Awww hon I haven't been checking the site lately, I'm so happy you updated!!! And I hope you do have time to write more soon because I still love it and I'm still hooked!

Eee of course it had to be the moment Mike arrives. Loved Tarja's attitude, but I must say I loved Sharon's attitude as well. Even if it's a little cold or mean, it's always good to have an empowering moment especially since Tarja did keep her on an emotional rollercoaster during their relationship. Great work!

Two in a row!



“Want me to kick her ass?”
Angela slouched in her side of the couch as she took the beer bottle to her lips. It was just a joke, and she knew. Even so, Tarja took a moment to consider the offer, her chin resting against the rim of her glass. She was already quite tipsy from her neighbour’s home-made gintonics; drunk enough not to care that much about anything anymore. Finally she shrugged it off.
“Nah. Too much trouble.”
The blonde nodded in agreement. She put her bottle on the coffee table, from which she had already drunk more than the half. The green glass glistened in the faint light of the living-room. She observed it, almost hypnotized.
“You know what? It’s her loss, anyway” she said “I never met her, but judging by what you’ve told me, she’s a pain. That guy is only into her because of the whole damsel in distress act. God, I hate that kind of women! Men fall for them because they seem totally helpless and naïve, but deep down they’re just manipulative bitches. Lucky that you got rid of her.”
“I guess you’re right” Tarja admitted “But what annoys me is that I’m sure she’s just doing it to make me jealous. She knows nothing gets to me more than seeing my ex with a guy.”
She was interrupted by Angela’s dismissive gesture. As she had one more sip of her drink, the other woman spoke.
“Don’t get into a sweat about it. If she’s not into men, like you said, the whole story won’t end too well. Plus she’d be stupid to get into a relationship that doesn’t even make her happy just to hurt you.”
“True. On the other hand, it wouldn’t surprise me that she got together with him just because she didn’t want to be alone.”
Angela’s expression said it all. The way she twisted her mouth showed her disgust clearly.
“Dude, you don’t know what you saved yourself from!” she exclaimed “That’s the worst kind of women! So needy and annoying! And sadly, that’s the sort of girls men adore.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! They love to play heroes and feel that someone needs them even though they are completely useless.”
Tarja had a slightly longer sip of her gintonic as she processed what Angela had just said. Although she didn’t know much about the topic, everything sounded pretty reasonable.
“You know, when it comes to screwing, it’s all the same” Angela continued her monologue “As long as she’s hot, it’s fine. But then they marry the Disney princess, the one they have to rescue. They don’t want a woman; they want… something between a mother and a daughter! Someone who washes their clothes and makes their food, but at the same time they want to be the strong, protective ones.”
Not often did she have such deep conversations with her friend and neighbour. She was turning out to be quite a psychologist. It actually made sense. Angela watched her as she put her blond waves up in a ponytail, her body leaning against a corner of the couch. Her face looked even thinner and her features sharper.
“I don’t know what it’s like with you lesbians, but yups, that’s how men work” she spoke.
“I’m afraid it’s not that different” Tarja sighed “Just tell me one thing. What’s left for strong, confident women like us? Are we just doomed to be forever alone?”
“Doomed? Please! We’re the ones who get the good sex while their little ladies play house. In my opinion, we only get the good parts of romance without all the drama crap.”
“You’re so right!”
She nodded to her friend’s words and smiled, thankful for her attempt to cheer her up. However, deep down she did wish for some drama. Perhaps it was a side-effect of the alcohol, but Angela’s speech had only made her feel better partially. In her heart she felt that she wanted more than just some bedroom entertainment. She yearned for emotional depth, mutual admiration and respect, tenderness… and all the things she used to have and had lost not long ago.







“I was really looking forward to meeting you guys” Mike smiled as he shook Marco’s hand across the table.
“So were we” Johanna nodded as they all sat down.
As she looked through her colourful menu, which consisted of a single laminated page, Sharon sighed happily. She had often dreamt of the day in which she could ever go on a double date with her partner and some other couple. In fact, she couldn’t help but think of all the usual couple things she had never had the chance to do with the few people she could call her partners.
Johanna had chosen the restaurant, and it was easy to see why. The girl was a huge fan of anything that looked retro. The red leather couches they were sitting in and the metallic round table rested on a draughtboard floor, which gave it a very sixties touch. It was in fact the kind of place that made you grin at the very sight of it. Even Mike had chuckled and admired a poster of The Beatles which was hanging on the wall first thing as he walked in. Right then, she knew her friends would like him.
“Sharon talks a lot about you both.”
“Well, we hear a lot about you as well!” Johanna giggled “How did you guys actually meet?”
“I have to thank my dear friend Martin for that” Mike explained “I went out with him and some more friends… and there she was, kind of shy being the only girl amongst all the boys, so I decided to include her in the fun.”
“So you’re friends with Martin?” Marco intervened “We know him too. He’s a great guy.”
“Definitely! I’m actually closer to Adrian, but knowing that Martin has friends like you guys, he’s definitely worth getting to know.”
“Please! That sounds like we were VIPs or something!” the redhead laughed at Mike’s comment.
“Everyone is a VIP in their own way” Mike winked “At least for those who love us.”
“Good one!” the Swede nodded, impressed by that reply.
Sharon couldn’t help but smile, loving her boyfriend’s talent to make conversation. It wouldn’t probably take him much longer to conquer them than it did to her. Mike was a charmer, and the greatest thing about him is that he didn’t even seem to be aware of that; all his comments clearly came naturally.
“So, do you come to this place often?” the dark-haired man asked “Any recommendations?”
“Ask Johanna, she’s the expert” Sharon informed.
“Well, I’m not the biggest fan of meat, so I usually take the salad sandwich. It’s really good.”
“Hmm…” Mike narrowed his eyes as he studied the menu “Doesn’t sound bad, but boiled eggs and mayonnaise are not exactly my thing…”
“That’s something you have in common with Sharon then” Marco grinned “That was a constant argument when she was still living with us – salad with or without boiled egg?”
“Nice to know that we won’t have that fight when we move in together” the other man looked at his girlfriend with a soft smile.
Her heart skipped a beat as she returned the gesture. He said ‘when’ and not ‘if’! Did that mean he wanted to live with her? That he was not afraid of commitment? If it hadn’t been a public place, she would have probably tackled him with hugs and made love to him right on that couch.
“I think I’m getting the chicken burger” Mike announced happily in the end “It sounds really, really nice.”
A few minutes later, a waiter came to take their order. In spite of the interruption, the conversation continued entertainingly as though nothing had happened. It felt as though they all had known each other for ages. Sharon could tell by the smiles on her friends’ faces that they really liked him and were enjoying themselves, and that made her proud. Perhaps she had made the right choice for once. Sometimes as he spoke, his free hand rested on her knee or held hers below the table. Those little, affectionate gestures gave her shivers of joy.
“As much as I’m enjoying your company, I’m afraid I have some affairs to take care of. I won’t take long” Mike winked as he stood up.
“That’s a very classy way of saying that you need to go to the restroom.”
A joking smirk was his only reply. So the moment had come. Once he was far away enough, Sharon turned to look at her two friends, expecting what was supposed to be next – their comments about the one who had just left. And they didn’t disappoint her. Johanna leaned forward to be a bit closer and lowered her voice.
“I love him! Well, not in that sense but... you know what I mean. He’s a real cutie and so much fun! I was grinning like crazy all the conversation… Seriously, if he wasn’t dating you, I would’ve already jumped on him!” she looked at Marco apologetically as she added “No offence.”
“It’s ok, even I like him.”
Sharon giggled triumphantly, happy to see that her best friends approved of her new boy.
“I know. He’s great!” she spoke “It’s hard not to love him when he always makes me laugh and treats me like a princess. Plus he’s very affectionate.”
“You’re really lucky!” Marco nodded “Apart from being hilarious, you can tell that he’s a genuinely good guy… and that he’s absolutely in love with you.”
The Dutch girl blushed slightly at this last remark. Yet she absolutely agreed. Not many had ever made her feel so special.
“And he’s smart” Johanna completed “There doesn’t seem to be a single topic you can’t have a long, deep conversation about with him. Seriously, if he’s as good in bed as he is at talking, you’re definitely a lucky bitch” her eyes travelled again to her boyfriend “No offence again.”
“None taken.”
Yet Sharon apparently did take the offence. She bit her lip and raised her shoulders lightly.
“Oh, sorry!” the redhead apologized “Is anything wrong?”
“No, it’s just” the brunette took a deep breath, embarrassed “We still haven’t…”
“Oh!”
At that moment, a small alarm went off in Johanna’s head. Even though she knew that her friend didn’t consider sex to be the most important part of a relationship, she found it odd that they still hadn’t slept together after two months.
“Really? Nothing at all?” Marco exclaimed.
Sharon shook her head. Her fingers rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.
“We just… do other stuff when we’re together. We hang out, we kiss, we cuddle…”
“So you guys haven’t even spent one night together?” the Austrian wondered.
“No. We don’t want to rush things, you know? It’s better to take it easy.”
“Well, taking it easy is great, but… don’t you think it’s about time you… got to know each other at that level?” the blond man furrowed his brows “I mean, we all have our needs…”
“Don’t give me that!” Sharon grimaced “Look, I’m a very sexual person myself, too, but going too fast hasn’t caused me anything but trouble. I’d like to be respected for once.”
“Be honest, Sharon” Johanna said seriously “Would you like to sleep with him at all?”
The other woman’s reply took a bit longer than she was supposed to, which confirmed Johanna’s suspicions. Sharon frowned, annoyed: There it was again, that brief look her two friends shared.
“Of course I would!” she finally responded, as though she felt offended that they could have any doubts about it “I’m really looking forward to our first time, but… I don’t want to screw things up. Besides, do we really have to sleep together so soon?”
“Soon?” Marco almost laughed “Are you going to keep him waiting until you get married or something?”
“No!”
“Besides, are you sure that’s the real reason why you don’t want to…” the younger girl corrected herself as she noticed Sharon’s protesting look “Sorry! Is that why you still haven’t had sex with him? Are you putting him to the test? Or are you just putting it off because you deep down don’t want to?”
A sigh escaped the Dutch girl’s mouth. She ran a hand through her dark hair, not looking at the other two.
“It’s not that I don’t want to sleep with him – I’m just scared, I’ll admit that. See, I haven’t been with a man in years, and I haven’t told him that I’ve dated girls. What if he noticed that I’m out of practice and started asking me questions?”
“Well, maybe you should tell him about your lesbian past” the man pointed out “It’s just one more part of your life, and he deserves to know if you want to have an honest relationship with him.”
“I can’t tell him” Sharon shook her head nervously “It was probably just a phase I’ve grown out of, so it doesn’t matter anymore. Telling him would just make everything more complicated.”
“Why would it?”
“Because it’s weird! Do you have an idea how lesbians react when you tell them that you used to be into men?”
“But he’s not a lesbian” Johanna intervened “It’s different with guys. Not to mention that he doesn’t seem the kind of man who would judge you for that.”
“Yeah, well… I’ll think about it” Sharon mumbled “But even if I told him… I can’t deny I am quite out of practice. What if I’m a mess in bed?”
“Is that what you’re afraid of” Marco wondered “Or are you just scared that you might not like having sex with him?”
“Ok, this is just too much” the brunette snorted “Can’t you guys just be happy for me and stop trying to find the flaws in the only good relationship I’ve had in a long time?”
“We’re just trying to protect you” he retorted “You’re right though. You guys make a great couple and we wish you all the best.”
Sharon nodded.
“Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure” Johanna agreed.
“Alright” her brown eyes travelled to the ceiling distractedly, thinking of a new subject “You haven’t told me anything about your new roommate. How are things going with her?”
“Pretty good” the Austrian replied “She doesn’t spend much time at home, but she’s pretty nice. And very talkative.”
“That’s an understatement” Marco grinned “I believe she doesn’t even stop in her sleep.”
In the meantime, Mike smiled to his slyness as he went into the restrooms. Sharon and her friends seemed to be too busy discussing something to notice that he hadn’t gone straight to the toilet, but to pay for their lunch. He knew they would all protest if he offered to do so, and he wanted to have a nice detail to them. Those guys were surely the kind of people he’d like to be friends with.
Whistling some happy song, he washed his hands and got ready to step out when he heard some noises coming from the ladies’ restroom. It sounded like someone was vomiting. His sympathetic part couldn’t help but stand next to the door and ask:
“Are you alright, Miss? Need any help?”
“I’m fine” she called.
He blinked slightly when he realized that her voice sounded familiar to him.
“Johanna, is that you?”
“Mike?”
The young Austrian came out. Her skin looked so extremely pale that even her freckles seemed to be hidden. She took a deep breath and washed her face quickly before giving him an awkward look.
“I’m alright. Maybe you were right and those eggs and mayonnaise were not a good idea” she half-chuckled.
“Aw, I’m sorry!” he winced “Hope you’re feeling a bit better now.”
“Yeah, I think so. My stomach just didn’t seem to like the sandwich.”
“I see. So you have a delicate stomach?”
“No, not really. I don’t have problems with food very often. It must have been a one-time thing.”
Luckily for her, Mike seemed to accept her explanation. He wouldn’t possibly know that she was lying…

