Vanessa was slowly sobering up, but alcohol was still affecting the speed of her logic. When her wardrobe change was complete, it was her assumption that everyone would finish changing at the same time. The Long Island Iced Tea kept her from factoring in Gina’s wings, which would logically add some extra work to the changing process. The right choice would have been to say she was done changing, and wait for Gina to assure her she was decent as well.

Instead, Vanessa whirled around and caught a glimpse of Gina’s panty-clad butt. It was far better than decent, but it was not the guest’s place to look. She turned back around, feeling the warmth in her cheeks. She was being tested. Vanessa Bookman was terrible with tests. ”T-take your time.”

Gina asked for one side of the bed, but Nessa only shrugged. ”It’s your bed. I’d be happy sleeping curled up at your feet.” Hell, for some people, that kind of thing was right up their alley. To each their own!

As Gina walked to the light switch, Vanessa crawled into the bed. It was comfy, and the night was still cool enough for her to curl up under the covers. The light in the room was extinguished, and Vanessa’s eyes started adjusting to the darkness. Light was coming in from the window, but most of the room was still black to her eyes. She did not see Gina approaching the bed, and only realized she was sharing the space when the mattress squeaked and moved to accommodate a second body.

Vanessa was unsure of the best way to lay in the bed. Should she turn to face the wall? There would be no sleeping butt-to-butt with the wings and tail, which was probably the most heterosexual way for two women to share a bed. (It was still too bold to assume Gina was anything but straight.) Maybe she could lay on her back? It was the best compromise.

Instead, Nessa was on her side, facing not the wall, but her bedmate. ”Hey,” she started in a sheepish whisper. ”Did you… did you really have a good time tonight?” Her voice was uncertain, like there was something weighing on her. Of course there was; the heavy bulk of the corpse of her recent relationship.

Chocolate-colored eyes looked to where she knew Gina’s eyes to be, but there would be no mind-reading; the room was too dark to get a good look into those pupils.

>> ”It’s your bed. I’d be happy sleeping curled up at your feet.”

Gina breathed a laugh, “That won’t be necessary.”

Thankfully she seemed to be joking. Gina watched as Nessa clambered into bed and made herself comfortable, her gaze flicking to her friend’s. Besides, I wouldn’t want to risk kicking you.

Gina unplugged the yellow-white lights, plunging the room into darkness. The gargoyle stood still for a moment, waiting for her pupils to dilate. Soon the room became crystal clear to her once again, albeit in greyscale. Night-vision had its benefits. Gina stretched from head to tail, her back popping approvingly. She then padded over to her bed and, lifting the covers, slid in beside Nessa.

While her bed-mate was getting comfortable, Gina was also pondering logistics. Usually she slept more curled-up, with her tail wrapped around her and under the covers, but presently both her wings and her tail were draped over the side. She had no choice but to face Nessa, regardless of what sleeping position her friend chose.

For a few moments, the gargoyle watched her friend in the darkness, biting her lip. Nessa had rolled to face the gargoyle, but her eyes (despite pointing forward) were unfocused. It was really, truly dark in the room. Gina studied her friend’s face.

>> ”Hey.”

Gina froze, her eyes raising to Nessa’s once again. Maybe it wasn’t that dark? And she was being rude, by staring?? Her cheeks flushed.

“Yeah?”

>> ”Did you… did you really have a good time tonight?”

Gina shifted around a bit, tucking her hands underneath her head, as one might do when they were pantomiming “sleep” to a friend. The gargoyle’s tail flicked, betraying the energy that was running through her. She’d shared her bed so many times. Countless friends had slept beside her. Why was this any different? She felt like Nessa was calling to her.

“Of course,” the gargoyle said, her tone walked the delicate line between whispering and soft speech, and it was tinged with a smile, “Best birthday party I’ve had all week.”

And she’d had three of those, so that actually meant something. Nessa looked like she had something on her mind. Her voice didn’t have the mirth that it had carried earlier—it was quavering and unsure. Gina’s expression, and her tone, dropped to a more concerned timbre.

