Adla was staring at the ceiling of the unfamiliar bedroom.
Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, she couldn't recall ever feeling more relaxed. After arriving in Washington, her fears of not being able to patch things up with Leah had disappeared by now. They had been completely honest with one another. And although Adla had discovered some news that she didn't like, as in Leah hooking up with someone else, she wasn't angry.
She understood how confusing the situation was and that Leah had her own way of coping. Adla was happy they were able to talk and resolve everything before the blonde had truly moved on. They had spent all day talking and catching up on everything they had missed in the last month and a half. The difficulty of opening up was still there for Adla. But she made more an effort – more than ever before.
It was worth it. After all, she was lying in bed the next morning with Leah peacefully sleeping next to her – or on top of her almost. Smiling to herself, Adla usually enjoyed getting up early. In fact, she had been awake for some time, but she couldn't bring herself to get out of bed. Not when Leah was cuddled up with her, making her feel like this.
Adla listened to Leah's breathing and very softly stroked her hair. The silky texture had a nearly addictive quality to it. Growing up without much affection, Adla noticed how much she craved that intimacy after having had a little taste of it before their separation. She hadn't been able to focus on anything else other than what could have been if she had told Leah about her true feelings.
"Morning," a groggy voice interrupted Adla's thoughts.
"Good morning," Adla returned with a smile.
Leah stretched mildly and yawned before readjusting her position so she could look at Adla. The brunette also turned towards the other girl, so they were facing each other.
"Did you sleep well?" Leah asked quietly.
"Very well," Adla answered honestly and nodded. "You?"
"Same," the journalist smiled sleepily.
Adla wasn't sure what was considered 'normal' in their stage of relationship, but she was so incredibly infatuated with Leah at this point that it almost scared her. She admired every tiny detail and the image of the young woman simply resting her head on the white pillow was enough to make Adla's heart race. The light, blonde hair perfectly framed the facial features Adla had been marveling at. Looking at her jawline, cheekbones and lips was one thing, but nothing came even close to what Leah's eyes evoked.
Granted, the emerald green color was something a lot of people probably noticed. It wasn't a subtle tone of green either; the rich color was enhanced by the fact that every light seemed to reflect differently, making them more complex. The deep-set shape of Leah's eyes gave them a certain alluring almost seductive touch. While Leah wasn't shy to entice, the expression in her eyes varied as much as the shades of green in them.
The young journalist had a positive outlook on life and the brightness of her spirit matched the lightness of her eyes. But there was a sensitivity to Leah that was most appealing to Adla. There was no hiding what Leah felt. The vulnerability that was simply conveyed through her eyes was what truly enamored Adla beyond her own understanding.
"What do you want for breakfast?" Adla asked since she needed to focus on something else.
"Oh no," Leah grinned. "You're not cooking today. We stayed in yesterday but today we're going out. I have so many things to show you."
"Okay, sounds good," the policewoman agreed before adding: "You have nothing in your fridge, do you?" Adla laughed gently.
"Don't expose me like that," Leah reciprocated her laughter. "Come on. As much as I want to stay in bed all day with you, I can't let you go back without showing you around."
After finally leaving Leah's apartment, Adla began to understand why the journalist was so fascinated by the capital. The atmosphere was something Adla couldn't quite put into words. There was a seriousness and sense of importance everywhere they went. She enjoyed seeing all the monuments and places that held such power. It was a different pace from Chicago.
Although she had lived in Boston for a few years, Adla had never considered living anywhere else than Chicago. She also hadn't traveled much which made the trip very insightful. There was so much to discover. The two young women spent hours walking around, talking and simply reveling in the city and each other's company.
They ended up in a mall to do some shopping. Leah needed to buy a new outfit for work and had been in and out of the changing room a few times. Adla didn't mind accompanying her at all. After going through a bunch of items, Adla was standing outside the booth, waiting for Leah to come out.
Suddenly, there was a hand grabbing her arm and pulling her inside. Before she was able to say anything, she felt a pair of lips crashing against hers. Completely stunned, the brunette reciprocated as a reflex but then tried to pull away.
"Leah," Adla half-mumbled, half-giggled. "What are you doing?"
"Being a little spontaneous," Leah whispered and kissed Adla again.
"What if someone saw us?" The female police officer worried.
This time, she didn't get an answer. Instead, Leah kissed her even more urgently. With the blonde's arms wrapped around her neck, Adla gave in because she had missed exchanging affection as well. She wasn't comfortable with PDA and had even told Leah that she wasn't ready to make their relationship public. All day they had refrained from affection which had caused the spontaneous act.