It hadn’t been a one-time thing. Johanna’s problems had been going on for a few days, but no-one knew. She didn’t want her friends to worry about her. In fact, she had tried not to make a big deal out of it herself. Probably there was something wrong with the food, she thought at first. However, after hardly keeping anything inside for about a week, she decided to visit a doctor.
Her roommates wouldn’t be home all afternoon and she had no plans with anyone else, so she had a quick lunch in the canteen and headed for her appointment right after. The waiting appeared to last forever, but finally the kind lady called her name and guided her through the sterile white corridor.
“At first I thought it was just food poisoning, but I got scared because it happened the day after as well” she explained “And the day after that. I’m not usually much of a hypochondriac, but I don’t think it can be normal. Perhaps it’s just stress or something.”
“I see” the doctor adjusted her glasses as she took some notes “And what do you think could be causing such stress?”
“Hmm… I’m a student, and last week I had a couple exams. They were not the hardest though; I’m having an important one in ten days. I usually do pretty well, so there’s not much to worry about. However, people at university keep saying that this is the most difficult year, so maybe that affected me more than I thought.”
“What about your personal life? Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, I’m great. No stress there.”
“Okay. Allergies?”
“Feather pillows, but I guess that has nothing to do.”
“No, I guess not” the doctor smiled slightly at the comment “Have you been taking any kind of medicine? The pill perhaps?”
“No, I’m not a big fan of them. I even try to avoid painkillers.”
“Have you had any sexual partners in the past few months, Miss Settels?”
The redhead blinked, rather puzzled by that last question.
“Yeah, only one. My boyfriend. Why? Do you believe this could be caused by some STD?”
“We must take all possibilities into account” the older woman shrugged “Where have you been eating these days?”
“It depends. Mostly at home.”
“And who cooks your meals?”
“That’d be me. I share a flat with my boyfriend and another girl, and I really love cooking” she said proudly “Now that I think about it, though, our roommate is a chef, so she sometimes brings things from the restaurant where she works. I eat them when I don’t have much time. Anyway… I thought we had ruled out food poisoning.”
“We can’t rule anything out until we’ve run some tests, Miss Settels. What’s your relationship with her like?”
Johanna could just stare at the woman on the other side of the desk. Her questions were slowly but steadily becoming a bit pointless in her opinion.
“Are you implying that she might be trying to poison me?”
“No, that doesn’t have to be the case” the doctor tried to calm her down “Your sickness might be caused by many factors; like I said, we must take all possibilities into account.”
“Alright” the redhead sighed “Any more questions?”
“Is there history of any digestive tract or stomach-related illnesses in your family?”
Biting her lip, the young girl took a moment to answer.
“My uncle had an ulcer, and my mother… she died of colon cancer when I was a baby.”



Calling an ex was absolutely against her principles. She felt like she had given up, but now there was no turning back. In the heat of the moment, she had let herself go and dialed a certain number. Now there she was, walking into the tiny café opposite the bookshop she worked in. At least she was still wearing her work clothes and not much makeup, she thought. This way, it wouldn’t look like she was desperate or trying too hard. After all, she made it clear in her phone call that she just wanted to talk to her as friends.
The owner already knew her, so she didn’t even have to order. Many times she would go to that place on her own after work. She sat at her usual table, looking at the horizon as a sip of warm cappuccino travelled down her throat. Perhaps she still had time to cancel and leave before the other woman got there. She frowned gently as that thought crossed her mind, scolding herself for making such a big deal out of it.
A few minutes had gone by when Tarja finally arrived. It wasn’t hard for the Finn to spot her. She watched her walk towards her; she hadn’t changed at all. Perhaps gained a few pounds since the last time they had seen each other, but her physical appearance was the same. However, there was something slightly different about her attitude, and she couldn’t tell exactly what it was.
“Hey, long time no see” Tarja smiled a little as she put her bag on the table.
“I know” Liv returned the gesture and stood up to hug her gently in a friendly way.
There was a moment of silence. Both women sat down looking at each other, unsure where to begin.
“So… how have you been all this time?” Tarja broke the stillness “Last time I saw you, you seemed a bit under the weather.”
Was that some sort of attack? Liv scolded herself mentally for being so much on the defensive. It sounded like a natural question; her friend and ex-girlfriend appeared to be genuinely worried about her. She forced a smile and nodded.
“I’m ok. I wasn’t in my best moment last time we met, I have to face it, but I’m better now. What about you?”
“Same old, I guess.”
The blonde sighed sadly. Back when they started getting to know each other, they could talk for hours about all sorts of things. Now it was just awkward, playing with the spoon and the foam of her coffee in silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Tarja looking at her, probably wondering what she had called her for.
“I’m gonna go order something” the green-eyed girl announced before going to the bar.
Actually, she didn’t even know herself why she had made that call. Or rather she wished she didn’t know. The main reason was that she had been feeling lonely for quite a while. Liv Isaksen considered herself to be an independent woman who didn’t mind being alone at all. She always enjoyed her freedom, but the last year had been rather hard on her.
For some reason, after her sister visited for a month, she began feeling strangely empty. Maybe it was the fact that Karen, who was five years younger than her, had recently become engaged and asked her to be her chief bridesmaid. Of course, she was glad for her baby sis and had immediately accepted, but that also unleashed many other feelings. Seeing her so radiantly happy, talking about her fiancé with such passion, made her wonder whether she had done something wrong. Was that the life she had always wanted? Being alone at thirty-one and working in the same bookshop for three years. Her ways to entertain herself in her free time were limited to reading, going to the gym and clubbing by herself every other weekend. What about her dreams to travel the whole world and do something creative? To live in a house by the sea she had decorated herself with her three kids – and not necessarily a partner? What happened to the social life she had a few years before? Most of her friends were now starting families of their own and barely had time to hang out. That had probably been the cause of her nostalgia: More than once, Liv had caught herself thinking of Tarja.
“You look kind of absent” Tarja commented as she sat back down with her tea “Is everything alright?”
The blonde nodded.
“What about you?”
“Can’t complain” the Finn shrugged “Nothing new.”
Was it imagination, or were they repeating themselves? It was starting to feel harder than she thought it would be at first. Liv bit her lip, looking at the time on her mobile phone discreetly. Twenty minutes and two awkward moments of silence.
“Awkward, isn’t it?” the other woman seemed to read her mind.
“I’m sorry?” she blinked.
“Come on, you really think I didn’t notice you checking the time?”
The Norwegian sighed as Tarja cracked a sly smirk. She shouldn’t have underestimated her.
“I said I wanted to see you because things shouldn’t have ended like that between us” Liv cleared her throat “How can we possibly have nothing to say to each other?”
“Of course we have a lot of things to say, Liv. It’s just not easy to leave our pride aside and say them out loud.”
“I see. Like for example that you’re single again?”
“What?” those feline, green eyes opened wide.
“Don’t pretend. Why else would you be having a coffee with your ex instead of cuddling with Sharon at home? It sort of screams desperation.”
“Says the one who made the phone call.”
“Touché” the blonde frowned.
Koskela watched her hide behind her cup of coffee. She shook her head saddened.
“What’s wrong with us? Why are we attacking each other like this? I thought we had come here to have a happy ending.”
“Sorry” Liv took a deep breath “You’re right. I didn’t mean to be such a bitch.”
“It’s fine. I’m not being exactly nice to you either.”
Both stared at each other. It was hard to believe that there could be so much spite between them. Luckily, the ice was starting to melt.
“Let’s start all over, shall we?” the Norwegian suggested “Hello, Tarja. It’s been a while and I’m really glad to see you again.”
“Me too” the other girl replied with a nod “It’s good to see that you’re doing better than the last time we met.”
“I am. In fact, since I saw you at the club, I’ve been thinking of you.”
“Oh?”
If she had known how much it had taken Liv to admit that! Yet there was no turning back, so the Norwegian inhaled and spoke on:
“Don’t get too excited yet; I don’t mean it in that way. I miss our friendship.”
Tarja couldn’t help but smile. Hearing that phrase made her think of all the moments she had shared with the woman sitting opposite her. What she had loved most about her relationship with Liv was not the sex or the game of seduction; it was the way her personalities seemed to fit perfectly with each other. Before being a couple, they had been good friends. It was that closeness what had made their story particularly meaningful.
“I miss it too” she said in the end “See? That’s how we should have started this conversation!”
“Yeah, that’s true” Liv finally grinned again “I guess I was just too tense. I couldn’t help but wonder what you would be thinking of this whole situation.”
“Please! We’re both on the same boat!” the Finn chuckled “Ask Angela how many times she’s had to pick me up since Sharon left me because I was even more drunk than you were that night. I guess that’s what people do when they feel lonely.”
“You couldn’t say it better” the other girl smiled wryly.
“Well, at least now we don’t have to be lonely anymore, do we?”

Chapter 10: Aw Tarja's ruined for her old way of life! The part at the end was sweet and sad, her realization. I loved the return of Angela, of course you knew I would like that

Chapter 11: Oh nooo, Mike is sweet! But this can't end well, can it? I'm so confused! XD On the one hand I can relate to Sharon's relief at finally having a partner her friends can get along with, that would be a relief, but it still feels like she's in denial or something. Except, I could see her being happy with him if she let herself. IDK, ALL THESE EMOTIONS! lol ;)

And omg, Sharon wants to tackle him for the moving in comment?? Sharon!!!! Too soon!

lolol Johanna's comments. "no offence." XD

Wow they got really personal with Sharon :| Telling her she should have had sex by now?? Ayiyi!

“Can’t you guys just be happy for me and stop trying to find the flaws in the only good relationship I’ve had in a long time?”
I loved that line. Even though I understand what they're trying to tell her, it is a little evil to put bad thoughts into someone's mind, even if they will someday turn out to be true.



ad;kasjflksdjfa;sdlkfjsadf Johannaispregnantohnoooooooo adka;sdflkjasd

*two minutes later*

ASDKFAJ;SDLKFA;FA JOHANNAHASCANCEROMGWHATSHE'SBEINGPOISONEDCANCERPOISONCANCER??? AG;AJD;LFKSDF

Aw, I loved the (eventual) honesty between Tarja and Liv too. Looking forward to more! :)

LOL, Audrey, I loved your fangirling comment Well, you'll know what happened to Johanna very very very soon

You know how much I hate the number 13, which is the reason why something terrible (yet meaningful) happens on that chapter... and also the reason why you always get a double dose!




