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“Yeah, but how is this one?” Jeanne asked, swivelling her hips and making the skirt move gracefully with her. She posed before the full length mirror in only her underwear and that new skirt she wanted to show off. She peered up from the hem of her skirt to peer at the reflection of Marci behind her.
Marci had thought nothing of it when Jeanne suggested both of them go to her room, sit around in their underwear, and try on new clothes. It all seemed innocent at the time. It wasn’t the first time they’d had sleepovers or seen each other get dressed, but now that they were older, it was different than Marci expected.
It took everything in Marci to not blurt out how cute Jeanne looked in that skirt, or swivelling her hips like that. She settled on something else entirely, desperately hoping it was the right answer. “It looks good on you.” It was true as far as she was concerned, but one step too far and everything would become weird. She didn’t want it to be weird, not with Jeanne.
Marci twiddled her thumbs, darting her eyes between her lap and running her gaze slowly over every curve of Jeanne’s body. She was damned if she did and damned if she didn’t. She gulped down her nerves as best she could and tried to be more enthusiastic about Jeanne’s fashion show. “What are you going to try on next?”
Her voice was probably shaking. Jeanne could probably tell her voice was shaking, and how she was looking at her. Marci immediately looked at the mirror instead, but found herself confronted with the delicate touches of black lace on Jeanne’s bra, how it was just that tiny bit snug, and how much Marci wanted to press her face against it.
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Jeanne sang with a laugh in her voice. Even the smallest of her gestures made Marci’s heart sing. Every move that Jeanne made had Marci’s heart beating. She felt positively trapped between heaven and hell watching Jeanne unzip her skirt and let it slide down her hips to her feet.
She turned around, stepping out of her skirt and showing off those long slender legs of hers as she made her way over. Marci could feel her inner screaming raising in volume. The internal voice that detailed all the lovely features of Jeanne’s body had never had an off switch.
Jeanne tilted her head as soon as she sat down next to Marci, their thighs nearly touching. Marci wasn’t sure if she was happy they’ weren’t or wishing they were. She jolted from her daydream of what it would be like to have them around her face when Jeanne asked, “Hey, are you going to try something on? You’ve been watching me for an hour.”
Marci hunched her shoulders and started working through all the ways she could explain how closely she had been watching Jeanne try on one thing after another. There was no way to get out of this now if Jeanne had noticed. The best she could hope for was playing it as nerves, because she had plenty of those. “I-I’m good sitting right here.”
A small nudge hit Marci squarely in the ribs. “Come on, you’ve got to at least try on something. Otherwise you’ve been sitting here in your underwear for nothing.” Jeanne smiled in that particular way that broke her heart every time, because it couldn’t be the way Marci smiled at her. “You’re cute, okay?”
Jeanne leaned over and tucked a loose strand of Marci’s hair behind her ear. The touch seemed to sear her skin as much as her face began to burn. Jeanne was probably just trying to be nice by saying she was cute. Even if it was just an easy compliment for her, it made Marci’s whole stomach flip. She looked down at her lap, feeling so silly for feeling these things for her best friend.
Her gaze lingered too long and Marci’s face was probably bright red by now. She had to say something back. “You’re cute too.” It was the weakest thing she could think of, but it was the best she could do. There were so many other things she could have said, like how Jeanne’s hair was so soft, how cute she was when she slept, how everything she ever wore looked great on her. Instead Marci stuffed up and just repeated the same mild compliment back.
“No, no,” Jeanne leaned in close, very close, almost nose to nose, catching Marci by surprise. Her eyes widened, unable to look away from Jeanne’s face approaching hers. “I mean…” Her eyes took their time tracing down Marci’s nose and watching her lips. “In the gay way.”
Blinking at what she’d just heard, Marci snorted her laughter out her nose. She stared at the serious look on Jeanne’s face and couldn’t help herself from saying, “Oh my god, you’re a dork.” The giggles kept tumbling out of Marci’s lips. This couldn’t be real. She didn’t just say that.
Despite all of Marci’s laughter, Jeanne waited, edging herself closer so their thighs were actually touching. “Hey, I was trying to be… smooth.” She laughed at herself, shaking her head and pressing her lips together nervously. Marci couldn’t believe Jeanne was looking at her like that.
Marci convinced herself that a little cheek couldn’t hurt, especially not while hers were burning, probably as bright pink as her own underwear. “You are as far from smooth as it gets.” More nervous laughter tumbled forward as she edged closer to Jeanne, wanting to be as close as she could, touch as much of her as she could.
Jeanne rolled her eyes and darted her hand out to run her fingers through Marci’s hair. They froze, caught between staring into each other’s eyes and the sound of their heartbeats. Marci leaned closer, testing how close she could get, lip twitching at the corners into the smallest of smiles.
They hovered there, lips almost touching, watching each other gulp and breathe and stare up and down each other’s faces. Marci swore she could feel the heat of Jeanne’s breath. Everything slowed down, the sound of the room faded away, and before Marci knew it, their noses just touched, both of them still too nervous to make a move.
Marci tilted her head first, chest heaving to draw air into her lungs like she had forgotten how to breathe. She licked her lips, suddenly feeling how dry her mouth had gotten at being this close, so close. With just a bit of courage surging up through her chest, Marci closed her eyes and closed the gap.
Jeanne’s lips met hers for a brief moment before they parted and froze again. Jeanne’s hand caressed down the side of Marci’s face to her shoulder, feeling so soft and intimate and gentle. Marci sighed in relief, letting out the tension resting in her, before she leaned forward to work her lips against Jeanne’s again. Slow and patient, her lips felt too dry to be kissing, but she refused to stop, losing herself to the sensation, letting her heart beat like a pendulum keeping time.
They laughed between the sweet meetings of their lips, grateful and happy and struggling to breathe. Overcome by the nervous giggling, Marci pulled back and rested her head against Jeanne’s. She didn’t dare look up to find Jeanne wasn’t looking back at her.
“I – um…” Marci gulped, trying to swallow the nerves that seemed to squeeze at her throat. The nerves were far too much. They were both sitting here in their underwear. Jeanne was kissing her in her underwear. Marci cringed at the first thing that fell out of her mouth, “What did I taste like?”
Jeanne laughed, shaking her head again and brushing her fringe against Marci’s forehead. When Marci gazed up, she saw her shrug with a smirk on her face. “You taste like kissing.” Marci felt the nerves loosen their grip on her and her shoulders relaxed with another smile. Jeanne nudged her and joked, “I could taste you again, if you like?”
Licking her lips, Marci nodded with a downwards gaze, trying not to smile too much. She still couldn’t be sure she was dreaming, but even if this was a dream, it was still a pretty good one.