"Er... I'll pass." Celine gulps at Imane's shameless question. "Sorry..."
"Oh. Okay," Poki sighs.
As Celine slips on her shoes, Poki parts her lips to speak again but bites back her words.
"You ready?" Celine looks up.
"Mmhmm," Poki nods, keeping her lips firmly clamped together.
...
Celine starts the car and slowly drives out onto the road, settling in for the short drive.
Imane sits next to her, her posture rigid. The silence in the vehicle is broken only by the subtle clicks of Imane's nails against each other in her lap.
Celine glances over, identifying the source of the rhythmic sound.
"You ok?" she asks, returning her gaze to the road.
"Mmhmm," Imane mutters. The pressure on her chest tightens, and she squeezes her hands into fists, concealing them in her sweater pocket.
She closes her eyes, vainly attempting to ward away the shaky breath that was overtaking her lungs. She shivers with each exhale, and her face contorts in invisible agony.
Thoughts from every direction shatter her mind, and her labored breathing escalates into hyperventilation.
"Poki?" Celine whispers. "Are you sure you're ok?"
Imane turns to the window, discreetly wiping the tear that finally leaks from the corner of her eye. She blinks rapidly, forcing the rest back. Her knuckles turn white from the effort.
"...yes...no..."
She mutters inaudibly to herself, fearing what was coming.
Another tear emerges, but this time, she doesn't bother trying to stop it.
She barely notices Celine gasp as she finally catches a glimpse of her face. The intrusive thoughts filling her mind remain lingering far past their welcome, and just keeping herself together was becoming a Herculean task.
At least it feels that way until Celine's arms snake around her curled body and gently embrace her.
Imane gasps and looks up, finally realizing that the car was pulled over. Celine tilts her head up and looks closely at her, gazing into her glistening eyes.
"Is it happening again?" Celine quietly whispers, terrified, but putting on a brave face.
Imane nods, unable to meet her intense, caring eyes.
Celine finally pulls away, checking the road ahead.
"We're almost home. Do you want to stay in my room tonight?" she calmly asks.
Still staring into space, Imane nods.
"Hold on for just a little bit longer, okay? Then we'll get you nice and cozy in my room," Celine soothingly promises.
Imane remains deathly quiet.
...
"Lie down. I'll get you a glass of water." Celine watches Imane closely as she crawls onto the bed, still looking dazed.
Imane slowly lays herself flat, her face devoid of any emotion, but her stress evident from her fast, shallow breaths.
Celine pulls the blanket over Imane and runs her fingers through the brunette's long, curled hair.
The wrinkles in Imane's forehead relax into their usual smoothness as she feels Celine's warm fingers gently pressing against her scalp and trailing down her locks. She focuses on the feeling, centering it in her mind.
Celine thinks to herself, watching every flicker of emotion that passes over Imane's face.
It's been almost a month since this last happened...
Once she's settled down enough, Celine leaves for a moment, skipping down the stairs to get back as quickly as possible.
With a glass of water in hand, she runs back up and re-enters her room, seeing Imane lying as motionless as before.
"Thanks, Celine," Imane whispers, her breathing steadier, her gaze sharper.
Celine, reassured by the sound of her friend's voice, puts on a smile and hands Imane her drink.
"Can you stay here with me?" Imane asks.
"Always," Celine reassures her. "As long as you want."
Imane sets the glass down and lies her head back on a pillow, looking up expectantly at Celine.
Taking her cue, Celine slides into bed next to her, lying on an adjacent pillow. Imane rolls over, leaving their faces inches apart.
"I feel a little better already," Imane grins, a sight that warms Celine's heart from the depths of fear it was entrenched in.
A small punch of guilt strikes Imane as she notices Celine release a sigh of great relief.
"Good. You think you can get some sleep?" Celine smiles, placing one hand on Imane's cheek.
"If you kiss me goodnight," Imane smiles, revealing a hint of her usual self.
Celine scoots up an inch more, and Imane lowers her head to happily receive the kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight. Sweet dreams," Celine says, gently fluffing her pillow.
"Night, Celine," Imane replies. "Thank you..."
...
A smile grows on your lips as you look down at the woman lying on your chest, softly snoring.
"Miyoung..." You whisper, softly tapping her cheek. "You're adorable."
"Hmm...?" She snorts, inhaling sharply, then settles back down, her lips parting slightly as she smushes her cheek into your stomach.
The feeling of her soft skin makes you tingle a bit, and as you look down at her again, you realize once again how beautiful she is.
But soon enough, you have to get up. Leaving a groaning, half-awake Miyoung behind, you descend the stairs of your home, ready to retry making breakfast.