Leah was taking steps backwards while clinging on to Adla tightly. With her back hitting the wall of the booth, Leah accidently knocked over a bunch of hangers. The loud, rustling sound alarmed Adla who broke off the kiss.
"Leah," she laughed quietly against the other's lips. "We're going to get kicked out, I swear."
"Stay," Leah said contextless, so Adla lifted an eyebrow. "Stay for a couple of more days."
"I can't," the brunette sighed deeply.
"You can't leave now," the younger woman complained while keeping her arms folded around Adla's neck so she wouldn't pull away fully. "Just...call in sick or something."
"I don't want to leave either, but I can't do that," Adla's sense of responsibility wouldn't allow her to flake on her colleagues.
"Please," Leah whispered and put on her best puppy-dog-eyes.
"Don't do that," Adla couldn't suppress a smile.
"I'm not too proud to beg," Leah replied before softly kissing Adla's lips. "Be selfish for once. Only a few more days. I don't want you to go."
"Leah," Adla sighed guilt-ridden because she understood Leah's sentiment. It was gut-wrenching to think about leaving each other. This time was important and Adla was afraid that the separation would cause them to drift apart again. She was determined not to let it happen, but there was no guarantee, was there?
"I'm sorry," Leah breathed surprisingly and rested her forehead against Adla's. "I shouldn't put you in this predicament. It's not fair."
"Don't apologize," the brunette whispered and closed her eyes. "I know this entire situation seems unfair, but we'll get through this."
"Is everything okay in there?" A voice from outside the booth suddenly asked and Adla eyes widened.
"Yes, thank you," Leah called out politely while putting her index finger against Adla's lips.
They waited a few seconds and heard the saleswoman walking away. Exhaling in relief, Adla shook her head and saw the mischievous look on Leah's face.
"Why don't you go out and I'll catch up," the green-eyed woman suggested with a grin.
"Take your time. I'll get us some coffee and wait outside, alright?" Adla proposed and noticed Leah nodding.
They exchanged a quick kiss before the policewoman carefully exited the changing room and shortly after the boutique. Looking for a coffee shop in the mall, Adla walked past a jewelry store and stopped in her tracks. There was a bracelet on display that immediately caught her attention. It was simple yet strikingly beautiful. In the vein of spontaneity, Adla entered the store and asked to see the bracelet.
As soon as she did, it was a done deal. The 18k gold bracelet was subtle and she knew that Leah wore bracelets in addition to her watch often. There was a little, emerald stone embedded that reminded Adla of Leah's eyes. The bracelet was priced at five hundred dollars which wasn't a sum of money Adla usually spent on a whim. In this case, she didn't even hesitate. With the bracelet safely tucked away in her pocket, she found a coffee shop shortly after and returned to Leah.
After walking around all day, they had dinner at Leah's favorite restaurant in the city and finished the night off with drinks at a bar close by. As much as they had enjoyed the day out and about, they felt slightly exhausted at the end of it and were happy to be back at Leah's apartment at around midnight. Adla's flight was at six in the morning so they didn't have much time left.
They were sitting on the couch when Adla pulled out the small box she had kept hidden.
"What is this?" Leah asked. "Did you buy yourself something?"
"No, it's for you," Adla admitted and was met with an astonished look. "I saw it and thought you might like it."
"Are you serious?" The blonde's voice was thick with emotion. "Why would you do that? I don't have anything for you."
"That's not why I did it," Adla replied quietly. "It's just something to commemorate today by. So you won't forget about me when I leave," she added with a smile.
"I won't forget about you, that's for sure," Leah reciprocated the smile and carefully opened the jewelry box. She gulped as soon as she saw the bracelet. "It's beautiful," she whispered and Adla noticed a little shimmer reflecting from the emerald orbs that matched the stone of the bracelet. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Adla whispered just as quietly for some reason. Taking the bracelet into her hands, Adla clasped the it around Leah's wrist and was relieved to see that it fit. Holding on to her hand, the brunette placed a soft kiss on the back of Leah's hand before letting go.
Only a second after, she felt Leah hugging her tightly. Folding her own arms around the younger one's waist, Adla took a deep breath. Leah adjusted herself and like yesterday straddled the policewoman. It was as if she needed to be as close as possible. Their bodies stayed in the intimate embrace until Leah leaned back to face Adla.
"I don't want to go to sleep," the blonde whispered. "Then we'll have to leave for the airport."
"Then let's not sleep," Adla breathed and saw Leah's raised eyebrow accompanied by a little smirk. "We can...watch movies or something," she continued unable to avoid a little stutter.
"Can I talk openly?" Leah asked, her voice calm and soothing.
"Always."
