summary: abigail anderson’s a colossal pain in the ass with a roster full of a girls to match— unfortunately that only made you want her more.
**part 2**
warning: college!au, angsty, abby’s a player and very smug, smut; face-sitting, fingering, fem receiving, masturbation, top!abby
word count: 4.5k
pairing: abby anderson x fem reader
a/n: i wouldn’t be myself if i didn’t capitalize off my current abby obsession and write something
college is a fucking scam.
and no, not entirely in the way of paying tuition fees although that sucked too. the so-called fraudulent part of the institution lay in the housing, the very room that cost you upwards of thousands of dollars. hard-earned cash brought into fruition via your blood sweat and tears. aka the kind of money that cost you a liver, and then some. now you weren’t expecting luxury— far from it. all you required was a serene, tranquil vicinity to unwind from the burdens of post-secondary life. which was fair because you’d paid for it, right?
wrong. everything’s a fucking scam.
clutching the cotton pillow to your ears, you slammed your fist against the drywall to no avail. dorm room walls were cheap and astoundingly thin, making way for even the slightest movements to travel over to your room. it was three o’clock in the morning. a time for most to catch up on sleep, maybe even cram for an exam if the situation called for it. unfortunately, you didn’t fit into either of those groups— and it wasn’t by choice.
your neighbors had a deep appreciation for cordiality, it extended well into the early hours of the morning. so much so that they’d taken it upon themselves to lull you to bed with obnoxiously loud music— and for the third time this week. the cycle persisted for hours. culminating in an endless repetition of parties and copious amounts of sex. completely obliterating the possibility of you obtaining any sleep, especially the night before homecoming.
“one of us should go over there,” you spat, turning towards your roommate on the opposite side of the room.
dina shrugged, “i tried last time you should do it. i think she has a thing for you.”
you weren’t entirely familiar with the person behind the parties but from what you’d heard her name was abby and she was an asshole— a suave sweet-talker, but an asshole nonetheless. with a particular inclination to flowers, more specifically leaving them at your door. according to dina, the mystery woman had weaseled her way into just about every girl’s pants on campus, with record numbers flowing from her room into the hall. the girl had wicked stamina and that was exclusively based on what could be heard through the paper-thin walls. despite this, the plan was straightforward— be as direct as possible without dropping your pants.
you knocked twice before the door swung open, a half-naked woman standing before it. reddish-pink hickeys littered her neck and chest, trophies she wore proudly. a blue lace bra was lazily strung around her chest along with a torn purple thong that hung just below her navel. the woman was practically exposed but held not an inkling of shame— if anything she appeared dignified despite being borderline nude.
“can you turn the fucking music down?” you shouted, clamping your hands over your ears.
the woman eyed you with a particular level of indifference, crossing her arms over her chest. a strong musk of what seemed to be vanilla, sweat, and weed crept into the hallway, clouding nearly all of your senses. the smell lingered in your nostrils, sending your mind into a tailspin as the noise persisted.
she rolled her eyes, turning back towards the dorm, “some girl’s here for you.” from inside emerged a tall woman, broad and especially muscular. her face and shoulders were decorated with dark brown freckles that spread down her back. she was the very definition of intimidation personified, in a gray tank top that clung to crevices of her body carving out a perfect outline. by the time you’d realized what you were doing, it was already too late. abby extended a hand to the top frame of the door as she leaned against it, smirking.
stop gawking, stop gawking.
“i’m abby.” everything about her screamed cocky— from her voice to her face, even her posture for heaven's sake. it should’ve bothered you. the way she looked at you, the slight glint in her eye that seemed to sharpen as she scanned down your body— studying each of every component like it was within her right. thus you expected the annoyance or at least some indication of it to creep in. rather you were met with an unfamiliar warmth, one that made you nervous and strangely giddy. that should’ve bothered you, yet it didn’t.
“i know who you are,” you stammered, “uh i sleep in the dorm next door and i have an early class tomorrow, can you just turn the—“
“y/n, right?” her eyes, clouded by lust fell to your lips as you shifted from one foot to the other. your name rolled off her tongue effortlessly, and a part of you wanted to hear it again— just as much as abby wanted to say it again. she got off on it, she adored having the upper hand even in the most minuscule conversations. she could see it in the way you inched closer to her without even noticing. it was a power that you weren’t even fully aware of.
