what do you think really happened in the bathrooms before laurent got damen whipped in cp? we know damen is an unreliable narrator and that laurent also can’t be completely trusted.
because the way damen described it in the moment (and later chapters too) , it seemed like he got aroused and paused his hands where he shouldn’t have:
“He had now progressed far enough in his undertaking that he encountered curves… “He looked down, and the wash cloth slowed”
“I promise you, Govart did a great deal more than simply enjoy the view.”
but then a couple chapters latter laurent says stuff like:
“Your style of grabbing your partner and kicking their legs open does stand out in the memory”
“I recall you being free with your own hands, not so very long ago”
so… what do you think happened? i love reading your opinions!
Oh this is something I have mused on before! Thanks so much for the ask and for saying you love to read my opinions.
As always, I want to preface my analysis by saying, textual analysis is down to personal interpretations, and it's really okay to disagree.
So let's unpick the entire scene!
I'm really sorry, this is going to be...very long 🤦🏽♀️
I'm going to go a bit further with this to begin with, to think about why Laurent actually engineered this scene.
Laurent is at this moment in a huge state of anger and pain. His need for revenge is burning deeply within him. He can be dangerously volatile, and deadly with it, and I think the fact that he is being forced to suppress any emotional reactions to this horrible act of psychological cruelty on the part of the Regent (the sending of Damen to him as a slave), is making things worse (like pressure building up and up, until the force of the explosion becomes lethal).
This is what Laurent says in Ch 14 of PG about his treatment of Damen in CP, at Arles:
Laurent was so angry at Arles, he can't find the right word to describe the intensity of it? Or perhaps it was also fear and the need for revenge and hurt and pain all intermingled with anger, which there is no word for? Either way he was incendiary with pure fury.
Quick recap: Previously to the scene in the baths, Laurent tried to have Damen raped in the ring by Govart, drugging him with chalis. But Damen won, and refused to rape Nicaise, a moment that confuses Laurent. Not only this, but the Regent explicitly told him not to hurt Damen as a form of keeping peace with Akielos and so Laurent waits six days until the Regent has gone to Chastillon to hunt boar, for them to be "alone".
I think it's a fairly well-known issue to readers and fans, that the reasoning for all this was surely grounded in Laurent's own sexual abuse and trauma and the need to inflict revenge on the man he blames on causing it by proxy (with the death of Auguste, there was no-one to protect him from the Regent). This doesn't make it right, but it provides us with a reason.
It is also clear that at this point in the novel, Laurent very much wants to prove that Damen is immoral and monstrous and that Laurent needs something concrete to happen, to be able to hurt him. Thus he conceives this plan.
The conversation between Damen and Laurent in this scene, literally makes me flinch. Laurent is so deadly and sharp in it:
Oh my god, the sentence "Laurent smiled" makes me so uneasy!
It is, of course, really pertinent that Laurent brings up Damen's refusal to rape Nicaise. That was a little crack in the way Laurent has constructed Damen in his head, as a brutish, thuggish aggressor (a Govart wrapped up in nicer packaging); a mindless killer; a monster.
I think Damen's first big mistake is getting pulled into this verbal knife fight, when he says "I'm quite cultured. Before I rape anyone I check to see if their voice has broken". Damen only said that to match Laurent- it's a riposte, meant as a sharp, sarcastic rejoinder, but I'm not sure that that's what Laurent hears. I think he would think as he smiled : 'ah, now Damianos, who thinks he is so honourable and clever, is starting to show the truth of himself'. It's really not a typically Damen thing to say. Laurent is succeeding in dragging him down off his moral high horse, and he's enjoying it.
The next thing Laurent does is equate killing with a sword to rape. This is a really common analogy, as swords and knives can be seen as phallic symbols. You'll see this interpretation in literary analysis and in psychological analysis of crimes and homicides, where the penetration of the body through stabbing via a knife or sword, is seen as a substitute sexual crime. I believe this is also Laurent's way of dragging Damen off of the moral high ground he was on, when he refused Audin's offer of Nicaise. Ok you won't rape a child. You're a murderer though, which is just as bad as a rapist. And let's see just how 'honourable' you are, shall we?
Additionally, I think Laurent is delighting in torturing Damen verbally, especially with the psychological stress it is causing Damen to talk of Marlas, veering him perilously close to 'discovery' each time.
The next part is very much about Laurent constructing a narrative about Damen in his head, as he paints a picture of Damen's psychology which makes him out to be a violent, pugnacious sadist.
I find that "new voice" of Damen's really interesting. I actually think no-one has ever spoken to Damen like this before? When would he have been so insulted and vilified, to his face? Also, I mean...Damen is a warrior par excellence, practically a demi-god, you'd have to be stupid to try and "goad" him into fighting you out of anger?
When someone does vilify you, it brings out a new facet of your personality. An angrier, vicious side to you. You know...just like the one that Laurent discovered in himself when the Regent villified him...(ahem, cough, parallels).
Now here comes the really interesting part.
What is Laurent thinking? He's filled with "dislike" but he's also "assessing" Damen, taking the moment to evaluate him. Moments before, Damen had weighed up the options of killing Laurent in the baths and had dismissed it. It would only lead to his own death. Damen acknowledges some men would be reckless and just "wring" Laurent's "neck", for the pleasure of it. A Govart type, for instance. Laurent took a gamble that Damen wouldn't (directly contradicting the way Laurent says Damen is stupid and mindlessly violent!), and he's "self-satisfied", a little smug and pleased with himself over the fact that he was right. Damen had expected "bravado" i.e. that Laurent would be scared, and would be trying to intimidate Damen as a consequence. Damen is yet to learn that being alone with Laurent is a dangerous thing (he realises this by chapter 7!). I think Laurent is also feeling self-satisfied, because he's waiting for the next stage of this set-up to begin.
Laurent's figured out that Damen finds him attractive already. Everyone finds him attractive, anyway. And so he's going to use his body and his looks as bait. If he can goad Damen into trying to assault or rape him, he will have every justifiable excuse to execute him or flog him to death...
Laurent makes Damen uncomfortable, by making him strip and undress him. It's a weird pantomine of lovers, undressing in front of each other or undressing each other. More importantly, it's what bed-slaves would routinely do for Damen, so they'd be standing nude before each other as a prelude to sexual acts in Akielos. That's what Laurent is banking on the atmosphere feeling like. It works too- Damen can't get his head around it; familiar patterns in an unfamiliar context.
Also, I just want to say how Laurent must have been very scared in this moment. He is very very good at hiding and suppressing his fear, dont get me wrong, but no-one would have ever seen his body naked like this as an adult, apart from Damen in this moment. No-one has probably touched his naked body since...well.
Damen gets pretty overwhelmed by the beauty of Laurent's body. The "flinty dislike" only stops him from probably grinning and openly drinking it all in with appreciation. Because he's certainly very complimentary in his head.
Sidebar: he's comparing Laurent's body for this kind of thing right?
Anyway forging ahead….
The next stage, is touching.
This is where Damen gets into real difficulties.
What I said earlier, regarding familiar patterns in Damen's mind, that, plus the heat of the baths, plus the intimacy of washing Laurent's body i.e. running his hands all over him, starts to get to him:
And..Damen, who has had his sexual desires catered to always in Akielos, who is a very sexual being in terms of his nature, cannot help but start to have very recent memories come back to him. He doesn't act on them quite yet though.
But that does happen in the next few moments:
So my interpretation of the "curves" Damen encounters, is Laurent's erm callipygian assets:
Now...this is very, very intimate. To wash someone's private parts. I do think Laurent had him start at his back, not his front also, deliberately, as he is trying to provoke him.
And Damen rises to the bait and does not act well. I think to him, it feels very sexual to be touching Laurent in his way, as Laurent intended, in a significant erogenous zone ...the place where he would....take him. The soap probably feels a little like lubricant. And Damen slows down, clearly looking. There's no textual evidence he does more than simply slow down, but stopping/pausing could be plausible.
That's Damen's second mistake. If he had stuck to practically and briskly washing Laurent, there would be no issue.
Laurent, of course, picks up on this flare of arousal...and Damen runs his mouth again with: "Too late, sweetheart".
I get a very strong feeling that this is part of the arrogance Laurent found unbearable in Damen from the start. He's been chained up as a slave and yet is still so big and strong, so good at fighting, so good at everything princely, so naturally charming and likeable (think of how Jord starts to warm to him pretty damn quickly!), that he doesn't ever seem weak, physically or emotionally. Damen sort of has still retained an air of 'nothing can really hurt me or scare me or get to me' and 'I'll obey you but we both know that's laughable really", that must really be pissing Laurent off. He's not seeing that Laurent is truly a danger to him. I think Laurent actually doesn't mind being underestimated by other people necessarily, as it probably fits into his plotting and planning e.g. Torveld not seeing how dangerous he is, for example, or no-one knowing how good a swordsman he is but his own guard, but it really angers him when it's from Damen. The "sweetheart" thing too, is Damen going from the start of the novel, what you think you have power over me? Please. So bringing that up again...is Damen's way of bucking against this control Laurent is trying to exert over him.
Trouble is, Laurent is really really furious now.
The third mistake Damen makes is catching Laurent before his blow can connect, and holding his wrist. From Damen's perspective, he just doesn't really fancy getting hit again in a way that would split his lip open. I think it's possible that he doesn't really think slowing his hands down for a few moments when he was ordered to wash Laurent's naked body is that big of a deal (this is highly debatable to readers!). He doesn't stop to think as to how this comes across to Laurent, and obviously is unaware of his trauma:
Damen is stronger, physically, than Laurent. When Laurent tries to free himself with the "little spasming motion" Damen doesn't let him go. If he was trying to get free, that really must have sent some suppressed part of Laurent into a panic. Or, alternatively, Laurent deliberately didn’t use his whole strength, just enough to signal ‘let go’ as a test to see if Damen would. Which Damen failed. Was that test completely fair under the circumstances? Possibly not? Depends on your perspective, especially with what Laurent did to Damen only the previous week.
Then Damen eyes him up, looking at Laurent's naked body, and his genitals. It's nothing Damen didn't see before, but there’s seeing and there’s looking and this would be both threatening and enraging to Laurent. When Damen feels the "tension hit Laurent's body", this is on the same spectrum as the tension that Laurent feels when he has sex with Damen later in the trilogy, (though different in form as it was consensual). Laurent’s history of abuse and his trauma are locking the muscles of his body up tightly (definitely extreme anxiety), because situations like this take him to the horrific, tragic, child abuse in his part.
