A/N: my part of Europe has been going through the worst heatwave for a week, so Iāve been stuck at home with nothing to do but write this scrumptious, delicious fic. TLDR: donāt leave a writer alone in a house thatās overheating. Or do, we donāt care. [as]
The south of France had seemed like a wonderful idea sometime around February, when the world was still grey and damp and winter had settled over Nevermore with its usual quiet persistence.
Larissa had found the little stone house tucked between vineyards and lavender fields, all weathered shutters and climbing ivy, and had declared it perfect for disappearing. Two weeks with no students, no faculty meetings, no paperwork that seemed capable of reproducing overnight. Just the two of you beneath an endless blue sky, eating fresh fruit on the terrace and wandering sleepy villages that looked as though theyād forgotten what century they belonged to.
The photographs had neglected one rather significant detail.
There was no air conditioning.
Under ordinary circumstances, that might have been inconvenient. During what every French news station had begun calling the worst heatwave in decades, it bordered on cruel.
By the fifth day, the shutters remained closed from sunrise until well after sunset. The stone walls had surrendered their coolness. The little fan in the corner of the living room whirred faithfully from left to right, carrying warm air with all the enthusiasm of someone who had already mentally resigned.
āIt isnāt even trying anymore,ā you announced from the floor.
Larissa lowered her reading glasses just enough to look over the top of them. āThe fan?ā
āIt has given up.ā
āI rather think youāre projecting.ā
You lifted your head to glare at the offending appliance before letting your cheek fall back onto the terracotta tiles with theatrical despair. āItās blowing oven air. Whoever invented this thing should be prosecuted.ā
The corner of her mouth twitched.
Larissa herself looked almost offensively composed in loose linen trousers and an oversized white shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly to her elbows. Her silver hair was gathered into a relaxed knot that exposed the graceful line of her neck. She sat in the wicker chair as though forty degrees were merely an inconvenience.
āYou are handling this suspiciously well,ā you muttered.
āIām British.ā
āThat isnāt an answer.ā
āItās the only one I have.ā
āYou should be suffering with me.ā
āI donāt think misery requires company quite as desperately as you do.ā
You narrowed your eyes. āI hope your drink gets warm.ā
She regarded the glass in her hand. Condensation glistened on the outside. Tiny droplets rolled slowly down, disappearing against her fingers. It was filled almost to the brim with ice.
Your gaze lingered far too long.
Larissa noticed. She always noticed.
āYou want one.ā
āI donāt.ā
āYouāve been staring at my glass for nearly a minute.ā
āI wasā¦ looking at the lime.ā
She smiled into her drink. āMhm.ā
āI would genuinely commit crimes for an ice cube,ā you admitted after a moment.
āI suspected as much.ā
āIād rob a convenience store.ā
āFor ice.ā
āFor frozen peas if necessary.ā
Larissa laughed again, softer this time. The sound settled pleasantly beneath your skin despite the heat. You liked making her laugh. It always felt slightly earned.
The quiet returned. Heat had a way of slowing everything. Conversation became lazy. Thoughts drifted. Sweat collected between your shoulder blades and clung stubbornly to the curve of your spine no matter how often you shifted against the floor.
Larissa watched you for a long moment. There was something strangely endearing about your complete surrender to discomfort. Her eyes drifted once more to her drink. The ice clinked gently.
An idea arrived so quietly she almost missed it.
She closed her book. āIāll be right back.ā
You barely looked up. āIf youāve found winter, donāt leave without me.ā
āIāll see what I can do.ā
The kitchen wasnāt any cooler, but the freezer still worked. Larissa tipped several cubes into an empty tumbler, smiling at the bright rattle. A simple act of mercy for her overheated girlfriend. At least, that was how it began.
When she returned, you were still exactly where sheād left you. She crouched beside you and picked up a single cube.
āWhat are youāā
The rest of the sentence disappeared into a startled squeal as the ice touched the warm skin between your shoulder blades. Your entire back arched instinctively.
āOh my God!ā
Larissa laughed outright. āThere you are.ā
āYou nearly killed me!ā
āI hardly think thatās accurate.ā
āItās freezing!ā
āI should hope so.ā
You twisted to glare at her, though the involuntary shiver racing down your spine spoiled the effect. The ice had already begun to melt, leaving a tiny shimmering trail that disappeared into the towel.