“yeah?” you held your breath as she ran her fingers along the rim of the door before dropping them at her sides. the silence was torturous, gnawing at you from the inside out. this is where the “asshole” reputation stemmed from. she was a tease in her natural element and unbeknownst to you it was worsened by your presence.
she smirked, “i sit behind you in chem, you look even prettier from the front.”
asshole.
incessant heat rose to your cheeks, consuming them as the rest of your face fell, victim. you felt like a stranger in your own body— it resembled a foreign vessel on the verge of collapse. you shouldn’t have felt this way. you couldn’t allow yourself to. abigail anderson was a conceited jerk who thought about nothing more than the hookups she could accumulate in a day. this is what she does— and you needed to believe it.
“didn’t notice you,” you shrugged, refusing to let her get the best of you. abby squinted her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. bulging green veins pressed along the surface of her skin as her muscles flexed. she liked challenges. at that moment it became about much more than just sleeping with you, she was practically infatuated.
you see, abby loved women. she adored the way they felt, their curves writhing underneath her. the subtle cries that fell from their lips at the slightest yet most intoxicating touches. and especially the addictive warmth she got just by being around them. it earned her the reputation of a womanizer across campus and while she wouldn’t deny it— this time her motivations were different. she wanted to charm you, she wanted to tease you, leaving on you edge while simultaneously granting you everything you could ever ask for. calling it crush felt strange but there wasn’t any other word for it, she was whipped.
“you get my flowers?”
you nodded, eyes darting toward the ground. images of purple lilacs crept into the corners of your vision. it was a reoccurring thing— each morning you awoke to a new bouquet splayed out in front of your door. there was no note, just a small card that read “to y/n, from abby,” and she’d been at it for weeks.
“good….we’ll keep the music down,” she offered you one last glance before retreating into the dorm. she lowered the speakers to a minimum continuing over to her bed. there she was awaited by a girl whose name she didn’t even know. not that it mattered much to her in the slightest. abby found her mind occupied by more pressing matters, all involving you. she couldn’t seem to shake the image of you in sheer pajamas from her memory. spurring it to do the complete opposite— latching on and burning its way to the forefront of her mind.
she wrapped her hands along the ankles of the mystery woman, gently pulling her toward the edge of the bed. abby forced her eyes closed, allowing pictures of you to pervade them. her hands trailed down between the woman’s inner thighs, teasing them as she cried aloud. she curled her fingers along the woman’s entrance, snapping them upwards in an almost ritualistic manner. abby repeated this over and over again until she was convinced it was you.
her chants grew fervently, “abby, abby, abby” traveling to the opposite side of the room where you slept. the noise was low at first and only noticeable to you. it began as a gentle whisper, prodding your ears before inevitably reaching your pussy. you didn’t want to succumb to it— secretly you adored the way it made you feel. the slight tingle that persisted with each chant. slowly you moved your hand to your navel, eyes darting over to a passed-out dina before proceeding.
you closed your eyes, pushing your index finger below the hem of your shorts. beginning slowly you rubbed your clit in controlled, delicate circles, suppressing the grunts and moans brimming the surface of your tongue. filthy images of abby intruded your thoughts, taking center stage as the cries of another woman became fuel. gradually you sped up employing another finger in the process. fragmented white spots clouded the outskirts of your vision as you worked faster, pressing down on your poor clit with much more force.
the woman’s chants become disheveled and scarce fizzling out as you chase your high, streams of pleasure ripping through your body. tears brimmed the corners of your eyes, you squeezed your legs together quickly breathing a sigh of relief. the realization was subtle initially, revealing the bits of truth you were reluctant to hear. however, one thing was for certain— the image of abby never once left you.
“so how’d it go last night?” dina asked, her voice pulling you away from your thoughts.
you snapped your head towards her, “what?” the two of you continued to class although your mind consistently found its way back to abby’s door.
maybe she knew? oh god, she knew.
technically you hadn’t done anything wrong but you couldn’t help but feel nervous. last night instilled you with a new, daring sense of bravery that you hadn’t experienced all semester. in your hands, you fiddled with the new bouquet— this time they were a collection of pink roses, all varying in color. you weren’t how long she’d keep it up but then again you weren’t complaining.