Sidebar: Sorry if this is meandering, but bear with me. Akielos is a militaristic and patriarchal society, very obviously, with deeply embedded views of honour (Vere is also patriarchal, but a little less so, I mean there are no female kyroi but there is Lady Vannes who has a high political position). Women don't fight; men do. Had there been a woman in front of Damen, he never would have raised a finger to her, or held her wrist to keep her still etc.,- it's why Adrastus sends in a female slave to bathe Damen at the start of Captive Prince. Damen prefers women as lovers, we know, and Pacat has said in her 'dvd' commentaries, in the one from Ch 9 of CP, that he treats sex and all his lovers with respect. If you've never read them before, you can find them on tumblr and the bold text is Pacat's own commentary on her work:
Essentially I'm saying, I don't think that Damen abuses his lovers in any manner or would ever do what he's doing here in the baths, holding them in place. Pacat has constructed Damen as a considerate lover; this situation is very much one of strange, tense complexity.
Damen is bisexual and sees (a small selection of, mostly blond) men as attractive too, and has had them as lovers, but I think in terms of Akielon thinking and Damen's thinking, men are men. They are people you can beat or who can beat you fairly in a physical fight, and if you put yourself in that sort of situation with him (a show of physical strength/a fight, where one might win out) well, take the consequences. I think that, sadly, Damen doesn't get how this comes across like the precursor to assault to Laurent. Well, not yet.
The next moment is very interesting.
Laurent reminds him of it and says "But my voice has broken. That was the only prerequisite, wasn't it?"
What did Laurent think Damen would say or do in response to that? If Damen was a rapist, he would have just forged ahead anyway. It would not have taken much for a man of Damen's strength and size to overpower most people, including Laurent.
Instead, Damen reacts as if "burned", suddenly realising how it all comes across, and in that moment, that beat of time afterwards, I think that enrages Laurent even more. That there was space in his response for Damen to actually not be a rapist…
Because Damianos, the prince-killer, the murderer of Auguste, the destroyer of Laurent's life, was supposed to really show who he was, and Damianos did slow his hands when he shouldn't have on Laurent's body, and he did hold Laurent in place, against his will, like he was pinning Laurent down, and that's enough, he showed he is a monster, even if it wasn't quite to the extent that Laurent wanted him to, but it's enough, it's enough to prove it and now Damianos is recoiling with horror, as if he's innocent (could he not have meant to...no, Laurent knew what he wanted, it's what they all want)?
Laurent's anger explodes in this moment and with it unleashed, the flogging ensues. And I genuinely think the fact that Damen recoiled makes Laurent more angry rather than less, because maybe he sees it as dissembling but also because it might mean he's wrong about Damen and Laurent literally cannot deal with it and needs overwhelming anger to flood over that uncertainty, to obliterate it.
Now, let's get to the final part of your ask: Damen as an unreliable narrator and why Laurent seems to remember things differently.
Unreliable narration is more often seen with first person. The trilogy is told via third person narration, told mostly limited to Damen's perspective. It does range a round a little, as CP starts with Guion's, and twice, there are chapters/scenes from Laurent's perspective too (in the cell with Govart and when he frees Jokaste).
Third person limited perspective often does literally 'limit' what we know, through the eyes of that character, which is what we get with Damen. He is in a foreign land, has to keep his identity a secret lest he be killed, has been thrust into the midst of complex Veretian politics which he doesn't understand...it would offer us no tension or suspense whatsoever, if we didn't see Damen slowly come to realisations and conclusions as the text went on. He has some internal biases, of course (especially against Vere and Laurent to start) and character traits which means he sees things in certain ways (the way, at first, his mind thinks in 'straight lines', his inability to connect the dots around the Regent's abuse of Laurent). That is where some measure of 'unreliability' comes from, from perspective. But actually it's all part of his character growth and the slow unfolding of the truth, across all three novels. And some aspects of it actually form dramatic irony. We figure some things out way before Damen does! We can see his biases as part of the narrative. That's all intentional by Pacat, obviously.
Now, to truly connect with a character, readers have to believe in them. The reader has to trust that they are acting like themselves. That there is internal consistency.
Do we feel we can trust Damen to tell us the action of a scene accurately?
I do.
Because if you don't take what he says as given in this scene, then, in my view, you would have to assume he is only pretending to be honourable throughout the entire series.
If we thought that, it would undermine the integrity of the entire text and the love story between him and Laurent.
Damen's blind spots are around his own emotions and his pain, which he often refuses to acknowledge. For me, it elicits a range of responses from cute (huffily getting jealous, like when Torveld is around Laurent), to a sort of endearing 'really Damen??' (when he always thinks he didn't nearly die e.g. the flogging and Kastor stabbing him, and he definitely nearly did- Damen-'I'll just walk it off' of-Akielos) to really sad (all of his trauma around his father's death and the betrayal of Kastor).
I don't think he would blank out on groping Laurent or kicking his legs apart.
So this is what Laurent says at first:
Damen is embarrassed and flushes here, and internally, freely admits that yes, he was "unequivocally", or unambiguously, too free with his hands and he knows what he did was wrong, even if he wants to deny it. I think if anyone were to feel some doubt over Damen telling the truth, this shows Damen is reliably telling us what happens, as he is honest with himself, and knows there is no doubt he did act as Laurent says he did. It's not the same as Govart's rape of Erasmus, and he defends himself there, but he knows he was wrong.
Next there's this part, much later, nearing the end of the CP:
Damen's ego when it comes to sex (by all accounts well-justified, but still 😂) means he has to fling out a sexy little riposte again. Laurent does NOT like Damen acting as if a) they could freely have sex and b) that Damen's good in bed and would sexually satisfy him in a memorable way (not yet at least 🌚).
But...fascinatingly, this is the first time I have noticed how long it takes quick, sharp Laurent to respond! "Eventually", suggests a long moment! I think it sort of annoyed but also flummoxed Laurent, because the seeds of his attraction to Damen have begun to start to grow?
I mean, it took Laurent a while to get his answer and what Laurent says is, 'oh yeah like you'd be good in bed you barbarian, the only thing memorable about you to your partners is going to be rough and non-consensual handling’ which is horribly insulting but maybe not quite as definitive as 'I'd rather die than lie with rutting rapey Akielon swine' which (some variation of) really was an option! This is still really denigrating, but not that bad for CP Laurent? Maybe I’m being too impatient for the ship that is Lamen to set sail though!
There are a tonne of ways to interpret this, so I could be wrong but it does remind a bit of when Laurent's eyes narrow when Damen says "nice accent" when Laurent speaks Akielon in PG- like again, Laurent's not actually being his most lethal self, but is kind of recognising that Damen is being a bit Damen-y with him and is kind of being like 'excuse me?' but for Laurent that's actually mild? I mean by the time we get to that moment in PG, they're far closer, but I'm just saying I see a glimmer of that same emotion here?
Because when Damen says "That isn't-" and stops, I think he's about to say, "That isn't what happened, and you know it isn't." Laurent is deliberately embellishing to irritate him (and why Laurent says “kicking their legs open” specifically…I feel like is from what he’s seen happen in the ring before? I don’t think he’d casually bring up a factor of his own abuse like that? I don’t think so. Or I really hope not 😔). Damen doesn't have to finish his sentence though, because actually he knows Laurent knows that, and is just trying to provoke or anger him, so there's no point. Damen's insight into Laurent really is pretty good by the end of CP.
And that's it! We finally come to an end. I hope that answered your question in a way that feels satisfactory, and let's remember- my word isn't law, so anyone reading this is free to disagree! ✨
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'Glad All Over (Cake By The Ocean)', Chapter Six
Summary: Nyssa and Tegan have finally admitted their feelings for each other. Now that they've got the romantic tension out of the way, they can focus on the important things... like how to get a moment to themselves in a town full of people who love putting in. Not to mention the appearance of the filming crew for a certain cheesy sci-fi show, and -with them- a certain old friend of Nyssa's.
On the plus side, Tegan apparently has a thing for Nyssa in a corset. 🤭
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My apologies for the delay with this chapter, but -as you'll see- it's got a lot more going on than previous chapters did.
Just a word of warning; this chapter does contain some saucy and slightly kinky scenes (albeit with nothing explicit) so if that's not your cup of tea, I'd recommend skim-reading over those scenes.
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Read on AO3.
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Nyssa’s eyes slipped open.
The sunlight was gently entering the bedroom through the gaps in the curtains, giving the whole place an atmosphere bathed in soft light.
Blinking, Nyssa became slowly aware that she wasn’t wearing any pyjamas. Or, indeed, any clothing whatsoever. And that her skin was covered with a thin layer of perspiration.
She was also aware that she was sharing the bed with another person.
Tegan was curled under the covers beside her, breathing softly in and out, still quite asleep.
Nyssa’s brain promptly kicked into gear, relaying all the events of the previous evening and what had caused this scenario. In thoroughly enjoyable detail.
Nyssa smiled to herself.
Tegan’s legs were intertwined with her own, and Nyssa couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of the woman laying barely a few inches away. The Australian’s hair was messy (although not nearly as rumpled as Nyssa expected her own hair to currently look), with locks curled around her ears. Her shoulder muscles moved gently as she inhaled and exhaled. The rest of her was covered by the duvet, although -from what little Nyssa could see- Tegan’s skin was also covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Remembering how that sweat had been accumulated, Nyssa bit back a giggle.
Tegan stirred, letting out a deep breath and her eyes fluttered open. As her gaze focused on Nyssa, the brown orbs crinkled at the edges, and her mouth was wreathed in a wonderfully shy smile.
‘Morning,’ she said, cheeks dimpling. ‘Did you sleep well?’
‘Like a log,’ Nyssa replied, unable to keep from smiling. ‘Did you?’
‘I should bloody well think so. Good grief, Nys; you didn’t have tire me out.’
Nyssa giggled.
‘I could say the same of you.’
‘You flatter me,’ Tegan said, reaching forward and gently stroking a finger down Nyssa’s side, and letting the duvet slide off her. ‘Wow; now this is a sight for sore sapphic eyes.’
‘Oh, stop it,’ Nyssa said, feeling her face flush pink. ‘That’s just the afterglow talking.’
