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'I want you in my bed. Naked and writhing under me.'

Jarias had gotten what she'd wanted. In more ways than one.

At some point in the night they had drifted apart, and Vanessa had ended up with almost all of the covers. She slept soundly on her side, undisturbed by dreams, curls of dark fire fanned out around her head. There was a subtle curve to her lips- just a hint of a smile. Her heart was light inside her chest, beating contentedly. She felt peaceful. Satisfied. Happy in a way that she could not remember ever feeling before.

Vanessa stirred when Jarias bumped her, but did not wake. Not right away. She was vaguely aware of a warm body nearby, and of the hand that followed the curve of her side. Smiled just a little bit wider because of the other things that hand had done.

It was the empty space beside her and the sound of the running wate that woke Vanessa, at last. She roused slowly, stretched like a cat in Jarias's bed. Froze when she opened her eyes and did not immediately recognize the ceiling, or the walls, or the blankets that she'd stolen from her partner.

Vanessa made a soft sound, turned towards the bathroom. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, gazed after Jarias's long, bare legs with a playful smirk on her lips.

Oh, right.

"Morning." Vanessa sat up, gathered the covers around her chest. The night came back to her in a rush of memory. Vodka. Ron Burdundy. Shots. Kisses in the dark. Kisses in the car. Kisses in the bedroom. She could not help blushing, but looked pleased with herself. And with Jarias, too.

The little kiss was unexpected, and also far from unwelcome. Vanessa's heart fluttered. Something tightened in her belly. She closed her eyes. Brushed the side of Jarias's jaw with her fingertips. Smiled against her lips.

"No headaches, no," Vanessa murmured once she'd found her voice again. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks, and then she was opening her eyes to search the other woman's face. They flickered from her lips to the bruise that darkened an otherwise porcelain complexion.

She bit her lip, tilted her head to get a closer look.

"Does that hurt?" She moved her hand, let her fingers hover over the wound, but did not touch. It was only a bruise, but Vanessa remembered that Jarias had earned it in the bar by guiding her out of harm's way. Vanessa swallowed, wished that she could heal the mark with a kiss. Would have taken it and worn it for her, if she could.

"Thank you," she said, smiling again. Vanessa gestured at the wall with a hand. "For what you did last night."

She referred specifically to the moment that Jarias had nudged her out of danger, but started to laugh, a little bit embarassed, when she realized that it could be interpreted other ways. Jarias was a strong, beautiful, capable woman. She had proven as much over and over again during the night. Vanessa was quick to affection, but too used to her lovers distancing themselves after something like this to let it go to her head. She did not anticipate an invitation to stay, but stole another kiss anyways.

Because it was fun. Because Jarias had a lovely mouth. Because she did not want to go.

Of course she could have handled herself. As Sailor Vulcan, she had fought with the senshi of the Blood Moon Court. She had knelt before Tanzanite for her sins. She had given herself to the Volcano and been made new again. But that wasn't the point.

It wasn't everyday someone was willing to take a punch for her. Of course, Jarias had just been doing her job. Vanessa knew that. She glanced around the room, wondered how often Jarias invited women up to the VIP section of the bar. Told herself that it was none of her business.

None of her business at all.

"Breakfast would be awesome," Vanessa said, grinning wide at Jarias. She was charmed by the other woman's crooked smile- still lamented that she could not just kiss her cheek better. "And I guess I'll put clothes on if you really want me to."

She lingered under the covers for a moment, fingers curling into the sheets, gazing at Jarias with a lazy expression on her pretty face.

And then, bright eyes twinkling with mischief, Vanessa slid a calf out from underneath the blanket. She teased Jarias with a little show of leg, let the covers fall away from her thigh. Bit her finger to keep from laughing.

"Yeah, I like french toast."

Vanessa crawled out of bed after Jarias left her alone. Decided to take advantage of the empty bathroom and the shower. She had never gone home with anyone she'd met at a bar before, and was curious about the space that Jarias called home. She wanted to snoop- opened a dresser drawer, peeked inside, found some socks and then experienced a jolt of nervous guilt so strong she promptly closed it.

When she was sure that Jarias had not heard her, Vanessa twisted her hair into a bun. Held it in place with an elastic that she'd pulled from around her wrist with her teeth. She hummed to herself, and then went to examine herself in the mirror.

The scent of cranberry juice and alcohol was still faint on her skin. Her make-up was all but gone. There was a mark on her neck. She smiled, touched it gingerly. Remembered how much she'd liked being pushed up against the wall in the VIP room.

