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Jo finds her roommate and her roommate's best friend, Nicholas and Yuma, sprawled out on the floor amidst a chaotic circle of candles. She doesn’t even flinch at the sight because after years of knowing them, she’s stopped questioning anything that they do, but she can only assume that tonight’s activity involved summoning something that should be left alone.
“Welcome back Jo,” Nicholas calls out in that dangerously sweet voice, the one that always makes Jo’s heart stutter embarrassingly fast.
She tries to play it cool as she opens the closet to hang up her jacket but her pulse is already racing.
Yuma rolls onto her stomach to get a better look at Jo and Nicholas follows suit, both of them now lounging on the floor like lazy cats and Jo can’t help but notice the tantalizing view down Nicholas’ cleavage.
Of course, Yuma notices. “Enjoying the view?” she teases and her lips curl into a devilish smirk as she glances at Nicholas, who’s too preoccupied with peeling melted wax off a candle to catch on.
Jo shoots her a glare then asks, “What are you guys up to?” as she makes her way to the fridge.
She grabs a cold bottle of water and downs it in one go.
“We tried summoning a sex demon." Yuma announces casually like she’s talking about ordering takeout and Jo chokes on her water, some of it dripping down the sides of her mouth right onto her shirt.
“It’s called an incubus, dumbass.” Nicholas corrects her as she's getting off the ground. Her movements are so graceful that it draws Jo’s eyes to her roommate’s beautiful legs and coughs out the last drops of water that slipped into her airway.
“Yeah, yeah—incubus, whatever." Yuma grumbles, rolling her eyes.
Jo's eyes flicker between the two girls, trying to decide whether to be concerned, amused, or just resign herself to the absurdity. Over the years, she’s learned it’s best not to ask because it will only lead to answers that make her reevaluate her life choices—specifically her choices in friends, but Jo never learns.
“Why, exactly, did you two decide to summon an incubus?”
“Nicholas wants to get laid.” Yuma drops the bomb and the tone in her voice lets Jo know how intentional this is.
Of course, Jo chokes again on her second sip of water, this time sputtering so violently it snorts out of her nose. Yuma, cackling like the evil creature she is, seems to enjoy every moment and Jo wipes her mouth, trying to salvage whatever shred of dignity she has left. She wonders why they go through all of this trouble to summon one when Nicholas got her own personal demon as a best friend.
“Don’t make it sound like it was my idea!” Nicholas protests, suddenly standing way too close to Jo for comfort. “I wanted to go to a bar to do this the normal way but someone insisted on trying the incubus thing.”
It’s always the same when these two team up. Yuma comes up with a ludicrous idea to which Nicholas initially pretends to be the voice of reason but inevitably gives in to Yuma’s chaos and every time Jo wonders why she doesn’t just move out.
Nicholas hands Jo a napkin and her fingers brush against Jo’s for just a second. Jo takes it with a shy smile but Yuma’s words from earlier still echo in her mind.
Nicholas wants to get laid.
Jo’s stomach twists itself into knots at the thought of Nicholas being with someone who isn’t her. It stings more than she wants to admit because here’s the thing; Jo is hopelessly in love with her roommate and has been since the day they met.
She can still remember that moment in excruciating detail. Nicholas had short, blonde hair and was wearing a white tank top with blue shorts. Jo, sweaty and exhausted from lugging boxes into the apartment all day, was carrying her last one labeled underwear.
Her foot then caught on something and she went sprawling over the floor and the box also hit the floor. Bras, underwear, and socks flew out in every direction but worst of all was the small box that tumbled out alongside them.
Right at that moment, Nicholas stepped out of her bedroom, surprised to find her new roommate–a total stranger–face down on the floor surrounded by a sea of undergarments but her eyes quickly caught on the small box that had rolled to a stop near her feet. She crouched down to pick it up just as Jo realized that it was a vibrator.
Jo froze, completely horrified, and her face heated to what felt like volcanic levels. That was the “going-away present” her best friend, Harua, was talking about when she’d helped pack. Jo scrambled to her feet in record time and crossed the room in two long strides, feeling her ears turn bright red as she reached for the box. Unfortunately Nicholas had already picked it up and was inspecting it with an amused expression.
“I’ve tried this one,” Nicholas said casually, handing it back with a soft laugh. “It’s very good.”
Jo wanted to melt into the floor right then and there but from that moment on she knew that falling for Nicholas was inevitable.
Yuma was the first to notice Jo’s hopeless crush and spent months trying to convince her to confess but Jo was a coward. She couldn’t imagine putting herself in such a vulnerable position without knowing for sure she wouldn’t get hurt. Plus, Nicholas wasn’t exactly known for commitment with her laser-focus on her studies and her future as her top priority. Relationships, when she had them, were short and casual and Jo wasn’t built for casual.
So instead of risking getting rejected or worse, getting into a fleeting moment of romance that would leave her heartbroken, Jo resigned herself to pining from a safe distance because unrequited love, painful as it was, seemed far less terrifying than losing the one person who had become her whole world.
“The things you do in your free time are quite concerning.” Jo says, joining her friends on the couch.
“Oh no, god forbid a girl has hobbies,” Yuma says a little bit over the top as she always does.
Jo eventually ends up going to her room after a while because she didn't want to end up as human sacrifice to some crazy sex demon.
The smell of something warm and sweet pulls Jo out of her sleep and she lies still for a moment with her face half-buried in the pillow while the soft murmur of Nicholas’ voice floats into her room from the kitchen.
She groans as she rolls onto her back, the blanket slipping off her legs then drags herself out of bed. She catches a small glimpse of herself in the mirror and winces. Her basketball shorts hang low on her hips, her tank top is wrinkled and clinging more to one side than the other and her long dark hair is a complete mess, sticking out wildly in several directions like she wrestled a raccoon in her sleep and lost.
Jo shuffles into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and the sunlight streaming through the windows momentarily blinds her. She blinks several times to adjust her eyes and as her eyes focus her roommate comes into view and Jo is suddenly wide awake.
Nicholas is standing by the stove still chatting softly into the phone. Her pyjama shorts are criminally short and her small shirt clings to her frame like a second skin. One of the straps has slipped off her shoulder, hanging there like it has no intention of being fixed.