Just don't get distracted by anything this time, and it'll turn out great! Cooking can't be that hard.
As you land on the ground floor, a figure sprawled out motionless on the couch draws your attention.
Rae!
"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck..." You mutter, taking a step closer.
Using a pair of couch pillows as a blanket, Rae lies flat on the narrow sofa, one foot dangling off the edge.
You take another step forward, your thoughts screaming with regret. But as uncertainty tightens its grip, you quietly retreat.
I should let her rest. Interrupting her sleep just to apologize would be even worse.
Fuck, I can't believe I forgot about her! She must not have felt comfortable coming back up to join us.
You solemnly head to the kitchen, chastising yourself.
--
"Heylo~" Miyoung excitedly says, pouncing behind you and wrapping her arms around your torso. "Good morning!"
You giggle at her bubbly tone. "Morning! You seem pretty happy today." You grin, turning around to face her.
"Hey, I think you should leave breakfast to me," she says, finally looking over your shoulder to see what you're preparing. "I can do it!"
"Well, I-"
"I want to do it." She grabs your hands inexplicably.
"...eh..."
"...master."
She stares you in the eyes, earnestly excited.
"..."
"..."
"Okay," you finally squeak out, unable to think.
What the fuck has my life become... and why do I love it?!?
It's like she's a whole different person now!
"Yay!" She cheers.
You step aside to let her take over, still trying to wrap your head around the new dynamic between you two.
After giving you a proper peck on the lips, she gets to work with cooking, and you happily take a seat to admire her.
...
Miyoung sways her hips in a mini-dance as she brings the food to you, always finding another way to bring a smile to your lips.
"God, you'd make a great wife one day," you say.
She seductively bites her lip and sets the plate down with a flair of pride.
"One day? I'd make a great wife now," she squints.
"Oh? Are you suggesting something?" You play along.
"Mmm... smells really gooooood," Rae groans blissfully, stumbling into the kitchen.
"Rae!" You blurt, standing up.
"Huh?" She takes a step back, snapped awake. "Wha happened?"
"I'm so sorry about last night. Miyoung and I... we just forgot..." You say.
"Oh!" She slouches over again, waving it off. "Babe, if I wanted to sleep on the bed, I would've just crawled in next to you," she chuckles. "I know it's big enough. I just wanted you two to have some time to yourself..."
"Oh." You consider her words. "But why did you have to sleep on the couch? You look like you didn't get much sleep at all..."
"Yeah, I..." She trails off and finally shrugs. "It's ok."
"Well, since we didn't get to properly end our date yesterday," you start, "do you want to... uh..."
As usual, speaking directly about sex makes you flush, and Miyoung pinches your cheek between her small fingers, cooing at your cuteness.
"Baby..." Rae crosses her arms, shaking her head softly.
"What?"
"You have your next therapy appointment today! Don't you remember?" She pouts.
Oh.
"Eh... do I really have to go...?" You sigh.
"Hey!" Aria scoffs from behind you. "Your mental health is important! You need to take better care of yourself!"
"What the-!" Miyoung blurts, looking over your shoulder. "When did you get here?"
"YEAH!" Rae quickly adds her support, unfazed. "Your health comes first! Sex comes later!"
"Alright, alright!" You quickly relent, knowing they're right. "I'll go."
"Good! Take care of yourself, or we'll have to do it for you!" Rae stands her ground.
Your heart swells with secret pleasure at the genuine care of the women around you.
...
The unusually chilly air bites the exposed skin of your neck, slipping through your hunched shoulders and popped collar.
I didn't know it ever got chilly in LA. And so suddenly, too...?
You check your phone, furrowing your brows as the time ticks another digit forward.
Where is she?
You step back onto your porch and put one hand on the doorknob, prepared to escape back to warmth.
Suddenly, a loud honk blares from behind you, and you whirl around to find a familiar car abruptly parked at the curb.
How the hell...?
You walk toward the car, giving the girl inside a small wave.
"Hiiii!" She beams as you open the passenger door.
"Hey, Lily. I'm-"
Your eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. You give up on any attempt at speaking, and your gaze gorges on the sight before you.
"Um... are you ready to go?" She asks, shifting in her seat.
"Y-yeah!" You respond. "But... why are you so dressed up?" You mutter.
Even as you step into the car, your eyes are drawn back to the thigh-high black skirt revealing her slender, gorgeous legs, and her matching black top that fits her a little tightly. Her eye shadow is darker than usual, and her lips carry a richer shade of red. There are evident bags of fatigue under her eyes, but the makeup disguises it well.
