soothing things

who: lily and vera
where: their apartment
when: late afternoon

Lily hadn’t seen her room mate in a couple of days, not since before her date with Charlie, but that wasn’t exactly unusual. The fact she wanted to talk to her however meant that Vera’s prolonged absence was bothering her more than it might have done otherwise. So when she came back from the grocery store to see her friend sat on the couch idly flipping through a magazine, she felt both relieved and annoyed, the latter of which she was quick to express by pushing the door closed with her foot far harder than was actually necessary.

Vera had been busy, clients which meant dinners and one who wound up convincing her to stay the night with his bubbling need to let passion take over. That had been fun, which was why Vera was willing to step outside her existing role as ‘escort’ and back into her old one on her terms. Then there was shopping, which was what kept her out most of the morning. On her bed now were things for herself, gearing up for the gala at the end of the week, but also something else for her new friend Charlie. Nothing huge, but something to get him geared up to be something more than himself.

When Lily essentially kicked the door shut, Vera looked up from where she was seeing Lily there and waiting a moment. “Yes dear?” she asked, innocence in her voice and expression as if she had no idea what Lily was upset about. Honestly she wasn’t entirely sure there was anything that Vera herself had done, which had her blaming the shop keeper from which Lily had come. That bastard. Vera might have to have a word with him and find them another grocer.

Having known the older woman as long as she did, Lily wasn’t particularly swayed by Vera’s voice or expression and headed over to the kitchen, shooting a look over at the brunette as she dropped the grocery sacks onto the counter and began unpacking them. “Why didn’t you tell me about finding Charlie a job?” she said, annoyed enough to not notice her voice being lost under the clatter of tins and bottle on the hard surface.

Vera still wasn’t sure what Lily was upset about, but that look had her ruling out the grocer. Then Lily was speaking and Vera had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at the fact that she’d completely forgotten that Vera wouldn’t be able to make out more than ‘you’ which pointed things back at Vera herself again. Completely unsure of what she’d done now she got up from her space, meeting Lily and taking things out of her hand to put them away herself. It wasn’t like her to do someone else’s work, but she’d realized long ago that this was an easy way to soothe someone. “What happened again?” she asked, gently trying to suggest that she hadn’t heard her roommate’s complaint.

“Charlie,” the red head replied hotly, pulling open a cupboard door with a crash. “Finding him a job.” She practically threw in the tinned fruit in her hand and shut the door again with a slam. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Right, that. Vera wasn’t entirely sure where the hostility for helping someone was coming from but she made a point of blocking Lily from the groceries, if only to salvage their cupboards. “I was going to, I just wasn’t sure if it would pan out. Why get your hopes up if nothing came of it. But it looks like it’s going to work out.”

Lily frowned and raked her hands through her hair, turning a little on the spot. What Vera was saying made sense but she still couldn’t comprehend why her friend had done it all and the news that she had apparently found something for him wasn’t much of a comfort. “A job doing what?”

Vera kept her eyes on Lily for a moment more before going back to putting groceries away. “Rather brilliant idea actually. Seems Eris wants him to go to our more public functions, the larger parties, galas and events to keep an eye on us and be there should we run into any trouble. I was rather fond of the idea since he seems capable of holding his own and getting him out of those dirty, worn out clothes of his wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Regardless of what Vera’s motivations may have been, Lily knew that she should be happy for Charlie; after all money was an issue for him and if he was going to take on a second job then Eris was an excellent person to work for. Instead though, she just felt more angry than she had before that the one person she had in her life that was nothing to do with her job was now going to be just that and with the groceries now blocked, she took out her aggression on the cabinets, kicking one so hard it left a dent.

“Lily!” The outburst from Vera was a rare one to send in Lily’s direction, scolding and unapproving. While part of Vera relished in the spunk coming out of the woman, the emotions rippling off her in waves, that was no way to handle a situation. “What has gotten into you?” And how can I make more of it come out?

If she heard the disapproving tone in Vera’s voice, Lily didn’t react to it as she turned to look at the other woman. “Why Vera?” she said as loudly as she could manage, voice cracking under the strain. “Why are you doing this for him?”

While Vera thought she knew everything about Lily, sometimes the other woman surprised her. Moving closer to the redhead she took her hands, perching against the table to watch Lily’s eyes. “Why not do something nice for someone? I would have thought you’d understand that.”

Lily wanted to believe that that was the case but she wasn’t sure if she could, tugging her hands free from Vera’s as she took a step backwards. “Because you don’t do that Vera, not without knowing you’re going to get something out of it!” she shot back. “And I want to know what you’re getting out of this.” Her breath was coming in heavy gasps now with the exertion and her hair was a mess but she didn’t back down and she didn’t look away, not intending to either until she got her answer.

