[Relationship] Stronger Than Yesterday

[Laura Weston]

Laura stops and knocks on Haley's door. She wearing jeans and a tank top that leaves her wings free. She's also wearing sandals with a slight heel, just a little extra height but she seems to be conscious of not overdoing that part. She double-checks her phone to make sure the ride-share is on its way and then waits.

[Haley Crusek]

Haley realized long after setting this date--today to be exact--that she wasn't actually sure if this was just friends getting drinks or a date date. Which threw her into a bit of a panic, to be honest. She was barely dressed when there was a knock on her door, tugging her jeans up over her hips and fighting with the zipper and button a bit.

She continued her struggle as she gently pulled the door open with her TK. "Hey. C'mon in. I feel like this semester made my ass grow several sizes so I'm fighting with my jeans right now."

[Laura Weston]

"That's fine," Laura says, stepping in, "Need some help or should I leave you to it?"

[Haley Crusek]

"I'd make a joke about buying me a drink before trying to get into my pants but if you're helping me get into my own, I guess it it doesn't work," she smirked, finally winning her battle.

"I love that top. It looks super cute with your wings."

[Laura Weston]

"Thanks! It's difficult to find things that work well for them. And it helps when the weather's warmer because it opens up the options. All ready to go then?"

[Haley Crusek]

"Yeah...just have to find my shoes..." she replied gazing around her side of the room which was a bit of a mess with quite a few hastily discarded outfit options hanging on her bed, her chair and her desk. Her eyes landed on a pair of shoes that had a considerable heel.

"Okay. Let's go paint the town red," she grinned.

[Laura Weston]

Laura steps out of the way, "After you." She glances at her phone, "Our ride should be outside."

[Haley Crusek]

Haley walked out into the hallway and closed the door behind both of them with a wave of her hand, snapping her fingers and setting the lock. Sometimes her TK felt like magic, and it was pretty great.

"So where are we starting the night off?" she asked as they walked down towards the exit and the waiting car.

[Laura Weston]

"Well, all we agreed on was a drink, so Rose & Crown for some food and drink and see what we want to do afterward?" Outside was a fairly standard car with a ride-share sticker in the window.

[Haley Crusek]

“That works for me. I’m probably a light weight with as little booze as I’ve been drinking the past few months,” she laughed.

[Laura Weston]

"Well, if you don't want alcohol, I'm not going to judge if you drink something else." Laura opens the door for Haley to climb into the back seat.

[Haley Crusek]

“I said I’m a lightweight, not a square,” she laughed, buckling herself in.

[Laura Weston]

"Just checking," Laura laughs, buckling in and giving the driver the destination. The car drops them off outside the Rose & Crown. Once inside and nestled into a booth, Laura relaxes a bit more, "Have a decent week?"

[Haley Crusek]

“Yeah. Pretty good. I think I managed to pull off a B in my summer chem class thanks to the final. Pumped about that.”

She seemed to be holding back a bit but was interrupted by the waiter taking their drink orders.

“I uh. Sorta am riding the nerdy accomplishment high mostly. Because I’m not thrilled with the dorms they’re moving us into soon.”

[Laura Weston]

"I was only paying attention to who I was going to be rooming with. Some problem with your roommates?"

[Haley Crusek]

“They put my fucking ex into the suite,” she grumbled.

“And I think his new girlfriend will be across the god damned hall.”

[Laura Weston]

"That's rough," Laura says, accepting their drinks from the waitperson and passing Haley's across to her. "Just have to find something to be happy about to rub his nose in it in return."

[Haley Crusek]

Haley took a long sip—one might argue it no longer counted as a sip—and mulled over Laura’s words. “True. It’s hard though. Because it’s not like he dumped me. I dumped him for having a crush on the stupid tall gorgeous brunette werewolf.”

[Laura Weston]

"That does complicate the nose-rubbing somewhat, I suppose. On the plus side, an excellent excuse to find a partner and spend the night in another room, right?"