‘If that’s true, it’s one heck of an afterglow. Although, not surprising, given how much your head was inbetween my-’
‘Tegan!’
The Australian laughed, snuggling up closer to Nyssa and putting an arm around Nyssa, her hand trailing absentmindedly up and down her back. Nyssa grinned, her own hand coming to rest on Tegan’s thigh.
‘So… what actually happens now?’
Tegan stared at her.
‘How do you mean?’
‘Like… do we continue now, or do I make you breakfast as a thank-you, or…’
‘You ask me like I’d know,’ Tegan said, with a chuckle. ‘Nys, I’ve never done this before.’
‘What?’ Nyssa exclaimed. ‘You haven’t?’
‘No; I thought you had. You were the one who pulled me upstairs and everything.’
‘But you were the one who got out the contraceptives!’ Nyssa reasoned. ‘I thought…’
‘It’s good to be safe,’ Tegan shrugged. ‘In my defence, you were the one who got all dominant; kinda hard to query something when your brain is all scrambled. Come to think of it, it’s rather fitting that the dentist would have an oral fixation-’
‘You say that, but I seem to recall that you rather enjoyed it,’ Nyssa shot back, with a slightly smug smirk. ‘What was it? Something about “in the name of Sappho, don’t you dare stop”-’
‘Alright, alright; you’ve made your point!’ Tegan laughed. ‘I did enjoy it. Did… did you also enjoy it?’
‘Of course,’ Nyssa replied, before leaning over and kissing a kiss to the older woman’s lips. ‘You are utterly wonderful, Tegan Jovanka; please don’t ever forget that.’
It was Tegan’s turn to flush, and Nyssa took advantage of the opportunity to press another kiss to her lips, her hands giving Tegan a gentle squeeze on the hips.
‘I’ve nothing to compare this too,’ Tegan said, softly. ‘But… you were bloody brilliant, Nys.’
Nyssa felt her face burn brighter.
‘I could say the same about you, my darling. Besides, I suppose that maybe me being a dentist does make me more aware of…’
She trailed off.
She was a dentist… that meant she had work that morning!
Bollocks!
Nyssa sat bolt upright in the bed, and turned sideways to stare at the clock on the bedside table.
‘It’s almost seven! My first appointment is at eight-thirty!’
Tegan chuckled, as Nyssa frantically swung her legs over the side of the bed.
‘I’m sorry but I’m going to need to use your shower here,’ Nyssa explained, quickly. ‘I’ll pay you back for the water bill, of course. Otherwise I’m not going to be able to get back to my place in time to get changed into my scrubs and… Tegan, what are you doing?’
Tegan had sat up slightly, using her elbow to give her head upright. She was unashamedly staring at Nyssa, who remembered that she wasn’t wearing anything.
‘Enjoying the view,’ Tegan grinned, with a wink. ‘C’mon, Nys; can you blame me?’
Nyssa flushed, before letting out a giggle. She had to admit, the novelty was rather thrilling, despite the time pressure.
‘No, I can’t,’ she admitted. ‘But I do have to hurry. Where’s your bathroom?’
‘Next room along the hallway,’ Tegan replied. ‘I think I have a spare toothbrush under the sink.’
‘You’re an angel.’
Nyssa leaned over and pressed a kiss to Tegan’s cheek, before hurrying out of the room.
After going to the toilet (always good for the morning after, she’d read), Nyssa quickly used the spare toothbrush, before hopping into the shower. She let out a giggle as she did so; it was rather exhilarating being over at Tegan’s place like this. It was just a shame that she had work, and that they couldn’t spent the morning in each other’s arms.
The door of the bathroom creaked open creaked open.
‘Hang on,’ Tegan’s voice said. ‘Just brushing my teeth.’
‘R-right!’
‘Nys, are you seriously embarrassed right now?’
Nyssa ignored the question, instead turning on the shower and rubbing shampoo into her hair.
‘Never imagined I’d have you using my shower,’ Tegan mused, mouth half-full with toothpaste.
‘That makes two of us,’ Nyssa replied. ‘Are you sure you’re okay with me using it first?’
‘That’s a good point.’ -Tegan spat out the toothpaste- ‘My work starts only a little later. Hang on…’
A second later, Tegan pulled the curtain open and stepped in.
‘I have to shower too,’ she said, stepping under the water. ‘And we do have to save water; our reservoirs got really low last year.’
‘R-right,’ Nyssa said, unsure of exactly where she was supposed to look. She decided to just focus on Tegan’s face, but she was then accosted by the image of the Australian with water pouring off her hair and face onto her-
‘You alright, Nys?’ Tegan said, turning to face Nyssa whilst rubbing shampoo into her own hair. Suds were already dripping down the Australian’s neck and over her shoulders. ‘Sorry, is it too hot? I can turn down the temperature if you want.’
Nyssa felt her face burn, and quickly shook her head. She went back to rubbing shampoo into her hair.
‘By the way; what shampoo do you use?’ Tegan asked. ‘Your hair always smells lovely.’
‘Flattery will get you nowhere.’
‘Oh, really? Well, can you pass me the shower gel? I need to get all this sweat off.’
‘F-fine.’
‘I’ll do your back if you do mine-Nys!’
‘Yes?’
‘Nyssa… I’m not a scientist but I’m pretty sure that’s not my back you’re putting the gel onto. Your hands seem to have… gotten lost.’
‘Oh, would you demonstrate so I can do it correctly?’
‘You little minx!’
Nyssa let out a delighted squeal. A few moments later, showering was no longer a priority for either of them.
*
‘If I don’t go now, I’m going to be late!’
‘Nys; this is Cornwall,’ Tegan said, taking a bite of toast. ‘No-one will mind if you’re two minutes late.’
‘I will mind! Besides, I wouldn’t be late if you hadn’t… distracted me!’
Tegan smirked, and Nyssa found her face flushing again.
‘Am I a good distraction, love?’ Tegan chuckled, with a quick wink.
‘You know fully well you are,’ Nyssa shot back, before relenting and giving a quick laugh.
‘That makes two of us, then.’
Nyssa patted the pockets of her shorts to make sure she’d grabbed her phone, wallet and keys. After confirming that she hadn’t left anything upstairs, she darted round the table.
‘Goodbye, my darling,’ Nyssa said, reaching down and pressing a kiss to Tegan’s cheek. ‘I’ll see you later; dinner at my place?’
‘Sounds good,’ Tegan replied, grinning. ‘You sure Mel won’t mind?’
Nyssa groaned.
‘Oh, she’s going be a nightmare today. Is it alright with you if I just tell her what’s happened?’
‘Go for it. Although, maybe skip the extensive play-by-play of what happened upstairs.’
‘Agreed. Have a great day.’
‘You too.’
Nyssa gave a quick smile, before darting out into the corridor. A few seconds later, the door closed behind her.
Tegan rubbed the spot where Nyssa’s lips had touched, and gave a happy giggle, swinging her feet under the table.
*
Nyssa hurried through the front door of her place, and headed straight for her room. She hadn’t been able to brush her hair properly at Tegan’s and had simply left it loose; after changing into her scrubs (along with some fresh underthings), Nyssa began to quickly brush through her long bushy hair. Normally, she’d be annoyed about the hassle but, given how her hair had gotten so messy, she found it difficult to complain too much.
Stopping briefly to apply some deodorant, Nyssa dumped her phone, wallet and keys into her work bag, and hurried to the kitchen.
Of course, Mel was leaning against the counter, already dressed in her scrubs and with a horribly knowing look on her face.
‘Bit of a rush this morning, eh?’ she said, as Nyssa quickly boiled the kettle to make tea for her thermos. ‘I take it that you and Tegan dozed off on her sofa again.’
Nyssa bit her bottom lip, feeling her face burn.
‘Er… well…’
Mel turned to look at her, a hesitant smile on her face.
‘Nyssa, did you and Tegan…’
Nyssa put her hands on her face; her cheeks were now crimson.
‘I… well, Tegan and I…’ she stammered, unsure of exactly how to explain. ‘T-turns out, Tegan f-fancies me too. And now we’re… we’re…’
‘Nyssa!’
Mel gave a whoop of delight, and pulled her friend into a hug, jumping up and down on the balls of her feet.
‘I knew it!’ the redhead exclaimed, clearly delighted. ‘You two just needed a bit of time, and you’d figure it all out! Oh, Nyssa; I’m so happy for you!’
Nyssa smiled, a little embarrassed but elated nonetheless.
‘Thanks,’ she replied, before gently easing Mel off her. ‘I do appreciate it, Mel. But… please don’t go mad just yet. It’s still very early days for Tegan and I.’
‘Oh, I understand,’ Mel said, still smiling happily. ‘You two need some space to navigate things.’
‘Speaking of which… Mel, would it be alright if Tegan came over for dinner this evening?’
‘Of course!’ Mel replied, grinning. ‘I’ve been meaning to try the organic place down the coast, so go wild!’
Then, a smirk crept over the redheads face.
‘Speaking of going wild… did you and Tegan-’
‘Mel!’
‘What? Nyssa; I’ve literally seen you with your hands up Polly’s blouse, nothing shocks me anymore-’
‘Stop bringing that up!’ exclaimed the mortified dentist. ‘If you want to know, fine! I spent most of last night in Tegan’s bed with her legs over my shoulders! There; are you happy now?’
Mel giggled.
‘You did tell her that you’re ace, right?’
‘Aces can have sex lives!’ Nyssa exclaimed, face still burning. ‘And, well, I was the one who got carried away with it!’
‘I’m sure Tegan wasn’t complaining-’
‘Mel!’
*
~Someone just left Tegan’s place…
~Jo, not this again; don’t you have anything better to do?
~Can I help it if Nyssa leaves Tegan’s cottage when I’m stood in my kitchen drinking my tea?
~So, it was Nyssa, then?
~Yes. She stayed over, by the looks of things. Didn’t I say it was a romantic bike ride for them both yesterday? Awww, romance is blossoming in our little town…
~You say that like Ian and Barbara haven’t been adorably cute for the past twenty-odd years.
~Ian and Barbara are different; that’s like watching your parents hold hands.
~Jo, didn’t you used to fancy Barbara back in the day?
~Didn’t we all?
~I didn’t.
~Benton, you’re acearo; pretty sure everyone else in town has had a crush on Barbara or Ian at some point.
~How about a poll? For Pride?