“last night with abby? they turned the music down so i’m guessing she must really have a thing for you.” her voice was drenched in all types of suggestive undertones, most of which you consciously chose to ignore. you despised yourself for feeling this way— there was nothing special about the way abby looked at you. she was the campus player and only a fool would be deceived into believing otherwise.
during chemistry you sat in your usual spot, secretly hoping abby would walk in. today you made more of an effort towards appearance, applying a bit more makeup than usual. wearing an even shorter outfit and dousing yourself in perfume. now that you knew abby was watching you wanted to impress her even if it was only for a short while. you rarely if ever sought attention from anyone in class but with her it was different. you wanted to stand out, vying for her attention amongst others.
halfway through the lecture, abby strode in, blue eyes directly locking with yours. a slight smirk took shape on her lips as she made her way towards you, taking the seat right beside you. your heartbeat sped rapidly, hammering against your chest. she leaned back in her chair completely disregarding the professor. to be honest, abby hadn’t planned on coming to class, and she had no intentions of staying.
she began, “y/n—“
“i have to focus.”
“i’ll be quick,” she leaned over closer, nearly brushing your thigh, “you got any plans for tonight?” shit— the thought of homecoming had completely slipped your mind. let alone what you planned to do. hanging out with dina was out of the question. and you preferred not to attend any fraternity party alone in addition to one of abby’s. you’d rather not spend most of the night watching her tongue your entire class for hours on end.
“i was thinking about having a party in our resident hall for homecoming, you wanna come? you can bring your friend—“
“i have a date,” you said louder than intended, it garnered a couple of stares from fellow peers and abby included. although this couldn’t have been further from the truth. yet it seemed better in hindsight. she fell silent for a moment, cerulean eyes peering through yours. for the first time, she was at a loss for words— and it was unusual for her. abby rarely had to chase, especially not against other people on campus but with you, she almost felt obligated to. somehow, someway it acknowledged the budding feelings that began to stir deep inside of her.
“if that falls through you know where to find me, promise i’ll make it worth your while— and if you do happen to show up, you should wear that perfume again, you smell really nice,” she whispered, the corners of her lips tugging up into a cocky grin. you expected her to leave right after although she made no attempts to. rather you felt her gaze settle on you, forcing the heat to buzz underneath your skin in response. everything about her demeanor was so arrogant and unbelievably hot. you hated admitting it you refused to. but you didn’t mind the attention, even more so you welcomed it.
soon the class drew to a close and you were the first one out. the surface skin felt like it was on fire, overwhelmed by an unprecedented force. you couldn’t think straight. memories of abby and last night refused to let up occupying more space in your mind than usual. you’d gotten yourself off to the thought of her. yet the only thing you could focus on was the fact that she’d complimented you. still, you could feel it, her breath against your ear and the gentle brush of her skin against yours. it was small but impossible to forget.
as time inched by classes emptied with most students choosing their preferred method of celebration, except for you. your room was empty so you took advantage of the extra space by dressing yourself for the second time that day. you opted for a tight outfit one that revealed your assets without showing them outright. from the room over you could hear people begin to pile for abby’s party, queuing your exit. not before spraying yourself with perfume once more.
you walked along campus with no real goal in sight. the sky was a captivating mixture of cobalt and rosè, a sight that left you in awe. the sun was slowly easing its way down, shielded by the fluffy white clouds littered across the expansion. it was utterly beautiful. high pitched sounds from nearby insects rang out into the void as more followed suit. you continued even further heavily immersed in the nature around you. and it communicated one thing.
college was most definitely a scam, but this certainly wasn’t.
in all your days of living on campus, you hadn’t noticed this. largely because you’d been so concerned with yourself to really explore and truly venture out of your comfort zone. in many facets, it reminded you of abby, and more specifically what you felt for her. honestly, you didn’t know what it was, or what to call it. you had these preconceived notions of her of who she was that you hadn’t even bothered to investigate yourself. thus it kept you in a bubble one in which you’d never be able to confront your desire for her.
upon realizing this you turned on your heel sharply, speeding back towards your residential hall. as you pushed past the doors you were gearing up to fight— homecoming parties were usually a battle zone. yet once you stepped foot inside it was completely silent— alarmingly so. you continued towards abby’s door searching for an indication of a party but there weren’t any traces of one person let alone dozens of people.
