Work Text:
Mapi was leaning against her apartment wall, one hand lazily pressing the intercom button as she smirked to herself. The air outside was crisp, the kind of night that made staying in with Ingrid even more appealing. She heard the familiar crackle of the intercom before a voice filled the space.
“Hi,” Ingrid’s voice came through, soft but amused.
“Hey,” Mapi replied, already grinning. “I've been wanting to talk with my hot upstairs neighbor. Is she there?”
There was a pause, then a chuckle.
“You’re speaking to her.”
“Oh, good,” she tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling as if she could see straight into Ingrid’s apartment. “Is that silly girlfriend of yours there?”
“No, she’s not,” the Norwegian answered, playing along.
“Yeah, that’s nice,” Mapi let the words linger for a second, pretending to consider her next move. “So, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to come spend the night here?”
There was another pause before Ingrid spoke again.
“Hmm, I don’t know. My girlfriend might get jealous.”
“Oh, damn. That’s rough,” she said dramatically. “I heard your downstairs neighbor is very charming, though. Like, ridiculously attractive.”
“She is,” Ingrid agreed. “But she’s also a little bit annoying.”
“Annoying?” Mapi gasped.
“Yeah,” she teased, letting out a small laugh. “Always making me come downstairs when she could just come up instead.”
“That’s because she likes watching you come to her,” the Spaniard admitted, her voice dropping just enough to make Ingrid’s stomach flip. “It’s a little treat, you know?”
“Oh? Just like that?”
“Yeah. And, also, she’s lonely. Her bed is cold. She could use someone to warm it up.”
“Hmm. I don't know. Sounds suspicious,” Ingrid pretended to think.
“Suspiciously romantic, maybe. C’mon, come down.”
“You’re impossible,” Ingrid sighed, but Mapi could hear the smile in her voice.
“And yet, you’re already grabbing your keys, right?”
There was a beat of silence.
“I’ll be there in five.”
“Make it down to two. I miss you.”
“You saw me three hours ago. We spent the whole day together.”
“Three long, agonizing hours.”
Then the sound of Ingrid’s intercom clicking off.
Mapi grinned, pushing away from the wall and heading toward her door after refilling Bagheera’s bowl of food. That way, the cat wouldn’t bother them too much.
When she finally opened the front door, Ingrid was already stepping out of the elevator, rolling her eyes but smiling like she had been waiting for this all night.
She looked adorable in mismatched socks and a hoodie Mapi was pretty sure it was hers just a week ago.
“Shut up,” Ingrid pointed a finger at her before Mapi could even speak.
“I didn’t say anything,” she countered, pulling Ingrid inside by the wrist as she closed the door.
“You were about to.”
“Fine,” Mapi relented, backing them up toward the couch, arms wrapping around Ingrid’s waist. “I was going to say that my hot upstairs neighbor is also my favorite person in the world.”
“That’s better,” Ingrid hummed, letting Mapi tug her down onto the cushions.
They fell into easy silence, the kind that only came after years of knowing each other’s rhythms. Mapi pressed a lazy kiss to Ingrid’s shoulder, content just having her there, down as if the outside world had stopped existing.
“I still think you should move in,” Ingrid mumbled after a while, fingers tracing random patterns on Mapi’s skin.
“I like making you come downstairs,” Mapi smiled, nudging her nose against Ingrid’s jaw.
Ingrid groaned, dropping her head back against the couch.
“You’re actually the worst.”
“And yet, here you are.”
“Unfortunately.”
Mapi laughed, pressing a kiss to Ingrid’s cheek.
“Shut up. You love me.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, turning her head to capture Mapi’s lips with her own. “I really do.”
The Spaniard only smirked as she pulled away from the kiss, her lips still hovering near Ingrid’s.
“I knew it. You’re just a sucker for me.”
“I’m really not sure how you manage to make everything sound like an accomplishment,” she rolled her eyes, but there was a warmth in her gaze as she let herself settle more comfortably into Mapi’s embrace, her head resting right next to hers.
