I walked back to the couch, still trying to forget Marley's... Uh... Call it a farewell, and grabbed my phone to check for any activity from Hazel.
Hazel: Megan and I are almost at my house.
Hazel: We're home. Are you coming over? Do you have transport?
Hazel: Grace?
Hazel: Grace, Megan wants to know if you're going to need a ride.
Hazel: Grace?!
Hazel: Are you there?
Hazel: Megan isn't letting me eat anything until she knows if you're going to come over before or after lunch.
Hazel: Grace!
I swear, I look away from my phone for five minutes and this happens...
Me: Would you like me to come over? By the way, I was talking with Marley and didn't get your texts until now.
Hazel: Yes.
I smiled widely.
Me: Okay then. I don't have a ride. And I'm able to come over whenever you'd like and/or whenever I can get a ride :) I have a present for you.
Hazel: Megan says she'll pick you up. Says she has something to talk to you about, too. What kind of present?
Me: Okay, I'll be waiting. And I'm not telling you what it is. That's half the fun ;)
Hazel: Fun for me or fun for you?
Me: Both. I'm pretty sure you'll like it. I'll see you soon, kay?
Hazel: Okay.
I put my phone down and went to check on Hazel's present, making sure everything was in place and accounted for. Then I ended up playing games on my phone until there was a ring at the door. I grabbed the metallically shiny blue present bag and my purse and raced to the door. Checking the window, I verified that it was in fact Megan before turning off the lights in my house and walking outside, locking the front door behind me.
"Hey." I smiled.
"Hey." Megan returned, walking me down to her car. "So... I have to talk to you about something before we get back to my place." She said as she got in the car and closed her door. I took the front passenger seat.
"Shoot."
"So we both know today's particular significance to Hazel, in terms of her psychology and physical development." She started as she pulled out of my driveway. I nodded. "My question is whether or not you would like me to spend the night elsewhere." She gave me a quick glance, but made sure to be diligent in watching the road.
"Uh-wh-"
"Grace, I see how you look at her. I see how she looks at you. I know more than you tell me." She smiled slightly, "and while my personal opinion may not fully favor you two being alone tonight, I have a moral obligation not to interfere with this. I can stay and try to keep Hazel in control, and would strongly advise you against having any intimate interaction where I can hear it.
"Or, I can go out and leave you two to do what you will. I've already set up a plan for my accommodations tonight if you'd like me out. It's free and I honestly would not mind or take offense. The decision's only influence is your own opinion and agenda.
"But I'll tell you know that you have to let me know soon and you can't back out on your choice."
"Uh..." I bit my lip. "Yeah. I think I'd like it if you'd leave us."
"Alright then." She tossed me a small smile, "I wish you the best with her, by the way. And don't be too afraid of her. She may be independent but she is also very rule-based. You tell her to stop and she will stop. She may not like it, but it would be a case where she'd fall back on her past teachings and swallow her personal discontentment."
"Mm."
"I feel like I should give you some kind of list of the known Hazel equations, but then I'd feel like I was giving away the secrets to how she lives her life. And it would be hard, considering the equations are extraordinarily complex and have an insane amount of variables." She mused.
"Mm." I repeated dumbly.
"What did you get her?" Megan gestured to the present bag.
"Stuff." I found it in me to smirk up at the younger girl.
"Aw, I'm just curious. I'd been the only one who had ever gotten Hazel a birthday present up until today. But I think our sister used to dispose of the things I sent Hazel. Which is probably why I try to spoil her today." She laughed, running a hand through her hair. "Poor girl. I'm glad she has you. She needs more than just sisterly love."
"I'd say you're pretty good for her."
"Yeah, but she needs a clean slate. Someone whole. Someone ready and willing to stand up to and for her. I think, also, someone without black hair and a ghastly complexion. Especially without..." Her voice trailed off as she tapped her shoulder with one hand, "someone who has never had or lost like we do." She paused for a long while. And I started to imagine what Hazel must have been like before Winter.
"What are you thinking about?" Megan asked.
"Nothing." I smiled, trying to put myself back in a good mood and swallow the nervous butterflies in my stomach.
