Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Fall Day 5

As the early morning light crept through the blinds of Lily’s cluttered bedroom, lighting up her features as she hunched over her desk. Frustration etched on her face. While Hunter sat perched on Lily’s bed, watching as she tapped furiously at her keyboard.

"Any progress?" Hunter dared to ask.

Lily sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Not much. Karen's security is tighter than I anticipated. It's going to take more time to crack into her system."

Hunter's shoulders slumped. "How much time are we talking about?"

Lily glanced up from her screen, her expression grim. "It's hard to say. Could be hours, could be days. Could be months… We're dealing with some very sophisticated encryption here."

Hunter chewed on her bottom lip, her mind racing with the implications of their stalled progress. "We can't afford to waste any more time. If we don't find something concrete soon, Pufferfish could get away with everything."

Lily nodded in agreement, her fingers still flying across the keyboard. "I know, but we need to be patient. And if they’re going through all this effort, they must have a lot to hide… But, I guess we might have to think of a new plan? Just in case."

“Right…” Hunter nodded, trying to steel her resolve despite the growing sense of urgency gnawing at her. With their mission’s fate hanging in the air, she knew they couldn't afford to give up now. “Well, I’ll tell the others then.”

After shooting a quick crypt message to the group chat about the plan going to take some time. It was time for Leah’s turn to learn about their new predicament, but for some reason, Hunter wanted to call her. Or maybe, talk to her in person. No reason in particular. Of course. She reasoned that the princess wouldn’t understand her via text. Yeah. Of course. Leah is too stupid or whatever. It wasn’t because she missed her. No. Hunter didn’t miss her. AT ALL.

And it certainly wasn’t like she kept having recurring dreams about this stupid, annoying woman. Because in fact, they were mostly day-dreams.

She tapped the screen with an inevitable soft smile tugging at her lips.

* Dialing... Leah 👑 *

“ Good morning, this is Leah speaking. ” That sweet sultry voice greeted on the other end. Hunter couldn’t help but snicker at how formal it sounded.

“Greetings, princess!”

“Farmer girl.” Leah's voice sounded flat now. 

Hunter’s mouth snapped shut and she had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from sputtering out about a hundred possible stupid jokes that floated around her mind.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Couldn’t this have been a text? I'm starting class soon.” Came the faintly annoyed voice.

Hunter felt herself blushing all the way down to her throat.

“Sorry,” 

“It’s fine, just come down here. I guess.” 

“The community center?”

“ By the beach”  

“The.. beach?”  Since when did Leah start doing classes by the sea?

"Oui"

"Ew..? What do you mean ew?"

The voice groaned, before adding on irritably; "Not ew, oui! Like, yes in french." 

"Oh, you speak french?"  Hunter smirked, annoying Leah was way too much fun. “How do you say fuck you in french?”

“Girl, bye!”

“Au revoir!”

Leah hung up.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hunter could see Lily's body contracting as she tried to contain a laugh.

But then, when Lily turned to look at her with an amused glint to her eyes. They couldn’t help but burst into a fit of strained chuckles. 

“You guys are too much.”

“What? It’s funny.” Hunter marveled, stretching lazily as she got up from Lily's bed.

“Right, right. Off to see your girlfriend then?”

“She’s not my girlfriend! She’s my friend… Kinda!? I don’t know. Maybe we are nemesis, maybe we are buddies. I'm never sure when it comes to her.”

She couldn’t call Leah her friend –it was more like a weird situationship or something? Honestly they never settled on anything. If only they talked it out? But why? Talking would ruin the fun. This way was light and breezy and exciting. She got to kiss a pretty girl and annoy the shit out of her too. It was all she wanted for now. Talking about it just make things complicated. And Hunter didn’t need complicated. At least not now. Things were already complicated enough.

“Uh, huh. That’s why you came out of the building all flushed and undone?”

“I told you, we were ARGUING! And also running from the uhm.. the security guard..”

"The one that was very clearly asleep and only got up to go to the bathroom?"

Fuck. Lily literally had access to every camera in that building. Thankfully any real action happened inside that stupid cabinet. Still, there was no point in lying, but it was way too embarrassing to admit it now.

"Well! We didn't... uhm.. know that?.."

Lily gave her a pointed look over her glasses, and before she could say anything else Hunter added;

“Anyway! Thanks for everything, Lily, I’ll see you later!”

“See ya, close the door on your way out please.”

Hunter just nodded before pushing past the door and racing to meet Leah.

When she got to the beach it was strangely quiet, she managed to find the class in the far corner behind the big rocks. Only hearing very low whispered voices as she approached. Leah walked over to her as soon as she saw her, leaving the students mildly confused mid-pose.

"Why is everyone whispering?" Hunter said, her voice cautious.

"Officially, it soothes the mind," Leah explained. "Between you and me, I don't want Ling knowing we are doing yoga again... Or she will join."

"So.. you're hiding from her," Hunter observed.

"Yes," Leah confirmed with a sly smile. "And it's working!" 

"You really hate her, huh?”

"Hey! Just because her name's in my phone as the babadook, doesn't mean I hate her."

Hunter stiffled back a laugh. “Right…"

"Whatever. This works and it's perfect! I'm like.. a genius!" Leah beamed, her voice filled with satisfaction as turned back moving towards the group of yoga students she was teaching; "Okay everyone, we're going to move into a triangle pose now. Remember to keep calm, stay centered, and try to breathe as quietly as possible, okay?"

"This all seems kind of... elaborate. Don't you think?" Hunter sounded skeptical behind her.

 "How so?" Leah was still looking proudly at her students.

"Ling really seems to be making an effort to connect with you," Hunter pointed out, hoping and praying to all gods that Leah didn't get mad at her for poking into her business again.

Leah paused, unsure of how to respond. "I... uhmm..."

"If I had someone in my life trying so hard, I guess I'd be flattered." Hunter continued.

Leah finally turned to look at Hunter, then down at their feet, clasping her hands in front of her, contemplating Hunter's words for a moment. "Maybe... you're right. She's trying, which is more than I can say for my real mom." Leah finally said, a note of vulnerability creeping into her voice. "'I'll think about it,"

"I think my arm's going to fall off!!" Ben, one of the students, shouted from behind them, shattering their little tension filled bubble.

"Oh right, the class!" Leah exclaimed, rushing back to her spot. Not before turning around and flashing a grateful smile at Hunter. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it, I'll wait back here," Hunter gestured behind her, walking over and settling into a beach chair a little further back to wait.

As Hunter quietly observed Leah from afar, a sense of awe washed over her. Leah moved with grace and purpose. There was a slight furrow in Leah's brow, a subtle hint of stress amidst her otherwise fluid and precise movements. Despite it, she couldn’t deny Leah's undeniable brilliance even when she seemed to not be giving it her all. She still looked so beautiful and elegant.  Bathed in the soft glow of the sun, almost luminous, her presence commanding yet gentle. Hunter found herself captivated by the way Leah effortlessly guided her students through each pose, her voice like a soothing melody that resonated in the wind and with the waves. There was something undeniably magnetic about Leah, a pull that Hunter couldn't quite explain. And as she watched, there was this subtle warmth blossoming in her chest, a feeling she couldn't quite name, but one that felt like more than simple admiration.  

She was quite literally lost, time flew by and she only got back to her senses when the class ended and people started gathering their things to leave. 

Leah approached her with glistening skin, hips swaying under her tight yoga outfit and ponytail swinging lightly with the wind. Looking at her was like getting a small glimpse into heaven. And Hunter had to take a deep breath to try and keep her heart still.

“Soo…” Hunter waited for the students to be far enough not to hear. “The plan is going to take a while.. y’know to decode .”

Leah seemed to catch on. Her nose crunching up cutely as she brought a hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

“Well, fuck…”

“Yeah.”

“What should we do?”

“Just wait I guess...” Hunter sighed. “Anyway I should get going now, I just wanted to let you know.”

“Right, right.”

