Archive of Our Own ^beta

Five forty-seven pm. Flynn and Eve rushed past the large tables in the centre of the Annex. Eve loaded up her pistol and snapped up an army knife from her desk, while Flynn muttered random information and minutiae about the mission the Clippings Book had assigned them under his breath. He whistled loudly, and Cal came zipping into the room a second later, slipping into the rapier belt at his waist with a flourish. Eve looked up from her double- and triple-checking everything for their mission.

“You’re good for tonight, Cassandra?”

Cassandra smiled brightly back at her from where she was researching at the table and shot her a thumbs up.

“Yep! Everything’s peachy!”

Evidently, that was all the response Eve needed, because she sent her a quick smile and nod, before meeting up with Flynn at the Back Door. He had already set the globe, and Cassandra watched as he took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Eve’s expression melted into a fond smile before the Door glowed blue-white and the two of them stepped through it.

Six twenty-one pm. Heavy footfalls echoed through the Library’s halls well before their owners showed up in the Annex. Jacob burst in through the doors, struggling to tie his tie as he stomped through the room, cursing under his breath. Ezekiel was just a few steps behind him, his jacket slung over one arm and a somewhat indignant expression on his face.

“You said six fifty!” Jacob demanded.

“No, I said six fifteen,” Ezekiel stressed, sounding very much like this wasn’t the first time he said it. “It’s not my fault you weren’t listening, mate.”

Jacob grumbled as he fixed his cuffs while Ezekiel set the Back Door. “Don’t you need to book reservations for this place, like, two months in advance? If they don’t let us in because we’re late then we’re never getting back in there.”

“All the more reason you should listen more carefully, then, isn’t it?”

“I need to listen?” Jacob spluttered. The two of them bickered nearly all the way out the door, barely remembering just before they left the Library:

“See ya later, Cassie!” Jacob called.

“Yeah, have fun!” Ezekiel tacked on with a wink. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Jacob grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket and pulled him through the Back Door with him. Cassandra blushed and giggled at her teammates’ antics, then got up to put the books she’d been reading back on the shelves.

Six fifty-five pm. Cassandra stared anxiously at the Back Door. She smoothed out her dress – the same pink floral one that she had worn exactly a year ago, the same one she had worn when she and Estrella shared their first kiss. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get rid of any knots or weird lumps or anything.

Not that there would be anything, given that she’d done that about five times now.

The click of fancy shoes against the Annex’s floor caught her ear, and Cassandra turned to find Jenkins just stopping behind his desk. He glanced up as he caught the movement from the corner of his eye.

“Ah. Miss Cillian – waiting for your paramour, I presume?”

She swallowed. “Yep! Just a couple of minutes, now.” She flinched a little at how high and tense her voice was, though she couldn’t say she was totally surprised by that. She smoothed out her skirt again.

Jenkins gave her a little acquiescing nod. “Very well. Well, the two of you will have the place to yourselves for the night.” He took one step, then turned halfway back around, one finger in the air as a thought occurred to him. “If you’re planning on giving her a tour, make sure to refrain from showing her the Christian artefacts room – vampires and crosses, you know.”

“No, I know – wait.” Cassandra’s brow furrowed. “I, uh, appreciate the thought, but you don’t have to leave, leave, Jenkins. You could just, be on the other side of the Library.” She felt her face grow warm, but she resolutely didn’t drop eye contact.

Jenkins raised an eyebrow. “I could “just be” on the other side of an infinite, interdimensional construct?”

She flapped a hand at him dismissively. “You know what I mean.”

“Yes, well, that had actually been my original plan. However, as fate would have it, Gwyn ap Nudd recently got in touch with me. Seems he wants to catch up, reminisce about the “good old days”,” he said with a wry look.

“Oh! Okay, then – have fun, I guess?” Cassandra hazarded.

“It’s not the fun I’m worried about with him,” Jenkins said lowly. He slipped on his overcoat and walked over to the globe for the Back Door. He took a moment to set it.

“One Door for Vida de la Luz Resort and Spa, South Carolina.” He flashed her a quick but genuine smile. “Good night,” he said mildly, then turned and left the Annex through the big glass double doors across the room.

As they shut behind him, Cassandra smoothed down her dress yet again, and ran her fingers through her hair once more. She breathed in deeply for four seconds, held it for seven seconds, then let it out slowly for eight seconds. Then, she turned and activated the Back Door. It flared blue-white, and a moment passed, and then Estrella walked through it, with all the grace and poise that came with living for several centuries, not even slightly stumbling across the threshold.

She walked up to Cassandra and wrapped her up in her arms, loving and warm and safe. Cassandra hugged her back, burying her lovestruck smile into Estrella’s neck.

“Happy one year, querida.” Estrella pulled back from the embrace just enough to tuck a strand of hair behind Cassandra’s ear. She kissed her, soft and quick in a way that only came from familiarity and intimacy, which in turn only came from plenty of time and plenty of trust. Cassandra didn’t know how she’d gotten so lucky to have a woman as wonderful as Estrella in her life.

