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It has never been in Bradley’s nature to ask for things. She isn’t quite sure she even knows how to do it, really. Growing up, there was no point in voicing her desires — she’d learned the hard way that it was better for most everyone around her if she didn’t feel desire at all. Not for presents on her birthday. Not for attention from her parents. Not for girls and, if she could help it, also not for boys. Asking for things had always felt like an inconvenience.
Laura, however, has proven herself to be an obstacle to the ways of her upbringing. She loves being asked for things, loves being useful. Most of the time, there’s no need to even ask. She’s a giver, it’s in her nature.
Tonight, Bradley needs something. She needs Laura to forgive her. But most of all, she needs to forget, if only for a little while. Forget that she’d been outed against her will, and that the two of them had argued the night before, and that she felt like a disappointment to her family, and that Mitch is dead, and that her junky brother had crossed every boundary she had ever so carefully set for herself by invading her workplace and announcing her private business in front of her coworkers as though he’d just learned it via the headlines of a trashy newspaper.
She needs an emotional snooze button.
The sun is setting when they finally make it back to Laura’s place. Not a single word had been exchanged on the car ride home, with the exception of “My place?” and a beaten-down “Sounds good”. Bradley had felt too emotionally drained to speak, content on just letting her thoughts run wild as the city passed her by through the car window. Somewhere along the Upper East Side, Laura had taken her hand in hers. She’d begun rubbing reassuring little circles along the side of her thumb, and a discreet smile graced Bradley’s features even as her gaze remained on New York City.
Bradley had half expected to break into tears seconds after entering Laura’s apartment, but as it turns out, she’s all cried out. She watches as Laura carefully locks the door and steps out of her winter coat, hanging it by the entrance. Briefly, she remembers she’s still wearing that hideous pink dress that wardrobe had stuck her with this morning in an attempt to make her look more feminine and assuage the lesbian rumors. In all honesty, she can no longer find it in herself to hate the dress. All she feels at the moment is numb.
Laura seems to pick up on it, because she always does. She picks up on everything. This is how you become UBA’s journalistic crown jewel, Bradley entertains — by being perceptive.
Softly, as though not to spook the other woman, Laura approaches her. She places a hand on her cheek, the other coming to remove a strand of hair from her puffy face. Her smile never wavers.
“What do you need?”, she asks.
And there it is. Bradley doesn’t have to ask, because Laura knows. And Laura will provide. She always does.
“Can you—", she begins, a bit self-conscious still. Laura runs her thumb through Bradley’s cheek in the softest of encouraging gestures, and she finds her voice again just as her eyes flutter closed. “Can you help me not think? Just... for a little bit.”
She nods even though her partner can't see it, formulating a plan.
“Okay.”, she tells her, and the blonde opens her eyes. “But we need to set a few ground rules first.”
It’s Bradley’s turn to nod, a sigh of relief escaping her despite herself. Laura extends her hand and wordlessly leads Bradley to the bedroom, sitting down on the bed and patting the empty spot next to her. Bradley takes a seat.
“I wanna try something, but I need you to trust me.”
Bradley’s eyes soften at that.
“Of course I trust you”, she responds, and it’s as soft and as small as she’d sounded when she told her she could ask her anything in the back of that town car. It sounds equally curious, too.
Laura has never been an avid fan of BDSM. Most times she’d tried it, it had felt artificial. She does, however, see some merit in a few of its elements, which she enjoys cherry-picking to her liking.
Right now, the dynamic feels like just what Bradley needs.
“Have you ever used a strap on?”, she asks candidly, and Bradley’s eyes grow impossibly wide. It’s almost amusing to watch.
“Never.”, Bradley replies, her voice a bit rougher than before. Her mouth feels impossibly dry, and she licks her lips in response to the realization.
Laura runs a soft hand underneath her dress, just over the top of her thigh. She draws a mindless pattern over the naked flesh.
“And would you be opposed to that?”
Bradley shakes her head instantly, clearly up for the experience. Laura grins at her reaction.
“Okay. Would you be comfortable with me restricting your movements?”, she asks with a newly inquisitive tone, her touch keeping Bradley grounded.
“How so?”
She raises her eyes to meet Laura’s, needing the reassurance of it.
“I could tie you up…”, she starts, a sexy edge gracing her voice now as she raises her eyebrows. A shiver runs down Bradley’s spine. “or I could punish you if you move, or…”
“That.”, Bradley chooses entirely too quickly, and it takes everything in Laura not to chuckle at the other woman’s eagerness.
“Okay, then.”
Laura’s hand travels north, reaching higher ground on Bradley’s thigh. A small gasp escapes the younger woman, and Laura’s fingers start toying with the side of her G-string.
“We’re gonna need a safe word.”, Laura tells her matter-of-factly, still entirely too entertained by the feel of the other woman’s underwear.