you knocked on abby’s door once before it swung open. there was no party, no music or stray girls, and beer cups scattered across the room— just abby. a small grin spread across her lips as you stepped inside, the room was dimly lit by white candles. the sweet aroma of vanilla and cinnamon wafted in the air, reminiscent of your first encounter yet with a noticeable difference. you sat on the edge of her bed, purposely leaving a few feet between the two of you. the mattress dipped as abby took a seat on the opposite side, allowing for more tension to accumulate in the atmosphere.
she turned towards you, “where’s your date?”
“i don’t wanna talk about that,” you whispered. a warm giddy feeling aligned the pit of your stomach stirring nausea. but it was almost pleasant? abby affected you, one that you couldn’t quite describe. it was powerful and enticing enough to lead you back to her room and stay. it mimicked a fierce wave edging along a wet beach shore— you knew what was coming, nonetheless, you chose to remain.
“why are you so far away?” her voice was light, bordering on insatiable. it took everything not to look her way, let alone even make eye contact. you pressed your legs together fighting to contain the desire that was slowly mounting itself inside you. abby could sense it but she wanted— no needed to ease it out of you.
“you make me nervous,” you admitted, biting down on your lip with enough force to draw blood. sheer hints of aluminum lingered on your tongue but a bloody lip couldn’t have been further from your concerns. the air was thick and the scent grew stronger as abby stirred beside you. she didn’t move any closer although you secretly wished she had. since the moment you’d laid eyes on her a part of you, although tamed longed to be near her. you wanted to feel her muscles against the surface of your skin, observing the way they contracted underneath her clothes, bearing the utmost strength and intensity.
she chuckled, “is that what you came here to tell me?”
you shook your head, silently picking at your cuticles. the pain was distracting but not enough to force the words from your mouth. it wasn’t a matter of knowing it— abby already knew it. she could smell the lust practically radiating off your skin but she wanted to hear you say it. it served as confirmation— the girl she’d wanted all along was in the very palm of her hand.
your eyes flickered between hers, “you meant what you said earlier….making this worth my while?”
“come closer.” hesitantly you lifted yourself from the edge of the mattress, taking a seat just a mere inches away. you hadn’t been this close to her since earlier on, but even then it was never of this magnitude— never this sexually driven.
“what do you think?” she whispered, cupping a hand over yours. slowly she ran her thumb over your skin, fulfilling only a portion of your desires. your eyes fell towards her lips before trailing back up to her eyes. a similar need lingered in her gaze but abby refrained from making the first move. which wasn’t a stance she took often.
you slipped your hand out from under her grasp bringing them to her face. you pulled her in closer, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. abby’s hands traveled up your arms stopping at your elbows where she held them there, ushering you closer.
breathless, you pulled away, “is this okay? am i doing this right?”
“you’re perfect y/n, keep going,” abby cooed. she scooped you up in her arms pushing you back on the bed. your tongue swirled over hers allowing a low moan to escape from your lips. abby pressed against you harder, bringing her hands further south where they slipped under your knees. her touch felt magical making it even easier for you to lose control of yourself. you reached for the hem of abby’s shirt pulling it over her head as you kissed down her neck. offering extra attention to the skin just above her shoulders.
“fuck— i wanna taste you,” abby purred, sliding the lace panties down your legs. you pulled your dress up, offering her an ample view of your body. however she refused to rush, she wanted to prolong the experience turning her attention towards your chest. she cupped your tits in her hands, bringing them to her mouth. needing at one mound she latched onto the other, swirling her tongue around your nipple. she continued sucking fervently allowing her free hand to roam down your thigh.
“yes, yes— just like that,” you cried digging your fingernails into the surface of abby’s skin. creating sharp crescents all along her bicep. she brushed her finger to your pussy watching as you shuddered away.
abby pressed a soft kiss to your cheek, “you gotta relax for me, alright?” you nodded, spreading your legs open further she began at your clit. going back and forth in slow torturous circles. you attempted to move your hips forward, desperate for more when abby pulled away, shaking her head.