"I don't believe you, but okay." She chuckled in a very Sinclair-like way. The kinda tone that means you're being let off the hook, but only for right now; the answer may be forced to light at any point forward. Hazel does the same thing.
"So... Are there any plans for the evening?" I asked her.
"Yeah. Mine and yours." She smirked, "my plan is cake. I don't care how or when. I just need cake before the end of my stay. Maybe watch a movie. Maybe play VR. Maybe I'll make an early departure and let you decide. It's already like two so I figure cake takes an hour, that's three, I get an unplanned conference call, that's four thirty, I make a serendipitous return just in time to frost, eat, and decorate the cake, that's five, I drive off into the sunset, that's five fifteen, and then you can make your plans work. I can add in an extra five minutes of unnecessary lecture on contraceptives, if you'd like, but... I've never seen you up a stick, and believe me I definitely know when you would have, and I've seen my sister naked before. She definitely is not a male." Megan gave me a coy look in the mirror while my jaw remained unhinged and dangling.
"What the hell is with you and Marley today?! Is there a conspiracy to ruin my mind?!"
"No, Grace," Megan was laughing her ass off already, and honestly, her smile was a bit too Hazel-like and contagious to support my horrified visage. "It's killing me on the inside to imagine the things you and my sister would do to each other, however, I'm a believer in the idea that misery loves company. Unfortunately, that makes you the company." She giggled. "I do, by the way, want no trace of whatever you do tonight left anywhere around my house. I don't want the neighbors calling cops to complain about the noise. I want you both, you especially, clothed when you'd next see me."
"Oh God..." I groaned, making the eldest Sinclair triplet laugh at me.
"Have I mentioned how glad I am that Hazel likes you and not some stick-assed Nightist?"
"Nightist?"
"If you met one, you'd understand. Hazel used to be, but by some magic she's been brought to a formidable level of sociability... By her standards, anyway."
"Hm." I chuckled. If I imagined Hazel before Megan, I could easily picture why Megan called some of the N.S. agents 'Nightists'.
"But anyway, I am glad it was you." She smiled at me. I didn't notice that we'd talked the whole way to her house, but by now we were pulling up into her driveway. I saw Hazel's and Jamine's cars parked there already, so I guessed that Jamine was going to be over too.
"Jamine is only staying another hour or so. She's going out until maybe seven tomorrow morning." Megan answered my unvoiced question.
"Okay." I nodded slightly.
Megan was still smiling faintly as she stopped and parked the car. When she'd accomplished this, she turned to me.
"There's one more thing I need to ask you, Grace." Her smile fades away. "You love her?" She turned and looked me dead in the eyes. I nodded slowly, confidently, but slowly. "I leave it to your judgement whether or not you feel she is ready to handle that." She took a pause for that to set in. "I know she can take some emotional attachment, but I'm not too sure about love. That being said, she shows some of herself to you that she doesn't me, so I trust you will do what you think is best." Another long pause. "I'm sorry to've gotten you down like that... Have fun, okay?" She smiled again. I hummed my agreement, mimicking her when she got out of the car. She lead me up to the front door and gave me one more look before opening it.
As soon as I was inside, the familiar scent of the house hit me like it always did, making me smile and relax to a degree.
"Hazel! I'm back with Grace!" Megan called as she kicked off her shoes in the foyer. I did the same as Hazel appeared in the passage from here to the kitchen.
"Hey." I giggled, looking Hazel over. I ended up biting my lip to keep from laughing. She had her usual loungewear on, a sleeveless gray turtleneck and cotton shorts, but there was one thing different about her wardrobe. Aside from the high ponytail her hair was in, which, by the way, was absolutely gorgeous. She was, I mean. The ponytail just helped bring out her face and neck more.
Anyway, you know those conic birthday hats that are brightly colored, glittery, cardboard, and have that elastic band to keep it on your head? Well, someone had gotten a polka-dotted yellow, orange, green, and blue one with three tinsel streamers trailing off top, and miraculously managed to attach it, strapped and all, to Hazel's head. And she either didn't notice, or didn't care. One way or another, it was the cutest thing I'd seen in a while.