“I—“, Bradley starts, all rational thought considerably clouded by arousal. “Umbrella.”
Laura smiles affectionately at that, a small chuckle escaping her despite the nature of her actions. Bradley smiles, too, and for a second it feels like them again. Damn their stupid fight.
“Umbrella it is. Take off your clothes.”
Bradley gets up and, in one swift move, pulls the dress over her head. The relief at being freed from the garment immediately overwhelms her, and she lets out a shaky sigh. Her black lace thong doesn’t match her pink cotton bra, a sign that she wasn’t expecting this to happen tonight. And why should she? A little under 24 hours ago Laura herself was uncertain if this would ever be happening again.
The thought of no longer being able to see or touch Bradley like this sends a wave of dread to the pit of Laura’s stomach, and the feeling spurs her into action.
“Come here.”, she demands in a tone that could only be described as commanding but caring.
Bradley closes the distance between them and sits down on Laura’s lap, straddling her. Laura’s hands immediately settle on her waist, softly caressing her sides, and the feel of it elicits a content little hum from Bradley.
Softly, she touches her forehead to Laura’s. They’re quiet for a beat, breathing each other in. Closing her eyes, Bradley rubs her nose against Laura’s. Bradley’s mouth opens a little in anticipation, and Laura mirrors her action with a smile. Their hover over one another, a push and pull rhythm in motion. Neither wants to be the one to close the distance.
It’s Bradley who gives up first, taking Laura’s bottom lip in between her teeth with an eager moan. Impatience always did end up getting the better of her.
“—uck”, Laura whispers against her lips, and Bradley’s features erupt in a cocky grin.
Just as she begins to lose herself, Laura remembers she’s supposed to be in control of the situation. Reluctantly, she detaches her lips from Bradley’s.
“Against the headboard, facing the wall.”, she commands, the softness in her tone long gone, now replaced by a breathless quality. “Now. And lose the lingerie.”
Both fear and excitement course through the blonde’s veins at an alarming rate, but she does as she’s told, quickly ridding herself of whatever clothing she has left and assuming her position against the wooden headboard.
“Place your hands on the wood and whatever you do, don’t move them. If you need to move them you ask me first, okay?”
Laura’s almost didactic in her explanation, and Bradley’s thankful for it. She’s dabbled in various levels of sexual activity that can only be described as unorthodox, but this? This requires a level of trust that she’s never really had with any previous partners.
“Okay.”, Bradley whispers, her legs shaking slightly in anticipation.
Laura takes her time undressing and perusing her dresser drawer for the strap on, confident that Bradley won’t disobey her orders. Once she locates the toy and steps into the harness, she walks towards her nightstand to fetch the lube.
“Feeling alright?”, she checks in as she opens her first drawer, and Bradley startles with the suddenness of it.
“Yes.”, she whispers back, clearly fighting the urge to ask for relief. Patience had never been her strong suit, and her slightly anxious demeanor is a dead giveaway. It worries Laura.
“Hey.”, she whispers softly as she steps onto the bed, one hand coming to brush the hair from her face. “Say the word and we stop, okay?”
Laura runs her left palm along Bradley’s scalp, a soft little sigh of contentment escaping her partner at the action. Carefully, she closes a fist around a generous lock of hair and twists it in her hand.
“I’ll do whatever you want me to, Bradley, but you need to use your words.”
Bradley nods vigorously, already lost in the sensation. Words, she reminds herself. Words.
“Touch me.”, she pleads, and her voice is so small, it sounds almost tender.
Laura pulls her closer by the hair, immediately attaching her lips to the crook of her neck and sucking what is sure to become a hickey onto her throat. With her right hand, she traces every piece of skin she can reach.
Bradley moans in relief, immediately letting herself sink into the other woman’s embrace. As Laura’s hand closes around a breast, she briefly contemplates taking the other one in her own hand. She’s quickly reminded of the movement restrictions Laura had imposed earlier and has half a mind to call her bluff. The prospect of being punished is scary, but also incredibly exciting.
If she stops touching me, I’ll die, Bradley thinks to herself, and quickly decides against defying Laura’s orders.
She can feel Laura’s hands everywhere. They drift from her hair to her shoulders, take a shortcut to her breasts, move down towards her stomach. She’s enveloped in her, surrounded by Laura, Laura, Laura. It’s overwhelming in the most delicious of ways.
“Are you ready?”, she asks, bringing a gentle hand to Bradley’s sex and testing the waters. She finds her dripping wet and responsive.
“Fuck.”, she moans at the initial contact despite herself. “Please.”
Laura grabs the lube and squirts a dollop of it onto her hand, using it to coat the purple silicone accessory.
“Try to relax.”, she whispers against Bradley’s skin as she peppers small kisses all over the back of her shoulders.
