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Eloise fumbled with the door, giggling and sputtering at the same time. “Have I said I was sorry about this yet?” Their investigation was a bust, no one could tell them a single thing. How in the world could Lady W be so elusive?
“Multiple times,” Marina chuckled, grabbing the keycard to finally get the door open.
“Well… then have I mentioned that I didn’t know we would be out so late?” She sighed, swaying her way into their hotel room. Eloise got halfway into the room before stopping and gasping.
“We went dancing, El. Of course we would be out late,” the other scoffed, running right into her. “Wh-wha, what’s wrong?”
Eloise turned bright red, gulping a little. “I knew there was only one room left, I just-….”
Marina looked around her, eyes widening. “I can take the flo-…”
“Absolutely not. I invited you out here, I will sleep on the floor. Or maybe this lovely chair?” She pursed her lips and flopped herself down onto the single couch.
Marina rolled her eyes, sidling up to Eloise and sitting upon the arm. “We’re adults, El.”
Sucking in some breath sharply, she looked up towards her. “I… yes, I suppose we are…?” Eloise wasn’t dumb. In fact, she was very bright. But she still had that wide-eyed doe look like she wasn’t sure what Marina was suggesting.
And she was oh so cute doing it too, Marina couldn’t help but laugh and tease. “Unless you have a problem…?”
If it was possible to have her eyes widen even more, Marina was sure Eloise would have done it by now.
“Me? Have a problem?” She muttered incredulously. Eloise shook her head and pushed herself up abruptly, nearly knocking Marina off the arm. “I’m just going to freshen up a little bit, before going to bed! … The one… bed…” And she ran. She couldn’t believe she did it, but she did. Running right into the bathroom and almost slamming the door shut.
“It’s like I’m in a damn fan fiction!”
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“Have I mentioned how sorry I am about this?” Eloise asked again, calling out around the toothbrush in her mouth.
“It’s fine,” Marina assured her again, her tone making it absolutely clear that if Eloise said that one more time she was going to do something . What that something was, she could not fathom a guess, but it sent an electrifying thrill across her body.
Marina had already changed out of her clubbing outfit, her pretty, glittery, going out outfit. Eloise was already freaking out, but Marina had no other clothes. They had both thought they would be able to go home at a reasonable hour. Or at least, that was what Eloise had assured her multiple times. Thus, Marina found herself in the process of climbing under the covers, in only her undies. “There are considerably worse people to have to share a bed with. Do you remember that lecher Lady Featherington tried to set me up with? If you have all of your teeth and don’t snore, you are easily in my top five choice of bed partners.”
“I see that we have set the bar low, and honestly, I love that for me,” Eloise laughed, delighted that she was able to find her wit once more after having splashed a bit of water on her face. She turned the lights off, took a deep breath, and then made her way over to the bed. She was still wearing her adorable little shorts and her uncomfortable, yet equally adorable crop top and Marina’s heart started to hammer in her chest.
Marina furrowed her brow. “Are you going to sleep in th-…”
Eloise slid, practically dove under the covers on the other side of the bed, back facing Marina, and turned the side lamp off. “Night,” she said, firmly for some reason. It was as if to say all talking ends now .
“Night,” the other parrots, mocking and yet not. She didn’t want to talk to her anyway. She didn’t care if she was uncomfortable. But it didn’t stop the image of Eloise undressing to creep into her mind. Pitch black and eerily quiet, Marina would swear to anyone that her beating heart was knocking, thumping against her ribs, Eloise had to have heard it. Had she ever felt like this? Maybe. Certainly not since George (did she feel this way with George?). All tingles and stomach flutters, close enough to touch and yet it might as well be oceans away. Her cheeks bloomed with heat, embarrassed at her frivolous thoughts. It was too late for this. It was too late for them .
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In her sleepless slumber, she was reliving, remembering a sway of their hips, a rubbing of their noses, Marina leading them onto the dance floor. Eloise covered her mouth with her hand, fighting against the urge to reach out and touch the other, fighting against dancing her fingers along the flat of Marina’s back, to feel her warmth. She was here and she was real.
She heard a shuffling movement. Marina was turning and Eloise realized she had actually reached for her, actually almost touched her. Snatching her hand away, she covered her mouth once more, trying to get herself under control.
“Eloise.” Her voice a tickle against her skin.
“Yeah?” Eloise wasn’t even sure if she had made a noise, if she even really answered at all. Her breathing became hitched when she feels Marina’s fingers on her wrist, the lightest of touches. She turned her head, with a gulp. Be bold . Eloise moved closer, their faces almost touching and yet not close enough.
“Is this okay?” Eloise felt the need to ask for permission. For what, she wasn’t sure yet. Do it. She turned her hand, grabbing at Marina’s, fingers circling her wrist, pulling her other hand gently away from her face to rest on her chest.
She nodded slowly, entranced. Elated, Eloise did not trust her voice to work, her heart and mind battling for dominance. Action, the only course. Do it, be bold.
She couldn’t see her. She just knew. Her hands slid up to cup Marina’s cheeks as she leaned forward. Their mouths met in a soft, somewhat nervous press. Eloise held them there as Marina tried to remember how to breathe, to focus on the way her cheeks were being caressed like she’s something, someone important .
Eloise barely pulls away, their breaths still intermingled. Marina lets out a sound of protest. She reached up to grasp the back of Eloise’s head and pulled her hair back into a kiss that was neither soft, nor nervous.
“Oh,” Eloise gasped, shocked and once again at a loss of words. Her breath was heavier, her chest rising and falling against Marina’s. She needed more. She wanted it all. Her eyes fluttered closed once more, head bending towards the other.
Then… Marina pressed a finger to her lips. “… We have to talk.”
Eloise’s heart sank. She knew that. She knew exactly about what too. Or rather, about who. With a sigh, she pulled her hands from Marina’s cheeks. No, not yet . Her body protested, until she found herself flattening her hand against the small of her back to press their bodies closer together. “In the morning.”
Marina blinked. “El…” There. A spark of hope in her eyes.
“In the morning,” she soothed, leaning in, taking her lips between hers. Damn the consequences.