“Thanks for the dinner, it was great!” Mike said happily as he finished washing the last dish.
“Don’t thank me! Thank the Shanghai Palace!” Sharon giggled “I would have cooked myself, but you’d probably run away puking if I had.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, dearie” he pulled her into a hug and kissed her lips softly.
She smiled against his mouth before breaking the kiss.
“In any case, I am the one who has to thank you for helping with the dishes.”
“No big deal” he shrugged it off, winking “I love being helpful. On the other hand… I’d love a nice glass of the wine I brought in return.”
“Coming right up!”
She poured two glasses as he walked back to the living-room. It had been a wonderful evening. After a walk in Mike’s favourite park and an ice-cream cone while watching the sunset, they thought it would be nice to have dinner together. The Dutch girl thought it was her turn to invite him over.
“Your wine, sir” she bowed as she handed him the glass.
“Thank you, madam” he laughed, playing along.
He automatically wrapped an arm around the brunette’s shoulders as she sat down and snuggled up to him. Looking at each other out of the corner of their eyes, they toasted.
“Chin-chin!” she said happily.
“Thank god we’re not in Japan!”
“How comes?”
“Well, people would laugh at you for saying a very dirty word out loud” he explained with a big grin.
“Wow, sorry! But how do you know that? No, wait, let me guess – you spent a year in Japan.”
“I wish. Before the record shop, I worked in a repair shop and had a Japanese coworker. He was the most fun thing about that job besides taking motorbikes for a test drive.”
“You’re such a typical rocker!” Sharon grinned “Music, leather jacket, motorbikes…”
“Don’t forget the hot girls!” he added pulling her closer emphatically.
“Aaaw!”
As she leaned in to kiss him for the flattering comment, she accidentally turned her glass, spilling all her wine on Mike’s t-shirt. She bounced back, muffling a shriek with her hands.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry, Mike!”
Immediately she stood up, cursing her clumsiness. Yet before she could get a cloth to wash him, he grabbed her wrist, detaining her.
“It’s fine” he reassured her “There’s still a lot more wine.”
“Yeah, but… your t-shirt…”
“Well, we have nice weather tonight.”
Mike smiled as he took it off, revealing his abs and chest, all perfectly toned up. Yet instead of making Sharon gasp in wonderment, that sight brought memories of a recent conversation to her mind. Her sex talk with Marco and Johanna haunted her, stiffening her whole body.
“Is anything wrong?” the boy wondered, seeing the shocked expression on her face.
“No, I’m alright…”
“I know it’s not very polite to go topless, I wish I had brought something to change into. Can I borrow something from you? Maybe Marco or one of your exes left a shirt here?”
The girl closed her eyes tightly. It looked like the moment had come.
“I don’t mind, you can stay like that” she said “Sadly I don’t have any clothes for men. In fact, there’s something I should tell you.”
She avoided Mike’s questioning gaze as she sat back down next to him. In spite of how comfortable he usually made her feel, suddenly she was unbelievably tense and didn’t know what to say. How would he take it?
“Are you ok, Sharon?” he held her hand, squeezing it in an encouraging way “Talk to me. You know you can tell me anything, don’t you?”
His blue eyes were fixed on her, insistently. Finally she had to look back, fear written all over her face.
“Promise me you won’t hate me after I’ve told you.”
“Nothing could possibly make me hate you, Sharon.”
As he said those words, he looked her in the eyes and stroked her cheek softly with his thumb. Then, to show her that he really meant it, he kissed her lovingly. Once they parted, she took a deep breath.
“The reason why I don’t have any clothes for men in here is that I haven’t been with a man in ages. Those exes I’ve told you about were female.”
Just like when she first came out to her closest friends, dizziness took over her. If she had been standing, her legs would have probably started to tremble and she would have been afraid of falling. Nevertheless, Mike didn’t react at all. He appeared to be surprised by the news, but he merely stared at her as though he was waiting for her to finish the phrase.
“Is that why I should hate you?” he asked after a while.
“I just thought you might not be too happy about that…”
“First of all, Sharon, the past is the past and there’s no use in stressing over it. Second… what’s so terrible about that? I respect everyone’s sexuality, and that includes my girlfriend. I personally have no interest at all in men, so I don’t know what it’s like. But knowing what most guys are like nowadays, I can perfectly understand why women become lesbians.”
“You mean you’re ok with that?”
“Sure, why shouldn’t I?” the man exclaimed “I really like you. Whatever you’ve done, I like you for who you are. You make me happy and that’s all that matters.”
She pressed her lips tightly together, still not completely convinced. Before speaking, she swallowed.
“But… the thing is… I haven’t been with a man in a long time. In every sense of the word. What if…?”
“Is that what scares you?” he half-smiled as he ran a hand through her hair “Not being good enough? Well, people say that sex is something you can’t forget, like riding a bicycle” he let out a chuckle “Now seriously, you don’t have to worry about that at all. We’ll… take the next steps… once you feel ready. No pressure. Enjoying each other’s company is the most important.”
All she could do was throw herself into his arms. He wrapped them around her tenderly. Sharon was about to burst into tears, but tears of joy. Could he be any more perfect? They stayed in that embrace for a while, silently. Neither could tell how long had gone by.
“Mike?” she whispered.
“Hm?”
“I… I think I’m ready.”
He searched her face, eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to do something just because you feel compelled to do it… Do you really want to do it?”
“Mhmm” she nodded “I want to do it. I’ve made you wait long enough.”
After a long kiss and cuddle marathon, she took his hands and led him upstairs to the bedroom. They undressed each other, lingering on every part of their bodies, interrupting the process with all sorts of touches and kisses.
Driven by passion, they took a dive on the bed. Mike was lying on top of her, smiling down at the brown-eyed beauty. They kissed once more, deeper. Lips and tongues welcomed each other excitedly. He then ran a hand down her naked torso, stopping to squeeze her breast. The gesture stole a moan from Sharon’s throat. Her eyes opened abruptly.
“Are you ok?” he whispered.
“Yeah. It just… hurt a bit. I guess I’m not used to it.”
“Alright.”
He smiled gently and continued his journey through her skin. This time his mouth explored that porcelain neck. Yet instead of biting subtly on a few spots or leaving a trail of pecks like Tarja or Flo would do, he ran his tongue all over, wetting the path and stopping – too long for her taste – on a certain spot, where he sucked with an almost violent passion, determined to leave his mark. Sharon cursed herself for thinking of all the saliva dripping from her earlobe to her collarbone instead of getting lost in the pleasure. They were just getting started, she said to herself; it’s natural to make mistakes when you’re still too nervous.
Nevertheless, it didn’t seem to get any better. The further down he went, the less pleasant it became. He couldn’t find the secret button to her pleasure, and his sucking on her crotch was almost painful. Tarja would have known that simply licking subtly was way more effective. Flo would have teased her to no end until she almost had to beg instead of going there straight away. Even Kimberly would have found the place with her fingertips.
After a short, unsatisfying performance, Sharon cupped his face, lifting his head up from her core. Giving him a sly, sexy smile, she told him without words to start a different game. Having sex with a man is not the same as sleeping with a woman, so perhaps it was better not to try to mix both things. She thought it would probably feel better when he started doing what he had been designed for. It had been a long time since she had last experienced it, so it would probably be a nice change.
“Do you have a…?” he asked before beginning.
“Oh! I’m afraid I don’t…” she bit her lip “Do you?”
“Maybe” he jumped out of bed “Someone gave me a free one on the World AIDS Day. Hopefully I’m still keeping it.”
He searched the pockets of his jeans, which were lying on the floor. After fumbling in his wallet for a while, he grinned triumphantly and showed her a condom, still in its wrapping.
“Tonight is our lucky night, it seems.”
She responded with a wide smile and a happy exclamation. The truth is that she was making a great job at ignoring the part of herself that felt relieved at the prospect of not fulfilling the act. Lying down again, she made herself comfortable, waiting for him to get ready to join her. Her legs were almost shivering at the excitement of feeling that sensation she had forgotten long ago again…
It wasn’t the way she remembered. After a long time without something, people tend to idealize it, and that’s what happened to Sharon Jansen that evening. The first thrust already made her gasp, yet not in joy or pleasure – all she felt was pain. As her lover’s manhood slid into her, the sensation reminded her of a match scratching against sandpaper. Her inner muscles were contracting, making the door to her femininity tiny, as though fighting some sort of invasion. She held tightly onto his shoulders, trying to concentrate on touching him.
How could that be happening? She loved him. They still hadn’t said it aloud, but she knew her feelings for him were too strong. He was attractive, charming and a total gentleman. She wanted him. Whenever they kissed or held each other, her heart skipped a beat. She enjoyed his company. Why was everything so different in bed? Why was she suddenly missing her past lovers? Her female lovers? And the worst of all was that she didn’t dare to say anything. She didn’t want to make him feel like he was doing something wrong, because she was absolutely sure that he was trying his best. There was nothing left for her to do but close her eyes and try to enjoy it… or at least hope it would end soon…





The tiny brunette who opened the door looked about as puzzled as the one who had just knocked. It was the latter who spoke first.
“Hi! I’m looking for Johanna… guess you must be her flatmate” Sharon greeted.
“Yes, I think she’s in her room at the moment” the other woman replied in her mild accent “I’ll go get her.”
“Thanks! I’m Sharon Jansen, by the way.”
“Oh! So you’re the famous Sharon!” she laughed, holding out her hand for Sharon to shake “I’m the one who’s living in your old room. My name is Cristina, Cristina Di Sessa.”
“Nice to meet you!”
Hearing voices and the doorbell from her room, Johanna opened the door slowly. She couldn’t concentrate on studying at all; apart from the thought she couldn’t get rid of, it was as though every single sound disturbed her. Thank god the results of her medical tests had arrived the afternoon after her toughest exam, and not the day before. However, seeing Sharon standing by the door felt like a ray of hope. Finally someone she could talk to!
“Hey!” she called as she caught up on Cristina “What’s up?”
“Not much” Sharon smiled “I was just walking around the area and I thought it’d be nice to talk to you for a while. Hope it’s not a bad time.”
“No, not at all!” the redhead’s face lit up “I’m not busy.”
The shortest woman looked between both friends. Knowing that they’d probably have their personal things to talk about, she made an excuse and left them alone. She had to go to work an hour later, after all…
One thought crossed both their minds: Finally I can let it all out! However, neither of them had a clue how strong the other one’s urge to be heard was. And by the end of the conversation, one of them would think her problem was insignificant compared to her friend’s. Yet it was a long way until they got there.
“Sooo… how’s everything?” Sharon asked, sitting down.
“Well, so-so” Johanna replied, joining her.
“Why’s that?”
“Been having stomach problems lately…”
“Awh, I’m sorry for you!” the older woman rubbed her shoulder “Hope you’re feeling better now.”
“Yeah. I went to the doctor…”
“Then I’m sure they’ll find out what the problem is soon and you’ll get better.”
Before the Austrian could retort that she had just gotten their results the day before, Sharon took a deep breath and began talking.
“Look, I really needed to talk to someone. You’re gonna laugh so hard at me…” she half-chuckled.
Little did she know that Johanna wasn’t really in the mood for laughing. In fact, she didn’t notice that the younger girl wasn’t listening to her much. She didn’t realize that she was gazing distractedly ahead of herself, wondering what was going to happen to her or how everyone would react when she told them… The redhead nodded distractedly, which Sharon took as a sign to continue.
“It’s about Mike. We finally slept together the other night…”
That last phrase brought Johanna back to reality.
“Really?” she wondered “How did it go?”
Sharon rubbed her forehead, releasing a frustrated sigh. The memories of her first time with him almost made her shiver.
“Not too well, I’m afraid” she admitted “I know he was pretty happy and satisfied… but I didn’t enjoy it at all. I just wanted it to end. Don’t get me wrong, he was a sweetheart and everything, I know he did his best… and still it didn’t work.”
As she continued talking, she didn’t seem to be aware that her friend was nodding almost automatically, like a robot. Without paying much attention, Johanna could more or less get what she was saying. Just by catching a few words like ‘sexuality’, ‘Mike’, ‘women’ or ‘relationships’, she could tell it was all about Sharon’s classical problem – her everlasting doubts. It kind of annoyed her to hear about the same topic again for the millionth time, especially when she was dealing with something bigger than that. However, she had to be a good friend no matter what.
“Have you talked to him?” she asked.
“I can’t. I don’t want to hurt him” Sharon shook her head.
“Don’t you think that might be a good first step? If you’re not happy with the way he works in bed, maybe you should tell him so he can do it better next time.”
“What if he can’t do it better?”
“There’s only one way to know” the younger girl shrugged, putting her auburn ponytail to the side “By the way, that reminds me, there’s something I need to tell you-“
“So you think I should speak to him and have sex again?” the brunette interrupted, not even hearing the last phrase “The thing is he didn’t do anything wrong. It just felt horrible. I am the problem.”
It took the Austrian a short while to react, still lost in her own thoughts. She gave the other woman a confused frown.
“I… what?”
“Were you listening to me at all?” Sharon exclaimed, slightly irritated “I was trying to tell you that things with Mike are not going well and I really have no clue what to do to solve it…”
“Oh, that! Same old again…” Johanna snorted “Look, Sharon, I don’t want to say ‘told you so’, but we all knew this would happen. You’ve had sex with Mike and didn’t like it, which is obvious because he’s a man. You tried to play straight because you found that being gay was too complicated. Now you got yourself into a mess you don’t know how to get out of. Why? Because now you have to get rid of him, but you don’t want to because it makes you feel like you’ve been using him. And that’s all. Now can you please let me talk already? This is important…”
“I see… maybe you were right and I should give him another chance” Sharon began thinking aloud “I mean, sex is not the only thing in a relationship. Not that it’s not important, but it’s not the basis of me and Mike. Yeah, that’s it” she forced a gentle smile “That’s what I’m gonna do. No-one likes the first time. If it still doesn’t work, I can talk to him and we’ll both find a solution” now, more relieved, she turned to look at Johanna “What did you want to tell me before?”
The moment arrived. Johanna bit her lip as her heart began racing. No matter how anxious she had been to speak to Sharon or anyone else for that matter, at that moment she felt that it wouldn’t be easy to say it. The way her face saddened made the Dutch girl worry.
“Jo? Are you alright?”
Her hands trembled. She had to take one more deep breath to stop the tears from falling.
“I’m pregnant.”
As those words were pronounced, she began crying desperately. Still processing what she had just said, Sharon wrapped her arms around her like a reflex, letting her rest her head on her shoulder.
“Ssssh, hon! It’s alright!”
“No, it’s n-not!” the younger girl hiccupped.
“When did you find out?”
“Yesterday. I tried to tell you before; I went to the doctor because I had been feeling sick for a week, and I got the results yesterday afternoon.”
“I see” the brunette winced “How did Marco take it?”
“He doesn’t know yet. No-one does. You’re the first person I’ve told.”
“He needs to know, Jo. Who knows, perhaps he’ll be happy to be a father…”
Sharon couldn’t decipher the look Johanna gave her. It was a mixture between sadness, embarrassment and shock.
“I… I still don’t know what I’m going to do about the b-baby” she confessed “I don’t think I’m ready for something like that.”
“You mean you’re going to…?” the Dutch girl gasped.
“I don’t know yet” Johanna sighed “I’m still considering all the different options; getting Marco involved if I put the baby up for adoption or decide not to have it at all would be cruel.”
“Still, if he’s the father, he deserves to know. He might be able to help you make the decision.”
The Austrian let out a deep sigh. Her tears were already dry, but there was still a lot of worry on her face. Sharon had never seen her so scared; Johanna always tended to be the optimist, the practical one who knew what to do in every situation… Now there she was, her elbow resting on the sofa’s arm as her head was buried in her hand.
“I don’t know how this could affect our relationship” she admitted “I’m scared, Sharon. What if he thinks I’m a monster for not wanting to have it? Or what if he doesn’t want anything to do with me for being so irresponsible?”
“He loves you, Jo. I’m sure he wouldn’t leave you over something like that. Besides, he’s a reliable guy. He won’t run away from the problem – he’ll do anything he can to help you.”
Sharon’s words seemed to be pretty reasonable. In a moment of shock, Johanna had only seen the negative side; now, feeling a bit calmer, she was beginning to realize that she had simply overreacted. For once, their roles had been switched.
“You’re so right! Thanks for listening to me. I really needed it. And I’m sorry for being so rude to you before.”
“Hey, you know that’s what I’m here for!” with a smile, the brunette embraced her self-proclaimed little sister “And it’s ok, you’re terrified! I would be, too, in your situation. You know what? We should both vow to be honest to our boyfriends. I’m sure everything will be alright.”

As I told you, I was very relieved to know that Johanna did not have cancer, and that her new roommate was not, in fact, poisoning her. PHEW! But then I remembered how you like to torture these beautiful people, and I got worried again. (well, I was also excited - because I enjoy pain as much as fluff ;D). And of course, the place you ended it, with Sharon and Johanna being so positive and supportive and optimistic only makes the excitement (er, worry) grow. haha!