“be patient. i’ll take care of you, i promise.” the pleasure was practically overwhelming. you threw your head back as abby applied more pressure to your clit, slipping her index finger into your dripping pussy. wet squelching sounds pervaded the air around you the faster she went. curving her finger up to meet your spongy g-spot. her pace increased, revealing veins that traveled up the expanse of abby’s arm- however it didn’t deter her.
“how’s that hm? better?” her tone was tauntingly low and addictive. moans spilled from your lips in response as you clutched onto her, near the verge of seeing stars.
“c’mon baby, tell me.” this time she slipped in her middle finger, watching as it slid in effortlessly. instinctively you clenched around her yelping at the newfound contact. your entire body was set ablaze, engulfed in flames as abby worked bringing you to new heights. soon began to move along with her hand, desperately chasing your orgasm.
“i’m so close— fuck— don’t stop, don’t stop please.” your voice became caught and your vision darkened, pitch-black shards clouding it. you buried your face in her neck as abby held you close. her arm pressing into the small of your back.
“i know it’s a lot, but you can trust me,” she whispered. you pulled away from her, hot tears brimming the corners of your eyes. you expected the sex but you hadn’t expected this. there was a certain level of vulnerability present between the two of you, it was both raw and completely unprecedented. before you even had a chance to comment on it, abby silenced you, pressing her lips to yours.
“i want you to sit on my face.”
“what?” you sputtered, unsure if you’d heard her correctly. however, abby’s face remained completely unchanged. she shot you a reassuring smile before laying flat on her back. huffing a quick breath you inched over to her, placing your legs on either side of her head. you lowered yourself on her mouth, moaning at the warm contact. abby wrapped her arms around both of your thighs, hungrily pressing you to her face.
it was nearly impossible to move under her grasp. abby kept you bound to one place as she ran her tongue along your pussy. sloppily lapping your fluids that escaped into her mouth. she hummed at the taste, relentlessly flicking her tongue against your folds. a small knot began to develop at the pit of your stomach, growing and tightening with each movement. abby worked tirelessly against you, desperate to push to your last and final high. your moans grew louder and more ardent, replicating that of the mystery woman from earlier.
“abby, abby, abby,” you cried, doubling over as your legs gave out, surrendering completely to abby’s will. she continued lapping your fluids, sucking feverishly until you were a babbling mess— way past the point of oblivion. triggering the massive knot at the basis of your stomach.
shakily you tumbled over on the opposite side of abby, out of breath and sweaty. when she joined you clear fluids coated the outskirts of her mouth and her chest was completely doused. with the last bit of strength you could fester you turned towards her placing a kiss on her mouth before pulling away. clear remnants of your orgasm still immobilizing you.
“thank you,” she whispered, running her hand across your back, gently easing you into a slumber as you nuzzled into her. the gentle thump of abby’s heart lulling you.
you awoke to hushed whispers coming from the door. abby’s space beside you was empty. she stood by the door, her face beet red and contorted. across from her was a blonde woman, she looked utterly unfamiliar but she blended in perfectly with abby’s past hookups. she wore little to no clothes and her under eyes were decorated with red at the rims. indicating that she was most definitely high.
“got your text abs, c’mon let’s get outta here,” she giggled, tugging on abby’s arm.
“now isn’t a good time, you need to go.” her voice was alarmingly serious which was a rare sight. you did your best to remain silent, yet the nature of their conversations left a bad taste in your mouth.
“why?” she sneered, pushing her way into the dorm, “is it because of her? she know you have a girlfriend?”
girlfriend? girlfriend?
“you hear that? i’m her girlfriend,” she shouted.
you could throw up. your head spun in circles, spurring nausea already building in your stomach. abby had a girlfriend? confusion laced with anger completely distorted your vision. yet you didn’t spare another moment. it was too late for explanations, now you were the fool.
you should’ve seen it coming.
abby whipped back towards you stammering, “shit y/n— just let me explain.”
it was too late. the girl wrapped an arm around abby’s waist planting a kiss to her cheek that only made you taste the bile. you needed to get out of there with whatever was left of your fragmented dignity. you pushed past abby and the blonde, ripping your arm from abby’s grasp when she tried to touch you. it no longer had that same effect— it was foreign.
