𝙰 𝙻𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚎 (𝙽𝚂𝙵𝚆)

[Lady Jace Beleren]

For Bunny <3

A Learning Curve
Chapter 1

Mikaela tapped her nails against the side of the red Solo cup in her hands. No matter how much she stared at the table in front of her and wished silent social cues into the world, it seemed that she would be doomed to listen to stories about what he, Daniel she recalled vaguely, and his "boys" liked to get up to. Not that he was really all that terrible. She had been subjected to far worse just walking around campus. It was just that flirting and talking were both equally difficult for her.

Flirting because she had no memory of ever really being interested in it. No boyfriends, no first kiss, no anything. At first, she hoped college would be different. Now, just finished up her first semester, that hope had gone away. Her roommate, bless sweet Anya, had been so incredibly sweet about everything. About her weird roommate who never seemed to show much interest in other people. That led to the other problem. Conversation.

Mikaela always found speaking with people to be a complicated web of bullshit that had no solution. You could try your best and be turned away, never to know what went wrong. Even worse, if you were too kind, people assumed they could get to do things for them. So, she only spoke with people she had gotten to know. Painted herself on the wall like a pretty flower when strangers were around. And yet, somehow, she had ended up at a party.

Finals were over and Anya had told her about a party. Mikaela, as always, had been skeptical. But, there were going to be free drinks, not too many people, and Anya had promised the older girl who invited her would only be allowing fun people in. Anya, unfortunately, knew most of the people here. Apparently half of the physics department at Harden University were besties and met up like this regularly. Which meant Anya disappeared to talk with them. At the least, Mikaela had free beer, another thing Anya had introduced her to early in their friendship.

Now, it was all she has to keep her distracted while Daniel talked at her. Her focus was directed so intensely at the coffee table that she did not notice when he finally stopped until a new voice joined them above the low murmur of the party.

"She isn't interested, Dan. Don't be a pain in the ass." The voice was strict, but surprisingly soft given what it said. Mikaela looked up to see the source and nearly dropped her cup.

Standing above the couch, half leaning on one of the arms, was the prettiest girl she had ever seen. Even leaning as she was, it was clear she was on the taller side for a woman, probably only a few inches short of six feet. Her hair was a bold combination of dark scarlet and fathomless black, long enough to reach her shoulder on one side with an undercut on the other. She was pale as snow, her bloody red lipstick and dark eye liner making it stand out even more. Most striking of all, her eyes were so green they shone in the light. Mikaela had no idea how long she stared before Daniel replied.

"We were just having a conversation, right..." The silence hung like a guillotine over Daniel.

"Mikaela." Her voice was thin even by her own standards.

"I wasn't forcing her to sit here or anything."

The beautiful woman sighed and gave Daniel a withering look that she doubted anyone could weather for long. Not if they suspected they were doing anything wrong. It took Daniel about seven seconds to give in and stand. He did not seem especially angry, but there was something about his posture Mikaela thought was strange. He muttered a quiet "sorry Bella" as he slipped around pretty girl.

It happened from time to time. Mikaela would see someone who was visually pleasing. But, it never went further than a glance. Never lingered. She was sure she would forget about this woman, Bella, before the party was over. That is, until she felt the cushion sink down beside her and a shoulder nudged her own. Mikaela looked over to see that Bella had settled onto the couch beside her.

"Sorry about him. Dan isn't like... a creep or anything. I don't invite creeps to my parties. He just talks a lot and you looked panicked. I'm Bella. I don't recognize you." There was no accusation in her voice, just curiosity. It only took Mikaela a moment to figure out that she was the cool older student Anya talked about.

"I'm Anya's plus one. Blonde with the curly hair." The little smile told Mikaela that Bella knew who she meant immediately. However, it took only a moment for that to turn into a long silence as Bella looked at her, likely waiting for more. "I'm a freshman. Psychology major."

"Do you usually go by Freshman or Psychology Major? Should I call you Psych for short?"

Mikaela felt the blush immediately spread across her face, one hand releasing its death grip on her cup to nervously push hair away from her face. "My name is Mikaela." A quick sip of her beer was the only thing that came to mind. She would need to find Anya or more alcohol if she wanted to survive.

"Mikaela is a cute name. I always just get Twilight jokes. I am going to guess that Anya left you alone to go flirt with Cam." There was a small and knowing smile on Bella's lips. Like she knew everything about everyone she invited to these things. And now Mikaela was next to he studied.

Mikaela, however, just gave her a little nod. It seemed Bella understood exactly why Daniel had gone on talking for so long. She was ready for the gorgeous woman to get up and leave. After all, it was a party. Except, she stayed right where she was. Just looked at Mikaela with nothing but kindness on her face. It must have been another thirty seconds before Mikaela felt the silence too heavily to stay quiet.

"So... this is your apartment?" Mikaela felt her stomach flip over at how widely Bella grinned.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 2

Mikaela was laughing and Bella could not help the smile that seemed to be a centerpiece of her face tonight. It had honestly been fun trying to tease out bits of information from this stray freshman who showed up at her party. Eighteen years old, Psychology Major, born on the east coast. More than that, Mikaela was firmly what Bella considered her type. There was no way she was taller than five foot, and she looked like a princess. Long, dark red hair, the kind of color Bella would have killed to get. Her blue eyes and generous spray of freckles put her firmly in the ginger category. She was terminally shy, but still showed up in an adorable blue and white gingham sundress. Clearly west coast winter did not fazed her.

There was only one problem. Mikaela seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that Bella was interested. From the faces she was making, she knew what Daniel was looking for. Maybe Bella was a hypocrite for chasing him off, only to spend the next hour asking questions and poking. But, they were both on their third Solo cup and Mikaela seemed to be loosening up. She had even sent Anya on her way when she checked in.

"So, I know all your info now. But, I've been asking all the questions. It's your turn." Bella was leaning closer now, sitting with her shoulder pressed to Mikaela's, that stupid fucking smile she could not stop creeping back up.

"Um... I guess all the same stuff you asked me?" Even her little freckles could not hide the creeping blush that came with having to do the talking. It made Bella want to give her a hug, but she settled for answering instead.

"I'm twenty three, second year of my master's program for physics. Which is why I inherited the obligation of hosting the physics department hookup parties." The words hookup had Mikaela suddenly wide-eyed, looking around. "I'm a local, my parents have two cats and a dog. What else did I ask?"

There was a small lull, one of a dozen that had crept up. Most people would have found it awkward, but she was enjoying watching the redhead fidget, never pushing her to talk more or answer faster. However, this time, Mikaela was just looking up at her, blue eyes wide like an owl. The quiet stretched on longer than normal, but of them just watching. Until, finally, a small voice spoke up. "I can't remember. I don't know the last time I talked this much."

Bella smelled blood in the water. Two cups of shitty beer was not enough to have Mikaela forgetting conversations. So, she decided to pick a question that got more to the point. "Well, Mikaela... do you have a boyfriend?"

Neither of them really needed an answer. It was fairly obvious that this little wallflower was not dating regularly. However, when her entire face lit up pink, Bella suddenly felt guilty. Why was she being such a nosy bitch when obviously Mikaela was just tagging along with her roommate?

"No..." Mikaela was so quiet that Bella leaned in closer. She could practically feel the heat flowing off her cheeks. When the shy girl noticed, she spoke up a little and answered again. "No."

Bella suddenly found herself feeling a little shy as well. Why, she had no idea. Instead, all she could think to do was rephrase, try again. "What about a girlfriend?"

That broke something fundamental in Mikaela, had her shoulders go stiff and her eyes dance between Bella and the coffee table. It was a long time before she answered, this time not looking up. "I've never dated anyone before."

"Seriously?! You are so cute, though." Bella wanted to bite her tongue as soon as it slipped out. Now there was no getting around it. She was flirting shamelessly, being the worst kind of hypocrite. And now, she was feeling a bit like a creep. Mikaela was five years younger, nothing in the relative scale of things, but she had never dated. Meanwhile, Bella was... experienced. She felt like a creep, plying this poor girl with alcohol and almost asking if she was interested in hooking up. She was ready to apologize and go find Anya when Mikaela turned to look at her with those wide eyes and confessed like she was admitting to sin.

"I've never wanted to. I talked to a few people about it. I think I might be ace or something? I don't know. Does that make me a weirdo?" Mikaela seemed to be very concerned about the answer and Bella found herself wanting to go find the nearest cliff the throw herself off. She had scared the girl into coming out to a stranger. All she could think to do was try to be gentle.

"That doesn't make you a weirdo. And you didn't have to explain anything to me. Do you want me to go fuck off like the nosy asshole I am?" Bella's face showed her remorse. If there was one thing she could understand, it was having people give you shit for not being their version of normal. As it had so many times, the silence stretched for a while. This time, it was Bella's turn to stare at the coffee table. And, when the silence started to become painful, Bella took that as a hint. She would go find Anya.

And she almost tripped as she went to stand and Mikaela pulled her down to sit again. It was surprising how much the little pixie managed, especially when one hand still held her drink. Mikaela stared at her fiercely now, like she was holding a whole conversation in her head and did not like the outcome. The redhead lifted the cup to her mouth and took a long, gulping drink, her fingers still tight on Bella's wrist. It made the older woman smile, made her want to explain that a sudden chug was not going to make her feel better.

"I don't think I would mind. If it was you." Mikaela's cheeks were now burning red, but she looked determined.

"Are you asking me out on a date, Mikaela?"

There was no long silence before the other girl nodded vigorously.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 3

Mikaela stared at herself in the little mirror propped on her desk. Today, she had probably spent more time looking at herself than the rest of her life combined. Doing this in the bathroom would have been too embarrassing, given that anyone could walk in whenever they felt like it. Most people were already packing up to head home now that finals were over, but having someone catch her checking her outfit would have been mortifying. No, she was better off with Anya, who sat on her bed and evaluated her roommate with the keen eye of someone who had actually been on a date before.

"I think you're trying too hard. She flirted with you all night and you weren't even wearing makeup. Just do your usual wholesome and innocent thing." It was probably the fifth time Anya had expressed a similar opinion. Not that it was fair for Legally Blonde Anya to give advice. Mikaela had been jealous from the moment they met, though she never really understood why.

"Easy for you to say. Cam looked like he was ready to die, all goals in life complete, when you kissed him." It had been sweet, chaste. Likely because Mikaela had been ten feet away, waiting for her roommate to come with her into their dorm building.

Talking with Anya had come naturally, and evolution from necessity to friendship. Asking if she was hungry turned into complaining about classes. Now, it felt like she was with family. Natural and easy. It had been the only reason Mikaela even went to the party. She would likely follow Anya into Mordor if it meant keeping this connection alive. Which, it seemed, went both ways, considering that Anya had been sitting and going over outfits for two hours now. They had hit a bit of a dead-end when they realized Mikaela's wardrobe ranged from cute to Mormon house wife. Her sundress from the party had been as sexy as it got.

Anya was four inches taller and in possession of several times the amount of breasts, so borrowing was out of the question. The most amazing part was that, for the first time in her life, that mattered. She wanted Bella to think she was attractive and it was so fucking weird. There had been attempts at dating. Friends who wanted more than friends. Mikaela had tried. Really tried. But, even an attempt at kissing had shut the whole thing down. She had always known she was not sex repulsed, had desires on her own. Having them apply to another living, breathing human being was a surprise. Now, it felt like everything was on overdrive. Like it been building up, waiting for the right moment.

"Are you sure I can't wear the dress again? She liked it." Anya's sigh was dramatic enough to be an answer. The blonde looked her over before doubling down in the dramatic sighs and threw herself off the bed to stalk over to her dresser.

