Gina balanced skillfully atop a Gothic-style cathedral, where one section of roofing met another. Her wings were fanned-out behind her, her legs splayed-out in front of her. No one paid her much (if any) heed-- the gargoyle surmised it was because she looked like she belonged there. Her taloned fingers hurriedly ticked away at the screen of her phone, penning a message to none other than "Nessa ❤" as her phone proclaimed. She clicked send, and the little message bubble raised into the text message dialog with a quiet "bwoop".

Hey babe~ are you busy?

Gina smiled bashfully. It felt so casual. "Babe". But it also felt right.

Both of the girls were busy-- Hell, with Gina going to school full-time and volunteering, and with Nessa being a working woman-- but somehow they still made time to meet-up periodically, at least once a week.

A response popped up, and Gina unlocked her phone to read it. Hurriedly, a response was typed back.

Can I come hangout at your place~?

They were still at that early stage of dating where Gina felt the need to ask these sorts of things. She hadn't spent a night at Nessa's place, hadn't met Nessa's roommate (who was also allegedly her brother, too?), and hadn't commandeered a bathroom shelf or fridge space. She still felt like a guest, and that necessitated an all-clear before visitng. It was only fair. It'd be a while before she ascended to "just let yourself in" status.

Pop. The gargoyle looked at her phone again. A smile. Carefully she got to her feet and, with one fluid motion, leapt off the high roof and spread her wings.

...

The flight was short. Only a few miles, and probably no more than twenty minutes. (Of course she could have flown faster, but she didn't want to seem too over-eager.) Gina wove her way to Vanessa's apartment, landing (once again) on the roof. Front doors were for nerds. Down the stairs, the gargoyle descended, until she found herself at the door to Nessa's apartment. Her hair had been wrangled into a bun for flying, sunglasses fastened to her head by an adjustable strap. Gina also wore a high-waisted pair of shorts, a halter tee, and a large flannel shirt over the whole ensemble. Her satchel was slung across her chest.

The entire look was very collegiate, right down to the harried expression of someone who just realized this semester would be a lot (a lot, a lot) of work. The gargoyle knocked lightly at the door, hearing no noise within, and then tucked her hands behind her back, walking on her feet. Her skin was cold from the flight over, but her face still stretched in a broad grin. Already the warmth of the inside was working its way into her bones.

Gina heard footsteps in and straightened to attention, her eyes lighting.

Vanessa loved having a girlfriend again. She would say she was not the type of girl who needed a girlfriend, but historically, she had a habit of seeking out relationships. Since her transition, she seemed to spend more time in relationships than not. Maybe it was a way to seek validation or maybe she just really liked having a constant make-out partner. She had toxic dating habits, but she was working on it.

Gina was the perfect girlfriend to learn how to be part of a healthy relationship. They were not codependent, they were taking things slow, and they had lives apart from one another. It was a healthy change of pace that took some adjusting.

Of course, some of those things were helped along by the unfortunate fact that the two young women struggled to find time to spend together. Vanessa worked a full-time job, but for the most part, she managed a work-life balance outside of the POW Block Party. Gina was a tougher case due to her impressive course load and her volunteering at the Mansion. Vanessa admired her girlfriend and they made sure to text constantly, but she would be lying if she pretended the lack of girlfriend time was disappointing.

Still, every time she heard her phone pop with simulated fireworks, her heart fluttered and she grabbed it quickly to enjoy the little moments of her day she could fill with Gina. The text messages were nice on their own, but her eyes lit up when she saw the message she had been hoping for.

Hey babe~ are you busy?

Vanessa was grinning like an idiot. She loved the way Gina called her babe. It felt so effortless.

Not at all. I have infinite time, especially for cute girls with wings and horns and lovely smiles. What’s up?

Can I come hangout at your place~?

That was what Vanessa had been hoping for. She was already collecting stray game cases and tossing throw pillows from the floor back onto the couch. Her work day had ended early enough for her to get home, so she had been making a snack when her phone caught her attention. She had plenty of time to offer to Gina, and she was excited to do so.

