace and simply held her tighter.
"Was I being a bitch?" She asked Janis softly. Her hands were slowly massaging her arms, a pretense of helping her wash but really just a way to feel close.
"Just a little bit," Janis said and closed her eyes. "I still wanna marry you, though."
"Good. Offer still stands."
Whether she meant the offer to hook up later or the marriage proposal, Janis couldn't say. She breathed in and out, smiled to herself at how ridiculously peaceful she felt. In just a bit, she would have to get up, get herself in bed, go the fuck to sleep (and for that, she reserved her right to be the little spoon tonight for once), but the water was still very warm and Regina was even warmer. She was great exactly where she was. She was home.