It was undeniable by Leah’s face that she had a lot going on inside her head. Not just, the plan. Hunter wondered, or perhaps deep down hoped Leah was maybe feeling the same strange warmth bubbling in her chest.

She watched Leah shift from foot to foot and rub her right elbow as she looked around the trees, the rocks, the sand beneath her feet, at anything but her.

Asking for help didn't come naturally to Leah.

"Wait. Uhm, so I--" Leah faltered, crossing her arms. "Hunter, I just wanted--you know, I think I could… use--I--"

Hunter waited, trying not to grin. Leah normally acted like a goddess, exuding an aura of confidence, all prissy and haughty. So, seeing her struggle like this was both satisfying and oddly endearing. But it was also nerve-wracking as her mind raced with possibilities. Leah, The Princess, was struggling for words?  Hunter couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Was Leah about to ask her out? The excitement bubbled up inside her, making her feel jittery. But at the same time her heart sank. Maybe Leah was about to have a weird talk with her. End things? But what things if they had nothing?! Gods. This is too much. Couldn’t things just stay in this weird limbo forever? Her mind raced. Her heart raced. She felt too many things at once and it all boiled into irritation before she could even stop it.

"What?" She ended up making her tone as abrasive as possible, folding her arms across her chest. As if that would block out the feelings that were threatening to explode in there.

Leah looked startled. Her eyes became guarded and defensive and she stepped back. "What… what?"

"You obviously need something. What do you want?"

"No. Nothing. Ugh. Screw this! I gotta go, just forget it." Leah spun around and marched away.

Ok, so maybe Hunter was a bit of an asshole. A lot of an asshole, for no reason. It's unfortunate what happens when you bottle things up and when you’re dealing with so many confusing feelings all at once.

After feeling like a complete and total douchebag for the next few hours and having a long one-sided conversation with Daisy (the cow), Hunter decided to stop by at Leah’s house. Armed with a basket filled of freshly baked goods, her best fruits and wine from her farm, to offer as an apology.

She was surprised when she got to Ling's Mansion, because she came to find Leah right by the front door, pacing up and down the pathway.

She stopped pacing when she saw Hunter looking at her with one eyebrow raised. Her face liting up when she saw her.

"Hunter! Just the person I wanted to see.”

“Oh? Really? I thought… I thought you’d be pissed at me for being an ass earlier? So, I came to give you this..” Hunter opened her backpack, taking out the small container filled to the brim with her best samples.

Leah grabbed the basket, and smiled. “Cute… It's fine.” She tilted her head, it didn’t seem like she was giving it too much mind though. “Unless you want me to be mean?” 

“No thanks,”

“Did you have an accident?” 

“What?”

“Oh! Your clothes are supposed to look like that?”

 Hunter looked down at herself. She had on a grey checkered button up tucked into ripped jeans and a well-loved black converse. 

“Hah! I guess we are even.”

 Leah didn't really respond. She still seemed worlds away, she kept tapping her feet, looking around. 

“What’s up?” Hunter tried.

“I was about to talk to Ling about –and I can't believe I'm saying this…–spending more time together," 

"Oh? Good for you!" Hunter exclaimed, offering a supportive smile.

"Is it? I sure hope so," Leah replied, her expression reflecting her inner turmoil. "What you said got to me, Hunter. I think Ling wants to... like, be my mom or something? I don't need that; I don't want that. But she is making an effort, and the least I can do is hear her out. Right?" Leah reasoned.

“That's what I’ve been saying.” Hunter shrugged, never one to refrain from the chance to say  I told you so. “But, just make your boundaries clear. Y’know?”

Hunter knew Ling wasn't a bad person, but she also knew Leah needed time and space. And Ling? ..Ling could be a bit overly-enthusiastic. To put it mildly.

"Right. Boundaries… Well... here I go," Leah declared, determination flashing in her eyes as she walked towards the door.

Noticing Hunter hadn't followed her, Leah quickly rushed back and grabbed Hunter's hand. "And you're coming with me. It's what I wanted to ask earlier. Moral support. Let's go!"

Hunter didn't question it, she was happy to help.

As they entered the house, they found Ling and Randy engrossed in conversation at the table, enjoying their afternoon tea.

"Leah! You startled me," Ling exclaimed.

"You're home early, sweetie. Everything okay?" Randy inquired, concern lining his features.

"Fine, daddy. I just..." Leah trailed off, glancing back at Hunter, who offered her an encouraging smile. "Well, uhmm. Ling?"

"Yes?" Ling responded, curiosity piqued.

"Would you like to... get a cup of tea with me sometime?" Leah finally asked.

Ling was so taken aback that she nearly fell off her chair.

"Honey?" Randy’s voice etched with concern as he placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder.

"I'm okay! I'm just surprised. Leah, are you saying you'd like to spend time with me?" Ling asked, seeking clarification.

"Yes," Leah affirmed.

"And get to know each other better?"

"...Yes," Leah agreed, a hint of uncertainty still present in her voice.

"And develop a deeper, stronger connection than either of us could have possibly dreamed?" Ling pressed on.

Leah made a face. "Let's just... start with tea?" 

"Great! I'll grab my purse," 

Leah immediately recoiled, instinctively grabbing Hunter's arm.

“Boundaries.” Hunter muttered pointedly with a cough, capturing Leah’s attention, who nodded.

"Not now! I need time to prepare. Like, you know. Mentally," Leah interjected, her resolve firm.

"Oh!" Ling settled back into her seat, finally seeming to understand Leah's need for space.

"But soon I promise.” Leah's grip still firm on her bicep as she took a step backwards; “Hunter and I already have plans right now, so see you!" Leah exclaimed, hand falling downwards to grab Hunter's and pulling her towards the door.

Hunter barely had time to respond, all she heard behind her was Ling and Randy yelling out something that sounded like; “Have fun!” “Not too much fun though!” “Oh right. Be safe!”

"Where are we going?" Hunter asked, intrigued by Leah's sudden burst of energy.

"You’ll see," Leah replied, her demeanor suddenly carefree as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

“Come ooon, tell me.”  Hunter whined, after Leah had dragged her through the town, passing by the local outdoor market, and its vibrant displays. Then to the lake. And further into a path that led to an entrance that was clearly closed off for visitors.

Raising her eyebrow questioningly, Leah asked, “You really thought you’d give me a basket of food and not take me on a picnic?” 

“Huh?” Hunter replied with a confused laugh. 

Leah rolled her eyes, clearly assuming that the farmer would have caught on quicker.

“There’s a really beautiful Zen Garden at the top of this hill. It’s one of the best views of the island you can get.”

“Sounds amazing,” Hunter admitted.

After a moment of thought, Leah said; “It’s a really crazy climb though, so a lot of the tourists don’t bother going there. Not like we have many tourists anymore… But I like going there to be alone. You up for it?”

Hunter smiled as she started to see where Leah was going with this. “Are you implying I'm a wimpy tourist that can’t deal with a little hike? I got my best shoes on! They're perfect for climbing.”

“I think it’s the only shoes you own,” Leah added, and they both broke into laughter. 

“Fucker.”

“Quite.. it's settled then, come on.” Leah smiled, stepping over the rope.

“Yeah, but you better keep up, Princess. Don’t make me have to carry you.”

“What was that about me keeping up?” Leah laughed, looking behind her to see Hunter bent over trying to catch her breath. They were about three-quarters of the way up the beaten path that led to the mysterious garden Leah had been enthusiastically telling her about. Hunter hoped it was worth it; she could see why people opted out of going there.

“I didn’t know…it would be…this hard,” Hunter panted.

Leah reached out silently, offering her hand. Hunter hesitated before taking it, and Leah began to walk again, slightly pulling Hunter along behind her.



"You sure you don’t want me to carry the bag?” Leah asked, for the nth time.

“It’s fine, ask again in 30 seconds.” Hunter replied sarcastically. “I’m good with carrying stuff, ok? Just bad with cardio.”

“Right, Ms. Muscles.” Leah laughed.

