As another day unravelled with soft morning light casting shadows in Billie's home, adorable quiet snores coming from the women herself was circulating in the room. Cordelia had plucked herself out from camping the night in the other woman's couch, had an early shower to wash off the trace from last night.
In the lobby, Cindy stood next to the front desk, from incessant tapping of her foot on the floor to the frequent glance on her watch the girl was becoming more impatient.
For the sixth time over the last ten minutes, the lady in charge at the front desk ringed Billie, "This isn't necessary, really. I'm her assistant. I've been here and the last time it wasn't this strict."
"I am truly sorry for the inconvenience Ma'am but we're just following the protocol. One of our tenant, was robbed last week and due to that, we needed to be more thorough on who gets into the building."
Shortly after that, (y/n) arrived, "Hey there Susan, good morning." The girl chimed with a petty perky tone.
"Likewise, Ma'am." The lady briefly smiled. "Oh hey, Cindy." She said upon noticing the redhead.
"Looks like we're going to be stuck together for some time." Cindy muttered,
"Why?"
"Mrs Howard's not answering the call. I can't get in without her permission."
"That's a bummer." She made a sorry face. "I'll wake her up then." With an open mouth, Cindy watched (y/n) stroll away with two coffee in hand heading to the elevator.
"How come she doesn't get to wait like I do?"
"Mrs Howard gave her the privilege."
"Huh." Cindy sighed, pouting her lips in annoyance.
Inside the apartment, she was welcomed by Cordelia who was getting started with breakfast in Billie's kitchen. "Hey, I got you coffee."
"You're sweet, thank you." Cordelia reached out to grab one from (y/n). "She's not up yet is she? Her assistant is in the lobby looks like she's going to throw a tantrum very soon." Laughing lightly the woman shook her head and pointed at Billie's bedroom.
Cordelia resumed her work behind the counter, "I'm cooking. How well you like your egg cooked?"
"Scramble is good for me."
"Okay then."
"Thanks... uh, I'll go wake her up." The door was ajar, her eyes quickly finding the woman on her bed rolled up to her side, a wrong turn would send her to the floor. The bed was a mess, and pillows reached the bottom of the bed and one somehow ended up on the floor. "Howard, get up!" she commanded but there was no response, she then walked over to the blinds over the tall windows, opening them widely so more lights could come through and would possibly wake the woman.
And it successfully did within seconds, groaning Billie rolled, luckily she didn't roll to the edge, mapping the bed blindly with one hand until she came in contact with the soft material of her pillow she took it and cover her head, "Don't be a child!" (y/n) laughed at Billie's action. Several attempts later, she had herself spooning the woman, but not intimately, she was pestering her.
Billie tightly held onto the pillow over her head, "Fifteen minutes more!" she begged groaning and fighting the younger woman from taking her pillow.
"You're a grown ass woman! You have work to do, you don't get to indulge yourself with another fifteen minutes of sleep while Cindy is down in the lobby ready to kill Susan for holding her hostage! Now get up!" and that earned a chuckle from Billie, "What's funny? Why are you laughing?"
In defeat, the older woman removed the pillow and faced (y/n) who was incredibly close to her. Stunned, (y/n) broke into a smile picking a piece of hair and tucking it to the back of Billie's ear. "Now I want that fifteen minutes too... just staring at you."
Billie smirked, leaning on and as soon as her nose touched (y/n)'s and the younger one closed her eyes expecting for a morning make out Billie grabbed a pillow and smacked it over (y/n) before scurrying off like a kid to her bathroom. "You're a jerk you know!"
A little later, Cindy was called in and she was more than eager to get in the elevator. The girl didn't wait to settle herself, she walked to where Billie was, "Hey...I just got a call from Claire, she said she's resigning. Is that true?"
Billie was silent for a moment, "Why would she call you and not me?" since Claire had left for her maternity leave, Billie and her previous assistant hadn't had a chance to talk and now she heard about the woman's resignation through another one's mouth. "Ooh something is fishy" (y/n) commented in a whisper looking eye to eye with Cordelia.
It was impossible, Claire had worked for five years with Billie, in fact she was the only assistant that was tough enough to last that long for her. They became closer, Claire knew her and how she worked, and well Billie enjoyed her company and service. She practically ruled scheduling and fixing things when the ends didn't meet for the other woman, she made the impossible be possible.
"Now that is...impossible." Concerned, Billie grabbed her phone. "I tried to call her too...but I can't reach her. She must have changed her number or something." Cindy quickly informed her. Billie remained unresponsive.