Please do. Not to be super lame about it, but I kinda totally miss you, babe.

There, that did not sound desperate at all! With that out of the way, Vanessa resumed cleaning the apartment in preparation of her favorite guest.

---

The apartment was sufficiently clean, sweet potato fries were almost ready to come out of the oven, and Vanessa found some time to get changed. She wore a flowy yellow top with flutter sleeves with a pair of cutoffs and her hair pulled back with a black headband. While she knew Gina would not care one way or another, Vanessa did take an opportunity to freshen up her makeup.

Vanessa felt herself perk up when she heard a light knocking on her door. She forced herself not to run to the door, because she was a totally patient, mature adult, but her steps were noticeably quicker than her “leisurely walk” setting.

She pulled open the door to receive confirmation that Gina had, in fact, arrived, and her whole face lit up. Before she even thought to say anything, she tossed her arms around Gina’s shoulders and gave her a kiss. Nothing hot and heavy, but definitely longer than a peck. Every day they went without seeing one another, the more Nessa missed those kisses, so she usually made up for the absence with her greeting.

She pulled away smiling. ”Nice to see you, stranger,” she said teasingly, before the cool skin against hers registered and caused her brow to furrow. ”Oh, wow, you’re cold! Get in here!” Vanessa’s arms slipped back over Gina’s shoulders, but her hands grabbed Gina’s wrists along the way so she could walk backward, pulling Gina into the apartment. The furrowed brow and accompanying pout did not last long, of course; she had Gina back, so how could she not smile?

Gina's cheeks were flushed lavender when her eyes fell upon Vanessa. Maybe it ws the chill that still clung to Gina from her flight-- but it was probably the sight of girlfriend. What was the use of even lying? Her expression brightened. The two exchanged a kiss, a frigid gray hand lightly touched the side of the taller woman's neck, before they parted slightly.

The observation of her obvious chill spurred a giggle from the gargoyle, who was willingly led into the apartment. Her wings fluttered cheerfully.

"It's a little chilly up there today," the gargoyle admonished, to explain-away her coolness. On sunny days, she came in toasty-warm, like a stone that'd been left in the sun-baked sand. Today was a different story. Of course, the cold left her feeling a bit sluggish, but that was nothing that a warm room and a few cozy moments with her girlfriend couldn't fix. Presuming Nessa would let the diminutive woman sap her body-heat. First things first, she set her bag down on the floor. Then came the glasses-- after a brief fight with the strap, Gina was free of the shades, "Ah, better, now I can actually see--" the shades were deposited on the couch-side table.

She winced at the influx of light, but it was... bearable... inside. The gargoyle then surrendered her wrists to Nessa once again, having shed two inconveniencing accessories from her persons. Cheerful brown eyes lingered on Nessa's own, full of wordless questions.

"Guess I'll have to... steal body-heat from you?" the gargoyle hazarded mischievously, using the excuse to wrap her arms around Nessa. Hugs were good, but hugs under the pretense of torment were better. Yes-- surrender to the horrible frosty arms. Minding her horns, Gina nestled her face in the crook of Nessa's neck, grinning impishly.

Vanessa really liked Gina, but she felt some envy toward her girlfriend’s ability to fly. The notion of soaring over the city, free from traffic and crowds, feeling the wind whip through her hair sounded like a dream, but it was Gina’s everyday life. Vanessa understood that her weight would be too much of a burden for Gina to carry in the air, but that did not stop it from being a little disappointing. Still, Gina’s wings were one of the many things that made her special, and Vanessa enjoyed everything that made her Gina.

The apartment had windows open, letting a breeze in. It was that perfect time of year when everything hovered between warm and cool. The A/C was off and the heat would not be necessary for at least a month or two. It was cool, but Gina would still be able to shake off her chill. Vanessa was there to help, after all.

