Chapter Text
The next morning Delphine woke feeling an odd mix of satisfaction, elation and self-loathing. For her, there was no-one better for her to lose her virginity to than the dread-locked girl that she had been crazy about for the past few months but she couldn’t shake the guilt that she felt when she thought of Beth. Her best friend’s smile repeatedly flashed into her mind as she remembered the feel of Cosima’s skin on hers. If Beth meant nothing to her, in anything more than a platonic way, then why was Delphine worried to get out of bed and face both her friend and Cosima?
Delphine contemplated feigning illness and avoiding the whole situation all together. How had she got herself into such a mess? It killed her to tell Beth the truth. The truth that being with Cosima had made her feel invincible, like for those moments in the backseat of Cosima’s car they were to only two people in the world; at least the only two that mattered. Whereas her kiss with Beth had lit a fire inside of her, she knew that being with Cosima was more than heat - more than passion. I can’t just avoid this. She was right. She couldn’t.
-
The french girl hauled herself from her bed and looked at herself in her full-length mirror. Her skin had taken on a post-virginal glow that she was sure everyone would notice. It made her smile. Delphine was no longer scared of her sexuality, no longer scared that people would see her longing for Cosima. Now, she hoped that Cosima would take her in her arms and… No! she screamed in her head, not before I sort this shit out with Beth….shit.
Delphine practically skipped into homeroom with a smile so luminescent it put Time Square to shame, but smile was practically dull glow compared to the way her eyes lit up when she saw Cosima leaning back in her chair. The brunette girl looked towards the door as Delphine walked in and her her own radiant grin, with her tongue poking ever so slightly between her teeth. Cosima raised her hand in a slight wave which Delphine reciprocated slightly more frantically, never one to be able to keep her cool around the dreadlocked girl. Delphine sighed as she sat down and ran her hands over her face and through her hair in frustration at herself. She crossed her arms across her desk and placed her head on top of them; face down. Familiar fingers slipped into her curls and tucked one behind her ear.
‘Hey.’ The soft, flirty voice whispered.
Delphine took her head from her arms and re-arranged herself to balance on her elbow. This position gave her full view of Cosima standing there; her baggy shirt stopped just short of her jeans and allowed Delphine a peak at the brunettes abs. She wanted nothing more than to run her fingertips across the peaks and valleys of Cosima’s muscles.
‘So,’ Cosima continued, ‘I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight?’ The almost sing-song quality to Cosima’s voice made it hard to resist, as did the feel of her fingers gliding through her hair. The brunettes touch had a way of calming Delphine, one so normally nervous and self-conscious. Cosima’s fingers were like erasers, obliterating everyone and everything around them, withdrawing the pair of them into their own world.
‘Hmmm, I think I would like that.’ Delphine purred in response.
‘Good.’ Cosima breathed back, lowering her head towards the blonde girl. Delphine’s head moved towards Cosima’s, but a firm cough from the doorway brought her back to earth. It was Felix. The black-haired boy stood in the doorway, arms folded and eyebrow raised in suspicion as well as omniscience. The pair separated and Cosima went back to her seat. Felix leaned down to Delphine as he walked past and whispered, ‘You need to find Beth. Now’.
-
Delphine found Beth on the bleachers, staring off at the field whilst the soft breeze blew through her long hair. She didn’t look up as Delphine perched down beside her. The French girl began to talk but Beth cut her off before she could muster a word.
‘Del, I have to tell you something.’ Beth looked from the pitch and into her hands. Her fingers lacing and unlacing from each other. ‘It’s not easy to tell you this, believe me.’ She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she turned towards the blonde beauty sat beside her. ‘Look, we’ve been getting close these past weeks and, you can’t look me in the eyes and tell me that our kiss last night didn’t mean anything to you. It was too…perfect…to be platonic.’
Shit. This is the moment that Delphine had dreaded since she woke up this morning. She knew that their kiss had meant something to Beth and she was worried that her best friend was developing feeling for her.
‘Del, I need to be honest with you about the way I feel. I love Alison.’ The French girl had prepared for a different answer, and so her palms had moistened with sweat and her breathing had intensified to an unhealthy rate.
‘What?’ She questioned
‘Last night, after you went to Cosima, Alison called me and asked me to come over. We…we slept together Del. I love her and we’re going to try to make things work again. I- I’m so sorry if I lead you on but, I don’t think I did because I wasn’t lying to you. You’re hot and, I love you as a friend - a best friend…but I can’t deny myself.’
Delphine smiled as her friend avoided her gaze.
‘Beth..BETH!’ she chuckled, turning her friends head towards her own. The french girl took Beth’s hands in her own and stared into her brown eyes. ‘I…I love Cosima. Last night we-’
‘NO!’ Beth laughed, scandalously.
Delphine laughed at her friend and tried to pull her closer, but Beth jumped up, feigning hurt. ‘I was sat up all night wondering how to break this to you! I thought I was going to break your heart!’
‘Get over yourself!’ The french girl shot back.
‘Son of a-’ Beth fell back onto the bleachers. ‘Fuck. God. That’s…that’s a relief I gotta tell you.’ She paused for a second before turning to face her friend. ‘So?’
‘So what?’
‘How was she?’ Beth grinned.
Delphine scoffed at her gall. ‘Shut up.’
-
As Delphine knocked on Cosima’s door she wondered if she had over-dressed. The small brunette always looked laid back and easy with her fashion and Delphine had opted for a knee-length skater dress and heels. Although she had already tasted Cosima’s affection for her, she longed for more and knew Cosima could - would - give it to her. The door swung open and there stood a masterpiece. Cosima was wearing a bodycon dress awash with beautiful, watercolour strokes of pink, blue and yellow. Delphine was comforted in seeing that the other girl had made such an effort to impress, it made the girl, who had been built up in Delphine’s mind to be a divine-being, seem vulnerable; it made her seem human.