Jo stops in the doorway and her pulse spikes up like someone just fired a bullet. If she had a dick, she’d be rock hard right now. She takes a sharp breath, tries to focus on literally anything else but it’s no use because she’s such a pervert when it comes to Nicholas and she hates herself for it.
Really, though, how the hell is she supposed to be normal when her roommate looks like she just stepped out of Jo’s most vivid wet daydream?
Nicholas hangs up the phone before turning around and her eyes light up the moment she sees her.
“There you are,” she grins. “You slept like the dead. I was about to come check if you were still breathing.”
Jo clears her throat, trying to will her brain into functioning properly. “Yeah, uh… smelled pancakes.”
“Good,” Nicholas says cheerfully, already reaching for a plate. “Sit. I made way too much again. I seriously don’t know how to cook for one person.”
Jo obeys immediately, slumping into her usual chair at the kitchen table and Nicholas starts talking about her cousin that she just got off the phone with. Jo listens at first, hanging onto every word and nodding like a loyal dog, basking in the sound of Nicholas’ voice and the warmth of her presence, everything is going fine until Nicholas starts stretching.
It begins innocently enough with just a slow roll of her neck to the left, then to the right, putting the delicate curve of her throat on full display. Jo’s eyes drop to it before she can stop herself and her brain spirals into thoughts she should absolutely not be having but all she can see is the expanse of that soft skin marked with bruises and faded hickeys.
Nicholas lifts her arms next, stretching them high above her head, and the flimsy excuse of a shirt she’s wearing rides up with the movement. It exposes the abs on her stomach and the subtle dip of her waist, all sculpted from hours at the gym and general witchcraft, probably.
Jo stares with her mouth slightly open like a starving dog who’s just spotted the juiciest bone on earth and Nicholas just keeps talking completely unaware of the meltdown happening in front of her.
It gets worse when she leans forward over the kitchen counter, planting her hands on the surface as she stretches her back. Her hips tilt back slightly with the motion and the waistband of her shorts dip just low enough to make Jo’s brain short-circuit. The curve of her spine, the way her hair falls over one shoulder, the casual sensuality of it all, it’s too much for poor horny Jo and her imagination goes crazy, taking her to entirely inappropriate places.
“Hey! Did you hear me?”
Jo jolts upright like she’s been electrocuted. “What?”
“I asked if you wanted to go to the mall with me today?” Nicholas repeats her question with a warm smile.
Jo blinks at her, swallowing not having realized how dry her mouth suddenly got. “Uh… yeah. Sure. The mall. Let’s go.”
Nicholas beams at her and Jo feels her entire insides melt into a puddle.
The mall is buzzing with families dragging toddlers through food courts, couples holding hands and teens moving in packs while being loud and reckless. Jo trails slightly behind Nicholas, trying not to stare at the sway of her hips or the way the sunlight filters through the glass ceiling and hits her just right, making her look like some kind of ethereal goddess dropped into a shopping center.
“Do I smell bad or why aren't you walking next to me?” Nicholas suddenly asks, glancing over her shoulder.
The question catches Jo off guard and she almost stumbles. “What? No—” She blinks, heat rising to her face as she tries to find the right words. “I’m just… taking it in.”
Nicholas rolls her eyes but the fondness in it softens the gesture, and reaches back to catch Jo’s wrist, tugging her toward a store. “Well, start taking it in over here. I need a new top for that party next weekend.”
Jo lets herself be pulled and the warmth of Nicholas’ hand on her wrist buzzes through her skin like electricity. While they’re inside Jo tries to focus on the racks of clothing, the annoying loud music and the mannequins with missing arms but her eyes keep drifting back to the girl currently flipping through a rack of cropped shirts like it’s the most important decision of her life.
“Do you like this one?” Nicholas asks, turning and holding up a red satin top that’s barely more than a scrap of fabric.
Jo inhales at the wrong moment and chokes on it. “Uh—sure.”
“Wow. Very convincing,” Nicholas says flatly, already turning toward the full-length mirror. She lifts the top against herself, tilting her head slightly as she studies her reflection. “I kind of like it. I think red suits me.”
It does. Red looks incredibly attractive on her and accentuates her sex appeal but Jo doesn’t say that out loud, instead, she nods and mumbles something like, “Yeah, it’s… cute.”
Nicholas’ gaze flicks to Jo through the mirror, catching her in the reflection and a grin spreads across her face. “You always get so weird. It’s kind of adorable.”
Jo flushes instantaneously. “I do not get weird.”
“You just turned bright red.”
“That’s the lighting,” Jo shoots back a little bit too fast. “It’s—harsh in here.”
Nicholas hums, unconvinced but amused, and lets the top fall over her arm with an easy flick of her wrist. “Okay, okay,” she says lightly. “I’ll spare you… for now.”
They wander through a few more stores, eventually stopping to get something to eat because shopping seems to burn a lot of calories. Nicholas talks the whole time, effortlessly jumping from story to story, from gossip to niche fashion opinions, and Jo listens to everything like it’s gospel.
Every time Nicholas laughs, it tugs somewhere deep in Jo’s chest and when their hands brush from passing a napkin or reaching for the same fry, it sends a strange, crawling static-like spark across her skin.
When they're inside the makeup store Nicholas picks up a random lip gloss, twists it open and glances at the shade. She dabs a small streak onto the back of her hand, then tilts it toward the light.
“Do you think this would look good on me?”
Jo looks but she isn’t looking at the gloss, instead she's fixated on Nicholas’ mouth, the way her lips curve slightly when she talks and presses them together as she waits for an answer.
“I think everything looks good on you.” Jo blurts out suddenly, completely mesmerised by her roommate’s lips.
The words hang in the air and the noise of the store seems to thin out like someone turned the volume down on the world. Jo’s mind then catches up, realising what she’s just said and her stomach drops. There’s a small moment here she’s certain she made something obvious that wasn’t supposed to be.
“Flirting now, are we?” Nicholas says lightly but her voice is edged with surprise, one eyebrow lifting as she glances over.
“I—I meant like in general!” Jo says quickly as her hands come up, gesturing vaguely trying to salvage the situation. “Platonically! You know, in a neutral, supportive, roommate way!”