Too bad for Mike and Sharon :\ You almost had me fooled for a while there, but I knew in my heart it wasn't meant to be. *cough*...OK so you always have me fooled, I love it and I can't wait for more

*gasp* - and I know you already have more! Gimme! I promise I won't wait this long to comment again! *bows to queen of sadistic character torture* ;D

Queen of sadistic torture? I like that



“Miss Woods, you have a visitor” a voice spoke to her through the intercom.
“Let them in, Sarah” Angela replied, pressing the button.
She leaned back on her comfortable chair slightly, waiting for her client to turn up. Hopefully they wouldn’t take long – lunchtime was getting close. When she saw her dear neighbour walk into her office with a big paper bag, all she could do was roll her eyes.
“Damn it, Tarja! I’ll never get any if you keep visiting me at work and bringing me lunch. Everyone will think you’re my boyfriend.”
“Stop saying it like it was something bad!” the Finn ignored the warm welcome and invited herself to take the seat opposite Angela “You should be flattered that they think you’re worthy of dating me.”
The blonde narrowed her eyes.
“I hate you. But I take it you have something juicy to tell me and that’s why you’re here, so spill it.”
Not without telling Sarah not to disturb her with any visitors during her lunchtime, they both started enjoying what Tarja had bought on the way to the office. As she had her first bite, she stared at her green-eyed friend.
“Let me guess – it has something to do with last night?”
“Maybe” Tarja grinned enigmatically “Well, to be honest, that’s exactly what it is about.”
“You’re so obvious” the other woman chuckled “How did things go with Liv, then?”
“Great.”
A happy exclamation escaped Angela’s lips, almost making her choke on her sandwich. She knocked on her table emphatically.
“So you got laid, huh?”
“Well… no, not exactly.”
“Wait. What?!”
Of course, Angela wouldn’t understand it. And to be honest, if she had been speaking to her past self, she would have laughed on her face as well. Perhaps her experiences with Sharon had changed her more than she was willing to admit. In any case, she was really excited and satisfied with her budding relationship with the Norwegian. After hanging out a few times with her as friends, it felt as though the connection that had been there between them had never faded.
“It was just a great evening” she said simply “We had a lot of fun and laughed together like I hadn’t in quite a while. I can’t believe I had forgotten how amazing she was.”
The lawyer arched an eyebrow.
“This sounds a lot like you were falling in love with her…”
“Maybe I am” Tarja sighed “I don’t know, it’s just like… we have such chemistry! You should have seen us, Ange. All those looks and small touches… I think she was just this close” she left a tiny space between her thumb and index finger “To kiss me goodbye. I’m thinking of asking her out.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. She’s probably waiting for me to do so anyway.”
Work had given her enough experience to know what anyone meant with every tone and word. The Finn sounded really firm and determined to get what she wanted. It probably wasn’t such a bad idea, she thought to herself. As much as Tarja tried to be her strong, sarcastic self, they had been friends long enough: She knew she had been rather depressed since her breakup. Yet they were not the kind to talk about such things. She would have been willing to listen if Koskela wanted to let it all out, but her friend preferred to keep things to herself, as she often did, and she respected it. Having some positive distraction would certainly do her good.
“You seem pretty convinced. I guess you know what you’re doing” she finally said.
Tarja nodded.
“I’m meeting her tomorrow after work. Wish me luck.”


It wasn’t a good time. He was in the middle of winning that race. Interrupting a man while he’s playing a videogame is never a good choice. Just like it wasn’t the right moment to talk to him when he was getting ready to go to work. It was easier to pretend that she was still sleeping, so that he wouldn’t start the day with a shock. Or when he called her during lunchtime to ask her to get him some things from the store. You can’t tell someone such news over the phone.
The truth was that she had been avoiding him as much as she could since she found out, putting off that scary moment. Johanna sighed. She’d have to do it sooner or later, so maybe the time had come to stop making excuses and facing Marco.
“How’s it going?” she sat down on the couch next to him.
“Just one more lap and the world trophy is mine!” he replied, his tongue sticking out from the side and his eyes fixed on the screen.
“That’s awesome!”
She told herself she could wait one more lap. Just one more. Then everything would be over. Her eyes wandered distractedly through the hypnotic colours of the screen, showing the blurry image of some city as a car passed it by at high speed. She had no clue what was happening while her mind began making up the whole conversation, planning every single word she would say to him.
“I won!” he announced triumphantly after a few minutes, almost jumping from the couch.
“Congratulations!” she smiled.
Marco turned to his girlfriend, putting the game on pause as he handed the controls over to her.
“Wanna play?”
The idea was rather tempting, it occurred to her as she looked at the controls. Yet the reasonable part of her brain won.
“Actually, I needed to talk to you about something” she forced herself to say.
His expression changed radically. The joy of victory was replaced by a worried frown on his face.
“Is something wrong?” he wanted to know.
“Kind of” she toyed with her hair nervously “I went to the doctor…”
“Why? Are you alright?” he gasped, the control almost dropping from his lap.
“Yes, I’m fine” she swallowed “I had been feeling kind of sick lately, but it’s nothing too serious. I mean, my stomach is ok and everything. Apparently, the cause was something else…”
Marco raised an eyebrow, puzzled. He almost wanted to ask her whether she was trying to confuse him deliberately or something, but she finished the phrase before he could open her mouth.
“I… I’m… about six weeks pregnant.”
Silence. Johanna’s gaze dropped, terrified to catch her boyfriend’s blue eyes. However, if she had looked up, she wouldn’t have seen any expression on his face at all.
“How… how could it happen?” he finally spoke “We always…”
“I know” she nodded “My guess is that after our anniversary dinner, when we were kind of tipsy, we forgot.”
“Oh…”
He didn’t say anything else. Was that all? She expected a much more intense reaction than just wanting to know how it happened, which was pretty obvious. It wasn’t his fault, though – he was probably as shocked as she was.
“I just wanted to let you know” Johanna said after a long pause.
“I see.”
“And… well, how do you feel about it?”
The way he looked at her was undecipherable. He furrowed his brows, as if the question caught him absolutely by surprise.
“How I feel about it?” he repeated.
“Mm-hm.”
Marco shrugged.
“I’m… fine, I guess. I don’t know what you want me to say.”
Johanna shook her head. He couldn’t be serious, could he? She was starting to feel hurt and disappointed by his indifference.
“You’re the father, Marco. Don’t you have anything to say about that?”
First he scratched the back of his neck. Then he swept his blond hair to one side. He looked like he was avoiding her eyes. It took him a century to react.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
A snort emerged from her throat. The Austrian was starting to get desperate.
“So that means you’re not happy about it” she tried to read from his answer.
“No, I didn’t say that” Marco corrected “I can’t be happy about it now. Or sad. It’s like… I can’t believe it yet, you know?”
“I know. Me neither…” she sighed “I was just hoping you could help me.”
“What do you mean, help you?”
“I don’t know what to do about it. About the baby, I mean. There are several options and I don’t know which one would be the right thing to do. I guess you would also want to have a say on that.”
“Thanks for taking me into account” the other man half-smiled.
“Well, how could I not? It’s your child, too. It would be selfish of me to abort without even asking you what you think.”
In an almost unnoticeable way, the Swede’s face was covered by a small, yet dark cloud.
“You mean you’re not having the baby?”
“I’m not sure yet” she recognized “I don’t think I’m ready to be a mother. Maybe I’m terrible and ruin the baby’s life, so I’d better put it up for adoption or simply abort. But then, it’s also yours and maybe you don’t agree…”
“It’s your decision, Johanna.”
“And it’s a really hard and important one, so it would be nice to get some help or another opinion!”
“I can’t tell you what to do” Marco said seriously.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s you who’s going to have the bigger problem.”
Her green eyes filled with pain.
“You’re walking away from this?” she raised her voice slightly.”
“I’m not!” he exclaimed “I think you misunderstood me. What I was trying to say is that it’s your life that’s going to go through the more dramatic change. So it’s fair that you make the decision. I could give you my opinion, but I don’t want to influence you” putting the control aside, he moved closer to her and took both her hands in his “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to be there for you. If you decide to have an abortion, I will drive you to hospital myself. And if you don’t, I’ll be there to help you raise the baby.”
Finally, she smiled softly. He hadn’t quite helped her make the decision, but his reaction was probably the best someone could have had. Knowing that she could count on his support made her feel enormously relieved. As he took her in his arms, suddenly the problem didn’t seem that big anymore. Still, she would give herself two more weeks to think it through.

I've always loved the Tarja/Angela conversations, this one didn't disappoint. Their dynamic is entertaining. And I like the development between Tarja and Liv, hmm! :) We just talked about how much the characters have changed, I like how you said the old Tarja would have had the same sarcastic reaction as Angela, but her time with Sharon changed her... Sad that their time had to end so badly, but they had to learn somehow ;D
I think Tarja/Liv and Sharon/Floor were two of my favorite side-ships (you know, the ones you didn't expect to last forever but were rooting for anyway!). So yay!

One thing I love about your dialogues is that they are never cliché, they always seem so real and fair and not overly dramatic or staged. Marco's reaction was like, realistic and fair but also disappointing in a way - not in terms of the story, but for Johanna! It's almost like we (Johanna and the reader) would rather he have had a really strong reaction either way, to make her decision easier. Now, even though Johanna is convinced, it still feels like there is a lot of potential for drama and for things to go wrong or for Marco to change his mind about leaving the decision to her. Like real life! I like it :) :) :)

“We need to talk.”
She had been dreading to say those words. Everyone knew they weren’t a good sign, and that time was no exception. As much as she disliked using that age-old cliché, nothing wittier or at least more diplomatic occurred to her at that moment. His hand was getting dangerously close to her crotch, and she needed to stop him before it was too late.
Mike stared at her, blinking gently. He removed his hand slowly as they both sat up on the bed.
“Did I do anything wrong?” he asked.
Sharon shook her head, although inside she was hesitating. There was no easy answer. And even worse, there was no way to tell him painlessly. For a moment, a part of her thought it was ironic: That situation reminded her horribly of her breakup with Kim. Mike would probably blame himself and think that he wasn’t good enough for her. Or he would get angry and feel betrayed. Even she felt like she had been lying to him; or rather to herself.
“I’m so sorry, Mike” she whispered softly.
“You’re sorry for what?” he frowned.
With a sigh, she rested her back against the pillow and her head against the wall. She closed her eyes as he crawled on the bed next to her, caressing her bare shoulder. His touch only made everything more painful.
“I’m just… really confused” she truly had no idea where to begin “About us.”
“How comes?” he wanted to know.
The urge to cry was starting to sting her warm brown eyes. She could already see herself breaking his heart, and the vision was awful. After having started the conversation with a stereotype, perhaps that was the only way to continue.
“You’re amazing” she began “No-one had ever made me feel as special as you do. I really like you.”
“But?”
Like a reflex, she was about to say that there was no but. Yet those were far too many clichés for one single conversation. Especially when she knew it wasn’t true. One more sigh escaped her lips.
“I’m having doubts about my sexuality again.”
He stopped stroking over her shoulder. She expected some exclamation, angered surprise… But he remained silent, looking down as his finger traced circles on the bed cover.
“I understand” he said after what seemed like ages.
“Please, I don’t want you to blame yourself or anything. I know it’s horrible and I’ll understand if you hate me for this…”
“Sharon-“
“In fact, I hate myself. It kills me to do something like this to you when you’ve been a real sweetheart to me.”
“Sharon-“
“Forgive me, please” the first tears were starting to drip “Believe me, I had never wished I could change something about myself like I’m doing now…”
“Sharon, it’s ok!” he interrupted her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders “I don’t hate you. I told you back then and I’m telling you again – I could never hate you, no matter what you do. And believe me or not, but I appreciate your honesty.”
“I’m sorry” she repeated, sobbing on his shoulder “Don’t be angry with me…”
“I’m not angry with you. Or myself. It’s no-one’s fault” he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes as his other hand stroked over her black hair “You already liked girls before meeting me, but judging by what you told me about your exes, they never made you happy, so you wanted to try something different. But you can’t choose or change your sexuality, Sharon.”
He heard her crying louder, tightening her grip on him. Seeing her so hurt, feeling so guilty, it was impossible for him to be the least angry with her.
“I really like you too” he spoke on “And it’s really sad that we can’t be together in the end. These three months have been very special to me, and I hope they were for you too. I hope we made each other happy even if we were biologically incompatible…”