Estrella pulled back once more, this time to get a good look at the building in which she stood. Her eyes widened as she turned her head up and around, trying to take in everything at once.

“This is where you work? Where you live?”

Cassandra giggled. “Welcome to the Library.” She grasped Estrella’s hand and threaded their fingers together. “Come on, I’ll give you the short tour.”

“The short tour?”

“The long tour takes a full three days, and I have… other plans for tonight.” Her traitorous cheeks flushed red again.

Estrella hummed, an eyebrow raised at Cassandra. “I’m intrigued by these “other plans” of yours,” she said; Cassandra knew that she could see the blush staining her face, and the tone of her girlfriend’s face made it very clear that she had a very good idea of how the night was going to go.

The tour passed in a blur; Cassandra loved the Library, and all of the books and artefacts and history held within, and she loved sharing it with the people she loved more than anything or anyone else. She did her best to share as much of the history of the Library and as many of the stories behind the artefacts as she could. Unfortunately, it was hard to keep her mind on the tour when it kept wandering to what was in store for when the tour was over.

Eventually, she led Estrella down one hallway, less grand than most of the others, and lit more like a cozy cabin than a huge museum.

“And this is the dormitory hall,” Cassandra said, trying her best to fight off her nerves enough that they wouldn’t come across in her voice. Each door led to the personal quarters of each of the employees of the Library. The quarters were equal parts bedrooms and private laboratories or workshops or whatever space they needed for their particular skills. They also had very good soundproofing, as minor explosions and frustrated cursing and other such disruptions were fairly common during their work.

…Along with other noises. Cassandra blushed again as they passed Eve’s room, one of Flynn’s ties still hanging from the doorknob. She tore her eyes away and brought Estrella further down the hall.

She stopped at the door to her room. She paused with her hand on the doorknob, then turned and put her back to the door. She knew her eyes were wide, she knew her cheeks were red, but the butterflies fluttering in her stomach were excitement, not nerves. She smiled shyly at Estrella.

“So, you know how I said I had plans for tonight?” she asked breathlessly. Estrella smiled back at her and reached out to cup her jaw with one hand.

“We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to, corazón.”

“I want to,” Cassandra cut in, not unkindly. “I said it six months ago and I meant it: I want to have sex with you.” She tipped her chin up proudly. “And I’ve done my research since then!”

“Have you now?” The smile was clear in Estrella’s voice. “Magazines or videos?” Cassandra pouted, and Estrella laughed, her voice like bells. “I’m sorry, querida, I shouldn’t tease. I’m glad you’ve taken the time to learn what you want.”

She leaned in and captured Cassandra’s lips in a kiss. It was still relatively chaste, but certainly deeper and with more intention than earlier. It took Cassandra’s breath away, and they hadn’t even really gotten started yet.

“I want you,” she murmured as they separated.

“And you have me, any way you’d like me,” Estrella assured.

That was all the invitation Cassandra needed. She reached behind her again, grabbed the doorknob, and pushed the door open. She pulled Estrella with her as she stepped backwards into her room. Estrella came willingly with a bright smile still on her face, even as she crowded into Cassandra once more and kissed her again.

Both of her hands cradled Cassandra’s jaw, holding her with almost unbearable tenderness, like she was a precious and fragile artefact that required delicate handling. Cassandra gasped into her mouth and tried to press in even closer. Her hands slid up along Estrella’s arms, then slipped beneath her shrug as she reached her shoulders and pushed it off of her and onto the floor.

Estrella’s hands travelled in scorching lines down from her jaw, along her neck and over her breasts as they ran down to her waist. Cassandra shuddered as they found her belt and deftly undid it, sending it clattering to the floor as well.

Cassandra broke their kiss with a gasp. She panted as she grasped Estrella’s hand and led her over to her bed. The two of them sat and paused just long enough to take their shoes off. Once those were out of the way, Estrella wrapped an arm around Cassandra’s back and lowered her down onto the mattress. She kissed her deeply again, her hand at Cassandra’s back working down the zipper of her dress. Cassandra, in turn, reached for the bottom of Estrella’s blouse and tugged it up as far as she could while their lips were still locked.

They parted once more; Estrella sat up to tug her blouse off over her head, and Cassandra took the opportunity to shimmy out of her dress. Both articles of clothing got tossed off to the side somewhere, with Estrella’s slacks following quickly after.

Rather than dive right back in, Estrella shifted to straddle Cassandra’s legs, her eyes raking over her hungrily. Cassandra fought back the urge to squirm self-consciously; she had bought the matching seafoam-green lacy bra and panties she wore specifically for the occasion, but she wasn’t used to someone looking at her with such intensity. Or hunger, for that matter. Estrella’s hands slid slowly up Cassandra’s legs, then along her hips and over her breasts. Cassandra gasped as she lightly pinched at her nipples through the fabric, then dragged her hands back down to tease at the waistband of her panties.

“You look enchanting, Cassandra.”

Cassandra giggled again. “So do you,” she said breathlessly.