"Fine. I'll give you something to wear. But, you are forbidden from complaining about it. Your pearls will remain unclutched." If it had sounded exasperated, Mikaela might have felt safe. Startlingly, Anya sounded excited. So, when Mikaela gave her a nod, she had a feeling she would regret it.

-----

Mikaela tugged at the skirt for probably the sixth time since she sat down. It was black and just long enough to sit atop her knees as she waited at the little table on the patio of the coffee shop. That meant it was shorter than anything she had worn by her own choice. The cherry blossom pink button up shirt was much more her style, except it was so thin that it mostly created the illusion of clothing. Thankfully, she had her own tank top to wear underneath, despite repeatedly informing Anya it was an undershirt. The black fabric stood out under the pink until it blended with the skirt at her hips. Anya had forbidden her from doing up more than half the buttons, insisting she already looked like she was on a job interview. Mikaela felt like she was exposed to the world. She had cleavage showing, for fucksake.

Except, when Bella arrived, the other woman seemed to light up. She had waved and disappeared inside to get her own drink. All plans had gone into stop-and-start conversation that ended with Mikaela not being able to pick something. She had been afraid Bella might call everything off in the two days since the party, but yesterday she had sent one message. "I'll take care of it." Mikaela could have wept for joy. So, they were meeting up for coffee before Bella whisked her off on whatever she thought was a fun date. It seemed unlikely she would be bored, to say the least.

That was more or less confirmed when Bella finally came out the side door, massive cup of coffee and whipped cream in her hand. She could have been carrying a bomb covered in neon signs and Mikaela would not have seen it. When she waved, the redhead had only seen her from the shoulders up. Now, Mikaela was fairly certain her heart stopped. Or dropped into her stomach. Or both.

Bella was wearing an all black dress covered in cute cartoon skulls. Unlike the sundress she had so desperately tried to wear again, this one hugged tight to generous curves. It cut off mid-thigh and led into the fishnet stocking that covered pale legs. The neckline plunged low, showing off more cleavage than Mikaela could have conjured with a pushup bra and a miracle. When they had met, Bella had been wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, and she had been stunning. This was torture. All she could think to do was lift her cup to her mouth and fill her mouth with peach tea to avoid saying something stupid. Or just sitting with her mouth open.

Bella settled across from her, seemingly so confident as she crossed her legs and leaned forward. There was a big smile on her lips as she looked Mikaela over in a polite way. Like she knew anything more might scare her off. "You look cute. But, I think you would look amazing in a plastic bag."

Mikaela was malfunctioning. That was the only way to describe the things that fired off randomly in her brain. Was this what everyone felt when they saw a gorgeous woman dressed up just for them? It was so distracting, so difficult to keep her eyes in one place. There was a trademark silence between them again, but this time it was because Mikaela forgot words existed. When she finally remembered that it would he polite to actually speak, it must have been almost too long. They both started at the same time.

"You look..."

"So are you..."

Another pause, but only for a heartbeat before Bella laughed and it made Mikaela want to melt into a puddle. "Go ahead."

"You look... really pretty. I like your dress." Mikaela felt her face starting to heat up.

Bella preened, like a compliment from Mikaela was so much more valuable. She was about to inform the other woman that she still appreciated attractive people, but Bella spoke first. "I thought about dinner and a movie, but that felt too cliché for your first date. Plus, lots of people. Would you rather it be a surprise?"

If Mikaela had not already been in the throes of her first crush, it would have started there. It felt unfair to rob Bella of her surprise when she clearly thought about this a lot. So, Mikaela lifted her drink to her lips and gave a small nod again.

Bella sat back in her chair and looked rather smug. "Alright. Buckle up, buttercup."

-----

Buckling up had probably been an overstatement, but Mikaela had smiled stupidly anyway. It seemed they were staying on campus, but she was grateful she had gone with sneakers. The park was a regular figure of campus activities. All the social events the school held were there. Mikaela had yet to visit it. But, they had been walking among the orange leaves for a while now, sharing occasional information and asking questions. Bella had gotten into the habit of providing her own answer for everything she asked before making Mikaela respond.

She was the middle child between two brothers, had never dated any cis men before, planned to start graduate school after she finished her master's, and thought turtles were the superior pet because they could outlive their owner if you got the right kind. Apparently, she planned to leave her entire estate to her turtle, when she got around to getting one. When Mikaela laughed at that, Bella wore the same face she had seen on Cam.

Mikaela was an only child, had already expressed her dating history, wanted to go to med school, and still thought cats were better than turtles even if they could not inherit you worldly belongings. She had expected it to be harder to talk with Bella when there was zero alcohol involved. Somehow, it was easier. They were alone, most of the campus a ghost town, and having all the attention solely on her felt... exhilarating. When they finally walked through a little arch, covered in ivy, Mikaela would have already called it a successful date. Then, she realized where they stood.

"Oh my god. Did you use Anya to spy on me?" Mikaela felt a hand close on her own as she looked around, and did not hesitate to squeeze back.

Bella had obviously texted her roommate at some point because they now stood in the sculpture garden. It had been one of those stupid things she always obsessed over. At her orientation, they hyped it up as some kind of cultural touchstone for the university and Mikaela had asked Anya to go with her a half dozen times. Going alone had felt silly, but Anya had said, quote "those statues are ugly as fuck, Kay." Now that she stood among them, the row of abstract art and questionable knockoff Greek sculpture, Mikaela had to agree she was right.

"I might have done some recon. I refuse to believe that using all my resources is creepy. I will not be taking questions on the matter." Bella laced their fingers and guided Mikaela to the left. The whole thing was one long row, hidden from all sides by lattice fencing and crawled with plant life. "You know this place is like... a huge inside joke right?"

Mikaela shook her head, cheeks flushing as she walked alongside the taller woman, looking over the twisted metal that looked like a giant hamster ball. It was a good thing it was all hideous. She would have been too distracted to enjoy it anyway.

"Yup. They have all kinds of fucked up nicknames. The school just kinda bought whatever was cheap to fake some culture." Bella started pointing as they walked. "Gerbil Jail, Red Light Green Light, Two Men and a Horrifying Baby, The Stinker. Oh, and my favorite!"

Mikaela was already giggling at every little nickname, but then they reached the end of the row. It was a man playing a piano, while a police officer tried to pull him away. It was, Mikaela thought, very unfortunately position. The man leaned over to try to play, with the officer pulling at his shoulders. Proudly, Bella declared. "Sodomy in G Minor!"

Mikaela felt like she was going to pass out when she finally stopped laughing.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 4

First the statue garden, then burgers and fries that were not from the dining hall. Mikaela was starting to feel like things were actually going well. Like she might be able to manage this whole dating thing. Even her endless staring at the way the dress hugged every curve of Bella's body had calmed down. Conversation had been a little slow, but it was blistering compared to the relative zero she usually managed to maintain. Little things that felt silly to ask several hours into their first date.

Bella's last name was Higgs, but she was not related to the god particle, which was a physics joke Mikaela actually managed to get. She stayed on campus during breaks because she had managed to get herself into the good graces of the grad school mentors and stayed there by doing clerical work part time. She planned to name her hypothetical turtle heir Franklin. It seemed that Bella was happy to keep talking if it meant that Mikaela was comfortable, and she always paused politely when it Mikaela wanted to say something. That alone had earned her undying gratitude.

The sun had set while they were eating and Bella led the way to their final destination. Honestly, they could have been heading to Hell itself and Mikaela would have marched after like a good soldier. Instead, they stopped at a park bench and Bella sat without a word. Mikaela looked around, trying to find what the goal was. They were at the little pond she sometimes walked past on the way to classes, but there was nothing else. A little confused, but willing to trust, she sat on the bench and turned to look at Bella.

"I just like this spot. After sunset, at least. People eat lunch here all the time during the day. But, I thought it was only fair I share something since I interrogated Anya about you." The gorgeous woman was smiling a little, but her eyes stayed on the dark water of the pond. Mikaela, on the other hand, could only stare at her profile.

They had been together for only a few hours total, but she was beginning to suspect why Bella caught her interest so much. Her looks were obviously pleasing, but there was something else. The way she seemed to genuinely care about the people around her. She had been harsh with Daniel at the party, but not cruel. Like they both knew he was in the wrong and he just needed a gentle reminder. She never rushed Mikaela even if talking could be hard. She was funny and bright, despite dressing like the queen of the night. Maybe it was just a crush, but Bella certainly deserved to be the first one.

The quiet stretched out again, almost natural now that they had allowed it to happen so often. Bella was watching the water, and Mikaela noticed that the stars were beginning to come out, reflecting on the pond like a mirror. Even then, she found herseld staying right where she was, half turned so she could watch the older woman. When Bella finally turned, her expression changed to something like surprise. Maybe she was being a little too intense, or maybe Bella saw something in her face Mikaela was unaware of.

All she knew was that when Bella leaned in, retreating was not even a thought in her head.

It was the first time anyone had kissed her, at least in any meaningful way. The others could have been considered accidents or mistakes. Someone who had been overeager and scared her away. This was not that. The first thing that struck her was how incredibly soft Bella's lips were. A hand lifted to the side of her face and Mikaela let her eyes drift completely closed, surprised to hear the soft sound that came from her own throat. This was nice. Gentle and almost innocent. Bella was being considerate, letting her decide how she felt about all of this. That only made it sweeter.

Only, a moment later, those amazing, soft lips began to pull away. Mikaela panicked, not ready to let go of it, and her arms went around Bella's neck before she could catch herself. She tugged Bella back in and made their mouths meet in a clumsy and inexperienced kiss with Mikaela at the lead. That was how she found out Bella had been holding back.

The hand on her cheek moved to the back of her neck, pulling her deeper into the kiss, her lips parting a little from how close they suddenly were. Bella's other hand found her hip, sliding along it to her lower back. This time, Bella let out a soft moan, mouth opening to match, then wider so that Mikaela would match next. Suddenly, everything felt hot, her stomach floating somewhere into space while liquid heat took its place. Something warm and wonderful brushed against her bottom lip before Bella seemed to catch herself, breaking this kiss and leaving them both panting.

"Sorry... fuck, I'm so sorry Mikaela. I just wanted to kiss you and you pulled me back in and..." The panic in Bella's voice was reflected on her face, but Mikaela could barely hear it over the pulse in her ears.

Was this what people felt like all the time when they kissed? She usually only got like this when she was alone. When she read a particularly satisfying scene in a romance book or read a good fan fiction about her favorite characters. With just a few seconds, Bella had made her feel the kind of desire that made her normal needs feel like a candle in a furnace. And she was apologizing for it.

"Stop." The words felt suddenly firm even in her shaking voice. Bella went from panicked to stricken, hands starting to pull away. Mikaela only tightened her hold around the other woman's neck. "No, stop apologizing. I like it. Please..."

There was so much in that please. So many years of doubt and worry. The realization that she had given up on wanting someone without meaning to. When Bella finally figured it out, finally leaned back in, Mikaela was not ashamed to admit she moaned into her mouth as they kissed again.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter Five

They had kissed. Bella had tried to start off with something sweet. After all, she had more or less confessed she had zero experience by choice. She should not have even tried for a kiss on the first date. It was stupid and greedy. Except, Mikaela had been so cute. All freckles and red hair, wearing a skirt that was just short enough to have Bella glancing down at her legs without being even remotely provocative if you were not some rampaging pervert. Which she knew she was. Especially when she noticed the freckles went all the way down to the little dip at her collar.

Bella had it bad and she knew it. So, she kissed her. And Mikaela had been so eager that Bella lost it. So, they had spent fifteen minutes kissing on that bench and when Mikaela bit her tongue playfully she had a feeling that maybe she was underestimating the girl. But, after that first conversation, there was no way she was making any assumptions.

