Calliope found herself awakening more comfortable than she ever had before.

She'd slept on hard floors, and sleeping mats, and in below freezing when there was a polar vortex outside, or well above a hundred when there was a heatwave. Even when she once lived with her mother, most mornings were one extreme or the other. But this morning, the bedding was soft. The room was chilled, and it crisply licked her skin. But a warmth beside her fought it back. A tender warmth that pushed back the cold.

Eyes still sealed, she let a sigh slip through her throat before she found herself nuzzling even further into that nurturing heat. But it took very little time for the memories of the night before to finally begin to float back into her mind.

Her breath hitched and her eyes spread wide. And she was suddenly far more cognisant of the soft, straight hair that tickled her nose, and the plump softness pressing on her angles. The soft wafting scent of sweat, fresh flowers, and sex trailed into her nose. And her eyes—if at all possible—somehow managed to find themselves even wider.

Then the body stirred, and Calli let out a muted squeak as she tried to divert her eye contact to make it seem like she wasn't staring straight at her. Though it's not much like that mattered all that much. She made no effort to pull away.

Jasmine rolled in her arms and came to face her, eyes still closed and breaths still steady. She was quite serene when she slept, Calliope thought. She had the most tender, vulnerable look on her face, lips parted slightly, snores just audible and the bedding rising and falling with her breaths. Her fisted hands came close to her face, and pressed onto Calli's bare chest as she nuzzled tightly into the other woman. Calli felt her soft breaths puffing onto her bare skin, and it sent a shiver through her whole body.

She looked down at the sleeping woman, and her face came to soften. She had to withhold from a chuckle. She pulled the plush body in just a fraction closer. As much as she possibly could while they were already so firmly pressed together. She dared a kiss on the crown of her head. And she swore that she might've heard a pleased little sigh flow from the blonde's lips. But she was still fast asleep.

Calliope couldn't help a chuff.. Jasmine didn't move very much other than that one rolling over earlier. She remained, nuzzled in close, nose burrowing into Calli's clavicle and breaths steady as the other woman came to gently stroke the soft locks of her short hair. And that just seemed to serve to make her even more comfortable.

Calli lost track of just how long she had been there. But, eventually, another stirring came.

Jasmine let out a little groan as she awoke. She yawned into Calliope's chest, burrowing in as a vain attempt to stifle it. She pulled a fraction back with sleepy eyes and looked up at the woman that she found holding her. Her lips pursed, almost contemplatively. Then she hummed. And they creased up into a tender smile.

"Hey..." she croaked, her throat still rasped with sleep.

Calliope couldn't help a chuckle. "Well, hi there," she hushed back.

Jasmine hummed, then burrowed her face back into collarbone and taught, naked skin.

"Hey..."

Calli huffed a laugh out her nose. "You already said that."

Another hum was the only response, followed by a nuzzle. Calli chuffed, and ran her fingers through the soft mop of head before her, stopping when she would reach a knot. Having tossed herself into bed the night before so soon after a shower, there were many.

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Jasmine stayed tight against her, and Calli looked to her fondly. But then she frowned.

"... So... Last night..."

Again, just a hum.

"That..." Calliope swallowed. "What... what was that?" She gently pulled from the face burrowed into her, and that was enough of a prompting for the cerulean eyes beside her to peer beadily up into her browns, still heavy with sleep.

"Can I sleep i'more 'fore we pry'nto our relationship status?" She slurred. A sole snort escaped before Calli could stifle it. But then she frowned.

"The sun's up..."

Jasmine burrowed again. "I noticed."

"... I have to head home soon."

"M'kay," Jasmine slurred again, "But tha's not now. So, shut up 'n stay 'til I wake up."

Calli pursed her lips as she felt a sliver of slyness worm into her tongue.

"You weren't nearly this bossy last night."

Jasmine answered with a tiny little discontented moan at herself being clocked. She tried to burrow in even further, but the hard bone of Calliope's chest would not allow it.

"Rude..." she grumbled against her skin. The vibration of her voice and the warmth of her breath sent a thrumming through Calliope's chest.

Calliope smirked. "Maybe. But, very true."

"Keep that up, 'n'I'might actually tak'you up on that whole, 'organ harvestin' thing...'" she squeezed out.

"Eh, nah. You wouldn't. I've got you pegged, now."

"No, actually—didn't do any of that last night. You're more than welcome too, though. Maybe not, 'organ harvestin',' but, I'm not one opposed to, 'organ rearranging.'"

Calli paled. Then she blushed.

"You think you're so slick—"

"I was! Just last night."

"Jasmine! Ewe!"

"'Ewe?' You literally ate that up!"

Calliope grunted and rolled her eyes as Jasmine snirted into her chest.

"Seems like your wit's back."

"An'my libido. Wha's'your point?"

Calliope's desperate heart tempted itself with prying again. Tempted itself with trying to pull from the other woman's lips what last night had meant to her. Because Calli knew what it had for herself. And it was terrifying.

But her better judgment and common decency faired not to ask.

Calliope smiled lightly, pressing a kiss to Jasmine's head, unable to resist the temptation of the gesture. "Nothing."

There was a poise of silence. Until an uncharacteristically soft voice came from the lips pressed close to Calli's chest.

"You know, I am serious about this, by the way..."

Calliope felt her blood freeze solid in her veins. And she couldn't decide whether it was a bad thing or not. She dared ask, "Serious about what?"

"Us."

Calli's breathe hitched.

"... Oh."

Jasmine nuzzled her chest again, but Calli was barely there to process it.

"Yeah..." Jasmine spoke meekly, "'Oh.'"

Calliope's hand continued stroking platinum hair. But then it stopped. And she could feel the uncertainty radiating off of Jasmine. She pulled away from her, just a fraction. And the soft-faced woman's eye immediately darted up to meet her own. But they didn't share a single word.

Calliope intently stared into those piercing blue eyes. They could be disarming. Harsh, or teasing, but always drilling straight into her soul. But they weren't, now. They were dulled. Intimate, fragile, and vulnerable.

And scared.

Calliope's calloused hands came to almost brace Jasmine's face. Making sure it wouldn't come to fall away at the last second.

Calli swallowed. She really was beautiful. Jasmine. Dusty freckles on almost every inch of her skin, even on her chest. Her loose bangs hung in her eyes and framed her face. Other strands, not meant for where they were and disheveled in the night and their time together also came to curtain her features. But not those eyes. Or those lips. Or even the little button of a nose settled right dead-center in her face.

Calliope's thumbs traced along the lines of freckles dotting Jasmine's plump cheeks. She knew her face must have appeared startlingly tense. Most notably by the fact Jasmine seemed shy of looking her in the eye. Or maybe, that was because of something else.

Calli curled her lips in, and her brows knitted. And she took a shaky breath.

"Promise."

Confusion leached in with everything else that floated around Jasmine's eyes.

"Promise?" The word slipped out her mouth loosely. "Promise what?"

"Promise me. Promise that you're serious."

Jasmine's eyes searched her own for just a fraction of a second before the words came out with very little hesitation.

"I promise."

And without a moment of second thought, Calli's lips found hers like they had the night before. Then again, and again, and again. And tears couldn't help slipping from her eyes. Because something like this was so rare. So precious. And she pulled the soft woman close, reveling as her petit hands explored the bareness of her skin.

Never ready to let go.