āYou look insufferably pleased with yourself.ā
āI am.ā
āIt was mean.ā
āIt was effective.ā
You opened your mouth to protest again, only to pause. The lingering cold spread slowly. Your shoulders relaxed almost despite yourself.
āā¦Do that again.ā
Larissa lifted an eyebrow. āI thought I was mean.ā
āYou are. And yetā¦ā
She picked another cube and placed it just beneath the nape of your neck. You inhaled sharply, then gradually yielded beneath the delicious shock. She slid it slowly, leaving another cool trail. Each cube disappeared astonishingly quickly against your overheated skin. She replaced them without conscious thought, the motion becoming almost rhythmic.
Gradually your complaints faded. The stubborn furrow between your brows softened. Your breathing slowed. She traced idle patterns nowāsmall circles, lazy linesāwatching tension dissolve beneath her fingertips one careful movement at a time.
You made the faintest contented sound.
āI think,ā you murmured, eyes still closed, āI love you again.ā
āYouād fallen out of love with me?ā
āTemporarily.ā
āOver the ice?ā
āMhm.ā
āAnd now?ā
āYouāve redeemed yourself.ā
She smiled. āYou are remarkably easy to bribe.ā
The next cube slipped slightly. Instinctively she steadied it with the flat of her hand. Her palm rested lightly against your back, warmer than the ice, cooler than your skin. She could feel the steady rise and fall of your breathing, the tiny shift of muscle with every exhale.
Something had shifted in the room. The awareness settled heavily between her ribs as she watched damp strands of hair curl against your neck and goosebumps rise wherever the cold passed.
You turned your face just enough to find her eyes. āWhat?ā
āNothing,ā she answered softly. āTurn over. Itās only fair I cool the other side too.ā
For a heartbeat, neither of you moved. Then, slowly, still watching her face, you rolled onto your back. You let out a shaky breath, one arm draping lazily above your head. Your white bikini top clung to the curves of your breasts.
Larissaās gaze traced the length of you without hurry. Something darker and warmer slipped beneath her usual composure. She took another cube.
This time she started lower, just beneath your navel. Your stomach jumped at the sudden cold. She dragged it upward in a slow, deliberate line between your ribs, painting a glistening trail. Then she drew lazy circles just below your sternum, watching the water slip sideways along your waist.
āStill perfect?ā she asked, voice low.
āGetting better.ā
She traced the delicate hollow at the base of your throat, then followed the line of your collarbone. Your breathing had changedāshallower, quicker. Every exhale trembled slightly. The contrast left your skin hypersensitive, tingling long after the ice had passed.
Larissa shifted closer, kneeling beside you. Strands of silver hair slipped free and tickled your shoulder. She picked up a fresh cube and let it rest for a moment against the side of your neck, then let cold drops fall slowly onto the swell of your left breast. One. Then another. Then another.
You arched, a quiet whimper slipping out.
āLarissaā¦ā
She leaned down, lips nearly brushing your ear. āMay I?ā
You nodded.
Her fingers slipped beneath the edge of your bikini top with agonising slowness. The ice cube followed. The shock of cold against your overheated nipple pulled a sharp gasp from your throat. Your back arched cleanly off the tiled floor.
āOhāfuckāā
Larissa made a soft, appreciative sound. She kept the cube trapped beneath the fabric, circling the sensitive peak slowly. The ice melted quickly, sending icy water streaming down the curve of your breast and soaking the fabric until it was nearly transparent. She moved to the other side, repeating every motion with deliberate careāsliding a fresh cube beneath the right cup, circling, pressing just enough to make you squirm. Her thumb occasionally brushed warm beneath the freezing burn.
Your hand found her shoulder, fingers curling into her linen shirt. You couldnāt decide whether to pull her closer or simply hold on.
āLook at you,ā she whispered, watching your face as she rolled your nipple slowly beneath the dwindling cube. āSo responsiveā¦ and all from a little ice.ā
She let the last sliver melt completely, then reached for another cube. Her hand slid lower. She tugged gently at the string of your bikini bottoms.