Bradley nods slowly, but the movement is cut off as Laura pushes the tip of the toy inside.
“Oh!”, a moan of surprise catches her off guard, and her grip on the headboard tightens. It doesn’t go unnoticed.
“You okay?”, Laura asks before going any further. Bradley’s nod is vigorous now.
Slowly, Laura slides the toy the rest of the way inside inch by inch, all the while rubbing soothing circles over Bradley’s lower stomach. Her tiny little mewls of pleasure are all the encouragement she needs.
Right as she reaches the hilt, Laura realizes their height is going to be a problem. Giving her lover a little time to adjust, she works out her game plan.
“Up.”, she commands softly. Carefully, she lifts Bradley’s hips so that the other woman's thighs rest atop her own. “Good?”
“Good.”, Bradley replies, her voice rough and dripping with lust. It’s all the encouragement Laura needs to start moving.
She starts off with a couple of test thrusts before easing her into a punishing pace. Bradley wants it rough, she reminds herself as she counters the severeness of it with soft kisses to the top of her head. Laura keeps one arm wrapped around Bradley's waist, holding her close. With her free hand, she pulls on her hair — just enough to hurt a little. Judging by Bradley’s loud staccato moans, it’s working for her.
Laura uses her grip on Bradley’s hair to tilt her head, pressing wet kisses to her neck. She nuzzles into it for good measure, attempting to convey reassurance through actions rather than words.
"Yes, daddy.”, Bradley huffs out in between thrusts, bringing herself down on top of Laura’s thighs. Laura does her best to fight the grin off her face. She’d never been a particular fan of the term, but Bradley has a way of making most everything peculiarly sexy.
The sound of flesh slapping against sweaty flesh feels deeply erotic in the silence of the night. The wet sound of their union makes for perfect background noise to the tune of Bradley’s assorted expletives.
Bradley’s knees begin protesting from overuse, tired of bouncing up and down. She opts for a slow grind instead, rubbing herself against the toy. The sight releases a low moan from deep within Laura’s throat. Overcome by the need to see her unravel, she roughly holds onto Bradley’s sides, guiding her movements atop the silicon shaft. The extra help elicits a gasp from Bradley.
“Fuck, baby, please.”, she begs into the night. “Don’t stop.”
Almost absentmindedly, one of Bradley’s hands leaves the headboard to rub against her clit. Immediately, Laura stills her movements and brings a heavy hand down on her ass. The slap echoes loudly through the quiet of the room, accompanied only by Bradley's whimper at the sudden flash of pain. Two more slaps and a tiny mewl cuts through her best attempt at keeping herself together.
"Both hands on the headboard.", Laura commands breathlessly, and Bradley immediately does as she's told. "Do that again and I'll have no choice but to stop, you hear me?"
It’s almost amusing to Laura, the idea that she would genuinely consider stopping unless explicitly asked to. Not when the sounds coming out of Bradley’s mouth feel like her lifeline.
"Yes.", Bradley answers, fighting the urge to resume moving on Laura's lap. The slap sent a fresh wave of arousal to the pit of her stomach. "I'm sorry. I’ll be good."
Laura brings her left hand to Bradley's center. Gathering some of the wetness she finds there, she brings her digits to her girlfriend's clit. With precision, Laura begins rubbing tight circles around the bundle of nerves, just the way Bradley likes. Her right hand travels up to administer delicious torture upon one of Bradley's nipples.
"It's okay, honey.", she whispers as she begins moving her hips in earnest again. A shiver travels up and down Bradley's spine, lighting her skin aflame. "You've been good. You’ve been so good."
A guttural moan leaves Bradley's lips, and the corners of Laura's mouth quirk upwards into a smirk. She knows what she's doing, bringing back elements that have been known to make Bradley lose all composure. She's counting on their reliability now.
Briefly, Laura feels as though she's a teenager learning to play the cello again. She'd approached it with so much passion and intrigue, eager to learn which string corresponded to which sound. Bradley's like an instrument that way. Avidly responsive to touch, and issuer of the loveliest sounds. Case in point, a drawn-out, slurred expletive breaks Laura away from her reverie.
"You look so sexy like this.", Laura whispers in a low tone, directly into Bradley's ear. "Good girl. You're taking it so well.”
Bradley's legs begin shaking, and Laura speeds up her movements on her clit. Frantically, Bradley grinds her cunt on the toy, bringing herself down on its shaft. Her hands never leave the headboard. She is a good girl, after all.
"Come on, now, I've got you."
"Oh, God.", Bradley squeals as Laura's strap fills her up completely once more, her face scrunched up in pleasure. "I—"
Bradley's orgasm hits her like a ton of bricks. It's white-hot and overwhelming and so, so good. She surrenders to the full-body shakes and to Laura's tender kisses on her back, letting herself go limp against the headboard as the ecstasy of it slowly leaves her body. The second that it does, she chokes out a sob.
