ONCE she had towelled herself off, Adrien flung open the glass doors to their closet. It was an entire room in itself, its entrance facing the bathroom.

     Muse, half-visible in the doorway, had been blow-drying her hair and threatening Adrien with revenge for the last twenty minutes. 

     "It'll come when you least expect it," she said over the sound of the blow-dryer. 

     "You sound like a fortune cookie," Adrien replied, rifling through the clothes that had already been precisely pressed and hung up by the resort staff.

     The loud hum of the blow-dryer vanished into silence as Muse unplugged it. "A fortune cookie?" 

     Adrien turned around. Muse stood in the bathroom doorway, one hand on her hip. Her golden-brown curls floated around her head, wild and messy. It looked frustratingly good. Even though her hair hadn't gotten wet, she had insisted she needed to restyle it.

    "Yes, darling. It's been all 'Your days are numbered' and 'I'm going to kill you in your sleep' since we got back from the beach."

     "What kind of fortune cookie says 'I'm going to kill you in your sleep'?"

     Adrien shrugged and pulled a white tank top off a hanger. "Special ones."

     Muse let out a sound of frustration and disappeared from the doorway. Through the mirror, Adrien caught a glimpse of her opening and closing different pink containers with cursive script. 

     "How many hair products―?"

     "Curly hair needs a routine," Muse said with an indignant sniff. 

     Is that why it always looks so fucking good? Adrien thought. She slipped on the tank top, and briefly caught Muse's eyes on her through the mirror. An identical look in her eyes to when Adrien had fucked her on the beach: wide and dark and full of need. Their stares locked. Adrien's heart raced in her chest. She wondered if Muse would take back the just friends part of the contract. She felt her blood go warm. 

     Muse's cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink. But she only said, "Put on some pants."

     Adrien looked down. She wore only boxers. "Sorry."

     "You don't sound that sorry."

     "Should I get down on my knees and beg for your forgiveness?"

     Muse turned a brighter shade of pink, as if she were imagining Adrien on her knees. She continued scrunching creamy gold product into her hair, more aggressively now. "I think you'd have to go lower than that. Six feet under, perhaps," she said sweetly. 

     Adrien stifled a laugh. She pulled on a pair of jeans and slid a thick black belt through the hoops. "I'm sorry I threw you in the ocean, alright? Please stop daydreaming about my death."

    "You don't sound sorry about that either, Adrien!"

    "Okay, okay." She coughed a little, until no trace remained of a laugh. "I'm truly very sorry about throwing you in the ocean."

    "I don't forgive you. I specifically told you to stay away from me."

    "I won't do it again."

    "Pinkie promise?"

     The idea of a pinkie promise startled a laugh out of her. "Pinkie promise?"

     "A pinkie promise is a sacred vow. You can't lie on a pinkie promise. Everybody knows that. Everybody." 

     "Okay, okay. My fault for not realizing a pinkie promise was a big oath."

     "So, pinkie promise? You won't throw me in the ocean again?"

     "Well . . ."

     A mascara tube sailed from the bathroom doorway and into the closet, bouncing against Adrien's head.

     "You're insufferable!" Muse yelled. Then she added, "Can I have that back?"

     "Yeah." Adrien grinned, catching the mascara tube before it rolled underneath the drawers. She closed the light of the closet and stepped into the bathroom doorway. "Good aim."

     Her breath caught as she watched Muse lean over the counter, lining her lips in a warm, rosy pink shade that matched her blush. Her mouth had parted slightly. Her lips looked fuller and poutier than usual.

     The idea of kissing her paralyzed Adrien for a moment. She imagined reaching over, turning Muse's face to hers. She imagined their lips sealing together, how soft and lush she would taste. The way Adrien's fingers would slide through those golden curls, cupping the smooth skin of her neck. Kissing her senseless, until that lip colour smeared off. 

     She shook herself a little. They were supposed to be friends. 

     It was normal to have these thoughts, wasn't it? Only barely a week ago, Adrien had told her she loved her. Had wanted to be married to her forever. In the span of that time, they'd confessed their love only to agree just yesterday there could be nothing more than teamwork and friendship between them. 

     The thoughts would fade once Adrien became accustomed to the idea of them being just friends, wouldn't they?

     It didn't help that Muse looked so irritatingly fucking attractive putting on makeup. Something about the way her face turned concentrated, and how she leaned into the mirror, her touch so precise. Adrien wanted to watch forever. 

     "Here," she said at last.

     Muse glanced at her through the mirror.