Nicholas laughs and drops the lip gloss into her shopping bag with a soft clink. “You’re cute when you get all flustered.”
Jo’s lungs forget how to work for a second. She stands there rigidly until Nicholas walks away already distracted by another display and only then does Jo exhale, the breath leaving her in a rush and presses a hand to her chest feeling the frantic thud of her beating heart.
Just when Jo starts to think she’s made it through the day there’s a sudden tug at her sleeve and barely has time to react before she’s pulled along, stumbling into step beside Nicholas. The half-melted smoothie in Jo’s hand sloshes dangerously with every hurried stride.
“Wait—where are we—”
She trails off right as they round the corner and the storefront ahead glows in soft pastel pink with mannequins that are posed behind the glass wearing lace and silk.
Lingerie.
Jo halts like she’s hit an invisible wall. “No.”
Nicholas, already a few steps inside, turns back around. “Yes.”
“I am not going in there.” Jo protests, pointing at the entrance.
Nicholas tilts her head, batting her eyelashes as she puts on an exaggeratedly sweet expression. “Pretty please, Jo… or are you embarrassed?”
“No! I just—” Jo falters and gestures vaguely toward the store like the explanation should be obvious. “That place is for… you know. People who actually wear that stuff.”
“Well, I am a person who wears that stuff,” Nicholas states. “So you’re coming in.”
Before Jo can protest again, Nicholas reaches out and tugs her over the threshold. Lace, mesh, satin, silk—every texture imaginable hangs everywhere in careful displays, draped and layered in shades that range from soft pastels to deep, saturated tones and Jo feels like she’s walked into a landmine field of temptation.
She might be twenty-one years old but sometimes she feels like a sixteen year old teenage boy trapped in the body of a woman with the way she reacts to certain things, and it's not like she's never seen a naked woman or lingerie or a half naked woman in lingerie but she's here with Nicholas which makes this whole situation a whole lot slippery.
Nicholas lets go of her wrist and drifts further inside, completely at ease, flipping through hangers with lace bras and tiny sets of coordinated pieces that look more like decoration than clothing.
“Oh my god, look at this one,” she gasps, lifting up a pale lavender bralette. The fabric is soft-looking and trimmed with delicate embroidery. “Isn’t it so pretty?”
Jo keeps her gaze firmly on the fabric—nowhere else. “Yeah. Pretty.”
“Mm.” Nicholas hums, still browsing. “You should try something on.”
“What?!” The word escapes Jo in a startled squeak.
Nicholas doesn’t even look at her and just continues scanning the rack thoughtfully. “I’m sure you’d look really hot in something like this.”
Jo stares at her with flushed cheeks. “You enjoy torturing me.”
That earns her a soft laugh from Nicholas but she sounds entirely too pleased with herself. Nicholas then pulls out another set—black this time with thin straps and delicately complicated lines. It takes less than a second for the image to form inside Jo’s mind. Nicholas in that, the way it would sit against her skin, the way it would—
Jo inhales sharply and looks away. She needs air, cold water, probably a therapist as well from the way she's being tormented.
“Okay,” Nicholas says, turning back toward her and holding both sets up like options in a game Jo did not agree to play. “Be honest—lavender or black?”
Jo blinks multiple times trying to recover from her vivid imagination. “For what?”
Nicholas gives her a look. “For me, obviously.”
Jo looks at the two pieces but it’s pointless because her answer is already there, sitting at the tip of her tongue.
“Black,” she says.
Nicholas smiles, seemingly satisfied with the answer. “Knew you’d say that.”
She drapes the black set over her arm and then, just to make it worse, she winks at Jo causing her entire nervous system to short-circuit before heading toward the fitting rooms. Jo follows because her legs seem to have a mind of their own, even though her brain is screaming at her this is dangerous, this is dangerous, you need to run away.
They reach the small hallway of curtained stalls and Nicholas turns around with that same spark in her eye. “Wait here,” she says and disappears behind one of the curtains.
Jo stands there with her back pressed to the opposite wall like she’s trying to fuse with it. The soft rustle of fabric, the slide of hangers and the sound of Nicholas humming quietly to herself all filter through the curtain and Jo looks away trying not to imagine Nicholas’ bare back as she unhooks her bra, or the way the black lace might cling to her skin like it was made just for her.
Her palms are damp, her fingers twitch nervously, heat slowly creeps up the back of her neck, and she knows for a fact that her ears are bright red now. She quickly squeezes her eyes shut and pulls in a slow breath through her nose but it doesn’t help at all.
“Jo?”
Jo flinches like she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t. “Y-Yeah?”
“Come here.”
”Uhm…” Jo’s eyes dart nervously around the room checking to see if someone else is here.
“Just for a second. I need your opinion.”
“No, no—I don’t think that’s a good ide—”
“I’m not asking you to strip and join me,” Nicholas cuts in. “I just want to know if this looks good or if it’s too much. Come on, please.”
Jo shouldn't because this is a terrible idea but her feet move anyway and she stops just in front of the curtain, close enough now to see the faint outline of Nicholas’ shadow behind it.
The curtain slides open and Nicholas stands there with one hand braced against her hip and the other holding the curtain aside. The black set fits her like it was designed with her in mind.
Jo forgets how to function.
“Well?” Nicholas prompts, tilting her head slightly while watching Jo with playful curiosity. “Too much?”
Jo stares dumbfoundedly while her brain struggles to form anything resembling a coherent response. Her mouth opens, closes and opens again “I—uh—n-no. Not too much. It looks… good. Really good.” She finally manages to say.
Nicholas’ lips twitch. “You’re bright red again.”
Jo groans under her breath and drags both hands up to cover her face. “I hate you.”
A soft laugh slips from Nicholas as she lets the curtain fall closed again. “You’re such a liar.”
Jo turns on her heel immediately to walk back to where she was before and tries to distract herself by scrolling through her phone but every time she hears fabric rustle or a hanger clink, her head snaps up like it’s muscle memory.
Suddenly Nicholas speaks up again.
“Jo?”
She freezes. “W-What's up?”