"I just want to establish something," the young woman began softly. "There's no pressure, okay? No pressure whatsoever when it comes to intimacy. I don't want you to feel like there's an expectation on my end. I'm usually a lot more...forward when it comes to those things, but I'm not going to initiate much because I don't want to cross boundaries; not because I don't want to," Leah chuckled mildly. "Does that make sense?"
"Yes," Adla answered simply and tried her best not to blush too hard.
"But," Leah bit her lower lip before resuming. "If there's something you want to do, whether you're curious or something happens in the moment, you have my consent to do it," she said and Adla's cheeks were definitely heating up now. "I don't want you to hold back, thinking that you would have to let me reciprocate either. Let's say, you...want to...touch my bellybutton," Leah giggled mildly. "I don't want you to think that you have to let me touch your bellybutton in return. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"I do," the brunette nodded quickly, smiling coyly.
"I'm saying this in general," Leah reiterated. "I'm not saying it to pressure you into doing anything. We're taking this slow and I'm completely and utterly on board with that. But I want you to be comfortable and secure in the fact that I trust you. Maybe for future reference, okay?"
"Okay," Adla kept her answers short because she was clearly unfamiliar with talking about such topics. Yet she was incredibly grateful that Leah was as open and honest as she was. It made everything a lot easier. Adla didn't have to wonder and question her every move. The reassurance felt like another weight lifted off her shoulders.
Instead of a verbal answer, Adla leaned forward and kissed her gently. She felt Leah smiling against her lips before reciprocating. They kept kissing and Adla lost track of time. Since neither of them wanted to sleep, this was even better than watching movies. Perhaps it was their conversation or the fact that their separation was coming closer by the second, but Adla began to deepen their kisses, trying to savor the moment.
She wasn't experienced but her instincts had brought her this far. Carefully biting Leah's lower lip, she heard the blonde exhaling loudly. Leah's hips subtly moved forward, the light motion bringing them even closer together. Adla felt Leah's chest pressing against her own, making it increasingly harder to focus on anything other than their bodies slowly but surely gravitating towards each other.
Adla hands were placed on the younger one's back but began to travel in opposite direction. While one traced Leah's spine downward until settling on her thigh, the other headed to her neck. Leah's lips were kissing Adla with passion, affection and such intensity that Adla felt nearly lightheaded. She was running out of breath and following her instincts again, she had to take a little break in order to catch her breath.
Tearing her lips away from Leah's, she didn't stop the affection but dipped her head lower to kiss the smooth skin of Leah's neck. The reaction was instant: Leah's hands squeezed Adla's shoulders, her hips bucked and the blonde released an appreciative, faint moan. The sound alone was something Adla had never heard before. Encouraged by it, Adla kept her lips where they were and explored what else she could do to induce another sound like that. The policewoman opened her mouth, gently sucking on the sensitive skin. Her tongue traced an invisible pattern before letting her teeth sink in.
"Oh God," Leah panted and Adla almost stopped before realizing it was an expression of pleasure not disapproval. Therefore, she continued and repeated her affection all over Leah's neck. She could feel the younger woman enjoying the new-found intimacy but also struggling to keep her composure. Leah's body was starting to tense up and while it might have been 'good tension', Adla didn't want to push them too far. This was already way more than she had anticipated coming here.
Slowly pulling away, Adla looked for Leah's gaze. She was met with a pair of green eyes that looked different – her pupils were dilated which changed the entire expression of them. Also, Leah's cheeks were bright red and there was a flustered smile on the younger one's lips. Realizing that she had such an effect on Leah was oddly satisfying and made Adla smile gently.
"You are full of surprises," Leah whispered with a smirk but then took a very deep breath.
Adla didn't respond other than laughing mildly. They ended up cuddling and holding each other before falling asleep even though neither of them had wanted to. Waking up to the sound of Adla's alarm on her phone was quite the rude awakening. It wasn't the lack of sleep that made it difficult but the fact that Adla's trip had come to an end.
With not a lot of time left, the brunette packed her things quickly and they headed to the airport. Both of them were deep in thought, not talking much. It was apparent how much neither of them looked forward to another six weeks of being away from each other. Nonetheless, their situation had changed dramatically. Reassured by everything that had happened over the past two days, Adla hugged Leah goodbye.
Doing so, she closed her eyes and a thought crossed her mind that she hadn't dared to think before: Is this love?
She had no idea. How could she? Was it too soon to think about such a thing? Adla had no point of reference whether what she felt was beyond the pale. All she knew was that she had never felt like this before. Holding on to Leah, not wanting to let go was heart-wrenching. A part of her wanted to utter the three words that were on her mind. The fear of overdoing it, or Leah not reciprocating held her back.