"Do you want to come back to my apartment?" Bella was absolutely sure that she was going to get a resounding no. After all, she was being a creep and asking a girl back to her place on her first ever date.

Mikaela stared up with those pretty blue eyes, cheeks flushed with either embarrassment or arousal. Probably a bit of both. Except, instead of extending into their normal silence, a hand laid over top of her own and squeezed. Bella was beginning to think that the little redhead was going to be dangerous, because there was not a hint of no in that expression.

"Are you su..." Bella almost squeaked with surprise as Mikaela leaned up to kiss her again. Maybe she was being a little harsh on herself.

-----

Mikaela had refused to let go of her hand all the way back to her apartment. While Bella had kept the conversation going to whole time during their date, it felt like there was really nothing to say. Both of them were thinking of something else besides talking. By the time they had skirted through the living room and avoided her roommate, Bella felt like her heart was in her throat. She had been with plenty of women before this, but this felt so different.

It did not help that Mikaela was constantly staring up at her, like she was daring the older woman to take the first step. So, she did the only thing that came to mind and kissed her again. Mikaela moved closer, pressing herself against Bella. When they finally broke apart again, this time back to the short and sweet kiss they started with.

"I haven't done anything like this before. I haven't really wanted to. So, I don't think I'll be very good." Mikaela was practically whispering, but she glanced down, putting a gentle hand on Bella's stomach.

That was it. Lethal damage. Bella was completely fucked. There was no holding back. "Just relax. I don't mind showing you what to do. And you are already very good, Mikaela."

Bella leaned forward and it seemed like Mikaela was preparing for a kiss right up to the moment she tilted her head and pressed her lips to the redhead's neck. Mikaela made a tiny noise somewhere between a gasp and a moan, then froze completely. Her hands moved to sit in her own lap, but the little lean closer told Bella that it was absolutely not a complaint. So, she continued. Put a hand on the younger woman's hip and began to kiss between just under her ear and the curve of her shoulder.

Mikaela melted out of her tense posture, one hand moving to Bella's hair to rub her thumb against the short hair of her undercut. Each kiss prompted a little reaction. A sharp breath, a little shiver, even a squirm. When Bella slid her hand higher, she let it brush over subtle rise of Mikaela's breast, she got a sweet reward. The redhead parted her lips and moaned loud enough that her skin flushed immediately. Only, she just leaned closer. So, Bella pushed a little further. Opened her mouth and let her teeth gently drag against pale skin. It seemed that was what broke the other woman. She leaned completely into Bella and let a shuddering breath leave her.

"A little faster. Please. I'm going to die." Despite her desperate tone, Mikaela still kept one hand in her lap and the other on Bella's hair.

"Aw, are you having too much fun?" Bella dragged her tongue from shoulder to ear, flicking it against the other woman's earlobe.

Mikaela nodded eagerly and Bella decided there was no denying her after that. Her mouth drifted over to find Mikaela's, continuing the heated kissing they had begun on the bench. Both of her hands moved to the buttons of the petite little pixie's shirt, popping them free one by one as their tongues teased and tangled. Mikaela was touching her now, putting hands on her neck, her shoulder, letting them drift down until she felt the soft skin of her tits, then heading back up right before she really touched.

They were forced to part when Bella pushed the shirt off Mikaela's shoulders, their kiss breaking so she could pull the tank top off. And it was too much. Not for Mikaela, who was burning red wish embarrassment, but for Bella. She was wearing the most plain gray bra Bella had ever seen, but she still pounced like an animal. Pushed her sweet virgin partner down and began to lavish her chest with kisses, finding every freckle she could to place her lips on it. Mikaela seemed to know what she wanted as well, shifting and reaching back to unhook her bra and pull it off. Bella purred at her first glimpse of bare breasts.

Mikaela was so flushed that it was halfway down her chest, but the straining peaks of her nipples said how much she needed this. They were so pale you could hardly tell there her nipples started, but that hardly mattered when one was so quickly covered by Bella's mouth. And the sound she heard was perfect. A soft cry of surprise, followed by a pleased moan, two hands sinking into Bella's hair. This close, she was overwhelmed by how good Mikaela smelled, sweet and almost flowery.

"You too. I want to see you." Mikaela was squirming on the sheets, not letting go of Bella's hair even as she asked for her to strip.

So, Bella continued to suck and lick and bite, never giving a moment of rest as she reached back to unzip her dress. Once she heard the zipper, Mikaela released her hold, looking down with glassy and hungry eyes. Bella sat up on her knees, shimmying the dress from her shoulders and down her body. She was confident in her figure, knew she was more traditionally sexy and felt like most people would enjoy it. Mikaela was not most people. She was fairly sure she figured out how the othe girl worked, but that meant looks were not especially important.

From the way Mikaela rushed to push herself back up and shove her face between the valley of her breasts once she had the dress to her waist made Bella think she was safe. Her own underwear was black and lacey, her panties a matching set as the dress rolled down her hips. Mikaela kissed and bit, hands moving to grip Bella's ass as soon as it was available. There was no technique or goal, just desire, and that was so nice in a very new way. The almost painful ache deep inside her core and the slick mess barely hidden by her panties were proof of that.

"I'm supposed to be showing you, Kay." The words were soft and intimate. She had heard Anya call her Kay before, but had been afraid to try it until now.

Kay was busy practically drooling over Bella's tits, which were still mostly hidden behind fabric. "You are so pretty."

Bella laughed softly, her fingers twining into red head before tugging just a little. Like a test. Mikaela gasped with a pretty little sound and looked up. "My turn again."

Mikaela gave a wide-eyed nod and grudgingly gave up her grip on Bella's ass, only to be pushed back down to the bed. The skirt was a little too big, which meant it came off with barely more than a little tug. Bella kicked her own dress off her legs as she pulled the skirt off and dropped it to the floor. The fact that a noticeable dark stain had grown on the front of Mikaela's sky blue panties told her it was time to stop teasing. Given that the other woman was so petite, it was barely an effort to lift her legs and turn her so that she was laying fully on the mattress.

Despite all the stops and starts, there was no attempt to struggle as Bella tugged those panties down Mikaela's hips. She was greeted with a perfect little pink slit, glistening with need and clearly freshly shaved. Bella raised an eyebrow and looked up at the younger woman, one hand moved to brush against the smooth skin of her mound. Mikaela shivered and arched from the touch.

"Do you not like it?" Mikaela's voice was so small and scared that it sparked something a little sadistic in Bella.

She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Kay's forehead. Then, to her nose, her cheek, the corner of her mouth. She kissed her way down to the redhead's belly button, though she did make a stop to lick her nipple and got a nice little gasp for it. Bella did not say a word until her nose brushed that smooth spot Mikaela seemed worried about. "I fucking love it. You are perfect."

Bella extended her tongue and gave that pretty little slit a slow sweep of her tongue and could not suppress the sudden slutty groan that escaped her, her eyes fluttering closed. It was, however, nothing compared to the shocked moan that came from Mikaela. Her thighs parted further, spreading to allow better access while her back arched upward. The second lick caused much the same, eager little hips lifting to try to get more. Whatever was going on in Mikaela's head, it was fully nonverbal, nothing but unrealized desire. So, Bella did what she wanted.

Her hands moved to hold those soft little thighs, parting them further while she opened her mouth to cover the younger woman's slit with her lips. Her tongue pushed between those folds, dragging from her entrance to her clit, moaning from the taste. Because Mikaela was fucking delicious. Beyond delicious. Nothing and no one compared to it. She found herself plunging her tongue into that little opening just to taste more, moaning louder and louder.

Mikaela was matching her sounds, eclipsing them as she writhed with newfound pleasure. Her eyes were wide, watching Bella with shock. Suddenly, Bella was curious all over again. She pulled away, giving another long lick to hold her over. "Have you ever cum before?"

Mikaela was panting, had to stop to swallow before she could talk. Then, when the words did not come out, she simply shook her head no. Bella let go of one of those thighs and there was a small whine, like Kay needed every touch. Unfortunately, Bella was not exactly under control either. She slipped that hand in her own panties, curling two fingers to plunge them into herself, slowly fucking her own eager cunt as she lowered her head. She was going to make Mikaela learn every good thing Bella could provide.

Soon, she was dragging her tongue in long and torturous strokes, starting just below her slit and going all the way up to curl her tongue and flick against her clit. Each flick had Mikaela twitching, her hips lifting to try for more. Bella had switched to rubbing two fingers against her clit, letting it rest in the valley between them so it got all the friction she needed. Mikaela was a wire, pulled so tight she could snap it on demand. She just wanted to snap alongside the little pixie.

When she finally felt her own orgasm rising, her core clenching around nothing as it begged for attention, she buried her face in Mikaela's perfect cunt. Nose pressed against her mound, she put the other girl's clit between her lips and sucked softly, tongue tip making aggressive circles. The reward was immediate as Mikaela grabbed fistfuls of hair and rose off the bed tight as a bow string. Sneaking past her roommate was clearly pointless as Mikaela moaned long and loud, eyes still open, but unseeing as she left this plane of existence.

Bella followed a moment later, hips jerking as she grinded against her own fingers, soaking her panties further. But, even as her breathing went erratic and her thoughts turned to an empty white, her mouth stayed, sucking desperately to just get more. What she needed, she was unsure. Just that, when it came to Mikaela, it would always be more.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 6

Mikaela was pretty sure she had screamed. At least, it felt like it. She had never made a sound that loud before, barring maybe yelling as a child. Now, she was whining and squirming, trying to push Bella away as the older woman just kept licking. Every flick of her tongue, every greedy suck, was pushing her already sensitive body so hard it was almost painful. And yet, it was also the best feeling in the world. Whether she was being pushed immediately into a smaller orgasm or just continuing the first, she arched her back again, heels digging into the sheets.

"Too much!" Her voice was breathy, but it seemed to get through because Bella finally stopped.

She lacked the energy to even sit up, but Bella rose up to meet her, straddling her hips and staring down while her lopsided hair fell to the mattress. Mikaela saw the shine on her lips even as she licked them clean, saw so much in those eyes that scared her. Not because it had been bad, but because it had been so fucking good. Bella seemed to hesitate for some reason, hovered a few inches above, her bra tickling as it brushed against Mikaela's nipples, though the fabric felt surprisingly good. Whatever she was waiting for, the redhead was too overwhelmed to wait with her. She needed to be grounded.

So, she wrapped her arms around Bella's neck and pulled her down. That was when she understood why Bella had hesitated. Mikaela could taste her own wetness, especially when her tongue slipped between the older girl's lips. And to her own surprise, she tightened her hold and deepened the kiss, shocked to hear the pleased sounds coming from her own mouth. Bella understood, it seemed, because she lowered her body, played with Mikaela's tongue in a way that had her toes curling. Had she taken time to catch her breath after cumming, they could have kissed for an eternity. Unfortunately, Mikaela had to pull away to suck down oxygen.

"How was it?" Bella flopped to the side, laying on the bed while her hand moved to rest on Mikaela stomach.

It felt like an impossible question to answer. Just saying good felt inadequate. Earthshaking. Mind-numbing. Really good. That felt inaccurate as well. Finally, she decided to just explain how she felt now.

"I'm really glad that we did this. I don't usually make new friends and this was... amazing." Mikaela turned on her side, smiling shyly at Bella.

The change in Bella's expression was sudden and drastic, like Mikaela had slapped her. That was enough to trigger the panic she normally felt in new social situations. She had made a mistake, said something wrong. It was enough to give her whiplash how sharply her emotions changed. From floating on the echoes of pleasure to wanting to hide, to disappear. Bella had never made her feel like this, had caused a whole new range of feelings to crop up. It was a shame to end up back where she started. Maybe she was broken.