“I need your help. I’m stuck somewhere and I can’t see what’s wrong with it.”
Jo finds herself already walking toward the curtain and her hand pauses shortly on the edge.
“You coming in or not?” Nicholas calls playfully from behind the fabric.
Jo inhales before stepping in and immediately whishes she could get back out again.
Nicholas has her back partially turned, caught mid-attempt to reach behind herself. She’s wearing a different set now, one Jo doesn't even remember seeing her take. This one is wine-red, sheer in some places and lace curves softly along her chest while the back is mostly open, except for one stubborn strap twisted near her shoulder blade.
She’s trying to fix it with her arm bent awkwardly and clearly failing. Jo swallows as her throat suddenly dries up and forces herself to focus.
“I seriously hate these designs,” Nicholas mutters, still twisting her shoulders as she tries to reach the clasp. “Can’t they make something sexy and functional?”
“Here. Let me.” Jo says softly under her breath.
She steps in before she can rethink it as the space between them disappears instantly and Jo is hit by the faint floral sweetness of Nicholas’ perfume. Her hands hover at Nicholas’ back for a moment before she dares to make contact. Her fingertips brush over the soft slope of Nicholas’ shoulder as she starts working at the twisted strap.
God. Her skin is so soft.
Jo forces her attention toward the clasp, focusing on anything that isn’t the way Nicholas feels under her hands but the strap is tangled in a frustrating knot and she has to lean in closer to see properly.
“There,” Jo finally says, though the word comes out a little rough around the edges. “Got it.”
She doesn’t move her hands away immediately and neither does Nicholas. Then she moves ever so slightly until her bare shoulder brushes gently against Jo’s chest and she tries to step back but the stall is small, and Nicholas doesn’t move to make room.
Jo looks down before she can stop herself and traces her eyes over Nicholas’ waist, her hips, thighs and the clean lines of the red lace.
“Nicholas,” she whispers but it sounds like she's in pain.
Nicholas turns around and has to look up at Jo to meet her eyes properly. She’s too close, her lips are barely inches away and Jo’s brain short-circuits.
“I—I should go.” Job blurts out, stumbling backward so fast she nearly catches her heel on the small chair in the corner behind her.
Nicholas blinks confusedly like the reaction genuinely wasn’t what she expected. “Oh. Okay.”
“I’ll, um—outside. I’ll be outside.” Jo mumbles quickly and fumbles her way through the curtain before she evaporates completely.
The second she’s out, she grips the edge of a nearby display rack until knuckles turn white while her heart hammers like it’s trying to escape on its own.
Jo waits near the register, awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. Nicholas’ purse hangs off her forearm and her cropped denim jacket is folded neatly in her hands, looking exactly like the other boyfriends next to her waiting for their girlfriends.
Finally, Nicholas emerges from the fitting room fully dressed again with her hair tucked behind her ears acting like nothing happened but doesn’t even look at Jo as she breezes right past her, depositing the chosen lingerie sets onto the counter with a polite smile for the cashier.
Jo immediately feels the cold shift in the air and the slight chill that creeps up her spine as she gives Nicholas her purse, then stands there like a statue, watching Nicholas pay.
Nicholas thanks the cashier, takes the pink paper bag with a delicate grip despite how furious she somehow seems and walks away. Jo follows her like a dog on a leash, wired to trail behind Nicholas wherever she goes but she keeps a step behind her as they weave through the crowd in silence.
Jo wants to say something, ask something, maybe, or apologize for what happened but she doesn’t know how. All she knows is that something shifted between them back in that fitting room and whatever that something was, whatever that look meant, she’s terrified that she crossed a line and that Nicholas hates her now.
As soon as the apartment door swings open, Nicholas storms inside without saying a word as she heads straight to her bedroom and slams the door so hard the walls tremble slightly.
Jo stands frozen in the hallway, still clutching Nicholas’ purse and jacket. “Okay. Cool. She’s definitely mad.”
She stares at Nicholas’ closed door, debating whether to knock, throw herself on the floor and beg for forgiveness but in the end she does what she always does when she's emotionally overwhelmed, she flees to her own room.
She changes into her hoodie with the bleach stain on the sleeve and a pair of baggy sweatpants that she’s been told “should be burned.”, then wraps herself in a blanket and plops down at her desk, pulling her headphones over her head with a movie already queued up on her laptop.
An hour later, just as she starts to settle into a sense of tranquility her headphones are ripped clean off her head. “AH!” she yelps, nearly launching herself out of the chair. “What the hell—?!”
She whips around and finds Nicholas standing there. Her hair is slightly tousled, her cheeks are pink with Jo’s headphones dangling from one hand like a weapon and her expression is somewhere between murderous and offended.
Jo’s mouth goes dry, she shoots up from her chair so fast her little blanket slides off her lap and pools on the floor around her feet. She opens her mouth to speak, to apologize, to say literally anything but Nicholas gets there first.
“You,” she spits, jabbing a finger into Jo’s shoulder, “are so fucking stupid.”
“Wh—”
“I was right there! In lingerie! Sexy, red, barely-covering-anything lingerie, inches away from your face! In a tiny-ass fitting room!”
Jo stares at her, blinking rapidly like a broken computer. “Huh?”
“I have been plotting, plotting, Jo—for weeks,” Nicholas continues, pacing up and down Jo’s room. “Thinking about how to get you to make a move. Dropping hints, practically sitting in your lap, touching your arm, laughing at your dumb jokes and today—today I was like, ‘This is it, lingerie will do the trick.’ But nooo. You just ran out like I’d asked you to—I don't know, eat dirt from the floor or something!”
Nicholas shoves Jo hard enough that she stumbles backward and falls onto the edge of her bed with an awkward little oof. She sits there stunned with her mouth open, looking up at Nicholas who’s now standing over her looking unbelievably furious but so beautiful at the same time.
Honestly? Jo doesn’t hate being looked down and yelled at by her. She shakes her head to get her mind out of the gutter, she's gotta focus because now is not the time to be a pervert.
“Wait—wait—wait,” Jo sputters, lifting her hands like she’s trying to tame a wild animal. “You’re saying… that you wanted me to make a move?”