"Hey. The hat was Megan's doing." Hazel gave her sister a pointed look as she made her way to the kitchen, sticking her tongue out at Hazel briefly.
"I like it." I shrugged, grinning, and made my way over to her, pulling her in for a kiss. It's not like I could help it with that hat making her too adorable to resist. "You're so cute." I smirked. Hazel snorted and went back to nibbling at my bottom lip. Dear lord, she'd be the death of me.
"Mm, Zel, not that I don't love you kissing me, but not when other people are waiting for us." I held her chin with my thumb and index finger, prying her off my lips, which she was still eying with a hunger. I could see that she was starting to feel the shift in her needs, the lust in her stare telltale and more than a little enticing.
"Mm..." She grumbled, her eyes flickered around my face, like she was seeing me for the first time. "You look nice." She commented, removing my hand with one of hers, enabling her to better see all of me.
"Thanks. You too." I smiled. Her gaze caught on my chest, making me blush furiously, but also evoked a need in me to reciprocate. "Zel, my eyes are up here." I bit my lip bashfully.
"Mhm..." She dozed off for another moment until I lifted her gaze manually by lifting her children like before. "Hm?" Alas she snapped out of her trance.
"You're seriously too cute right now." I smiled, keeping myself from kissing her because I knew it would mean Megan having to separate us. "Here. This is for you." I offered her the present bag. Her lips curled into a slight smile as she took the bag.
"I'm going to go put this in my room..." Her voice trailed off. The lingering need in her eyes spite for itself: there would be no one to distract us there. Which is exactly why I smiled at her and told her I'd wait for her to come back down. She looked slightly crestfallen but shook it off and darted up to cache my gift.
She was back in a moment, and right back in my personal space. I admit, I loved it when she was in my space, and I had a hunch that I'd be getting a lot of that from her tonight, she seemed to be in a touchy mood. Wait- I didn't mean like that kind of in my space- I- oh forget it... I mean both.
"You're being very touchy." I mused as Hazel slipped her hand in mine. "Not that I mind." I pecked her cheek chastely.
"You're being very affectionate." She countered, pouting indignantly and kissing my lips. "I don't mind."
"Touché." I chuckled, "let's go before Megan has a fit." I tugged her along to the kitchen, where Megan and Jamine were debating over what kind of cake to make in their fairly language. How did I know the subject? Because Megan was holding a box of cake mix and very passionately making gestures to and with it.
"Grace!" Jamine noticed us and grinned.
"I win!" Megan smirked.
"No! You do not!" Jamine narrowed her eyes at the triplet.
"I do! You had no reply! I get to lick the bowl!" Megan cheered victoriously.
"The bowl is mine." Hazel stated simply. "I'm wearing the hat. It's my bowl."
"But it's my birthday too!" Megan whined. Wait- what- oh my God, I'd completely forgotten that the triplets share a birthday! Dammit, I would've gotten Megan a present too!
"Shit, Megan, I forgot it was your birthday!" "Fine, you can have the top. The bowl is mine." Myself and Hazel said at the same time.
"Will do. And I accept apologies in hugs, food, and iambic pentameter. No one has ever repaid me with the latter, though." Megan mused. "Cake time!"
About ten minutes later and Hazel and I were cuddling on a couch in the living room with a bowl of leftover cake batter in her secure hold, Megan was obsessively cleaning the kitchen counter after Hazel had accidentally crushed an egg on it, and Jamine looking through movies to find a good one to watch. Did I mention that Hazel was hugging the bowl of cake batter like someone would take it? And that it was the most adorable thing ever? Well she was and it is.
Hazel was leaning on my shoulder, our legs touched on the couch's leg rests. She was quietly licking cake batter off a spatula, using it like a spoon for the batter.
"Zel?" I smiled as I watched her.
"Mm?" She put the spatula down to pay attention to me. I was tempted o tell her I loved her right then and there, but there was something missing that stopped me. I noticed some batter in her cheek, so I wiped it away with my thumb.
"You're beautiful." I whispered to her so neither members of our company would overhear. She smiled, taking my hand and putting my thumb to her lips. Her tongue slipped out of them and swiped across my finger, licking off the batter and making my insides squirm.
