Change is good, unless it isn't

Chapter 24

Smut ⚠️

Dinah watches as Normani, in well-worn, baggy tshirt and a pair of shorts, flops down on the middle of the bed. The black curls are tangled and a few strays stick to her forehead, but a sweaty, exhausted Normani just may be her favorite of all to look at. She sits down on the bed, reaching over and stroking the skin of Normani's thigh. "Was that the last of it?"

Normani, with her arm slung over her eyes, nods. "Thank God. I don't think I could move another box."

"You did have an inordinately large amount of things for such a small apartment," Dinah teases, grinning.

"Well maybe I just have a lot of very important stuff."

"And that's why we now have four tennis rackets in the hall closet?"

"They're...Yeah," Normani laughs, "Maybe that is a little much."

She playfully raises an eyebrow. "You think?"

"Shut up," Normani retorts, reaching over and poking Dinah's side. "What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"For Valentine's Day?" Normani nods. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I just want to come home from work and spend the evening with you."

"Hmm," She hums as she thinks. Normani doesn't want to plan something ornate if it's not what Dinah wants, but she also doesn't want to give Dinah another disappointment like she's had in the past. "Why don't I take you out for dinner? Nothing fancy. Maybe Spelck's to get one of those burgers you pretend to hate," Normani smiles. "Then we can come home and spend the rest of the night together."

"That sounds lovely," Dinah replies. She lies back on the bed and rolls on her side towards Normani, working her hand under the hem of Normani's shirt to dance her fingers against the soft, warm skin. "I really liked that by the way," she says quietly.

Normani brow wrinkles. "Liked what?"

"That you called this home."

"Well it is, isn't it?"

"Yes," she nods, her fingers still roaming across Normani's skin. "But I didn't think you'd take to calling it as such so quickly."

"Dinah," Normani starts, rolling on her side, too, to face her. "My apartment was filled with my stuff, yeah. It had my clothes and furniture, but it was missing something pretty essential to be called home anymore."

Her forehead slightly furrows. "And what was that?"

Softly grinning, Normani reaches over and skims her fingers down the length of Dinah's cheek. "It didn't have you."

"Oh," Dinah softly replies, her eyes involuntarily watering. No one had ever said something even remotely close to being as wonderful and loving, and Normani had said it with such conviction that Dinah feels those words resound deep inside her; feels them fill her up to the very brim with emotion and love for the woman beside her.

She doesn't realize she's pulling Normani flush against her until their lips are touching. The kiss is rough and feral, like she's trying to drink in the very essence of Normani; trying to pour every bit of her love into Normani's eager mouth. Dinah's shirt is the first to go, quickly, so quickly that their lips barely break for even a moment. Normani begins to tug and pull at the ankles of Dinah's own to aid her out of them even quicker.

But all too soon, as always, the near frantic kissing and disrobing begins to wane into something much calmer as Normani rolls to hover above her. Much more restrained and soft and...fragile.

Sighing, she cups Normani's face and tenderly pushes her away to look into her eyes. Normani's brow instantly furrows. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong," she responds, her lips turning up ever so slightly. "I love you, and I love when you're gentle with me, Normani. I do." Her smile grows as she uses her thumb to brush away the crease on Normani's forehead.