“Yes, you stupid idiot!” Nicholas snaps, crossing her arms over her chest.
Jo sits in stunned silence, her brain slowly processing the meaning of what Nicholas just said.
“...Oh my god,” she mutters. “I am a stupid idiot.”
“Yes,” Nicholas agrees exasperatedly. “We’ve just established that.”
Jo looks up at her sheepishly and pink-faced, trying very hard not to look at Nicholas’ mouth, the muscles in her arms or anything else that might derail what little self-control she’s clinging to. “So, uh, is it too late to make the move now or…?”
Nicholas narrows her eyes. “That depends.”
“On what?”
Nicholas steps closer and Jo to feel the heat of her body, then she leans down slightly until their faces are inches apart. “On whether or not you’re going to do it right this time.”
”I won't mess up this time.” Jo says, trying to sound very sure of herself.
Nicholas scrunches her nose and slides her finger along Jo’s jaw. ”You better or else I’ll get very angry.”
All Jo manages to do is blink up at Nicholas but then she grabs Jo’s chin with her fingers, brings her closer to herself and finally kisses her but the kiss is nothing like Jo had imagined their first kiss to be like. Their first kiss so much better because Nicholas kisses her like she’s starved and absolutely done pretending she’s not.
Jo lets out a shocked noise and grips Nicholas’ waist out of pure instinct. The fabric of her shirt is soft beneath her fingers but all she can really focus on is how close she is, standing between Jo’s knees. Nicholas’ lips move against hers with pure hunger and Jo tries to kiss back properly but her brain is doing cartwheels and her body feels like it's already floating three feet off the floor.
Nicholas pulls back to catch her breath. “You really are going to make me do everything, aren’t you?” she mutters breathlessly.
“I—uh. I didn’t know if I was allowed to. I thought—like—maybe I’d ruin our friendship or something.” Jo says just as breathless as her.
Nicholas narrows her eyes at her. “So instead, you let me stand in front of you wearing the world’s tiniest scraps of silk and lace and run away like a moron?”
“I panicked. Attractive women make me nervous, you know that.” Jo mumbles as her face heats up.
Nicholas shoves her lightly in the shoulder, enough to make her sway. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I require very clear instructions.” Jo says.
Nicholas sighs. “I was standing half naked in front of you. How much clearer could I have been, Jo?”
Jo groans, burying her face in her hands. “I’m the worst.”
“Yeah,” Nicholas agrees. “But you’re lucky you’re cute.”
Jo peeks at her through her fingers and Nicholas huffs but there’s a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “God help me, you really are.”
Jo smiles like someone just handed her a puppy. “Thank you. That’s literally the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me while also insulting me.”
Nicholas fingers play with the strings of Jo’s hoodie and leans in again, her forehead brushing against Jo’s then slips her hand to the back of Jo’s and brings her in closer. “I’m going to kiss you again.”
Jo nods frantically. “Yes. Please.”
Nicholas rolls her eyes but she’s smiling when she kisses her the second time. This one’s less hurried and less heat-fueled, their lips move slower, syncing together like puzzle pieces that were always meant to find each other this way. Though it doesn't take long before the pace of the kiss quickens again and Jo grips firmly at Nicholas’ waist, her fingertips digging into her skin like she’s terrified this moment is going to slip away.
Nicholas tangles her fingers into Jo’s hair, grabs a handful and pulls. Jo moans and gasps at the same time and Nicholas uses the moment to slip her tongue into Jo’ mouth. Jo is so overwhelmed but manages to slide her hand from Nicholas’ waist to her hips, then down the back of her thighs to pull her closer, brushing just under the hem of her sleep shorts making Nicholas shiver.
Jo pulls her so close that there’s nowhere else for Nicholas to go and is forced to climb into Jo’s lap. The moment Jo feels Nicholas’ weight on her, she lets out an embarrassingly needy moan that she’ll absolutely regret later and buries her face against Nicholas’ shoulder for half a second just to catch her breath.
Nicholas kisses her again, a lot harder with her hands still buried in her hair and Jo kisses back like her life depends on it. Her hands eventually start to roam, gliding back up from Nicholas’ thighs, over her hips and slipping beneath the oversized hoodie to feel the warm bare skin of her lower back. Nicholas gasps into her mouth and Jo just about melts.
She strokes along the curve of Nicholas’ waist, thumb brushing the dip of her spine. She wants to feel every inch of her and memorise every reaction she can pull out of her, then her fingers trail higher until Nicholas shudders against her and pulls back to yank off her hoodie in one swift motion, tossing it aside without a word.
Jo’s her chest rising and falling like she just finished running a marathon and stares, completely undone, eyes flicking from Nicholas’ flushed face to the expanse of newly revealed skin, then dives right back into the kiss like it's the only thing keeping her alive and Nicholas is the only thing she’s ever wanted—which, frankly, she is.
When Nicholas gasps against her lips, it sends a bolt of pride straight through Jo’s chest. It fuels her and she gathers the courage to trail her mouth down Nicholas’ neck, pressing slow, hungry kisses into the soft skin there. She starts to suck gently, leaving the kind of marks she’s only ever dreamed about before and gets drunk on the breathy, helpless little sounds Nicholas makes. Jo finds a spot just behind Nicholas’ ear and it earns her a beautiful moan. Nicholas’ hips involuntarily buck forward and Jo wants to chase that sound forever.
Nicholas starts to get handsy too, her fingers slipping beneath the hem of Jo’s hoodie, dragging it up over her stomach and says, “Take it off.”
It’s that moment that slams Jo back to reality. “Wait,” she says suddenly. “I… I can’t do this if it’s just a one-time thing for you.”
Nicholas stops and looks at her, confusion flickering in her eyes. “What do you mean?”
Jo hesitates for a second before she takes a deep breath. “I’m in love with you. Like so stupidly in love with you and I don’t think I’ll survive this if it turns out to be casual for you.”
Nicholas is quiet for a second and her expression is unreadable until she breaks into the softest, most radiant smile Jo has ever seen. She leans in and presses a gentle kiss to Jo’s lips.
“Baby,” she murmurs with a teasing lilt, “you really are stupid.”