‘Come in,’ Cosima ushered, nervously. ‘Mom left a bottle of wine for us. They’re out tonight at some dinner or gala’ Her hands threw up into the air as she paced from the door to the couch. Delphine sat, her back straighter than Alison Hendrix’s, and placed her hands in her lap.
‘Relax.’ Cosima giggled as she settled into the couch. ‘You’re putting me on edge.’
Delphine leaned back into the couch and the brunette shimmied her way down to her.
‘Wine?’ Cosima offered. ‘It’s French.’
Delphine smirked at the attempts to relate to her. ‘Sure.’ Cosima poured Delphine a large glass of Merlot and then sat back with her own.
‘So, tell me about yourself.’
The french girl hesitated slightly. ‘What-what do you want to know?’
‘Tell me your story.’
‘My story? I, I moved here from Paris in the summer, with my mother. Almost fluent in English from my studying back home. Hoping to study immunology in college.’ She paused and glanced around the room, aware that she had been talking very quickly.
‘Um,’ Cosima coughed ‘If you don’t mind me asking, why only your mom?’
Delphine knew this question would follow. ‘He died.’ She looked down at her necklace and began to twist it around her fingers.
‘I’m so sorry’
‘No. Don’t be sorry, Cosima. You couldn’t have known. It was earlier this year, that’s why we moved. Maman wanted a fresh start in a new place.’
‘I understand.’ A silence fell upon them. ‘I’ll tell you my story. West-coast born and raised. Parents both scientists as you know. Realised I was gay at age 13 when I kissed my - then - best friend Tara. Um, hoping to study evolutionary development in Minnesota next year…and I think thats about it.’
Delphine smiled. ‘Minnesota? We were looking at that university a few months ago. It’s got a great reputation.’
‘I know right!’ Cosima beamed. She sighed happily and fell back to rest her head on her arm that was draped lazily across the back of the couch. ‘You’re stunning, you know that?’
‘Thank you,’ the other girl blushed and tried to cover her face with her free hand, but Cosima took her wrist and lowered it. She set her wine down on the table and Delphine reciprocated, still being held by the brunette girl.
‘I hope you don’t think i’m being too forward but…’ Cosima leaned in towards Delphine, slipping a hand across Delphines shoulder and around to the base of her neck. ‘…if you don’t want to do this just tell me.’ Cosima came closer and closer to the French girls lips before the tension became too unbearable and Delphine closed the distance between them with a passionate ferocity.
It felt just like that moment in Cosima’s car, but the gentle tentativeness that lingered yesterday had vanished. It was replaced with sheer passion and longing, as if eachothers kisses were an oasis in the desert. Delphine’s hands came to meet Cosima’s hips and grabbed tight, pulling the smaller girl on top of her. From there, one hand moved to grab her ass as she straddled Delphine’s thighs and the other ran gentle fingertips along Cosima’s back and up to her neck. The sensation make Cosima squirm and the wetness between her legs became almost unbearable. Cosima pulled back from Delphine’s mouth and stared deeply into the french girls eyes, an unspoken task for consent. Delphine nodded and moaned as Cosima slipped her hands beneath the hem of her dress and lifted it over her head.
‘Wait.’ Delphine called out as Cosima went in to kiss her neck.
‘What? Is this okay?’ Cosima asked frantically, worried that her forwardness had scared her lover.
‘Yes, everything is…perfect. It’s just…’ Delphine motioned towards the door.
‘Ah, parents.’ Cosima had completely forgot that they had been in the living room this entire time and thus needed to take this into her room. ‘Follow me, ma cherie’ She giggled flirtatiously and took Delphine’s hand to lead her upstairs.
They ran into the room and Cosima pushed Delphine down on to the bed, again checking that her passion was alright for the blonde. As Cosima prowled towards Delphine, she stopped and sat upright next to the sprawled girl.
‘Hey,’ She hushed ‘I just want to reassure you that this -’ Cosima motioned between the two, meant to stand for their sexual relationship ‘- isn’t just what I want. I don’t just want this part, ya know? I want you. I…I want you to be my girlfriend.’
Delphine beamed back at Cosima as the brunette started to blush and avoid the blonde’s eyes. She nodded excitedly, sitting up to wrap her arms around her girlfriend.
‘I want that too.’ She replied. ‘I want you to be my girlfriend.’
Cosima smiled, ‘Good. Good.’ She pulled her girlfriend close and kissed her softly. ‘How did Beth take the news?’
Delphines smile fell from her lips. ‘Um, well, the thing is Cosima…’
Cosima pulled back, ‘You have told her haven’t you?’ she asked worryingly.
‘Yes! Yes! Of course I told her this morning it’s just…we were…never a couple, really.’
‘But you were inseparable, you were like…attached at the tongue!’ She joked.
‘Hmmm, but never official. She took it well, she, she loves another’
‘Hendrix?’
‘Oui’
Cosima seemed to smirk as if to say ‘I knew they still had something going’ but never vocalised it.
‘Well, that seemed to work out well for me didn’t it?’ Cosima breathed, leaning in once more to taste her girlfriend’s tongue against hers.
‘It did, ma cherie, it did.’ Delphine placed her lips against Cosima’s, lulling her into a false sense of security before spinning her over and pinning her to her own bed. ‘And it’s about to get even better for you.’ Delphine pulled Cosima’s dress over her head and began to leave a trail of kisses down Cosima’s torso, biting occasionally - strategically - to prise a whimper and moan from Cosima’s lips. The sound of the brunette’s moans pierced the autumn night and sent Delphine crazy.
And there they lay, almost mid-night on their first night as girlfriends, talking about their past and sharing the innermost secrets of their young lives. And it was bliss.