(BL) Taming the Field Guide

Taylor and Karen ate in silence.

It was so fucking awkward on Taylor’s part that she was shaking. She shouldn’t have come. She wasn’t ready to make a damn fool of herself. Taylor was certain that she looked like an idiot sitting beside Karen.

Karen, when Taylor glanced at her, looked like a damn debutante compared to Taylor. Taylor was certain that she looked like a damn mess, her hair all over the place, her ponytail a mess, her clothes were askew. She didn’t look like Karen who had her back straight, her movements composed and practised. Her short hair fell around her ears, so pretty and her every action was graceful.

Taylor felt like a gangly teen next to the other woman, her heart pounding in her chest and her actions janky. She looked and felt like an ugly duckling next to the other woman. It was a bit of a first for Taylor. She’d normally never felt like this when sitting next to another woman, even if she was attracted to them.

It was just Karen that Taylor felt like this next to.

"How is work going for you?" Karen’s words took Taylor by surprise. She was sure that the woman saw the reports, and she knew that Karen was fairly hands-on with the healing work that she was doing with the rescued Guides.

Karen didn’t want them to be afraid of her as an Esper, but more importantly, as a person. She was the good if not great kind of leader who wanted people to respect her for who she was. She had put in the work to get the Guides to trust her, without Kellen or Gunther’s help. She was just...a good person.

"It couldn’t be going any smoother when it comes to the Guides." Taylor began, giving Karen a bit of an explanation of what she was doing. Karen listened, asking rather insightful questions that had Taylor glancing at her but her shoulders dropping as well. The nerves that had been eating at her slowly faded, giving her a break from being so tense.

Karen watched her, eating quietly, speaking quietly, and it wasn’t until Taylor was finished eating and finished explaining everything going on in her life that she realised what had happened.

Taylor had been bamboozled. She’d been lured in and forced to relax. Karen had even fed her, given her something to drink and was taking care of her even now. She was also smiling at her with such open affection that Taylor was surprised it was only now that she was noticing.

Taylor stopped, her face going red and she scowled at Karen.

"You-You did this on purpose!" Taylor accused. Karen, who had been raising her own glass to her lips paused, giving Taylor a confused blink before her expression warmed and she lowered the glass.

"You only noticed that now? That’s cute, princess." Karen told her and Taylor felt her face warm further. She leaned in, glaring at Karen.

"If you’re going to try to lull me into a false sense of security, I’m capable of doing the same." Taylor told her, her blue eyes narrow. Karen fought a smile, staring at the other woman.

"Oh? I’m all ears, princess." Karen told her and Taylor unconsciously shifted closer to the other woman. She began to ask Karen the same questions that she’d been asking Taylor, and Taylor was determined to give her the same treatment. She asked about what she was hearing, asked about how Karen felt, trying to make her feel as seen as Taylor had felt.

She barely registered when Karen gently shifted them closer and closer until Taylor was in her lap, Karen’s arm loosely around her waist, her other hand on her knee. Karen kept her hands respectful places, speaking easily, carefully as Taylor focused on her. Listening, watchful, but not aware of their surroundings.

It wasn’t until Karen was done and the room was filled with a pregnant silence that Taylor was brought back to the actual moment.

Taylor gasped, her hand flying to her chest as she glanced around. She wanted to run, wanted to flee, but Karen’s grip on her tightened.

"Taylor?" Karen asked, her voice soft, but with enough power behind it that it drew Taylor’s panicking gaze towards her. "It’s okay. You don’t need to run." Karen told her and Taylor felt the wall she’d been considering tearing down implode.

"What’s happening?" Taylor asked breathlessly. She was certain she hadn’t even drank that much, but how in the world had she not noticed sliding into the other woman’s lap? That was...that was just ridiculous!

Karen watched her, her eyes shimmering between brown and the bright orange of her powers, showing that her emotions were growing. That, or she was responding to Taylor’s own emotions rising.

"Whatever you want. Nothing more, nothing less." Karen told her seriously and Taylor felt her heart squeeze inside of her chest. What did that mean? What was Karen even saying?

Taylor raised a trembling, cautious hand and placed it against Karen’s cheek. What was she even doing? Feeling the warmth, the soft skin under her hand, Taylor flinched. This was a lot. This was so much. Taylor felt her chest rise and fall, her breaths growing laboured.

"What does that even mean?" Taylor asked softly, and Karen’s gaze burned orange for a hot, dangerous moment before simmering back down to the brown shade that Taylor was familiar with.

"It means, dear Taylor, that whatever you want to do, whatever scraps you are capable of giving me, I will gladly take." Karen responded gruffly. "Anything. A simple touch, a kiss...anything." It was like she was planting seeds in Taylor’s head. Taylor’s eyes slid to Karen’s lips, her throat working and her face burning before she darted her gaze back up where it was safe.