When she'd made sure she cleaned off my finger, she brought her hand to my face and kissed me deeply. Now I felt her tongue sneak into my mouth and taste mine, eliciting a sigh of happiness from me. I felt whole with her so close.
...
We ended up watching Inside Out until the cake was done, at which point Megan cut off the top to eat and set the cake to cool while we finished the movie. And once the movie was over, the cake was frosted and devoured by three surprising metabolisms and one me.
"That was a good cake." Megan stated, not not even bothering to hide as she scooped the remains of cake frosting off her plate and put it in her mouth. Hazel probably would've done the same, but I swear the whole piece of cake she took was in her stomach before it could make a mess. And she did that like four times before Megan stopped her. You'd think the girl would have a stomachache from eating so much, but no. She just went ahed and got a container of watermelon cubes from the fridge. I swear, that girl should have a bit more pounds on her with the amount she eats.
"I'm still hungry." Hazel complained. I gawked at her and she regarded me like I was insane for thinking the amount she had already eaten was not fulling.
"Grace could teach you to cook a can of soup or leftovers." Megan snorted. "Anyway. I've a work date with Kayla and Jen, so I'll see you all in the morning." She nodded at me discreetly before smiling and gently hugging Hazel goodbye, and then me after.
"And I'm out to an event." Jamine grabbed her keys off a thing on the kitchen counter. "I will be here at seven." She snuck off to the garage and a lament later a car was heard pulling out.
"You told me you had no work until the end of the weekend." Hazel caught on. Megan shrugged with a smirk.
"It's a sleepover. They said they'd have a cake if I came. Gonna watch movies you hate. Gonna talk about things you don't care about," Megan was walking backwards as she spoke. "Gonna eat lots of chocolate." Her hand was on the garage door now, "gonna read crap magazines." And she was one foot out, "gonna be back at six, so have clothes on when you leave your room." And then she ran away giggling. And I was alone with Hazel.
"You planned this." The middle triplet stated, facing me with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah..." I scratched my neck, a blush blossoming on my face.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because I really like you, Zel... I know what happens today for you... And I wanted to give you the chance to act on that..." I tentatively met her eyes with butterflies flurrying rampantly in my gut.
"You did this so we could have sex?" I reddened more, but nodded. "And this is motivated by your aspirations or mine?"
"Both... If you want me, Hazel, I'm ready and willing to give you my all." I bit my lip. She mirrored that and her eyes raked over me, darkening with a growing lust. Oh God, she was hot. Even if she still had that birthday hat on.
She slowly stalked her way over to me, now her gaze locked to mine. She kept getting closer and closer until she was standing against me, her wider stance caught one of my legs between hers, close to her but not quite making contact.
"I want you." She stated, "I want you, Grace." She repeated in my ear. I bit my lip and took hold of her slim hips. "Do you want me?"
"Yes." I whispered back, her lips trailed over my cheek, parted, her breath burning into my skin.
"Alright then." Her eyes suddenly switched, like a light shut off they darkened, her pupils grew to dishes. She distanced herself from me, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the stairs. Hazel brought me to a room in front of the stairs, pushing the door open and tugging me in with her. I heard the lock of the door click and didn't even have time to take in the dark room before Hazel's body crashed onto mine. Her hands went around my neck, pressing her breasts to mine, her lips collided feverishly with mine, her tongue pulling all its wonderful stunts to win dominance. I giggled at her haste. I felt her legs move me a little, and I followed her lead because I had no idea where anything was. The back of my knees hit something that felt like a bed, and Hazel kept pressing me towards it so I let myself fall. Hazel hoisted me to the headboard of what I was now sure was her bed.
I smiled, pulling the adorable birthday hat off my girlfriend and yanking out her ponytail, grabbing her hair and pulling it slightly. The younger girl let out a light groan.
Then she paused, or at least made a distinct change in the speed of her advances. I looked up at her, watching her watch me like a cat. Not in a predatory way, through, more thoughtful and calculating.
"Grace... Are you sure about this?" She touched my cheek sensually, carefully. My heart swelled at the care she was putting in to make sure I was okay with what she was doing. And I was.