They ambled along the path in silence for a bit, until Hunter’s eyes caught sight of an aged wooden sign partially obscured by the overgrown foliage. Leaves and tendrils of ivy draped over its weathered surface. The lettering was a bit faded. Hunter let out a chuckle when she stopped to read it;

"Zen/Roman Garden Ahead: Where the whispers of love dance with the wind.... How romantic."

“It used to be a prime spot for proposals and all.” Leah sighed. Hunter was about to make a joke when Leah started walking again, pulling her hand as she added; “Not like I’ll ever know what that's like.”


“What do you mean? I doubt you’d have trouble with that,” Hunter said without hesitation, maybe the way Leah's ponytail was swinging was hypnotizing her and messing up with her brain chemistry.

“Trouble with what?”

“Getting someone to propose. I mean…you’re gorgeous, I’m sure they’ll be lining up,” Hunter sputtered out. Then her mind did a double-take… Did she really just admit out loud that she found Leah to be gorgeous? It was lucky she was still trailing behind, so the other woman couldn’t see how much she was blushing after the words left her mouth.

Leah didn’t seem to react much, besides the almost unnoticeable squeeze on Hunter’s hand, before she replied, “You have to be joking. Yeah, I’m amazing and gorgeous and all. But, c’mon. I’m not marriage material. I’m not the easiest person to get along with. I’m ..a lot. Most people are too scared to even talk to me! Let alone…”

Hunter stopped abruptly in her tracks, yanking Leah’s hand to pull her around to face her.

“Princess,” Hunter started, seriously. “I know I give you a lot of shit, but being a little bitchy isn’t necessarily a bad thing! I mean, you’re confident. It’s hot.” Hunter shrugged, avoiding Leah’s eyes. “And like, have you not read any romance novels recently? You can be all emo, dark and brooding or.. a cocky bitch with a secret heart of gold. And there will be a dumbass who will fall in love with you, happy ever after and all. You’ll be fine.”

"I take I'm the cocky bitch."

"Heart of gold though! ..I think"

"So what makes you? You are far from dark and brooding."

Hunter thought for a moment. "I don't know... Endearingly awkward?"

Leah let out a small chuckle. "Yeah." Then her voice was serious again; “Either way that hasn’t worked for me yet. I don’t think I’ve ever even been on like a proper real date, y'know? With someone that cares and all..” Leah revealed, though as she said it, she looked down at her hand, which was still in Hunter’s. She didn’t have a lot to go off, but this kind of felt like a date.

“Seriously? I find that kind of hard to believe,” Hunter gauged, looking sincere as she met Leah’s eyes. 

“Yeah, well..”

“But like, you do realize, that you’re... you. Right?”

“Me?” A smile played at the corner of her lips.

“Yes, you. Leah fucking Barnes. Can’t get over your last name by the way.”

“Shut up. Cropington.”  

They had deep regrets about letting the other see their driver’s license. But it was needed to settle a very important bickering over who was responsible for trashing Ling’s car.

“Ugh. I was going to say something nice. Nevermind!”

“Say it.”

“I-.. I was just going to say that… you’re a… a beautiful woman is all.” Hunter decided to leave out the fact she’d always imagined Leah lived like a fertility goddess: appearing to a village of cowering mortals, choosing the hottest one, crooking a finger and they bend over her will. Just like that. Made her feel better about the way Leah made her feel with a simple touch or a look her way. Leah couldn’t possible be just a mere mortal. Right? She was a goddess. A mean sexy goddess.

But, for some reason, Hunter acknowledging her perfection—even slightly—made Leah uncomfortable for the first time since they met. She looked away, that teasing smile fading to something more serious, her fingers fiddling with the seam of her dress. 

“Pfft,” Leah scoffed, looking at Hunter with a bored look on her face, “How flattering. But thanks, I do already know I’m wonderfully attractive.”

Now Hunter wanted to laugh, or kiss her, or both. Of course she already knew. And of course Hunter loved that she knew. 

And she wanted to tell her she didn't mean just beautiful on the outside. She thought Leah actually was an actual great person the more time they spent together, Hunter had seen glimpses of that, even if she tried to mask it with her bitchiness. She had a good heart, it just happened to be sharp around the edges.

Meeting Leah's eyes was clearly a mistake. Because it took every ounce in her being not to just pull her in and kiss her. When Leah licked her lips, making them shinny, pink and plump. It made her head spin. Hunter let go of her hand and turned around to start their trek up the hill again.

“Race you to the top!”

“Wait! Really?!” Leah looked puzzled. Before she even had a chance to realize what Hunter was doing she bolted past her, taking two steps at a time, sprinting as fast as she could to the top.

Leah didn’t even try to keep up. When she saw Hunter standing at the top of the trail with a smug look on her face, she decided to take her own sweet time. Probably just to annoy her. So,  Leah was walking slower, picking up some pretty daisies that were scattered in the bushes along the path.

 

When she finally made it to the top, she wordlessly dumped all the flowers atop Hunter’s head. 

“Ughh. Such a sore loser.” Hunter huffed, picking up the ones she could feel, and shoving them in her pocket. Never one to waste perfectly good flowers.

“Aww, what a baby…” Leah rolled her eyes, but relented a praise; “Good job.” Her voice was sultry in a way that made Hunter’s breath hitch in her throat. Took an actual slight shake of her head to get her to keep on taunting;

 “You lost hard, Princess.” She sassed, kicking some dirt in her direction. Missing completely.

“I don’t know,” Leah smirked. “I got a pretty nice view of your ass, made me feel like a winner.”

 “Tease.” Hunter scoffed as Leah walked past her and winked. Hunter only managed to dumbly follow along.

They silently made their way along the path toward what Hunter assumed was the entrance of the gardens. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. It was truly starting to feel like a date now. It was weird, how it felt like they were doing everything backwards. Strangers, to rivals, to accidently fucking in a closet, and now this? Confusing was not enough to even begin to describe it.

“What about you?” Leah’s voice cut through the silence.

“What about me?”

“Relationships?” she continued. “Are you—”.

Hunter cut her off. Not sure where this was going. Not sure she wanted to know. She did know it was about time they talked about it . But she wasn’t ready. All her bad experiences kept reminding her this –whatever it was– couldn’t work. They were doomed before it even started. That thought shouldn’t hurt, so she didn’t let it.

“No, I’m not. And I don’t want to be. Relationships aren’t my thing, but... casual stuff? Now that is definitely my thing-”

Ha! It was laughable. Hunter had never had casual sex in her fucking life. Her relationships so far had been made of strings, all so very much serious. And they’d only ended due to incompatibility, not because she hadn’t wanted them to last. It was a heartbreak after another. And it scarred her. It scared her. But what frightened her the most was that Leah felt different from the start. Different from everything she ever felt or experienced. Leah was in her head, in her dreams, she was running through her veins, in her blood getting to her heart. It was so fucking scary. And she was convinced this was the only way she could have her. Casual. Distant. At least this way she could avoid another heartbreak.

“I guess we can agree on that then.” Leah said, the tone in her voice was undecipherable as she walked through the unkept paths in the garden.

“Can we?” Hunter whispered, looking up at Leah her eyes searching her face. Waiting. Hoping. For what? She wasn't sure.

Leah shrugged walking a bit ahead of her now. “Relationships suck. Sex is great.” She badgered the words like it was her life motto. But, then followed with a question that pilled out before she could think better of it. “Why are you so against relationships?”

“Honestly.. I got my heart broken way too many times.” Hunter confessed. “So, I decided I need casual. No strings attached,”

“Uhm,” She said softly. “No strings. I can do that.” Not looking behind, each step she took accompanied by the gentle melody of chirping birds.

Hunter faltered. “Really?”

“Is that a surprise?” She finally looked back, “Why would I willingly date a stinky farmer?”

“Ditto bitch. You stink of.. Uhm of..expensive perfume!” Hunter cringed at her terrible comeback. Taking a deep breath. The smell of blooming flowers filling her lungs. And it annoyed her deeply that Leah still smelled better than any flower did. 