āLift your hips for me, darling.ā
You obeyed, thighs trembling. She slipped the fabric down just enough. The warm air kissed your skin for only a moment before the ice followed.
She pressed the cube first against the sensitive crease where your thigh met your groin. You jolted. Then she guided it lower, slipping it beneath the damp fabric and rubbing lightly along your swollen lips. The freezing hardness gliding through your wetness drew broken, needy sounds from deep in your throat. The cube melted fast, sending cool rivulets mixing with your arousal and dripping onto the tiles beneath you.
Larissa moved with agonising patienceātracing every fold, pressing just enough to part you before retreating, then gliding upward again. Your hips twitched and rolled helplessly, chasing the overwhelming sensation.
She shifted the shrinking cube higher and pressed it directly against your clit.
Your entire body jerked hard. A loud, needy cry tore from your lips. The freezing intensity bordered on too muchāsharp, burning cold that melted instantly into overwhelming pleasure. She held it there, rubbing in tight, slow circles, keeping firm pressure as the ice shrank rapidly between her fingertips and your throbbing clit.
āSo sensitive,ā she murmured, almost reverent. āLook at youā¦ melting for me in every possible way.ā
When it dissolved completely, she reached for another fresh cube. This time she pressed it directly against your entrance, letting the freezing tip part your folds. You gasped sharply as she pushed it slowly inside with two fingers. The intense cold bloomed deep within you. She worked it deeper with gentle, unhurried strokes, letting it melt and spread icy water with every movement.
She followed with a second cube.
Your back arched hard. Larissa kept her fingers there, stroking slowly, curling them to press the melting ice against your inner walls and that sensitive spot inside you. Her thumb returned to your clit, circling with cool, steady pressure. She took her timeālong, deliberate thrusts mixed with shallow, teasing onesāreplacing each cube as it melted, keeping you full of that delicious freezing burn while your moans grew louder and less controlled.
Sweat and meltwater slicked your skin. Your hips rolled desperately to meet her hand. The sensations built gradually, relentlessly.
āYouāre dripping everywhere,ā she whispered, voice husky. āSuch a beautiful mess for me.ā
The cold slowly gave way to a deep, throbbing ache of pleasure. Her chilled fingers felt impossibly good stroking that perfect spot while her thumb kept its patient rhythm on your swollen clit. The coil in your belly tightened inch by inch, winding higher with every slow thrust, every precise circle, every quiet word of praise.
Larissa leaned down, pressing open-mouthed kisses along your sternum and lower.
āLet go for me,ā she murmured against your skin, fingers never faltering. āI want to feel you come around my cold fingers.ā
The orgasm finally crashed over you in heavy, pulsing waves. Your back bowed sharply off the floor. A loud, broken cry tore from your throat as your walls clenched hard around her fingers. Larissa kept stroking you through every tremorāslow and steadyādrawing out the pleasure until you collapsed, limp and trembling against the damp tiles.
Only then did she gently ease her fingers free and pull you into her arms. She brushed soft kisses to your temple, your cheek, the corner of your mouth.
āThere you are,ā she whispered, warm with affection and lingering desire. āMy perfect, melting girl.ā
You managed a soft, wrecked laugh and turned your face into her neck, breathing her in. The heatwave still pressed against the shutters outside, and the cicadas still sang, but wrapped in her arms, it felt wonderfully far away.
small sketch and render, i really like the lighting in the reference iām hoping i pulled it off šš iāve been in a bit of a rut lately but iām trying to get more pieces done for you guys š«¶
The local mall was the busiest it had ever been, everyone from the surrounding towns doing their last minute Christmas shopping. An area near the entrance had been converted into a winter wonderland, complete with fake snow, oversized candy canes, and a massive Christmas tree. An old man in a Santa Claus costume welcomed children from a long queue that wrapped around nearly a quarter of the mall, accompanied by a small group of āelvesā tasked to take photos of him with the children and to do crowd control.Ā
Each child you passed as you walked to the end of the queue was louder and more hyper than the last and you grimaced and turned to Larissa with an apology on the tip of your tongue, only to find her smiling pleasantly at Alice as the little girl skipped beside her, divulging in great, trivial detail what she had already told you at breakfast about her Christmas wishlist.Ā
Of course Larissa was good with children ā you couldnāt fathom why she wouldnāt be, running a school, after all. Kids of all ages went to Nevermore, though you usually only saw the older students in Jericho. Apparently she was a natural even with the little ones, so much so that she hardly seemed to notice the din that the kids at the mall made, which was already starting to give you a headache.Ā
āCould you guys watch the kids for us?ā Deanna asked, trying to put Ben down. He clung to her neck, his little face already scrunching up and turning red. She sighed, glancing at you pleadingly, though before you could react, Larissa was already reaching out her arms.Ā
āMay I?ā
āYeah ā please.āĀ
Larissa took Ben into her arms ā he resisted at first, grabbing onto Deannaās hair and letting out a wail, but she managed to pry herself from his strong, toddler grasp. Larissa clutched him to her chest and began to coo at him.