“Easy,” she shrugged with a cocky grin. “It’s because I’m irresistible.”
Ingrid’s eyebrow arched playfully, her hand hovering over Mapi’s collarbone.
“Is that so? Because I remember a certain someone saying she was too busy to hang out tonight. Something about having to spend the whole night cleaning her closet.”
“Well, yeah,” Mapi said, leaning in closer and brushing a strand of hair behind Ingrid’s ear. “I might’ve been busy... But then I realized that my hot upstairs neighbor might be free tonight, and I couldn't resist.”
“Always so charming,” she teased back, running her fingers through Mapi’s hair. “Too bad my silly girlfriend wouldn’t approve.”
“Well, lucky for me, she’s nowhere to be found,” her smile widened as she watched Ingrid’s lips curl into a soft grin. “Maybe she’s cleaning her own closet.”
Ingrid shook her head, clearly amused but clearly falling into the easy flow of their teasing banter.
“You just love to rub it in, huh?”
“Of course. But only because I know you like it.”
The silence that followed was comfortable, the kind where words weren’t needed, and both of them knew exactly what the other was thinking. Ingrid shifted slightly, just enough for her hand to graze Mapi’s chest as she settled in, wrapping her arms around her waist even if they were lying face-to-face.
“That silly girlfriend of mine is going to be really mad when she finds out," Ingrid murmured with a teasing glint in her voice, her fingers tracing small circles on Mapi’s chest.
For her part, Mapi only chuckled, leaning in and brushing her lips over Ingrid’s neck.
“She’ll be mad?” She asked rhetorically. “Nah, I think she’ll understand once she sees how much fun we’re having,” she smiled against Ingrid’s skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
“You’re impossible, you know that?” Ingrid laughed softly, her head falling back as she gave in to the moment.
“Yeah,” Mapi said with a grin, her lips ghosting over Ingrid’s pulse. “But you love it.”
“You’re not as bad as you seem,” Ingrid replied, but the fondness in her voice was clear.
“You’re saying that now,” she teased, shifting to kiss Ingrid’s lips once more, soft and slow, before pulling back with a smirk. “But deep down, I know you’re just waiting for the next time I ask you to come downstairs.”
“Oh, shut up,” Ingrid sighed, but the twinkle in her eyes gave her away.
“See?” Mapi smirked. “I knew you were already thinking about it.”
“Maybe,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I’ll deny it if you ever bring it up again.”
“I’d never do that,” the Spaniard replied, giving her a wink. “I’m way too charming to ruin the fun.”
“You’re such a handful. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“Because you’re exactly where you want to be,” Mapi finished with that signature cocky grin, pulling Ingrid in for another kiss, this one more hurried, more urgent.
As the kiss deepened, both of them lost track of time. The teasing, the banter, all faded into the background, replaced by the quiet hum of their bodies pressed together, even if the couch had enough space for both of them.
And Mapi finally pulled away, she let her forehead rest against Ingrid’s.
After a moment, she shifted slightly, pulling Ingrid impossibly closer. They stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in each other, the teasing fading into something softer. The hum of the city outside barely reached them, the world outside Mapi’s apartment feeling distant. It was just them, like it always was, like it always would be.
Then, just as Mapi thought Ingrid was falling asleep, the Norwegian let out a slow exhale as she buried her face in Mapi’s shoulder.
“You’re warm,” she mumbled, voice sleepy.
“See? Another reason why coming downstairs was a great idea,” she insisted, grinning into Ingrid’s hair. “Free personal heater.”
“Not free. I have to listen to your nonsense,” Ingrid hummed.
“Nonsense? I only speak the truth,” Mapi gasped, hand pressing dramatically over her chest.
“Mhmm,” Ingrid’s fingers absentmindedly traced patterns along Mapi’s side. “The truth, huh?”