Jo pouts. “Hey—”
“I’m in love with you too, dumbass,” Nicholas interrupts. “But if this is too much for you right now, we can stop.”
“No!” Jo blurts out too loud and too fast, making Nicholas jump slightly in surprise and the embarrassment immediately flashes across Jo’s face. “I mean—no, we don’t have to stop. Please… don’t make me stop.”
Nicholas chuckles. “Okay. We won’t stop, then.”
She reaches for Jo’s hoodie again and pulls it over Jo’s head, tossing it somewhere behind her. Now left in just her sports bra and sweatpants, Jo suddenly feels hyperaware of how exposed she is beneath Nicholas’ gaze but Nicholas doesn’t ogle or stare crudely, she just looks like she’s admiring something rare and beautiful.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispers, it's barely audible but undeniably sincere.
Jo looks away embarrassedly. She can’t remember the last time someone looked at her like they meant every word. Nicholas then peels her own shirt off but there's no hesitation in her movements because she’s never been shy about her body and Jo’s jaw drops.
“Like what you see?” Nicholas asks with a smug grin.
Jo can only nod, completely hypnotised like she’s under some kind of spell. Her hands rest awkwardly on either side of Nicholas’ thighs, fingers twitching with nervous energy and unsure of where to put them
Nicholas seems to notice and says, “You can touch me.”
Jo’s hands move up as soon as she has the green light from Nicholas. Her fingers brush gently over Nicholas’ chest, noticing that her hands completely cover her breasts and it stirs something feral in the back of her mind.
She’s so not normal about Nicholas, never has been and never will be.
Nicholas takes one of Jo’s hand in hers and brings it to her waist, then guides it higher up along the soft slope of her toned stomach then back down again and her skin twitches beneath Jo’s touch. Jo follows the motion hesitantly, fingertips brushing the dip of her navel, feeling it rise and fall with the swell of her breath.
Jo’s hand lingers there for a second before Nicholas pushes the hand lower towards the waistband of her cotton shorts. She presses the hand past it with a soft gasp and her body shivers as Jo’s fingers get closer to where she wants them. She bites down on the sound building in her throat but the moan escapes her lips anyway revealing her eagerness.
Jo’s fingers now rest just beneath the band of her shorts, on the sensitive skin of her lower abdomen and when her fingertips graze the rough patch of hair just above her center but she doesn't move further.
“Jo,” Nicholas breathes out as her lips graze Jo’s ear. “Stop teasing.”
“Sorry,” Jo mumbles quickly then dips her hand all the way into Nicholas’ shorts until her palm is pressed flush against the wet heat between her thighs.
Nicholas gasps as the pressure of the heel of Jo’s palm lands perfectly on her clit. Jo's fingers splay softly over her entrance and her hips grind against her hand in a small desperate circle.
“Is this what you wanted?” Jo whispers.
Nicholas’ breath stutters, nodding excitedly and Jo begins to move her hand. She cups her gently, guiding her fingers through the wet folds while learning Nicholas’ responses to her touches and storing them away into her memory.
Another moan slips from Nicholas’ as Jo’s fingers grow bolder with every pass. She slips further into Jo’s lap and whines, head dropping to her shoulder.
“Inside, Jo,” she pants, pressing herself into Jo’s hand seeking out the right amount of friction. “Put your fingers inside.”
Jo doesn't have to be told twice and slips one finger in. Nicholas arches against her, gasping as the long finger pushes into her and Jo groans quietly, more from surprise about how wet Nicholas already is than anything else.
Nicholas captures Jo’s mouth in a kiss.
“You’re so wet,” Jo breathes against her lips, completely awe-struck.
“Just for you, baby,” Nicholas whispers back, brushing Jo's jaw with her nose. “I can take another,” she murmurs, encouraging her with a soft tap on her wrist.
Jo withdraws gently, enough to make space then presses a second finger in beside the first. Her fingers are long and the stretch drags out a long moan from Nicholas' chest, her legs trembling slightly as she adjusts to the feeling.
Jo starts to move her hand again with slow thrusts that build in rhythm, each slide is wetter than the one before and Nicholas’ head falls back, exposing the graceful line of her throat.
“God, your fingers are so long,” she gasps and her voice catches on the end of it.
Jo takes the opportunity to lean in and press kisses along Nicholas’ neck. “Teach me,” she whispers against her skin. “Teach me how to make you feel good.”
She says it full of devotion and it’d be really sweet if she weren't knuckles deep buried inside of Nicholas with her palm rolling against her clit but Jo wants to learn everything until she knows Nicholas’ body as well as her own.
Nicholas lets out a guttural moan at Jo’s sweet request, torn straight from her core and the sound surprises even her. There’s something so irresistible about Jo being so willing and desperate to please.
She looks at Jo and grins as she slides her own hand down, slipping under the waistband of her shorts until she reaches Jo’s. Her fingers curl over the back of Jo’s much larger hand, anchoring it in place and feeling the tremble in her knuckles as Nicholas takes over.
“Alright, I’ll show you.” She purrs and guides Jo’s hand with a firm grip.
She pulls it in a slow curl inside her making a soft come hither motion that grazes the spot that makes her legs weak.
“There,” she pants. “Just like that.”
Jo shudders with arousal from watching Nicholas take control and use her hand like a toy.
Nicholas’ eyes never leave hers. There’s hunger in her gaze but also something dangerously tender beneath all that dominance.
“Now, press right there.” Nicholas instructs firmly.
Jo obediently applies pressure where she’s been told to and Nicholas moans, head tilting back just slightly before she refocuses and bites her bottom lip to steady herself.
“Don’t stop until I say so.” Nicholas orders with her hand still on Jo’s, helping her keep the exact rhythm she wants.
Jo nods without speaking and watches completely mesmerised as Nicholas loses herself in the sensation. Her hips start to roll, slowly grinding against Jo’s fingers and her head falls onto Jo’s shoulder as her body arches subtly while moaning right into the curve of her neck.
Jo’s other hand flutters at her waist, unsure if she’s still allowed to touch. Nicholas senses the hesitation and grabs Jo’s wrist with her free hand. “Concentrate! Your job is to make me feel good.”
“Yes, unnie.” Jo says, her voice nearly cracking with how much she’s feeling. She’s so turned she can barely breathe.
