It took a moment to regain her words and catch her breath. But as soon as the fog lifted from her mind, she pulled Nico close for a deep kiss. Their tongues danced and Mary tasted her own excitement on Nico’s lips. It was oddly intimate, even for the circumstances they were under.

“You look very proud,” Mary noted as soon as she found the ability to speak. Little lights danced in Nico’s eyes as she subtly wiped her mouth.

“This was fun,” she grinned, leaning in for another kiss.

“Also a bit random,” Mary added, wondering how exactly they went from awkward conversations in the guys’ kitchen to having fun in a changing room.

“I’ve been watching you,” the pixie admitted, smiling sheepishly. “That sounds a bit creepy. I just meant… I think you’re beautiful.”

The other woman laughed breathily and pressed another kiss on Nico’s lips. “It’s a little creepy, but I don’t mind. I think I liked you before too, I just wasn’t sure that was what it was.”

“How so?”

“I thought you annoyed me, but I think I was just annoyed you weren’t with me. Or weren’t really paying me attention.”

Nico blushed, reverting to her shy self. “I didn’t want to steal the guys’ thunder. They were all fawning over you and I didn’t want to… Add to it, I suppose?”

This time around, it was Mary’s turn to grin smugly. With a satisfied rumble passing through her, she pulled Nico up. For a moment, she hesitated as she wasn’t too sure what to do next. She didn’t exactly have a lot of experience with this particular kind of sex.

Nico pulled her wandering hand away and intertwined their fingers. “You don’t have to do anything in return.”

“But I want to,” she protested, the idea of touching Nico and making her squirm very appealing to her foggy brain.

“Later, maybe. I’m actually running late.”

“Oh…” Mary said, hoping to hide her disappointment. Even if it wasn’t Nico’s intention, that just made her feel like she was in a ditch and run type of situation. Quickly, she pulled up her pants, shielding herself from the pixie. It was a little ridiculous after what Nico had done, but Mary wanted to hide herself somehow.

“I don’t want to hold you up…. Umm… Thanks, I think?” she muttered, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. She and Nico never discussed what this was and it wasn’t fair to make the woman feel bad just because she wasn’t meeting her unspoken expectations.

Nico sensed the disappointment hanging around Mary and quickly pulled her in for a kiss. Gently, she pressed her lips on hers in a very different kind of gesture than the fanning hot ones, hoping to reassure the sad woman in her arms.

“I’m not running away, I promise. But the guys are waiting for me.”

“The guys?” Mary tilted her head, the anguish slightly lifting.

“Yes. Noel, Louis, Sam? I believe you’re familiar with them?”

Mary snorted, hiding her flushed cheeks in her hands. “Yes, I know them.”

“Want to come along? And then maybe later, I can show you my place?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows invitingly.

“Ooh really?” Mary handed Nico her shirt and bra, not even bothering with the shippy shirt. This wasn’t the time to buy more clothes when she wanted to get her out of them.

They slugged the curtain open and earned themselves a glare from one of the store assistants. Mary wasn’t sure whether that was because she heard them or if because they had been hogging the changing room, but she didn’t care.

With their hands intertwined, the two women hurried out the store and took the long bus to the outskirts of town. Every now and then, they glanced at each other with a glimmer in their eyes and Mary was certain this was the start of something new.

A nippy wind brushed under her coat and she was more than happy when they rang the doorbell to the familiar house.

“Hello!” Nico chirped, greeting Louis with a fist bump as she entered the house without waiting for an actual invitations.

“Yo.” Louis stepped aside to let Nico in and his eyes fell on Mary. “Mary?”

“Surprise?” Mary grinned, following Nico inside so the cold wind no longer had any grip over her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, but it didn’t sound like he minded. In fact, he seemed rather happy to see her. With a grin, he pulled her into him and pressed a kiss on her lips. “Hmm, you taste interesting.”

“I had an interesting afternoon,” Mary said vaguely, catching Nico’s eyes and winking playfully at her.