“…did you?”

Her tail subconsciously inched under the cover, draping itself over Gina’s feet.

Gina had a good time with her birthday party, and she deserved it. From what Nessa had seen, Gina was a genuinely good person, and a mind reader was always painfully aware of how in short supply those were. She was sweet, caring, and selfless.

Naturally, being sweet, caring, and selfless, Gina turned the question on to Vanessa, with apparent concern in her voice. Vanessa was never much of a liar, so her voice must have betrayed how she really felt. Chatting and joking and eating snacks made it so easy to focus on good, easy things, but bedtime had arrived. Bed brought about the eventual end of talking, and all the distractions went away, leaving Vanessa with her own thoughts. She could feel the breakdown looming in her near future, and she would not be able to lie to Gina.

She had to answer the question… right? What other option did she have? She could not lie; not believably anyway. There was the option of running off and calling an Uber of her own, but the very notion exhausted her, and she would be running off in Gina’s pajamas, which would be rude.

Maybe… she could ignore the question. Introduce a new distraction. Her relationship was about to crumble, and this would likely be the last time she spoke to Gina. She could be bold and make a move and hope Gina got too lost in her lips to think. It was appealing, and the curvaceous body beside her was inviting, even under the cover of darkness. Subconsciously, Nessa inched closer, narrowing the gap between their lips, cutting the space in half. Could she?

No. She could not. Vanessa had so much on her mind, and she could not cope with it at the expense of a sweet young woman like Gina. She could not do to her new friend what Rebecca did to her.

”I tried. It was fun, really. Meeting you was… the highlight of my night.” Tears welled in Vanessa’s eyes, and words caught in her throat. Eventually, they escaped, but her voice was broken, and so soft, their newfound proximity was the only reason Gina would even hear her.

”Gina… Rebecca’s cheating on me…”

It didn’t take much to get to the root of the problem. A quiet inquiry of if Nessa had a good night, too, and in the darkness, Gina watched her friend’s face crumple. It was as though someone grasped her just over the nose and mouth and clenched their fist, contorting Nessa’s fine, cheeky features into something dismayed. It was the same hand that pulled Nessa closer to the gargoyle.

>> ”I tried. It was fun, really. Meeting you was… the highlight of my night.”

Ooohhhh, shaky voices. Shaky voices were the worst. Nessa’s quivering explanation sent ghosts of hot breath onto the gargoyle’s own face, which was searching and sympathetic. It wasn’t appropriate, to cuddle a good friend’s girlfriend. It wasn’t right.

“Wh-?” Gina began. Her tone had grown serious. What happened? Nessa answered before the gargoyle even needed to ask.

>> ”Gina… Rebecca’s cheating on me…”

You couldn’t just lay there and watch another girl break-down, especially after they dropped the bomb like that. Gina wanted to wrap Nessa up in the biggest hug, kiss all of the tears off of her face, and… well… you couldn’t do that to a newfound friend, even a newfound friend who was allegedly being cheated on. But she couldn’t just leave someone crying in her bed un-consoled, either.

Gina’s face was on fire as she edged closer, her knees brushing against Nessa’s own. I’m such a pipsqueak. Her tail wrapped around the two of them, tucking itself in the small of Nessa’s back. Timid, taloned hands found two human ones.

“Is this okay?” the gargoyle murmured, trying to quell the fire that was burning in her cheeks. One of her thumbs lightly trailed along the side of Nessa’s hand, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Of course there were more questions lingering there… when did she find out? How? Who was Becca cheating with? Even deeper were the questions that Nessa probably couldn’t even begin to answer, such as—why would Becca cheat in the first place? How could she do such a thing?

Her thumb continued to trace that trail along the side of Nessa’s hands, and Gina pressed her forehead against Nessa’s own. It was mostly a precautionary gesture, since any attempt at cuddling could lead to a rude collision with Gina’s horns. That’s what the gargoyle told herself, anyways.