“Then he kissed me and hugged me and wished me the best of luck” she narrated “He really wasn’t angry at all; actually, he even appeared to be sad for me.”
“Wow, he sounds like a great guy” Bill exclaimed.
“Probably the best guy you’ve ever dated” Zach pointed out.
Her eyes narrowed at that comment. Thanks for pouring salt on the wound. Yet she had no longer energy to argue with anyone, so she merely refilled her glass of wine and took a big gulp.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad” her soul brother apologized, biting his lip.
“Just leave it” she snapped.
“You’re right, maybe we should talk about something else” Bill intervened softly.
Sharon nodded in silence, finishing her glass in just one more gulp. Zach wrinkled his nose; it was already her fifth glass. If she continued like this, the evening could end in catastrophe. He cursed his lack of tact.
“Are you alright?” he asked her.
Before replying, she gave him a look that almost made him shiver. He swallowed hard. It wasn’t the first time he had seen his best friend like that. Even so, he feared her explosions. This time it wasn’t just anger, though; Sharon was devastated, and there was probably nothing he could do to comfort her.
“Of all the things you can ask for in life” she began “There’s only one I’ve ever asked for. I never wanted to be rich or smart. I didn’t even obsess over having my dream job. All I wanted was someone to love. Just that. The simplest thing of all. And for some reason, this seems to be the one thing life is determined not to give me.”
“Don’t say that, Sharon” Bill interrupted, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder “We all have to kiss many frogs before finding the prince.”
“Hah! The prince!” a bitter, sarcastic chuckle escaped her mouth “I’ll tell you one thing – the prince wasn’t made for me. Apparently, I don’t like him because I’m stupid enough to want to chase princesses instead. But you know what? Princesses don’t exist, either. There are only witches. Evil disgusting witches.”
The two boys exchanged one look as she poured yet one more glass of wine, sighing. Hopefully, she wouldn’t do anything stupid that night.
“By the way, thanks for the dinner, Bill. I wish I could cook like that” she said, raising her glass.
“Thanks to you” the younger boy smiled “I can give you the recipe if you like.”
“No, thanks, I would ruin it, just like I ruin everything else.”
“Shaz” Zach spoke carefully “I don’t think you should keep drinking.”
He didn’t have to struggle much to take the bottle from her hands. The wine had already kicked in, so she was rather weak. All she could do was pout like a little girl who had just let go of her favourite toy.
“True. I should save some space for later” she said.
“Later?”
“Of course!” she exclaimed, as though it couldn’t be any more obvious “We’re going out afterwards, right?”
Scared, the couple stared at each other. Telepathically, they agreed that they could always play along and drive her home.
“Sure!” Bill forced a smile “We’re going dancing and we’re gonna have a great time!”
“Yaaay!” Sharon beamed, toasting with the air again “And I bet I’ll find the love of my life tonight wherever we go and wake up tomorrow in their arms!” she added sarcastically.
Unfortunately for Zach and Bill, it was impossible to take her home. She might have been drunk, but she wasn’t stupid, as she kindly pointed out to them. In the end, they had to resign themselves to turn and go clubbing with her. At least, as long as they were there with her, she would be taken care of.
On the other hand, in Sharon’s mind, the night started getting better from that moment on. Everything went by in a blur, but she knew it was one of the best nights out in her whole life. She danced and drank the hours away, like in the old times, laughing and joking without a pause. The shining disco lights floated in front of her eyes, drawing funny silhouettes, hypnotizing her. Loud, happy music filled her head. She and her two friends had a few rounds of shots. They were even kind enough to invite her several times. And the best thing about it is that she was her outgoing, crazy self again, chatting happily with people in the restrooms. She even felt brave enough to flirt with some strangers! There was no harm in having a little bit of fun…
“It’s ok, guys. I’ll take care of her. You can go” she heard someone say.
“Are you sure you can deal with her?” Zach asked, his voice filled with worry.
Annoyed, she was about to yell at Zach to leave her alone with her conquest. Yet suddenly, an unpleasant sensation started creeping its way from her stomach to her mouth. She tried to hold it back, but in the end she had to vomit. Good, she thought. After letting it out, she would feel better and ready to keep rocking the hell out of that bar.


Next thing she remembered was waking up in bed with a splitting headache. As she finally dared to open her eyes, the faint light filtering through the blinds made her dizzy. Sharon rubbed her forehead and her temples, hoping that improvised massage would ease the pain. Of course, it didn’t work. It took her eyes a while to get used to the half-light. When they did, she came to a shocking realization: That wasn’t her bedroom! It wasn’t even her bed, even though it was more or less the same size. Slowly, she got up, almost losing her balance at the first attempt. Her leg kicking a chair accidentally made her wince and want to yell, but she decided against it when she heard noises coming from the outside.
First she walked to the window as she could manage with her aching foot, ready to open the blinds in search for answers. The light of day blinded her, intensifying her headache. Wherever she was, it was the ground floor, as she could see a small garden through the window. She turned around and cast her eyes over the room, but it was useless. Nothing could give her the slightest hint of the person it belonged to. A couple of stuffed animals and a few books were the only things that could be regarded as decoration or an attempt to personalize the place. At least the door wasn’t locked. She pulled it gently and took a deep breath before stepping outside.
She found herself at the end of a rather short corridor. Her bare feet were thankful that the wooden floor wasn’t too cold. On the other hand, she wasn’t that happy when she stumbled across something and had to hold onto the doorframe not to fall. With a frown, she looked down to see what it was. It looked like some kind of doll. She picked it up to examine it and wondered why anyone would own such an ugly thing.
Then she saw her. A little girl came running out of one of the rooms with some other toy in her hand. She stared up at Sharon, eyes widened in surprise. The Dutch girl returned the look. Actually, she looked kind of familiar. Few seconds went by until the child released a cry of fear and rushed to the opposite end of the corridor.
“Mommy! Mommy!”

Sharon rubbed her eyes. Maybe she was still dreaming, she thought; her headache told her otherwise. She tiptoed, following that blonde little girl slowly. There was a small, slightly untidy kitchen at the end of the corridor, as she could tell by looking through the space between the door and the doorframe. Sharon had to blink twice as she saw who the child was talking to.
“She’s awake!” she heard her say.
“It’s ok, honey. Go back to play.”
The girl smiled as Flo poked her nose tenderly. She then ran out of the kitchen happily and went back into her room, almost bumping into her as she was still standing by the kitchen door.
What was that? No wonder she felt like she had seen that kid before – her resemblance with Flo was uncanny. And apparently that was something natural, for she was her daughter. Daughter?! Her ex-lover was a mother? Since when? And why did the child talk about her like she knew her? She’s awake?
Then Sharon remembered a certain phrase she had pronounced the evening before, her last glass of wine in hand: And I bet I’ll find the love of my life tonight wherever we go and wake up tomorrow in their arms! She believed things happened for a reason. Perhaps she had travelled in time and was now seeing her future: She was living with her former co-worker and friend in a cute, little apartment and they had a sweet, blond daughter who clearly was genetically theirs… It was probably the shock of the moment, but the Dutch girl felt that she was shaking and feeling weak. Her legs couldn’t hold her weight anymore…
When she opened her eyes, she was back on the bed, but this time there was light in the room. Sharon sighed. It had been just a dream, even if everything, including the pain, had felt so real. A rather cold sensation on her forehead made her wince and squeeze her eyes shut. Someone was putting a wet towel on her face to wake her up.
“Finally you came round!”
Scared of what she could find, she opened her eyes slowly. Then she wished she hadn’t, for that only increased her confusion. The person sitting next to her on the bed, holding a towel, was Flo.
“I made you something to eat. It will make you feel better. Come with me.”
Too weak to do anything else, she played along. Sharon nodded and got out of the bed carefully, worried that all the body parts that hurt would hurt even more if she moved any faster. Barefoot, covered only by what looked like a man’s t-shirt, a slight fever made her shiver. She embraced herself. Flo, who had been watching her all the time, ready to catch her in case she stumbled and fell, handed her the bathrobe hanging at the wardrobe door. Mumbling a few words of thanks, she put it on and followed the other woman.
The corridor was the same she had seen in her dream, and so was the kitchen. With a gesture, Flo told her to sit on one of the chairs surrounding a small round table. The smell of bacon and scrambled eggs filled her nostrils. No matter how delicious she found it, her stomach turned as her alleged wife put the plate in front of her. The brunette looked up at her and shook her head.
“You need to eat it. I don’t want you to pass out again” Flo repeated “Fat is the best remedy against hangover. Besides” she continued as she turned around to pick up some kind of pouch from one of the shelves “You can’t have this on an empty stomach. It will make you feel better. Trust me, I’m a nurse.”
Knowing that there was no use in resisting, Sharon began eating without saying a word. She ate slowly, afraid that any bite would make her bring up her food. As she tasted the eggs, she realized that all she felt was a deadly thirst. Like she had read her mind, Flora filled a glass with faucet water and handed it to her.
Little by little, the food seemed to agree with her. At least the sickness disappeared after a while. She observed her friend cooking something as she finished her breakfast. It reminded her of the times she offered to prepare dinner during their short romance. She had to admit that she was rather talented in the kitchen, even if her dishes were usually simple. Now she wondered who she was making them for. As questions floated around her head, distracted by the checkerboard walls, the little girl entered.
“It’s broken” she announced, holding a beheaded doll out to her.
The woman held the toy in her hands and had a look. After an instant, she placed it on one of the counters.
“Mommy will fix it later, alright?”
Sharon observed her as she accepted the response and turned away, humming some song playfully. The child stopped and stared back at her; then she spoke to the other woman.
“Who’s the strange lady who was in your room before?”
“Hey! Don’t be rude!” Flo said softly “She’s a friend of mine.”
The girl gave Sharon one more suspicious look before waving with her hand. Sharon returned the greeting, smiling weakly. Apparently, she hadn’t travelled in time to a parallel world in which she and her ex had started a family. But those blue eyes, the freckles that covered her face, the smile… no doubt she was related to Flo.
“What are you cooking?” the kid asked, sniffing.
Flo picked her up in her arms and lifted her so she could see something that was boiling in a saucepan. With her free hand, she stirred the liquid with a wooden spoon.
“We’re having tomato soup. Wanna try it? But be careful; it’s very hot.”
The girl nodded. As she licked the spoon gently, she smiled.
“Yummy!”
Also with a grin, Flora kissed her bangs and put her back on the floor. The little girl giggled as she left the room.
Sharon bit her lip. They seemed very close and happy, and that saddened her slightly. Clearly, that wasn’t a dream or a vision of her future, but it was her almost ex-girlfriend’s present. It could have been her life, she thought bitterly.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me you had a daughter?” she finally dared to ask softly.
The question caught the other woman by surprise. She turned the cooker off and gazed at the brunette.
“Sally is not my daughter. She’s my niece.”
Confused, the Dutch girl frowned, having one more sip of water.
“She called you mommy…”
“She’s six. Kids always call their mommies when something is wrong, you know?” Flo explained “I’m just taking care of her while my sister is at work.”
Sharon shrugged. It all made sense now. And that was a relief. However, there were still other things she wanted to know.
“So we’re at your sister’s? How did I end up here?”
“I brought you. You almost drank yourself into a coma last night.”
The brunette toyed with her hair, embarrassed. In fact, she didn’t remember much of what she had done the evening before, and she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to know at all…
“Did anything happen between us?” she stammered out the scariest question of all.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but no” Flo half-smiled “You tried to kiss me several times and told me that you liked me, but you fell asleep instantly as you hit the bed.”
“I did? God, I’m so sorry!” she apologized, hiding her face behind the glass.
“It’s fine. You’re sweet in a weird way when you’re drunk. Well, when you’re not trying to strip, that is.”
Her brown eyes widened. Could it be any more embarrassing?
“S-strip?”
“Zach and Bill were following you all the time so you wouldn’t take your clothes off in the middle of the club. Poor guys, they looked so exhausted from running around after you with bottles of water… I had to force them to go home and leave you with me.”
She wanted the Earth to open up and swallow her. Small flashbacks from the previous night were slowly going back to her mind, and each one was worse than the ones before. Finally, she forced herself to say what she feared most.
“Did I do anything really stupid?”
Flo thought for a moment. While she did, Sharon’s eyes travelled to the clock hanging on the wall. It was long past midday and she didn’t know how long she had been sleeping.
“Let’s see. Apart from trying to show the whole Rainbow Garden your boobs, you spent five minutes seducing your own reflection. And about to succeed, actually. You also stood on one of the stools and danced. If Bill hadn’t been there to catch you, we all might have ended up in hospital. You also told some random girl in the bathroom that she should go to your place and have a look at your miniature collection. And then…”
“Ok, that’s enough” Sharon’s face couldn’t be redder “And you saw it all, apparently.”
“Only what you did at The Rainbow Garden” Flora replied “If you wanna know anything about what you did before that, you would have to ask Bill and Zach. I heard you guys went to some straight clubs.”
Great. So she hadn’t made a fool of herself in front of all the lesbians in the city, but also in front of a lot of men. No wonder she would never find a partner if she went on like this. Hopefully she would still be on speaking terms with her best friends in spite of embarrassing them like that… That, at the same time, reminded her of something. After all the lies she told her and how she had treated her… why would Flo take care of her while she was in such a state?
“Why did you help me?” she wondered after a long pause.
To answer that question, Flo stopped what she was doing. She put the knife aside and washed her hands with a cloth. Then she walked towards her and kneeled down so their eyes were at the same level.
“You’re my friend, Sharon. I couldn’t just leave you like that; who knows what you might have done?”
Sharon looked down. Guilt stabbed her heart.
“But… I was such a bitch to you…”
“Maybe” she admitted “But I still care about you. Or maybe it’s just the nurse within who never sleeps” she added with a chuckle.
The brunette returned the smile weakly. Some voice at the back of her mind told her off for letting such a wonderful person go. She would never deserve her anyway.
“I know you would have done the same” Flo squeezed her hand softly “So, whenever you feel ready” she spoke on as she stood up “I’ll tell Sally to get dressed so we can drive you back to your place.”

Wow! I thought these last two chapters were exceptionally written, with great ideas and developments as usual! You really keep Sharon consistent as a somewhat vulnerable, emotional woman who can sometimes lash out/have a 'good' time

I loved the return of Flo, and the dream-like confusion as Sharon was waking up was great. D'oh, it's her niece! For a minute there I was calculating how long they'd been apart, haha!

Thanks, Audrey! Always nice to get new comments ^^ I'm positive you're gonna love this chapter because it has a lot of Jorco/Johanna Btw, I'm gonna try to post the last three chapters I've written in a row, since I'm going on holiday for two and a half weeks and I'm probably not getting anything written during that time. So you'll have a lot to read while I'm gone, lol.