“Absolutely,” she argued as she tightened her hold around Ingrid’s waist. “And the truth is… You’re madly in love with me.”
“Oh, am I?” The Norwegian scoffed, tilting her head back to meet Mapi’s gaze.
“Yep,” she grinned, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of Ingrid’s nose. “So in love. Like, you literally can’t resist me.”
“That’s funny,” Ingrid mused. “Because I remember saying I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to come downstairs.”
Mapi smirked, leaning in, her lips barely brushing Ingrid’s.
“But here you are.”
“I should’ve made you come up instead,” she rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips twitched up.
“But then I wouldn’t have gotten to see you stepping out of the elevator looking all cute and grumpy, pretending you weren’t excited to be here.”
“I wasn’t grumpy.”
“You were a little grumpy.”
“And yet, you still dragged me inside.”
“Obviously,” Mapi ran her fingers through Ingrid’s hair, letting them tangle at the nape of her neck. “You’re my favorite person. Where else would I want you to be?”
Ingrid blinked, thrown off by the sincerity in Mapi’s voice. She swallowed, her teasing retort dying on her tongue.
“Oh,” she said softly, her fingers tightening slightly on the Spaniard’s shirt.
“Yeah. Oh,” Mapi smiled, her thumb brushing gently over Ingrid’s cheek.
They stayed like that for a moment, Ingrid’s heart pounding in her chest, Mapi looking at her like she was the best thing in the world. And she was, to Mapi at least.
She exhaled softly, her fingers lazily tracing patterns on Ingrid’s small back.
“You really are my favorite person, you know?”
“I should hope so, considering how you just spent fifteen minutes convincing me to come down here,” Ingrid mumbled as she wrapped an arm around Mapi’s neck.
“First of all, it was fifteen seconds,” Mapi grinned against her. “And it’s not my fault you make it fun.”
“You’re so needy,” she teased, but there was no bite to it, only warmth.
“For you? Always,” Mapi tilted her head up, letting Ingrid brush her nose against her jaw. “But I think you like it.”
Ingrid scoffed, and Mapi could feel the way her body relaxed into hers.
“That’s debatable.”
“Oh, really?” she pulled back slightly, just enough to look at her face. “Then why are you practically melting into me right now?”
Ingrid opened her mouth, but no retort came out.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Mapi smirked, poking her side.
“You’re impossible,” Ingrid swatted her hand away, laughing.
“And yet, here you are,” she shot back, repeating the words from earlier.
Ingrid just shook her head, clearly amused but unwilling to let Mapi win so easily.
“To be fair, you did make a compelling argument.”
“Yeah?”
“Mhm,” Ingrid shifted so she was fully facing Mapi now, their legs tangled together by the other end of the couch. “A cold bed? A lonely girlfriend? That’s a pretty strong case.”
“So, what you’re saying is, you came downstairs because you couldn’t resist me?”
“I’m saying I came downstairs because you asked me to,” Ingrid’s fingers trailed up Mapi’s arm, slow and deliberate.
Mapi’s breath caught for just a second, the words settling into her chest in a way that made her heart ache, just a little. Because that was them, wasn’t it? They teased, they joked, they played their little games – but at the end of the day, Ingrid always came when Mapi asked.
She swallowed, her voice a little softer now.
“You always do.”
“Yeah. I always do,” Ingrid smiled, small but knowing. “Just like you always do, too.”
They stayed like that for a moment, the teasing melting into something quieter. Mapi traced her fingers along Ingrid’s wrist, memorizing the way her skin felt beneath her touch. Three years, and it still never got old.
“You really should just move in,” Ingrid murmured, breaking the silence.
“We’re back to this again?” Mapi chuckled, resting her forehead against Ingrid’s again.
“Mhmm,” she hummed. “It just makes sense.”
“Does it?”
“Yes,” the Norwegian pulled back just enough to meet Mapi’s gaze. “You’re already at my place half the time anyway. And when we’re not there, we’re here.”