āThank you, weāll try to be back before you guys reach Santa.ā Deanna grasped her husbandās elbow, lowering her voice. āLast minute presents.āĀ
The two of them disappeared in a throng of people, leaving you and Larissa with Alice and Ben. The former hardly noticed her parentās absence, rocking on her heels and craning her neck to see Santa in a sort of feverish anticipation, while the latter was sniffling into Larissaās neck, his little hands balled into fists against the front of her dress.Ā
To say you were impressed was an understatement ā Ben was generally a pretty quiet child but once he started crying, it was nearly impossible to get him to stop. And he could be loud. But Larissa held him tightly, one arm under his bottom and the other hand at the back of his head, gently stroking dark curls as she whispered to him and rocked him back and forth. Bright blue eyes locked onto yours overtop his head, and you felt your palms turn clammy in an instant. Painted lips curled into an easy smile, and you felt your knees turn to something closely resembling jell-o. There was something dizzying about Larissa holding your nephew as if he was her own, something that made your heart skip a beat.
You smiled back (at least, you hoped you did ā you felt a bit faint all of a sudden) and were very grateful for the distraction when Alice tugged at your coat and asked you how long the queue would take.
āI donāt know, all these kids have to tell Santa what they want for Christmas, too.ā
Her eyes widened in sudden horror. āIs he going to have time to give us all presents?ā she asked anxiously. You crouched beside her, holding her by the shoulders in what you hoped was a comforting manner.Ā
āOf course he is. Heās been bringing kids all over the world their presents, for hundreds of years.ā
āThatās why itās so important we leave out carrots for the reindeer,ā Larissa supplied, and your head snapped up to see her peering down at you and Alice. āTo give them the energy to fly quickly enough.ā
Alice soaked in Larissaās words, nodding gravely. She craned her neck again to look down the queue, and you stared up at Larissa, who winked at you. You swallowed thickly, rising slowly to your feet, your knees popping on your way up and making Larissa laugh.Ā
āI thought you were younger than I am, your knees are already giving out?ā she teased.
āYou have no idea,ā you replied weakly.
The queue took ages and even when you reached the front, Deanna and Dan were nowhere in sight. Alice held onto your hand tightly, her grip strong and her expression grave, as though she was gearing up for the most important moment of her life. Ben was looking very sleepy in Larissaās arms, his head resting against her chest and his eyelids heavy as Larissa shifted him subtly in her arms.
āYou can put him down if heās getting too heavy, you know,ā you murmured. āHeās got legs, heās old enough to stand for a minute.ā
Larissa looked mildly offended. āNo, heās alright,ā she insisted with a shake of her head, pressing a soft kiss to his curls. āI donāt mind.āĀ
You rolled your eyes and let out a playful huff. āSuit yourself, just donāt complain when your arms are sore tomorrow. You shouldnāt let my sisterās kids wrap you around their little fingers like that, theyāre spoiled rotten enough as is.āĀ
Larissa rolled her eyes right back, a witty retort no doubt forming on the tip of her tongue, though youād never hear it ā the elf standing at the front of the queue cleared his throat and approached Alice in that moment.Ā
āAre you ready to meet Santa?ā
She nodded shyly, a look of trepidation crossing her face. You knelt down beside her, her hand squeezing yours in a death grip.Ā
āYouāll be okay,ā you whispered encouragingly, trying to push her towards the old man sat waiting for her.
āWould you like your mommies to come with you?ā the elf interjected.