"Is that what you want? To just be friends?" There was so much sadness in Bella's words, but acceptance. Like it was a peace offering.

That made her feel stupid. God, she was so stupid. Anya had said Bella was with different girls all the time. But, the panic was still tight around her throat, tears burning hot against the backs of her eyes. She was going to fuck this all up. She was drifting into one of those silences that had been so comfortable before. No. Nononono! She had never gotten to feel like this before and now Bella was drifting away, and not just emotionally. She was lifting her hand off of Mikaela's belly, turning to lay flat.

"No!" It tore out of her as intensely as the pleasure had. She gripped Bella's wrist and pulled her hand back, clutching it tight to her chest between her breasts.

The slow blinks, the surprise, was so much better than the hurt expression she had just seen. Bella just stared, eyes a little wide. Like thawing ice, a smile broke through and Bella was pressing her nose just under the redhead's ear. She kissed ravenously, like letting her rest for a moment might undo the word. Mikaela wanted to say she stood her ground and tried to stay serious. Bella dragged her tongue along her throat and her eyes fluttered shut, soft moans on her lips again.

"I want you to be my girlfriend, Mikaela. I can take you back to this room every day if you want. Or not. I don't care. I just... feel so relaxed around you." Bella was practically whispering in her ear, which she then proceeded to bite surprisingly hard.

From how she was acting, Mikaela suspected not wanting to have sex again would have been a strain. Not that it would be an issue, given how good it had been. It was hard to blame herself for never trying it when every potential partner made her feel nothing. Whatever Bella unlocked, it was overflowing. Every kiss had her body getting hot, her core aching to be touched. When she used her hold on Bella's wrist to move that hand to her breast, the other woman purred against her skin, squeezing rougher than she expected.

At some point, she would need to text Anya she was not coming home tonight.

-----

Mikaela opened her eyes to a pair of gorgeous tits. They were mostly covered by the sheet that had been their blanket, but she could see a little bit of rosy pink that somehow had her heartbeat spiking from just a glance. She was curled up on Bella's shoulder, arm draped over the older girl's stomach. Normally, she would have expected to be disoriented waking up in a strange room. Right now, her body was so full of memories of the night that it could never forget.

Bella had brought her to orgasm four times before they finally curled up to sleep. It was a dramatic increase, going from zero to four all in one night. She had barely touched Bella, by comparison. In truth, she had tried. Wanted to learn how to please her new girlfriend.

The thought gave her pause. Girlfriend. It was just as dramatic go from being fairly sure you were ace to dating and having sex in a few days. When she had been curious about the things she did not feel, wondered why her friends all wanted to date and fuck, but she did not, she had looked into it. Gone to her high school LGBTQ+ group, a few queer teens trying to help the others feel normal and a teacher trying to help them understand. They had told her a whole slew of information. Told her she might find someone eventually, but if she did not it would be okay.

Despite how world altering last night had been, she could not conjured another face that she might want to do that with. Bella was the right combination of comfort and appearance. Like a special person made just for Mikaela. Which was incredibly embarrassing to even think. For now, that could be a private thought just for her. For now, she could just close her eyes and enjoy being next to her special person.

Bella chose that moment to arch and stretch, rolling so that Mikaela was pressed to her chest, her head tucked under the other woman's chin. It prompted a little laugh, which had Bella opening her eyes.

"Don't laugh at me. I like cuddling." Before Mikaela could even respond, she was being squeezed tighter, which only made her laugh harder.

"I won't stop you. But, you are going to shove my face into..." The words trailed off as the redhead felt her brain catch up to reality. She could not say boobs out loud. Not in front of Bella.

"Into my tits? Oh, no. That would be terrible." Even as she said it, Bella shifted herself upward, pressing Mikaela's face between her breasts.

A giggle came from the valley before she pulled her head back and looked at what was in front of her. God, Bella was beautiful. Not just her face. She was exactly what a person might think of when you thought of a hot goth, but Mikaela had never really appreciated it before. Pretty pale skin, curves that made whatever she wore look amazing. The fact that her breasts were significantly bigger than Mikaela's own and her butt was round and perfect was becoming a regular distraction. It was amazing anyone could function feeling like this all the time.

Now that they were in front of her, Mikaela decided to make up for last night. She put her mouth on Bella's nipple, which had already been stiffening before her eyes. Her tongue lapped at it curiously, the taste of Bella's skin surprisingly nice. Bella responded by gasping and putting a hand in her hair. She thought her girlfriend would encourage her. Instead, she pulled her away, which prompted a little whine.

"Hey, now. I want to focus on you for now. I've had plenty of orgasms before last night. And I had plenty last night too." Bella ran her fingers through Mikaela's hair, smiling.

Mikaela wanted to pout, wanted to demand that Bella let her return the favor. But, the idea of demanding anything was frightening enough to stop her. After all, Bella knew best. The kiss that immediately followed was enough to wipe those thoughts away, too. Her brain was just so full of Bella, there was no room for pouting.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 7

Mikaela might have stayed glued to Bella indefinitely if not for two reasons. One, absolutely nothing the tall, busty, goth goddess owned fit. Even a t-shirt had such a low collar she had to be careful not to reveal anything. So, after lunch at a local deli that accepted meal plan swipes as payment, she needed to head home to change. The other reason she kept to herself. She had a weekly appointment that she preferred not to tell her new girlfriend about.

Psychology had always meant a lot to Mikaela. While her parents had never hit her, or even really yelled, they always encouraged a policy that children only speak when spoken to. Obviously, that had carried into her formative years. It felt easy to just blame them for it, even if they had relaxed as she grew older. When she started high school, her teachers had gotten concerned, worried about her skittish attitude and trouble speaking. In the end, only one option seemed reasonable. Therapy. So, at fourteen, Mikaela started weekly sessions. Only, it had led to nothing.

So, she wanted to learn how to do it correctly. And the first thing that her Psych 101 professor said when they all sat down? If they were serious about psychology, they should see a therapist. So, Mikaela had started all over. Only, this time around, her therapist seemed to understand how to help.

Dr. Angelica Ford ran a private practice twenty minutes away from campus. The campus therapist she had spoken to twice had sent her over with a recommendation. It had taken exactly two sessions with Dr. Ford for her to decide they should be doing an hour instead of the thirty minutes they began with. Mikaela suspected it was because she took at least twenty minutes to start speaking. Now, for an hour every week, they went over the doomsday scenarios Mikaela invented in her head whenever she opened her mouth.

And that was her second reason to head back to her apartment. Because telling Bella she needed weekly therapy felt to embarrassing to say out loud. She made a mental note to tell Dr. Ford about that feeling tomorrow.

The rest of the day was peaceful. She texted Bella, talked about more nothings that seemed so important to the other girl. Her hobbies, her favorite movies, her favorite books when she found out Mikaela was an obsessive reader. That had been a whole conversation on its own, explaining how she loved to read cheesy romance books despite not wanting to date anyone until seventy six hours ago. Anya, thankfully, knew her well enough to not pry about the date. Not immediately, at least. That night, Mikaela fell asleep with her phone beside her pillow.

-----

"I actually... I started dating someone." They were fifteen minutes into the appointment, which meant she was eager to talk.

"Oh? And how do you feel about that? I don't mean to be skeptical, but you have been clear about your feelings in the subject." Dr. Ford, who wanted Mikaela to call her Angelica and would likely never have that wish granted, had a dry tone, but she never let a subject go if Mikaela brought it up.

"I actually... it is really nice. I just feel like I've been lying to myself. To the other people who have helped me when I felt like there was something wrong with me." Mikaela was surprised she had managed to say it so clearly. Maybe therapy was helping. Maybe Bella was.

Dr. Ford leaned forward, looking at Mikaela over the top of her glasses. That meant she was serious. "There is nothing to lie about. Asexual and aromantic are both a wide spectrum, like every other facet of sexuality. Some people need to feel certain things levels of security or affection before they consider dating or feel attraction. Some never will. I am just concerned you are letting him coerce you because you are afraid to confront him."

"Her. Her name is Bella. And I actually asked her to go out with me." It was a relief to have her worries addressed so plainly. That was why she liked Dr. Ford. Straight answers and a lot of patience. "Is it normal to constantly think about her? To... want her all the time?"

Dr. Ford, bless her, did not show even a twitch of reaction to being corrected about Bella, nor to hearing about a college student be worried about wanting sex. She just leaned back in her chair and pushed her glasses up on her nose. She made a few quick notes, which Mikaela stopped worrying about after being told for the tenth time it was for her reference if she needed to recall a session. Mostly. Okay, she worried a lot. She just no longer said anything out loud.

"It is very normal. Unless you start letting it interfere with your daily life, no amount of sexual desire is unhealthy. Communicate it with your partner and be aware you may need to compromise on the topic. Is she demanding of you?" It was strange how a person could sound detached and compassionate at the same time.

Mikaela knew that the demands Dr. Ford worried about were not sex-related. They were back to the majority of their conversations. Dealing with her anxiety. It had gotten to the point where Angelica had contacted her compositional writing professor because he continued to read her submissions out loud to the class as examples. When Mikaela had cried enough she had to leave class the second time, he told her she was just too modest. Getting a doctor note to stop getting called on in class was a new low, but Mikaela had been close to taking a failing grade instead of attending.

"Not at all. She actually understands. Talks a lot and asks questions. And when I want to add something, she always knows. Waits for me to put it together. She is great." Mikaela felt heat prickling the corners of her eyes. She was talking too much. Being too animated. Dr. Ford did not need to hear her go on about her new girlfriend.

"This is your time, Mikaela. You can talk about whatever you want." Another great thing about Dr. Ford. She read the sudden stops and pauses even better than Bella.

So, Mikaela pushed down the rush of embarrassed tears and continued.

-----

By the time she had collapsed on the bed, exhausted as usual from her appointment, she was certain that maybe Bella was a dream. She seemed to perfect. So, she checked her texts to confirm her girlfriend's existence. What greeted her was a picture of her new object of worship holding up the first book in the series Mikaela had talked about for an hour last night. It was a punch to her gut and she asked if Bella wanted to read together before she could catch herself. Her dreams were never this good, so it had to be real.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 8

The last two weeks were probably the most fun Bella had ever had. Definitely the most fun she had dating. The two of them did not spend every waking moment together, though she would not have minded. She had a feeling that, despite how much she seemed to enjoy their time, Mikaela still needed to recharge her social batteries. That was fine, even if Bella wanted to just smother her with attention at every moment of the day.

The days they spent apart were still filled with plenty of texting, sharing stupid jokes they saw on the internet, even a few phone calls when Bella reached certain points in the book she was reading and absolutely had to talk about it. It was easily the best way to spend her winter break. The problem was the other hours of her day.

Usually, during the semester, she helped a few of the mentors who ran the graduate program for physics. They knew her, knew she wanted to apply for grad school here, and spent just as much time talking to her like a future academic as they did asking her to run their tests through the scantron. And they were all gone for the break. Everyone except for Dr. Cambridge. During break, he had exclusive access to the department staff and absolutely nothing he actually had to do. So, he bothered Bella constantly.

It was hard to understand what a man who had passed fifty a long time ago thought he might get from trying to chat up a twenty three year old student. Not what he wanted. That was obvious from the way he hovered over her shoulder, casually touched her, just plain walked the line of sexual harassment. If he had not been a tenured professor in the grad program she wanted to attend, she would have reported him in a heartbeat. For now, the only real option was to soldier on, knowing full well that two other professors were looking to mentor her.

And yet, she found herself gritting her teeth as she sorted old tests into folders for Cambridge's classes next semester. Had she really heard what she thought?