"Does that mean I get to be a regular now? Like I'm your personal-personal assistant?" it was uncharacteristic of Claire to just leave her work without a proper closure or even a form of resignation letter.
The day went on for everyone, Billie internally stick a note on her mind to contact Claire in the end of the day. After breakfast, (y/n) left for school and Cordelia had her things packed up, ready to go back home.
In the end of the day, the girl stopped by in a hardware store picking herself up some extra locks for the window and door. (y/n) was completely not taking any chances to have William barging and breaking in. was hard, always preparing for the worst but she knew this was her life now.
For the following days the couple had successfully avoided any contact with William, not that William tried to reach out. Which was kind of odd according to the older woman but they were thankful for each day that they hadn't seen his face at all. Billie knew her soon to be ex-husband's words were nothing more than an empty threat and that settled the worry in the girl's mind for now.
Within those days, she noticed something that alarmed her, a man looking rugged with an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth started to ask her about William every after school outside the apartment Building. First time she knew it was already strange, out of all why would the man ask her unless he knew she lived across the hall from William's place. She thought it was about her, a few times she purposely held back herself from coming home early and just staying in the library where she knew she was safe.
Then one night, just a little past six, as she practically jogged on the streets the same man greeted her, "Have you seen William?" Politely she shook her head, it was better to give them the answer than ignore them, "I have not, Sir. Not for a while now." She bit the tip of her tongue, prying away her fear.
"Okay then, have a nice night." It was always like that. After she got asked, the man wouldn't care bothering her anymore.
She could not speak about it, not that she was trying to keep it to herself, there was nobody she trust enough, not a friend outside the school or anyone to confide to. She was getting scared, she wanted to tell Billie and was Billie was out of the City working. She couldn't tell her through phone calls, she knew Billie would be worried sick and later on, Billie's back guarding her like a leech. But as soon as Billie was back, she knew she had to inform the other woman.
The eighth day, she walked as fast as she could, keeping her eyes open for anyone who was looking suspicious. The building was becoming, closer and her feet seemed to slow down. She was scared.
But then there was no man at all. She was in close proximity yet no one asked her about Billie's estranged husband. She thought it was over until someone pulled her from riding the elevator. "Shh!" she was hushed before she could scream her lungs out in fear she was getting kidnapped. "Waney?" she said in surprise holding a hand to her chest.
"Come with me." The first floor of the building was a rundown bookstore, it was the old man's precious place. Putting the pieces together, (y/n) had a feeling the old man knew something otherwise he would not stop her from going to her apartment when the man didn't appear today.
____
In her trailer, Billie was getting ready to shoot the finale of the episode. She may not be holding a rosary in her hand to show her faith but the woman prayed, it was the first time again after almost a year when she was inside the Hotel Cortez for the last time. The energy here was too strong, the spirits were too angry to make friends with their guests and this had been a great excuse for Cindy to not leave her Boss' side. Not that Billie asked her to always keep her accompany, hell, the woman could managed and bring herself to sleep alone in the middle of the woods where they camped.
From her peripheral view, she caught Cindy staring at her intensely. She paid no heed and continued to do her make up this time, soon enough she was called to the place, they had to finish before the sun set.
It took them longer than they anticipated, the crew quickly set up lights as the place were swallowed by the darkness, the woods behind them were becoming frightening, it seemed alive. Each crew had a handy emergency flashlight attached to their belt loop. They were almost finished when all of a sudden the lights went off. Billie counted, it was ten seconds then the light went on. Everyone was shaken, there was nothing wrong with their generators and equipment it was the place scaring them to go away.
Incidents like this had happened especially the first day, a crew got pushed by an invisible force and knocked their head on a rock, stuffs went missing, rocks getting thrown over their trailers at night. It was a no joke that this place was a monster itself, and the Blood moon didn't have to be present so what more if they could witness it themselves.
Everyone was eager to leave the set, the place was hunting, much intense than any places they had visited, so as soon as the lights went on again they ushered out of the tunnel where Billie swore she saw a shadow of a young girl.
She was immediately greeted by Cindy, holding her flashlight on even though they were surrounded by lights. "When are we leaving?" she was shaking and Billie feel bad for the girl, Billie brought a hand to the redhead's arm comforting the young woman. "It's unsafe to drive now, so tomorrow as soon as the sun is up." She informed her giving the girl a pat on her shoulder as she walked past her.