She looks really good.
Wait, no! Don't think like that! She's my friend!
"I'm not dressed up!" She whines. "I just like looking nice! And fashionable!"
"..."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you probably don't know much about fashion, huh?" She quips.
"Haha," you laugh dryly, rolling your eyes. "At least I know how to dress for the weather. You look like you're freezing."
"Well, close the door then!"
You slowly oblige, dragging out your movements until a blast of wind makes her shiver, proving your point.
"You're immature," she pouts.
"You're immature," you reply, your wit reduced to the comeback level of a third-grader.
"No, you are!" She snaps back.
"Fine. We both are," you grin.
She tilts her head. "No, it's just you."
"Hey!"
...
The stale air of the office is noticeably stuffy, reminding you of all the reasons why you were here in the first place.
It doesn't feel very good to be back here, but I guess it's important.
"See you in an hour," Lily says, brushing her skirt down as she stands up. You keep your gaze far away from her legs as she walks to the door and disappears behind it.
Jeez, am I just horny or something? I have all these girlfriends, yet I'm looking at Lily...
I need to stop. We've been friends for so long - there's no way she'd want to be around me if I suddenly started seeing her sexually.
The door opens sharply, and out walks a familiar, unfamiliar figure.
Ah! It's her!
Donning the same pencil skirt, white button-up, and black blazer, the attractive blonde therapist you'd apparently once known walks out carrying a manila folder.
Her eyes bulge as she catches your gaze, and you can hear the gasp that escapes her lips.
Blinking rapidly, she beelines over to the receptionist, hands her the file, and walks back inside, nearly tripping over her heels to get inside.
Wow, again? You'd think she wouldn't be surprised anymore, but she still looks like a deer in headlights every time I show my face here...
"Ah, your therapist is ready for you now," the receptionist states.
...
Celine's eyelids resist the urge to part. She yawns deeply, slowly but surely awakening.
The smooth skin she's cuddling up to is addicting, and she snuggles closer, keeping her arm around the warm, curvy body keeping her company.
She snaps awake, leaning over to see Imane. Aside from a few dried tears that had left their mark last night, she looks as angelic as ever while asleep.
"You've been through so much lately. I can't imagine what's going on in your head..." Celine mutters, laying back down.
A series of gentle knocks resonates at the door.
"Celine?" A voice softly calls. "Are you awake?"
Celine maintains her silence, mindful that any response would rouse Imane. She eases out of bed, her steps cautious as she tiptoes toward the door and eases it open.
"Hey! Are you-"
Celine's finger swiftly meets her lips, an unmistakable hushed plea to Sydney.
Sydney opens the door an inch more to peek in, then nods her head apologetically as she sees the figure resting inside.
Emerging into the quiet hallway, Celine gently ushers the door to a close.
"Wow, I didn't know you two were getting along that well," Sydney smirks.
Celine's face tightens into a slight grimace. "Yeah..." She mutters, her lips pursed. "I guess so."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tease you," Sydney says. "You two can do what you want. I'll never judge!"
"...thanks, Syd." She manages a smile over the burden of keeping all of her feelings inside.
"Are you gonna make her breakfast?" She asks.
"Yeah, I probably will," she nods.
"Okay! Let me know if you need any help!"
...
Celine quietly swings the door open, keeping a watchful eye on the platter balancing on her right hand.
"Ah, you didn't have to..." Imane sighs, smiling gratefully as she eyes the plate. "Thank you."
Celine sets down the food with a grin. "Don't worry. You don't need to thank me."
"How can I repay you?" Imane asks, half-joking.
"..."
"..."
To her surprise, Celine doesn't brush off the question. She ponders it for a second, formulating her words.
"I want to see you get better. That would make it up to me."
"..."
Imane's lip starts to quiver, and she squeezes her eyes shut for a moment.
Celine instantly regrets her words. "Oh, no, I'm-"
"I'm trying," Imane squeezes out, opening her eyes again.
"I know, I know you are, baby..." Celine says, wrapping Imane in another tight hug. "And you're doing amazing."
"I thought I was..." Imane mutters.
"You might just need to sit down with them and have a hard conversation," Celine candidly speaks. "That's what's causing all this, right?"
"...I know. I'll have to find a way to talk to them again." Imane sighs, sinking into Celine's embrace.
"I believe in you." Celine's unfiltered honesty shines through, and Imane feels her eyes brimming with tears once more.
"...somehow, you always do," Imane whispers.
...
"Oh, could you drop me off at Tina's place?" You ask, scrolling through your phone.
Lily quickly changes the direction of the car's turn signal. "Yeah, sure."