āOh, weāre notāā The words died on your tongue as Alice nodded absently, eyes still fixed nervously on Santa, and suddenly the elf was jerking his head at you and Larissa, as if to say āthe queue is long, get on with it.ā
You glanced almost helplessly at over your shoulder, your eyes wide, but Larissa seemed to be taking everything in stride, following you and Alice over to Santa.Ā
Another elf helped your niece onto Santaās lap and, after she stuttered out her wishlist, Larissa placed Ben on Santaās other knee. The two of you stood aside, shoulder to shoulder, as yet another elf took a photo of your niece and nephew on Santaās lap. You were starting to sweat beneath your coat, and Larissaās body heat so close to you wasnāt helping the matter. Alice wriggled herself free from Santaās lap the moment the photo was done and ran up to Larissa, tugging at her coat. You collected Ben and followed Larissa and Alice to a more quiet corner to regroup.
Would you like your mommies to come with you? And you hadnāt said anything, Alice hadnāt said anything. Even Larissa hadnāt said anything. The elf could have assumed that you were friends, or cousins, or anything really. But he assumed you were a couple. You supposed that was a good thing ā if this stranger thought you two were a couple, surely your family was buying into the lie as well. A lie that was, slowly but surely, making you feel sick to your stomach.Ā
āAre you alright?ā You jumped as Larissaās hand came to rest on your lower back ā your grip on Ben had tightened and he was starting to get fussy, and you hadnāt even realized, as deep in thought as you were. You met Larissaās gaze, and you wished you hadnāt. There was a deep crease between her brows, her eyes were wide and imploring, swimming with concern, her lips turned into a frown. Her thumb ran across your lower back, back and forth and back and forth, as heat prickled at the back of your neck. Your stomach turned, you suddenly felt very ill.Ā
āItās a bit hot in here,ā you remarked faintly.
āItās terribly stuffy,ā Larissa agreed, though there was something in her gaze that you couldnāt quite place as she eyed you carefully, her eyes narrowing slightly. She cocked her head to one side. āIāll take Ben and wait with Alice for Deanna, you go outside for a moment.āĀ
You let her take your nephew in your arms, nodding as you turned robotically and headed for the nearest exit, her gaze burning a hole into the back of your head as you went. It was absolutely freezing outside, the wind was blowing snowflakes across the parking lot, but it did wonders for your nausea. Wiping your clammy palms on the sides of your coat, you sat down on a bench and waited for your family to come out and meet you.
Your family, and Larissa.
It was terribly selfish of you, you realized in that moment, to have Larissa keep up the charade for you like this. Instead of having a fun, relaxing Christmas, she was being subjected to all sorts of embarrassing family antics, Christmas parties with people she didnāt know, childcare for children who werenāt her responsibility. All because you had been too chicken to correct your mother when she thought you had gotten a girlfriend.Ā
Larissa seemed to be enjoying herself alright, but you had your doubts. At the Christmas party after youād kissed her. When you were forced to lie in bed together the following morning. Listening to your mom go on and on about your ex. Those moments in which Larissa seemed distant ā the same moments in which you felt like you wanted her near.Ā
And what made the guilt even worse? You were having the time of your life. You liked having Larissa around. You liked the way that she fit into your family, and into your life. You liked watching her dote on Alice, and on Ben, you liked watching her talk to your sister, or to your parents. You liked seeing her in your childhood home, at the kitchen table, drinking out of what had been your favorite mug a decade ago, as if she belonged there. You liked lying awake at night staring up at those old, faded glow-in-the-dark stars, listening to her breathe, knowing she was staring up at the same stars.
It made you sick to your stomach to think she didnāt like all of that quite as much as you did.
āThere you are, you okay?ā Your sisterās voice broke you out of your reverie ā you hadnāt heard her approach, her children and Larissa in tow.
āYeah, fine, it was just too stuffy.ā
āDanās just loading the bags into the car, heāll pull it around.āĀ
As you stood, Larissa came around to your side and placed a firm, steadying hand on your elbow. You smiled gratefully, almost in spite of yourself.