The sound terrifies Laura, who immediately pulls out and turns Bradley around in her arms so they're face to face. Bradley whimpers at the loss of Laura inside her.
"Bradley. Bradley, talk to me. Look at me, honey."
Laura brings her hands up to her lover's face, cupping her cheeks with care as if she's fragile. She's not, Laura reminds herself. But she looks so small...
"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"
"No", she barely chokes out, putting her own hands atop Laura's and bringing them down to her lap. "You did exactly what… exactly what I asked for."
Her speech comes in between wet hiccups, and Laura’s concern is unfazed. She waits for Bradley to gather her thoughts.
"You are so good to me.", she continues after a self-soothing minute. Laura doesn’t rush it. "And I'm awful to you. God, Laura, I'm so sorry."
Laura's heart feels as though it's breaking into a million pieces. With all the tenderness she can muster, she brushes the sweaty hair away from Bradley’s face.
"You're not awful.", she tells her and presses a gentle kiss to her lips. "We don't have to talk about everything right now. You need a break. We’re okay.
Laura knows they’ll have to talk things over once emotions aren’t running quite as high, but at the moment, Bradley needs to feel cared for. She deserves to feel cared for.
A wave of appreciation overtakes the blonde, and in a second she’s unbuckling Laura’s harness with frantic precision, tears be damned.
“Bradley, what are you doing?”, Laura asks with an amused smile. Bradley yanks the offending garment down her thighs, throwing it across the room unceremoniously.
In an instant, Bradley brings her hand to Laura’s sex and enters her with three fingers at once, a smirk firmly in place. She’s wet enough from their previous activities, and Bradley meets very little resistance.
The action nearly knocks the wind out of Laura, who holds onto the headboard behind Bradley for support. The irony.
“I appreciate you.”, Bradley whispers against the column of Laura’s throat, “Let me show you.”
It’s with no embarrassment that Laura realizes she is actively dripping on Bradley’s hand, so she does.
Bradley pumps her fingers in and out slowly, and a loud moan escapes Laura. It’s not often someone surprises her, but the younger woman seems to derive great pleasure from being Laura Peterson’s most exciting question mark.
With a mischievous gleam in her eye, Bradley shoves Laura back onto the bed. Laura has little to no time to react before Bradley’s lying down, setting up camp between her thighs.
Seductively, she licks a long line from the bottom of Laura’s slit to her clit. She gasps at the feeling, subconsciously thrusting into Bradley’s face. In an attempt to still her movements, Bradley pins the other woman’s waist to the mattress. Growing desperate, Laura does her best not to make any disgruntled sounds — doesn’t want to give Bradley the satisfaction.
Noticing her lover’s posture, Bradley gets to work. Her tongue is warm as she begins licking Laura’s cunt in earnest now. With her right hand, she carefully enters Laura again, resuming the pace she’d set earlier.
Eating Laura Peterson out is something Bradley refuses to take for granted. It feels like a form of worship, and she eagerly pulls Laura’s thighs onto her shoulders to gain better access.
“Oh!”, Laura moans at the change in angle, a rogue hand fisting her Egyptian cotton sheets in anticipation. She’s pretty certain she’s never felt more blindsided in the bedroom, and in the most delicious way.
“Honey —“, it’s strangled and whiney and not at all like her. In all honesty, she barely recognizes her own voice. Laura can’t help it. She’s putty in Bradley’s hands. And mouth. “Yes.”
She’d say it happens embarrassingly quickly, but Laura doesn’t feel embarrassed by it. Her orgasm crashes over her like a wave meeting the shore. She comes on Bradley’s tongue, one hand clutching at her hair, the other still balled up in a fist around her sheets.
Wordlessly, she pulls Bradley up by her hair so they meet each other at eye level. She sports her cum on her face like make-up, but Laura kisses the grin off her smug lips anyway.
“So…”, Bradley begins. “Honey?”
Laura’s features break out into a wide smile, and Bradley thinks she can see a blush taking form. Laura averts her gaze.
“I don’t know where that came from”
They laugh in unison, and it all feels so incredibly easy.
“Maybe I just…”, Laura begins, wrapping her arms around Bradley’s waist. “… enjoy being topped by a five-foot-two southern belle.”
Their laughter dissolves within a new kiss, this one considerably tender than the others.
“Are we really okay?”, Bradley asks, lying her head atop Laura’s chest. She hates asking for reassurance.
“We’re okay.”, Laura whispers, the ever characteristic calm in a storm. She runs her index finger up and down Bradley’s back in a soothing motion. “You’re okay.”
Bradley decides to let herself believe her for now.