Kim's feet were cold. Now that the sun was setting--darkness taking over the sky, seeping in through the windows, crawling across the ceiling--the opulent, glamourous villa was starting to turn into your garden variety drafty-ass old mansion.
Willow was curled up against Kim's chest, basically purring. Kim didn't want to disturb her but she wasn't going to just deal with having cold feet so she gently adjusted the comforter to cover up their legs better.
Willow stirred and wrapped her arm more tightly around Kim's waist. Kim ran her fingers through Willow's hair, taming the mess they'd made of her.
"I can't believe you were waiting in my room for me," Kim said quietly, almost to herself.
"Technically I was waiting in your bathroom," Willow said, without opening her eyes. "Not everyone gets that treatment."
"It's it, like, dangerous for you to be here with Cassio close by?"
Willow lifted her head, her hair falling over her eyes as she nipped at the corner of Kim's mouth. "I like dangerous," she said, settling back down on Kim's chest. "But no, he's busy with Foundation stuff. Like all the time. The villa's a big place. We live surprisingly separate lives."
Kim continued lazily running her fingers through Willow's hair. She felt Willow's soft breath skating along her skin.
"Besides," Willow sighed. "It was his idea to invite you here."
"Wait, whose, Cassio's?" Kim said. "I thought it was Brandon's."
"LOL. Do you honestly think Brandon has ever had an original thought in his head? He's a box of hair. Cassio has plans and his plans all involve you. He strongly encouraged Brandon to invite you."
"Like what kind of plans involve me?"
"All different stuff. The Foundation has a new product he wants you to be the spokesperson for. A line of makeup based off of Instagram filters."
"Hmm. I'm intrigued, I guess. But the Foundation is selling phones and makeup? I thought it was a non-profit."
"Who told you that? Anyway it's going to be a big deal. It's a high profile project for him. Working on it means you'll be here a lot." Willow tilted her head up and pressed her lips to Kim's neck. "It means," Willow said, slowly working her way up Kim's neck, tiny licks, tiny pulls on Kim's skin between her lips and teeth, "We'll have to work together. Very closely."
Kim arched her back and turned her head, giving Willow access to do whatever she wanted to her. "OK I like the sound of that," Kim hummed.
Willow put her hand on Kim's face and forcefully guided Kim's mouth to hers. Her kisses were soft but demanding, insistent.
"I'm so glad you're not mad at me," Kim said, sneaking the words out in between kisses.
Willow slowly ended the kiss and settled back on the pillow, her eyes searching Kim's, her hand caressing the side of Kim's face.
"Why would I be mad at you," Willow asked.
"Because I was being a potato head in Miami. And because Khloé and them are trying to social media battle you."
"Pssh. The social media battle was my idea, remember? It's what I wanted. I can handle Khloé. She's just helping me build buzz, whether she means to or not. And you were not being a potato head in Miami."
"Yes I was," Kim said. "I was being stupid and needy and acting all lame because I couldn't see you more."
"I like that you want to see me more," Willow said. "I want to see you more too, in case you haven't noticed." Willow gently traced her fingers around the curve of Kim's contoured cheek. "All I've ever wanted is to be with you."
"I should have been more understanding," Kim said. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did when you left."
"Why, because the things you want are complicated? Because it feels like there's an impossible distance between the things you have and the things you want? You think I don't feel the same way?"
Kim sighed. "Everything is just so complicatedddddd."
"It's always going to be complicated, Kim. Celebrity witches like us don't get to do simple. There's always too much at stake."
Willow stared meaningfully at Kim for a moment, then laid back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. "In fact," Willow continued, "It might be about to get a lot more complicated. Like: extremely more complicated."
Kim propped herself up on one elbow, looking down on Willow. "What? Why."
Willow closed her eyes and reached out to find Kim's hand, squeezing it tightly.
"So, Cassio bringing you here. It's not just about makeup and Foundation products and having you be more involved. Dinner tonight is also going to be your fourth date with Brandon."
"WHAT? NO IT IS NOT."
"Well you can interpret your relationship with him however you like, but that's how Brandon and Cassio and the rest of the world see it."
"What does Cassio even care?"
Willow paused. "Cassio wants you to marry Brandon."
"WHAT!" Kim yelped.
"Shh!" Willow whispered, placing her hand over Kim's mouth.
Kim pulled Willow's hand away and held it. "What is it about this world?" Kim stage whispered. "You hang out with someone a few times and suddenly everyone's setting out wedding invites. I am not marrying Brandon. Cassio is tripping. Your boy is T R I P P I N G."
"Kim. I know. But think about it like this--"
"--GROSS. Even if I liked Brandon like that, which I DO NOT, no. Just, no. That's, no."
"OK but I mean, would it really be so bad?"