So Jo concentrates on the way Nicholas clenches around her fingers every time she hits that spot just right. She grinds down harder, her moans grow louder and messier and Jo can feel the tension building inside her like a rising storm.
“Just like that. God, Jo…fuck.”
Jo lets out a whimper and presses in deeper, curling her fingers again just as Nicholas taught her. Nicholas is unbelievably wet and the noises they're making are incredibly filthy.
“Look at me,” Nicholas breathes heavily and Jo does as she's told. Nicholas’ pupils are blown wide, her lips are slick with spit and swollen from biting them.
Her dominance is enticing and Jo’s helpless to do anything but follow her every word.
“You love this, don’t you?” She asks tauntingly. “Being used like this.”
Jo nods, lips parting to answer but she can’t find the words. She doesn’t have to because Nicholas sees it in her face, feels it in every obedient flick of her fingers inside her and the way she whimpers when Nicholas takes full control of the rhythm, trying so hard to be good, to follow every instruction and to please.
It’s incredibly endearing because Jo is entirely Nicholas’ and she can do whatever she wants with her.
“Just like that, keep those fingers inside me. Don’t stop.”
Jo’s fingers move with precision watching as Nicholas makes a mess of herself on Jo’s hand.
“Focus, baby.” Nicholas says, tightening her grip around Jo’s wrist to guide the exact motion she wants.
Jo matches the rhythm of Nicholas’ hips rocking forward and can feel that her orgasm is building up fast, so Jo focuses even harder to push her over the edge.
Nicholas gasps, her nails dragging lightly across Jo’s inner forearm and within seconds Nicholas throws her head back with a high pitched moan as her orgasm tears through her.
She holds Jo’s hand in place with her fingers still deep inside, grinding down to ride the pleasure out as her body trembles and thighs twitch with the aftershocks while Jo watches Nicholas writhe on top of her.
Nicholas eventually relaxes and her breathing evens out as she slumps forward into Jo’s chest.
She lifts her head after a long moment, cups Jo’s jaw and kisses her deeply. When they part, she stays close and brushes her nose against Jo’s.
“You did so well,” she whispers and Jo shivers under the praise.
“I want to do more,” Jo says, slightly out of breath but no less eager m. “Whatever you want, unnie.”
Nicholas smiles, her expression all warmth and fondness but her authority isn't lost. Her fingers come up to hold Jo’s chin making sure those beautiful eyes stay locked on hers.
“In a minute, baby,” Nicholas says, licking her lips as she studies Jo’s face. “But right now... you’re going to do one more thing for me.”
Jo nods immediately. “Anything you want.”
“Take your fingers out.” Nicholas gives the instruction with a seductive smile.
Jo slides her fingers out of Nicholas and they come out covered in slick, physical proof of her hard work. Nicholas is already reaching up, wrapping her fingers around Jo’s wrist and guides it upward until Jo’s glistening hand is right in front of her face.
Jo’s eyes drop to her own fingers, coated in Nicholas’ arousal and the sight alone makes her clench her thighs together.
“Go on,” Nicholas says encouragingly, waiting until Jo lifts her eyes again, locking them with hers. “Taste how good you’ve made me feel.”
Jo does a full body shudder and brings her hand closer, tongue flicking out hesitantly at first, tasting the edges of her fingers before finally slipping them fully into her mouth. The moment the flavor hits her tongue, her eyes flutter half-closed. It’s sweet and musky, and so deliciously Nicholas.
Nicholas watches her so intensely that Jo can feel it burn on her skin and the post-orgasm glow only intensifies the dominance in her expression in addition to her satisfied grin.
“That’s it,” she says, voice dripping with approval. “Such a good girl for me.”
Jo moans around her fingers, lips wrapped around them as she licks them thoroughly clean like she wants to savor every bit of Nicholas she’s been allowed to taste and Nicholas lets her worship the evidence of her pleasure.
Jo stops what she's doing when Nicholas climbs off her lap and her heart picks up the pace upon having Nicholas stand before her, shirtless and still flushed from pleasure. Then, without breaking eye contact, Nicholas slips her fingers beneath the waistband of her shorts and slowly eases them down, taking her underwear with them in one go.
Jo swallows hard as she takes in every inch of Nicholas’ exposed body and feels like she might collapse on the spot. If there were ever a moment she could fall to her knees in worship, this would be it.
Nicholas smiles slyly like she’s well aware of the effect she has on her roommate. “What? Cat got your tongue?”
Jo chokes on her own breath, coughing slightly as her face burns up. “I—” She doesn’t even know what to say. Has she died? Is this heaven? She must’ve saved entire nations in her past lives to deserve this.
Nicholas steps forward and plants herself between Jo’s open legs. “I’m going to have so much fun with you,” she purrs, leaning in just close enough to let her breath ghost over Jo’s lips.
Jo’s hands reach out, moving like they've got a mind of their own and rest gently at Nicholas’ waist then she looks up expectantly. “What do you want me to do next?”
Nicholas tilts her head, pretending to consider but the mischief in her eyes tells Jo that she’s already decided.
“You’re going to lay back, I’m going to sit on your face and you're going to take it like the good girl you are. Is that okay?” Nicholas says without an ounce of hesitation in her voice.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jo replies, already breathless with the anticipation building up inside of her.
Nicholas grins and taps her cheek affectionately, like one might do with a loyal pet. “That’s what I thought.”
Blushing furiously, Jo moves further onto the bed without taking her eyes off Nicholas. She lies back fully, propped up slightly on her elbows, watching as Nicholas climbs up onto the mattress and crawling toward Jo with a predator’s grace.
Jo’s eyes trail down the length of her, from her flushed cheeks, the curve of her neck, the swell of her breasts, the smooth dip of her waist and stomach to the muscles in her thighs. Nicholas pauses once she’s straddling Jo’s chest, hovering just above her mouth. “If you need to breathe pinch my thigh, alright?”
Jo nods impatiently. She's very calm and collected in most aspects in life but not when she’s this desperate to please. She hooks her arms around Nicholas’ thighs and pulls her down with a ferocity that takes Nicholas completely by surprise.