[Haley Crusek]

"Yeah...not exactly a wealth of single guys on campus...but point taken."

[Laura Weston]

"So definitely a thing for guys then?" She asked as she ticked down the mental list of guys on campus.

[Haley Crusek]

The question seemed to give Haley pause. She hadn’t really thought much about it before. “All I’ve ever really known or thought about. But...I....I dunno. I suppose I’ve been curious on occasion.”

[Laura Weston]

"It's all a lot of people think about until they get outside their bubble a bit," Laura says, "But you're loose now, so you can experiment a little if the mood strikes. It can be your time to figure out what your thing is."

[Haley Crusek]

"Is that an offer?" she smirked.

[Laura Weston]

For a moment, Laura starts to do what most people do when they're caught not being as smooth as they think they are and play it off. Finally she settles for "Would you like it to be?"

[Haley Crusek]

Haley was frankly astonished she had gotten the line out as smoothly as she had given her overall state of nervousness, but she was glad it seemed to catch her date off guard.

“The night is young. Who knows what shenanigans we could get up to.”

[Laura Weston]

"I'm good with shenanigans," Laura chuckles, breaking her own tension and relaxing a bit.

[Haley Crusek]

Some time later...

Haley was laughing--no, cackling in the back of the ride-share. She'd been in the middle of telling a story about some sort of drunken sexual misadventure from high school, and while it was funny, it was not nearly as funny as her tear-stained cheeks and gasping breaths would imply.

"Oh god," she gasped, wiping her face and catching her breath. "Anyway, I think those panties are still stuck on his roof."

She looked over at Laura, suddenly quiet, a nervous hunger behind her eyes. "You're so pretty..."

[Laura Weston]

Laura smiled at her, "Thank you. You're quite attractive yourself." The ride-share started slowing down as it pulled into the university's drive to let them out.

[Haley Crusek]

Haley stumbled out of the car and giggled at her unsteadiness, waiting for her date before she started to walk inside.

“The night is young. What should we do?”

[Laura Weston]

"I think," Laura said, offering her a steadying arm, "That would should probably get you some water and somewhere to lie down."

[Haley Crusek]

“Maybe I could lay in your bed...” she replied.

[Laura Weston]

Laura chewed her lip for a moment as she helped Haley inside. "I... don't think so tonight." She quickly adds, "It's not that I don't want to, but I have these rules and, well, if you're still interested when you've sobered up, I'd be happy to have you there."

[Haley Crusek]

It was at this point that Haley realized she was in fact plastered. And maybe Laura had a point with these rules. She looked dejected as she walked unsteadily into the building in silence trying to formulate a response. "I think I am...interested."

[Laura Weston]

Laura smiled, pausing outside her own suite. "Just a moment," she says, ducking into her room and coming back after a bit with a container with 'Laura' painted on the side, "Here, bring this back to me when you're ready." Then she adds as they head further down the hall to Haley's room, "But drink the contents tonight."

[Haley Crusek]

“Is it a magic potion?” she asked before descending into a fit of giggles.

[Laura Weston]

"Water, purportedly from a mountain spring," Laura quips, "Might help stave off the dreaded hangover."

[Haley Crusek]

Haley dutifully uncapped the container and took a large slug of water that seemed to wind up in even amounts down the front of her shirt and into her mouth. This sent her into another fit of giggles as they wandered down the corridor to her door. “You made me wet!”

She grinned like an idiot, waggling her eyebrows and puffing out the drenched front of her shirt, extremely proud of her double entendre.

[Laura Weston]

She pauses outside the door to Haley's room, "If I can do that by just getting you water, imagine what I can do when I'm really trying." She leans forward, almost nose-to-nose with Haley, "Good night, Haley." With that, she closes the tiny distance and kisses Haley gently.

[Haley Crusek]

Haley returned the kiss eagerly, melting into Laura’s arms before she pulled back. She had a dopey drunken grin on her face. “Yes. More of this please.”