Mapi thought about it. She thought about the mornings spent in Ingrid’s kitchen, stealing her hoodies, the way Bagheera had practically claimed Ingrid’s couch as her own at this point. She thought about the late nights when Ingrid would come over just because she missed her.
And, yeah. Maybe it did make sense.
But still…
“I like making you come downstairs,” Mapi murmured, nudging her nose against Ingrid’s cheek.
“Of course you do,” Ingrid groaned.
“It’s a little treat,” she just grinned, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to the corner of her lips.
“You are actually the worst,” she mumbled, but she was already wrapping her arms around Mapi again, pulling her in until there was no space left between them.
Mapi smiled against her skin, pressing another soft kiss just below her jaw.
“You’re still here.”
“Unfortunately.”
“You love me,” she murmured as she pressed her lips to Ingrid’s cheek, just because.
“Yeah. I really do,” Ingrid didn’t even hesitate this time. Mapi’s small kisses were too much for her to handle.
Mapi felt something warm settle in her chest, something steady and sure.
She leaned back just enough to look at Ingrid, her hands framing her face gently.
“And I really love you, too.”
“I know,” Ingrid’s smile softened.
“I just like saying it,” she smirked.
“Well, keep saying it,” she murmured, tilting her head to tuck hers into the space under her chin, as if she could fit there.
And Mapi did, whispering it against Ingrid’s lips, against her skin, in between laughter and teasing remarks and the comfortable silence that followed.
And maybe, she’d let Ingrid win the argument about moving in one day.
But not tonight. Because tonight, she got to have Ingrid like this – wrapped up in her arms, exactly where she was supposed to be.
After all, they’ve been together for three years already, and Mapi was still this ridiculous.
And Ingrid?
She still fell for it every single time.
“We should buy walkie-talkies,” Mapi thought out loud, not even registering the words that actually got out of her mouth before Ingrid started laughing against her neck.
“You’re impossible,” Ingrid giggled, her breath warm against Mapi’s skin.
“But think about it. How fun would it be? You, upstairs. I, downstairs. ‘Breaker, breaker, hot neighbor, you there? Over,'” she grinned, pressing another slow kiss just below Ingrid’s ear.
“I regret coming downstairs,” the Norwegian groaned, tilting her head back against the couch.
“No, you don’t,” Mapi’s lips brushed against her pulse point, her arms wrapping even tighter around Ingrid’s waist. “You love me too much for that.”
“Huh.”
“Excuse me?” Mapi gasped, dramatically pulling back to stare at her.
“I mean, I might love you a little less now that you’re seriously suggesting walkie-talkies,” Ingrid smirked, eyes glinting with mischief.
Mapi narrowed her eyes, leaning in until their noses brushed, a very fake, but very serious face on.
“So if I were to, let’s say, order them right now…?”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I?”
“ María Pilar, ” Ingrid warned, her voice carrying that soft, fond exasperation that only Mapi could bring out of her.
“Okay, okay,” she relented, laughing as she nudged her nose against Ingrid’s cheek. “I won’t order them. Yet. ”
“You are so lucky I love you,” she sighed, shaking her head as she tucked herself against the Spaniard again.
“I know,” Mapi murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of Ingrid’s head.
They settled into silence again, Ingrid’s fingers drawing lazy circles on Mapi’s back, her hand idly tracing Ingrid’s spine. It was easy, and it was soothing in a way that only two people who’ve been together for such a long time would have achieved.
After a while, Ingrid let out a small sigh.
“…You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“I mean, you brought it up again. So really, this is on you.”
Ingrid groaned loudly, burying her face in Mapi’s shoulder.
“I swear to god, if I get a package in the mail with walkie-talkies…”
“Too late,” Mapi cut in cheerfully.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“And yet…”
“…And yet, I still love you,” Ingrid sighed, defeated but already smiling.
Mapi beamed, stealing a quick kiss.
