Waiting. I wonder if anyone actually realizes just how big a part of our lives we spend doing just that. A third of your natural life will be spent asleep, a third in school or at work, and the remaining time mostly waiting.
Waiting for what? Damn good question.
I won't pretend to have any idea of what everybody else is waiting for. The only one I can speak for is myself.
Me? I'm waiting for Sasha.
Kelly yawned and put her pen down, closing the leather-bound journal and sliding it into the desk drawer where it belonged. She glanced at the small digital clock resting on her roommate's nightstand and blinked. 11:54 PM? Damn, I didn't realize it was that late.
The raven-haired girl turned her attention to the computer screen and scowled at it. She had a paper on Web Design due for her Information Technology class the following morning, and still needed to write another page. Only she had no idea what to write that hadn't already been thoroughly explained.
With a resigned sigh, Kelly pulled her long hair back in a ponytail and leaned over the keyboard, cracking her knuckles as was her habit before she began typing. She did what she had done so many times before, and shut her mind down completely, focusing only on the topic of the paper, and letting the words flow naturally from her fingertips.
Blue eyes focused on the screen, narrowing slightly at the sharp glare of light and watching as the electronic paper filled with words. Bit by bit, the last, blank page was being covered with small black letters, commas, periods and quotation marks, the silence in the room only broken by the rapid clicking of the keyboard. Finally, Kelly nodded in satisfaction, saved the document and clicked on the small printer icon at the top of the screen.
The printer hummed to life, and the small machine, which had been a recent Christmas present from Kelly's parents, obediently spat out the finished assignment. She picked up the report and, after dutifully stapling the sheets together, added her signature to the last page with a flourish.
"The end," she grumbled decisively, slamming the report down on the desk and impulsively sticking her tongue out at it. "Nyah nyah."
Kelly snorted and shook her head at her own actions. "I need to get some sleep," she muttered as she stood and stretched her arms above her head, grunting in satisfaction at the series of small pops as her spine re-aligned itself.
Looking at the clock again, Kelly frowned at the ungodly hour. Sasha had said that she would be back from her parents' house late Sunday night, but Kelly was a little miffed at the fact that it was as late as it was.
Quit being such a baby! She scolded herself. You know she had to go home for her father's 50th birthday. It's not Sasha's fault that her parents live 2500 miles away.
Kelly sighed and turned to the mirror, glaring at her sulky reflection, who glared back. She had missed her lover terribly over the past two days, finding college life amazingly dull without her blonde friend there to lighten it up.
A small smile edged the young woman's lips. Sasha was well known in their dorm for her gift of gab. Her lips barely stopped moving when she was in a good mood, which meant that she was talking pretty much constantly. It had annoyed Kelly to no end when they'd first become roommates at the start of Sasha' freshman year, but eventually she had grown to treasure the happy chattering that seemed to be such an essential part of her lover's personality.
Kelly walked over to the bed Sasha slept in and lay down on it. Originally, there had been two twin beds in the room, but once they had started their relationship, they had pushed them together to make one large bed instead. A plaid tucked down along the middle provided them with a thick enough layer of softness that they wouldn't feel the wooden edges of the beds pressing against them while they slept.
The dark-haired woman pulled her lover's pillow on top of her, wrapping her arms tightly around it and burying her nose in the powder blue fabric. She was glad the sheets still smelled like Sasha, despite the fact that Kelly had spent every free moment on them since her lover left.
With thoughts of her golden girl's return and a soft scent of peach surrounding her, Kelly soon fell asleep.
****
The door opened slowly, a slight creak startling the young blonde as she stepped inside the room and set her suitcase down next to the wall. Sasha's eyes scanned the room, and the ocean green pools warmed as she spotted her tall lover asleep on the bed.
With her 21 years, Kelly was Sasha's senior by one year, and the brunette's six foot plus frame had a good 6 inches on her slightly vertically challenged lover.
Sitting down on the floor next to the bed, Sasha smiled as she studied her sleeping friend. Kelly's face was relaxed and open like a child's, and her long dark mane was pulled back in a ponytail that, frankly, looked like she'd slept on it for hours. Which, Sasha supposed, she probably had.
Sasha got to her knees and reached out, trailing her fingertips lightly over Kelly's face. She sighed happily as she felt her lover's warm breath wash over her skin, and revelled in the feel of the brunette's soft skin. The past two days had seemed to last forever, especially since they hadn't even spoken during that time. Sasha had been busy spending time with relatives, most of whom hadn't seen her at all since she'd left for college two years earlier, and Kelly had several papers to finish and books to read for her classes.
The blonde rubbed her thumb gently over Kelly's cheekbone, and leaned forward, brushing her lips against those of her lover's. A small smile came to her face as she felt the brunette respond in her sleep.
Sensing the warm presence beside her, Kelly reached up and tangled one hand in the soft hairs at the base of Sasha's neck, pulling the blonde head down and bringing their lips more firmly together.
The younger woman gladly followed Kelly's silent guidance, climbing onto the bed and settling her body half over the brunette's without breaking off the gentle exploration. Every ounce of tension that Sasha had picked up over the last two days seemed to melt and float right out of her body as one large, warm hand stroked her back, while another caressed her cheek.
Reluctantly breaking the loving contact, Sasha tucked her head under Kelly's chin and placed a light kiss to the older woman's breastbone. "I really needed that," she giggled softly.
"You and me both," Kelly chuckled, her voice hoarse from sleep. "I missed you."
"Missed you more."
"I seriously doubt that's possible." Kelly slid her hand under the shorter woman's shirt and gently trailed her fingers over the warm skin on her back.
"When in doubt the answer's C," Sasha muttered, thoroughly enjoying the light caress.
"You're making no sense whatsoever," Kelly burred, pressing a soft kiss to the crown of her lover's head.
"Of course I'm not, I've been up for almost 24 hours," the blonde replied, feeling the warm body beneath her shake slightly as Kelly laughed.
The brunette smiled and hugged her friend to her; enjoying the low burn of arousal that had ignited inside her the second Sasha's lips had touched her own. Neither of them had the energy to go beyond the slow caresses and lazy kisses, but Kelly was perfectly satisfied holding the smaller woman, something that had surprised her at first, given how determined she had been with her past lovers.
Sasha sighed happily and snuggled closer to her tall lover. Manhattan hadn't felt like home to her at all, even though she'd grown up there. The big, bright house with all its beautiful furnishings and filled with relatives, had seemed so empty this time. Nevertheless, here, in a small, dark dorm room in San Francisco, Sasha felt like she was home again. She knew that the main reason was the lanky brunette she lay so cosily with. Her home was with Kelly, and wherever the brunette should choose to go, Sasha would follow without question.
Kelly placed two fingers under Sasha's chin, and gently tilted the blonde head up, capturing her lips in a slow kiss. This feeling had definitely been worth the wait.