“Thanks.” Leah rolled her eyes. “But, I'm being mean, I guess ..I can admit you are… pretty ..hot.”

“It’s adorable how you struggle to say such an obvious fact,” Hunter poked her ribs making her laugh, her smile was pure sunshine. “What about you? What’s your damage with relationships? Like be real.”

“I guess… relationships just don’t agree with me. I’ve attempted a few of those before, and it never went well. I don’t have the necessary qualities to make a ‘good girlfriend.’ ”  She made air quotes around the words, rolling her eyes as if that would hide the vulnerable edge to her voice. “I’m too work-focused. Too blunt. Never say the right things. Don’t enjoy putting other people’s priorities before my career and my family… These facts tend to disappoint prospective partners, and I’m too busy to deal with someone else’s disappointment or whatever it may be. So, I’m perfectly happy to avoid the dynamic altogether.”

She’d said those words with such flat, empty hopelessness, as if this was a lesson she’d learned the hard way. As if it was a simple fact that love would ask too much of her, and so she wouldn’t or couldn’t try. Hunter wasn’t sure if the look in her eyes was weariness or an echo of something sharper, harsher. Either way, she didn’t like it.

Hunter frowned. “But that’s...” Leah arched an eyebrow at her, she looked away to keep on talking; “That’s not how relationships should be, you know that, right?” 

“I know,” Leah told her slowly, as if explaining something to a child. “I don’t do things right, and I don’t think I even want to. It all seems awfully dull and inconvenient. That’s why I’ve chosen to abstain.”

“No. I meant—priorities that don’t match, punishments for being yourself, that’s not how a relationship should be.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Apparently, she’d surprised her. And the look on her face made something take over Hunter as she spoke;

“People harp on about compatibility for a reason. If you value family and work, you just need someone who feels the same way, someone who admires that about you. If you can’t do the sappy shit, you just have to find someone who’s okay with that. Someone who understands how bitchy you are—”

“Excuse me?”

Hunter ignored her. “—and loves it. You have a busy life, but you make room for the stuff that matters. If it was worth it, and you wanted to, you could make room for a relationship, too. What you get out of being loved, it’s supposed to be worth the compromise. When it’s good, it makes you want to compromise.”

Leah eyed her steadily for a moment, her expression unreadable. But something about the line of her mouth, the slow rhythm of her breaths, showed she was thinking. Hard.

In the end, though, it came to nothing. “That's so sappy." She chuckled. "I have no idea how you aren’t married yet,” She picked up a flower still tangled in Hunter's hair, and looked at her, studying her like she was some kind of exotic insect. Then she sighed and shook her head, as if brushing away fairy tales. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe there’s some lucky person out there who’s just dying to spend forever with a bitchy workaholic like me, but I don’t care enough to bother searching for them. I’m not interested in the, er.. transformative power of love, or what have you. I don’t need it. I know what I want from life, and I know how to get it.”

Each word landed with a thump in Hunter’s chest, like a series of death knells, though she couldn’t say exactly what was dying inside. This was exactly what she wanted to hear. Wasn't it? Then why did it hurt so bad?

I know what I want from life, and I know how to get it. If Leah wanted her, she would have gotten her by now. Message received.

“So do I,” Hunter shot back, refusing to let it get to her.

Leah nodded. “Good. I guess we’re on the same page.” 

“Yeah, good.”

If it was indeed so good then why did it feel like a fucking cold shower? Not that it wasn’t true—she wasn’t ready for a relationship—but actually having this conversation did punch a hole through the lies she’d told herself. No matter how hard she rationalized this, Hunter was basically signing the terms to barrel headfirst into meaningless sex with a woman she’d secretly just started to adore. Which most people would consider, at best, a bad idea. And the worst was; she still wasn’t sure that sex could be meaningless. Not for her, anyway. Did that make her a liar, or just a trier? Shit. For this situationship to even have a sliver of a chance to work they would need some sort of structure. Some ground rules;

“Do we need some… rules?”

“Rules? Sure!” Leah smiled slightly. “Rule number one: make me come.”

“Easy.”

Leah scowled at the interruption. “Two: don’t catch feelings. And three: uhmm kissing…?"

“Kissing is fine.”

“Three: Kissing is fine.”

“No rules for making me come?” Hunter protested.

Leah's smile grew into a smirk. “As if I would ever have trouble making that happen.”

Hunter felt her cheeks burn. She decided to kick a rock as they started to walk again. Refusing to let Leah see any sign of a blush in her cheeks. "Yeah yeah, you're so fierce." 

"Why yes! Exactly."

“I hate you.”

“I hate you too.”

A moment passed before Leah spoke up again;

“We’re not that different, you know, even if we are quite literal opposites. I don’t want to waste my time looking for a diamond in a shit pile. And you don’t want another heartbreak.”

Another. The way Leah looked at her, as if she saw her every fear and secret hope, was almost enough to make Hunter sweat. Something inside her wanted to chase away the ghosts in Leah's eyes, but if that meant Leah got to chase hers, too...  no fucking thank you. So, this was good. It was cool, breezy and uncomplicated. As all great things should be.

“Please, as if you could ever break my heart.” Hunter settled on saying. Anything else would require a type of courage she just didn’t have. Feelings and all? That was too risky.

When they finally got inside the grounds, it was definitely worth it. It was worth the climb ten times over. It was breathtaking, and the view was one of the most amazing things Hunter had ever seen.

Honestly she knew this wasn’t exactly a date. At least not officially anyway. Do fuckbuddies even go on dates? But, if it were to be one, this would be the best date location ever. In her awe, she had now pretty much forgotten that they just had probably the most awkward conversation ever.

“Damn! This is really beautiful, Leah. Thanks for bringing me here,” Hunter said as she dropped the backpack on the ground, taking the basket from inside, along with a towel to lay it on the ground. Wasting no time to open the wine and take a big gulp. 

“Take it as a thanks for the food.” Leah replied. She didn’t sound as prissy as usual; maybe the beautiful surroundings had calmed her spirits. “'I knew you’d like this place.” She walked closer the edge of the lookout, greeted by a breathtaking panorama of the sprawling city meeting with the ocean below.  “Come. Look how gorgeous the sea looks from here.”

“Whoa.” Hunter muttered as she reached her side.



“And over there.” Leah pointed, a little smug smile tucking her lips. Hunter’s eyes tracking the direction of her fingers, seeing the craggy hill that reached up to the clouds, dark shapes against the blue sky. “It’s Mount Bromo, and the bigger one is Mount Cemeru.”

“You really know your mounts, huh?”

‘'They’re dormant volcanoes and all that. Advanced rocks, really.'’

Hunter scoffed, Leah suddenly a geologist? Nah, she saw right through her. “You only know because there’s pretty rocks involved, right?”

“Yeah, it's the biggest source of Pink diamonds..” Leah admitted, shooting a little bashful smile her way.

Hunter’s throat felt tight as she avoided the smile and took in the mountains instead. Suddenly feeling the urge to dig it all up in search for a diamond to give Leah. How stupid was that? But just for a moment, the thought of forgetting the whole casual thing crossed her mind. She wanted to kiss Leah again, —and maybe for it to even mean something. But she said nothing on that. She felt awkward. And awkward made her afraid.

“This is … nice,” Hunter said, her voice cracked a bit. Embarrassing. She downed another sip of wine to make herself feel less weird. “You know... I’m surprised you’re like, actually kinda cool to hang out with?”

“I'm the coolest!" Leah jested, bumping their shoulders together. "Now, hush and pass me the wine,” Darting her hand to grab the bottle over. 

“Heh... Us and wine,” Hunter chuckled. “Powerful combo.”

“Dangerous more like,” Leah added after taking a sip.

“Not more dangerous than cramped closets.”

There was a burning fire in their eyes, as they stared silently at each other for another moment, before Leah spoke up. “Leave the stuff there, let’s go explore a bit.”