Surprisingly, she survived the whole drive without throwing up. Flo’s niece playing on the back seat was the only background sound for most of it. Sharon couldn’t wait to get home and go back to sleep. Hopefully she would recover completely after getting some quality rest. On the other hand, she still couldn’t get some of her ex-lover’s words off her head and feel a strong respect for her that made her feel ashamed of herself.
“I’m sorry for everything I did to you” she said in a tiny voice.
Flo didn’t turn to face her, keeping her eyes on the road. Sally’s chanting filled the silence until her aunt finally spoke.
“Don’t you think that apology arrives a few months too late?”
Sharon’s gaze dropped. Apparently, timing was not one of her strengths. It was the same as with Johanna back when she started her relationship with Marco, but the redhead forgave her eventually. Flo had proven that she had a heart of gold, but Sharon knew everyone has a limit.
“It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?” Flo continued “I’ve forgiven you either way. I mean, if there’s something in the world I hate, it’s being lied to. You really hurt me. But spite and revenge are not quite my style. In fact, seeing you so wasted last night, I felt horrible for you and couldn’t stop wondering why someone would do that. I came to the conclusion that you must have been going through really hard times.”
“Like you wouldn’t believe” Sharon sighed “But it serves me right. You get what you give, and I haven’t exactly been a saint. At least in my love life.”
The traffic lights turned red. As she stopped the car for a moment, Flo finally looked at Sharon. There was compassion in her blue eyes.
“Well… we all make mistakes.”
“Yeah, well… some mistakes are worse than others” the Dutch girl said “I shouldn’t complain if I end up alone my whole life. I brought this on myself.”
“You’re not-“
“Please, don’t try to comfort me, alright?” tears were beginning to redden those warm brown eyes “Everyone keeps saying that I will find the love of my life sooner or later, but I’m tired of waiting. I’ve decided to give up on everyone.”
“Sharon…” Flo tried to interrupt softly.
“No! I don’t want to hear anything else, ok?” she sniffled “I screwed everything up myself. First I ruined things with you because I didn’t want any commitment and then I met the most amazing guy in the world… and it turns out I’m completely gay. I should finally accept that the right person for me doesn’t exist.”
“They exist. You still haven’t found them” the other woman pointed out.
“Yeah, right” Sharon snorted “That’s what everyone says! What if there’s no-one for me? What if I already found them and let them go?”
“That’s impossible, Sharon” Flo rolled her eyes “If you believe in destiny and that there’s a person out there for you, they will turn up. And if you let them go once, they will come back to you because it’s just meant to be.”
She had to stay silent. There was no way she could refute her argument. Or maybe, for once, she did want to believe it. The car pulled up in front of her house.
“There we are” Flora announced.
“Thanks for the ride” Sharon said softly “And for everything.”
“Hey, it’s fine” she flashed her a lovely smile “And don’t worry anymore. You’ll get what you want – but first you need to know what you want.”
“You make it sound so simple…”
“It is simple. Now just sleep the hangover away, it will do you good. And if you need anything, I believe you still have my number.”
The taller girl kissed her cheek sweetly. After whispering some words of goodbye to her and her niece, Sharon went back home, suddenly feeling a lot better in spite of the hangover symptoms that still remained. Right when she was pushing the door open, the telephone began ringing. With every step hammering inside her head, she hurried to pick it up.
“Yes?”
“Hey Shaz, it’s Johanna” a cheerful voice replied on the other side “I was wondering if you could come over…”
“Actually, it’s not the best moment, Jo. But I’m free tomorrow, maybe-”
“It’s kind of important…”
When Johanna used that phrase, she meant it. Remembering one of her last encounters with her, Sharon imagined what it could be about. Trying to chase away the temptation a big soft bed meant to her, she said:
“I’ll be there in about half an hour.”
“Ok, see you!”
It was Marco who opened the door. When she saw how many people were there, it confirmed her suspicion that it was indeed something very important. Probably something related to babies. Marco, Cristina and Alex were occupying the couch, so she had to take one of the hassocks, like Martin did. She was informed that the hostess was in the bathroom, so the meeting hadn’t started yet.
“Maybe we should get some beers and popcorn?” Cristina suggested between giggles.
“Hey, this is serious!” Martin told her off, yet the grin on his face gave him away.
Sharon and Marco exchanged a look. Definitely, those guys had no clue what was going on. In fact, it occurred to her that she didn’t even know whether she had told Marco. Perhaps she was revealing it to all the important people in her life all at once, and she was including her so that no-one would suspect that she had been the first one to know. Alex, on the other hand, had a faraway look on her face. The way she was biting her nails showed concern. In a way, it was exciting for her, too. Suddenly her tiredness vanished.
In the meantime, Johanna washed her hands. As she looked up, she studied her mirror reflection. Her eyes inevitably travelled to her stomach, its flatness and her thin waistline emphasized by a tight shirt. She caressed it, thinking of what was growing within. Then she took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom, ready to speak to her friends.
“Thanks a lot to all of you for coming” she started, sitting on the edge of the coffee table in the absence of a better place.
“Jo, if you wanted to rehearse your graduation speech, there was no need to call and tell us to come over like it was a matter of life and death” Martin joked.
They all laughed, some of them nervously. Johanna was thankful for the silly interruption. It surely helped her calm down a little.
“No, I do have something important to tell you all” she said “Well, some of you already know, but… Marco and I are expecting a baby.”
Sharon didn’t know whether to pretend she was surprised by the news or not. Marco blushed slightly. Alex looked down. Only Martin and Cristina, as she had expected, gasped.
“You’re prego?” Martin exclaimed.
“Oh my god! Seriously?” Cristina’s eyes were twice her size, and the excitement seemed to bring out her Italian accent.
“Yes” the redhead continued, fighting the blush on her cheeks “I thought you should all know, as you’re some of our best friends and” she turned to Cristina “Well, you live with us, so this sort of affects you too.”
“Wow…” was all the tiny brunette could say.
“Wait a second!” Martin looked at Marco suspiciously “You mean you were involved in this stuff, too? And you couldn’t even give us a hint of what it could be about?!”
Before Marco could answer, Johanna went on.
“Mart, this is not about me being pregnant. It’s about… what we’re going to do about it.”
“Don’t tell me you’re selling the kid in the black market!” the computer expert gasped.
“Sssh!” Alex nudged him “Stop being silly!”
Johanna smiled thankfully to her best friend besides Marco and Sharon. Then she cleared her throat and went back to her speech.
“It wasn’t easy to make this decision, so I really need your support…”
Sharon bit her lip gently. That phrase could mean anything. Yet for some reason, the first thing that came to her mind was abortion, and it scared her. Perhaps because it sounded like she was about to do something rather controversial.
“First of all, you should know that I’ve considered all possibilities. I informed myself and read a lot about abortion, all the different kinds of adoption, childcare… and to be honest, all of them scared me a lot. See, I’ve pretty much just reached the legal age to drink alcohol, still haven’t finished my studies and barely have time to take care of myself properly, let alone a baby… But then I started thinking. This semester will be over in a few weeks. I’m two months pregnant, which means the baby would be born at the end of November more or less” she calculated “In the next two semesters I’ll be writing my thesis, so that means no lectures. I’ll only have to meet my tutor once or twice a month, so I can work from home. And I’d have the summer holiday in between to take it easy or even find myself a job and start earning some money” looking at the puzzled faces in front of her, Johanna decided to speak more clearly “All this speech was just to say that in the end I’ve decided to have the baby and keep it.”
The whole room fell silent. Martin was the first one to speak, jaw almost touching the floor.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes” the young Austrian responded “I’m probably not ready yet, but… who is, anyway? Marco and I already talked about it and he was determined to help me with whatever I chose, so I won’t be alone in this.”
“And we’ll all help you” Sharon completed “We’ll be there for anything you need.”
“Thank you” Johanna smiled “I knew I could count on all of you too.”
“Definitely!” Martin agreed “Wow! That’s a really mature decision! I wouldn’t have expected it.”
“Wow, congratulations! I can’t believe it!” Cristina released a nervous giggle “I just have something to ask you. Am I getting kicked out of this place after the baby is born?”
“No, not at all, don’t worry” the redhead explained “I’ve also thought about that. On the Little Europe website there are some houses for families which are quite affordable, so we’d move to one before the time arrives. If we’re lucky finding it, you might actually have the house all to yourself for a while. Otherwise, you might have to deal with the baby until we can move somewhere else, but we’d find a solution. Maybe use my room or something.”
The Italian girl seemed pretty satisfied with the answer. Yet the strongest reaction was, obviously, the father’s. Marco didn’t say a word. He simply stood up and kissed his girlfriend passionately. A general ‘awww’ filled the place. Then Alex was the next one to talk.
“Congratulations to you two!” she grinned “To be honest, I already knew about the pregnancy and your doubts, but I was sure you would do the right thing. That’s why I brought this” she opened her bag and took out a bottle “Alcohol-free champagne, so we can all toast to our new nephew or niece!”
And the celebration began. They all enjoyed the beverage and congratulated the soon-to-be parents. Of course, Johanna was annoyed with all the usual questions. Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl? What would you like it to be? Did you tell your family in Austria? But she seemed truly happy to get that attention.
A bit overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Marco decided to get some fresh air, so he stepped outside to the balcony. He was a bit surprised to see that he wasn’t alone. Cristina was out there, smoking. She was the only one in the flat who did, so she was often confined there. Releasing a puff, she offered him the package.
“Want one?”
“Thanks” he smiled, taking it.
“Didn’t know you smoked” she said as she lit his cigarette up.
“I don’t” he replied “Except on very special occasions.”
“Oh, this is definitely one of those” she nodded “I guess that means you’re very happy.”
“I am.”
Cristina smiled, looking ahead of herself. She took one more drag.
“I would be so terrified” she commented “I really can’t see myself with a kid at the moment. I’m far too wild.”
Marco leaned against the rail, hypnotized by the smoke.
“I’m not. I’ve dreamt of this moment for a long time.”

Those soft, girly moans were music in her ears. Her mouth took delight in one of her big, delicious nipples. She would always wonder why she dressed that way, hiding her prominent breasts. Meanwhile, her finger caressed her rhythmically, sliding in and out, following the song created by her pleasure. The climax was getting close, and she knew it.
She could hear her heart beating faster and faster against her chest. Her breath seemed to become shallower as the ring of flesh around her finger narrowed. The whole room was shaking, and she could even feel in her own body the orgasm she was giving her lover.
Liv’s usually pale skin had turned a cute shade of red. After the final explosion, she let her back hit the bed, breathlessly. Tarja couldn’t help but chuckle at the effects she had caused in her. Finally releasing her lover’s breast, she rested her head on the blonde’s shoulder. When she caught her eyes, the Norwegian raised her eyebrows and shook her head.
“Wow! I see you still have it…”
“So do you” Tarja snuggled up to her a little, her fingertip caressing the other woman’s side “I missed your wildness.”
“It’s like the pot calling the kettle black” Liv giggled. Her hand, which was still shaking, messed Tarja’s raven black hair, massaging her head softly “Let’s face it – we’re both sluts here.”
“What’s so slutty about what we’ve done? Couples do it all the time…”
“True, but… sleeping together only on the second date…”
“Second official date” the Finn corrected “I believe we know each other well enough by now.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
They sighed in unison. Neither of them wanted to move, enjoying the reigning post-coital peace. Liv’s heartbeats had already begun slowing down, and it was almost hypnotic. She could see herself falling asleep there, with her head on the Nordic beauty’s chest. Besides, the way her lover continued toying with her dark streaks was so pleasant that she could stay there for all eternity. She didn’t even want to speak; breaking that silence would have been a crime.
“This is nice” Liv whispered “Very nice.”
“Yeah…”
A small yawn escaped the blonde’s mouth. She looked at the alarm clock resting on the bedside table and couldn’t help but gasp.
“Oh my god! I had no clue it was that late… thank God I’m not working tomorrow.”
Tarja hesitated for a moment. A strong temptation had just taken over her, but succumbing to it was terrifying. However, Liv was already moving, so it was now or never…
“Liv” she called her.
“What is it?” the other girl turned, picking her underwear up from the floor.
Before speaking, Tarja crawled to the side of the bed, closer to her. She pressed her lips tightly together and flashed her a look which could stand alongside a puppy in the rain’s.
“Why don’t you spend the night here?”
That, apparently, caught the Norwegian by surprise. She stared at her lover, blinking a few times.
“Who are you and what have you done to Tarja?” she laughed “I thought you hated sleepovers… isn’t that too much commitment for you?”
“I don’t think it’s such a big deal” Tarja shrugged coyly “I mean, it’s not like we were sleeping together for the first time… Moreover, you look a bit tired to drive.”
Smiling, Liv considered her proposal. Why not, she thought to herself. She had nothing better to do at home after all.
“Sure!” she finally said sitting back on the bed “And you’re right, I’m too tired to go back home now.”
Her newfound girlfriend giggled triumphantly and pecked her lips. She appeared to be genuinely happy, and it was contagious.
Both ladies made themselves comfortable again and snuggled under the covers. It was a lovely night at the beginning of May, that time of the year in which it’s starting to be warm enough to sleep naked, but it still feels nice to have something covering you. Tarja turned around, facing her lover, and wrapped her arms around her. Surprised by the gesture, Liv grinned. The green-eyed girl had never been so demonstrative before, so it was rather unexpected. Before switching the light off, the Finn placed her lips on hers.
“Goodnight!”
“Goodnight to you too!”

“Sorry, I was too busy puking rainbows” Angela smirked “So you’ve also had breakfast and lunch together? Now I get why you’ve called me so late today…”
“Bitch” Tarja glared playfully “It’s not like you had anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon, do you?”
The lawyer rolled her eyes and tied the laces on her trainers. She started stretching, leaning on the bench. On that afternoon, the park was almost empty; good day to go for a run and have some time to gossip without being disturbed.
“I was just kidding” she patted her friend’s shoulder “Now seriously, I’m happy for you. You guys seem to be connecting pretty well.”
“Definitely” the Finn nodded as she went back to her warm-up exercises “I’ll never get why people say it’s never as good as the first time. Everything seems to be going better between us this time.”
Angela shook her head playfully.
“You used to be cool. What have they done to you? The Tarja I used to know wouldn’t even sleep with the same woman twice if she could avoid it.”
“Are you calling me a whore?” Tarja’s offended reply was too overly dramatic to be true “I wasn’t such a tramp! Remember I also had a few girlfriends?”
“Yeah, I remember that. Wasn’t your longest relationship about… four months long?” Angela teased between giggles “Nah, ok, I’ll stop. You weren’t that bad. And again, I’m glad for you. I guess that only means you’re maturing.”
“How sweet of you!” she rolled her eyes “Let’s see if you’re that philosophical after a few laps!”
Actually, she felt that Angela’s last sentence was rather accurate. She had matured. Grown up. And it didn’t feel as scary as she had always imagined it. Evolution is something positive, after all. With renewed energy, Tarja took a deep breath and started running.