"Okay... could I um, at least spend the night with you? I don't think I'd be able to sleep alone after what happened tonight." Cindy had never complained about not being able to sleep for last couple of nights, the lady could steal a nap while standing, or in the middle of an important discussion. And mostly, through those nights, the light went on and off too...
"Aren't you sharing one with Dianne? One of the crews?"
"Yeah but she snores and during the night, Don comes over..."
"Okay. Grab your things and go to my trailer."
The little squeal she heard sent her some second thoughts about her decision but soon she waved it off, it was only for the night nothing bad could possibly happen.
Removing off the makeup with make up remover pads was easy considering she only put light make up on, concealing the little blemishes she had and the half circles under her eyes. Slipping on a cardigan, as it tend to get pretty chilly in the night and some sweats she stole from her girlfriend.
"Billie?" she opened the door, "I meant Mrs Howard... but if it's okay if I call you by your first name then..."
"Whatever Cindy just get in."
Cindy settled in couch with the rest of her stuff. Billie came out from the small bedroom with a pillow seeing Cindy didn't bring any, "I hope you brought your own blanket."
"Oh! I forgot, but it's okay it's not that cold for me. I have a sweater, I'll survive the night." There was no response, she took the pillow from the woman and hugged it close, secretly sniffing the material that covered the pillow hoping Billie had used it but then it smelled like it was fresh, not a faint smell of Billie.
"Don't worry, that's unused..."
"Oh, no, no, no I was actually hoping you've used it... it's fine."
Amused, Billie's eyebrow quirked, "mhmm, well have a good night."
"Actually wait, I brought some goodies..." The woman's eyes widened to see a six pack of beer from Cindy's bag, she may not have packed a blanket but she had beers in her bag, it must have taken the space for a blanket...
"It's maybe not what you typically drink but it's something... it's better than nothing and I think... you'd like to get loose a little. It's the last night so... we're kind of celebrating?" she held the beers in her hands, smiling over Billie.
"Okay, just one." Billie caved in, telling herself that it was okay if she would only be having a bottle.
Five bottles down later, and now Cindy was on her fifth, she started to look at Billie the way she did before. Billie kept true to her word, after a bottle she stopped drinking and she suggested the girl should too but she kept opening them and drinking them like it was water, it was now thirty minutes past eleven and she was really tired.
About to get off the couch Cindy's cold hand caught her wrist, "Wait, don't go yet." Billie shook her hand off, taking a few step away.
"I've always admired you... you're so... beautiful." She slurred, wrinkling her nose at Billie, "You're drunk, you should get some sleep."
"I was hoping I'd sleep with you! On your bed!" the girl chuckled getting up but she almost tripped. Billie caught her on instinct, "You can kiss me, I know you want to." The drunk girl boldly said leaning her face over Billie's but Billie was quick to back up.
"You're out of your mind." She muttered before closing the door.
"Oh please! I know you're into women! I can feel it. I'm a good kisser..."
___
After the long flight, Billie was back home in her City, she took off as soon as it was five in the morning. She had one of the crew dropped her off to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. She left Cindy there, snoring on her couch with beer bottles around her, not a note was left behind neither a text message.
Cindy disrespected her, she thought they were getting along well she almost admitted to herself that Cindy wasn't that bad at all.
She sighed in exhaustion, when she got off the car "Can you take my luggage up to my unit? I'm really tired..."
"Of course." Gery simply replied and followed the woman shortly with her belongings.
"Thank you, Gery."
The familiar warmth of her home soon cradled her but then her eyes widened upon the sight of her girlfriend curled on the couch, shuffling in her sleep, she woke up from Billie's footsteps.
"Sweetheart, I... why didn't you tell me you were here?" she sat on the spacious couch, resting a hand on the girl's bicep
Squinting and adjusting her vision she looked at Billie and said, "Hey there... you look terrible."
The woman only chuckled, "My bed's more pleasing than here, care to snuggle with me?"
"Oh you just want to sleep with me."
"I do, now come on. My body is craving for a good sleep."
Billie simply meant sleep and not sex... which was an odd thing nevertheless she enjoyed Billie's body pressed against her and arm looped around her waist. As soon as Billie's body landed on the bed her mind shut down, falling into deep sleep.
"I love you." (y/n) muttered, continuing the nap that Billie disrupted during her arrival.
A/N: phew... this chapter got a bit longer. hope y'all enjoyed all the drama. tell me ur thoughts, i'd like to hear them (read). see ya in the next chap!