Hopefully, Tina got a good nap in. I want to talk to her.
"Do you have plans?" Lily asks, glancing over.
"Well, not exactly. I was just hoping to hang out with Tina some more."
"Oh? Are you two dating now?" She asks, a little quieter.
"No, no!" You brush it off. "We're just... talking."
"Ok. What about the rest of them?"
"Huh?"
"The rest of the girls in that house: Sydney, Poki, and Celine. Are you dating them?" She pulls over in front of their driveway, then leans toward you curiously, letting her glasses slip down to the bridge of her nose.
"...why are you interested in this all of a sudden?" You ask, squinting your eyes.
Rolling her eyes, she sits back and puts her hands on the wheel.
"Wow. Okay, then. Keep your secrets..." She shakes her head and reaches for the gear stick.
"Hey, that's not what I-"
"You were never like this before," she says, continuing her over-the-top act.
"I- Wait, what?" You blurt.
Your tone catches her attention, making her gaze flick up to your face.
"What do you mean? How am I different than before?" You ask.
Your heart squeezes uncomfortably as Tina's words come back to you, clear as day.
"Yeah. I mean, of course you are. You're the same, but you're different."
Was she right? Have I changed so much?
"No, no!" Lily waves her hands in a panic upon seeing your reaction. "That's not what I meant! I'm joking!"
"...oh..." You sigh. "Ok. Well, I'll see you later. Bye, Lily." Your hand weakly waves as you step out of her car.
"Bye..." She waves, looking at you with concern. Her eyes follow you as you make your way to the doorstep, keeping your head lowered.
Her forehead furrows, her keen eagle eyes absorbing every detail.
A few seconds after you ring the doorbell, the door opens, and Celine quickly helps you inside, shivering from the blast of cold air.
The final few seconds you were in her car replays a few more times in Lily's mind before she finally grips the wheel once more and drives off.
...
"Thanks, Celine," you say.
"Of course. Are you here for someone?" She says, rubbing her arms to warm them up again.
"Yeah, Tina. I was hoping to talk to her," you reply.
"Oh. She's still knocked out, I think," she giggles.
"Ah, I was afraid of that," you smile. Celine's soft grin instantly warms you up, and you suddenly realize something else you need to do.
"Are you free right now?" You ask. "It's been a while since we've talked."
"Ah!" She blinks. "I... am?"
"..."
She glances up the stairs for a moment, and you follow her gaze to her bedroom, where the door hangs slightly ajar.
"If you're busy, I can just wait for Tina," you reassure.
"No, it's ok, I just think that someone else needs to talk to you more," she says.
You stare at her blankly, trying to decipher her words.
If not Tina, and not her, then...
Sydney? What could she want to talk about?
Now that I think about it, I haven't spoken to her since she ran out of the hospital.
"Oh..." You mutter, as your thoughts are confirmed by Sydney walking down the stairs with an energetic gait. "Hey, Sydney. You wanted to talk?" You mask your nerves with a calm smile.
"Oh, hi!" She beams. "Um, yeah, actually! I did want to talk. Great timing, haha," she smiles, leaning casually on the railing.
"Oh, that's not who I..." Celine gulps and cuts herself short.
"Do you want to head to my room?" She asks, not hearing Celine's soft mutterings.
"Sure!" You nod, following her to the stairs.
Celine glances up to her bedroom once more, staying quiet.
...
The strung-up lights catch your eye as you step into Sydney's room, bringing an awed smile to your face.
"Wow, I don't remember any of this being here!" You exclaim, twirling your head around. "It looks great."
"Ah, thanks! I've redecorated a bunch since you've been here." She giddily clasps her hands together, clearly a little more than excited to have you in her room. You're relieved that the tension from the hospital is seemingly gone.
Your foot lands on soft fabric, and you quickly lift it up, looking down.
"AH! Sorry!" She yanks the underwear off of your foot and tosses it wildly into the corner of the room, where it falls neatly into a hamper. She leans down to do the same for a few socks and shorts scattered around. "I normally clean up, I swear..." She mumbles, flushed.
"You're really cute when you're flustered," you chuckle.
"Stoooop," she turns away, glowing like embers. "Don't say that!"
"Aww, why not?" You tease.
"At least let me prepare a little more for your swooning!" She finally giggles along.
Satisfied with her cleaning, she flings herself onto her bed and curls her hand toward you.
You sit down beside her, taking her hand.
"What did you want to talk about?" You ask.
"Right! Um..." She sits up, naturally returning to her strong posture.
"Well, just... girlfriend stuff. Now that we're dating again."