“That’s my girl,” she smiled against Ingrid’s mouth for a second before pulling back. “I’m serious, tho,” Mapi grinned, fingers trailing lazily up and down Ingrid’s back under her hoodie. “Imagine, yeah? Late at night, I can just grab my walkie-talkie and be like, ‘hey, my hot upstairs neighbor, do you copy?’ ”
“And I’d say, ‘go to sleep, Mapi,’ ” Ingrid let out a breathy chuckle, her lips brushing against Mapi’s collarbone.
“Nah,” Mapi smirked. “You’d say, ‘I miss you so much, please come upstairs right now.’ ”
Ingrid groaned, shifting to press a hand over Mapi’s mouth.
“Shhh.”
Mapi just laughed against her palm, her eyes crinkling in delight before she nipped playfully at Ingrid’s fingers. The Norwegian immediately gasped, yanking her hand back.
“Did you just bite me?”
“Softly,” Mapi grinned. “Affectionately.”
“You’re like a feral cat,” Ingrid muttered, but she didn’t move away; if anything, she melted further into Mapi’s hold. “You’re worse than Bagheera.”
“And you love me,” she grinned wider, her arms tightening around Ingrid.
“Yes, yes, we’ve established that,” she sighed, but her fingers were still idly tracing shapes against Mapi’s arm, gentle and unhurried.
There was a pause, the kind that stretched comfortably between them, no rush, no need for words. Then Mapi sighed dramatically.
“Okay, but just picture it?”
Ingrid groaned, half in amusement, half in exasperation.
“Why do I date you?”
“Because I’m irresistible,” Mapi said smugly. “So, as you’re not buying my idea of walkie-talkies, maybe I should change the elevator passcode to my floor,” she mumbled against Ingrid’s shoulder, her voice still slightly muffled. “Make it something else.”
“You won’t,” Ingrid hummed, her fingers playing with the loose strands of Mapi’s hair.
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because you like the fact that it’s my birthday,” she smirked. “You’re sentimental like that.”
“I am not sentimental,” Mapi scoffed.
“Oh, sure,” the Norwegian teased, letting her short nails scrape against her scalp. “That’s why you call me after three hours apart and make your passcodes my birthdate and look at me like…”
“Okay,” she groaned, and this was her time to also put a hand over Ingrid’s mouth to shut her up. “Enough.”
Ingrid laughed against her palm, her eyes sparkling with pure love as she grabbed Mapi’s wrist and kissed her fingers softly.
“It’s okay,” she murmured, tilting her head. “I like that you’re weak for me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Mapi sighed, defeated.
“And you love me,” Ingrid grinned, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek.
The Spaniard exhaled dramatically, but her arms tightened around Ingrid’s waist all the same.
“And I love you.”
“Good girl,” Ingrid teased back, her voice dripping with satisfaction.
“I take it back. I’m changing the passcode,” Mapi pulled back slightly, raising a brow.
“Sure you are.”
“I will.”
Ingrid just smiled, her hands resting comfortably against Mapi’s chest.
“You’re going to put my jersey numbers next, aren’t you? 2-3-0-7? Or 0-7-2-3?”
“I really shouldn’t have called you,” she groaned, sinking deeper into her warmth.
“But then you wouldn’t have me in your arms right now,” Ingrid smiled against her jaw, letting her lips brush against the soft skin.
Mapi sighed, shaking her head fondly.
“You’re the worst.”
“And yet,” Ingrid whispered, pressing her lips to the corner of Mapi’s mouth. “You still love me.”
Mapi didn’t even try to fight it this time.
“I do,” she murmured, finally giving in. “I really do.”
Ingrid was sure they still had to talk more about the whole ‘moving in’ thing, and definitely argue more about the whole ‘walkie-talkie’ thing, but right now, with Mapi’s arms wrapped around her, their breaths in sync, and that stupidly smug smile pressed against her, she knew exactly where she wanted to be.
And somehow, Mapi always knew it too.