And she did; her own lingerie was black and satiny and so gorgeous against her olive skin. She brought her hands up to gently rest on her hips, her fingers just barely long enough to dip down towards her rear. Estrella hummed and rocked her hips forward gently. It wasn’t enough to create any real pressure or friction against either of their clits, but it felt wonderful all the same.

“What do you want, my love?”

Cassandra swallowed heavily, the hundreds of ideas of what they could do flashing through her mind in an instant. The image of fangs popped up and she moaned softly. She wasn’t sure that she actually wanted that, but the idea of it, the possibility…

“Your mouth,” she gasped out, almost writhing on the sheets already. “Please, Estrella, I want your mouth on me.”

Estrella leaned down and kissed her sweetly.

“Of course, Cassandra.”

She kissed her lips again, followed by a series of little pecks along her jaw. She deftly undid Cassandra’s bra as she kissed her way down her sternum, and slipped it off of her just a moment later. She bit and kissed and licked her way over one breast, teasing the nipple to full hardness with her tongue. Cassandra let her head fall back as she gasped out a little breathy moan. Estrella switched her attention to the other nipple, but still rubbed at the first one with the pads of her fingers, enough to electrify but not as intense as her mouth.

Cassandra could feel herself grow slick, could feel the warmth and pressure pooling low in her body. She tried to spread her legs wider, but Estrella kept her pinned, entirely at her mercy. Thankfully, Estrella’s mercy was generous, as she finally let up on her nipples and resumed kissing her way down Cassandra’s body. She unhooked her bra as she inched her way down and tossed it aside.

She kissed the skin just below Cassandra’s belly button, her eyes pitched up to look through her lashes at Cassandra. Cassandra sucked in a shuddery breath and reached down to tangle one hand in Estrella’s hair, the other clenched in the sheets.

Estrella needed no further prompting, as she sat back and slid Cassandra’s panties down her legs and dropped them off beside the bed. She gently, oh so gently, pushed Cassandra’s legs apart. She placed another sweet kiss at the swell of Cassandra’s mound, then dragged her mouth down to her clit and licked.

Cassandra moaned as Estrella skilfully took her apart. She wrapped her legs around her lover’s head and rocked against her mouth. Her nerves were on fire, and her mind raced, trying to create scents and colours to match, bursts of neon and blooming mandalas. For the first time, rather than shying away from the sensations, she leaned into them. Made new memories to associate with those feelings.

It wasn’t overwhelming – it was liberating.

Estrella was very good at what she did; she flicked her tongue against her clit in tiny little kitten licks, paired with two fingers deep in Cassandra’s cunt. She dragged her entire tongue up and down the full length of Cassandra’s folds, wet and sloppy and so fucking hot. She latched on to her clit and sucked, her fingers hooked inwards and stroking incessantly against her g-spot.

Cassandra held on for as long as she could, but the combination of her very little experience and Estrella’s relentless passion had her moaning and writhing with abandon in no time at all. She rocked her hips arrhythmically into Estrella’s face, her breathing ragged and her moans hitching higher and higher. It took just another couple of jabs of Estrella’s tongue and one more crook of her fingers and that was it. Cassandra cried out as she came, her hips shaking and jerking against Estrella’s mouth.

She fell back against the bed, gasping for breath. She tugged gently on Estrella’s hair. Somehow, her girlfriend understood the meaning behind the gesture, since she crawled her way up her body and kissed her again. Cassandra licked into her mouth, tasting herself on Estrella’s tongue. Estrella moaned into her mouth and ground her hips down into Cassandra’s thigh.

“I could help you with that,” Cassandra said impishly.

“You don’t have to reciprocate if you don’t want to,” Estrella said; she was always so generous, so conscientious, that Cassandra couldn’t help the fond smile that tugged at her mouth.

“I told you before – I want to.” She kissed Estrella, and while she was distracted, she slid her hand along the curve of Estrella’s hip and down into her panties.

She relished in the broken moan and wanton expression that she was rewarded with. She rubbed her fingers in circles on her clit, in figure-eights, and in tight little up-and-down flicks. Estrella panted and rocked against her hand. The slickness and warmth and velvety-smooth skin was nearly as intoxicating as having the actions performed on herself. She listened to the pitch of Estrella’s moans, the shortness of her breath, and as she got closer and closer to the edge, Cassandra reached up with her other hand and pinched and twisted one nipple.

Estrella shuddered through her own orgasm, and Cassandra stroked her through it, not yet willing to stop, not if it made her sound and look and feel so good. After a moment, she slumped forwards, bracing herself on her elbow over Cassandra. Only then did Cassandra relent, knowing that she was probably oversensitive by that point.

Estrella huffed a little breathless, satisfied chuckle, and kissed Cassandra lazily on the lips. She rolled off of her, flopping down on the bed and tucking herself in beside her. Their legs tangled together, and Cassandra carded her fingers through Estrella’s hair, while Estrella reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. Cassandra loved being joined with her like that, holding and being held, as much of them touching as possible. She pressed a kiss to Estrella’s hair, who hummed contentedly.

“Happy one year anniversary.”