Gina was able to remove her sunglasses, but Vanessa noticed the wince as the light of the apartment hit her. Since they had started dating, Vanessa was more aware of light, since her girlfriend seemed to be at odds with it. She thought to address it but Gina did not give her the chance. Vanessa was suddenly wrapped in a hug “against her will,” which was worth a smirk. Even with the cold arms wrapped around her, she put forth a half-hearted wriggle in an “attempt” to free herself. ”Oh no! The body-heat police will be on the lookout for you! Quick, let’s hide you in the kitchen! There might even be sweet potato fries in there!” She wrapped her own arms around Gina’s lower back and, with fake urgency, Vanessa backpedaled, pulling Gina along.

The two women ended up in the kitchen, where the scent of sweet potato fries in the oven filling the room. ”There, I think we lost them.” Vanessa, using her height advantage, planted a soft kiss on Gina’s forehead between her horns. ”Is it too bright in here, by the way? Here, I can turn off some lights.” It was still early enough in the day that the light through the windows would be more than enough to keep the apartment lit. She kept one arm wrapped around Gina, but the other reached behind her until she felt the switch under her palm. She flicked off the lights, pleased with herself for not needing to release Gina in the process. Every second of cuddling was a valuable second!

Gina stumbled into motion as Nessa all but pulled her into the kitchen, never once releasing her. This earned a chuckle, as well an appreciative, "Mmmm, sweet potato fries," from the gargoyle. She could smell the sweet-but-savory scent trying to entice her already. There was something far more distracting in front of her, however, in the form of a peachy-complected girlfriend before her.

"So silly~" the gargoyle teased, inclining her head for maximum head-kissing ease. She was a greedy gargoyle, however-- as Nessa leaned to flick the lights off (a gesture for which Gina was grateful), Gina eased onto the counter, putting her more level with her girlfriend. She kept her tail close, and fanned her wings slightly so as not to knock things off the counter. From the newfound vantage point, Gina stole another kiss.

"It was fine... but this is nice, too..." she replied between kisses, smiling. She drank in Nessa's appearance as if it'd been ages since they'd seen each other, before her brown eyes snagged Nessa's own. Another smile. Her thoughts were warm and vague and insistent. They had to make up for lost time. Gina just wanted to let her hands wander. But patience, manners-- okay, maybe another kiss.

"How've you been?"

It was promising that Gina was excited for what Vanessa considered to be top-tier snack food. Sweet potato fries were a healthy craving food, but she preferred to either make them or order them from places she already trusted. Done wrong, they were too sweet and getting through a plate was a chore. She understood the need to salt and season the fries to perfection so the salt and sweetness achieved perfect balance. Sweet potato fries were an art form, at least until they were dipped in ketchup or the garlic aioli Vanessa had prepared. (Really, was there anything not improved by garlic?

Gina took their change of scenery as an opportunity to take advantage of her surroundings. She edged her way up onto the kitchen counter, helped up by Vanessa’s arms around her lower back lifting her. With the added height, she was suddenly the one looking up at her girlfriend, enjoying the way Gina’s corkscrew curls tickled her cheek as they hung loosely, framing her face.

The new height dynamic led to more kissing. Vanessa was happy to know she was not the only one missing the touches of intimacy throughout their busy weeks. The initial kisses were the cute ones: soft, gentle, and tender. Vanessa just liked the way Gina’s lips fit between hers and vice versa. It was those moments when they peppered one another with kisses that Vanessa almost did not mind taking things slow.

She just had to ignore the warm feeling growing low in her body as they continued their kissing.

In between kisses, Gina managed to ask Vanessa a question, which Vanessa promptly answered with another kiss as soon as she was done talking. Honestly, it took a moment for the question to even process in her head. ”Hm? Oh, yeah, I’ve been alright. Work ended early today and I took a little time to actually get some drawing done. Of course, my day’s significantly better now,” she admitted with a grin, returning to Gina’s lips as her hands rested on the girls hips.