“y/n wait— hear me out please.”
you tuned out abby’s voice storming into your room before slamming it shut. a sharp pang ricocheted throughout your body as you seethed, grappling with your emotions. you hated this. you hated the control she maintained over you, it was paralyzing. but what made it even more infuriating? all the more screwed up and deranged? you still wanted her.
𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: cowgirl!abby anderson x fem!reader
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 2.3k
𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: Abby's down bad, mostly fluff, some insinuations but nothing explicit, Ellie being a smart-ass
𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Abby Anderson is a morning person. You are not. When you fall asleep in her arms, she learns something about herself she didn't expect: she'd burn the whole day down just to stay a little longer.
: ̗̀➛ [𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧] [𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭] [𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐱]
𝐚/𝐧: short but sweet (i hope)
You like to sleep in. Always have. Abby learned that fact about you early on—how you'd grumble and burrow deeper into the pillows if the sun so much as dared to creep through the curtains before nine.
Abby, though? Abby's been up with the roosters her whole life. The kind of up-and-at-'em that her daddy drilled into her before she could even reach the tractor pedals. By five AM, she's usually laced up and halfway to the barn, coffee in hand, already planning out the day's chores.
But her eyes have been open for twenty minutes now. Maybe thirty. She's not sure, because she keeps losing track of time every time you breathe.
The first pale gray of dawn is bleeding through the gaps in her curtains. Somewhere outside, a barn swallow's tuning up. In the distance, a cow lets out a long, low moan—breakfast's late, and she's letting everyone know it. There's hay to haul. Stalls to muck. A fence line Abby meant to check yesterday. All of it's waiting, same as it always does.
But you're here. And suddenly none of that feels urgent.
Your face is smushed into the crook of her neck—smushed being the only word for it, because there's nothing elegant about the way you sleep, and Abby's never loved anything more. One leg's hooked over hers, lazy and possessive even in unconsciousness. Your fingers are loosely fisted in the front of her threadbare henley, like you were holding on when you drifted off and never let go.
You're so warm. So soft. Every breath you take puffs slow and steady against her collarbone, and Abby swears she can feel it all the way down to her bones. Down to the marrow.
She's not gonna move.
Not to check the fence. Not to feed the stock. Not for anything short of a five-alarm fire or the Second Coming. Because this—this right here—is the quietest her head's been in years. The barn, the chores, the endless list of things that need doing—it's all still there, but it's like someone turned the volume down. Muffled it behind a door she doesn't have to open yet.
Abby looks at the clock on the nightstand. 5:23.
She looks back at you.
And something in her chest goes tight—not painful, exactly, but aware. The way a muscle feels right before it gives out. The way the ground feels when you've been on horseback so long you forgot what standing still was like.
This is how it starts, she thinks. Not with grand gestures or dramatic confessions. But like this: lying awake at dawn with a woman in her arms who makes her want to blow off the only life she's ever known.
And fuck.
She should move. She knows she should move. The chickens won't feed themselves, and the horses get ornery if breakfast runs late—especially that chestnut mare, who'll bang her feed bucket against the stall door until someone pays attention. Ellie's already gonna give her shit for sleeping in past six.
Abby shifts just slightly. Tries to.
And you make this sound. This tiny, unconscious mmmpfh of protest, your brow furrowing for half a second before your arm tightens around her like you're anchoring her to the bed by sheer will. Like you'd wrestle the sun itself back below the horizon if it meant getting five more minutes.
She actually laughs under her breath. Soft. Low. Just a huff of air through her nose, because Jesus, you're not even awake, and you're already bossing her around. Already telling her no, stay, you don't get to leave yet.
Abby's resolve crumbles like a biscuit in gravy—instant, messy, and so damn satisfying she doesn't even try to put it back together.
Her chin comes to rest on top of your head, and she breathes you in deep: your shampoo—something floral, she'll have to ask about it later—your skin, warm and soft against her lips, the faint sweetness of whatever perfume you'd been wearing last night that's still clinging to your collarbones.
God. She's gonna smell like you all day now.
The thought does something dangerous to her chest.
The morning light is barely starting to filter through her curtains—pale gold and soft grey, the kind of light that makes everything look like a dream she's not ready to wake up from. Dust motes drift lazy through the air. Somewhere outside, the world is waking up, starting its noisy, demanding, get-to-work morning chorus.
But in here? In here, it's quiet.