~Barbara is going to HATE you all by the end of the month.
~Benton, are all acearo’s spoilsports, or is that just you?
~It’s my own personal quality. XD
*
The day at work passed at an agonisingly slow pace. The morning appointments seemed to five times as long as they normally would, and her lunchbreak crept past slowly. The afternoon wasn’t much better.
However, the end of the working day did eventually arrive, and Nyssa hurried home, Mel staying behind to lock up the practice. Nyssa immediately hurried and took a very quick wash; she didn’t want to smell of dental disinfectant for her evening in with Tegan. She settled on what she’d be wearing (a nice summer blouse and shorts) and applied a little lip-balm as opposed to make-up; she didn’t want to spend all evening worrying about smudging her foundation.
She then headed to the kitchen, and began setting everything up. She put out the cutlery, and then got out a large pan for the meal she was going to be cooking. Grabbing an apron and then washing her hands, Nyssa set to work chopping up onions.
Mel entered through the front door shortly later. Nyssa turned to her, wearing a face mask to stop her eyes running from the onions.
‘Spaghetti bolognaise?’
Nyssa nodded.
‘Thought it would be nice; not too formal, but enough of an effort to be noticeable.’
‘Oh, how romantic,’ Mel smiled. ‘You two have fun; I’ll be out all evening.’
Mel went to get changed and then waved to Nyssa as she left. Nyssa responded in kind, before continuing to cook.
A little while later, Nyssa’s phone beeped. Tegan had just finished work and, once she’d gotten changed, she’d be right over.
Nyssa bit back the nervous smile on her face as she replied quickly with a thumbs-up. She wanted this evening to go well; things between Tegan and her were still very new, and she didn’t want to mess up this exciting closeness between the two of them.
By this point, the food was cooking nicely, and Nyssa put them both on low heat to keep ticking over.
Another ten minutes crept past, and there was a knock at the door.
Nyssa gave herself a quick look in the mirror, before remembering what she had looked like for most of the previous night, and hurried out to the front door.
Tegan was stood on the doorstep. She was wearing a top made of a flimsy, lightweight material. Rather unusually, she was also wearing a skirt this evening; it was made of leather and… was it really that short? Nyssa’s eyes must have been playing tricks on her.
‘Alright, love?’ Tegan said, grinning as Nyssa moved aside to let her in. The Australian leaned in as she passed to give Nyssa a peck on the cheek. ‘Good day at work?’
‘Not too bad, thanks,’ Nyssa said, smiling. The two of them headed into the kitchen. ‘How was yours?’
‘Spent most of the afternoon on board one of the fishing boats,’ the Australian said, sitting down opposite Nyssa at the table. ‘Hence why I’m a bit late; had to take a shower.’
‘Yes, I do prefer it when you don’t stink of fish.’
The two women chuckled. Nyssa reached over the table and softly placed her hand over Tegan’s, giving it a squeeze. The Australian’s face flushed prettily, and her dimples showed as she smiled.
Nyssa’s timer on her phone went out, and the two women startled, before giggling. Nyssa stood up and headed to the hob.
‘Would you like a hand?’ Tegan asked, from the table.
‘You just sit there and relax,’ Nyssa said, already straining the water out of the spaghetti. ‘I’ll take care of it.’
A few moments later, two large plates were placed on the table, and Nyssa sat down across from Tegan.
‘Er… dig in, I suppose.’
Tegan smiled, and tucked in.
‘Wow!’ she said, covering her mouth with a hand and grinning at Nyssa. ‘Damn, Nys; that’s good!’
Nyssa giggled, feeling her cheeks pinken at the compliment.
‘Thank you, my darling.’
The two continued to eat in companionable silence. It was only after finishing off the desert (Cornish Ice Cream) that Tegan spoke up again.
‘So… “my darling”?’ she asked, as the two of them began to wash the dishes.
‘You’re the one calling me “love”.’
Tegan chuckled.
‘Fair point. I rather like us using those terms, not gonna lie.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah,’ Tegan smiled, a little shyly. ‘Never thought I’d be anyone’s darling, to be honest.’
‘Whyever not?’
‘Dunno. Just never thought I’d be this lucky.’
Nyssa pressed her lips to Tegan’s.
‘I could say the same,’ she breathed, and the Australian gazed at her with such gentle warmth that Nyssa was unable to stop herself kissing her again.
The two of them finished the dishes, and headed into the sitting room (Nyssa having poured them two glasses of lemonade). The two women nestled themselves comfortably on the sofa, Nyssa putting her arm around Tegan’s shoulders and giving her a soft squeeze.
‘I didn’t know you wore skirts.’
‘I’m not completely without feminine qualities,’ Tegan cheeked. ‘Besides… given how often your eyes have wandered this evening, I think you rather like seeing my legs.’
Nyssa giggled.
‘Oh, I know you’re feminine,’ she giggled. ‘And you know I like your legs, given how long they were wrapped around my head-’
‘Nyssa!’
Tegan let out a flustered laugh, her face pinkening.
‘Well, it’s true!’
‘Ah, mon amour…’
‘You speak French?’
‘Well,’ Tegan said, with a shrug. ‘If you spend half your adolescence in a French boarding school, you’re bound to pick up some of the local lingo.’
Nyssa stared at her.
‘You better not be joking, Tegan Jovanka.’
‘I’m serious.’
‘How on earth did you end up in a French boarding school?’
‘Mum and dad sent me there; they thought it would help broaden my horizons. Hang on…’
She reached into the pocket of her skirt, and pulled out her phone. After some quick scrolling, she held it up for Nyssa to see.
‘Is that… a sailor suit?’
‘It was the uniform,’ Tegan said, sounding mortified. ‘And, yes, my mum thought it was the cutest thing ever.’
‘It is!’ Nyssa exclaimed, delightedly. ‘Oh, Tegan; you look so cute!’
‘Cheers,’ Tegan groaned, putting the phone away quickly, as if she had been expecting that response and wanted to move on as fast as possible. ‘Now can we never talk about it again?’
‘Oh, this is going to live in my head rent-free,’ Nyssa giggled. ‘Tegan Jovanka, French boarding school student in a ridiculously cute uniform!’
Tegan sighed.
‘Alright, fine; we can talk about it,’ she said, before a sudden idea seemed to blossom in her head, and she gave a grin. ‘But can… can you show me the Rocky Horror picture?’
Nyssa felt her face flush.
‘That’s different,’ she said. ‘You in a sailor suit is cute. Me in a black corset is-’
‘Hot? Sexy? Insanely attractive?’
Nyssa swallowed, flustered.
‘You… you think so?’
‘Nys, I’m a lesbian who fancies the literal pants off you; what do you think?’
‘I… I think you have very high expectations.’
‘About you? Nyssa…’
Tegan suddenly looked upset.
‘What?’
‘You’re doing that negative self-talk thing again,’ the Australian said. ‘And I don’t bloody like it when you talk about yourself like that.’
Nyssa felt her heart well.
‘Oh, Tegan…’
She pressed their lips together, softly.
‘You’re wonderful,’ she said, pulling away slightly.
‘I try,’ Tegan said. ‘As for the photo, I’ve got a better idea… do you still have the corset?’
‘Tegan!’
The Australian gave a low, husky laugh. Nyssa felt a shiver go up her spine.
‘W-well, I do, yes,’ Nyssa admitted. ‘But I don’t even know if it fits me anymore.’
‘Oh, really?’ Tegan said, with a grin. ‘Even better, I’d say-’
Tegan climbed into Nyssa’s lap, and gently rested her hands on the younger woman’s shoulders. Nyssa swallowed, feeling her pulse quicken. She had been expecting something like to happen at some point that evening, but she was mentally unprepared for sudden close physical contact of this nature with Tegan. A certain part of her brain recommended placing her hands on Tegan’s back, and Nyssa took the majority vote. The Australian grinned, clearly enjoying herself.
‘Nyssa…’ Tegan purred, deeply, into Nyssa’s ear. Her finger slipped up Nyssa’s neck and began to twirl a lock of her hair through her finger. ‘Please…’
She punctuated that last word with a squirm in Nyssa’s lap. The dentist gave a jolt.
‘F-fine!’ she stammered, very much aware of how much Tegan’s skirt was riding up. Her hands had somehow sunk down Tegan’s back while she wasn’t paying attention; Tegan, on the other hand, had clearly paid attention to this, and gave another giddy squirm. ‘But you’ll have to wait while I get changed!’
Tegan grinned, blinking excitedly.
*
About fifteen minutes later, Nyssa surveyed herself in her bedroom mirror.
On balance, she thought she looked nice enough. The corset wasn’t a bargain-basement item, after all; she’d bought it (second hand, admittedly) from a shop in Soho that seemed to specialise in such clothing.
Nyssa had also decided to put on the matching stockings and suspenders, just for the look of the thing. She brushed out her hair again and -on impulse- put on the little black choker that she’d once gotten as a joke birthday present from Polly and Ben.
Nyssa turned, and looked over her shoulder into the mirror.
Well, she didn’t have much of a frame of reference for this sort of thing, but she supposed that she looked nice. Well, maybe a little better than nice. The black material of the ensemble seemed to contrast nicely with her pale skin. However, while the corset did still fit her well enough, her curves had become more accentuated in the intervening years, causing the corset to act far as the support it had been originally intended for than when she had worn it to the Rocky Horror night all those years ago. She hadn’t bothered to lace too tight, but she was positive that she did not normally have such a pronounced hourglass figure. And that her chest was not normally as noticeable as it currently was.
Of course, historically, women had worn chemises under their corsets, but this one was designed to be worn on the skin directly. It wasn’t especially uncomfortable, but Nyssa supposed that this was due to her not lacing tightly. Modern films often gave corsets a bad name, but they were designed to be practical undergarments, the same as many modern day bras in execution.
This one definitely wasn’t designed for everyday use, though.
Giving up on trying to figure out whether this was attractive to look at, Nyssa instead wondered what Tegan look like wearing it.
A few moments later, Nyssa stopped squeezing her thighs together and stood back up. Still breathing a tad heavily, she decided that she probably did look attractive in this. She gave a cough, clearing her throat.
At the very least, she hoped that Tegan would like it.
Nyssa opened the door, and hurried back to the sitting room. She poked her head around the door.
Tegan immediately sat up, grinning.