"It wouldn't be a conflict of interest, I assure you. Janet already plans to scoop you up, so you would never be my student. What do you say?" The words were trying to drill through her head as Dr. Cambridge spoke, but it seemed insane.

"Don't you have a wife?" Bella was practically growling the words as she clenched her jaw.

"Yes, and?"

That nearly had her laughing out loud, and not in any way that indicated amusement. She swallowed it. "Well, doctor, I am with someone."

It should have been an easy excuse. Should have been enough. But, he continued. "Do you really think some college boy is worth your time?"

"College girl actually." Keeping her voice down was becoming challenging.

"Oh really? You can invite her, too, if you want." The thought made Bella want to gag.

She rose to her feet and turned, not surprised to see that Dr. Cambridge had been watching her crouch in front of the file cabinet the whole time. It seemed not even sweatpants and a hoodie could stop him from leering, which was even more annoying considering he complained about how unprofessional she looked when she came in. Bella put the papers she had left on his desk, hands shaking a fraction.

"I'm not interested in men. And neither is my girlfriend. So, please don't bother asking again." She was impressed her voice was so even. "I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to be using a sick day. Sorry I couldn't finish sorting these."

There was a look of smug satisfaction on Cambridge's face. Not because he got what he wanted, but because he knew she would not be doing anything about it. She had a feeling this would not he the last time he tried something like this.

She was texting Mikaela before she got outside.

-----

When Bella opened the front door of her building to let her girlfriend in, she tried to look excited. Tried to look like she had not just had her dignity flayed off like chunks of skin. Only, Mikaela looked like she was doing the same thing. Her eyes were puffy at the edges, her nose a little red at the rim. Despite that, she was wearing that adorable sundress that had stolen Bella's heart, finally giving in and wearing a cardigan with cats all over it to protect against the growing cold.

They held hands as they walked up the stairs, not saying a word until they disappeared behind the door to Bella's room. Bella pulled her over to the bed and out a hand on her lower back, caught between her own emotions and this sudden shock.

"What happened, Kay? You look like you have been crying." Bella pressed her lips to the redhead's temple, stroking her hand up and down.

Mikaela sniffled before she spoke, clearly trying to downplay how rough her voice was. "No, it's stupid. You got harassed by that creepy guy again and I know you hate it. Don't worry about me."

Despite always being so meek, and Bella's insistence that they focus on her, Mikaela loved to touch Bella. Nothing sexual, unless they were already starting, but she always wanted to be in contact. so, Bella was not surprised as all when the smaller girl crawled into her lap and pressed her face to the side of the older girl's neck, nuzzling against her. Even as she paused to sniffle again, she seemed content to just let her own tears be ignored. Which made Bella just a little annoyed.

"You're crying, Kay. Just tell me. We can both be sad together once you do." Her arm wrapped around Mikaela's waist, helping her keep her seat.

"It really is stupid! I just..." They had gotten better about the silences the more time they were together, but the pause was nothing abnormal still. "I got a B in my comp writing class. And he never graded anything under an A. So, he got mad my therapist emailed him."

The sentence cut off and Mikaela froze in her arms. Bella honestly thought that something had distracted her and glanced behind herself, thinking maybe the blinds were open, despite them being on the third floor. When she saw nothing but pale daylight, she turned back and squeezed.

"Why did they email him?" Sometimes it helped to guide her back when she got distracted.

"He kept showing my papers with my name on them. I was thinking about dropping the class. Did you know I have a therapist? Did Anya tell you?" Mikaela pulled away from Bella's neck to stare at her girlfriend.

This confused Bella even more. "I didn't know. But, I'm not surprised. You can barely talk to most people, Kay. And your major is psychology. I figured you were talking to someone."

Then, something that Bella had never expected happened. Mikaela was angry. She slid from the older girl's lap and stood, little hands balled into fists. Her eyes were getting wet at the corners, like she was trying very hard to hold back tears. And, most shocking by far, she gave Bella a half-hearted shove.

"Why do you always assume I'm too fragile? I don't need help with everything. I only have a therapist because a professor suggested it for his psych students." Mikaela was back to squeezing her fists, trying to look intimidating.

"I didn't assume! You said it and I wasn't surprised. Please. I don't want our first fight to be over something stupid like this. We both had a bad day." Despite keeping her voice so calm in the office, Bella felt it shaking a little now. Luckily, Mikaela seemed to realize what she was doing.

Unluckily, she was doing what she did whenever she felt like she made a mistake. She shut down, looked away. It would take a while to coax her out of it. Maybe Bella could find a movie for them to watch, be a big spoon. Bella was already making a plan when the other girl looked up, still angry. She moved closer and straddled Bella, gripping her hoodie with both hands.

"I'm not broken, Bella. I'm quiet and new to this, but I want to help you, too. Make you feel better. Make you..." She glanced away again, the implication hitting when her cheeks flushed.

"I didn't call you over to fuck just because I'm sad. And I don't need you to do anything for me. I really like doing it for you. I enjoy myself." Bella was trying to figure out what was in her girlfriend's head right now. It felt so stupid to let this all boil over when they were having a bad day.

"What if I want to? Let me do what you do." Mikaela was more desperate and Bella could tell she was going to kiss her any moment. Not that she hated the idea, but this felt wrong.

"You don't want to do it the way I like. I promise." Now Bella was glancing away, worried that today might just go completely wrong.

When Mikaela snapped back, there was only one way this could end. And that would be with Mikaela leaving, uncomfortable. "I won't know until you tell me!"

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 9

It felt almost ridiculous. They had only been together for two weeks, but the fact that Bella had hidden something like this was too silly to be annoying. Even as Bella stood behind her, taking her time removing everything, Mikaela hardly believed what the alleged big secret was.

"Are you sure? We don't have to try anything you don't want, Kay. I won't be upset." Bella was whispering against her shoulder, giving it a small kiss as she pulled the straps of her dress off.

"We aren't even really trying anything. It's like... barely kinky. Anya said she had a guy melt wax on her when they were still in high school." The situation changing so suddenly was making it easier to speak her mind, the absurdity of the worries distracting her.

Bella let the dress fall to the floor, starting on her bra. "I don't think you get it completely, but I don't want you mad again." Even as she said it, Mikaela felt herself frowning.

It felt a little condescending to have Bella assume she knew nothing about sex. That she had not explored to look for something that sparked her needs the say way as her peers. When Bella said she enjoyed being a domme, it felt like the most obvious thing. Top, domme, mistress. Mikaela knew about the concepts, even if it had never prompted any feelings. She felt the delicious softness of Bella's breasts pressing against her back as her own bra fell to the floor.

"I might hurt you. I might tell you to do things that will embarrass you. And I'm going to have you do things to me. You have to promise to say stop if you need it. Are you really sure?" Bella was whispering in her ear now, her tone suddenly different. Husky and hungry. It had Mikaela shivering even as her body became hot.

"I'm sure." The words ended in a gasp as Bella shoved her forward onto the bed.

Mikaela had an idea of what to expect. She knew Bella had taken off every scrap of clothing behind her. Made her wait. She was only wearing a pair of plain pale green panties. They had sex enough times she knew what Bella liked. Or, she thought she did. When her girlfriend brought a flat hand down on her ass as she tried to rise up to her hands and knees, she suddenly realized Bella had probably been holding back the entire time.

The spank was mostly sound, but it sent a jolt through her that settled in her core. Before she could react, lips found the back of her thigh, rough and demanding. Teeth followed right after, trailing higher. Mikaela gripped the sheets and adjusted herself to lay with her face on the mattress. It felt surprisingly good to have teeth dragging over her sensitive skin, feeling the heat that lingered after. She expected Bella to drift over to her pussy, which was starting to ache for attention already. Instead, she only went higher, biting the curve of her ass. Hands settled on both sides, holding her in place while Bella bit harder, found different places.

And all Mikaela could do was moan, hips wiggling as her body enjoyed the new sensations. She wanted to feel her girlfriend's familiar tongue, wanted her clit to be stimulated. So, she pushed backward, tried to get some kind of attention. Just like that, Bella was pulling away and Mikaela let out a soft whine.

"Don't stop. It like it." Her voice was surprisingly needy even in her own ears. When her panties were tugged down, she made a pleased noise, expecting what she wanted.

Bella surprised her by instead running a finger against her folds. It still felt good, but she had gotten so used to that relentless tongue. She seemed pleased with what she found, because Bella plunged that finger inside of her without hesitation. Mikaela pushed herself back without thinking, moaning softly into the sheets. When a second finger joined the first, she arched and wriggled, wanting all the friction she could manage. So far, it was more intense, but not very different from their usual. That was when the hand closed around the nape of her neck.

"You are so fucking cute. Do you know how badly I've wanted to put my hands all over you? I've been so scared you might decide you hated all of this. I feel like I'm doing something wrong every time." Bella's voice was getting rougher as she explored inside the younger woman with her fingers.

Mikaela tried to think of something to say, but realized that she did not have to. Likely should not. Not unless she needed something. Her heartbeat seemed increase as Bella squeezed her tigher, pushed her harder into the mattress. Then, those fingers inside started to move. Bella had done it before, used her fingers to fuck her while her tongue worked. This had barely anything in common with that.

No, Bella was almost brutal. She drew her fingers back until they nearly slipped out, then sank them in to the last knuckles. Even more intense was the pace. Her hand was moving so fast that Mikaela could hardly figure out if she was full or empty. The quick changes in sensation were driving her quickly toward something she did not recognize. She was going to cum, but she had never done it so fast, never without her clit being touched. Yet, she found herself slamming her hips back, mindless mumbled sounds of pleasure escaping her. Then, Bella changed her angle, stayed deep and fucked her harder with her fingers.

Mikaela felt her own pleasure running down her thighs when she started to orgasm, but was still held so tight that she did not even think about trying to struggle. All she could do was gasp and squirm as the fingers slid out of her and Bella loudly sucked them clean beyond her sight. When her neck was released, she rolled onto her side, still barely seeing what was going on in front of her.

Bella sat beside her on the bed, hand finding the top of her head to run her fingers through red hair. "Do you get it now? Want to stop?"

Mikaela finally managed to get her thoughts in order, a question helping to guide her. She found herself shaking her head. Maybe this was perfect for them. Bella taking charge and Mikaela following, only speaking when she needed to. It had been how everything else worked from the start. So, she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees again, this time crawling to half lay on Bella.

Her head was swimming, high on the rush of endorphins, suddenly very curious about all the things that they could try. So, she defaulted to what she normally did. Kissing. Except, her mouth found those perfect tits that had been denied her so often. Her mouth found Bella's nipple, moaning against it as she licked. Slowly at first, but more intensely as Bella moaned in reply. Then, she did something else. Closed her teeth on it and slowly tightened them until the sweet sound turned to pain and Bella pulled her hair.

"Fuck! Do you really want to touch me that badly? I feel like I don't deserve to get all your attention. Why am I so special?" This time, she was stripped bare in a different way. So vulnerable as she said what Mikaela realized had been her worry the whole time. Why her?

Mikaela replied with an extended tongue, flicking over the nipple she had bitten. That seemed to do it. Seemed to get the point across. They were so far beyond enthusiastic consent that Mikaela was ready to start begging to get her point across, even if she knew she would cry. Luckily, Bella gave in. Whether to her own lust or because Mikaela got her point across, she did not know.

"Lay down on your back for me, Kay. You want to be a good girl and listen to what I need?" It was back, that husky sound.