And for the first time in her entire goddamn life—the first time since she was a little girl falling asleep to the sound of rain on the tin roof, safe and small and untroubled—Abby feels her eyes grow heavy again.
Not restless. Not wired. Not that familiar hum of anxiety under her skin that's been there so long she forgot what silence felt like.
She's so comfortable. You're so comfortable. Like you were made to fit right here in her arms, like the universe carved out this exact space just for you and spent the rest of eternity waiting for her to find it. Her shoulder cradles your head like a missing puzzle piece. Your knees slot between hers like they belong there. Every breath you take nudges you closer, and every time, Abby just holds on tighter.
Her muscles—usually strained with the day's first tension, already braced for whatever needs hauling or fixing or wrangling—go slack. One by one, like dominoes. Like her body's been waiting for permission to stop.
Her mind—usually already racing through a to-do list a mile long, jumping from feed stock to check fence to call farrier before her feet even hit the floor—goes quiet. Not empty. Just… still. Like a pond after the wind dies down.
All she can hear is the soft rhythm of your breathing. The occasional sleepy murmur you make when you shift. The distant crow of a rooster she's now fully committed to ignoring.
Abby's eyes flutter closed. Then open again. She glances at the clock—5:37—and for a second, the old habits twitch. Get up. Get moving. Don't waste daylight.
But then you sigh against her neck, content and soft, and that voice gets real quiet real fast.
Tomorrow, she tells herself, I'll be responsible tomorrow.
It happens about an hour later—or maybe two, or maybe three—Abby's lost all sense of time buried under you like this. The morning light's shifted from pale gray to something warmer, golder, spilling across the foot of the bed like honey. She's been drifting in and out, not really sleeping, just being. Listening to you breathe. Counting the tiny flutter of your lashes against her skin when you dream.
She's never done this before. Never just… stopped.
And then it comes.
The first knock.
Not a gentle one, either. A full-on, knuckle-busting bang bang bang that rattles the damn door in its frame. Abby flinches like she's been caught stealing.
"Anderson!"
Ellie's voice. Of course it's Ellie. Sharp, teasing, way too loud for this hour—or any hour, really.
Abby's eyes snap open, disoriented for half a second before the last few hours come rushing back: you. Her bed. The fact that she has never missed morning chores. Not once. Not in years. Her daddy used to say you could set your watch by her, and he wasn't wrong.
"You alive in there?" Ellie calls out, rapping again, harder this time. "It's past seven!"
Past seven.
Abby's internal clock screams in protest—a visceral, full-body betrayal. The horses are probably staging a revolt. The chickens have unionized.
She should've been mucking stalls an hour ago. Should've hauled hay, checked water troughs, done about fifteen things she hasn't even started.
But then you stir.
Just a little. A soft, sleepy sound muffled against her neck—not quite a word, not quite a whine, just this tiny mm of protest at the noise. Your nose burrows deeper into the crook of her shoulder. Your fingers flex against her chest like you're holding on tighter.
And Abby's whole body goes rigid.
Don't wake up. Please don't wake up.
She needs Ellie to shut up. Right now. Immediately. Preferrably five minutes ago.
"I'm fine," Abby hisses toward the door, voice low and rough with sleep—and something else. Something that sounds almost like begging. "Go away."
"The hell you are," Ellie fires back, completely undeterred. "You've never been late a single day since I've known you. Dina's taking bets on whether you got abducted by coyotes or finally keeled over from a protein overdose."
Another bang on the door. Louder this time. "Seriously, Abs, you okay? I'm coming in—"
"No—don't—"
Too late.
The door swings open with a groan of old hinges, and Ellie barrels inside like she owns the place—all smug concern and messy ponytail.
She takes two steps in. Three.
Then freezes mid-stride.
You're still curled around Abby like a koala—no, like a vice, like you're trying to fuse your body to hers in your sleep. Your face is tucked into her shoulder, half-buried in the collar of her henley. One of your legs is hooked over both of hers. One of Abby's hands is splayed flat across your back, fingers spread like she's been guarding you. The other is tangled in your hair, frozen mid-stroke, like she fell asleep like that and never let go.
Ellie's mouth opens. Closes. Opens again.
"Oh," she breathes, drawing it out into about four syllables. Her eyebrows are somewhere near her hairline.
