Touch you | Winrina

18

It's not quite limbo, but it's close. At least it feels this way to Karina. Winter is still easy smiles and twinkling eyes and laced fingers. It's new and exciting and scary and Karina lets it run its course.

They don't have sex after the fridge incident, but they do sleep together, and it's far less smothering than Karina imagined it to be. Completely by accident, too. It was raining and Karina didn't feel like leaving her room. Winter walked in and then simply didn't walk out. They started a new show on Karina's laptop and her step sister passed out near the end of the third episode – Karina's pretty sure she's conditioned her to do that, and she'll be lying if she said she didn't make a mental note to observe that more closely.

So, yeah. She glanced at Winter to ask if she wanted to keep watching and found her fast asleep, gently snoring, her chest heaving up and down with her breaths. And Karina could carry her to her bed, she really could – she's done it countless times before. But that day she didn't feel like it. She just wanted to stay in bed. And so she did. She quietly shut the laptop off and crawled under the blankets and helped Winter get under the blankets, too, and she fell asleep listening to her step sister's breathing and the sound of heavy rain outside. She made sure to stay on her side of the bed, too.

When she woke up, Winter was already gone, but there was a note with shakily written words about having to go to Aeri's to solve some crisis and a promise of brunch. Karina carries the note in her wallet and she doesn't want to get into her reasoning.

After that one night, they don't really have the time or the opportunity to actually wake up together – a prospect that has Karina's stomach up in knots. Parents come back, and this time, it's for much longer. It's time to officially tie the knot. Days blur by, and between finals, rigorous training regiment, and wedding preparations, neither Karina nor Winter have much time for each other. She's not gonna lie: she doesn't necessarily consider it a bad thing. She needed that slight step back. Perhaps, Winter did, too.

Except their gazes meet over cake decorations and fluffy dresses and the heated longing in Winter's eyes ignites heavy ache somewhere deep in Karina's belly.

"This one's pretty good," Winter whispers to her in a cake shop, and Karina doesn't hesitate before wrapping her lips around Winter's offered finger with vanilla frosting smeared on it. It is pretty good. She makes sure to let her know by releasing a low moan. Just as Winter's eyes darken, Ms Narae calls for them from the other side of the shop, and she lets go of her step sister's finger with a small pop.

It takes all of her will – all of their will – not to drag each other into the dressing room next to Ms Narae's. The whole day is torture, and once they get home, Winter coaxes sharp, silent orgasms from Karina in the guest bathroom. And Karina really, really wishes for the wedding to be done and over with and for parents to finally depart so they have the house back to themselves.

It's been far too long since she's made Winter scream, and as fun as it is to watch her struggle to keep quiet, she misses the way she sounds like when she falls apart.

Ms Narae becomes her father's wife during the first week of winter break. As far as weddings go, this one is nice. That's the word Karina would use. It's small and classy and reasonably expensive. Still way too many people for her tastes. She's not particularly fond of father's business associates. But the wedding is cute. A Karina one, just like Ms Narae wanted. Beautiful décor and snow. Blue dresses for the daughters that make Winter's soft eyes stand out and sparkle with unshed tears. Karina's pretty much immune to weddings by now, but Winter isn't. She's taking everything in and when her mother says her vows Karina watches Winter swallow painfully and smile through tears.