Feeling rather flustered, Nyssa entered the room. Tegan’s eyes widened larger and larger as she gaze upon the dentist.
‘Wow…’ Tegan said, eyes alight. ‘Nys, you look… damn…’
Nyssa found herself blushing slightly, and a shiver went up her spine. She could already feel warmth beginning to blossom just south of her stomach, and gooseflesh was appearing on the short gap of pale skin of her thighs, just above the top of the stockings.
She had to admit, the idea of Tegan sat in front of her, awed and enraptured by the sight of Nyssa, was something she could get used to very easily.
Feeling suddenly confident, Nyssa slowly crossed the room, taking the time to let Tegan’s gaze travel up and down her body. She stood for a moment in front of Tegan, before placing a foot on the seat cushion next to her, and peered down at Tegan.
The Australian goggled at her, her own breaths coming out heavy and gasping, as if scarcely able to function.
‘I think,’ Nyssa whispered, cocking an eyebrow upwards and smirking. ‘That you are surprisingly kinky, Tegan Jovanka.’
‘Y-yeah,’ Tegan gasped. ‘I guess I am.’
Nyssa gave a chuckle. She reached over and gently tilted Tegan’s chin upwards with her finger. The Australian seemed unable to move a muscle, simply breathing in and out with a belaboured gasp.
Nyssa put her leg back down, and slinked gently onto the seat next to Tegan. With one hand still cupping Tegan’s chin, Nyssa pressed her lips in a soft kiss to the older woman’s mouth.
Tegan seemed to shiver.
With a knowing grin, Nyssa climbed into Tegan’s lap, straddling her thighs. The Australian’s breath seemed to hitch in her throat, and Nyssa could sworn that Tegan’s thighs quivered underneath her. The warmth below Nyssa’s stomach dropped down further, spreading like a fire between her legs. Yes… yes…
‘I… take… it,’ Nyssa breathed, accentuating each word with a kiss to Tegan’s neck. ‘That… you… like… my… outfit?’
Tegan nodded, breathlessly. Her hands were already running up and down Nyssa’s legs, lingering on the clasps of the stockings.
‘Y-you really went all-out with this, huh,’ Tegan stammered, huskily.
Nyssa grinned.
Their lips met, hungrily. Nyssa’s eyes fluttered shut. hands became ensnared in Tegan’s hair, while Tegan’s hands were already fumbling with the top clasp of the corset. A few moments later, Nyssa felt the fire burn stronger between her legs, as Tegan’s hands began to… oh…
‘Nys…’ Tegan moaned, against her lips. ‘God…’
Nyssa’s eyes opened, and her hands slipped down from Tegan’s hair, and began to grasp at the material of her top, letting it slip off her shoulders. Tegan gave a moan against Nyssa’s lips as Nyssa’s fingers traversed her skin, before quickly the clasp around her back. The fire between Nyssa’s legs was burning stronger and stronger with each passing second that Nyssa remained in contact with Tegan. More… more… yes…
Nyssa’s other hand slipped down, and found the hem line of Tegan’s skirt. Her fingers slipped under, to find-
‘Oh, Tegan…’ she whispered, against the Australian’s lips. ‘You weren’t kidding about liking the corset, were you?...’
Tegan’s face flushed further, but she didn’t seem to care. She was already sweating profusely, and her thighs trembled as Nyssa’s hand continued their explorations.
‘Nyssa…’ Tegan breathed, like a mantra. ‘Oh, god… Nyssa…’
The fire roaring its approval, Nyssa began -slowly, at first- to writhe in Tegan’s lap, growing in intensity as she did so. The Australian gave another deep moan, and her hands slipped down Nyssa’s body to land on her thighs, her fingers sinking a little into the soft skin as she held Nyssa closer.
Nyssa’s heart was now pounding against her chest, and she could feel the blood roaring in her ears. As she pressed herself closer to Tegan, and her fingers under the skirt continued to illicit such noises from the Australian, Nyssa found herself panting hungrily against Tegan’s lips. She wanted -she needed- more… more…
God, this was wonderful! This was ecstasy! This was-
‘Oh, sorry, you two are busy, didn’t mean to intrude…’
Both Tegan and Nyssa startled. Seemingly on reflex, Tegan’s arms looped protectively around Nyssa’s back, attempting to shield her from view.
Mel, covering her eyes with one hand, was stood in the doorway, having presumably paused on the way to her room. The redhead gave an awkward giggle.
‘I’ll just be off to my room,’ Mel said, still covering her eyes. ‘You two have a nice evening; I take it you two remembered me mentioning that picture from the Rocky Horror night-’
‘Mel!’ Nyssa exclaimed, mortified, as she quickly pulled up the corset.
‘Sorry! Don’t mind me!’
A few moments later, Mel’s bedroom door swung closed.
‘Sorry,’ Nyssa mumbled, . ‘That rather ruined it, didn’t it-’
At that moment, Tegan flipped Nyssa down onto the sofa, and pressed their lips together again. The Australian’s hands were already roaming. A few seconds later, several more clasps of the corset had been unfastened, and Nyssa gave a low growl of excitement.
Chest heaving, Tegan pulled away.
‘Bedroom?’
‘Bedroom,’ Nyssa agreed, breathlessly.
Without another word, Tegan hoisted Nyssa up into her arms, carrying her like a bride. Half-walking, half-running, Tegan carried Nyssa out of the sitting room and along to Nyssa’s room closing the door behind her with a nudge of her hips. A few moments later, there were several thumps of discarded clothing hitting the floor.
Nyssa giggled, as she fell with Tegan softly onto the bed. Hopefully, Mel had put in her earplugs already.
*
‘So, are we going to talk about-’
‘No, Mel; we are not.’
Nyssa glared at her friend. It was getting close to 4pm the next day. There was only one final appointment slot left, and Nyssa was looking forward to having a nice evening at the beach. Tegan, after the two of them had eaten breakfast in Nyssa’s kitchen, had suggested that Nyssa have another surfing lesson. It was due to be a lovely evening of gentle sunshine, so Nyssa had agreed. And not just because she wanted to see Tegan in her wetsuit again (although that was an added perk, she supposed).
‘I’m just saying,’ Mel chuckled, ‘that, if you are going to get your kink on with Tegan, maybe doing that with her in your room might be a nice alternative to the sitting room-’
‘It wasn’t planned!’ Nyssa said, feeling her cheeks flush. ‘I forget you were due to be arriving back later, and… and Tegan had asked to see…’
Mel giggled, grinning.
‘Judging from the occasional noises coming from your bedroom, I take it that Tegan did very much enjoy it-’
‘Mel!’
The redhead gave another good-natured laugh.
‘In all seriousness,’ she said, still giggling. ‘Your next appointment is here.’
‘Who is it? There wasn’t anyone booked into the diary’
‘It’s a late booking. Local woman,’ Mel said, a curious smile playing on her lips. ‘A certain… Ms Jovanka.’
Nyssa bounded out of her chair, and stormed past Mel and into the waiting room. Sure enough, there was only one person waiting at that time. Tegan was sat (looking rather pretty in a light blue button-down shirt and a cream skirt) in a chair. As Nyssa entered, the Australian put down the magazine she had been reading, and she looked up, the pupils in her brown eyes dilating.
‘Hello, love.’
Nyssa momentarily forgot what she had been planning on saying, and her heart happily pounded against her chest, like a dog who had spotted its owner.
‘H-hello, my darling,’ Nyssa stammered, before the sensible her brain managed to finally catch up with the rest of her. ‘Er…Tegan, what are you doing here?’
‘Well, I do need a check-up,’ Tegan said, bemused. ‘And, well, you’re the only dental practice in town.’
‘But that’s…’
‘What?’
‘Tegan… I can’t have you as a patient.’
‘Why not?’
‘You know darn well why not!’ Nyssa exclaimed, cheeks pinkening. ‘If you end up sat in my dental chair with me looking down into your mouth, I… things will end up unprofessional very quickly!’
‘Oh.’ Tegan looked startled, before flushing slightly. ‘Yeah, I didn’t think about that. Er… maybe Mel can do my check-up? If she qualified?’
‘I am, indeed,’ Mel said, following Nyssa into the waiting room and giving a cheerful smile. ‘Just through here, Tegan…’
As Tegan walked into the clinic room, Mel snickered silently over her shoulder at Nyssa, who blushed and giggled in return.
*
~Okay, this chat is for Pride organising ONLY from now on; this rumour-milling is getting out of hand.
~Benton!
~He’s got a point, Jo. We need to focus on the events at Pride.
~Mike! That’s no fair!
~I am on the committee for this, Jo; I love some gossip as much as the next person, but PRIORITIES ‘kay?
~:(
~Stop whining, Jo.
~Liz speaks the truth.
~It’s a gift, Mike.
~TEGAN WENT TO VISIT NYSSA AT THE DENTISTS TODAY; I SAW HER GO IN!
~What did I JUST say, Jo?
~Fine. I’m done now. Nevermind.
~Good.
~Glad you agree, Jo.
~Spoilsports. :(
*
‘So… check-up went okay?’
‘Mel says I’ve got nothing to worry about,’ Tegan said, with a shrug. ‘Although I was hoping I could have you instead.’
‘You’ve had me enough times lately, Tegan Jovanka-’
‘Ssshhh!’ Tegan shushed, giggling. ‘Nys, you can’t say things like that in public!’
The two of them were sat on the beach. Nyssa was wearing a borrowed rash vest and swimming trunks, while Tegan had her usual summer wetsuit on. The Australian somehow managed to look even more fetching in it than the last time Nyssa had seen her wearing it, but maybe that was because she now knew what Tegan looked like under it.
‘Oh, there’s no-one around,’ Nyssa chuckled, before pressing a kiss to Tegan’s cheek. ‘Now, are you going to get me surfing, or are we going to spend all evening just flirting?’
‘I mean, we can do both if you want…’
It took about an hour of practice before Nyssa could kneel on the board without immediately tipping over into the water. But she was encouraged by Tegan’s assessment that most people couldn’t get this far over an entire summer, let alone a few hours of practice.
While it was possible that Tegan was just overexaggerating to make Nyssa feel better, Nyssa didn’t mind too much.
This time, Nyssa managed to stay upright on her knees for about twenty seconds, before pitching sideways and sinking gently under the smooth waves. A few moments later, she emerged from the water, laughing and throwing her head back, hair flying out behind her. On a peaceful summer evening like this, being taught to surf by a wonderful woman like Tegan, Nyssa found it hard to complain about anything.