"I'm going to miss you," Adla said instead, slowly letting go.
"I'm going to miss you, too," Leah returned softly and Adla saw the vulnerability in the green eyes that made her heart swell. "Call me when you land, okay?"
"I will," the taller girl nodded.
Hesitating for a moment, Adla leaned forward and gave Leah a quick kiss on the lips. She hadn't planned on it and it felt strange to do something intimate in a public space, but she needed to convey her affection for the blonde one more time. Earning a joyful smile from Leah in response was worth the uneasiness of demonstrating her feelings publicly.
"Bye," Adla whispered and reciprocated her smile.
"Bye Adla," Leah responded with a sigh.
-
Adla woke up from her nap and felt her head throbbing. Squinting her eyes, she hated the feeling of waking up with a headache. It didn't happen often, but it was a real pain whenever it did. Slowly moving out of bed, she went to her medicine cabinet and took something to relieve the tension. There was no point in waiting it out since that could take hours.
She made herself something to eat and by the time it was ready, her headache was gone. Looking for her phone, Adla wasn't someone who had to have her phone with her at all times. But she was inclined to look for it because of Leah. They had managed to withstand the last three weeks after her trip to Washington a lot better than before. Regular texts and phone calls were part of the commitment and both made an effort. It wasn't even an effort because they enjoyed it.
Wondering if Leah had contacted her, she was shocked to find 17 missed calls. 13 of them were from Leah, the others from her mom and brother. Instantly alarmed, she unlocked her phone and called Leah back who picked up immediately.
"Adla?"
Leah's voice was hoarse and stricken with fear. There was tremble in it as if the young woman had been crying. Adla's heart took a dive at the sound of it without knowing the reason.
Adla: Yeah, it's me. What is going on?
Leah: Are you okay?
Adla: I'm fine. Are you alright? You sound terrified.
Leah: You're not at work?
Adla: No, I changed shifts short-notice because a co-worker wanted to. Why?
Leah: There...we got the news that there was a fatal shooting in Chicago involving a police officer.
Adla's heart took an even bigger dive. She almost dropped her phone at the idea that one of her colleagues might have been killed while she had been asleep. Obviously, she didn't know whether it was someone from her station or another district, but it didn't matter.
Leah: I called every police station possible, but they wouldn't give me any information. Then I called the newspaper and hospitals and you weren't picking up your phone.
The journalist's voice was breaking all over the place, her anguish palpable through the phone. She was sobbing, trying to explain why she had called relentlessly.
Leah: I kept thinking that you were at work...and that you were...I was...scared that...
Adla: Please, don't cry. I'm sorry for not picking up...I had no idea. This is...horrible.
The brunette had to sit down. Her mind was racing. She heard Leah slowly calming down and taking deep breaths. For the first time she understood how difficult it had to be for the family of other officers. Adla's mother had never supported her career choice but Adla felt like it was out of disapproval for the field in general – not the fear of losing her.
She thought about all of her co-workers who had wives, husbands, partners and children waiting at home for them every day. To think that one those families was possibly waiting in vain today broke her heart into a million pieces. Hearing Leah's voice of pure fear and terror was painful enough. She realized how difficult it was for everyone involved, not just her.
Adla: I love you.
Adla couldn't believe she had just blurted out the three words that had been on her mind for weeks now. Strangely enough, she didn't panic like she thought she would. She had to say it. Perhaps it wasn't the ideal moment: over the phone, Leah being angst-ridden, Adla herself feeling grief-stricken; but it was the moment where she couldn't hold it in anymore. What was the purpose of loving someone when you couldn't tell them? Adla didn't want to regret holding back when it counted. All of her life she had held back. This time she couldn't.
Leah: I love you, too.
As soon as she heard Leah's soft voice reciprocating her words, Adla squeezed her eyes shut and felt tears rolling down her cheek. Tears of relief and sorrow at the same time. Neither of them said anything but it wasn't necessary. Exchanging those true words of love for each other was all they needed to hear for now.
Adla didn't want to hang up because she had to call the station afterwards to see what had happened. Her shift started in an hour and the policewoman wasn't sure she was prepared for what was coming.
Suddenly, her eyes shot open: "Aiden," she breathed and dropped her phone because she remembered that the young man had been on duty and hadn't called her unlike Leah and her family.
-----
A/N: Two chapters for the price of one lol Or maybe one and a half because chapter 7 is pretty short, but I was inspired and kept writing. I'm reading every single comment and your feedback means the world. Thank you all so much for the positive energy. I'm always super interested to hear your thoughts so keep them coming, please.
Have a lovely Sunday.