I'm not going anywhere, I promise (Grandekofi)
Tia’s life was damn near perfect. She had her dream job, the most adorable cat in the world, and the best girlfriend anybody could ever ask for. All things considered, she had no complaints.
“Babe, I’m home!” Tia called as she nudged open the door to their flat, but the only response she got was their cat's loud yelling as he ran over to rub against her legs. Hanging up her purse, she smiled to herself before squatting down to pet him. “Hi, Spocky, can you tell me where your mama is?”
He meowed in response, butting his head against her knee and starting to purr. Tia chuckled lightly and scratched under his chin before padding over to the kitchen to get him some food. As she started preparing his bowl, she pulled her phone out, looking for a little unread bubble next to Dame’s contact—no such luck.
She sighed to herself, putting Spock’s bowl down and leaning against the counter. There were a million and one reasons Dame could be running late with no warning. There might be traffic. Perhaps her phone had died after their hour-long FaceTime during Tia’s lunch break. Hell, her shoot was probably just running long. It wasn’t as if modeling was a typical 9-to-5 job.
Or, Tia’s brain not-so-helpfully supplied, her girlfriend might be dead in some kind of freak accident, and the cops just hadn’t arrived to tell her yet. Dame could have run off with another woman, one of the hundreds of beautiful models she worked with that Tia could never hope to compare to. It wasn’t such a reach to see how that might happen.
Stop it. Stop catastrophizing, Tia chided herself. Dame had never given her one single reason to doubt their relationship's security. Well, aside from the fact that everyone who had ever met Dame fell in love with her almost instantly. It was impossible not to.
That was it. That had to be it. Dame would have told her if she was running late. She always did. So, something was seriously wrong with this picture.
Tia dug her index fingers into her temples as she walked towards their bedroom, trying to banish the thought. But with every passing moment, it was harder for her to imagine anything other than the worst. Dame was gone. Some way or another. She had to be.
A towel, abandoned on the floor just inside the bedroom door, nearly took her out.
“Oh, I didn’t even hear you get home!”
Tia looked up from the offending towel to lock eyes with the still dripping wet, stark naked woman standing next to their dresser. Her mouth felt like it was made of cotton. She had seen Dame naked hundreds, if not thousands of times, and it still never failed to reduce her to a babbling, staring mess.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” she said, managing to pull her brain together enough for one snarky remark before she let herself fully take in the sight across from her.
Dame looked – for lack of a better word – modelesque. Droplets of water trailed down her milky skin, emphasizing her soft, grabbable curves. Tia had the fleeting thought to lap her dry in an attempt to satisfy the unceasing parchedness in her throat. Her gaze followed one of the droplets as it tracked down the gentle swell of her breast and made its way down her torso to–
Tia jerked her eyes back to Dame’s face as she heard her girlfriend clearing her throat. Her own face went berry red, feeling like she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Dame pursed her lips in that way that Tia knew meant she was just barely containing her smile.
“Mon cœure, I’m so sorry for putting your safety in danger, how will I ever repay you?” Dame practically purred, stepping closer so she could cup Tia’s face in her hands, leaning in to connect their lips in a succession of sweet pecks. It was so at odds with her words, with how her warm, damp body pressed against Tia’s own as if she was trying to become one. And yet, it was so fundamentally Dame.
Tia kissed her back, hands quickly finding their way to Dame’s slender waist. Dame was getting Tia wet where she was pressed up against her, but Tia couldn’t bring herself to care. Not when Dame was there, in her arms, warm and pliable and, most importantly, all hers.
“I thought you were gone,” Tia admitted between kisses, thumbs rubbing small circles into Dame’s sides.
Dame smiled, kissing her once more before pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes. “No, just bathing. Were you worried?” she teased lightly.
Tia felt her cheeks coloring again. She had been worried; that was the thing. It seemed so ridiculous in hindsight, with Dame still holding her face ever so delicately, but it had felt so plausible at the moment. Likely, even.