Mikaela found herself laying down quicker than she had ever moved before. At least, after having cum only minutes before. She had a feeling she knew where this was going from their usual play. When Bella threw a leg over her head and straddled it with a confidence that made her girlfriend bite her lip in anticipation, it was the most gorgeous sight of her life. Her goddess in full view from her most intimate places to her lovely face.

"I want you to just try what feels right for now. You know what feels good for you." Bella's voice was shaking, shuddering with some barely contained need.

When she lowered down, it was almost instinct for Mikaela. Her hands lifted to find that lovely ass on either side, guiding Bella to press against her mouth. From there, it was just... licking, right? So, Mikaela extended her tongue and slipped it between those slick folds. Except, they were not just slick when she parted them. They were soaked, covering her tongue immediately. They moaned together while Mikaela simply dragged it back and forth, exploring the shape of her girlfriend for the first time. It felt unfair, having to wait this long.

Her fingers sank into supple flesh, gripping the other girl's ass hard as she tried to push her tongue wherever she could. It slipped inside, only for her face to be covered. Then, she pulled it out to flick over Bella's clit. Without any experience of her own, she tried to remember how Bella had used her own. So, the pressed it flat and gave her hard sweeps of her tongue. The reward was an eager moan from above.

So, she tried to repeat it, tried to do it over and over again. Bella obviously enjoyed it from how she rolled her hips, but there was still hesitation. She was still holding back. So, Mikaela squeezed harder, pushed her closer. That drew Bella's eyes downward and it seemed she liked what she saw.

"You sure? You want more? Should I do whatever I want?" There were soft gasps in-between words as she licked her lips in a way that sent a rush of heat between Mikaela's thighs.

The redhead nodded, her nose pressing close to Bella as she did. And the response was immediate. Both hands sank into her hair and Bella rolled her hips hard. Mikaela tried to keep up, to lick where she wanted as she felt the wetness cover her lips and chin. Bella went from moans to near-growls, arching her back. Somewhere in the middle of it all, Mikaela realized her tongue only needed to be available so that Bella could take what she wanted. So, she pressed it flat against her and let her girlfriend use her mouth like a toy for her pleasure.

If someone had asked Mikaela what she was into, she would have had no answer. Even looking back on what she knew after her first time with Bella, nothing had sounded especially good. Just Bella herself was interesting. So, looking up at her object of affection and lust, watching her tits bounce as she practically got face fucked, she knew this was what she needed. Bella was getting close, shoving Mikaela into her cunt, and Mikaela was moaning.

"Fuck, I'm gonna cum, Kay. You are doing so good. Such a good girl. Fuck, I'm cumming. Suck on my clit. Fuck, yes!"

Bella froze all at once, everything locking up tight as she tipped over into an orgasm that made everything Mikaela had seen from her seem like nothing. Her back arched and her chest heaved as she went from sudden silence to a growing moan, thighs quivering on either side of Mikaela's head. And all she could think to do was continuing to press her tongue against Bella's swollen clit.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 10

Mikaela had expected it to be over then. They had both had an orgasm and she was absolutely pleased to have finally given her girlfriend the same kind of pleasure she received. That was normally how a good evening ended, despire it barely being past sunset. It appeared that Bella did not share the same opinion.

No, having Mikaela give her what she wanted only sparked something far more intense. Not that she minded. No, seeing the difference in her girlfriend was shocking in the best way. After she had cum for Mikaela, Bella took a few minutes to simply lay beside her. Fingers running through her hair, thumb brushing against her bottom lip, palm cupping her cheek. Like Mikaela was about to vanish. And it had been lovely. Before long, she was closing her eyes and waiting for Bella to come cuddle her like usual.

When she felt the weight lift off the bed, Mikaela slowly opened them again, watching a naked butt as Bella walked over to the dresser. Clothes sounded like a lot, but she would not complain. Only, Bella did not rummage through, look for something that might fit the small redhead. No, she found what she wanted immediately and picked it up, tucking it behind her as she turned. While every warning before they began did not worry Mikaela, something about the wicked smile on Bella's lips was concerning. They were absolutely not done for the night.

"You are really pretty. Did I ever tell you that?" Bella was still smiling as she moved to kneel on the edge of the bed.

Mikaela nodded, lifting herself up on her hands. She was surprised enough to yelp when Bella planted a hand on her chest and pushed her back down. Slowly, but not timidly, she took Mikaela by the wrist and put it above her head, then repeated with the other hand. She was splayed out, naked, exposed. Maybe for the first time, she was embarrassed not because of inexperienced or social anxiety, but because of the way Bella looked at her. She was like a starving animal. And when she revealed what had been hidden behind her back, it only confused her more.

A little silken bag, bulging with different shapes. There was one outline that Mikaela immediately recognized, given how distinct it was. The rest became obvious once that clicked. Toys. It was a bag of toys. And, since the shape she recognized was the very clear outline of a synthetic cock, they were definitely not toys for kids. There was another spike of concern, but she pushed it down. Of course Bella would have toys. She had never been confused about what she wanted. She was a lesbian, she would have things like that.

One by one, she pulled them out and lined them up. A massage wand, a fairly big vibrator with a little extension that looked like tiny rabbit ears, the aforementioned cock; less realistic than expected, another that was completely abstract looking, and a set of nylon straps that she had a suspicion she knew the purpose of. She knew better than to sit up for a better look, lest she be pushed down again.

"Anything you don't like? I have another bag, but I think she should stick to this for now." There was the sweet and concerned Bella she loved. Not that intense and horny Bella had been any less loveable.

"The one is kind of strange, but... what is in the other bag?" Her voice was still a little breathy, her whole body still sensitive.

Bella looked a little concerned herself at that question, but she did not hold back. "Lube, plugs, smaller toys."

Mikaela tried her best to not look surprised. She really did. However, there was only so much control she could exercise. Not just because the idea of having things put... there had never occurred to her, but because it caused her to feel a little flutter in her lower belly. She has gone from not being interested in sex to being intrigued by anal play in the course of two weeks and it was starting to concern her. Was she really this depraved and just waiting for someone to be the spark to set it off? She would have to remember to ask Dr. Ford. And to not think about her therapist during sex.

Luckily, her attention snapped back to Bella as she took the wand and plugged the cord in beside the bed. The soft buzz filled the room as she turned it on, either unaware or unconcerned about whatever face Mikaela had made. More specific, she seemed to be very distracted by the naked girl on her bed. One hand drifted down to her stomach, resting flat and brushing her thumb against the skin.

"Same promise. If you want to stop, you say it." Her voice and expression were serious.

Mikaela nodded again and even opened her mouth to say she promised, but the words were sucked out of her when that evil and wonderful device touched her nipple. It was barely a brush, ghosting over the tip of her hard nipple, but it lit up every nerve in a mile radius, making her arch up toward it. Which, of course, resulted in more contact, ripping a moan from her. It had to be because she was sensitive. There was no way something could feel that good on her nipple.

When Bella did it again, she was proven wrong. Because it felt better when she added a little pressure, let the vibration spread to every sensitive bit of her small breast. She moaned again, gripping the sheet and closing her eyes. Before they managed to close completely, she caught the pleased look on Bella's face. Oh, she was in trouble.

Thirty seconds or an hour. It was almost definitely between one of those two points. That was how long Bella had entertained herself by dragging moans and whimpers and even the occasion swear from Mikaela. She had explored every contour of her tits, run it along her shoulders, drifted down over her belly, and was currently threatening to put it somewhere very dangerous. Neither of them had spoken, but she knew her girlfriend was enjoying every second. When she decided to risk opening her eyes, Bella was following the wand with her gaze, clearly ready to move to the main event.

"You too! I want to make you feel good, Bella." The words were wrapped around moans, her grip tightening on the sheet as the wand drifted even lower. She could feel the strong vibration in her core, even from this far away.

Bella finally broke her stare on the wand and glanced down at Mikaela, her expression softening when their eyes met. But, she just shook her head and, before Mikaela could complain, moved the wand a few inches lower.

That was the moment Mikaela died. Whatever life she had lived before, it ended when that rounded head passed over her clit. Her whole body went completely rigid, back arching off the bed as she lost the ability to make any sound at all for the length of one sharp inhale. Then, moans ripped out of her like they needed to escape. Her vision turned to spots and her orgasm stopped her from doing anything except screaming for Bella. It felt like an exorcism, the way she had no control of herself.

Bella teased the absolute pinnacle of pleasure out of her. She brushed the wand against her gently, barely touching, only to stop when Mikaela tried to reach for it. Once her hand gripped the sheets again, the wand found her. It was a battle between agony and bliss, but after a few passes, her body accepted more pleasure and the wand stayed. Then, there was a click as Bella turned the power higher and Mikaela all but blacked out.

She knew she did not lose consciousness. She could remember the entire earthquake of pleasure that was two consecutive orgasms. It was her sense of time that was completely gone. It lasted longer than any that had come before it, that she knew. But, the number of seconds, maybe minutes, was impossible. She just knew that she stayed there, twitching and arching and fighting against her own body to not just curl up and let it take her over.

When it finally slowed down, when her thighs finally stopped squeezing together, she realized that Bella was no longer beside her. She was ready to question it, to ask where she had gone, when her thighs were pushed further open. Lifting her head, still dazed with pleasure, she saw that her goddess was now wearing those nylon straps, the semi-realistic toy attached above her thighs.

The silicone head was nudging against her slit before her thoughts could rearrange and it was pushing into her before she could object, though she was not sure she would have. And this was different. Everything else had been pleasure on pleasure, life altering and unreal. This was painful. Not awful and not wholly, but the toy stretched her walls in a way nothing else had yet. It burned, but her whole body was rubber. She was as relaxed as one could be for something like this. So, when Bella pushed a little more, like she was asking for permission, Mikaela just opened her legs wider.

Slowly, with all the care she expected from her girlfriend, the toy sank further and further inside. Each new inch added more to the mild pain, but it was met with much more powerful pleasure. And every time she thought it was done, it went further. Her body had no way of reconciling the size to reality. It felt so fucking huge inside that she could barley beeath when Bella pressed their bodies together, despite her knowing that it was fairly normal length.

At some point, she had started moaning again without realizing, and Bella barely even started to pull out before she gave an order. "Turn around, Kay."

The toy slid out with a sudden relief and an awful emptiness. Her pussy very much enjoyed being filled, the sensation and satisfaction of it. But, her goddess had given an order and thinking was already so difficult that she decided to just stop trying. Instead, she went with the familiar, moving to her hands and knees before arching so that her face rested on the comfy mattress. She was rewarded with a new angle of stimulation, the toy sinking back in so much easier than the first time.

Mikaela knew it would be good. Knew Bella would give her what she needed. So, she closed her eyes, gripped the sheets, and pushed her ass back until it hit Bella's thighs. Bella, on the other hand, was making so much noise. Little muttered words, hungry growls that made it seem like she was enjoying it very much despite not receiving any attention. The first real thrust, pulling out and pushing back in, knocked the air out of Mikaela, and she did not mind one bit.

Bella fucked her like that, the movements so smooth, the toy rubbing against all these amazing spots she never knew existed inside. Then, a gentle pressure found her ass, which she only realized now was completely exposed like this. The purr of delight she released surprised herself almost as much as the delighted moan when that pressure became a thumb sinking into a hole she had never considered using for pleasure when alone.

And that was how she found another orgasm. And another. And when Bella wrapped an arm around her waist and stroked her clit, she found another.

Mikaela had so many orgasms that there was not a single thought left other than Bella. And not thinking, overthinking, worrying, was the best feeling yet.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 11

Bella opened her eyes slowly, but already knew exactly where she was, who was in her arms. It was rare for her to wake up rested enough that she did not want to just immediately lay back down. With Mikaela in her arms, and after the night they had, she had probably never slept so soundly in her life. They had both been out as soon as they touched the pillow, well before ten pm.