They spent about an hour taking pictures and exploring the grounds. Sharing the wine bottle, and just being absolute dorks. Well, Hunter was an absolute dork, climbing a tree when Leah dared her too. Or wasting no time to ditch her shoes and wet her feet on the hilltop pond, just out of spite after Leah insisted there must be frogs or snakes hidden in the murky waters. 

And Leah was truly in her element. Taking pictures all the while. Even allowing Hunter to touch her camera, and take some pictures herself. A miracle really. 

After a while, they got back to their spot on the grass under a willow tree so they could rest and eat out of the sun.  Hunter sat cross-legged, making a little daisy chain  with the flowers Leah had thrown over her head, while Leah laid on the grass beside her, flicking through the pictures they had taken, zooming in and analyzing each one carefully.

Though her focus was cut short by Hunter throwing a handful of grapes at her.

“Hey!” Leah frowned. 

“Try ‘em. Don’t be ungrapeful.”

"Ugh, no puns or I’ll drown myself.” Leah complained, but tried the fruit nonetheless. “Pretty good.” 

“Don’t you mean… the grape-st of all time?”

"Shut up.”

“Go drown,” Hunter smiled to herself imagining the face Leah would probably be making right now. She didn’t look up to check though, still concentrating hard on poking a little hole through a stem with her thumbnail so she could slide in another daisy into the chain.

"Stay still. You look really cute right now,” Leah stated, before the click of her camera. Hunter could feel her cheeks blush like crazy. She couldn’t help the way her body reacted to getting compliments from the ice princess, it felt like some grand achievement somehow.

"Ok, stalker."

"Don't be dramatic, it's not stalking if the stalker is just as hot as the victim." Leah said, making a chuckle hum in Hunter's chest.

“That's twice now you called me hot.”

“I take it back.”

“Too late.” Hunter murmured, and with all the concentration she could muster, she finally slotted the last daisy into the chain and, without another word, reached out to tie it around Leah’s wrist. Leah stopped what she was doing on her camera to watch her.

“Wow, that’s really something,” Leah laughed sarcastically once it was properly secured. Then she plopped another grape on her mouth. Her smile and the red wine lingering on her lips made Hunter's brain rapidly run through a whole 3D View-Master reel of all the things she’d like to do with them. She had to blink twice to get rid of those and retort to Leah's back-handed compliment;

“I know, right? I’d keep it in a safe in your room if I were you. It’s very valuable, extremely expensive, limited edition, way better than all your Gucci crap.” Hunter quipped back.

“You’re such a dork,” Leah laughed, but she was watching Hunter with the most adoring look in her eyes.

"Takes one to know one," Hunter shot back.

"That makes no sense."

Hunter chuckled, watching as the sun slowly hid behind the mountains, tinting everything around them a darker orange.

Golden-hour. Yes, she actually knew a thing or too.

Hunter took the camera and it was quite impressive how easily Leah settled into a pose when she pointed it at her.  Taking her hair out of the ponytail, letting it fall in curls cascading down her shoulders.

Sweet hell. Hunter was unprepared for the smell of her shampoo or the way her hair framed and softened her face. 

So mesmerizing Hunter almost forgot to take the picture all together, but managed to do it anyway.

"Good one. I guess you're not completely useless.." Leah hummed, looking down at her phone. The photos already transferred to her cloud.

Hunter felt unsure. Rules or not. It all felt a tad strange. It kind of felt wrong. That was until she got the courage to seat a little closer. Kicking the puddle of petals and leaves at their feet in the process. Hunter put a hand on the grass behind Leah’s back, and her other hand hovered over the other woman’s legs. She really really wanted to touch her. She just needed to be brave.

Courage. Liquid courage. The wine buzzing in her head.

A slight breeze rustled Leah's dress, and Hunter’s slightly calloused thumb swept over her bare thigh in a slow, lazy arc. Finally getting the feeling of her soft skin that she’d missed so very much.

Leah was still focused on her phone, flipping through photos.

“Are you posting that?”

“Already did.” 

Hunter looked down at her phone, and indeed there was a post notification she was tagged in;

ll

ll

“Hey! Didn’t you just say you hated puns?” 

“Blame the wine.” 

“Sure.. wine not?”

“Oh my gods-” Leah groaned.

Hunter smiled looking at her. Still gently grazing her fingers up and down her thigh. She looked peaceful, a lot different than this morning.

"How are you? Like really," She asked. "The Ling thing? Kinda crazy..."

"I’m fine." Leah replied. "Like really fine, for the first time in like… ever? I guess I was stupid, holding onto something that wasn’t even real. I haven't heard any news from Mom in over a year. I used to spend so much time wondering how she's doing, missing her… But how can you miss something that never happened? She was never there, but Ling is… And I guess I… I should just give her a chance.”

“Your mom is stupid for missing out on you.” Hunter rebuked.

Leah offered her a soft smile, that seemed to have made something soft and tender blossom behind her eyes. “You.. think so?”

“Hey, I already said you're kinda cool, don't push it."

“Fine.. Jerk,” Leah huffed, deciding to shift the subject, “And how are you? This whole thing with Pufferfish is so.. fucked.”

“As well as one can be. I guess.” Hunter professed, as Leah brought a hand up to her forearm. And Hunter knew she should be accustomed to physical contact with this woman by now. But when her long fingers traced up and down her skin, she felt as if Leah had just shocked her—tiny, delicious bursts of electricity sparkling over her flesh. And Leah touched her so casually, as if she had a right to do it, as if they were like that now. It didn’t seem like she had a thousand thoughts and worries running through her mind like Hunter did.

“I’m sorry.” Leah said.

“Me too.” Hunter looked down at their laps. Their fingers lazily drawing patterns into each other’s skin. It was comforting in a way that made her heart calm down for the first time in a while. “We still haven't found concrete evidence and the plan isn’t going as expected but, I’m sure we will get to the bottom of this. Make sure they don’t ruin anything else.”

“Worst comes to worst I’ll just expose them.” 

“Oh! How I’m glad to be fucking an influencer,” She managed a soft chuckle.

Leah pulled back a little, looking down at her, and she tried not to whine at the loss of the soothing caresses. Leah's hand traveled up, gripping hard on her upper arm.

“What? It’s true!” Hunter cleared her throat, shooting an eyebrow up in questioning. "Why are you looking at me like that, weirdo?" 

Leah smirked, leaning in. Hand shooting upwards, catching Hunter’s chin. Her thumb landed squarely on the corner of Hunter’s lips, who let out a tiny gasp. Leah’s voice was low and raspy: “Say that again.” 

“That you’re a.. weirdo?”

“You’re so cute when you lie.”

"I, ah, I- what…?" Hunter shivered under Leah’s stare. “I’m not lying, you are weird.”

“Uhmm.. I guess I am weird..." She let her thumb graze over Hunter's bottom lip, parting it slightly  "..because I really want to fuck you. Right now.”

Hunter visibly gulped. When Leah says something like that, something that makes you start to simmer. No amount of fancy red wine could put that fire out. In fact… it made it burn way,  way brighter.

“I would really like that,” She agreed, eager for... something. It was all muddled up in her thoughts when she looked at Leah. With the way the sun was lighting her up. She looked absolutely breathtaking.

In that moment Hunter decided she could spend hours contemplating the way the sun lighted up her hair. Hypnotized by the way the strands danced with the light breeze of the wind. Her gaze flickering from her hair, to her neck, to her lips, to the way the sunlight made the tiny freckles on her cheeks more apparent. And when she finally met her eyes. The turmoil in her mind shifted entirely.

Gods. Her eyes are so beautiful. She could spend a lifetime, picking up all the different shades of blue in Leah’s eyes. But she could only stand to spend another second wondering if her lips were tasting like delicious red wine again.

"Kiss me," Leah said, as if she just read her mind, summarizing all her frenetic thoughts in a simple phrase.

And Hunter did just as she was told, leaning in and capturing Leah’s lower lip between hers, and then they were kissing. Leah let out a satisfied little noise, instinctively moving her hands to cup Hunter's cheeks.

