The young redhead walked along the corridor, the moonlight shining across the surroundings, it was a nice view tonight. The cool breeze brushes against her skin, making her shiver under the coldness. At the same time, it made her feel refreshed. She had too much alcohol last night.
She had spent the entire morning sleeping under the warmth of a blanket. She woke up in the afternoon with a splitting headache, and the rest of the day after that wasn't much better. Sprawled on her friend's couch, she sat there until her stomach growled, and only then did she decide to go for a meal.
Now, she stood in front of a door, the entrance of her home. She fumbled out a key and unlocked the door. What awaited her was the unsettling silence of the pitch-dark room.
It felt strange that no one was there. She thought her roommates would be in. Hadn't they said they would be in tonight?
Stepping inside, the door clicked shut behind her and she was enveloped in the shadow. She reaches for the light switch, about to flip it on when a voice sliced through the stillness, making her yelp in surprise.
"Welcome back, Iris."
The redhead scanned the room again, trying to find the source of the voice. This time she could make out a silhouette by the couch.
"Regina?" Iris asked cautiously as she took a step backward. She was prepared to bolt if it was an intruder. Thankfully, the voice belonged to one of her roommates. "Why didn't you turn on the light? You spooked me!"
"Hehe..." Regina giggled. "Did you really think you were alone?"
Iris gave a soft laugh in response. "What are you doing in the dark? Why did you not turn on the lights?"
"The fuse broke." Regina lied. "Anyways, I have a surprise for you. A gift from my trip."
"A gift?" Iris asked, arching an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yeah. It's a very special gift!" Regina said, waving in the darkness. "Come over here."
Iris took out her phone and wanted to turn on the flashlight. "Oh right, you can't see well in the dark right?"
Before Iris could do anything, she heard a faint rustling sound, followed by the soft flicker of a flame. The room was now gently illuminated by a small candlelight, casting a soft tranquil radiance around. Watching the single lit candle in the middle of the room, she couldn't help but reminisce a scene from a popular movie. The way it stood and burned, almost felt like a beacon of a distant tower, glowing brightly as it summoned help from distant lands followed by the powerful phrase.
Slowly after, the scene faded from Iris's mind. Looking at the candlelight once more, it gave her a strange sense of peacefulness. Walking over to where Regina sat, she finally saw her friend again as she sat down on the couch.
She paused momentarily, arching an eyebrow in disbelief. Regina was dressed in a simple white button-up shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, and she was wearing only her panties, no pants at all. The sight was unexpected, it was the first time she saw Regina dressing in such a bold manner. Not that she minded. They were both girls.
Though she shifted uncomfortably as if trying to hide something. Regina saw the changes in Iris's expression and noticed her unease, pleased that her little outfit surprised Iris. "I gave one to Maya," Regina continued her earlier topic, smiling mischievously. "And she loved it so, so much that she felt like a new person. Which is why I'm sure that you'll like it just the same."
"Sure." Iris gave a simple reply, her voice quiet but steady. Her nose picked up a familiar scent in the air. The smell of lavender got stronger as the candle burned, slowly filling the entire room with its calming fragrance.
It made everything feel softer, more serene. Iris let her eyes close for a moment, breathing them in, letting herself bask in the scent.
"So, how'd you like it?" Regina asks smilingly. "I purposely prepared this for you, I remember that you like lavender very much, right? Hopefully, I didn't remember wrongly."
"You didn't." Iris opened her eyes slowly, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I didn't think you'd paid attention to little things like that, I thought..."
Arching her eyebrows, Regina sensed something was wrong. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing much, just tired, I guess," Iris said, shaking her head slightly. "I drank too much at the party last night, I rested the whole day, but my head still hurts."
"I see..." Regina smiled gleefully. She reaches out and gently holds Iris's hand, reassuring her. "No worries, I'm sure you'll feel better once you receive my gift."
"Yeah. Maybe." Iris agreed, not wanting to disappoint her friend. "Anyway, where's Maya?"
Regina looks down at their hands, still gently clasped together. She gave a meaningful smile, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mystery. "Oh, she's probably enjoying busy enjoying herself at the moment."
There was something different about Regina tonight, Iris thought, but she couldn't determine exactly what.
Regina's smile deepened as she stared at Iris, admiring the curvy body hidden beneath the clothes. Oh, how soon she'll get to enjoy it. She thought she would have to delay her plans earlier, but she had a surprise instead, and now she gets to continue with what was planned.
"Huh?"
"Maya's having fun with her friend," Regina giggled. "She's probably been having fun for hours already."
"She's not with a guy, right?" Iris asked curiously.
"No," Regina answered, watching Iris's tense expression returning to normal. "But she is with a girl."
