The Sleepover
From Sage: Are you free Friday night?
To Sage: How free do I need to be?
From Sage: Well… The signing party is Saturday afternoon. I… was wondering if you wanted to maybe spend Friday night with me at Sam’s.
Addy bit her lip, considering the proposal. She definitely wanted to spend the night, but getting her mother to agree… That would be an issue.
To Sage: Yes, I want to. Unsure how the parental unit will respond to the request. Is Riesling willing to cover for me if I say I’m at hers?
From Sage: Probably. Just call her and ask.
To Sage: Alright, that’s fair.
To Riesling: Hey, can I ask for a favour?
---
“Hey! Sage greeted her with a grin. “So how’s tricks? Do you think you can do it?”
“Mom said yes as long as I’m at Riesling’s and you’re not there. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
Sage rolled her eyes. “Your mom’s gonna end up hating me, won’t she?”
“No. She just has to get to know you, and she doesn’t yet. She’ll love you, I promise.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Now come on, I don’t wanna be late to class.”
---
“Hi, Happy! Addy, this is Happy, he drives me places, but he’s really head of security. Happy, this is Addy, she’s my girlfriend.”
The two made eye contact in the rearview mirror and for a moment just stared at each other. Then Adeline nodded and Happy nodded, and they drove off.
“That was weird, you guys.”
Adeline laughed and pulled Sage into a one-armed hug, smooshing a kiss to her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too. So, the plan for tonight is Sam’s gonna take us to see Early Man, because it looked stupid, so I want to see it. And then, did you ever see the trailer for Irreplaceable You?”
“I don’t think so?”
“Damn. Well, anyway, the trailer made me cry, so if it’s chill with you, we’re gonna watch that after we get back from the theatre, and we can, like, order pizza or make waffles for dinner, or something.”
Addy grinned at her. “That sounds great.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. But we have to put blueberries in the plaid pancakes.”
Sage laughed. “You’re such a fucking weirdo. God, I love you. What if I raise you one, and say chocolate chip blueberry waffles?”
Addy gave her a considering look and stroked her chin thoughtfully, trying not to smile. “I think that may be an acceptable deal.”
“Good, because those are the only kind of waffles Sam will eat.”
Adeline snorted and kissed her temple. “Then I’m glad we came to an agreement.”
---
Sage was in tears practically before Irreplaceable You even started, and all Addy could do was run a soothing hand up and down her back because Sage was in her lap and, frankly, she was on the verge of tears herself.
Sam walked in to see them wrapped around each other, each girl fighting off tears and rolled his eyes. He picked up the remote and hit pause, not having to wait long for both of them to turn to him with cries of outrage. “Sorry. Look, I’m headed to bed. You guys can either stay out here, or crash in the guest room, I don’t care which. Just try to get some sleep, otherwise Tony will kill me, okay?”
“Okay. Love you, sleep well.”
He smiled at her softly and ruffled her hair a little, laughing when she scolwed at him. “I love you too. Don’t do anything gross on my couch.”
Adeline wrinkled her nose. “I think I should be offended that you think so little of us.”
“Don’t be. He’s just being an ass becuase I’m an ass.” Sage winked at him and pressed a kiss to Addy’s cheek. “Let’s finish the movie. I’ve only got so much energy for crying, and I don’t want to waste any of it.”
They took a while to just… be after the movie was over. Adeline made hot chocolate, and they pulled the leftover waffles from the fridge, Addy toasting hers and eating them on a plate with syrup. Sage just ate them cold, and then, like a monster, dipped one in her hot chocolate, making a face after eating it.
Adeline couldn’t help but laugh at that, despite the tears still drying on both their cheeks.
They just… let themselves exist because what else could you do after a movie like that? They each sat on a different section of the counter, close enough that Sage could still hold Addy’s hand as she ate her waffle, but far enough away that there was no danger of the blonde getting syrup on the sleeve of her sweater.
They went back to the couch after they were done having a snack. Sage put on some Great British Bake-Off, and they spooned on the couch, neither of them quite paying attention to the show, each still caught up in a web of emotions.
Addy’s thumb traced absent circles where it had slipped beneath Sage’s sweater, and the other girl could feel herself drifitng off, feeling safe and content, surrounded by her girlfriend’s arms and smell and just… Addy.
“Babe?” She said quietly, almost afraid to break the silence between them, because they’d slipped into an almost twilight phase of existence, and if she could stay here like this forever, she would. In a heartbeat.
“Hmm?” Addy’s voice was lazy, a little thick with drowzyness, but she propped herself up just slightly on an elbow so that she could look down at Sage. “What’s wrong? Is it the thing tomorrow?”
Sage breathed out what was almost a sigh of relief, because she hadn’t actually had something to say, but now she did. “Sort of. It’s nothing really. I’m so excited for this to be official, you know? But there’s just this tiny part of me that’s terrified. As if, for some reason, they’ll just change their mind at the very last minute and be like ‘sorry, we don’t want you after all.’ How awful do I have to be to still think that?”
Adeline dropped back down and wrapped both arms around Sage, squeezing her as tight as she could. “You’re not awful. You’re human. You’ve got anxiety. That’s normal. It’ll be fine. We’ll do it together tomorrow, huh?”
Sage smiled slightly and snuggled back further into Addy’s arms, closing her eyes against the lump in her throat that swelled and felt overwhelmed, but also felt like finally, finally being home. “Yeah. Together. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Adeline laid a gentle kiss on her neck and then turned her attention back to the tv, deciding not to mention the silent tears that were tracing tracks down Sage’s cheeks.