Part four
Slowly waking, eyes still closed, Cheryl snuggled deeper into her crisp white pillow. She could faintly hear the ticking of a clock, and smelt the fresh scent of lavender washing powder on the bedding. With memories of last night flooding her thoughts she smiled into her pillow, and slowly opened her eyes to look across at Kimberley.
"Morning beautiful." Kim smiled laying alongside her lover. She was on her side facing Cheryl, head propped up by one arm. Her other arm was lovingly draped across Cheryl's body, in the dip of her waist, just above her hip.
"Mmmmm...morning baby." Cheryl replied, scooting across in the bed to cuddle against her. "How long have you been awake?"
"A while.." Kim smiled, tilting her head forward to plant a soft kiss on her lips. "You just look so beautiful when you're sleeping. So peaceful. Like you haven't got a care in the world. I can't help but watch you." Kim kissed her again.
"Kimberley Jane Walsh how could i possibly have a care in the world when I've got you by my side?!" Cheryl replied, eyes as wide as they would go, flashing her cheesiest smile.
"I hope you're not mocking me." Kimberley sulked, blushing slightly, embarrased at having been so open just a few moments before. "I'll keep my thoughts to myself in future."
"Don't you dare!" Cheryl almost shouted, scooping the girl into her arms, raining kisses all over her face. "I'm only messing with you, you know I love waking up next to you!"
Kim smiled, snuggling back into her lover's warm embrace.
"Cup of tea?" Cheryl asked, leaning out of the hug.
"In a bit..." KIm whispered, beginning a trail of kisses down the brunettes body, disappearing under the bedsheets.
Cheryl closed her eyes and smiled, her head rocking backwards, small hands gripping the pillow either side of her head.
"Mmmmm Kimba..."
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Kimberley turned to watch her as she entered the Kitchen, a short pink towel wrapped across her chest, barely long enough to cover her. She leant her head to the side, towel drying her long brown hair. Kim swallowed the lump that had appeared in her throat as her gaze lowered. Her stunning bronzed, toned legs shimmered as droplets of water coursed down them in tracks, pooling at her feet on the shiny tiles of the kitchen floor.
Steadying her breathing Kim turned back to the worktop. "You need some bigger towels!" she joked.
Cheryl stopped drying her hair to look down at herself, tugging at the bottom of the towel in an attempt to stretch it further down her legs.
"This one does the trick!" she said shrugging.
Kimberley smiled to herself, It certainly does she thought, feeling a familiar throb between her legs.
Trying to regain control of her thoughts, Kim turned and slid a mug of hot tea across the kitchen island towards Cheryl. Cheryl smiled, dropping her hair towel on the floor, standing on it as she walked over it, in a half hearted attempt to soak up the water that she had dripped. Picking up her mug she walked the short distance around the island and settled herself on a tall stool next to Kimberley, who was doing her beset to keep her eyes away from her legs.
"Cheryl..." she started, before letting out a long sigh. "How the hell do you expect me to have any sort of conversation with you while you're sitting there looking like that?!" she muttered, almost to herself as she gave in to her thoughts. Following her line of sight back up Cheryl's legs, her eyes came to rest at the hem of the towel which, since seating herself on the stool, had ridden considerably higher on her leg, and was now showing the slightest glimpse of her tattoo.
"Seriously...unless you want me to practically jump you 24/7 you've got to stop being so god damn sexy!" Kim looked up, difficult as it was to tear her eyes away from those legs, to look into her eyes again.
Cheryl smiled, running her fingers through her hair, waves bouncing gently as they came to rest around her shoulder.
"24/7...? Sounds good to me!" she chuckled. "Anyway, I didnt hear you complaining yesterday...or this morning?!" She raised one eyebrow and flashed those dimples again as she grinned cheekily.
Kimberley laughed. "Who says I was complaining?! I just cant string a sentence together with you sitting there in that!" She reached over to touch the younger girls leg, hand slowly running up her thigh until she felt her fingers come to rest at the edge of the towel, close, but not close enough, to her girlfriends crotch.
"Hey you!" Cheryl's hand reached down, playfully swatting away her hand. "That's not getting the conversation started now is it Kimba?!" she joked, winking at her. "Come on, what is it that's so important that we must discus it, right this very minute?!" Cheryl's brow furrowed, a smirk creeping across her lips as she mocked.
"F*ck off." Kimba shoved her arm, flashing the pout that Cheryl found so adorable. Cheryl looked at the older girl sitting opposite her, a slight frown across her features as she drank her tea. She felt a sudden surge of love tighten her chest and resisted the urge to just grab her and kiss her.
"Come on grumpy, I'm only messing about, you know that!" she smiled. "What shall we talk about?"
Kim relaxed, laughing as she caght sight of Cheryl trying to do her best 'serious' face.
"Actually, I was going to talk about us." Kim began, turning once again to face Cheryl. "I was wondering when would be a good time to tell the girls."
Cheryl coughed, almost choking on her tea, banging her mug down on the worktop so quickly that it splashed over the sides onto the granite worktop.
"The girls?! Why would we do that?! I thought we were going to tell them that you were moving in as a room-mate?! Why the sudden change? Yesterday you were panicking about what would happen if anyone found out!!!!"
"I know...but then...you told me that you loved me...and i just thought...." she trailed off, a look of hurt forming on her face.
Cheryl sighed, instantly regretting having snapped at her. She moved closer to touch Kimberley's upper arm, gently squeezing it.
"Sorry, that came out wrong." she apologised, lifting Kim's head to look in her eye. "It's not that I don't want people to know about us, it's just that, I like things how they are for the moment. You know...our secret?" She gave a lopsided smile, pleading silently with her eyes to be understood. "Can't we just spend some time alone, together in this house, before we add anyone else's opinions to the mix?" she questioned.
Kim smiled, "sounds perfect" she responded. "Just as long as you know that I would shout it from the rooftops tomorrow if you wanted me to."
Cheryl smiled, the feeling of panic settling to a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. She stood, pulling Kimberley in for a hug, mind racing as she tried to make sense of what was going on inside her head.
This time yesterday Cheryl would have happily told the girls, smiling ear to ear no doubt, about her relationship with Kim. Even if she hadn't had the guts to tell Kimberley she loved her, she had known it for months. But now that telling people was approaching a reality she was scared, no petrified, about the consequenses of revealing their secret.
Snapping out of her thoughts Cheryl gasped as she felt her towel being whipped away from under her arms. She screamed, instinctively reachind down to cover herself as she looked over to see Kimberley grinning mischeiviously at her, one hand held high in the air, a small pink towel dangling from her fingertips.
"What's up baby?!" she asked with fake innoncence. "Did you want your towel?" Kimberley wafted the towel from side to side, eyes twinkling playfully.
"Come and get it then!!!" she laughed, turning and running towards the stairs.
"Yes, you'd better run!" Cheryl warned, giving chase, one arm covering her chest as the other reached out to grab the towel, pulling them both down into each others arms, onto the soft carpet of the stairway.