The moment the words left her, Vanessa could feel the stinging in her eyes. Voicing what happened was the last step to accepting her new reality. If she never said anything, she could have lived her life in denial of what she knew to be true, and no one would be the wiser. Three women would hold a secret and live a lie until Rebecca decided it was finally time to leave her.

But Gina knew now, which made it real. Vanessa wondered what would happen now? Gina was Rebecca’s friend, so maybe she would try to explain how Rebecca would never do that. Even if she did not go that route, Vanessa did just put her new friend in an uncomfortable position by dropping a bomb on her. How would someone respond to that?

A slender tail wrapped around Vanessa as though it was giving her a hug. Her hands were taken into the grasp of tender taloned hands. The touch was warm and staved off the meltdown she was heading toward. Gina asked for her consent, even with something as innocent as hand-holding. All she could muster was a nod. Even in the darkness, they were close enough that she was sure Gina could see or feel the motion.

Did she want to talk about it? That was an amazing question. Could she manage enough words before she descended into a blubbering mess? ”I… I don’t know…” She took a deep breath, trying to regain enough composure to speak. ”I just… her and Agnes… I f-found out tonight.” Oh no, her voice was already breaking.

Gina’s forehead pressed against her own, and for that moment, she was the only thing keeping Vanessa together. The tears were sliding across her cheeks, but dripped onto the pillow she rested her head against. ”I d-didn’t want to s-s-say anything at the club.” She did not want to say anything now, but it was impossible to avoid.

Her hand squeezed Gina’s, as she took three quick breaths to fight off the urge to sob. ”Gina…. What do I do now?”

>> ”I… I don’t know… I just… her and Agnes… I f-found out tonight… I d-didn’t want to s-s-say anything at the club.”

Gina let her eyes slide closed, listening as Nessa explained, in a wobbly voice, all that had transpired that night. Becca and Agnes… of course it was Becca and Agnes… how was it that Gina hadn’t noticed? That’s right, she’d been too busy drinking and dancing, she couldn’t have noticed… she came to have a good time, not referee relationship drama. She wasn’t looking out for it.

Now, however, the gargoyle had to look what had been happening behind the scenes directly in the face… now, the gargoyle was forced to acknowledge that two of her dearest friends had made some very bad choices.

>> ”Gina…. What do I do now?”

The gargoyle opened her eyes, her gaze searching Nessa’s expression. Gosh, she was a mess. The poor thing. The gargoyle carefully freed her hands, for a moment, and rolled over. Ah, there—she grabbed the small cardboard box off her nightstand, and rolled back over to face Nessa, setting the box between the two of them, closer to their knees.

“Kleenexes,” the gargoyle explained quietly, “In case you need them.”

The gargoyle then resumed the position she’d assumed before, tail wrapped protectively around Nessa, hands clasping one of Nessa’s. She was here for support.

“I can’t say that I’ve dealt with this before…” Gina said honestly, “But… mom always said, when something’s weighing heavy on your heart… the best thing to do is sleep on it.” It was much better to attack problems with a clear, refreshed mind—particularly after a night of revelry. They were tired, Nessa was distressed, sleep would do them good. “Then you can attack the problem head-on with a clear mind tomorrow…” the gargoyle said resolutely, “And you can do the right thing. Whatever that is.”

Nessa seemed so distressed. Again the gargoyle moved upon her own accord, leaning forward. This time, rather than forehead finding forehead, a kiss found Nessa’s forehead instead. It was just a peck, but it was enough to set the gargoyle’s cheeks burning like furnaces. Kissing other womens’ girlfriends, for shame! Even on the forehead! It was different with Agnes because she was a sister! But…

“Sorry,” Gina murmured, “It just… felt… right?”

It wasn’t right. She was enabling the same thing that Nessa was distressed over.

“Sorry…”

She just seemed so sad!!

“Do you want to... maybe... try sleeping on it?”