Her tone seems void of all of the energy you'd come to expect from her, but you barely notice.
We're... dating.
Shit, I said yes to her too soon. Jodi convinced me to take it slow with the girls until I remembered why I broke up with everyone, but I'd already said yes to Sydney...
"So..." She starts, bringing your attention back. She pauses, chewing her lip for a second.
"Hmm?" You mutter.
"Are we actually dating?" She squeaks out, lowering her head.
Your feigned smile drops, and you finally notice just how forlorn she looks.
"I had a feeling that you weren't interested anymore," she murmurs, slouching over. "I can't blame you - it all happened so fast. I just wanted to see if you were still interested. But if you're not, I'll leave you alo-"
"Sydney! Of course, I'm interested!" You cut her off, sensing your heart palpitate in alarm at the direction she was taking things. "I just need some time to figure things out. I..."
I need to figure out what the diary said.
I need to figure out... exactly what she's hiding from me.
...
How could I date her if she's keeping such a big secret from me?
"I need to figure out why I broke up with you," you whisper uncertainly. "And everyone."
She pauses, slowly tilting her head down even further until her smooth locks fall over her face.
Hidden from view, she bites her quivering bottom lip until it turns white.
"I can tell you what you said to me that night," she dares to finally speak. "When you broke up with me."
Your eyes widen.
It's not the same as the diary, but it's something!
"Yes, please!" You exclaim. "I'll take anything you can tell me."
"..."
"I'll keep it between us," you say, "if that's what you're worried about. No one else will know."
"I know you will," she sighs, gripping your hand again. "It's hard to talk about, but you deserve to hear it. So here it is."
...
"Wow..." You sit up straight, still feeling some shivers dancing along your skin. "So... to recap, I just came to your room, uninvited and looking exhausted, told you we can't be together anymore, and then left?"
"...yeah, pretty much," she exhales, taking deep breaths with her eyes closed. You rub her thigh sympathetically.
"And you never found out why? Why I was acting so strange, why I looked so angry and sad?" You push a little further, praying it won't be too much for her.
"Well, I found out that you had broken up with Poki earlier that day, so I figured you were going through some emotions too."
"Damn..." You sigh. "I'm so sorry, Syd."
She shakes her head again, gripping your hand. "It's ok! It's... just..." She goes eerily quiet.
Her shoulders begin to twitch. Before you can reach out, she suddenly leans into your chest, wrapping her arms around you until her palms grip your back, and a tear falls from her cheek.
"Fuck! I'm sorry!" She pulls away, her face stricken with regret.
"No, no. Come here, Sydney," you demand, inviting her back in.
"Huh?"
"...come here, please," you murmur, holding your arms out.
Whether it was because of the resurfacing of the second-most painful memory from recent years or the irresistible allure of your hug, she quickly finds herself nestled in your arms once more, crying her heart out.
The emotional tug on your heartstrings is palpable, and you squeeze her a little tighter.
"...i wish i could tell you what's in that diary..." She mumbles between soft sobs. "...i really do."
You stay silent, giving her small kisses whenever she tilts her forehead up to receive one.
"...but i can't. I love you so much... and I can't lose you again..."
"..."
"...i'm doing everything i can... so i'll never lose you..."
Your head reels with the mystery of her words. You have a million burning questions you want to ask, but any of them would just make her clamp up. So you keep your mouth shut, filing away every last syllable.
...
"I'll keep it between us if that's what you're worried about. No one else will know."
Celine yanks her ear away from the door, her deeply-set values guiding her away from the private conversation she knows she shouldn't be listening to.
Upon entering her room, she's greeted by Imane's lounging figure still lying in bed, holding her phone two inches above her face and scrolling lazily.
"Hey, Poki," she calls. "It's past lunchtime..."
"Mmm."
"I can get you whatever you want~" Celine tempts her in a sing-song tone.
She finally looks away from TikTok for a moment. "Do you have any soju left?"
"I meant food..." Celine sighs.
"I know. But do you?" Poki asks.
She gulps quietly. "...no. I threw all of it away."
"Oh..." Imane's foggy head clears up enough to put the pieces together. "You're trying to get better too, hm?" She softly asks.
"Yeah, I'm trying. It's been... a little hard." She chews her lip, slowly nodding.
"..."
"..."
The two girls shoot each other a knowing look, one that could only be shared by two friends privy to each other's secrets.
"Let's try again! What do you want for lunch?" Celine repeats, shifting the topic back.
"I'm not hungry," Imane sighs. "I just really want a drink."
"Are you sure there's nothing you want?" Celine begs. "I don't want you to starve."