‘Tegan,’ she said, looking around for the Australian. ‘I think I’m getting the hang of this!’
Tegan, stood on her own board, was staring at her. Her brown eyes shone as she beheld Nyssa.
Of course, it was never a good idea to lose focus whilst surfing. A few moments later, Tegan slipped off the side of her board, and emerged next to Nyssa, hair plastered to her forehead.
The two women giggled, before swimming back to the shore, boards bobbing along behind them.
*
Nyssa awoke in Tegan’s bed, and smiled to herself as she recalled the events of the previous evening. On the Friday afternoon, Tegan had invited her round for another home-cooked meal (stir-fry this time), and the two of them had followed this by watching a few episodes of ‘The Good Life’. Tegan had mostly used the time to comment on Nyssa’s good taste in women whenever Felecity Kendal was on-screen, but Nyssa found it hard to care. Especially since Tegan had spent most of that time leaning with her head on Nyssa’s shoulder.
After they’d watched a third episode, the kissing and cuddling had become more important than watching, so they’d decided to call it an early night and had headed upstairs to the bedroom, having ditched their clothes on the sofa a while before. They’d eventually gone to sleep around… 11.30? Neither of them had been paid much thought to the time.
Nyssa yawned, stretched and got out of bed. She could hear the sounds of Tegan humming to the radio in the kitchen. She basked in the feeling of a lazy Saturday morning for a moment, smiling to herself and enjoying the feeling of Tegan’s duvet against her bare skin. Deciding that she didn’t want to get dressed and showered just yet, Nyssa climbed out of bed and headed downstairs.
Tegan was stood at the hob, wearing a pair of pyjama shorts. Nyssa smile, and came to stand just behind her, wrapping her arms around Tegan’s stomach.
‘Eggs on toast?’
‘Mmmm,’ Nyssa agreed, a little sleepily, and nuzzling into Tegan’s neck. ‘Sounds good...’
The Australian chuckled.
‘And you’re not just saying that because you’re currently copping a feel?’
Nyssa ignored this comment. Tegan was correct, but they both knew that; it didn’t need to be acknowledged. After all, it wasn’t as if either of them disliked what was currently happening. Judging from the previous night, Tegan definitely liked it.
‘As much as I love the feeling of you pressing into my back,’ Tegan said, with a giggle. ‘If we get distracted, these eggs are gonna burn.’
‘Distracted?’
‘Nys, how can I concentrate on cooking when my back is being assaulted by your ample-’
Nyssa spluttered into laughter, and pressed a kiss to Tegan’s cheek. She then turned and headed into the sitting room, hoping to put on the dress she’d been wearing the previous evening.
However, at that moment, the doorbell rang.
‘Nys, can you get that?’ Tegan called, from the kitchen. ‘Probably Jo with the local newsletter…’
Nyssa quickly wrapped a robe around herself, and went to open the door. But the woman standing on the doorstep wasn’t Jo Grant.
‘Hello!’
‘Barbara?’ Nyssa said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious in her robe. She was also aware that she probably looked distinctly bed-rumpled. ‘H-hello, how are you?’
‘Good, thank you,’ replied the teacher, with a cheerful smile. ‘Sorry to bother you both so earlier; just thought I’d let you know about the television work that’s happening in the town today.’
‘Television work?’
‘Yes; are you familiar with “Professor Mysterious”?’
‘The long-running science-fiction series for the BBC?’ Nyssa said, eyes widening. ‘Starting in the nineteen-sixties and continuing, with a few hiatuses, into the present da- I mean, yes, I think so.’
Barbara chuckled.
‘Don’t worry; I’m a fan too. Which is why I was so excited when I heard the production crew wanted to film around Tregonnereth.’
‘That’s fantastic!’ Nyssa exclaimed.
‘Ah, a Ninth Professor afficionado,’ Barbara said, with an approving nod. ‘You have good taste.’
At that moment, however, a distraction came from inside the cottage.
‘Nys, did you want salt on your egg-Barbara?!’
Tegan hurried back into the kitchen, covering herself up with her arms.
Barbara laughed good-naturedly.
‘Don’t worry, Tegan,’ she called along the hallway. ‘I saw much worse when you were staying over at ours on the sofa.’
‘Not funny!’ came the mortified Australian’s reply.
‘Er… sorry about that,’ Nyssa said, tightening her robe around her. She wished that she had chosen to put on her dress instead; the robe didn’t so much hide her curves as accentuate them.
‘Oh, don’t worry, dear; I was young once,’ Barbara said, before a twinkle appeared in her eye. ‘In fact, Ian and myself did get up to a good deal of mischief after hours at teacher training college-’
‘Barbara!’ Tegan said, darting forward. She had clearly grabbed the first thing she could find to cover herself, as she was now wearing an apron. ‘Can we please not hear this particular anecdote?’
Barbara chuckled.
‘Well, you two enjoy your weekend; I think one of the production team said they knew you, Nyssa. Does the name “Romana” ring any bells?’
Nyssa nodded.
‘Yes; she was my senior at university. She was hoping to catch up with me during her time down here.’
‘Oh, wonderful; I’m sure you’ll have lots to chat about,’ Barbara said, smiling. ‘And you can introduce her to Tegan, as well!’
The teacher waved, and headed back along the street.
‘So… Romana?’ Tegan said, closing the door.
‘That senior from my university who called during our first… er…’
‘The one who called halfway through?’ Tegan said, nodding as they headed into the kitchen and sat down to eat. ‘Yeah, I remember that pretty vividly.’
‘So do I, to be honest,’ Nyssa cheeked. ‘Has it really been almost a week already?’
‘Apparently,’ Tegan grinned, her cheeks flushing slightly. ‘To be honest, my brain took a while to catch up after I found me fancying you wasn’t unrequited.’
Nyssa giggled, her own cheeks flushed just as much.
After they had eaten (Tegan cooked a good breakfast indeed, and Nyssa made a mental note to ask whether the Australian had ever worked as a chef) and then finished the washing up, Tegan turned to Nyssa.
‘What time did you say Romana was meeting you?’
‘Around 11; she’s got her break then.’
‘Lovely. I’ve got some errands to run for the old boys around lunch, but I’ll probably be free after mid-afternoon. Do… do you want me to meet her?’
‘If you like,’ Nyssa said. ‘I’m not sure if you’ll enjoy it; we’ll probably just talk about old times and dentistry.’
‘Nah, I’d like to,’ Tegan grinned. ‘If she’s your friend, she must be pretty awesome.’
Nyssa smiled, and pressed a kiss to Tegan’s cheek.
‘You’re wonderful, you know.’
Tegan blushed, prettily. It was rather unfair that she was so pretty, but Nyssa found it far less unfair than she had done just a week prior.
‘Well, we’re got a few hours,’ Tegan said. ‘How do you want to spend the morning?’
In response, Nyssa reached behind Tegan and pulled apart the apron strings. The garment descended to Tegan’s feet, and the Australian gave a giddy squeal as Nyssa’s hands curled around the fabric of her pyjama shorts. A few moments later, the shorts had been abandoned on the floor, along with Nyssa’s robe. It was going to be a good morning.
*
~So, we’re all just ignoring the fact that Tegan and Nyssa are staying over at each other’s places virtually every other night now?
~Like we said; it’s not any of our business. If they want to tell us, they will.
~Exactly.
~So, yes, we are ignoring it, Jo. Unless you’re suggesting forcing a confession out of them both?
~No. No, I’m not. :( I just… I want them to be happy!
~They may be happier sorting it out by themselves. Leave them be.
~Oh, alright. Benton, this doesn’t count as me “rumour-milling”, does it?
~Border-line. Mike, have you got the glitter order sorted yet?
~It’s due tomorrow. Oh, and my new heels are FINALLY here!
~I’ll never get used to seeing you in drag, Mike.
~Because I look damn good, Liz; that’s why.
~Oh, ha ha.
~Benton, have we missed anything?
~No. I even got an extra medical kit just in case you fall over in those heels.
~I am not that bad!
~Mike, you once knocked yourself out on your own fridge door. Excuse me for being prepared.
~You’re such a scout.
~Yes, how terrible that I am similar to Superman.
~You look more like a Ken to me.
~I am Kenough, thank you very much.
~Oh, so THIS is fine but I can’t talk about Tegan and Nyssa?
~Yes, Jo. That’s exactly the case.
*
On reflection, Nyssa thought it had been great to see Romana again. The two hadn’t been able to chat for long, but that had been due to Romana only having a short lunch break. During her half-hour break, the two women had headed to the village café, and had gotten caught up properly; Nyssa mainly talking about her new life in Cornwall, and Romana talking about her life working with the production crew (which was normally based in Cardiff).
On the way back to where the production crew had based themselves (in the harbour, primarily) Nyssa had mentioned that she was a fan of the programme, and Romana had nodded, saying that this didn’t surprise her. Apparently, the programme still had the wobbly sets and corny dialogue that Nyssa had adored growing up. It made her happy to know that not everything on television had to be super-serious.
While she did have half-a-mind to go down and look around the set, she knew she’d just be getting under the feet of the crew. Besides, she might end up bumping into one of the actors and would probably embarrass herself somehow. Instead, she had simply asked Romana if -when she had a spare moment- she could get Nyssa some autographs. Romana had smiled, nodding.
Since Romana’s shift was due to end in the middle of the afternoon (it was difficult to tell with filming work), Nyssa had then suggested that they meet up for an early dinner, and Romana had happily agreed.
Nyssa headed back to her place; Tegan was out doing the errands she had mentioned. However, upon entering the kitchen, she found Mel sat at the table, browsing through her phone.
‘How’s Romana?’
‘She’s good,’ Nyssa replied, pouring herself a glass of water and sitting down at the table. ‘I never realised how busy production is for these programmes.’
‘Tell me about it; the group chat’s been buzzing all day. I had a quick look in on the set; it looks pretty interesting. The production crew seem nice.’
‘That sounds about right; I think everyone’s really excited about it.’
‘You didn’t tell me that Tegan was helping them with the stuff.’
Nyssa froze.
‘Is she? I thought she was doing errands for the old boys.’
‘Hang on, I think Barbara asked her to help…’
Mel stood up and walked round the table, kneeling down so that Nyssa could see her phone.
