Lily was absolutely mortified the fact that her roommate had learned she was ticklish.
It had started out innocently enough. Lily had been arguing with her sister on the phone—about what she should be majoring in, about when to visit their parents, about whether they should visit at the same time—when Pandora came in the room and she hastily ended the call. Pandora asked if she was ok, then told her to come sit with her. So Lily had sat on her bed with her, thinking about how Petunia had been too fussy for years to let Lily sit on her bed, and slowly the whole sordid tale of her relationship with her sister and its deterioration over the years despite Lily’s best efforts had spilled out to this unsuspecting, soft-spoken psych major she’d randomly been assigned to room with.
After that, though, somehow Lily always ended up on Pandora’s bed with her, watching videos together and talking and playing with each other’s hair. Marlene, who lived across the hall from them, told Lily their habit was homoerotic, but so what if it was? So what if there was nothing more relaxing to her than Pandora braiding tiny braids through her hair? There was no harm. Sure, after that first thought, any comparisons with Petunia had completely ceased, but it was fine. It might be messy if Lily were to date her roommate, and she tried not to think about that too much, but they weren’t even doing that. They were just… cuddling. Being friends.
Close friends.
Physically close friends.
Really, some sisters would do this with each other, Lily thought. They wouldn’t feel the way she did about it, most likely, but did that matter?
But then tonight, Pandora brushed her hand up Lily’s side and she was howling with laughter, despite her best efforts to stay silent and not encourage Pandora. Lily was ticklish; it was involuntary—really, she liked the gentle push of Pandora’s fingers on her head and shoulders as she braided her hair so much better than this, half torture, half delight.
But of course Pandora noted what was going on and started trying to tickle Lily more, who screeched with laughter and determination and fought back until she had pinned Pandora’s hands down. And then… when Lily looked down at Pandora, it was as though her deep brown eyes were charged with something.
“Dora?” she whispered, looking at Pandora’s lips.
“Yes,” Pandora said softly. “Yes.” Lily wasn’t even consciously aware of the question that Pandora had answered, but her body was. She lowered her head towards the blonde girl, and Pandora met her in a kiss.