Now, she was forced to wiggle her arm free from under Mikaela's pillow so that she could check the time on her phone. Not that it would bother her sleeping girlfriend. The pillow was currently unused, the smaller girl curled up against her chest and clinging tight despite being so deeply asleep. It appeared her tits had been a preferable pillow, which felt like a compliment. Glancing at the phone, she squinted against the light. Five am.

What an ungodly hour to be awake. But, it felt like a sign. She was not due in for work until eight, which would usually mean that she would be going back to sleep. Bella had never rushed in to work a day in her life, even when the professors she could tolerate were in. Today, she had somewhere else to be. So, grudgingly, she wiggled her way out from under Mikaela, which resulted in a sweet whine from the other girl. She persisted until the redhead finally accepted a pillow instead of breasts. Even then, she opened her eyes, watching Bella's naked body for a few seconds, putting words together slowly.

"Where are you going?" The sleepiness was fully in control, pretty blue eyes watching under half lids.

"I have to go in to the office early, but I'll be back in a few hours if you want to wait."

They had managed to take a shower last night, which had ended in Mikaela practically worshipping her until her roommate knocked on the door and begged to be allowed to pee. So, all she needed to do was brush her hair and throw on some clothes. Just like yesterday, she preferred a hoodie, but she did actually put on jeans. After all, she needed to look at least mildly professional for what she had in mind. When she turned back, Mikaela was sitting up, not even bothering to cover herself with the sheet they had used as a blanket. God, she was so fucking cute.

Bella gave in, just a little, and walked over to tangle her fingers in that red hair and kiss her. It was hard and intense, like they had not fucked for hours the night before. She bit Mikaela's bottom lip and tugged, prompting a soft whimper that was clearly not a complaint. Then, one more soft kiss like a signature.

"Be back soon. I promise." Bella knew her voice was husky, but Mikaela just stared up with wide, eager eyes and nodded.

It was a short walk from the apartment to the physics department, but it felt longer than normal. After all, she had no plans to go to work today. Spending the night with Mikaela had been perfect for getting all the stupid thoughts out of her head. For clearing up all the worries. There was no way she was going to let some old dickhead ruin her time here. Not when she planned to spend a lot more time at this school. So, she would wait.

And she did. Bella spent the next hour sitting on the steps of the old building that housed all of the professors' offices. More importantly, it was where the dean's office was. And when he showed up a little before seven, his assistant in tow, she was ready.

-----

"You still haven't gotten dress?" Bella was already peeling the hoodie off, planning to switch to a t-shirt.

Mikaela was still snuggled into the sheet, her face pressed against the pillow Bella had used the night before. She could tell from the outline the younger girl had nothing on. But, there was something in the look those puppy eyes gave her that told Bella she wanted to say something. It was so obvious when she needed to get something out, but struggled to find the words immediately.

So, she waited, moving to sit on the edge of the mattress.

"I am wearing something." There was a hint of mischief, a little tug of a smile.

"A sheet doesn't count." Bella was ready to tug it down to prove a point.

Then, Mikaela smiled brightly and lifted a familiar bag from behind her pillow. It was her toy bag. Her other toy bag.

-----


The next few weeks went by in a blur. Reporting Cambridge had apparently been a great idea, given that four other women came forward when the investigation started. It appeared he had no shame, ranging from grad student to freshman. Bella found herself suddenly very grateful that Mikaela did not share the same academic interests and was very far away. A, paid, week off work, then she was back to working with people who actually cared about science instead of staring at her ass.

More than that, it had changed things with her relationship. One shitty day had let them both open up a little and things were... great. Bella could not think of a single time she had wanted to spend this much time with someone. And it was not even about sex. They found a comfort with each other, and Mikaela talked more each day, even if the quiet moments were just as sweet.

Not that they were not having sex. They had yet to match the frenzy of that night, but it had set a standard. Both of them were learning about the other, and they were eager to learn everything. Bella slowly let more and more of her desires show, and Mikaela had yet to dislike a single thing. She was beginning to worry that she might not be enough for the younger girl.

That was how they spent their winter break, testing and trying and smiling and laughing. Then, when classes started, it was like the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Bella wanted Mikaela so much, yet there was never enough. A week into classes, she was starving, despite seeing each other almost every day, despite always being the one providing the conversation. It was the wrong kind of quiet when they were apart.

-----

"I love you."

The words slipped out before she could even realize they were coming. It had been a soft sigh, a little stray thought as Mikaela grabbed her hand and hugged it close to her belly as they spooned, watching a movie on her laptop. Bella immediately wanted to die.

Mikaela did not respond, of course. She barely even seemed to breath in the seconds that followed. Bella knew that any reply would take time. Even providing an opinion on her food took time, and this seemed a little bigger. Normally, she let the quiet set in. Let her girlfriend think. Now, it was impossible to hold it in.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to." Bella said the words too fast again, wishing she could shove them back down. "No, I didn't mean I didn't mean it! I just don't want to freak you out. You don't have to say anything back."

The desire to keep going was strong, but Mikaela laced their fingers and squeezed. It was about as effective as having her mouth covered when it came to the other woman. So, Bella shut her mouth and went just as still. Waited for the silence to break. She would give Mikaela all the time she needed.

The movie went on, the entire plot playing out as they just stayed glued together, Mikaela gripping her hand tight. There were points where it felt like she would explode from trying not to address it. But, the women in her arms barely shifted, kept her eyes on the screen. When the credits finally rolled, it was hard to focus on anything, her eyes heavy from the mental exhaustion of all the imaginary conversations she had instead of actually watching.

Bella was asleep before she realized, eyes opening to a dark room with no one in her arms. There was no Mikaela to be found, not in her bed and not in the apartment.

Everything felt like it was spinning, like she had just tripped and the world would come up to greet her. There was pain lingering somewhere close, waiting for the confirmation. All she could think to do was check her phone, a few notifications on the screen, but nothing from Mikaela. It had only taken a few seconds to ruin everything.

With a long sigh, Bella threw herself onto the bed, light spilling out of her laptop as she woke it from sleep. Brightness burned for a moment, but something caught her eye. Rubbing the blindness away, she read the open text document on the screen.

I can't think of what to say, but hearing it made me happy. Text me when you wake up.

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 12

Everything was going into meltdown. Mikaela knew she was going into a spiral before it began, but had no way of stopping it. Dr. Ford had given her a few useful tips. A few exercises to deal with the big feelings when they felt like they were swallowing her up. However, their session was a lot less productive when she managed to say maybe three full sentences in an hour. Why did everything have to happen at once?

It was ridiculous, like always. First, Bella had said she loved her. Great news, made her feel like there was a happy bomb exploding in her chest. Unfortunately, it also made every single word in her brain evaporated and the idea of seeing Bella become a massive source of anxiety. Because, she probably felt the same way, wanted to say it back. But, she had never loved anyone romantically before and it felt silly and desperate and clingy to say it just short of two months into her first relationship. So, she had been avoiding Bella for a few days, which felt like shit.

Then, not one, not two, but three of her classes had a presentation in the syllabus. Two group and one solo. All three made her want to throw up and they were weeks away. Everything was gripping her tight in her chest and creating so much chaos that she had just... shut down. Barely said anything. She still texted Bella, but it took minutes, hours, to come up with a reply. Somehow, she had not been dumped. Not yet.

When the weekend finally came around, a full five days since they had last seen each other, Mikaela knew she was at an impasse. Either she confronted all of the things in her head, or she lost the person who had completely flipped her life on its head. If that was the only choice, she would push everything down as hard as she could and deal with it. And that was how she ended up staring at Anya for an absurd amount of time. There was no way she did not know what was happening. No way Bella had not shared.

"Finally ready to talk, scarecrow?" Anya looked up from her homework, an incomprehensible jumble of letters and numbers.

Or maybe Bella had not told her. Mikaela suddenly felt all the doubts creeping back up. Maybe Bella did not care. Maybe this was all just her problem. She should just let it pass and see if she eventually got over it, asked Mikaela to come over again. That would be easier. Safer.

"I need you to make me look sexy." The words were out before she could stop them, free to ruin her life.

Anya grinned like a mad scientist, putting her book and worksheet aside to immediately jump off the bed. "Oh, babe, I have been waiting for you to ask me for a makeover since you started actually liking someone."

-----

It turned out Bella had been waiting very patiently. At least, that was what Mikaela got from immediate reply telling her to come over whenever. Had her social girlfriend been hiding away and watching for a text? Anything? Those thoughts were too dangerous. Made her feel guilty. No, she would focus on the one thing she had been able to give Bella.

After Anya declared her tits a lost cause, not to be mean, but because nothing she owned would fit them, they had focused on her stronger assets. Which, according to the blonde, was her ass and her legs. The skirt she had offered was an immediate no, so they had gone with black leggings, rolled multiple times at the waist to make them actually fit. Surprisingly, they sculpted to her body rather well, and even she had to admit her butt looked pretty good.

The rest was for wow factor. Cleavage may have not been on the menu, but skin was. This time, Anya spent her time digging through Mikaela's tops until she found a rather flimsy tank top, too thin and tight for her to even sleep in it. Had she realized she owned it, she would have thrown it out. After a back and forth about whether she should put something over it, Anya had convinced her to just wear a cardigan and actually button it. Make it a surprise. The fact that her bare skin was visible all the way down to her chest was mortifying, but worth it.

She had planned to wear her contacts, but Anya had practically screamed in protest. Instead, her purple frames sat on her face to "make her eyes pop". Makeup was denied as well. Whatever Bella saw in her, Anya claimed to understand it better than the redhead could. Something about sexy librarian was mentioned at least three times. But, that was what they decided on when Mikaela left.

She managed to last a whole five minutes without wanting to run back to the dorm and put on her sundress. Bella loved the sundress, always complimented it. It was safe. Only the eager text from Bella kept her going. She needed to fix this.

When she finally texted that she was outside, too afraid of her roommate answering to knock, Mikaela wanted to curl up and disappear. She had been terrible, yet there were still no words inside of her to make it right. Almost a week and she still had no reply. Why was this so fucking hard when everything else was so easy with Bella?

She was going to ruin everything. Bella was going to hate her. As the door began to open, she felt like she was ready to run. Then, Bella's face lit up and it just... happened.

"I love you!"

Mikaela froze at the sound of her own voice, hands tugging at her cardigan as she stared up at Bella, who looked confused at first. Then, her girlfriend's face went blank and everything felt wrong. She had waited to long. Bella was going to be angry. It seemed like she was from how she gripped Mikaela by the wrist and dragged her through the apartment. They were in the familiar bedroom, door slammed behind them, when Mikaela got her reply.

She gasped at the sudden impact of her body against the door, ready to be yelled at. Instead, Bella crushed her against the wood, first with her body, then with her mouth. It was a kiss unlike anything they had shared before. Mikaela would have said it lacked sweetness, lacked the warmth and affection they normally shared, but that was all still there. It was just hard to recognize it through the bottomless need and hunger. Maybe she had not ruined everything.

Greedy hands moved down to squeeze her ass, which prompted Bella to moan into her mouth. Clearly, she had not immediately noticed the outfit she had pieced together. From the way she was lifting Mikaela off the floor, she did not. So, Mikaela just wrapped her legs around the older girl, did the same with her arms, and let the storm come.

They kissed for an eternity, tongues and teeth and Bella taking breaks to bite her lip, her ear, her throat, just so they could catch their breath. Her lips would be bruised, she could already tell. It was not until she instinctively rolled her hips, grinding against Bella, that her girlfriend stopped.