Gina did not question Vanessa. She did not defend Rebecca or even her sister, Agnes; as someone who knew them both so well, maybe it did not sound so farfetched. Whatever the reason, Vanessa appreciated her for it. Fighting about how she knew or whether she could be wrong would be emotionally exhausting, and she was already so tired and taxed by what she knew. Gina could wonder about the details the next day, but until morning, all the mind-reader wanted was someone to support her.

At first, it felt like Gina was going to get up from the bed, which worried Vanessa—she wanted her close, to give her something to hold onto. When the winged woman returned with a box of tissues, the sweet gesture actually made her laugh. ”Thank you,” she muttered, taking one and blotting her face with it. The sheer number of tears made the act useless, but it made her feel better.

Gina encouraged her to sleep and deal with the problem in the morning, which sounded wonderful if Vanessa could manage to sleep while thoughts of Rebecca and Agnes swirled in her head. She tried to focus on the hand in her own. Even with the talons and the stony complexion of the gargoyle girl, her hand was still surprisingly soft.

The lips pressed against her forehead were also soft. For a moment, Vanessa just blinked rapidly, surprised by the sudden act of affection. Her body warmed. Gina immediately apologized, but Vanessa wished she did not feel the need. It was such a sweet gesture, and if she was looking to console the brunette, she was doing a good job. It was a reminder that someone cared about her, even if Rebecca did not. This breakup would not be the end of the world, and she had to remember that.

Woah. It was a breakup. That was what would come next, no matter what. If there was life beyond this, it was not going to be spent with Rebecca. The Scot was not a terrible person, but she had been a bad girlfriend, and Nessa deserved better. Better was out there. Better might be in the bed with her, but that was not going to happen. As wonderful as Gina was, she was still Rebecca’s friend, and it was a line she thought inappropriate to cross.

But Gina was still apologizing, and Vanessa wanted her to stop. In the morning, they would go their separate ways. But if it was just tonight…

Vanessa leaned in and pressed her lips against Gina’s cheek. She would not go further than that, but she wanted Gina to understand how much she appreciated her. How much she saved her that night. The darkness obscured Vanessa’s aim, and the corner of her lips might have even brushed against the corner of Gina’s, which she would tell herself was unintentional.

”Don’t be sorry,” she finally said after pulling back. ”Thank you, Gina. Really.” She was still crying, but she was going to live.

Sleep was the right choice, but if she was going to sleep, she needed to stay tethered to Gina and the rest of the world. She did not want to be alone for the night. She pressed her head into the space between Gina’s neck and shoulder. ”I’m sorry,” she apologized preemptively, knowing she could be breaching the other woman’s personal space. ”Do… do you mind?”

Nessa accepted the offering of Kleenex, and Gina let the silence settle. In some situations, the silence was worse… but in this situation, Gina thought it was fine. Let Nessa work her way through things, let her process, let her blow her nose…

Crap, her pin! She’d totally forgot! Gina adjusted her arms for a moment to unpin her mane of hair. She then deposited it on the nightstand. She’d kick herself if she somehow slept on it and broke it. She eased back in towards Nessa and, as she curled back up, Nessa offered a kiss of her own. This one was planted on Gina’s cheek. The gargoyle’s breath hitched slightly, her face radiating heat.

>> “Don’t be sorry. Thank you, Gina. Really.”

The gargoyle cracked a smile, “Don’t mention it.”

>> ”I’m sorry. Do… do you mind?”

Nessa eased closer, nestling her head into the crook of the gargoyle’s neck.

“Nah, not at all,” the gargoyle breathed. It was the opposite of minding, really. She actually really, really liked this. Hopefully Nessa couldn’t feel her heart hammering through her chest, or the absolutely luminous heat burning off of Gina’s face. Contrary to the internal panic, Gina externally remained composed. She tucked her chin atop Nessa’s head, and wrapped her arms around the other woman, resting a hand upon her head.

Gina closed her eyes, but didn’t immediately fall asleep. She listened. She listened as the other woman’s breathing slowed, listened to the traffic that whizzed past the townhouse. Through the wall, she could even hear her roommate sleeping, too, but that was courtesy of her keen hearing. Eventually, the noise began to swim, before fading entirely.