Kim's mouth dropped and she stared at Willow in horror.
"WILHELMINA PAPE ARE YOU KIDDING ME."
"Kim, look," Willow said. She paused, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, readying herself. When she spoke, she looked at Kim's fingers intertwined with hers because she was too afraid to see the look on Kim's face. "Cassio has this theory about the four of us. The four most popular and powerful people in the world, all working together. Think of the stories we would inspire. Two power couples that teamed up and worked together, uniting their power and influence to make the world great again. The power we would wield could be enough to fix things. Put everything back the way it was."
"Yeah but I'd have to be married to Brandon and he's not good."
"OK no one is suggesting you've been dreaming about being with Brandon. But think about what it gets us. It's like me and Cassio. Brandon will be busy all the time with movies or whatever errands Cassio sends him on. You and I will live here, right next to each other. We'll see each other all the time, whenever we want. We'll have to travel for work together, all the time, representing the Foundation. On the surface it's 2 power couples, but underneath, secretly, it's us, the real power couple within. It gets us everything we want."
"Everything?" Kim asked.
A brief, hurt look flew across Willow's face and was gone as quickly as it arrived. "Well, all the things that matter. But I guess it depends on what you really want."
"But Brandon is so awful," Kim continued. "He was trying to explain to me how a phone works. I think he's getting dumber by the minute. Being with him can't be the only way for me to be with you."
"We can't sneak around like this forever, Kim. We hate each other, as far as the public is concerned. Eventually we'll get caught and we risk losing everything. Unless our relationship gets wrapped up inside a bigger story. A story about love overcoming the odds, about setting aside our differences and uniting our powers for the good of the world. Your marrying Brandon is just a marketing thing. It's a product that we sell to the public, and the currency it earns us is time for us to be together."
"OK, I get it, I get what you're saying, Willow. But all that stuff aside, can we talk about the real issue? Which is that I'm already married? I mean, hmmm." Kim stared off into space, working a line of thought out to its conclusion. "I guess I can be married IRL and married inside the game, and one thing doesn't have anything to do with the other, people do that all the time."
"Could you please stop referring to my world as a game?" Willow said.
"I'm sorry. You're right. But I mean. I am married. It's a thing. And marrying this other guy I don't care about when I'm already married, that feels different. It feels much worse than anything I've done so far."
Kim left the rest of that thought unspoken, the guilt she already felt about sneaking around with Willow unbeknownst to Kanye. Even if he was a world away. Even if the thing she felt for Willow was completely separate from the thing she felt for Kanye. She could justify it to herself 100 different ways, make up all sorts of excuses for her desires, but at the end of the day, she was being untrue. To Kanye. To Willow. To herself. And she had no idea how to resolve these emotions, how to sort out this feeling that she loved Kanye, that she wanted to be with him always, but that she also loved and wanted to be with Willow.
"Well," Willow said, softly. "That only matters if you go back. So what if you don't?"
And there it was. The choice. The plan Kim had been considering all along, without even realizing it. But she couldn't do that. Kanye. North. It was out of the question. Wasn't it? Kim had no idea what to say, how to even respond. Sensing her hesitation, Willow continued.
"We're witches, Kim. We're not the ones who get the fairy tale endings. And as celebrities we don't even usually get the opportunity to determine our own endings. But this time we can gather the elements that matter most and shape them into something meaningful to us. Nothing is ever just handed to us. The biggest spells, the ones that end up changing everything, always require a sacrifice. Sometimes you have to find a way to turn a negative experience into its own kind of success. You know that as well as anyone."
Kim realized she was weeping. She slid down into the bed against Willow, wrapping her arms around her, feeling as much of Willow's skin on her own as she could.
"Willow, I'm sorry. I love you and I don't know what to do. Please, please just stop time so we can stay inside this room forever. Take my hair and blood. Take all my magic. Create a sacred barrier around us so we can just stay in here together, forever, and no one can ever bother us. No one can force us to make any other choices. Please."
Willow cradled Kim in her arms and kissed her forehead. "I can't do that, love. The choices find you. They always do."
The room had gone dark. It was getting late.
"I should go before someone notices," Willow said, after a moment. "We have to get ready for dinner."
"OK," Kim said.
Neither of them moved.
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Ughghghg why is everything always so complicated. #Killow could finally get the space it deserves, but Kim would have to agree to #Kimdon in order for that to happen? AND leave behind #KimYe forever? What a terrible choice to make. What do you think she should do?
I'm so sorry there was a delay in bringing you this chapter, my mom was in the hospital and I was distracted worrying about her. But she's better and I'm back on track and thank you for sticking with me. Your comments mean so much to me.
OK everyone go into your KKH closests and put on your fanciest outfits. Next chapter: we're going to dinner.
Please vote and comment! Thank you for reading! I appreciate you!