‘Oh, yes,’ Nyssa said, reading the message. ‘I suppose Tegan is the odd-job person for the town.’
Mel then scrolled down to the most recent message, which was accompanied by a photo. Tegan was stood, walking along the harbour, alongside…
‘Who’s… that?’ Nyssa said, slowly.
‘I think she said her name was Peri,’ Mel said, with a shrug. ‘American, very friendly.’
‘Right.’
The redhead turned to look at Nyssa, whose mouth was set into a purse.
‘Nyssa, are you… jealous?’ Mel giggled.
‘What? No!’ Nyssa exclaimed. ‘Of course I’m not; this… Peri person seems perfectly nice. I’m sure she and Tegan are getting along fine.’
‘Uh huh.’
‘Mel!’
‘Oh, Nyssa,’ Mel chuckled. ‘I’ve seen the way Tegan looks at you; trust me, you don’t have to worry about Peri.’
Nyssa huffed, and swatted at Mel’s arm.
*
Mel left Nyssa to her jealous irritation (thought Nyssa adamantly insisted that she wasn’t jealous in the slightest) and headed back into the town centre, enjoying the atmosphere of how unusually-busy the place was.
She was just watching some of the filming from a safe distance when-
‘Alright, Mel?’
Mel was pleased to see that Ace had come to stand next to her.
‘Hello, Ace,’ she said, giving the shorter woman a gentle nudge with her shoulder. ‘People-watching as well, eh?’
‘Something like that,’ Ace grinned, cheeks dimpling. ‘I take it Nyssa’s got in a huff about that photo in the group chat.’
‘You would be correct,’ Mel giggled. ‘Nyssa is rather fun to watch when she’s jealous.’
Ace let out a laugh, before suddenly looking a little shy as she turned to Mel.
‘Mel… have you heard about the Pride events taking place next week?’
‘It’s rather hard not to,’ Mel chuckled. ‘Yes, I thought I’d come along. Probably bring my bi badges and flag too.’
‘O-oh,’ Ace said, blinking quickly. ‘Yeah, that’s… that’s awesome.’
Mel giggled.
Ace smiled, her dimples showing again. She reached over and gave Mel’s hand a gentle squeeze.
‘Guess I’ll… see you at Pride, then.’
‘Guess you will,’ Mel said, softly.
Ace smiled, gave Mel’s hand another soft squeeze, before walking away. Mel went back to looking at the filming, a very happy smile playing on her lips.
*
‘Oh, just pop those here, Tegan.’
Tegan was helping the production crew with moving things. It was getting on for mid-afternoon, and the Australian was looking forward to meeting up with Nyssa and her friend soon.
She headed towards where Benton had indicated, and gently eased the rolled-up matte paintings into the back of the van. By the sounds of it, this particular episode of “Professor Mysterious” was supposed to be set on an alien word, hence the backgrounds that indicated a purple sky with scarlet red grass.
To be honest, Tegan had only watched a couple of episodes when she had been growing up in Australia, but what she had seen was pretty fun. She was already suspecting that Nyssa was probably a big fan.
‘Benton,’ she asked, turning to the man, who was looking over an itinerary for the days filming. ‘You wouldn’t happen to know where the actors have gone, would you?’
‘After some autographs for Nyssa, eh?’ Benton replied, causing Tegan to blush despite his straightforward tone. ‘I think they’re probably in the pub.’
Tegan nodded.
‘Oh, are you looking for the actors?’ came a voice from behind Tegan.
Tegan turned. A woman was stood nearby. She was of roughly similar height to Tegan, with long dirty-blonde hair that was hanging down over a droopy red top. A pair of white capri trousers and sensible shoes completed the ensemble. The woman had spoken with a rather posh English accent, and Tegan could tell that -whoever she was- this woman had a commanding presence, albeit not in the upper-class-jerk way.
‘Yeah,’ Tegan replied, as Benton headed away to check on other stuff that needed packing. ‘I’m after some autographs; I’ve got a friend who likes the show.’
‘So have I,’ the blonde said. ‘We can ask for them together, if you like. I imagine the actors will be pleased.’
The two women headed out of the harbour and towards the pub. Mike Yates was on duty that afternoon, and duly pointed them in the direction of the actors.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Tegan had several autographs. She smiled; she hoped that Nyssa would like them.
‘Thanks, Romana,’ said one of the actors, speaking to the blonde woman. ‘We don’t normally get asked for these much.’
Tegan stared at the blonde.
‘Oh, you’re Romana!’
‘And I take it you are the mysterious woman that helped Nyssa get out of dealing with the Henriettas,’ the blonde woman chuckled. ‘I did hear about an Australian woman with short hair. You caused quite the stir.’
Tegan gave a grin.
‘That’s me; Tegan Jovanka.’
The two shook hands, and sat down at a table.
‘Has Nyssa mentioned me, then?’
‘Yeah; you were her senior at uni, right?’
‘I was; it seems like such a long time ago.’
‘So… what was Nyssa like back then?’
‘Oh, she was very sweet,’ Romana replied. ‘A little sheltered, but very earnest and dedicated. Like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. I was rather surprised when I found out about what she got like after a few glasses of wine…’
*
Nyssa shivered, midway through eating her sandwich.
‘Nyssa?’ -Mel looked up from her knitting- ‘Are you alright?’
‘I think so,’ Nyssa said, rubbing her forearms with her hands. ‘I just had a bad feeling…’
*
‘No way!’
Tegan was unable to stop herself giggling.
‘It’s true!’ Romana exclaimed, chuckling. ‘Nyssa really is a wild card when she’d had a few glasses. Poor thing spent the next week terrified that Polly hated her.’
‘And did she?’
‘Of course not; I think Polly was actually rather flattered by the attention. And happy to have helped Nyssa realise she wasn’t straight.’
‘I’m surprised she never mentioned it.’
‘Well, it was rather mortifying, I think,’ Romana said. ‘She’s so straight-laced most of the time.’
‘Isn’t Polly married to Ben now?’
‘Oh, yes; he was rather tickled when he found out. He thought Nyssa was a bit of a stick-in-the-mud before that.’
‘He wasn’t bothered by it?’
Romana gave a laugh.
‘Like many straight men, he thought it was rather attractive. Polly had to put her foot down and tell him to stop asking Nyssa questions about it; poor Nyssa was utterly mortified.’
Tegan chuckled.
‘She’s so cute…’
Romana smiled knowingly.
*
‘Nyssa!’
‘Hello again,’ Nyssa said, as she gave Romana a hug. ‘Lovely afternoon, isn’t it-Tegan!’
Tegan giggled as Nyssa’s face went red, staring over Romana’s shoulder at the Australian, whose presence she had only just spotted. The Australian was dressed simply in her t-shirt and denim shorts, and -of course- looking absolutely gorgeous.
‘Nice to see you too,’ Tegan chuckled, pressing a kiss to Nyssa’s cheek as she sat down at the table. Romana and Nyssa had texted each other earlier, suggesting that they meet up in the town café. Of course, Romana had neglected to mention that Tegan was already with her. Hence the dentists confusion. ‘Oh, I got you these…’
She handed over the autographs.
‘I… these are from…’
‘You’re a fan of “Professor Mysterious”, right?’ Tegan said, as Nyssa’s eyes widened at the signatures. ‘Thought you might like these. Sorry, Romana; I think I stole your thunder a little.’
Romana chuckled.
‘No matter; I think I’ll keep these anyway,’ the blonde said, before turning to Nyssa. ‘If you two want to order first, I’ll keep the table occupied.’
‘Yes, that sounds lovely, thank you,’ Nyssa replied, smiling. Following Tegan, she left the table and headed up to the bar, which was currently empty.
‘“Yes, that sounds lovely, thank you”’, Tegan repeated, with a giggle. ‘Good grief, you haven’t sounded so formal since your first week in Tregonnereth.’
‘Cheek!’
Nyssa swatted Tegan softly on the arm. The Australian laughed again.
‘Okay, well I now know why you never mentioned Romana before,’ Tegan said, chuckling. ‘Oh, Nys; did you fancy her?’
‘No, I didn’t!’ Nyssa exclaimed, irritated. ‘It’s called platonic attraction; I just wanted to be her friend!’
‘And that’s different to what you felt for me at first, how?’
‘Because,’ Nyssa said, grabbing Tegan by the front of her shirt. She pulled the Australian close, so that their faces were barely a few inches away. ‘I didn’t spend every interaction with Romana trying not to imagine her naked.’
Tegan blushed scarlet.
‘Oh.’
‘Now do you understand?’ Nyssa said. ‘Tegan, in case it wasn’t obvious already, I fancy you, not Romana.’
Tegan stammered incoherently, as Jo Grant appeared at the bar, her eyebrow raised in amusement. Nyssa ignored this, and began to order.
*
‘I still can’t believe you got me autographs,’ Nyssa said, after they had finished their meals. ‘Tegan, you really shouldn’t have.’
‘Nah, I wanted to,’ Tegan replied, resting her elbow on the table and smiling softly at the woman seated next to her. ‘You… you deserve it, Nys.’
Nyssa felt her cheeks flush. Oh, why did Tegan have to stare at her like that? It was taking all of her self-control not to kiss the Australian right-there-and-then. What would Romana think? That Nyssa was besotted with Tegan.
And, while that was true, Nyssa didn’t want it to be quite that obvious. Especially not in front of her old university senior.
Romana gave a yawn, and stood up.
‘I’m going to head back to the hotel,’ she said. ‘Nyssa, can I talk with you in private for a moment?’
‘Oh,’ Nyssa said, a little surprised by this. ‘Yes, of course.’
Nyssa absentmindedly squeezed Tegan’s hand and stood up, following Romana up the bar.
‘Are you tired, Romana?’ Nyssa asked. ‘It’s still quite early in the evening, after all.’
‘Nyssa,’ Romana said, gently. ‘As much as I have enjoyed catching up, I spent enough time as a third wheel around Ben and Polly. So, on balance, I think I’ll leave you and Tegan to enjoy your evening.’
Nyssa felt her face burn.
‘How did you…’
‘Because I have eyes, Nyssa,’ Romana chuckled, kindly. ‘I see how you look at Tegan, and how she looks at you. You two must be pretty long-gone for each other.’
‘I… we’ve only been together a few days.’
‘Days?’ Romana said, with a low whistle. ‘Wow. Impressive, Nyssa.’