The quick sweet kisses started stringing together until they slowly became one continuous kiss, gradually deepening. It was hard to realize what was even happening when her eyes were closing and she was tasting Gina and smelling the vanilla scent that was still lingering on her, even after the flight. It was hard to focus on much else but—

bzzzzzzt!

The buzzer of the oven brought Vanessa to her senses. She pulled away from the kiss slowly and begrudgingly, but she had a dreamy smile on her face. ”Right. Snacks.” If they were not careful, they would have skipped straight to dessert.

As Vanessa opened the oven and grabbed a mitt to pull out the tray of fries, she said, ”Not that I want to question a good thing, but I’m surprised you had time to come over. I thought you might be busy with homework or studying tonight?”

The gargoyle listened to Nessa's recount a tad distractedly, though she nodded diligently.

"Ooo, some drawing?" the gargoyle said enviously. Most of her work was comprised of classwork and half-*ssed doodles from during lecture. Nessa's hands upon her hips sent tingle up Gina's spine. It wasn't hard for her to fall into the kiss, head-over-heels. To say that she lost herself in there, somewhere, was an understatement.

Gina's reaction to the obnoxious buzzer was slightly more dramatic, causing her to start in surprise. Her tail might've knocked a spices from a spice rack in alarm.

"Ah-" the gargoyle breathed, sliding off the counter to fix the fallen spices. Having readjusted the mess she left, Gina leaned against the counter, eyes following Nessa towards the oven.

>> ”Not that I want to question a good thing, but I’m surprised you had time to come over. I thought you might be busy with homework or studying tonight?”

Gina's gaze flicked to bag she'd deposited by the couch-- filled with good intentions in the form of homework, before flicking back to Nessa.

"World War Roommate," Gina said simply, grimacing. She'd mentioned a few times, to Nessa, that the other two ladies she lived with were frequently at-odds with one another. This often propelled Gina towards other places to study... these days, Nessa's, if she wasn't too busy. She shrugged and smiled, though, "Un-for-tun-ate-ly~"

She sang the word in a tone that was evidence to the contrary. It was not unfortunate at all. As if she needed an excuse to visit.

Vanessa watched the small plastic spice bottles fall after Gina’s tail flicked them off the rack, but she laughed it off. The caps stayed on, so it was not like she made a mess of Booker’s counters, (which would have been a true sin.) Gina dutifully put the spices back in their place as Vanessa worked to pick up fries with a spatula, transferring them onto a large plate. She made plenty to snack on throughout the evening, so there was more than enough to share with her girlfriend. She placed two ceramic ramekins on the plate, one filled with ketchup and the other with the garlic aioli. The fancy dipping cups would seem like an unnecessary purchase, but Vanessa had a love of dippable snacks, so they came in handy for holding condiments, cheese, salsa, and any other viscous liquid that tasted delicious on a solid.

Gina explained that she was avoiding the Honeycomb because two of the girls in her flat were fighting—surprise, surprise. It was not the first time Gina told her about the flatmate squabbles, and if she had to guess, it would not be the last. ”Oh no,” she said with all the sincerity of a cardboard cut-out, ”most unfortunate. I suppose… that means I’m filling the role of study buddy for the night?” she asked with a bright smile. There was a lot she wanted to do with her Gina time, but she also wanted to be the kind of girlfriend who could be mature and supportive.

Grabbing the plate of fries, Vanessa proposed, ”We can settle in, enjoy a nice study snack, and I can cheerlead you through whatever you have to do,” she said with determination. ”Let’s set up shop in the living room and knock this thing out so we can celebrate with serious cuddling time.”

Vanessa led her girlfriend from the kitchen to the living room, but she barely took two steps into the space before the gears in her head were turning. She could see just down the hall to the door of her room and suddenly, the determination she felt moments earlier was weakening. ”Actually, even better plan. We should host this study session in my room. You know, so we don’t get potentially distracted by the TV.” There was absolutely no reason for the two young women to get distracted in Nessa’s bedroom, after all.