When Lily pulled away Vera let her go, putting her arms behind her to lean back on the table. “I don’t know if I’m getting something out of it,” she said. “I think he’s rather charming and he’s got potential. Maybe I wanted to help him see that. I’m not allowed to make friends now?” She was starting to wonder if maybe Lily was smitten with this man, and in the same manner that he’d seemed smitten with Lily. He wouldn’t be the first to be smitten with Lily, but if she was smitten with him, that changed things.

Eyes narrowing a touch, Lily crossed her arms. “I never said that,” she replied, despite the fact that in her experience, Vera didn’t have friends so much as she had people in her life she liked around for some reason or another. “I just didn’t expect Charlie would be the type to catch your interest that way.”

“Why? Because he caught yours?” Vera asked, something darker edging into her tone. “I rather enjoyed his company and I dare say he enjoyed mine. I don’t know what you think of me these days Lily that you don’t think I can just enjoy a cup of coffee with someone without some secret agenda.” Maybe there was an agenda, but it wasn’t some planned out thing, it was keeping Charlie as...something. Until she had a good use for him.

“And what if he has?” Lily replied hotly, hating the way her cheeks started to burn and knew it meant that she was blushing. Knew that Vera would notice and would easily deduce that, yes, Charlie had.

That was a development. “You tell me love. That means a whole variety of things if I remember correctly.” Like how that sort of thing didn’t factor into the work they did. It might factor more into the work they did now, but it still wasn’t something that could easily be done.

Finally faltering, Lily looked away as the heat in her face still continued to rise. “He’s not part of this Vera, he’s sweet and kind and he...” Her hand instinctively went to her stomach as she thought of the way he made her feel, that warmth that seemed to pool inside her whenever he smiled at her. “I want that in my life.”

Vera’s face stayed passive but behind it her thoughts darkened. When Lily’s hand went to her stomach she thought the worst, wondering if Lily had let Charlie that close, that it wouldn’t be something unheard for either of them, but that one simple mistake could change everything. “So you don’t want him a part of this...would you rather I tell him he I couldn’t help? That there isn’t a job when he does need one. You think he’s going to let you support him with your...career?” It was said in a gentle tone, but Vera knew the words would sting. They were meant to sting, but to sound as if that wasn’t the intention at all.

“What I do doesn’t bother him Vera,” Lily replied defensively, even though as she said, she knew her friend had a point. Even if the job didn’t bother him, Charlie had enough pride to not want Lily to pay for things - after all he’d paid for everything on their date when he probably didn’t have the money to spare. She sagged visibly, the fight seeping out of her as she lent against the counter.

Charlie was a good liar as well, or Lily just desperately wanted to believe him. There was no way that he was okay with what she did, or if he was now, there was no way he’d still be okay with it down the road. When Lily gave up the fight though, Vera moved towards her friend wrapping her arms around her. “It’ll work out. You’ll see. And I think he’ll be good at it as well.”

This time Lily didn’t pull away from the touch and instead leaned in to it, a habit built over years of friendship, taking comfort in the physical contact. “I hope so Vera,” she whispered, her eyes sliding closed. Because she did want things to work out, desperately so and she wouldn’t let her own selfish desire to keep Charlie separate from the agency get in the way of his chance to earn some decent money, regardless of how much the prospect scared her.

Vera let her hands work at the knots along Lily’s shoulders, humming softly while she held on to her friend. “I have an idea. How about you take a bath then let me put your hair up so it will curl in the morning?” she asked, voice low and soft, something meant to ease and tempt.

The part of Lily that was still mad at Vera hated how easily the rest of her succumbed to the older woman’s gentle voice and steady hands, her developing feelings for Charlie unable to undo the years of infatuation she’d had with the brunette. She nodded along with a small affirmative noise somewhere in her throat, eyes still closed as the color finally started to fade from her cheeks.

That made Vera smile, something that she didn’t let Lily see, but she was feeling better about the Charlie and Lily thing if Lily still gave in to Vera. “Good then,” she said pulling away from Lily, but keeping her arm around the other woman’s shoulders and guide her out of the kitchen towards the bedroom. “Come on, I promise it will make you feel better.”

Opening her eyes, Lily let herself be guided through the apartment, the ache in her throat and foot where she’d kicked the cupboard becoming more prominent with each step and her hands went to rest on Vera’s arms. Regardless of how frustrated she may have been with her, it was too easy to let herself be looked after by the older girl, as she had done many times before.