āDan wanted to take the kids ice skating,ā Deanna started. āDo you guys want to come or should we drop you at home first?ā
Your questioning gaze met Larissaās, searching. She smiled, giving you a slight nod, though her brow furrowed slightly. āI donāt mind, are you sure youāre alright?ā
āYeahā¦ā You felt yourself blush at Larissaās concern. āYeah, Iām fine.āĀ
When Dan pulled the car around to the mallās entrance, you and Larissa climbed into the back while Deanna secured the kids in their car seats. Larissa was cramped in the back seat, her long legs bent at an awkward angle, her knee pressed against your thigh. Your fingers twitched in your lap, you wanted so much to reach out and touch her, to get closer to herā¦ Screw it. You rested your hand on her leg, hesitantly, then watched as she covered it with her own. She smiled at you ā a small smile, warm and comforting, her face at ease. You smiled back, that dizzy feeling from earlier returning, and rested your head against her shoulder, solid and grounding ā you werenāt quite sure what had gotten into you, but you hoped she would attribute your physical neediness to not feeling well.
The back seat of your sisterās SUV was like a bubble of your own making. You could hardly focus on the conversation she was having with her husband, on the chatter of your niece and, to a lesser extent, your nephew, on the music playing on the radio. Instead, you felt a sleepy, dreamy sort of weightlessness with your head against Larissaās shoulder, with her warm palm cupping your hand, the soft wool of her coat beneath your fingertips. You could feel every breath she took, the sweet, flowery scent of her perfume lulling you into a daze ā every so often, when the car hit a pothole or turned a corner, your head bounced, bringing you even closer to Larissa, your hair grazing her cheek. And she sat there, looking out the window, her thumb brushing rhythmic strokes across your knuckles. It nearly made you fall asleep, and you were more than reluctant to leave the car when you arrived at the ice skating rink.
Inside, it took you twice as long as usual to lace up your skates ā you were too busy watching Larissa help Alice with hers, knelt in front of the little girl, her nimble fingers doing up the laces carefully, pulling them tight, knotting them securely, checking the fit around each of Aliceās feet. She took your nieceās hands, helped her up, watched her like a hawk as she took a few steps to make sure they werenāt too loose.Ā
In that time, youād only managed to lace up one of your skates halfway.Ā
āI guessed your shoe size, I hope they fit okay,ā Deanna said, offering Larissa a pair of ice skates ā Larissa looked up at her from where she was still crouched down, her eyes wide.Ā
āOh no, Iāll just be watching.ā She insisted firmly, a polite smile settling on her face. Alice scurried up to her as fast as she was able in her skates.
āYou donāt wanna skate?ā She looked like a wounded puppy, and Larissa glanced at you nervously. Alice followed her gaze, turning her puppy dog eyes on you. āMake Auntie Rissy skate with me.ā
That nauseating, guilty feeling simmered low in your belly again when Alice called Larissa āAuntie Rissyā, but you ignored it this time, suppressing a smile at Larissaās helpless expression ā she was usually so confident and in control, and it was a bit comforting to see that even Larissa Weems wasnāt perfect all the time.
āIf Auntie Larissa doesnāt want to skate, then we canāt make her,ā you said gently. Alice frowned, turning to Larissa with a big pout that made you giggle. You smirked and added, āI donāt know how you can say no to her, though.ā
āI canāt,ā Larissa said with a resigned frown, settling on the bench and taking off her heeled boots. Alice squealed in delight, her entire demeanor changing in a heartbeat. You couldnāt help but laugh at your niece and, when you caught Larissaās gaze again, she sighed softly ā then her gaze fell to your skates and she let out a huffed laugh. āDonāt tell me you canāt tie your own skates either?āĀ
A crimson flush spread across your cheeks ā youād been distracted, and, as it stood, had managed to tie a wonky knot into one of them and were still playing absently with the laces of the second. āI can tie my own skates just fine,ā you grumbled. Larissa chuckled softly, a smile returning to her face ā the twitch of her lips made you feel warm.
i think its vv frustrating when ppl r like 'but I find brienne beautiful 'bc its like. so blatantly not the point. like the text isnt asking u if u think a butch w broad shoulders thin hair and freckles is the most attractive woman to u in the whole wide world its asking u even if brienne was the ugliest woman u ever seen in ur life would u still respect her. would u still call her a good person for her good deeds despite how she looked. would u value her appearance over her character. like ur not engaging w the text atp