The gargoyle giggled at Nessa's sentiment, trailing complacently after her. Her tail flicked idly, and she retrieved her bag to move it closer to the couch, where she assumed they'd be settling... Nessa froze. Gina looked after her girlfriend inquirngly.

Nessa had a better idea-- study in the bedroom. To avoid the lure of t.v. Gina glanced at the t.v. She didn't watch much t.v., as it was, but... that sounded like a good preemptive measure to take. Can't fall down the rabbit hole of watching t.v. And... the gargoyle flushed to think what other non-studying activities might follow.

Getting caught inflagrante, if that was a concern (was it a concern? they'd been taking it slow, after all), wasn't Gina's top preoccupation... namely because the gargoyle hadn't once seen the rumored older brother of Nessa. He was like some sort of cryptid, a blurry photo of bigfoot. She'd seen suggestions that a guy might live here, mostly in the form of toiletries and books she couldn't fathom being of interest to Nessa... but she'd never seen the brother, the librarian, himself.

"Works for me~" Gina sang, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "I tend to study in my room anyways."

Sometimes it was the only way she could get work done, sprawled on her tummy and facing the wrong way on her bed. The gargoyle meandered behind Nessa up the hall.

In a small, irrational way, Vanessa worried Gina might see the invitation to her room as something forward, which it totally was not. It just seemed like a good place to get some studying done. At least, she assumed it would be; she never went to college, so her experience with ideal studying conditions was limited to time spent with girls in college. Besides, the first night they met, they spent the night together and were able to behave. Vanessa had the willpower to be good… well, at least while Gina was studying. They would have to see where things went from there—not that Vanessa had any undisclosed intentions in mind. ”Great. Follow me, babe,” she said cheerfully, taking Gina’s hand in her free hand.

Vanessa nudged the door to her room open with her shoulder and led the way inside. Her room was neater than average because she had a small window of time to prepare for Gina. The clothes that were in small piles on the carpet were in the hamper in her closet. She also removed the two plates she had lingering on the nightstand so the surface only had her e-reader and a small remote resting on top. The outside-facing wall had large windows with the blinds and curtains drawn. Two walls had large cloth tapestries hanging: one inspired by one of her favorite artists and the other by her favorite game series. Near the bed, (but just far enough to be safe,) Vanessa had her first gift from a fanmail segment mounted on the wall: a video game-inspired battle axe. She had a very unique fanbase.

Leading Gina to the bed, Vanessa carefully placed the tray of fries down on the nightstand before pulling them both onto the mattress with a bounce. She grabbed the remote and hit three buttons which turned on the overhead lights, turned them purple, and dimmed them respectively. With the lighting out of the way, she grabbed a fry, dipped it in the garlic aioli and popped it into her mouth, savoring the flavors. ”Okay! You have your study stuff. You have your study snack!” She wrapped her arms around Gina’s waist. ”You have your study Nessa. I think we’re totally ready for some studying,” she decided with a wide grin.

The gargoyle's eyes swept over the room, which was... well... far tidier than hers ever was, even on a good day. Once the semester started, all hope of cleanliness was lost. While her walls were cluttered with photos, Vanessa hung tapestries and a weapon. It was very Nessa. Nerdy. Cute. Cleeeean. The gargoyle trailed behind Nessa, waiting for her girlfriend to settle first, before determining a place for her to sit.

Fries were deposited onto the nightstand, and the two spilled into the bed. Nessa adjusted the lights to a more... tolerable level of light. Gina shrugged her shoulder free of her bag, letting the strap pool, and she unzipped the main compartment, fishing-out a fat paperback entitled "Dimensions of Human Behavior" and a purple-inked pen. Tonight's homework was simple enough-- do the reading... annotate as needed... that was it. Vanessa, having retrieved a fry, laced her arms around the gargoyle's waist.

>> ”Okay! You have your study stuff. You have your study snack! You have your study Nessa. I think we’re totally ready for some studying,”

Gina took the opportunity to exchange a kiss with the brunette once again, this time planting a kiss on her forehead.