     Adrien's heart stuttered in her chest. She kept her face neutral. "The lip colour, um, looks good. The pink is nice."

     Muse was silent for a moment. "Thanks."

***

THE bedsheets tangled around her legs, her hips. Soft silk against her skin, beneath her knees. She didn't know how she'd gotten into this position. She dimly remembered breakfast with Grey and Sherry. But the room was dark, shadows creased in the corners of their suite. The night breeze kissed her face, her lips. Nothing else mattered except this moment.

Adrien let out a moan, her face shimmering with sweat. Muse was straddled over her, holding her legs apart with her thighs.

"Muse," Adrien whispered.

"You're so good, baby," Muse said, leaning over her. Her hand was between her legs. Slick wetness against her fingertips.

Soft and breathless. "Muse, please."

"What do you want?"

Adrien shook her head stubbornly, squirming beneath her. She twisted her fists into the bedsheets, arching her back off the bed. "Muse."

"I like it when you say my name like that, baby." Muse stroked her fingers faster between Adrien's legs. "All whiny."

"Fuck you," Adrien gasped, squeezing her eyes shut. She dug her fingers harder into the blankets. Even in the dim light, Muse could see the faint redness atop her cheekbones. "I hate you."

"That wasn't very nice." Muse stopped touching her. "I think you should say sorry."

"Oh, fuck." Adrien arched her hips off the bed, trying to push her wetness against Muse's hand to no avail.

Muse used her thighs to pin her down harder. "You know what I want."

Adrien let out a soft, strangled moan. "Sorry. Sorry."

"And?"

"Fuck, Muse."

"You're so stubborn, baby." Muse began touching her again. Adrien's eyes rolled back. She waited until her breathing became stuttered, her moans higher, and she withdrew her hand as Adrien's face tightened, legs shaking.

"Muse," Adrien moaned again. "Oh, my god."

Muse brushed her fingertips softly against her, too light of a touch. "What's wrong, Adrien?"

"You're torturing me."

"You know what you have to say, my love."

Muse brushed between her thighs again. Adrien moaned. Her jaw clenched, a dim light shining on the smooth column of her neck. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

"I bet that feels so good, doesn't it?"

Adrien nodded, her eyes still squeezed shut. She tried lifting her hips against Muse's hand, but Muse only pressed down harder on her legs. Keeping them apart.

"I know, baby. I know it does. I bet you want to come really bad."

Adrien nodded again, desperation cording the lines in her forearms, her neck.

"You know what you have to say to me then, don't you?"

"Muse."

Muse brought her again to that edge, until Adrien's legs shook uncontrollably beneath her, her breathing harsh in the air between them. Then she removed her hand.

Adrien whimpered, the sound almost like a cry.

"Please," she said, her voice breaking.

Muse's voice was light, teasing. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Adrien tried in vain to roll her hips into Muse's hand, breathing hard. "I said please, Muse."

"Please what?" Muse kept her touch frustratingly gentle.

"Please fuck me."

She continued sliding her fingers against Adrien. "I'm already doing that, my love. What is it you want?"

"I want," Adrien gasped, "you to let me come."

"Keep begging me."

"Please. Please. Oh, God. Please. Fuck."

Muse dug her nails into Adrien's hip, holding her down as her other hand moved relentlessly between her legs. Adrien tossed her head back into the pillow, her jaw sharp, her mouth opening and closing. Her moans became higher, uneven.

"Open your eyes," Muse said. "Look at me as you come."

Adrien's eyes fluttered. She fought to keep them open, her gaze heavy and raw on Muse. Her legs trembled, her breathing turning shallow. Her lips parted, a moan leaving her almost like a scream―

"Muse, are you falling asleep?"

Muse opened her eyes. Sunlight stabbed her face, burning hot against her cheeks. Adrien blinked at her, her back to the suite's window, haloed in golden light.

"No," she said immediately.

"You were literally snoring."

"I do that sometimes."

"Do you want me to cancel the tour in ten minutes?" Adrien shook her head. "You passed out right after dinner last night."

Muse sat up. She vaguely remembered laying down on the bed after they'd gotten back from breakfast. She'd thought she would just rest here until it was time to take the tour.

"No, don't cancel it," Muse said, yawning. "I'm awake. I'm really awake. I've never been more awake in my life."

Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"I'm so awake I could do a cartwheel right now."

"You can do cartwheels?"

"Of course I can do cartwheels." Muse hadn't done a cart wheel since the third grade, in gymnastics class at the local community centre. "Can you not do cartwheels?"

Adrien scoffed. "Of course I can do a cartwheel."

