Touch you | Winrina

22

Dinner is surprisingly smooth. They don't talk much, all focused on eating and their own thoughts. The parents are oddly silent, and Karina briefly wonders if the falling out has already began. Not that she really cares, however awful it might sound. If anything, Winter and her will be okay with it. They won't share the roof, but they'll be able to be together properly.

(Are they together now?)

Winter's giving her glances and she's giving them right back. They're charged, but they lack heated urgency like ones they used to exchange before becoming them. Before the confession they haven't talked about yet. Neither brings it up and neither repeats it. But Karina has a feeling that tonight they will. She certainly will.

She lifts her eyes from her plate and Winter's eyes are there, waiting for her. They lock gazes, and it's almost physically painful to be seated across from her, not being able to touch her, to smell her. Karina shudders to think of the next year when she leaves for college. When Winter and her will be separated for a whole damn year.

Her desperation must reflect in her eyes, because Winter frowns prettily, and her hand reaches for hers automatically before she jerks it back.

"Winter?" Of course, Ms Narae chooses this exact moment to be attentive to her daughter. "Are you okay, honey?"

Karina watches Winter swallow. "Actually, I don't feel very good," her step sister says lowly. "I think I'm gonna go lie down."

"I'll see you to your room," Karina pipes up immediately. Perhaps, too immediately. Ms Narae's eyes are on her, and there's that unreadable flash of something in them again. Just like in the hospital room. Karina blinks, and something is itching at the back of her head, but Winter's at her side, discreetly tugging on her arm, and she has no choice but to drop it.

"Okay... Call us if you need anything, girls," Ms Narae says. Her eyes are slightly narrowed in confusion as she looks between them. "I have to say, I'm very glad to see you finally getting along so well. You might think we are blind," she chuckles, reaching for her husband's hand. Karina swallows as she watches him take it with a smile. "But we are far from it, and we noticed there was a lot of tension between you two. We're glad you worked on that."

Right.

"Yes," Karina says, brushing her thumb over the back of Winter's hand before dropping it. "We're glad, too."

--

She's pressed against the door as soon as Winter closes it behind them, and it's exactly what she expected when she followed Winter upstairs.

"Winter," she tries, softly but firmly grabbing the girl's wandering hands. "They are still up."

Her step sister gives her an odd look. "Never stopped us before," she grins before surging forward and capturing Karina's lips again. Karina kisses back for a long, delicious moment, tasting food and Winter. It's a surprisingly arousing combination. But then, Winter gets bold with her hands again and she gently pushes her away, smiling.

"Winter. Not now."

The girl huffs but relents, taking a step back. "I can be quiet," she grumbles, sitting down on her bed. The lights in her room are turned off, so Karina sees more of a silhouette than actual Winter. Her eyes will adjust soon. For now, she sits next to her, finding her hand with her own. She really likes holding her hand.

"I know," she simply replies to Winter. And she does know Winter can keep quiet if need be, but it's not about that. She's not sure what this is about. Or maybe she is and she doesn't want to admit it.

It's just... It hit her today, during her quick shower before dinner, and she can't believe she didn't realize it sooner. Tonight is the first night they'll have sex after the confession. So, technically that counts as making love, doesn't it? Those two words send shivers down Karina's spine whenever she thinks of them, and she's been thinking about it nonstop for the last hour or so. And just imagining saying an 'I love you' to Winter while she's inside her causes Karina's stomach to flip and flutter. Rather violently, too.

She just wants tonight to be perfect. She's been contemplating waiting and getting a room at a nice hotel so they wouldn't have to be quiet, but it felt a little cheap. They should make love in their house. Where it all started. There is something poetic about that, Karina supposes. And also now that Winter has wordlessly let her know she's okay with them having sex again, she doubts she'll be able to wait.

She really shouldn't have let Winter watch her workout. Or it's the best decision she's ever made. She's still on the fence with that one. There's one thing she's absolutely certain about: she's glad Ms Narae interrupted them before they got carried away. It may be dumb and cliché, but Karina doesn't want their first lovemaking to be on a dirty gym mat. Winter probably doesn't want that, either. Winter deserves a hell of a lot more than that.

(Sometimes it scares Karina – just how much she wants to give Winter, knowing she might not be able to.)

So they definitely need to wait till the parents are deeply asleep and will not disturb them. But how does she explain it all to Winter without sounding like a lunatic?

How many people plan their lovemaking to a dot? Do people do that at all? Should she have done it? She feels like she should have.

Karina settles for truth. But for a different one. "I don't want to risk it," she says, scooting closer to Winter and smiling when she nuzzles into her neck. "I think your mom is starting to pick up on some things."

Winter is silent and still for a long moment, and Karina starts wondering if she fell asleep when she finally speaks up. "She is," the blonde whispers. "I noticed that too. Do you think she thinks we are..."

"I don't know," Karina replies truthfully. "She's suspicious, though. So it's better to wait till they go to sleep."

Winter shifts in her arms, and Karina glances down to find Winter staring at her. She now sees Winter's face clearly in the dark, and she can't resist softly brushing her nose against hers. She's been doing that a lot lately. Thankfully, Winter seems to enjoy it instead of finding it weird like many people probably would. Or not. Karina doesn't have a lot of experience with physical expression of her emotions. And, as usual, Winter lets out a soft content sound at the eskimo kiss. All good, then. "Wouldn't it be better to wait till they leave for their honeymoon, though?" Winter is clearly teasing her. Karina can hear a smile in her voice. But she doesn't stop herself from falling into her trap.

"God no." her whispered answer is quick and horrified. "I kinda... can't wait," she shyly confesses.

"Me too," Winter replies, just as shyly. Karina wonders if Winter realizes the significance of tonight, as well. She probably does. Winter is much better at this than she is. She's a little more... normal is probably the word. Although 'normal' is an outdated concept in a lot of aspects.

(She knows it doesn't change the fact that there is something quite not right about her, but she doesn't want to dwell on it right now. She never wants to dwell on it, truth be told.)

"So what do you wanna do now?" Winter asks, settling into her comfortably. "We could watch something. Or just... talk." The prospect is slightly terrifying. To both of them, Karina thinks. She doesn't miss the way Winter's voice shakes a little bit at the last word. But she's also tried of watching tv shows that are just one big mess in her head at this point. Last night, she honest to god thought a character from one tv show belonged to another and was very confused when he didn't appear in the episode.

If there is a god up there, Karina thinks, he must like her enough to help her out sometimes, because at this exact moment, her phone rings, saving her from having to choose. "Sorry," she whispers apologetically, reaching into her pocket. They both glance at the screen, and she feels Winter tense up for a split second before relaxing. She tenses up, too, in surprise. It's been a while since she got a call from her. A long while.

It's Jisoo.