‘Romana!’
The blonde chuckled.
‘It was good to see you again, and I’m glad you’re happy here. If you and Tegan are ever in Cardiff, let me know?’
‘Of course.’
The two women hugged, and Romana then headed out of the pub, giving Tegan a quick wave and goodbye as she did so. The Australian then stood up and headed over to where Nyssa was standing.
‘You alright?’ Tegan said. ‘You look a little flushed.’
‘I think we were a little… obvious. Around Romana, I mean.’
Tegan giggled.
‘I mean, the whole town already thought we were an item anyway, so that’s not a stretch, is it?’
Nyssa sighed. At the very least, it wasn’t as if she had been deliberately trying to hide it; it’s just that she was rather shy by nature and didn’t feel comfortable with her business being known by so many others. But, given that she had moved to a small town, maybe that something she should be losing her sensitivity towards. She was getting better, she believed. But it would take a while for that nervousness to go.
Granted, the inclusion of a sweet, kind and cheery Australian had helped speed things along.
At that moment, the door of the cafe swung open.
The woman known as Peri Brown approached. She was wearing a pair of light blue shorts and a white t-shirt, over which hung a loose flannel shirt. The American had hair cut short into a bop, and a pair of sunglasses were tucked into the top of her t-shirt.
Of course, she was even prettier in person. Because the universe hated Nyssa, apparently.
‘Nys, this is Peri,’ Tegan said, indicating the American. ‘She works with the crew. Peri, this is Nyssa Traken.’
Nyssa’s mouth became a very thin line for a moment, before quickly reverting to a very brittle smile.
‘Hello,’ she said, shaking Peri’s hand. ‘Nice to meet you.’
‘Pleasure,’ Peri said, with a cheerful American accent. ‘This town sure is lovely, huh!’
‘Yes,’ Nyssa agreed. She wrapped her arm around Tegan’s waist, pulling the Australian closer to her, and bumping their hips together. ‘Very lovely indeed.’
Tegan’s face burned at the sudden close contact.
Peri giggled.
‘You two are cute together.’
‘Thank you,’ Nyssa said, primly. ‘I like to think so.’
Peri gave a chuckle.
‘Great,’ she said. ‘You both have a nice evening.’
The American headed to the ladies toilets, and disappeared from sight. At which point, Tegan turned to face the dentist whose arm was wrapped around her.
‘Nyssa!’
‘Yes, Tegan?’
‘What was that all about?!’
‘What was what all about?’
‘Grabbing me like that in front of Peri!’
‘Oh, did I?’ Nyssa said, not removing her arm from around Tegan’s waist. ‘I didn’t realise.’
‘Nys, are you… jealous or something?’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t get jealous.’
‘Uh huh,’ Tegan replied, clearly not believing a word of it. ‘So, the sudden close physical contact wasn’t to make it clear to Peri that we’re an “us”, then?’
‘Not at all,’ Nyssa replied, with a small smile. ‘Now, my darling, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to have another lemonade.’
With one more squeeze of Tegan’s middle, Nyssa left for the bar.
‘Tegan?’
Mel had appeared nearby. Tegan was unsure how long the redhead had been stood there, but she had a horrible feeling that Mel had been listening to the entirety of the previous conversation.
‘What?’
Mel giggled.
‘You sure are making Nyssa rather flustered lately.’
Tegan blushed.
*
‘So… are we gonna talk about that?’
‘About what, Tegan?’
The two women were sat on the beach, watching the sun slowly sink towards the horizon. It was a warm, pleasant evening, so Tegan and Nyssa had decided to spend it sat outside, enjoying the restful peace that came with the knowledge that they didn’t have to get up early the next morning. Tregonnereth was peaceful at this time of the evening, with just the gentle crash of the waves against the sand further down at the shoreline.
‘The fact,’ Tegan said, with a knowing look. ‘That you assumed Peri was making a play for me, and immediately decided to get all possessive.’
‘Oh.’
Nyssa crouched over, hugging her knees with her arms, and looked ashamed.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said, quietly. Her eyes flicked up to Tegan’s. ‘I… that was wrong of me. I should have trusted you more.’
‘Thank you,’ Tegan said, after a moment’s pause. ‘I appreciate that. Although, not gonna lie, it was rather flattering.’
Nyssa turned to look at her.
‘Flattering?’
‘It was! I’ve never had anyone get like that over me before, so it was… nice.’
‘Hang on,’ Nyssa said, unravelling her arms around her knees and swivelling around on the sand to stare at Tegan. ‘You think me making a fool of myself in front of a perfectly lovely woman for no reason was nice?’
‘The fact that you care enough about me to do that is what’s nice.’
‘It still doesn’t excuse the way I acted,’ Nyssa said, stubbornly. ‘You must think me a complete fool.’
‘You, Nyssa? C’mon; you’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. I could never think of you like that.’
‘Well, I am.’
‘If you are, then I definitely am. I thought you fancied Romana, even though she’s your friend and nothing else. I’m sorry.’
Nyssa stared at her for a moment.
‘You’re too lovely, Tegan; it’s not fair.’
‘I could say the same about you,’ Tegan said, with a chuckle. ‘Now, come over and stop moping.’
Smiling, Nyssa rested her head on Tegan’s shoulder for a moment, and the Australian nuzzled against the top of her head.
‘So… perfectly lovely Peri, eh?’
Nyssa felt her cheeks burn.
‘Not. A. Word.’
Tegan chuckled.
‘I wondered why your eyes kept flicking down to where her sunglasses were perched; Nys, are you sure you weren’t the one who-’
‘Tegan!’
The Australian laughed. Nyssa took her head off her shoulder.
‘In all seriousness, love,’ Tegan said, pressing a kiss to Nyssa’s neck. ‘If you do get jealous in future, please tell me.’
‘O-okay,’ Nyssa said, feeling her breath hitch. ‘I’ll… I’ll try.’
‘Good girl.’
Nyssa went quiet, as Tegan continued to press kisses to her neck. She could feel gooseflesh erupting up her back, and angled her head so the older woman could kiss her better. Tegan giggled against her skin, her hands gentling caressing Nyssa’s waist through her t-shirt.
They sat there for a while, Nyssa enjoying Tegan’s administrations, and Tegan clearly enjoying the effect she was having on the dentist. The sun continued to sink towards the horizon.
Eventually, Tegan pressed her lips to Nyssa’s lips, and the two women settled into a gentle embrace.
‘By the way, Romana mentioned an old anecdote from your days at uni,’ Tegan said, quietly. ‘Something about a certain night out in first year that you had with your friend Polly…’
Nyssa eyes widened with mounting horror.
‘Did… did she mention…’
‘You drinking two bottles of wine and proceeding to stick your hands up Polly’s blouse for several minutes?’ Tegan said, with a giggle. ‘Yes, she may have mentioned it-’
‘Nooooo!’
Nyssa turned away from Tegan, and put her face in her hands, cheeks burning scarlet. No, no, no! Of all the things Romana had to mention, it had to be that; Nyssa’s most embarrassing memory from her university days! Polly had barely mentioned it in the intervening years, but Nyssa still felt immense mortification over it.
‘Oh, Nys,’ Tegan said, gently, as she wrapped an arm around Nyssa’s shoulders, softly curling a finger through the dentist’s hair. ‘Why are you so embarrassed?’
‘Why? You’re asking me why?’
‘It’s not that bad. As far as identity discoveries go, it’s not that uncommon-’
‘Shut up, shut up, shut uppppp….’ Nyssa groaned. ‘It’s Polly; she’s my friend! I didn’t… it wasn’t like that!’
‘Romana said Polly was really flattered,’ Tegan continued. ‘I’m sure she didn’t mind. Dunno if Polly’s straight, but she probably enjoyed it a lot regardless, knowing how good you are at it-’
‘Not helping! Honestly, you’re as bad as Mel.’
‘Nah; Mel actually got to see it-’
‘Tegan!’
‘Nyssa, need I remind you that you’ve had your hands up my top several times over the past few days?’ Tegan said, chuckling. ‘C’mon; I’m not trying to be mean. I think it’s cute.’
Nyssa peeked out through her fingers. The Australian’s face was wreathed in a very soft smile, and her eyes crinkled at the edges in a kind way.
Sighing, Nyssa turned back to Tegan, who continued curling her fingers through Nyssa’s hair. It was relaxing, she had to admit.
‘You… you think?’
‘Nys, the fact that you clearly worried about me finding out is… well, pretty adorable.’
‘Adorable?’
‘Immensely.’
Tegan pressed a gentle kiss to Nyssa’s forehead.
The dentist’s heart welled. She looked up at Tegan’s face, and could see herself reflected once again in those beautiful brown eyes. This woman was going to ruin her.
‘I think, my darling,’ Nyssa whispered, placing her hands on Tegan’s shoulders. ‘That I am an immeasurably lucky woman.’
‘That makes two of us, love.’
Nyssa’s lips met Tegan’s, and the two women softly tipped over onto the sand. As often seemed to happen with them, Nyssa found herself straddling Tegan’s thighs, the Australian pressed gently beneath her.
As their kiss deepened, Nyssa’s hands began to wonder away from Tegan’s shoulders, trailing down her t-shirt, down her sides, and slipping under the cotton, her fingers finding soft delicate skin underneath to explore.
Tegan gave a moan, as Nyssa’s fingers trailed up her stomach and reached-
‘Er… Nys?’
‘Hmmm?’
‘As much as I love where your wonderfully adept hands are roaming right now, maybe doing this on a public beach is a little…’
Nyssa let out a low growl against Tegan’s skin.
She immediately climbed to her feet, sinking slightly on the sand, and pulled Tegan up by the arm after her.
‘Nys?’
‘Your place,’ Nyssa said, huskily against Tegan’s ear. ‘Now.’
Tegan grinned, nodding excitedly, and Nyssa began to lead her by the hand across the sand, towards Tregonnereth and Tegan’s waiting cottage. Judging from the intensity of Nyssa’s expression, Tegan knew that it was going to be a very fun evening indeed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for reading, everyone; hope you enjoyed this chapter!
When I started writing this, I did not intend for Nyssa to have her hand up Tegan's skirt whilst wearing a corset and stockings, but -hey- variety is the spice of life 🤣😂. Hopefully it wasn't a bit OTT (I think I just managed to keep this PG13), but -if it was a bit much- my apologies.
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