"Well, I'm always down to have a pretty girl for lunch," Imane teases, batting her eyelids.
"Imane..." Celine rolls her eyes. "Be serious."
"I am serious! Kind of," she shrugs. "We both need some relief, right? So if you ever want to, let me know and I'll make you forget everything."
Celine nods politely, still not completely used to her friend's insatiable lust, and turns around, ready to find some food to force Imane to eat.
But as Imane's words lodge in her mind, she finds her feet rooting to the ground.
Imane turns down to her phone again, suddenly finding the flashy TikToks incredibly unappealing.
By the time Imane sets her phone down, Celine is facing her again, standing motionless in the doorframe.
"Celine?" Imane blinks. "Are you ok?"
Celine places one foot in front of the other, making her way back to the bed while her eyes slowly meet Imane's.
Her mind races a mile a minute, but nothing she can think of can convince her to not take another step forward.
She puts one knee on the mattress, compressing it under her, then the other knee follows.
"Celine...?"
Imane's jaw drops as Celine shuffles toward her and leans in to place a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.
"...this is probably a bad idea," Celine mutters, her voice gaining a soft yet raspy tone. "But I wouldn't mind forgetting for just a little bit."
...
"Aghhhh, Imaaaane, more~~" Celine groans, her bare chest heaving as Imane's dexterous hands grope and squeeze her mounds while she licks around the sides of her sensitive folds. Her fingers and toes curl repeatedly, a result of how insanely good Imane was at teasing her.
Celine's back arches sky-high off the mattress while her legs stay in the air, held over Imane's shoulders.
"Beg, Celine-y," Imane softly demands.
"Mmm, PLEASE!" Celine complies, willing to do anything to get the full force of what Imane is capable of.
Imane finally snickers and digs in, making good on her promise.
"YEEEEESSS~" Celine shrieks, shaking in every way. Imane's tongue extends inside her shaven pussy deeper than she thought possible, while her fingers play with Celine's sensitive nipples, turning her on from every angle.
"Crush my head, Celine," Imane mutters, completely serious. "Do it."
She dives in once more, using her whole mouth to envelop Celine's swollen, aroused sex.
Celine doesn't hold back this time, letting her thighs squeeze the sides of Imane's head until the brunette's face turns red.
"AGH, YES!~" Celine continues howling, holding nothing back as Imane truly makes good on her promise.
She bucks her tongue in and out, short-circuiting Celine's brain. Celine's legs fall loose, finally giving Imane some room to breathe, but she barely needs it.
"I'm gonna c-cum..." Celine groans, fighting the urge to.
Not letting up, Imane fingers and rubs Celine's clit, stimulating her to orgasm.
"NO!" Celine pushes her hand away, groaning as she bites back the release she could so easily have relented to.
"Lie down."
...
Celine grinds and thrusts her hips, the friction growing deliriously pleasing. Imane's pussy felt incredible to rub up against, and the way her large chest rubs against her own makes the pure contact feel hotter.
The bed rattles violently as the two girls' spread legs go at it, the pace completely in Celine's court.
Celine's hands grip the bed around Imane, while Imane has the luxury of continuing to play with Celine's voluptuous chest.
"I'm gonna cum too~" Imane coos in delight, humping her wide hips to meet Celine.
Celine throws her head back as she continues grinding on Imane, groaning. Her body sheens as she rides both of them to their climax, but she doesn't stop, too fueled by the prospect of a mind-shattering release.
"Yes... yes..." Celine moans, her hands tightening around the bedsheets.
"Fuck me, Celine... fuck me!" Imane demands, now grabbing Celine's hips to shove their sexes together. Their bodies race in a mad dash to the finish line, and Celine gets there first.
"YES! GAAH!" Celine cusses as she hits her climax, physically overloaded. She humps a few more times, relishing the feeling of all her tension flushing from her muscles.
Imane doesn't quite get to her orgasm, but she helps Celine get through hers, keeping her hands on the girl's waist for support.
As Celine's arms give out, she falls forward into Imane's embrace and reaches for the only thing that can make this moment more euphoric. Her lips land squarely on Imane's, kissing her deeply and slowly.
Imane's skin is tickled by Celine's disheveled hair, and she instantly returns the exchange, keeping the girls wrapped up together.
"Oh, wow..." Celine finally pulls her head up, panting. "That was something."
Looking down, she catches Imane's glowing smile, surrounded by her soft, extremely kissable lips. Her pupils dilate as she realizes how close the two of them are, and she has to stop herself from leaning in again.
"..."
"Why are you so red, Celine?" Poki grins mischievously.
"We just had... sex!" Celine pouts. "Why do you think I'm red?"