No matter what calendars said, the summer had already visited Baltimore, and judging by the past few weeks, it was planning to stay. If you walked around the suburbs, you could already see some people sunbathing in their gardens, or children playing with the sprinklers to freshen up. Downtown the sun was shining above the lively, crowded streets. Some bars and cafés had begun placing their chairs and tables on the outside, far-sighted. Mini-skirts, shorts and sunglasses were starting to become some sort of uniform, as were tank tops and all sorts of revealing shirts. Even in the shops it was hard to find something else.
“Thanks for coming with me” Johanna smiled “I really needed some new clothes, but I wouldn’t want Marco to go through the torture of taking me shopping.”
“It’s fine” Sharon chuckled “I enjoy it, too. So, what exactly are we looking for?”
Johanna looked around. With the shining lights, the loud music and the people rushing around, the place looked more like a club than a boutique, in her opinion. Even she felt like dancing on the counter at the till. She had only chosen that place because the prices were reasonable and it was a big shop, which meant more space to search. Yet seeing the mess of tops thrown into a big crate with the sign Sales written on it everywhere, she was starting to doubt she could find something in there. She shrugged and answered:
“Anything, really. As long as it’s comfortable, kind of loose and I can wear it without roasting, I’m fine with it.”
“How comes?”
“I’m in my fourth month, so I’ll probably start getting fat soon. Actually, it’s starting to be noticeable” she checked her reflection on a column which was a mirror “Remember my orange dress? Well, I was going for a walk with Alex the other day and thought of wearing it… but as soon as I tried it on, I decided to wear something else because it made my belly stick out.”
“Oh, I see” Sharon bit her lip “Yeah, dresses are kind of tricky…”
“And at the same time, they’re the only thing you can wear during this time of the year” Johanna sighed a little “At least I. It’s too hot for pants, unless they’re really short. But again, they’d have to be elastic and I’d need tops which are not too tight to wear with them. You know, I don’t want to be one of those pregnant girls who walk around showing off their tummies.”
“Why not? It’s cute. Moreover” Sharon grinned slyly “For once in my life I’m going to be thinner than you. Let me enjoy it!”
“Jerk!” the Austrian whacked her playfully, giggling “Which reminds me that I will probably have to stop working out soon, and it’s driving me insane. I hate sitting around doing nothing all day.”
“Hey, but that’s good! You have an excuse to be lazy! Many people would kill to be in your place.”
“But you know me; I get bored if I have nothing to do.”
Sharon nodded. After checking out a few racks, she realized Johanna wasn’t probably going to get what she wanted there. She turned back to her friend and said:
“I’m afraid this is not the right place. But I know where to take you.”
“Really? Where?”
A mysterious smirk spread on Sharon’s lips.
“We’re going to Baby Mamma’s World.”
“I thought that was more like a toy shop” Johanna arched an eyebrow.
“No, apparently they have a little bit of everything. Delia talks about it all the time.”
That was certainly not an exaggeration. Johanna’s jaw dropped when she saw the infamous shop. In fact, more than a shop, it was almost a department store. There were four floors, each one specializing on different things, all of them related to mothers and children: Baby clothes, food, toys, maternity clothes… There was even a section for furniture and strollers. Pastel tones predominated all over the place, as it was supposed to be a happy, relaxing place which attracts pregnant women and young children. In fact, out of all the people she could see as the escalators took them to the third floor, she counted about four men.
“There we are” Sharon announced “Mamma’s Clothes.”
A bit reluctantly, Johanna followed Sharon to the area where maternity clothes were located. She was surprised to see that, unlike what she thought, it wasn’t full of flowery blouses, elastic pants and overalls that only old or very fat women would dare to wear on the street and still respect themselves. Some clothes were actually kind of fashionable. There must have been a lot of teenage girls getting pregnant, she thought to herself. Having a look at one of the racks, she noticed a certain top.
“What do you think of this one?” she held the hanger out, showing it to Sharon.
The straps were thin and dark blue was the main colour, yet there were many others on the pattern, which gave it a very psychedelic touch: orange, lighter blue, yellow… The upper part was tight and elastic, but it became loose right below the breasts. Sharon narrowed her eyes as she examined it and finally gave it a thumb up.
“I like it! It’s quite your style, actually!”
“I know, I thought the same when I saw it” Johanna smiled “I’m going to try it on.”
As Johanna went into the fitting room, Sharon had a look around. Her friend was definitely the youngest person on that floor, as long as you didn’t count the children. Apart from that time, she had only been at Baby Mamma’s World once with Delia, who was very fond of it. She would have never expected that the next time she’d be there would be because of the redhead. In fact, she had fantasized that the next time she’d visit that shop, it would be to buy things for herself and her yet unborn baby. Being a mother was one of her dreams in life, and it was hard to believe that even Johanna would live that experience before her.
Twenty minutes later they left the shop, but they did so with two big bags: Two dresses, a pair of elastic pants, a pair of elastic shorts and three tops. Yet the price wasn’t too different from any regular shop, which was a nice surprise.
“Wanna go for an ice-cream?” Sharon suggested as they got off the escalators.
“Actually, I’d rather go for a coffee, but I can’t… god, I miss it so much!” Johanna whined “See, now that the sickness is almost gone, this is the hardest part for me. I need my caffeine!”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed you more tired than usual” the Dutch girl chuckled “Why don’t you try drinking tea instead?”
“I tried… worst exam period ever.”
Lost in the conversation, Sharon didn’t notice the person walking in the opposite direction in front of her. In the middle of the sentence she was saying, she bumped into someone, both of them dropping their bags accidentally.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” she apologized in a choked voice, more due to the embarrassment than to having bumped into that person, and bent down to pick up what they had dropped “I didn’t real… Flo?!” she exclaimed as she looked up.
“Oh… hey Sharon!” the other woman smiled sheepishly as she took the stuffed bunny from Sharon’s hands.
As soon as she heard the name Flo, Johanna had to turn around and watch them. Sharon had told her many things about her ex-lover, but she had never had the chance to meet her.
“What are you doing here?” the brunette wanted to know.
“I came here to buy Sally a present” Flo pointed at the stuffed animal “It’s her birthday next week. She loves bunnies.”
“Aw, that’s cute!”
“Yeah, I think she’ll like it. What about you? What are you doing here?”
“I was shopping for new clothes with a friend” she motioned towards Johanna.
“The clothes are for me, not for her” the Austrian urged to point out “I am the one who’s pregnant.”
“Oh, congratulations” Flora smiled kindly “It was nice to see you again. I think I should go now. I have to help Erin with the party.”
“Sounds like fun!”
“Well, it won’t be that fun when I have ten kids eating cake in the kitchen and have to look after them for three hours while they’re in the garden” she sighed “Sorry, didn’t mean to get whiny… I love living with my sister and her family, but having to babysit after working all day is pretty exhausting.”
“You’re living with them?” Sharon wanted to know.
“Yeah. See, I don’t really like living on my own. Plus the houses near the area where I work are a bit too expensive and not quite my style… so I thought it’d be better to stay at my sister’s, even though it’s kind of crowded.”
“I see...”
Flo ran a hand through her hair, which was now dark brown. And it actually suited her a lot better than being blonde. She released a small sigh as she said:
“Well, it was nice to see you again. Hope we can meet up some time.”
As she turned away, Johanna gave Sharon a meaningful look. The brunette raised her eyebrows.
“What?”
“You should have told her!” Johanna whispered.
“Told her what?”
“That there’s a free room in your place!”
Sharon chuckled skeptically.
“Why would I?”
“Because you like her. Your face totally lit up when you saw that it was her.”
“It didn’t” Sharon blushed.
“Yeah, it did.”
“That doesn’t matter, Jo. She probably hates me by now.”
“Yeah, right” Johanna laughed “If she hated you, I don’t think she would have insisted so much that it was nice to see you or told you her whole life in five minutes. Besides… ok, you know I’m not into girls or anything, but… Man. She’s. Hot!”
Before Sharon could demand an explanation for the last comment, they heard a voice calling them from behind. Flo was following them, holding one of the tops Johanna had bought.
“I think you dropped this” she said loudly.
With her eyebrows arched and a pout on her lips, Johanna’s face was easy to read. She was saying See? This is destiny, I told you! Or perhaps Sharon wanted to interpret it like that. Grinning embarrassedly, she made her way to the taller woman to retrieve the piece of clothing.
“Thank you” she said “By the way, I… was thinking of what you said before about not having much space for yourself at home and… well…” she scratched the back of her neck “You know, I have a free room at home, so maybe…”
Flo’s immediate reaction was blushing like crazy. That, at the same time, made Sharon bite her lip and cower. Johanna couldn’t help but roll her eyes amusedly. They were like too teenagers.
“A-actually, I’d love that” the blue-eyed girl replied with a sheepish smile “I always liked your house. But… do you really mean it?”
“Sure!” Sharon nodded “Why would I suggest it otherwise? Besides, I still owe you one for taking care of me on that night.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, I guess I’ll have to take your offer” Flo’s smile widened “Thank you so much, Sharon!”
“No need to thank me. Just give me a call one of these days and we can start planning the move and everything.”
Johanna smiled widely as Sharon’s soon-to-be roommate went away, waving. As soon as they both turned away and started walking, she couldn’t resist the temptation of teasing her soul sister anymore.
“You like her! You like her!” she chanted “And I knew it! I’m the ultimate matchmaker!”
“Gosh, was that awkward!” the brunette shook her head, her face almost the same colour as her friend’s hair “What have I done? It will be so weird when we’re living together!”
“Why would it? She likes you too.”
“She doesn’t like me, Johanna. I was a bitch to her.”
“Please! She was totally making eyes at you!”
“Yeah, whatever. Now pray that she doesn’t have an evil plan against me or something, like killing me in my sleep or robbing my house.”
“Come on, you can’t be serious” the Austrian exclaimed “I might have only spent five minutes with her, but that girl seems pretty transparent to me. She looked after you when you were drunk; she already had her chance to hurt you.”
“You’re right” the brown-eyed beauty admitted “I just hope things won’t be too awkward between us if she moves in with me.”

This is the last chapter I've written so far. I won't be updating for about three weeks (probably a little less :P), so I wanted to keep you entertained ^^ Enjoy!