"You're lying."

"What?"

"Your jaw just twitched. You're lying."

"My jaw doesn't twitch when I lie."

"Do a cartwheel right now."

"Okay, fine, I lied."

"See?" Muse stood, and immediately regretted it. Something dripped down her thigh. She hadn't realized how wet she'd become.

She could not be having sex dreams about her fake enemy turned lover turned enemy turned friend. They had agreed they wouldn't sleep together. Muse had set that rule.

"Are you ready to go down and meet Cai in the lobby?" Adrien asked.

"Give me five minutes," Muse said, and fled for the bathroom.

***

THE wetness was still there, even after she had showered, and changed her underwear and skirt. She could feel it, warm between her legs, as Cai enthusiastically spread his arms and stopped before one of the pools.

The tour had only just begun, and Muse already wanted to pull her hair out. At least Adrien had an arm around her. The touch comforted her.

"There are twenty-nine pools at the Empress," Cai said. Today, he was dressed in a prim white tux with gold-embellished swirling broidery. His brown skin gleamed, but somehow he didn't appear to be sweating in the slightest.

"Wow," Adrien murmured. Her hand squeezed Muse's arm, her fingertips tracing little patterns on her skin.

"There are also six plunge pools, twelve jacuzzis, and nineteen hot tubs. Over there, if you'll follow me, there's the gym. Right next door is the Wellness Hub, where you can book a massage or meditation."

Cai continued leading them around the resort, pointing out various amenities with a bright, plastic smile. He mentioned paddle boarding, snorkelling, whale watching, sea cave exploring, river boating, and kayaking.

"If you want to sign up for anything, just call the front desk using the phone in your room!"

Muse's head spun with how many activities there were. She knew this was a luxury resort, obviously, but she hadn't heard of half of the things he'd mentioned in her life, let alone at one place. The divide between wealth had never been more stark than in the time she'd spent with Adrien.

They must have circled the entire resort by the time Cai had finished.

"And," he said, "there's biking and culinary classes. So"―he winked at Adrien―"if you have some dates in mind, you're never out of options at the Empress."

Culinary classes at a resort on an island made Muse blink. She wondered who had come up with that.

"There's also the special honeymooner package. We know it's hard making decisions when there's so much to do, which is why the Empress has designed planned date nights for all couples. If you wish, you can sign up."

"Honeymooner package," Adrien repeated.

"Yes, well, it's called the honeymooner package, but it's not literal, you see. It refers to the blissful stage of romance for couples, which the date nights at the Empress simulate."

In the corner of her eye, Muse saw a flash of long black hair. Catalina sat at the bar in the lobby, sipping an iced Pina colada. She hadn't looked back at them once.

If Muse had never met her, she wouldn't have looked twice.

How many times had her security detail been watching her without her noticing?

She knew she should feel like it was an invasion of privacy, that Adrien had had people trailing her for months. But if anything, the more Muse thought about it―

She stopped herself from thinking about how attractive Adrien was. Her underwear was still damp from her dream. She hated Adrien. She hated that she wanted Adrien so bad. 

"The tour is over," Cai said, still smiling pleasantly.

She wondered if the muscles in his face hurt from keeping that same smile plastered on all day.

"I hope you two have learned all you desired to know about the Empress. We're happy to have you. Have a wonderful stay!"

Adrien thanked him. Once he had disappeared, shoes clicking on the tiled floors, she turned to Muse.

"You look really sleepy, baby."

"I'm not tired."

"You yawned three times in the past two minutes. How about we get you up to the room and you take a little nap?"

"But I don't want to waste―"

"Everything will still be here when you wake up, Muse. It's our first actual day here."

We only have a week, Muse wanted to protest. A week had felt like an eternity before. Now it just wasn't enough time. She hated that she had planned to be alone this trip, and that she didn't totally mind Adrien kept following her everywhere.

She let Adrien hold her hand, taking her up the spiralled staircases to their room.

"Did you like that tour or what?" Adrien asked, as they walked up hand in hand.

"So much."

"Which activity did you like best?"

"I don't even know." Muse yawned. Her climb up the stairs had become slower and slower. "Culinary class sounds fun, I guess."

"Muse, it's going to take you two years to get to the room at this rate. Want me to carry you up the stairs?"

"No! I am a strong, independent―"

Adrien picked her up and kept climbing the stairs. Muse was too tired to do anything but lightly hit her back. Being against Adrien like that almost made Muse moan.

It was the sex dream's fault.

***

Reunited with my cutie pie gf this weekend. 

From the moon and back,
Sarai