Abby's already bright red. The flush has crawled up her neck, flooded her cheeks, probably reached the tips of her ears by now. She looks like she's been standing in a field fire.
"Don't," Abby warns, voice low and dangerous.
"Oh my God."
"Ellie, I swear to God—"
"So this is why you didn't show up." Ellie crosses her arms, leaning against the doorframe like she's settling in for a show.
"Keep your voice down," Abby hisses, glancing down at you—still asleep, thank every god she doesn't believe in—and then back at Ellie with murder in her eyes. Actual murder. The kind you read about in true crime podcasts. "She's still sleeping."
Ellie's grin somehow gets wider. It's almost impressive, honestly—like watching a cat stretch before it pounces. She looks at you, then at Abby, then back at you, and her eyebrows shoot up toward her hairline. There's a long, deliberate pause, the kind that's meant to make Abby squirm.
It's working.
"Holy shit," Ellie breathes, her voice pitching up with pure, undiluted delight. "You're domestic."
"I will end you." The words come out strangled, half-threat, half-plea. Abby's grip on you tightens instinctively, like she's protecting you from Ellie's chaos—or maybe holding on for emotional support. Hard to tell.
"You're in bed." Ellie jabs a finger toward the tangled sheets like she's presenting evidence in a courtroom. "Cuddling." She draws the word out, savoring every syllable. "Look at you. Big scary Abby Anderson, built like a brick shithouse, can deadlift a baby cow, and you're the little spoon."
"I am not the little spoon—"
"You're literally wrapped around her like a goddamn blanket." Ellie gestures broadly at the two of you.
"Get out of my room."
"You haven't even heard my favorite part yet."
"I don't want to hear your favorite part—"
"Your face is the color of a fire truck." Ellie's grin is practically feral now. "Like, full-on tomato territory. I didn't even know you could blush. I thought your blood was just, like, tractor grease or something."
Abby's face is on fire. Not metaphorically—she's pretty sure actual flames are licking up her neck, across her cheeks, probably setting her hair on fire at this point. She can feel the heat radiating off her own skin.
She grabs the nearest pillow—one of the ones that got shoved to the foot of the bed sometime in the night, victims of all that restless shifting before she finally settled down with you—and hurls it at Ellie's head with embarrassing accuracy.
Thwack.
Ellie catches it—catches it, the show-off—laughing so hard she's practically wheezing, and holds it up like a shield. "Okay, okay, I'm going! Jesus." She's backing toward the door, but she's not done yet, because of course she isn't.
"Personally, I was rooting for alien abduction, but this is way better."
"Out."
Ellie holds up both hands in surrender, still cackling, and slips through the doorway. But she pauses there, half-in and half-out, her laughter dying down to something quieter. Something real.
Her expression softens, just a fraction—just enough for Abby to catch the genuine warmth underneath all the teasing. The way Ellie's looking at her isn't mocking anymore. It's almost… proud. In a weird, Ellie-shaped way.
"For real, though," Ellie says, quieter now. She jerks her chin toward the door, toward the rest of the ranch, toward all the chores and responsibilities and people who are definitely gossiping about this right now. "I'll cover for you. Tell Jesse you've got the flu or something. Tell Tommy you're doing inventory." A smirk tugs at her lips. "Tell 'em you're busy."
Abby blinks, her flush finally starting to fade from "volcano" to just "embarrassed human." "You will?"
"Yeah, well." Ellie shrugs, that crooked grin softening into something almost kind. She glances down at you—still curled up, still dead to the world—and something flickers across her face. Recognition, maybe. Or memory. "If I had her in my bed, I wouldn't wanna leave either."
She's gone before the pillow Abby throws next can connect.
Abby exhales—long, slow, embarrassed, and weirdly grateful—and lets her head fall back against the pillow. Her heart's still pounding. Her face is still warm. Her entire body is still humming with that strange, unfamiliar feeling of being seen.
She looks down at you.
Still sleeping. Cheek squished against her shoulder, mouth slightly open, lashes fanned out across your cheeks like little crescent moons. Your breathing is slow and even, completely undisturbed by the chaos that just unfolded six feet from your head.
Still perfect.
Still completely oblivious to the fact that your existence just derailed her entire morning.
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