They kissed again, again and again. Until Hunter had a taste and realized she might never have enough. It felt different than before. It wasn’t a dumb distraction tactic, it wasn’t just for show, it wasn't just pure horny desperation. This one was the kind of kiss that could break open the sky. Hunter realized many things with her fingers running across Leah’s back, touching the bare skin on her shoulders, but what was flashing front and center of her brain was that every other kiss she had before that had been wrong. Every kiss that wasn't from Leah, just couldn’t compare to this. Not even close.

The sound of pleasure that escaped her own lips, made her mind reel. She realized she wasn’t even breathing anymore. Just eagerly taking every taste of Leah she could.  So unfortunately, they had to stop for air, and Hunter immediately felt every atom in her body protesting.

When Leah opened her eyes, she laughed lightly, running her thumb over Hunter’s pouty lower lip again, sending a shower of sparks through her. "So soft.." She whispered, then furrowed her brows a bit. “What’s with the serious face?” 

 “I… I really like kissing you.” Hunter blurted out, finally smiling back after getting her breathing under control.

“I th-” Before Leah could finish her sentence there was a noise behind them, like twig snapping and stomps on dry leaves.

Automatically Hunter positioned herself in front of Leah protectively, looking at where she assumed the noise came from. She could have sworn she saw a dark shadow move. Probably just her imagination.

“What the hell was that?” 

“Maybe an.. animal?” Hunter figured, leaning back to look at her phone; 17:21pm.  The sun was lower now, close to setting, “We should go, before it gets dark.”

“Yeah. I’ll walk you home.” Leah purred rather suggestively in her ear. Leaving a chaste kiss on her jawline. 

The way down was easier. Not only because gravity. But because they were so distracted with heated promises, offensive compliments, lingering looks and wandering hands. 

It was dark out now, not a lot of people around. But they still toned it down a bit for the walk across the city. Letting go of each other’s hands, because it was casual, and no one was supposed to know. And also maybe because the most simple touch was bound to start something they couldn’t pull away from in public. 

Though they didn’t account for how easy it was for Hunter to pin Leah against the stone structure of the farm’s arched entrance and almost getting her off before they even reached the house. She could have taken her right then and there. But teasing her and savoring the frustrated blazing eyes thrown her way was certainly a lot more fun.

They got to the door through giggles and rushed whispers. It all felt new. Yes, they had already done it before. But, knowing they were about to do it on a bed, with the lights on? They would be able to properly see each other. It was different. A good different. Everything felt giddy, radiant and bright. Hunter realized it was the effect Leah had on her.

And she never wanted it to end.

As soon as Hunter managed to open the door, they kicked off their shoes, and before Leah could even properly look around Hunter was lifting her up, Leah’s legs wrapping around middle, their lips finding one another in a curiously tender yet hungry kiss. Hunter moving backwards in the vague direction of her bedroom, in a flurry of kisses, and soft moans.

Hunter had Leah pressed against her bedroom door, mumbling, “I can't reach the handle.” Against Leah’s lips.

Leah let out a soft chuckle, dropping from her embrace to stand, and turn to open the door for them.

As Leah walked in, Hunter didn’t hesitate to support Leah’s weight, after kicking the door shut behind them, wrapping her arms around Leah from behind, pressing a soft kiss to her neck. Like she'd done before in a certain parking lot and was so eager to do again. 

Leah let out a soft moan when Hunter's hand gripped her bare thigh, her dress riding up as digits sank into her skin. Urging to feel Leah's back pressed to her. 

“You really love my ass, don't you?” Leah remarked, as Hunter pumped her slow and easy, to start rocking her hips. The feeling of Leah's backside against her making Hunter moan aloud, cheeks flushed, feeling a certain desperate want overwhelmingly pool in her stomach.

“Very much so.” She leered, dropping sloppy kisses on Leah's shoulder, who was pretty much brightening the room with her amused grin.

A thick need and hurried tension filled the air in waves, frantic and disorganized as their heartbeats and breaths.

Leah’s eyes fell to the bed, where her pink sweater was sprawled over the duvet.

“Do you cuddle with my sweater or something?” Leah insinuated, motioning to the item, as Hunter peered over her shoulder.

“What? No!” Hunter immediately turned beet red and Leah grinned, watching as the farmer ran to shove the sweater into her wardrobe. Hunter felt her heart drop. It wasn't what it looked like, truly she just liked the smell. It was soothing… Was that weird? Was she creepy? Fuck! Did she mess up? Somehow she’d misread the signals, she fucked it all up and–

She felt a hand on her waist, turning around to meet intense dark blue eyes.

“Just admit you can’t get enough of me.” 

The room was dimly lit—a single lampshade on the bedside table, washing the deep blues of the walls. Hunter didn’t hesitate to shove Leah against said walls. Pinning her there. And Leah didn’t even have to think before pulling Hunter into her, pressing their bodies flush together. 

“In your dreams.” Hunter practically growled as Leah wrapped her arms around her waist, and Hunter attacked her lips with a hungry intensity, throwing her hand to grab a handful of her hair, pulling on it as she begged for Leah’s lips between her own.

Kissing Leah was akin to a heavenly experience. Her lips were soft and full, and Hunter really loved kissing them. Wait.. Loved?! No, she liked it, she was fond of it. Whatever. She was entirely too needy and desperate to think about it now, and it didn’t matter, nothing else mattered,  because nothing had ever felt more right than this.

Leah pulled back, lips brushing as she spoke. “You know that sweater costs, like eight hundred dollars, right?”

Hunter’s eyes shot open. “WHAT?!” Leah was just smiling, leaving a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth. “And you don't want it back?”

“Of course not; It's from last year's collection. It’s sooo out of fashion.”

Before Hunter could say anything else, Leah grabbed her face, making her turn to the right. Lips dropping to her neck. She felt Leah whisper “Watch.” Against her flushed skin, suckling gently by her pulsepoint as she tilted her head so Hunter could see her possessively mark her with her lips, through the reflection of the mirror near the wardrobe.

Hunter let out a groan and used one hand to comb through her hair, entirely too hot. Leah Barnes was a goddess. She was her rival, her nemesis, the bane of her existence, the girl that refused to leave her thoughts, that haunted her dreams. But gods, she was so fucking sexy. Too sexy.

She was breathless, heaving, a light sheen of sweat over her body.

Hunter was faring no better.

She couldn’t help her little whine when Leah pulled apart.

This was the result of days of want, of pining, of desperately aching to feel Leah again. Months of wanting to properly feel her. Taste her. All of her.

Deep down Hunter knew, for her this was more than physical attraction. This was the result of all of Leah’s little smiles, her soft laugh, her stupid jokes and hilarious insults, her gentle caresses, her annoying attitude, her kisses and whispers that soothed Hunter when nothing else could. Her eyes that made Hunter feel things she never thought she would.

Hunter was terrified because she’d never felt so strongly in her life.

But of course, the rationalization had been negated by the buzz of alcohol, and the fear by the sheer want building within her.

Now was the time for action. Feelings didn't matter.

“Get on the bed,” Leah seemed to be thinking the exact same.

“Make me.”

Leah smirked, roughly pushing her over backwards into the mattress.

“Well, come on, your highness–” Hunter’s breath hitched when Leah climbed on top of her. And she could feel the wetness coming through her panties when she sat on her thighs.

“That shut you up, huh?” Leah groaned, grinding down into Hunter’s lap, moaning softly as she felt a strong hand cupping her ass, hiking her dress up decently, and her curse response was buried in Hunter’s mouth. The kisses turning messy, then, urgent and graceless, and Hunter felt herself get lost in the drag and slide and press of Leah’s lips, the sweet liquor of it. She was so fucking addicting. She never imagined wanting and needing to kiss someone this much.

Hunter pushed her hands into Leah’s hair. And she seemed to melt at the touch, sprawling her hand on Hunter's stomach, holding her there, but she wouldn't dream of going anywhere.

Leah kissed her until it felt like she couldn’t breathe, until it felt like she was going to forget both of their names and whatever rules they had established, until they’re just two people tangled up in a dimly lit room making a brilliant, epic, unstoppable mistake. 

