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The motel was cheap, and it showed.
Yellow wallpapers, stained couches, ripped curtains, and the intensive smell of sweat and other bodily fluids.
But it was safe. At least for the night.
Starlight - no, Annie had noticed their exhaustion and made A-Train seek a fitting accommodation. It was actually quite confusing to see Marie immediately grab her sister to share a room with. Emma had looked at Jordan, but their face gave nothing away.
Okay, definitely something she needed to ask Marie about.
Even more confusing was Sam asking Jordan to room with him. Which - okay, yeah, she was pretty sure he would ask her, but maybe he was still trying to respect her boundaries, which was kind of cute.
But that left only her and Cate.
Sure, they were on friendly terms now, but not sharing a bed friendly. It was not worth making a fuss about, though, so Emma accepted her fate. They were all tired. She would survive one night with Cate.
Famous last words, the voice in her head provided unhelpfully.
The bathroom was in the same state as the rest of the room. Figures.
"So, the shower is definitely more mold than shower, so I am gonna pass," Emma announced to Cate, who was already sitting crosslegged on the bed.
Cate made a face. "Guess we have to get used to this now."
Emma wouldn't be Emma without cracking inappropriate jokes. "Well, we could always learn to lick each other clean instead."
Cate's eyes widened comically, and Emma could swear she was blushing.
"I think I'll pass, thanks."
"Well, your choice. I always get told that I have an amazing tongue game."
Yeah, Cate was definitely blushing.
This was actually kind of fun.
Emma let herself bounce down next to her and winced. "Fuck, this mattress is like stone."
Cate hummed. "And the TV's not working."
"Minus one out of five stars."
They both grinned faintly at one another.
Emma was the first to look away, clearing her throat.
"So, um, do you prefer any bed side? Because I always sleep on my right side, so ..."
"No, no, that's fine, I don't mind."
Emma only just stopped herself from doing finger guns at her and lay down.
The silence stretched, quickly turning awkward. Even more so when Cate also lay down, both of their bodies tense in an attempt to not touch one another.
The ceiling had a huge wet spot right above them. The shape looked like a whale.
Emma sucked in the air through her teeth."Okay, fuck it. Let's talk."
Cate blinked at her. "About what?"
"Anything. Like ..." Emma made an exaggerated hand gesture. What could they even talk about without it getting sad or angry? "Like why did you think Sam and I have a thing?"
Well. Not her best conversation starter. But better than the weird silence.
Cate shrugged. "You seem very close."
"But not like that." Quieter, she added: "Not anymore."
Cate nodded. She didn't ask any follow up questions, which earned a bonus point in Emma's books.
"And you? Any handsome men in your bed lately?"
A huff. "What do you think?"
"Well…," Emma turned around to her side to get a better look at her, "you're a smokeshow who was in the top rankings and in a Vought movie. I bet many would have eaten their own foot to get a chance with you."
Cate's cheeks turned red again. "I would never sleep with someone who eats their own foot."
"Not even if they had a huge -"
"Emma," Cate interrupted with a small laugh.
"What? Come on, we all know some red flags give the best fuck."
Cate rolled her eyes. Then she focused back on the ceiling. "I, erm, didn't really trust anyone enough. To hook up with them, I mean."
Emma's eyebrows shot up. "Tell me you at least jerked off."
Cate shifted a bit. "Well, kinda harder with only one hand."
It was meant to be a joke to ease the tension, but instead, Emma sat up straight.
"So you haven't? For months?"
"It's not, like, a big deal. I think we have bigger issues we should focus -"
"Not right now, though!"
Emma had that look on her face like she was set on an idea, and that seemed to kind of scare Cate a bit.
"You trust me, right? Kinda?"
Cate had no clue where Emma was going with this, judging by her puzzled face.
"Um, I mean, yeah. I guess."
Emma started beaming at her. "Perfect. Then I can help you out."
"Help me out with - oh my god." Cate hid her face beneath her hand.
"I mean, it's just friends helping one another out. I do you one, you do me one. You know?"
"Emma, this is an awful idea. Marie and Annabeth are right on the other side of this wall, and it is late and -"
Emma smiled like a Cheshire cat. "That's not a no."
Cate already was flustered, cheeks a bright red and her breath getting shallower.
Emma's hand landed on her thigh. "So ...?"
Closing her eyes, Cate just sighed and reluctantly opened her legs. "You're the worst."
Emma tilted her head. "But you are sure, right? Because I don't wanna force -"
Cate grabbed her other hand and pointedly put it on her chest. "Get a fucking move on."
"Aye aye, ma'am."
The first kiss was clumsy, noses nearly colliding, before they eased into it.
Emma let her hands roam over Cate's body, just as she had done many times before in her dreams in sophomore year.
This was truly unreal.
Cate was super sensitive, reacting to every touch like an electric shock, and it made something warm pool in Emma's stomach.
To be the one who touched her - touched her like this - after such a long time gave her a sick twist of satisfaction.
She was going to devour her whole, weird psychic powers be damned.
Tonight, she was hers and hers alone, and she wasn’t going to let that go to waste.