Her mouth opens instantly, tongue dragging a broad stripe from Nicholas’ entrance to her clit, savoring the wet musky taste of her. Nicholas gasps but it melts into a low moan when Jo wraps her lips around her clit and sucks.
Jo holds Nicholas firmly against her face as she works, pressing her tongue in circles, flicking and teasing, drinking up every sound Nicholas makes. She can feel the way Nicholas shudders as her thighs close up around her head with every pass of Jo’s tongue while her hips begin to rock rhythmically against her.
Jo loves being buried between someone’s thighs, losing herself in their taste and trembling vulnerability of their pleasure. She moans into her and the vibration makes Nicholas cry out again, louder this time as her fingers tangle in Jo’s hair and pulls.
Jo wants Nicholas to unravel, wants to make her come again, and again, and again. She greedily latches onto Nicholas’ clit, her lips wrapping around it as she sucks with lewd wet sounds that echo obscenely in the room and her nails dig into the flesh of Nicholas’ thighs, anchoring herself in place.
Above her, Nicholas lets out deep and sultry moans as her hands roam over her own body. Jo watches Nicholas through lidded eyes as she palms her breasts, teasing her nipples between her fingers and hips twitching forward with every pinch.
The sight is devastatingly beautiful.
Nicholas grinds down against Jo’s mouth, her voice rising with every movement and she’s so loud that Jo might have been worried about the neighbors if she weren’t completely drunk on the moment, utterly consumed by the taste and sound of Nicholas falling apart above her.
When Jo starts to feel the need for air, she pinches the flesh of Nicholas’ thigh lightly and Nicholas lifts herself slightly with a shaky breath, giving Jo the space to suck in a lungful.
Jo then sticks her tongue out, grabs Nicholas’ hips again and pulls her down flush against her mouth with firm hands. Nicholas lets out a ragged cry, her thighs shaking on either side of Jo’s face as she gives in to the pleasure and her hips begin to grind again, chasing every sensation.
Jo looks up and Nicholas is already looking down at her with her intense eyes and Jo moans at the sight. The sound vibrates right against Nicholas’ clit and Nicholas whines as her hips jerk involuntarily. She rocks harder but the rhythm is turning messy and her control slips as she's overwhelmed by pleasure.
Then, like a string pulled taut and suddenly cut, Nicholas cries out, arching her back and her entire body seizes in release. Her thighs tighten around Jo’s head, her chest heaves while waves of pleasure crash over her and Jo holds her, mouth still working to draw every last bit from Nicholas like a woman possessed.
Nicholas stays perched above Jo’s face for a moment longer, breathing unevenly while her entire body trembles with the aftershocks of her orgasm and Jo continues pressing light kisses to Nicholas’ inner thigh.
Eventually she slides down Jo’s body like liquid until she’s straddling her waist again and looks at Jo with a look full of adoration. She brushes the damp hair from Jo’s flushed face and wipes her thumb across Jo’s lips and chin that are glistening with spit and slick.
“You’re such a messy little thing right now.” She says and leans in to capture Jo’s mouth in a filthy kiss, tasting herself on Jo’s lips and when she pulls back, she licks the corner of her mouth.
“Now let me take care of you,” Nicholas says sweetly as her hand glides down and hooks her fingers into the waistband of Jo’s sweatpants but just as she starts to tug them down Jo stops her.
She mumbles something, it's barely above a whisper and her face flushes with embarrassment. Nicholas pauses, cocking her head as she leans in closer. “What was that, baby? Speak up.”
Jo squirms nervously like a small mouse. “It’s just... um—it’s already been taken care of.”
Nicholas blinks, momentarily confused but then Jo sees it in real time as she finally understands. “No way.” She says, eyes widening with delighted disbelief.
Jo whines and immediately hides her face behind her palms. Her ears burn with shame and Nicholas lets out a breathless laugh before getting out of her lap and sitting next to her.
”You came just from eating me out?” She asks incredulously but the tone in her voice shows that she's thoroughly impressed. “You got that turned on?”
Jo nods behind her hands and Nicholas gently pries them away, holding her wrists away from her face so she can see her flushed expression.
“Well, I’m flattered, baby, ” Nicholas grins, leaning in to brush a kiss against her cheek. “That's insanely hot.”
Nicholas lets go of Jo’s wrists and watches her as the playful smirk she'd worn earlier fades into a more gentle smile. “Are you okay?” she asks, thumb brushing gently along Jo’s cheekbone.
Jo nods and her lips curl into a lopsided sleepy smile. “I am so incredibly okay.”
Nicholas leans down, pressing a lingering kiss to Jo’s forehead. “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up.”
They make their way to the bathroom hand in hand and the hot water from the shower fogs up the mirror as they step in together. Nicholas reaches for the body wash and lathers it into her hands before gently massaging it over Jo’s back, shoulders and arms and when Nicholas is done, they switch places so Jo can return the favour, her touch just as tender.
Afterward, they dry off, slip back into their clothes and brush their teeth side by side at the sink they’ve done a hundred times.
Back inside Jo’s room, Nicholas climbs into bed and Jo immediately pulls her closer into her arms.
“So…” Jo starts. “We’re idiots, huh?”
Nicholas huffs out a tired laugh. “We really are but it's okay we got there eventually.”
Jo brushes a strand of hair from Nicholas’ forehead, then cups her cheek. “I mean I could've said something a lot earlier like I’ve been in love with you for so long but I was scared of ruining what we had. You’re my best friend and it would've killed me if I ruined that.”
Nicholas leans into her touch and smiles, more to herself than anything else. “Always worrying about something. You wouldn't have ruined anything because frankly I think I’ve loved you for all this time we've known each other.”
“So… what now?” Jo asks, shyly.
Nicholas moves even closer into Jo, tangling their legs together beneath the sheets. “Now I start calling you my girlfriend,” she says, pressing a kiss into Jo’s neck. “We go on dates and have sex every day.”
Jo chokes out a surprised laugh, caught off guard by what Nicholas just said but clears her throat and says, “I like the sound of that.”
Nicholas smiles against the soft skin of Jo’s neck and completely wraps her entire body around her girlfriend. “Good because you have no other choice.”