“Touch me.”  Leah demanded, grabbing Hunter’s hand and guiding it between her legs. 

“Bossy.” Hunter grumbled, but did as she was told, feeling a small growl tear at the back of her throat as her fingers felt hot and wet under Leah’s underwear. And Leah let out her loudest moan yet.

Her body settled over her fingers with a warm, steady weight. Leah’s hand gripping her shirt, her condescending smirk melting into gasps of pleasure, as her head fell to bite down on Hunter’s skin, who felt points of contact like a static shock at her shoulders, her neck, her jawline, until Leah was whimpering against her lips.

And Hunter couldn’t resist kissing her hard, square on those lips that tasted like her lip balm and red wine, but honestly Hunter could hardly make sense of those specifics at all. She was too busy working expertly with her fingers, teasing Leah with her tongue, moaning heavily into her mouth.

Leah managed to unbutton a few buttons on Hunter’s shirt signaling she needed it off. And Hunter quickly grabbed it by the tails, pulling it off over her head. Her damp fingers missing the feel of Leah's core already.

Leah eagerly connected their lips again, bitting down softly, dragging Hunter’s bottom lip between her own. A smirk as she heard Hunter gasp in pleasure, and she knew she wanted to hear that sound over and over again. 

“Get naked.”

“But you–” Hunter whined, desperately trying to reach back under Leah’s underwear. 

“Did I or did I not tell you to get naked? Do it.”

“Fine. Whatever the princess wants.” Hunter complained, but sat up regardless and Leah reached behind her back, easily unclasping her bra.

"May I?" Hunter whispered, ever polite, as she ran her fingers under Leah's dress strap.

"Yes, do it." Leah practically begged, rolling her hips against Hunter's thigh again. Hunter gently pulled the strap aside, letting it fall off of her shoulder, pressing kisses to her collarbone. Leah was watching her with a smile, a smile that grew when she saw Hunter's eyebrows furrow, as her hand struggled with the zipper on the back. Leah decided to help her, reaching behind herself, closing her eyes as she felt for her zipper, feeling her way through the process of undressing.

Hunter watched her with widened eyes. “Damn, how the hell can you reach that far?” She mumbled, pulling the fabric down.

“Yoga.” Leah replied sagely, shimmying out of her dress.

“You’re so hot.”

"I know," Leah said, not bothering to hide her nakedness– elegant and pure, from sharp collar bones to softly curved breasts to toned stomach to broad hips and soft thighs. 

Hunter put a hand on Leah's hips, fingers sliding under the hem of her thong, making her perch up, so she could completely slide it off. And then, she sat back on Hunter’s leg, and Hunter could fully feel the woman’s wetness on her thighs. 

Leah was smirking down at her –completely naked and bare. And Hunter devoured her with her eyes for a moment, just taking her in and wondering how all that silky skin would look like in shades of pink and red from all the hickeys and marks she planned on leaving her with.

Impossible to resist Leah’s breasts in full display right in front of her face. Hunter wasted no time to take her nipple into her mouth. Kissing and sucking on it.

 “You’re gorgeous.” Hunter muttered, letting her tongue out, feeling Leah's nipple perking up as she licked it.

Leah looked at her with blown pupils, speechless, and Hunter tugged her down into another all-consuming kiss, making Leah bear down on her fully, pressing her into the bed. 

Hunter had never been kissed like this, as if the feeling could swallow her up whole. Leah’s body grinding down and covering every inch of hers. Moving her mouth from Hunter’s lips to the side of her neck, the spot below her ear, kissing it, sucking it and baring her teeth, possessively marking her again. 

Leah’s hand finding that dip of Hunter’s waist, making her swallow back a sound at how devastatingly needy she felt under Leah’s palm as she found the waistband of her pants, the button, the zipper, the elastic of her underwear, and then everything went very hazy, very fast, when she pulled her pants off.

Hunter looked down to see Leah's hand dangerously close to the part of her that throbbed with increasing arousal. And then back up to her rather serious face, infuriatingly so, looking at her with seductive eyes, cheeks flushed with desire.

“Can I?” 

Hunter just desperately nodded. 

Leah finally touched her, fingers sliding on her wetness, grazing over her clit. Making her back arch.

“Fuck.” Hunter breathed, looking at Leah again when she had the audacity to abruptly stop. 

The princess set into firm eye contact as she brought her dripping hand up to her elegant royal mouth to taste it. Moaning around her wet fingers, savoring the way she managed to get Hunter so worked up. “Uhmm.. Lovely.” She smirked proudly as Hunter grunted in protest, hips jolting up. “Tsk.. So eager.” Leah scolded her.

“Y-yeah.” Hunter said, with Leah grinning crookedly as she got back to work between her legs. “–Fuck.” She closed her eyes to focus on how it felt with Leah’s fingers pushing inside of her, moving at a slow pace. It felt so fucking good. Her mouth had a mind of its own, spilling out words. As her nails sank on Leah’s back. “Gods, you're the most insufferable goddamn bitch ever, just—fuck— Holy. Fuck me! You’re so infuriating, the absolute worst!”

“Uhmm, is that so?” Leah rasped. “Now.. tell me how you really feel.” And when Hunter opened her eyes again, she found Leah watching her raptly, eyes bright. Keeping eye contact and her rhythm at the same time. Fuck, why is she so hot? Hunter was sure she was about to die with the way her heart was hammering on her chest.

Leah leaned down to kiss Hunter’s neck again, hand circling between her legs. Sloppy. Her kisses traveling downwards, to her chest, abs, hips, leaving marks all over her body before she reached her goal.

Hunter forcefully grabbed her hair and Leah responded by sinking her nails into Hunter’s thigh who was about to shout something profane at her, but it died in the back of her throat when Leah finally relented on the teasing and kissed her most pleasurable point, sucked, licked down, tasting her, making her see stars with how amazing her tongue felt down there.

It felt so mind-blowingly good.

Leah was an absolute master at this, working with her tongue and fingers at the same time. It felt pathetic to admit, but Hunter knew she would come in a matter of seconds. Almost crushing Leah with her thighs.

Leah could feel Hunter tightening around her fingers. So, she did what only an absolute asshole would do… She slowed down. Making Hunter groan. 

“Fuck! You bitch.”

Leah was all cocky now, leaving a trail of sticky kisses on Hunter's thigh. Left hand still working lazily inside of her. As she went up to prop herself on her elbow and wrap her right hand around the insufferable brat’s neck.

“Watch your mouth.”

With Leah’s hand wrapped around her neck, she felt lightheaded, when their lips met she could taste herself in Leah’s tongue. 

Leah moved her fingers slowly, circling her thumb around her clit in a pace that was equally enjoyable and torturous.

“Are you gonna come for me?”

All she managed was a shaky “yeah” as Leah sped up, curling her fingertips to rub at the front wall, inner muscles fluttering and clamping around her fingers, as Hunter grinded desperately against her palm. It only a few seconds before she stiffened, so close, thoughtlessly letting her nails slide down Leah’s back, hard enough to draw a slight hiss from the woman. Hunter too far gone to apologize.

Her hand traveling south to cup Leah's bottom, spreading her fingers across her cheeks, massaging, teasing, making Leah let out sounds of pleasure, sinking her teeth desperately into her shoulder as retaliation. 

So, she gave Leah's ass a hard slap just for good measure, and it immediately went from pleasure to pleasurable pain with that slight feel good sting, that earned her another delicious moan from those soft pink lips on her neck. Making Leah grow even more relentless.

Gods, it felt so good.

Hunter's breath shattered as her eyes slammed shut and she buckled forward. Leah catching her by the waist, hand gripping her side.

“I’ve got you, baby.” Leah soothed, hugging her closer, the words buzzing against Hunter’s throat.

It only made Hunter tremble harder while burrowing her face into the warm spot where Leah’s neck meets shoulder. Coming undone all around Leah’s fingers in a stream of curses and strained shouts of Leah's name. She saw stars, fireworks, fucking angels coming down from the ceiling. Because this was the closest to a godly experience she'd ever felt.