Once they made it into Lily’s bedroom, Vera led her to the bed, sitting her down with a firm squeeze against her shoulders. “Bubbles I think,” she said moving to into the bathroom and starting the water in the tub, testing it until it was the right temperature. She added the extra bubbles then went back to Lily, lurking the door way and watching Lily.

Feeling a little like a balloon that had lost all it’s air, Lily unbuckled her shoes without really thinking about it, pushing them under the bed with her feet before starting to unbutton her sweater. As she did so, her eyes fell on the teddy Charlie had got from her, stolen from the crooked stall holder at the Boardwalk, and she couldn’t help but smile a little despite her exhaustion, not noticing when Vera reappeared.

Vera made a face, watching Lily be distracted by a stuffed animal. She took a few steps closer, looking down at Lily as she unbuttoned her sweater for her. “Bath’s almost ready,” she reminded her gently.

Lily started slightly when Vera came back into view, feeling like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t have. Her breath caught slightly as the brunette finished undoing the buttons for her, as it always did when Vera was so close and for a moment all thoughts of Charlie went from her mind as brown eyes met gray.

Vera let a small smile slip on her features, as if being this close to Lily made her happy, when it was the hitch in the other girl’s breath that made her happy. Boy in her life or not, Vera still had some hold on the woman. She was gentle as she slipped the sweater from Lily’s shoulders, watching her friend’s eyes. “Need more help?”

That smile was dangerous, banishing any lingering misgivings Lily might’ve had about her room mate and her actions, at least for the time being, and the red head shivered a little as Vera’s hands brushed along her bare arms as the sweater was removed. She smiled a little at the offer of help but shook her head, fingers going to the tie at the waist of her dress.

It was too easy not to reach for the tie herself and Vera was already helping with the next part. “Come on,” she said once it was undone, taking Lily’s hand and pulling her onto her feet.

She should have protested, insisted that she could do it herself, but instead Lily just did as she was told, willing following Vera’s lead as she’d done so hundreds of times before. Her dress slid off her shoulders as she stood and fell further as they headed into the bathroom, only their joined hands and the slight curve of her hips stopping it from dropping to the floor entirely.

Vera didn’t mind the fact that her dress was almost off, too long in her other business that she didn’t mind that sort of thing. Once they were in the bathroom she let go of Lily’s hand helping her out of the dress the rest of the way and working on the slip she had on under it, sure to graze fingers across bare skin, knowing how Lily usually reacted.

And Lily didn’t disappoint her, eyes fluttering shut at the delicate touch and her breath quickening. She hadn’t felt conscious of her body around Vera in years but with her so close and helping her out of her slip, the red head felt more aware of it than usual, the brunette’s name forming on her lips but barely audible. “Vera.”

“Mmhmm?” Vera answered undoing the clip that had her hair up and letting it fall around her shoulders. Then she pinned up Lily’s, something loose and light, but out of the way while she was in the bath.

Eyes opening a fraction, Lily glanced at the other woman. “I’m sorry I yelled,” she said, barely loud enough to be heard even with the small distance between them.

Vera looked towards Lily, meeting her friends eyes with a soft expression. “Oh honey, I wasn’t mad. You’re allowed to be upset.” She kissed her friends brow lightly and pulled away enough to turn off the water on the tub and give Lily a gentle push towards it.

And doing as she was bid, Lily stepped into the tub and lowered herself into the water, wincing slightly at the heat until she was used to it before laying back amongst the bubbles, a contended sigh escaping her lips. “Thank you,” she said, unsure exactly of what she was grateful for but feeling like it had to be said anyway, eyes closing again as the aches began to leave her body.

Vera smiled, lowering herself onto the edge of the tub and she ran her hand along Lily’s cheek. “Of course. You know I’m always here for you dear. Do you need anything else?”

Lily shook her head, still leaning toward where the touch had been even after it had finished, her voice low as she replied, “I’m fine Vera, really.”

Vera nodded, leaning in to kiss Lily’s temple again. “Alright then. I’ll go make coffee and when you’re done we’ll work on your hair.” She lingered for a moment, as if she didn’t want to leave. It wasn’t so much that she didn’t want to, but more wanted Lily to think that and solidify how Lily felt about them.

“Okay,” the red head replied before sinking further into the bubbles so only her head and neck still protruded from them. She felt warmed by the way Vera lingered in the room, blissfully unaware of the other woman’s intentions, and a small smile crept on to her face as her eyes drifted closed again.

Once Lily’s eyes were closed, Vera got up and left the bathroom, intent on doing just what she said to keep Lily from getting upset again about the Charlie thing. Charlie was something Vera wasn’t giving up on, enjoying it too much.