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."
Regina watched as Iris's expression changed, her eyes widening in surprise. The look of disbelief was clear on her face as if something impossible had become possible. Iris was shocked, her mind racing to process the information.
"But... isn't Maya straight?" Iris steadied herself and finally asked.
"I guess things changed?" Regina shrugged, indicating that it wasn't that serious of a change. As if thinking of something, she asks nonchalantly. "Oh yeah, I remember you like girls right?"
"Huh? Why are we suddenly talking about me?" Iris asks, blinking in confusion, wondering why the topic suddenly shifted to her. But Regina could pick up that Iris was blushing under the shadow. "Besides, how are you so calm about this?"
"Hmm... What do you mean? Why aren't I calm?" Regina pretended to ponder before she pushed Iris down on the sofa and got on top of her. "Maybe because I swing that way too?"
"Wha-"
Before Iris could utter a single word, she felt Regina crushing her mouth on hers, and Regina was intruding with her tongue. Almost immediately, Iris moaned under the kisses. She wanted to push Regina away, to break free and ask her what she was doing.
But at the same time, she didn't want to. Even if she knew something was wrong, she couldn't give up this chance.
All this time she had been dreaming about Regina, keeping her love locked deep within. She forced herself to put on a cover because unlike her, they like guys. Which is why, it was like a dream come true right now.
Regina broke off the kiss once she made sure Iris took enough of her saliva, a strand of slimy liquid connected both their mouth. She licked her lips and looked down at Iris, who was flushed red. She was thankful that she could see well in the dark, which is why she could make out the expression Iris was having now.
"I-Is this a dream?" Iris asked dreamily, her eyes glazing over slightly, tears forming at the side. If she was dreaming now, she would like to stay in this sweet dream forever. "If it is, please don't let me wake up."
"It's not a dream, my dear Iris." Regina bent down and gave a playful lick on her neck. "Why would you think this is a dream? Unless..." Regina came to a sudden realization. "You naughty girl! You've been fantasizing about me, haven't you?"
"I can't help it since you're so beautiful, so alluring." Tears started slipping down her cheeks as Iris let go of her darkest secret that she had buried. Her voice trembled. "Ohhh, how much I wanted you for myself. The perfect you. Someone like you wouldn't ever want to be with me, you'd prefer some handsome guys wouldn't you?"
Iris was close to sobbing now, her voice cracking under the tension as she let out the truth she held on all this time.
Regina remained silent, her expression unreadable, her eyes lowered slightly, lips pressed together, thinking about the words. She thought back about how Iris acted in front of her, the lingering glances, the way Iris's laughter sometimes faltered when she talked about boys or even the hesitation in her touch during casual moments. Everything clicked into place now.
"You must be disappointed with me now, right?" Iris pleaded. Her eyes searched Regina's face, desperate for some sign that she hadn't broken anything between them. "But please, please don't hate me, please..."
"Shhh...." Regina places a finger on Iris's lips, shutting her off. "It's alright, everything's real, Iris. I actually liked you too, it's just that it took me some time to realize that."