She didn’t even give it time to compose herself. Or wonder any longer about the otherworldly happenings. Because, she was hungry for more. And eager to return the favor. 

Effortlessly flipping Leah onto the mattress. Kissing her both happy and angry, starving to taste her. And Hunter didn’t think nor did she care what sounds or words came out of her mouth. It went from “Sweetheart” and “Darling” to “motherfucking Bitch.” 

Leah seemed to love it. She was a mess under her, tasting so sweet around her tongue. Sounding so needy and desperate for such an elegant little bitch. Grabbing the sheets and pulling on her hair. Just making Hunter crave more and more and more.

Until Leah was letting out an extremely satisfied moan, paired with shaky legs under Hunter's firm grip that let her know she came.

When Hunter was sure she was done, she pulled a page out of Leah’s book. Pressing soft kisses in the crease of Leah’s leg where she’d slung it over her shoulder, and a final kiss on her still sensitive clit making Leah's whole body shiver.

Leah immediately dragged Hunter up by the hair, “You fuck-” 

Hunter shut her up with a kiss. A kiss that tasted like raw sex. Absolutely delicious.

She let her body flop down on Leah’s feeling her hot sweaty bare skin under hers. She felt weak and wrecked. They were both blissed out, dead. Ascended to the next plane, merely a pair of naked bodies floating through a dopamine haze.

The mattress shifted, as Hunter rolled up to the side, nuzzling her face into the hollow of Leah’s throat, tickling her with the shallow breaths she was letting out. Leah just responded with a soft vague noise of approval, and her arms fumbled around Hunter’s waist. 

Hunter had never felt so many emotions unravel in her chest at once. She felt Leah’s fingers cupping her cheeks, leaning forward to kiss her again, this time, soft and slow. Hunter allowed herself to simply lean into the kiss, sighing in contentment.

Leah Barnes was doubtlessly the perfect human being. And she hated that, with passion.

“How great was I?” She whispered against Hunter’s lips.

With a feat of miraculous strength, Hunter summoned up one whole word: “Decent.”

Not daring to inflate Leah's already huge ego.

“Fuck you.” Leah cursed out, using her hand to shove Hunter’s face away. 

“Ouch!” Hunter yelped, feigning pain whilst covering her forehead with one hand. “That hurt.”

“No it didn’t.” Leah said, letting out a low chuckle. And Hunter watched her lips fall into a small smile that created a faint dimple on her cheek. And she had to very deliberately decide to not lean over to kiss it.

Instead settling to allow her hand to brush over the woman's cheek, smoothing her tousled hair behind her ear.

“Leah,” Hunter coaxed.

“Hey.” Leah answered immediately, wanting to curse herself for the slow response.

“Hi.” Hunter grinned, shaking her head. “How do you feel?”

“Like my body is on fire.” Leah answered honestly.

“I’ll get you some water.” Hunter said, rolling out of bed to grab a water bottle from the kitchen. When she got back to the room, she thought Leah might have fallen asleep.

“Princess?” Hunter chided, 

Leah glanced up with a small smile, “Uhmm?”

 “Sit.” She clicked her tongue, coming over to hand Leah the water bottle. “Drink this.”

“Thanks.” Leah whispered after taking a sip, eyes lidded and gazing at Hunter as if she'd love to pull her in and make her come again. “I quite like the room service you provide, fuckbuddy.” Leah teased, grinning in delight when Hunter groaned at the nickname.

Leah handed her the water bottle. “Want some?” 

“I…uh…” Hunter swallowed, her throat dry. “That’s yours now. Got your spit all over it.” Gaze meeting Leah's, both their tired eyes begging for sleep.

“My clit was literally in your mouth, don't be shy now. Just drink it, dumbass.”

That had Hunter chuckling as she tossed the water back, closing her eyes as she gulped it down. By the time she lazily lowered the bottle, she blinked, realizing Leah was getting up to collect her things. Her heart sank. Casual did mean no sleeping over afterall. But Hunter couldn’t stop herself from rambling;

“This was.. fun. Really fun! So, we can do it again, anytime you want,” She spouted, her voice wavering when Leah turned to her, still not used to seeing the woman in her full naked glory like that. “Uhmm and you’re welcome to stay as long as you want. It doesn’t, like, change anything between us, right? We’re still …whatever we were before, just, you know..”

Part of her brain shut down when Leah walked over, leaning to press a soft kiss to her lips, and Hunter felt fingertips brush over her jaw. The touch so gentle she has to remind herself not to let the butterflies fly around crazy in her stomach.

“Just say you want cuddles.”

“I don’t,” Hunter lied, grabbing Leah’s waist and pulling her to bed again, making her yelp as she got pinned to the mattress. Hunter gripped her wrist, sliding her mouth closer to Leah’s ear, “maybe I just want another round.” 

Leah freed her wrist easily, wrapping both arms around Hunter’s waist, bringing her flush against her. Her hand running down over her back, coming to a rest on her firm, supple behind. Which made Hunter feel a throb between her legs again, but she could barely keep her eyes open.

“Do you really? I doubt it.” Leah derided.

“Why?” 

“You look really sleepy.”

“Ah,” Hunter said, pulling away from Leah and rolling onto her back. Staring up to the ceiling again like a woman seeking penance from a wrathful god. She decided to just go ahead and ask; “Wanna ...sleep over?”

 “I rather not spend more than I have to in here. The farm smell… it's rather unpleasant.”

“Pfft, shut up! You love it.” Hunter gave her a little slap on the arm. 

Leah sat up, scrubbing a hand through her hair. “I need a shower first. Then we’ll see.”

"The bathroom is down the hall, help yourself."

"Uhm, 'kay"

Hunter slid back to prop herself up on her elbows by the pillows, watching as Leah walked away, clutching her clothes, swaying her hips in a way that felt purposeful, she must know how amazing her bare ass looked.

Hunter had a proud grin when she saw the red handprint marking where she had smacked her earlier. 

When Leah was out of view, she fell back into the pillow, sleep washing over her. The thoughts of how amazing the sex was muddled with how much she just wanted to spoon Leah all night, wake up in each other’s arms, then eat breakfast together. But that just couldn’t happen. And even if it could. Even if Hunter knew she wanted that, there were a million reasons why it never would, ever be possible. 

Hunter woke up with a strange noise outside. She wasn’t sure how long she was out. But when she sat up, she found Leah fully clothed clearly dressed in Hunter’s clothes, sitting by the fireplace, cuddled up with her cat. 

"I borrowed your stuff, my dress was uhm... wet."

"..Nice." Hunter's voice came as a mumble from the bed.

“Was about to leave too, but he called to me.” Leah explained, as the cat purred in her lap.

“I told you didn’t have to leave.” Hunter insisted, without thinking of the implications, still hazy as she got up, a bit self-conscious now feeling Leah’s eyes on her, quickly throwing on her jersey-knit sleep shorts and a faded t-shirt. “Did you hea-”

They all looked up at another noise.

“The fuck?” Hunter got into motion, grabbing the fire poker and wielding it like a sword. “Stay here, I’ll go take a look.” She half-whispered.

“As if. I’m right behind you.” Leah countered quietly, scratching the cat’s chin. “You stay here though, Mr. Oreo.” 

They were both huddled close, speaking in hushed voices.

“His name is Cleo.”

“Your handwriting sucks.” Leah muttered, pointing at the jumble of letters in Cleo’s water bowl.

“Shhh.” Hunter snapped, pressing her ear to the door. Then she made at face when she saw Leah taking out her phone. “Not the best weapon!”

“Information is power.” She shot back.

Touché. I guess. Hunter thought, looking around furtively, slowly opening the door.

When Hunter stepped on the porch, looking around she saw nothing particularly abnormal. The farm was quiet, the lamp posts lighting up her crops, her animals were still seemingly inside the barn. She was about to blame it on their paranoia, when she saw a shadowy figure moving to her left.

A chill ran down her spine.