To Flo, it felt like a déjà vu. Doing the shopping with Sharon again reminded her of the beginning of their story, when they would meet every weekend or every two weekends. Unlike back then, they weren’t planning on sharing their groceries; they were just two roommates who shopped independently. It was just more fun to visit the supermarket in company. Amusedly, she watched Sharon take a third vanilla-raspberry tank.
“I see you like ice-cream” she commented with a grin.
“Yeah. It’s been so hot lately… I’m finishing them rather fast.
“Hmm… when it’s hot, I prefer lemonade… or a nice, ice cold beer” she added with a chuckle.
“Oh, thanks for reminding me!” the Dutch girl exclaimed “I should get some of that.”
“Of course! You guys in Central and Northern Europe love beer, don’t you? I love it too, but I do keep my loyalties. My father’s family came from Scotland, so good old whisky is our thing.”
“Not quite a summer drink though.”
“Any drink can be good for anytime of the year” Flo winked “I try not to drink too much though.”
“Why’s that?”
The giantess shrugged.
“I had some bad experiences when I was younger. Plus I wouldn’t want to become dependent on any kind of alcohol. See, I’m the passionate kind, so I should be careful with any potential addiction.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean” the brunette nodded “I try to stay away from drugs and anything like that, too.”
“Oh, well, I don’t have that problem with drugs. I’m not attracted to them at all. They disgust me. My friends tell me I’m a bit of a nazi.”
Meanwhile, a few alleys away from the frozen food section, another couple was doing their shopping, but a different kind: Strawberries, a bottle of champagne, whipped cream, chocolate… No doubt they were planning something special for the evening. Liv looked between two bottles of bath gel.
“Passion Night or Absolute Calm? Both sound nice…” she opened one of them and smelled, then did the same with the other one “Hmm… hard choice.”
She handed them to Tarja, hoping the Finn could help her make the decision. Tarja smirked.
“Passion Night sounds more fitting for the occasion, doesn’t it?”
“Well, knowing the tiger babe I’m dating, I should probably use Absolute Calm unless I want to get raped” the blonde joked slyly.
“You mean you’re not planning on getting laid tonight?” an offended Finn gasped “I seriously can’t think of a better way to celebrate our first month together!”
“Aw, come on, you know I was just kidding” Liv pulled her girlfriend into a quick kiss; then she finally chose Passion Night “Just promise me one thing; you’re not planning on ditching me after this, are you?”
“Why would I?”
“Well, if I remember right, last time you planned something special for me, you told me you needed to take some time away from me to help your best friend…”
“You have nothing to worry about” Tarja nodded “My best friend is Angela, and I believe she can take care of herself. So my time is all yours, Miss Isaksen.”
“Hmm, I like the sound of that” the other woman smiled.
They kissed once more before continuing their route through the different alleys in the supermarket. What they had planned for that evening couldn’t be more appealing. After enjoying a live music show and having dinner in one of their favourite restaurants in town, they would go home for dessert, which included a bottle of champagne. Then, a sensual, relaxing bath in candlelight would be prepared to set the mood for the pertinent sex.
“I can’t wait for tonight” Liv said excitedly “It’s gonna be so much fun…”
“You bet” the green-eyed woman agreed “Probably the best date I’ve ever had.”
Liv smiled. Hearing that comment brought her heart a certain excitement. In response, she looped her arm through her girlfriend’s, who welcomed the gesture by kissing her cheek lovingly. As Tarja was getting ready to turn to the next section, the Norwegian stopped her.
“Oh, wait! Let’s go to the frozen food area. I wanted to make those mixed vegetables tomorrow.”
“Alright!”
A few seconds later, both of them would curse destiny. Right when they reached the section, they almost bumped into two of their least favourite people.
“Oh, hello Tarja” Sharon greeted, trying to be inexpressive.
“Hey Sharon!” the other woman replied with a fake smile.
Mentally, Liv facepalmed. Nothing good could come out of that conversation. The truth was that she was pretty indifferent to Sharon; she only disliked her because she felt that it was an obligation. After all, the first time she broke up with Tarja, it was indirectly because of her. She didn’t know the other woman, but she assumed it was the Dutch girl’s new lover.
Of all the people in town it had to be her, was the first thought that came to Sharon’s mind. So she decided to put on her best poker face. However, as soon as she saw her ex-girlfriend’s arm linked to the blonde’s, her brown eyes narrowed like a reflex. Goodbye to her indifferent appearance.
“Oh, and there’s Flora, too!” Tarja spoke before she could “Hi!”
“Hey!” Flo answered, a smile masking her annoyance for being called by her full name.
“And you must be Liv” Sharon said to the woman next to Tarja.
“Yeah. I think we had seen each other before. Nice to meet you” the Norwegian greeted politely.
“So Sharon, how’s everything with Mike?” the Finn asked maliciously.
“I guess he’s doing fine. Haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry you two broke up” that last phrase was so obviously feigned that it almost made Liv cringe. Her emerald eyes travelled to Flo briefly “I see you’ve fallen back on the good old storeroom.”
“Look who’s talking!” the Dutch girl rolled her eyes “Like you weren’t using your ex-fuckbuddy again.”
“Actually, we’re dating” Liv corrected, her impassive smile still on as she cuddled up to Tarja “We’re celebrating one month today.”
“Oh, that’s nice! I’m happy for you two!” Sharon exclaimed, so enthusiastically that it couldn’t possibly be true, and then turned to the green-eyed woman “You know what would be a nice present? Getting rid of the lover you’re hiding in your closet.”
“Aren’t you hilarious!” Koskela growled “For your information, I’m not hiding anything. And even if I did, hiding it would be better than just flaunting how you screw yours.”
That was more than Sharon could take. She couldn’t let Tarja offend her and get away with it. Without thinking, she took a step to the front, ready to attack. Flo had to hold her from behind to stop her. The tall girl wondered how Sharon still was admitted into that supermarket after the scenes she had made in there.
“It’s fine, Flora” Tarja provoked “Let her go at me. It’s not like she could do much.”
“Tarja, please! Let’s just leave it” Liv whispered.
Her comment seemed to change her girlfriend’s mind. After all, she thought, a nice evening was waiting for them. There was no time to get into a fight over something pointless. She was happy with her life, and if Sharon didn’t like it, she’d better look away.
“You’re right, sweetheart. Let’s go.”
And with those words, they turned away and walked to the till. Sharon remained motionless for a moment, staring at them. Her whole body was tense with rage, and Flo could feel her shaking.
“Let’s go, too” the brunette mumbled between clenched teeth.
She didn’t speak at all as they finished their shopping and paid for it. Flo didn’t dare to talk to her, scared of her reaction. The silence felt like the calm before the storm, and anything could set it off. No word came out of either woman’s lips all the way home. The giantess tried focused all her attention on the road as she drove, which made the ride seem far longer than it actually was. Once they were just outside the house, Sharon stood in front of her, blocking her way.
“Anything wrong?” Flo wondered softly.
The only response she got was a passionate, almost violent kiss on the lips. Automatically, she kissed back, moaning gently. She couldn’t exactly tell whether it was a sound of pleasure or pain, for the way the brunette bit her bottom lip hurt slightly. Carefully, she tried to pull away to ask for an explanation, but it was all in vain. The Dutch girl pushed her against the door, making all their bags fall to the floor and pushed her tongue deeper. Who knew she could be that strong, a part of Flo thought, ignoring the sound of breaking glass she had just heard.
Only when she ran out of breath, did Sharon make a pause to pick up her bags. Quickly, she fumbled around in her pocket until she found the key and opened the door. Flo followed, still too shocked to say anything. Once all the groceries they had just bought were safe in the kitchen, the brunette grabbed her by the waist fiercely and kissed her again.
“Take it all off” she ordered against her mouth “Now.”
“Sharon, what…?”
She was silenced by yet another kiss, her cry muffled as her back hit the wall. Even though she tried hard to push Sharon away, the other woman managed to take control of her. Grasping her wrists tightly and pressing them against the wall, the Dutch girl spoke:
“Make no mistake. This doesn’t mean anything. I’m just gonna F*ck you now and then we will pretend it never happened.”
Bewildered, Flo hesitated. A part of her was disappointed that it was just angry sex, probably motivated by the jealousy of finding her ex being happy with a different person. Yet she couldn’t deny it – she wanted Sharon. No matter how much she had cried because of her, her feelings hadn’t disappeared. Her body was trembling in both excitement and fear. She knew herself and was sure that she would regret it afterwards, but it occurred to her that it was better to have a good time, even if it only fired the flame, than just craving in silence.
“Then use me” she whispered, a challenging note in her voice.

And after all this time... here's a new chapter!



After the final shake announcing the summit of pleasure, Marco raised his head slowly, letting his girlfriend recover. He then kissed his way up from her crotch to her neck. Johanna smiled, her breaths slowing down. Once he was lying on his side next to her, she snuggled up to him.
Marco contemplated her bare body, admiring her perfection. Yet this time there was a certain spot he couldn’t help but look at. He had always loved how athletic and graceful she was and deep down felt ashamed of his own figure in comparison to hers; however, now her rounded stomach had become his favourite place. The bump wasn’t really big yet, but it stuck out enough to be seen, especially when she was naked. She would often complain that she couldn’t wear the clothes she liked because of her tummy, but to him that was exactly the reason why he particularly enjoyed watching her dressing. To him, her belly represented the greatest expression of their mutual love, an unbreakable bond that would keep them forever as one. Softly he caressed it, giving his yet unborn child some of the love he had just been giving its mother.
“You’re so beautiful” he whispered as his fingertips continued stroking over her stomach.
She didn’t reply with words. All she did was smile and sit up slightly to kiss his cheek. He always knew how to make her feel like the prettiest woman in the world.
Marco’s gaze travelled from the temporary home of his child to his lover’s green eyes. Everything about her was perfect, from the tender look she was giving him to her laughter, through the way she made love. That brought a certain thought to his head, a doubt he had been having for some time.
“How does it feel?”
“What?” she raised her head slightly.
The Swede swallowed.
“To… make love while you’re…”
“Oh” she grinned, amused by his curiousity and shyness as he asked the question “It’s quite intense, actually. I mean, that area gets really sensitive, so you feel everything a lot more. And it feels great.”
“Seriously? That’s good to hear.”
“Well, there had to be a bright side to the pregnancy, right?” she chuckled.
He didn’t laugh. The way he stared at her made her feel guilty. She lifted her hand and touched his cheek tenderly.
“I was just kidding” she explained “In fact, now I wonder why women complain so much about it. Besides the lack of caffeine, it’s not that bad. You don’t feel much most of the time once you’re done with the morning sickness.”
“And what about… what’s coming next?”
Approximately two months had gone by since she had announced that she was having a baby. Everyone had welcomed the news happily and so had they. Johanna herself seemed pretty satisfied, and nothing had changed at all in their relationship. However, they hadn’t spoken about it seriously, just the two of them. Marco still didn’t know how his girlfriend felt about motherhood.
“I was a bit scared at first, but not anymore” she responded “I think I’m doing quite a good job getting used to the idea. Besides, this child couldn’t have chosen a better moment.”
“What do you mean?”
The young girl shrugged. She trailed her finger over his arm.
“I’m an adult. The semester is over, so I have a couple of months to rest and then all I have to do is write my thesis. I have plenty of time for the baby. Not to mention that I’m counting on the best possible person to help me… you” she mumbled against his lips before kissing him.
He returned the kiss, his heart filled with joy. She would never stop surprising him with her maturity.
“So you’re happy?” he spoke, almost into her mouth.
Johanna nodded.
“Honestly, having kids was never one of my plans – especially not at twenty-one! It was more like a possibility in the faraway future. But since we started dating, I knew that if I ever decided to have children, you would be the father.”


“Surprise!”
Still half-asleep, Sharon sat up and rubbed her eyes, which were not yet fully open. Her roommate’s scream almost scared her. Finally, once she got used to the excess of light in the room, she could make Flo’s silhouette out. The giantess was standing by the door, holding a tray with a plate, cutlery and two glasses on it.
“Flo? What’s this?” she asked in a sleepy voice, blinking at that sight.
“Breakfast!” the other woman replied happily as she sat down next to her at the edge of the bed, handing her the tray.
The brunette stared at her breakfast. Pancakes with chocolate syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of tea. Everything smelled delicious. Then her eyes moved to Flo questioningly.
“Why?”
An alarm had been activated in her head. Her roommate and former friend with benefits having such a romantic detail wasn’t a good sign. Yet Flora simply smiled casually and shrugged.
“I never really thanked you for letting me move in with you and thought this could be a good way to do so.”
False alarm. Sighing in relief on the inside, the Dutch girl smiled to her friend and began cutting a piece of pancake.
“Smells lovely” she said.
Her lips curled into a thankful smile. Sharon began eating happily. Yes, it tasted as great as it smelled. However, the fact that Flo didn’t move and just continued watching her made her rather nervous.
“Wanna have some?” she tried to break the ice.
“No, thanks. I’ve already had breakfast. This is just for you to enjoy.”
There’s something weird about this all, her suspicious mind said to her. Watching her small spoon create an eddy around the teabag, she grinned skeptically.
“Now seriously, what makes you act this sweet?”
Flora sighed on the inside. There was no point in pretending anymore.
“Alright, you caught me. I wanted to talk to you about something.”
There it was. Sharon cursed her intuition. And she cursed it twice, as she was pretty sure she knew what was coming next.
Five days had gone by since the incident. Possessed by her anger, she had let herself go and slept with her friend and roommate. She had tried to make it clear that it was only a one-time thing, just meaningless sex to distract herself from her real feelings. No-one would ever mention it again and there would be no second part. Yet it was useless to expect Flo to forget about it just like that. She wasn’t that kind of girl. And, sadly, neither was Sharon.
“We said it never happened, Flo.”
“But it did” the taller woman retorted “I’ve been thinking about this whole thing in the past few days, and I’ve decided that we can’t just leave it all behind. We’re living together.”
“Exactly, we’re roommates now. That’s exactly why we should forget about it.”
“Not at all! You’ve been acting weird since we met at the Rainbow Garden that night. I need to know why. I can’t live with someone I don’t even understand.”
“What’s there to understand?” the brunette sighed “I was mad, so I needed to let it all out and had sex with you. I told you it wouldn’t mean anything and you were fine with it.”
“I was, until I started to see that there was more to it than meets the eye.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Flo took a deep breath. If only Sharon wasn’t so much on the defensive. Talking to her was difficult when she wasn’t ready to reason. Yet she was a patient woman.
“Leaving the drunken moments aside, first you open your heart to me and tell me how lonely you are. Then, the next time we meet, you offer me a room in your place. And don’t get me started on all the subtle flirting we’ve had since I moved here.”
“There was no flirting at all!”
“Whatever” Flo rolled her eyes “But I don’t think all those looks and everything else were just friendly gestures. So, let’s move on to the next chapter. You get pissed off because your ex is now happily dating her ex and instead of yelling at her, burning her photos or curling into a ball and crying, you choose to almost rape me. Coincidence?”
“Why do you have to make this so hard?” Sharon whined “I’m just trying to be friends with you.”
“Is that really what you want? To be my friend? Well, I don’t recall having sex with my friends just for fun.”
Another sigh was released from Sharon’s throat. She clearly hated having that conversation, especially while her breakfast was getting cold. Unfortunately, giving up was not Flo’s plan.
“It was a mistake, I know” the brown-eyed beauty finally admitted “And I’m sorry for putting you through this all.”
“I don’t want an apology, Sharon. I want to understand you. I want to know what’s on your mind. What do you want from me?”
“Look, I really like you. You’re gorgeous, a great friend and an amazing lover. I guess feelings don’t disappear that easily even after breaking up with someone. But it wouldn’t be wise to start anything with you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t think I’m ready yet. As much as I hate being alone, I’m afraid of getting hurt. More than that, I don’t want to hurt anyone again. In less than one year I’ve broken Tarja’s heart, lost you and used Mike. This is not who I am. Perhaps what I need is to be on my own for some time until I’ve cleared my mind.”
“See? This is exactly what I told you about knowing what you want.”
“I just know I don’t want to suffer or be the cause of anyone’s pain. Believe me when I tell you that I wish I could be with you, but I’m scared of ruining everything completely.”
A compassionate smile played on the taller woman’s lips. She took Sharon’s hand and touched it softly.
“It’s fine. Thanks for opening up to me, I appreciate your honesty more than you think” she stood up slowly “Enjoy your breakfast. And if you ever change your mind or feel ready to give me a chance, I’ll be one step behind you. On the other side of this wall, more precisely.”