And then, still humming, Vanessa climbed into the shower.

When she found her way into the kitchen not fifteen minutes later, Vanessa was dressed in the tee-shirt and shorts that Jarias had so graciously shared with her. Her skin was soft and smooth. The curls at the nape of her neck slightly damp. She smelled of Jarias' body wash.

Leaning with her shoulder and her hip against the wall, Vanessa watched Jarias cook.

"It is sweet of you to do this," she said. "Anything I can do to help?"

But she was already opening the cupboards -curious, again- and looking for anything that Jarias might have forgotten to pull out.

There was so much about Jarias that was unexpected. The classical music. The compliments.

The invitation to stay.

'After the ride you gave me, I need the calories.'

A gentle blush lit up Vanessa's cheeks. She bit her lip, but was not embarassed. She was pleased, bright eyes glittering with the memories of the night they had shared. Vanessa had never been with a woman before. Had not anticipated that there would be breakfast, or more... more kisses...

Vanessa inhaled, heart fluttering, when Jarias found her neck with those lovely lips.

"I don't need coffee," she said, voice soft, lips quirking at the corners. If Jarias kept on kissing her like that, though, she might find herself having to take care of something else.

From the bedroom breakfast had smelled fantastic. In the kitchen it looked even better. Vanessa was torn between two of her favourite things- eating, and sex. She swallowed, cradled Jarias's face between her hands, lifted her lips for a kiss.

"Did you say the plates were in..." she pointed, smirked a little bit, ".. that cupboard?"

A breathless little chuckle slipped out from between Vanessa's parted lips when Jarias turned her towards the cupboard. She hooked an arm around the taller woman's neck, arching her back, pushing her hips gently back into Jarias's waiting hands. She gripped the countertop with her free hand and forgot that she was supposed to be collecting plates from the cupboard.

Vanessa craned her head over her shoulder so that she could press a kiss to the corner of Jarias's mouth. Took her bottom lip between teeth. Tugged.

"You are gorgeous," she agreed, smiling again because she seemed incapable of doing anything else around the elvish beauty who'd peeled her out of that silly Wonder Woman suit, and then given her something more comfortable to wear.

It was a moment before she remembered why Jarias had turned her around at all. Vanessa reached for the cupboard, collected two plates from inside. She held them delicately, ran her finger along the edge. "You like rainbows a lot, hey?"

An observation. No judgment. Vanessa bit her lip, thrilled quietly to herself over the little quirks that made Jarias who she was. The long hair with it's beautiful prism colours at the ends. The old car with it's playful decorations. The classical music.

They still knew so little about one another, but Vanessa supposed that they were no longer really strangers. She was glad.

Vanessa had not forgotten about Jarias's bruise. She had also not realized that tugging on her lip like that would cause Jarias pain. Her wince made Vanessa pale slightly with guilt. She pulled her arm away from Jarias's neck, was about to turn around and apologize when the other woman said that she was sorry instead. Vanessa thought that was silly, but sweet, and ended up comforted by Jarias's grin.

She let Jarias take the plate, fingers tingling where their skin made contact.

Jarias's story about life in Orange County intrigued Vanessa, who had never lived anywhere but Destiny City. Had never even visited California. She had stepped on the moon. She had visited planet War with Penthesilea. She had followed the vision of the naked woman up the side of the volcano, and brought planet Vulcan back to life.

The valley girl impression made her laugh. For Vanessa, Jarias's words conjured an image of live Barbie dolls walking around with their Kens, all of them dressed in pink and white and brown. For some reason, all of the Barbies carried parasols and the Kens spent a lot of time fixing their hair.

'Ah we can sit at the table, or we can sit in the living room if you want.'

Vanessa's gaze flickered from the table, to the living room, to the bedroom down the hall.

'Sorry, I talk a lot too, I hope you don't mind."

Vanessa smiled. She leaned over, pressed a delicate kiss to Jarias's good cheek. "Don't worry. I like it."

Vanessa was not ready to hope that Jarias would never stop talking to her, but she was touched that the other woman wanted to share stories with her at all.

"I bet you look cute in pink," she winked, and sauntered off to the bedroom. Without food. Without her plate. Without Jarias- but it was not long before Vanessa returned, one of the blankets from Jarias's bed tangled in her arms. She was careful not to let it drag on the floor.

"I think," she said, standing as though she was Julius Caesar addressing the citizens of Rome from the Rostra, "that we should have a picnic."

What did Jarias think? Vanessa twinkled happily at her, gestured at the floor in the living room with her head and a saucy little smirk on her face.