"Hehe..." Imane playfully chuckles.
She tucks the hair hanging over Celine's face over her ear, making Celine's heart jump in her chest.
...
"Heyyyyy!" Miyoung announces her waddling entrance as she shoves open the door to Tina's room, giggling.
"Hey, SHUT IT!" Tina yelps, panicking.
Miyoung catches Tina throwing the blanket over herself as she sits up in bed, phone in one hand with her earbuds in.
"Hold on!" Miyoung gasps. "Are you..." She squints, looking back and forth between Tina and the blanket covering her lower half from view.
"I'm not-!" Tina gasps, covering her mouth. "Why would you say that?"
"I didn't even say anything!" Miyoung bursts out laughing. "But..."
"...but what?!?"
"I think we both know what you're doing~" She mouths as she steps further into the room, letting the door close behind her. She turns a bit red as she realizes what she's saying.
"Wha-! When did you get so naughty?" Tina whines, surreptitiously pulling her pants back up under the sheets, despite knowing that Miyoung understood exactly what she was up to. "How did you even get here?"
Miyoung smirks proudly, blowing off the questions.
"Ok, fine, I've been... uh..." Tina twists her neck, trying to concoct a suitable euphemism. "Ever since we..."
"HUH?!?" Miyoung gulps, nearly choking on her saliva.
"What?" Tina blurts. "What did I say?"
"Ever since we...!" Miyoung repeats, unable to say the word either. "I didn't know you liked it that much!" Miyoung puts her hand over her mouth, disguising her genuine surprise.
Tina's jaw drops. "I never said it was because of you, missy!"
Miyoung's grin slowly shifts, lingering for a moment longer before contracting into a flat line. Her hand slowly comes down to her side.
"It wasn't... because of what we did?" She mumbles stoically.
"H-huh?" Tina looks up again, startled by her sudden shift in tone. "Er, fine, it kind of was..." She sighs. "I mean, I... I liked it."
"..."
"..."
"G-good!" Miyoung releases, speaking over the oddly pleasant churning feeling in her gut.
...
"Are you sure you're feeling better?" You ask.
"Mmhmm. A lot better. I just need some time." Sydney wipes her eyes with her sleeve. "Thanks for staying with me..."
"Of course. I care about you a lot, Syd. Don't forget that." The strain on your heart is heavy, but you try to focus on her.
She nods solemnly. "You should go see Tina now. She's probably awake after all that crying I did..."
"Ha," you weakly laugh. "Yeah, I'll go do that. "Let me know if you ever want to talk again, alright? I'll be over as soon as I can."
She brushes her hair back and nods bravely.
...
You step out of Sydney's room, feeling a little more at peace, but left with a renewed sense of burning curiosity as to the content of the journals.
Fuck it, I'm tired of thinking about those damn journals. I have to talk to Tina now.
You stop in front of Tina's white paneled door, visualizing how the room looks inside. Right as the knuckles of your loosely balled fist hit the center of the wood, the door swings open.
"Master!" She blurts out.
"Miyoung?" You smile. "Hi!"
"I didn't know you - Oh, SHIT!" She clamps both hands over her face and whips her head around, peeking between her fingers.
A few feet behind her stands Tina, her mouth agape.
"What did you just say, Miyoung?" Tina incredulously whispers. She slowly reveals a wide, teasing grin.
Oh...
So much for the girls not finding out.
"I didn't... say... anything?" Miyoung's attempt at a rebuttal dies before she can even utter the words, leaving her with her head hanging in shame.
"You're one cocky woman!" Tina declares, fired up. "Coming into my room, being all flirty and acting like you're a girlboss, only for you to be using words like that!"
"Hey, give her a break," you chuckle, hugging Miyoung with one arm. "She's allowed to be whatever she wants to be, whenever she wants to be. Right?" You tilt your head down to address Miyoung, still covering her face with her hands amid a self-cringe seizure.
"Uh-huh... I'm gonna go," she mutters, numbly slipping out of your arm.
"Haha!" Tina cackles.
...
"So..." Tina continues grinning. "You and Miyoung...?"
"Yeah, I don't really know how it started," you admit. "But that's how it's going."
"As long as you're both okay with it, I won't judge," she says. "I'm still going to tease her about it, though," she snickers.
"YEEEESSSS!"
"Wha-!" Tina gasps at the shrill sound coming from through the wall. "Was that Celine?"
The tips of her ears flush bright red as another of Celine's moans reverberates through the wall.
Oh lord.
Celine's unmistakable groans of pleasure evoke a new memory, and within seconds, you're shuffling around to hide the visible tightness down below.