"My study Nessa," she said with a grin, leaning over to reach for a fry, or perhaps two. For fear of dribbling dipping sauce on the floor, the first two fries were eaten plain.

"Hhhh-alright," the gargoyle sighed, nibbling the fries as she fanned the pages of her textbook, "Reading."

She quickly flicked through the pages-- oops, passed the chapter-- backtracked, before landing on the chapter of reading (that would technically be due tomorrow. Gina gave an emphatic yawn. Despite her apparent disinterest, Human Behavior and the Social Environment was one of her favorite courses-- she found the topic interesting. It was just... well... poetry had probably shortened her attention span when it came to reading.

Book and pen in-hand, Gina scootched back on the bed, leaning against her wings, against the wall, before re-opening her book.

It was always nice having Gina in her room. Vanessa felt a certain degree of pride in her room and it was, in her opinion, a great place to cuddle. She had the dimmer switch and color changing lighting, the very comfy bed, and the kind of sheets you never told people how much you spent on them. Vanessa was ready to curl up close with her girlfriend and let the night progress.

However, as she kept reminding herself, she had to be good. Gina was there to study and Vanessa wanted her to know she could come over and study without major distractions. It was a long-term plan; if she trusted Vanessa’s apartment, she would come over for more study sessions, which meant more Gina time. Vanessa was at the point where any plan that could result in more time with her girlfriend was a plan she wanted to pursue.

Her efforts were rewarded with a kiss on the forehead and the warm, fuzzy feeling that followed. She was going to be a good Study Nessa. She grabbed her own e-reader so she could occupy herself while Gina begrudgingly opened her textbook. With Gina’s back against the wall, Vanessa decided the best place to relax would by laying down so her head could rest on Gina’s lap. ”Yes. Reading.”

Nessa was reading one of her trashy lesbian romance novels, which were one of her guilty pleasures for killing time away from video games. The only problem, she realized, was the subject matter was hitting home. She was in the middle of the book, when the main character couple inevitably stopped fighting the connection and the pull between them. She made it three pages before she was descending into a steamy, intense sex scene that left her face noticeably red. It did not help that she could feel the warmth of Gina’s body as she used it as a pillow beneath her. Soft, squishy thighs that…

Okay. Vanessa sat up, shaking her hair away from her face. She grabbed a fry and dipped it into the garlic aioli to distract herself, but a thought occurred to her. Gina grabbed fries, but she didn’t try Vanessa’s aioli. Clearly that had to be remedied; she remembered from their first drunken night that Gina understood garlic made everything better. With a grin, she held up the fry. ”You know, not to make a big deal of it, but you haven’t even tried my aioli yet. You’re gonna hurt a girl’s feelings, so you might wanna remedy that.”

She got to her knees and faced Gina. ”I can even help.” She held the fry carefully between her teeth with the saucy end pointing to Gina. A small little cute moment was not going to derail a study session.

Gina's tail flicked idly, smacking against the surface of the bed with a muffled fwish... fwish... fwish... Though the subject of the text was interesting to her, the practice of actually reading about it was kind-of dry. Gina would get three paragraphs in before her mind would start to wander. Hadn't she already read that line? What were they even talking about. Fwish... fwish... fwish...

"I just didn't want to drip aioli on your sheets," the gargoyle assured her girlfriend, smiling apologetically, "I'm kind-of a slob sometimes..."

But here was Nessa, offering her an aioli-dipped fry, which was carefully clenched in her teeth. The gargoyle's cheeks flushed. Well, what kind of person would be able to say no to that? Gina closed her pen in her book, marking her page. She leaned over, steadying herself with one hand. The other hand cupped Nessa's cheek, and the gargoyle carefully stole a bite of the aioli-dipped fry.

She leaned back, chewing contemplatively. Some of the sauce had dribbled onto her chin, so she wiped it up with her thumb.

"An absolute slob," Gina reiterated, licking her thumb, "Babe, that sauce is delicious."