With surprising ease, Bella carried her over to the bed, collapsing on top of her and continuing the kisses on her neck like she was an oasis and Bella was dying of thirst. Before she realized it, Mikaela was moaning. Loudly. Her body melted into the mattress and she felt like everything was liquid. Then, Bella bit her right at the curve of her shoulder, making her arch and moan again, surprised at how good the mix of pain and pleasure felt. That was what made them finally breaking apart, though her legs stayed locked around Bella's waist.

"You didn't have to say it back. I just missed you like crazy. You know that, right?" Bella was panting, eyes wild.

Mikaela tried to come up with words. She really did. But, even their normal pauses would not help her figure out what to say. She could tell that her brain was uninterested in trying. So, she just nodded vigorously. She knew, but she needed to say it. Meant it. From the look in Bella's eyes, which only grew more ravenous at that, she suspected that clothed were about to be coming off.

Instead, she flopped onto her side, taking Mikaela with her so they were both beside each other. Bella stared at her and slowly it all melted away. A nice, soft kiss followed, and it took Mikaela's breath away. She stared at the older girl, unsure what was happening. When Bella kissed the tip of her nose, Mikaela whimpered, a pleased and needy noise.

"Should I just expect you to not talk for the rest of the night?" It was surprisingly gentle and Bella only laughed when Mikaela nodded again. "I'm just going to stare at you for a while, okay?"

Mikaela nodded, looking Bella over at the same time. She was gorgeous, just like always, but Mikaela could see dark circles under her eyes, could tell she had not been sleeping. The fact that it was all her fault made her want to cry. But, her voice was locked away in her brain and all she could think of was physical comfort. So, she slipped her hands under the t-shirt Bella wore, palms sliding over her belly, then back down her ribs. They ghosted against the bottom of her breasts, no bra to be found, and the little shudder Bella gave went right to her core.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Bella just smiling while Mikaela touched all over. Her fingers trailed up and down Bella's spine, cupped her ass, even moved up to stroke a thumb over her cheek. But, finally, she pulled them back to herself and began to mess with the big buttons of her cardigan, pulling it open. That drew Bella's eyes down, which made her give a big stupid grin.

"Are you trying to seduce me, you little gremlin?" Bella's voice turned husky. Apparently it was working.

When Mikaela nodded again, Bella practically slammed her down to the bed, like she had been waiting, been thinking about what she would do for the last five days.

"I guess I should punish you for making me wait, then."

 

[Lady Jace Beleren]

Chapter 13

Punishment may have been an exaggeration. But, Bella found herself to be in a certain kind of mood again. Maybe this was just their love language or something. When they struggled to communicate, they just fucked. It was healthy enough if both of them enjoyed it, right? She might ask her future psychologist, but Mikaela had gone non-verbal in response to being overwhelmed. The word punishment had done little to shake her, though, and all the redhead was doing was staring up from underneath Bella, eyes wide with something like excitement.

"Kay, you are so fucking cute. Where did you even find that spaghetti strap tank top?" Bella knew she was staring right back, grinning like an idiot.

Mikaela bit her lip adorably and finally managed to turn away. That was what Bella wanted to see. While she had no intention of doing something her girlfriend would not like, she wanted to push, to find every little thing that she enjoyed, even if the younger girl did not know she enjoyed it until she tried. So, she pushed that skimpy top up, dragging the bra with it. Mikaela, good girl that she was, lifted her arms without complaint. Bella almost moaned when she saw how hard those pale nipples were.

"Excited? Did you miss me while you made me wait? That seems silly." Her hands found Mikaela's nipples even as the other girl nodded in reply.

At least she felt silly about it all too, even as she moaned and arched her back. This time, though, she seemed to fight closing her eyes. Wanted to look at Bella even as her breathing went ragged immediately. The redhead licked her lips and squirmed, seemingly trying to fight against her own thoughts. Bella would have been okay with just letting her enjoy it, but Mikaela finally opened her mouth to say one word.

"Kiss..."

Bella purred for her cute girlfriend even as she leaned down and met her lips with hungry abandon. It was one thing to know Mikaela wanted it, despite her silence. It was another to have her ask for something like a kiss when every word was so hard. The squeaky moan that escaped into her mouth had Bella feeling her core ache immediately. This girl was oxygen. Bella would die without her. So, she kissed her, told her with her lips how vital she was now.

Mikaela kept her hands knotted in the sheets for all of three seconds before they tangled into Bella's hair, a thumb brushing over her undercut in a way that made her want even more. It was hard to tell who was moaning more as they mixed them in each other's mouths, starved for each other even as they devoured. Eventually, Bella got her thoughts together enough to drift a hand down and make little circles around one of those pebbled nipples, which finally sent her girlfriend over the edge into pure desperation.

The redhead was lifting herself, trying to get more contact. But, Bella took her teasing hand and used it to push her back down. They were doing this her way. And right now, there was one thing she needed.

"Want me to ride your face, Kay?" The look she got in return was so cute, wide eyed and surprised, but the nod was so enthusiastic it turned her molten.

Bella pulled her t-shirt off and threw it across the room, only to find Mikaela pulling at the elastic of her pajama pants. It made her giggle and roll off, letting Mikaela peel her pants and panties off. Something about how eager her shy girlfriend got when it came to her body was so arousing that she knew she was already wet. Once she was completely bare, Bella moved to straddle her, this time facing away.

Mikaela had been on the receiving end of this position a few times now and Bella happened to know she loved every second of it. To support her claims, the redhead squeezed her ass greedily and plunged her tongue inside like Bella was her favorite meal. From inexperienced and shy to working her tongue in ways that had Bella immediately grinding against her. What caught her off guard was when Mikaela pulled her down harder, changing the angle of her hips so that her tongue could stroke over Bella's asshole.

That sent lightning down her spine, making her arch and squeeze Mikaela's thighs for dear life. They had tried a few little things, mostly focused on her girlfriend, but Bella had not really mentioned how much she liked being touched there. It seemed that the shy little monster had figured it out on her own, given how many toys she owned. So, while Mikaela spread her ass and licked her mercilessly, Bella could only think to slide a hand between her legs and stroke her fingers over her soaked slit. It was only when a small hand tapped at her hip that she realized Mikaela wanted something.

Lifting herself, she turned to look, afraid she was smothering her. The dazed look in her eyes was assurance that was not a problem. Instead, she got another word, this one gasping and needy. "Toys."

Bella practically flew over to her drawer, grabbing both of the bags and tossing them to the bed. It had been so fucking good, but those whimpered single word requests were so good that she could never say no. Mikaela seemed to know exactly what she wanted, though, pulling out a medium sized plug. That had Bella almost shivering. When had she turned her sweet girlfriend into a horny monster?

Watching Mikaela put it into her mouth to wet it did something to her stomach, making it flutter with excitement. Neither of them seemed to want to wait, though. So, she immediately straddled her again, leaning forward to give Mikaela access to what she wanted. Between her own wetness, the attention she had gotten from Mikaela's tongue, and the saliva covering the plug, it took surprisingly little pressure for the small tip of the plug to give way to the wider middle. It had been a while since she tried it, and the feeling of being stretched, the little buzz of pleasure in her nerves, the pressure in her cunt, it all felt so much better than she remembered.

The fact that Mikaela did not wait to even slip it in completely before she pressed her tongue against Bella's clit made it even better. It took only a few seconds for her to start grinding against it, leaning forward while her back arched. Her body was already shivering with pleasure, but her orgasm was already crashing down on her before she realized it. Then, because she knew every detail of her body, Mikaela gripped the base of the plug and tugged it, giving her one more surge of pleasure that had Bella shaking as she almost screamed, shoving her hand over her mouth so that her roommate did not have to listen to her cum.

Normally, she saved her own pleasure for the end of their time together, so her orgasms were followed by time to relax. From how Mikaela was squirming under her, she needed to give her something or she would go insane. Or, maybe she wanted more, given how she felt that little tongue stroke over her clit, making the oversensitive nerves fire off rapidly. Bella had to throw herself off, worried that Mikaela might try to pin her down.

"No way. It's your turn now, you little gremlin." Bella knew she was grinning again, especially when Mikaela just playfully licked her lips. "I want to try something new for you. Want me to fuck your pretty little ass?"

Mikaela immediately went from pale to pink, flushed all the way down to her chest. However, Bella knew that face. Mikaela immediately shook her head if she did not want something. So, she grabbed the other bag of toys, pulling out her harness and lube. The fast rise and fall of Mikaela's chest showed she definitely wanted this, but was nervous to try. So, Bella pulled out the wand as well.

When the redhead turned over, lifting her hips and showing off her curvy rear hugged tight by the yoga pants. The slow sway of her ass was absolutely delicious. Once she had her harness ready, Bella grabbed the waist of her pants and tugged them down, practically drooling at the way her panties stuck to her drenched cunt. Without thinking, she brought her hand down hard on that perfect ass, which earned a soft moan from Mikaela despite the red handprint immediately starting to show.

Had she ever spanked Mikaela that hard? It made her wonder, but she was too impatient to leave any kind of prep to wait. So, she poured lube over that cute little asshole that had teased her so many times now. And, when she started to stroke her fingers over the little entrance, she brought the other hand down again, harder. That one earned a small squeak, but absolutely none of it sounded unhappy.

"Do you like it when I hurt you a little, Kay?" The whimper in reply was all the confirmation she needed. "Should I hurt you a little more?"

Mikaela whimpered again, but the purr in her throat mixed with it, showing how excited she felt. Lifting to her knees, she pushed a finger into Mikaela's ass, this time getting a moan. Fuck, she loved her horny little gremlin. Working her finger back and forth, she slowly slipped it out before pressing the head of her toy against her ass. Mikaela pushed back, gripping the sheets until Bella pushed the wand against her hand.

A soft buzz filled the room and Mikaela let out a slutty moan immediately after, rolling her hips against the head of the toy as Bella pushed more and more. And, when the tip finally started to spread her open, finally slipped inside, the wild sounds she heard made Bella grip her ass on both sides, feeling her own tight hole squeeze around the plug still inside.

"Ready?"

Mikaela gasped and pushed back, her hips moving in a little circle, trying to push against the wand and force Bella deeper inside. "Yeeees!"

Bella pushed the toy in deep and hard, and this time when Mikaela whimpered, there was genuine pain in it. She could see Mikaela's little ass squeezing around the toy, fluttering as it tried to push the silicone cock out. The gremlin herself, though, was pushing back, forcing it deeper. She was shivering, and a small sniffle told Bella she was crying, but she showed no resistance.

"When did you get so kinky, Kay? Want me to fuck you?" Bella's voice was rough and husky, ending in a gasp as Mikaela nodded hard against the mattress.

Any worry she had about her girlfriend not liking it were dispelled as soon as she began to pull back. Mikaela moaned loud, ending in a shuddering whimper. And the sound repeated as she began to move back and forth, adding a little more lube as she found the rhythm. It only made it easier, made the moans a little more greedy. So, Bella added spanks, painting her ass red while she fucked the tiny hole as it tried to squeeze the toy for dear life.

It took so little time for Mikaela to start shaking with pleasure, to start bucking her hips as she reached orgasm, it almost made Bella disappointed. The idea of making her gremlin get off on pain was just so good that she did not want to stop. Which was why she gasped in delight as Mikaela only started to go faster, pushing the toy in to the base as she whimpered and cried again. The second orgasm followed immediately, maybe just one long orgasm in the end.

Mikaela let Bella fuck her ass for one more groaning and whimpering orgasm before she finally collapsed onto the bed, wand still wedged between her thighs, making her twitch more. Bella rolled her onto her side and kissed her shoulder, her neck, her ear, purring.

"My butt hurts..." Mikaela's exhausted words had Bella giggled like an idiot.