Celine and I...!
You can barely focus on the present as more memories, mostly ones involving Celine making a very similar set of aroused noises, resurface.
We used to get wild in the bedroom.
"Uh..." Tina finally speaks up. "Are you ok?" She looks a bit uneasy, and she plugs her ears with her fingers.
I'm never gonna be able to look at her the same. Dear lord...
You close your eyes, but the images only grow more vivid.
"I..."
Three knocks sound at your door, and it opens immediately.
"Am I going crazy?" Sydney asks, peeking inside. "Wow, it wasn't you two! Was that really Celine who made that sound?"
"Sounds like it," Tina says, still sitting up stick-straight with a tomato-red face.
"Wow. Imane really knows her stuff, huh?" Sydney grins.
"Oh..." Tina grimaces as she pieces together a mental image she didn't want to see.
Sydney looks back and forth between the two of you, looking for at least a smile. But Tina stares into space, still visibly uncomfortable, while you try to force out of your head the growing number of memories you now have of Celine in extremely hot positions.
"Alright, see ya guys..." Sydney quickly closes the door.
"AGGH, YES~" Celine groans again, making you grimace as the tent in your pants grows painful.
You glance at Tina, catching her eye. She bites her lip, shifting uncomfortably with her hands on her lap.
"Stop looking at me like that, pervert."
It's impossible to tell if she's joking from the melting pot of conflicted emotions infiltrating her expressive eyes.
"You were looking at me first," you throw back.
She shifts again, adjusting her shirt and sitting on her knees. She clears her throat, squeezing her fists every time another heavenly sound from Celine comes through.
"Are you ok?" You pry, still covering your lower half.
"Yeah, of course!" She quickly clears her throat again. "Nothing... nothing."
"..."
"..."
"Well, you look a little uncomfortable," you say to fill the prolonged silence, dreading that it would instead be filled with more sounds of Celine and Imane's boisterous activities.
"Well, you look like your pants are gonna tear any second!" She snaps, her thighs now quivering.
"You're not faring much better!" You retort, the adrenaline and unexpected heat of the situation riling both of you up.
"Mmm... fuck!" Tina mutters to herself.
"..."
"..."
She stares at the bed, seemingly making up her mind.
"Listen, I know we're kinda in a weird place right now, but I really, really need you right now and I think I'm gonna explode soon if we keep sitting here like this," she finally blurts in a single breath.
...um...
"Please?" She leans in, gulping.
Your dick makes the decision before can hope to complete a thought.
Your lips meet hers, and her soft, small hands slide around your neck as she straddles you.
"Wait!" You finally blurt, regaining yourself. Looking up at the gorgeous woman on your lap, it's hard to stop, but you know you need to.
"What is it?" She asks.
"You said that I changed, that I'm different now, and that you want to get to know me again before we do anything..." Your mouth finally catches up to your racing thoughts.
She finally calms down for a second, but her hips continue moving on their own, gently grinding against your bulge.
"You didn't change. You just became more relaxed," she utters, resting her hands on your shoulders. "I wasn't used to it at first, but you're not a different person, you're just you. More of you."
Her words bounce around your head for a moment.
"Um... I'm not sure if I understood-"
"I'll explain later, dammit!"
She rocks her body forward and slams both of you into the bed, her lips crashing onto yours once more.
---
Please read:
1. Don't worry! We'll see the end scene at the start of the next chapter. I just didn't have the motivation to write it all out in this one.
2. As you might've started to notice, I've decided to take this story in a different direction than TOTVE and other OTV harem stories by focusing a bit more on building up the girls' interactions and relationships with each other, often outside of the MC's awareness.
The main reason for this is because, to be completely honest, I'm a bit bored of writing purely MC-focused smut and romance. Especially given that there are now some great OTV stories by other authors that should satisfy your desire for MC-centered, smut- and romance-heavy stuff, I've decided to pursue my interest in exploring other sub-plots and relationships, sometimes with more serious themes (as was exemplified with Poki and Celine here).
Sorry if you're not a fan of the choice, but this is something I want to try with this story! As a result of this change in focus (and as a result of the major plot twists inbound), the story will touch on some darker, more substantial themes at times. I won't make them overwhelming, but I would advise against expecting chapters to have a constant air of lighthearted, fluffy events/romance/smut.
3. Normally I wouldn't announce something like this, but the hidden diary plot has been extended for longer than I anticipated and I feel a bit bad for making you wait so long, so I'll give you this: We'll find out exactly what's in it 2 chapters from now.
Let me know your thoughts on this and the story - I appreciate what you all have to say!