“Oh, Cherie, you were worried,” her smile fell, shifting to press their foreheads together. Tia averted her gaze, not wanting to look her in the eyes. “Baby, look at me,” Dame pleaded softly, but Tia kept her eyes downcast. Dame sighed after a moment, pulling back and moving her hand to nudge Tia’s chin up gently. Reluctantly, Tia let herself meet Dame’s gaze. It was such a stupid concern. She felt ridiculous.
Dame let her hand trail down from Tia’s chin, ghosting along her arm before taking her hand, entwining their fingers, and squeezing gently. “Will you tell me what was worrying you?”
Tia shrugged halfheartedly. “It's kind of embarrassing, really. Can’t we just go back to the kissing and touching? I was enjoying that part a lot more.”
Dame laughed. “After,” she promised with a smile. “Cross my heart and hope to–”
“Don’t finish that.” Tia felt the words coming out before she could even process that she was speaking.
Dame cocked her head to the side, pausing for a moment. “Did you think… Cherie, why would you think that I had died?” she asked softly. Tia’s face burned, and she wished she had a time machine. Then maybe she could go back and stop herself from saying something so stupid. Or one of those mind-wipe devices from Men In Black. Either would work.
“I don’t know. The news shows so many stories of bad things happening, and you always text me when you’re going to be late. So when I got home, I thought you weren’t here, and I hadn’t heard anything…” She trailed off, looking away sheepishly. “I’ve always had an overactive imagination. I don’t know. It’s stupid. I mean, as far as I knew, you had run off with someone younger and hotter, or the bus had gone off the rails, or… fucking… aliens had attacked. All of those seemed equally plausible at the time.”
It took Dame a moment to respond. Tia tried to quell her growing nerves. Surely, she would understand. Surely, she wouldn’t judge her for being worried. Surely, everything would be fine.
“I’m not interested in finding anybody younger, and I don't think it's possible for someone to be hotter than you,” she started, pulling away so she could sit on the edge of the bed. Tia followed suit, leaning into her side. “Look at me. Feel me. Feel my heart beating. I’m as alive as ever.” She moved their hands, still entwined, so that Tia could rest her palm against Dame’s chest. Tia stayed there for a few moments, letting the rhythmic patter soothe her.
“And the aliens?” Tia asked after a moment.
“Please. You’ve shown me so much of the science fiction that I could stop any alien attack with ease. You can’t get rid of me that easy.”
Tia smiled at that, moving her hand back to recapture Dame’s. “Good. I couldn’t handle you disappearing, you know. I’m quite fragile, really, all things considered.”
Dame chuckled. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” It felt like a weight lifted off her chest, one she hadn’t even realized she was carrying. She shifted so she was facing Dame fully, letting herself admire the woman sitting across from her.
Tia didn’t know how she got so lucky. She must have done something incredible in a past life to deserve Dame. To have someone so sweet and caring, someone whose sense of humor meshed so perfectly, someone who loved her through every emotional up and down – it was more than she could have ever hoped. There was nothing in the world worth giving that up for. She had a fleeting thought that maybe she should propose then and there.
She reached over, slender fingers brushing against Dame’s collarbone, relishing the way Dame’s breath caught in her throat. It was perfect. She was perfect. And Tia was going to make sure she knew it.
Tia pulled her gaze up – away from the tantalizing mound of soft brown hair, away from the soft plane of her stomach, away from those perfect soft breasts that Tia was constantly daydreaming about – and gave Dame a warm grin.
“I love you. So much it makes me stupid sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
“Shut up, I’m trying to seduce you,” Tia griped, shoving her playfully. Dame laughed brightly.
“Sorry, sorry. Continue on,” Dame chuckled out.
Tia rolled her eyes. “Anyways, I love you a lot, even though you’re frankly quite obnoxious and rude, and if you’ll lie yourself down on this bed right here, I’d like to show you just how much,” she concluded, leaning over to kiss her once more as she gently guided Dame down onto the mattress. She was going to make certain Dame knew just how much she loved her – the best way she knew how.