"More than sure." I let out a deep sigh, closing my eyes just after catching a glimpse of the curve to Hazel's lip. She put her hands on my hips, holding me down. It was followed by the scent of her hair, wafting toward me, the sound of her hair hitting the pillows before I sensed her warm skin just away from touching me, and her lips connected with my own. I smiled and she met no resistance in slipping her tongue into my mouth. She tasted like cake and frosting, different from the usual floral and honey sweetness I was used to from her, but I'd still yet to find one thing about her I didn't love in the moment. I moaned softly into her mouth.
She sat back, still kissing me, tracing my arms from my chest to my shoulders, and down to my wrists, holding them above my head. Forcing me back down, she scooted up on my legs and straddled my hips, a burning warmth seeping from her core, spreading onto my legs. Letting go of my wrists, she grabbed my face and farther deepened the kiss. Her tongue tickled everywhere in my mouth, danced with mine as I started to catch on and keep her pace. I was tempted to try and switch our positions, being on top of her seemed like a wonderful thought, but I knew she could easily overpower me and I didn't want to hurt her back.
"Zel..." I moaned out. For some reason, right now her nickname just sounded so much better, maybe just because it was easier and less awkward to say, being a single syllable.
"Grace..." She sighed, lifting herself off me. She still sat on my waist, but she took her lips off mine. "I'm sorry." She frowned slightly, "I don't... Something is off about this... It feels forced..." She panted, running a hand through her hair and pulling it over to one side.
"It's okay." I smiled at her, sitting up to give her a light kiss. She kissed back fierily, but not too sexually. I realized she was right... It did feel forced and quick, enough passion to kiss over, but not to have our first.
"Are you staying the night?" She breathed, a small scowl on her face like she was having a debate in her deep thoughts.
"I did plan to, yeah." I tucked her hair behind her ear. The small change reminded me how cute and young she was. Not that I was old, but she's barely a teenager and I always feel like she is an adult. But she isn't. She's small. And fragile. And naive, and innocent, and bright-eyed. And strong. And beautiful, and lively, and independent, and very much opinionated. Perfect, really. Just perfect. And all the imperfections that comes with. God, I loved her.
"You're perfect." I smiled. My heart was too full to hold the words, and rather them than the others right now.
"I am not, but thank you." She shrugged, smiling. Absolutely breathtaking.
"You can borrow some of my clothes." She stated, nodding toward something in the dark. "I'll turn on the light so you can get to the bathroom." She pecked my lips one more time before clambering off me and moving to the door where she used a vertical dial to turn up the lights, keeping them dim so it wouldn't be too bright. The illumination was a very natural color, which made me feel comfortable and safe.
I took in her room. Large windows lined one creamy beige wall, one of the Windows bulged outwards to form a little seat that had a small cream colored cushion, covered with a folded brown blanket and some pale gold pillows. She had a carpet floor and the bed I lay on was queen or king sized, colored beige, pale gold, a little accent of red, and some cocoa brown with very comfy white pillows.
There were a few dressers and a closet, along with some desks and a laptop. Boxes with labels in Hazel's fairy languages filled what I could see of a space behind a white sliding closet door. Papers were laying around the tabletops, sort of in an organized way. And there was a door apart from the one we came in through in the back.
The whole place smelled strongly of clean laundry, paper, various past teas that left a permanent floral, mildly jasmine-y aroma, and the intoxicating scent of Hazel was everywhere.
"Your room is beautiful..." I watched as Hazel went to some drawers and pulled out some sleepwear for me.
"Thanks. Megan did most of the designing." She shrugged, bringing me some thin sweats and a pajama tank top. "The shirt may be a little tight..." Her eyes flickered to my chest and then back to my eyes.
"Thank you." I accepted the clothes and kissed her quickly. "Where'd you say the bathroom was?" She nodded to the other door and pecked my lips again.
"Make yourself at home, Grace." She added before hopping into her bed as I went to get changed.
**lol the characters weren't cooperating this chapter but I promise you I will make them get to it in the next one ;) tell me what you think so far though! <3