Chapter Text
“Are you okay with where this is going?” Larissa asked later as the sun rose, lying with her head against Serena’s shoulder.
The shorter woman ran her hands through long blonde hair, the silky strands intoxicating to touch.
“I believe I made my views on the developments very clear, dear,” she smirked.
“Fuck off, you know what I meant,” Larissa nudged her, chuckling.
Serena smiled at the rarely used cuss word. Or maybe not so rare, lately. “Yes. I’m okay with it. If you’re okay with this,” she gestured unhelpfully, “I mean.”
“‘This’?” the tall woman mimicked the gesture, wryly.
“What, you want a label?”
“If ‘going out’ isn’t enough, we’ll have a talk later. I’m much too tired now.”
Serena nodded. “I’m good with ‘going out.’ Exclusively, I hope. I don’t think I could share you.”
“We have a mutual understanding, then” Larissa smiled.
Serena was silent for a second, thinking. Then, she tilted Larissa’s head up and kissed her, softly. The blonde returned it slowly, smiling as she did so. They pulled back and Serena couldn’t help herself.
“I love you; you know that?” she said.
Larissa looked up at her, stunned and analysing her expression as if believing that it was all a joke. As if Serena had planned some grand scheme, to flirt with her, tease her, and sleep with her just to mock her. Of course, she knew it wasn’t true, but it was alarming how dark one’s mind got when they were vulnerable.
“Really?” she asked, anyway, hope deeply carved into her words.
“Of course. How could I have resisted?”
Larissa smiled and it was probably the brightest one she’d shown in ages. The laugh lines around her eyes were prominent now and she was stunning.
“Is it trite to say, ‘I love you, too’?” she asked diffidently, but happily.
Serena’s heart beat out of her chest, and she felt a ridiculous grin on her own face. “Maybe, but I don’t care,” she chuckled, brushing platinum locks out of her eyes.
“You really seem to like my hair.”
“I adore it and everything else about you.”
A scoff. “Now that was trite.”
“Shove off, you know you’re hot.”
Larissa tittered, but her face was red. “You darling, always look fantastic but more importantly, you’re one of the sweetest, kindest, warmest people I’ve ever met and I realise I don’t tell you that nearly enough.”
Now it was Serena’s turn to blush. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“What?” she asked, defensively. “Can’t take a compliment?”
“Pot calling the kettle.”
“Oh, now I want tea,” she sighed, rolling her eyes.
“Oh my god, you’re a walking stereotype,” Serena cackled.
“And you’re a therapist who doesn’t know how to deal with her own feelings. You took how long to tell me you liked me?”
“As long as you did so you have no higher ground here.”
“Yes I do,” Larissa smirked. “I said it first.”
Serena held back a snort and sighed satirically. “We need to go on a date, we’re doing this all backwards.”
The blonde chuckled. “We aren’t very conventional, are we?”
“Well, this would have moved faster if you told me you loved me a few weeks ago. You Brits, honestly,” she shook her head using sarcasm, as always, to mask her rapid pulse and the unfamiliar warm feeling she got when she said ‘love.’ She had never been a romantic, but people change.
Of course, Larissa understood as she always did and she laughed loudly. Serena wasn’t given any other choice but to join in, because just like everything else about the brilliant, tall woman she had met months ago, it was perfectly delightful.