Or, what had felt safe before she’d looked at those plump, pretty lips. Karen had always had the nicest proportions Taylor had ever seen someone have. Taylor hadn’t thought much of it because Karen hadn’t seemed to think anything of it either. She took it as fact, but now being faced with it...

Taylor let out a slow, shaky breath from her own lips, her eyes meeting Karen’s nervously. Karen let out a low groan, her eyes sharpening as she stared into Taylor’s sweet, nervous gaze.

"Don’t ask that of me." Karen murmured. Taylor blinked.

"What?" She asked, confused, and Karen scowled at her.

"Stop begging me to kiss you with your eyes." Karen accused and Taylor felt her mouth open slightly. She wasn’t do-

Taylor stopped, her breath stuttering to a halt. Her body was shaking, her eyes were flickering every which way, her hand was on Karen’s cheek and she was in complete denial about what was going on.

Taylor closed her eyes, forcing herself to realise what she actually wanted. It took all of ten seconds to realise that she was exactly where she wanted to be and thinking of being in this position with anyone else was...disgusting.

When Taylor opened her eyes again, she was still shaking, still nervous, but she wasn’t completely in denial anymore.

"Can you?" Taylor asked. Karen’s eyes widened slightly as Taylor’s tongue darted across her lips nervously. "I-I’m too nervous." Taylor admitted. She shouldn’t have worried that Karen wouldn’t want to kiss her. It was foolish to even consider it now that she was meeting the other woman’s gaze.

Karen looked ready to devour every inch of her. Whatever she gave her, her foot!

Karen’s body moved, shifting Taylor slightly as the woman approached. Taylor was expecting her kiss to be forceful, heavy, but it wasn’t. Instead, the woman was coaxing her, very much like she had been doing this whole time.

Her lips were warm, soft against her own. It wasn’t a deep kiss, not at first. She was just sipping at her lips, taking her time. Taylor knew that she was watching her reaction, her every action and response was probably being cataloged into the back of her mind and while that would normally bother Taylor, it didn’t when it came to Karen.

Taylor slid her hand down Karen’s face, slipping down to her neck, her fingers tapping the back of Karen’s throat as Taylor felt the pulse under hands like a brand. At the very least, Karen was just as affected by what was going on as Taylor was.

When Taylor let out a soft, sweet moan, Karen seemed to loosen some of the control she had on herself. Her tongue gently asked for permission, and Taylor wasn’t in any state to say no. When she came into her mouth, testing the waters, Taylor’s grip on her neck tightened and it was Taylor leaned in closer for a deeper kiss.

Taylor felt how Karen’s lips quirked up in a smile before she kissed Taylor deeper. Their tongues intertwined, their breaths mingled, but their hands stayed respectable. Neither woman pushed too hard, too far.

Just simply enjoyed each other.

Karen was the one who pulled back, her kisses coaxing Taylor back off of the edge. Her face was flushed, her eyes full of a potent desire that made Taylor squirm in her lap.

"Princess, you taste amazing." Karen breathed and Taylor felt her face warm. Karen’s eyes slid down Taylor’s body, making Taylor’s face warm further. "I bet you taste even better below." Karen breathed, her nostrils flaring and Taylor felt her thighs squeeze tightly.

"Karen Hill." Taylor chastised, no bite to her words. Karen gave her a bright, naughty smile.

"What? Maybe I was talking about your breasts." Karen teased and Taylor, not for a damn second, bought it.

"I’m no fool, Ms. Hill. I know you were talking about...lower." Taylor felt embarrassed to even say it. "But we don’t have that kind of time right now." Taylor told her. Karen’s eyes widened, confusion crossing her features.

"What do you mean by that?" Karen asked and Taylor hesitated.

"We both have busy days tomorrow and we both need to be in proper form. We don’t have 24 hours to roll around in the sheets together." Taylor told her and Karen gave a soft laugh.

"Who said we need 24 hours, princess?" Karen asked and Taylor leveled her with a serious gaze. If Taylor was to get involved with Karen, she needed to make a few things clear. Taylor wasn’t a gentle lover in any capacity.

"I did." Taylor told her and watched as Karen coughed, her face going bright red as Taylor gave her a possessive scan of her own. Taylor licked her lips slowly, raising her gaze to Karen’s vibrant orange gaze. "We’ll need time for you to recover." Taylor spoke softly and watched as Karen looked absolutely smitten.

"Yes Ma’am." She growled, her hands twitching. Taylor felt like she’d crossed a line she could never uncross, but damn it, she didn’t think she cared at the moment.