Gina eyed the plate of fries-- as always, her stomach was bigger than her will to study. Another garlic-dipped fry wouldn't hurt.

Vanessa was not looking into Gina’s eyes while the two girls were occupying themselves with their readings. The position she took up on Gina’s lap and the focus of their eyes elsewhere made mind-peaking impossible. It was likely for the best; Vanessa was trying to avoid an over-reliance on telepathy in handling her relationship. As a result, Vanessa had no clue how well Gina was doing focusing on her homework. All she knew was her own reading was not helping to keep her mind off Gina.

There was no ulterior motive for offering an aioli-dipped fry hanging from her mouth, or at least that was what Vanessa was telling herself. Feeling Gina’s taloned hand carefully cupping her cheek sent a flare of warm blood to the offending cheek. Gina leaned in and took her bite and…

Pulled away. For someone without an ulterior motive, Vanessa was quite disappointed in the lack of kissing her action resulted in. Still, she was able to catch a glimpse of Gina’s mind and realized homework was not as high on the priority list as initially thought.

Vanessa grabbed the plate of fries and placed it on her lap, sitting next to Gina with her own back pressed against the wall. ”Well you’ve done a solid few… minutes of studying. I think that calls for a fry break before the fries get cold and not nearly as good.” Study breaks were important!

The two women picked at the plate of snacks, alternating between ketchup and the aioli Gina was kind enough to praise. It was an idyllic late-afternoon, and Vanessa decided she was just content being with Gina, regardless of what happened.

In hopes of being obnoxiously cute, Vanessa dipped a fry in the aioli and offered to feed it to Gina. The end result was an eaten fry and a small smudge of the sauce at the corner of those pillowy grey lips. ”Oh hey, sorry. Let me get that.”

Vanessa moved to brush away the aioli with her thumb, but stopped when a better idea occurred to her. She took Gina’s chin between her thumb and index finger so she could more carefully lean in and delicately lick away the sauce. ”There. That’s… better. Or wait,” she amended as a mischievous twinkle formed in her eye. ”I think I might see some here…”

Slowly, Vanessa licked Gina’s upper lip before barely whispering, ”Here, too…” She took Gina’s bottom lip between her own, nibbling gently. She could not help herself; she had something in her bed far more delicious than sweet potato fries.

Gina, blissfully obvlivious, watched as Vanessa readjusted herself, leaning against the wall.

"Mm, good point," the gargoyle agreed. Sweet potato fries weren't as good cold. They needed to put a dent in these bad boys. Gina grabbed a pair of fries-- dipping one in ketchup, eating it, then dipping the other in aioli. There had to be some balance.

She resumed reading as she munched on the aioli-dipped fry, a small smile on her face. This had to be the best part about being in a relationship-- all the cute little mundane things that were suddenly way more interesting. A study session turned into a somewhat-cuddle session with fries! A chance to be in the company of one of your favorite people! How novel was that?

Nessa proffered a fry, which earned a bigger smile from the gargoyle, as well as her attention.

"Thanks, babe," Gina said, taking an appreciative bite of fry. She felt some aioli dribble and, in embarassment, began to raise her hand, "Can't take me anywh-"

That was when Nessa licked her. Just. Outright licked her. Gina froze, a flush creeping into her cheeks. It didn't take long for the gargoyle to catch-on to Vanessa's antics, a grin trying to fight its way through all the licks. Her cheeks were luminously flushed.

"Shameless-" she chastised, in a voice that wasn't even remotely admonishing. Any further teasing reprimands were quickly swallowed, however, when Nessa bit her lip. A surprised shiver ran down the gargoyle's tail. Gina couldn't very-well leave that unanswered. She combed a hand through the fellow brunette's hair, gently pulling her closer, and Gina met Vanessa's feathery touches with her own, soft response. Their lips met. Nessa was irresistible, and Gina was powerless to her pull.

The book was set aside, pen still tucked where the pages met, and another taloned hand found its way into Nessa's hair. Gosh, her hair was soft. An inquiring tongue licked Nessa back.