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Victoria is settled between, and on top of, Claudia’s legs. Her head is resting on her stomach, and the dark green wool of Claudia’s jumper is slightly itchy against her cheek.
The television is a low murmur in the background, the rain a heavy patter above them. She can practically feel her brain melting out of her ears, Claudia’s fingers methodical, controlled, and downright sensual, on her scalp.
You can’t blame her, Victoria supposes, for nearly falling asleep. Watching the television, all wrapped up in a cozy jumper of her own, entwined in the arms of her girlfriend. Even now, after nearly two years of dizzying heights, falling in love over and over and over again, the word still makes her heart jump. Victoria smiles to herself.
“You’re very good like this, puffin,” Claudia hums approvingly. She gently scratches Victoria’s head, green nails dragging against her scalp. “All sweet and docile for me.”
“I love you, Claudia,” Victoria murmurs, her eyes sliding closed once more. She hears Claudia laugh under her breath from above her, and frowns. “What’s so funny?”
“I’m not laughing at you,” Claudia explains, a smile still evident in her voice. “I simply think you’re adorable like this, Vicky.”
Victoria doesn’t think she’s adorable in any way. Slightly fat, middle aged, extraordinarily pessimistic, she doubts she is the ideal candidate for ‘adorable’. However, she does have an instinctive tendency to agree with whatever it is Claudia says, her words leading her a trail to follow. It works for them. They both also get a kick out of it, so what’s the problem? Adorable she is, as Claudia says her to be.
Claudia takes Victoria’s silence as mild, begrudging acceptance of her new title, and kisses her head. She then pauses her scratches, resting her hands on the back of Victoria’s pretty, blonde head. She turns her eyes back to the television, some new kind of quiz flashing across the screen. It was one Victoria had been wanting to check out for a few days. After both of them being busy with their different schedules, they finally found time in the evening to lie down and watch it.
“Mistress?”
A shiver runs down Claudia’s spine, hearing Victoria’s voice like that. All quiet and weak and the feeling threatens to overwhelm her. “Yes, puffin?”
“Don’t stop.”
Claudia grins, and tantalisingly runs her nail gently down Victoria’s parting, from her forehead to in between her shoulder blades. “Oh, you’re adorable. Do you like that, puffin?” She asks teasingly.
“Yes, Mistress,” Victoria whispers, her voice barely audible. Claudia runs her fingers through Victoria’s hair, making sure her nails were scratching her scalp with enough force to make her shudder, and for her eyes to go back into her head for a split second.
“Oh, wonderful ,” Claudia giggles. “I love it when you’re like this.”
“Like what?” Victoria says quietly, already knowing the answer. She just wants Claudia to say it.
And Claudia damn well knows it.
“When you’re good for me. You fit so well in the palm of my hand, puffin. I hardly need to put a collar around your neck, since you already understand your place,” Claudia mutters darkly, brown eyes glittering as she traces the simple, thin collar around Victoria’s neck with a firm touch of her finger. She watches as Victoria’s eyes go wide, and struggles to find her words. Rare.
“I- yes. Please .”
It’s enchanting to Victoria how easily Claudia’s mood can shift. Almost as if she moves with the tides, coming from the depths to spill out over her beaches, covering every inch of her body with her. Overwhelming her, covering her, claiming her. Her head is already spinning.
“Thank you, Mistress,” Victoria mumbles. She suspects her words are not entirely coherent, but she hopes her message is conveyed well enough.
“Don’t thank me, puffin. Thank yourself, for being brave enough to be this vulnerable for me,” Claudia says, and her tone is serious enough that Victoria looks up at her. Then immediately changes her gaze to be at the painting on the wall behind Claudia because eye contact is scary despite what she says about her being brave. She’s meant to listen to what Claudia says. But she doesn’t believe she is brave. She is frightened, mostly.
“I like seeing the real you.” Something in Claudia’s voice sends a shiver down Victoria’s spine. She feels Claudia press a kiss to his forehead.
“I like you when you let yourself go,” Claudia says. Victoria can hear the genuinity in her voice. “I like it when you accept who you are. You’re beautiful, puffin. Accept yourself.”
“You say that,” Victoria begins shakily. “But-“
“But you . You are special , puffin,” Claudia insists, both of her hands cupping her cheeks, almost forcing her to look at her above. “I love you . I have fallen in love with you . Every single part of you .”
Tears wells in Victoria’s eyes, a thousand different thoughts and emotions rushing through her head and bones. It is all she can do to keep her eyes open, and to not collapse against Claudia. For not the first time, her breath is completely gone because of her (and not from her asthma).
“I want to sleep,” Victoria manages to croak out. Claudia’s expression softens, and one hand leaves her face to run through Victoria’s hair. She has to fight to keep her eyes open, to stay awake.
“Did I go too far, then, Vicky?”
All Victoria can do is nod.
“Sleep, baby. I’ll be here when you wake up.” Victoria appreciates her gentle tone. Maybe she can’t work out how to say it now, mostly because she does want to sleep, and she also doubts she can cope with basic sentence structure and grammar at this very moment.
Claudia’s fingers return to her scalp. This time, her touch is gentle, and slow. Running through her hair, then back again. Soothing.
It didn’t take long before her eyes shut once more, and Victoria’s mind went blank.