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After dinner, Lena had hurried back home to get things ready for the sleepover. Her pets attacked her immediately after the door was opened and after giving them proper love and attention that lasted for about half an hour, she hurried with her packing and got the dogs on their leashes and Leo in his very own bag.
She got dressed in a dark blue lace camisole with matching boy shorts before wrapping a thick cream peacoat over it. Her hair was perfectly messy in it's ponytail and before she left the house, she addressed her pets with a mockingly stern look.
"Don't screw this up for me dudes, Mama needs a night out with her friend. You better love them animals like they were blood. Got it?" She grinned at her puppies as they licked every inch of her face in return. Leo blinked and they were off in her car.
When she arrived at Natalie's place, Jude nipped at her heels as if to hurry her up, so she knocked on the door with a grin.
In the time that her friend spent getting ready, Natalie prepared her home for a guest. A couple of large, comfortable blankets were spread across the couch, and she made sure her fridge was stalked with appropriate snacks and beverages. The television was readied with Netflix, the unfamiliar show cued up and ready to watch. Even Maura had already made it onto the couch, ready for a much needed night in.
Every presence in her apartment sensed the new animals as they neared, and that being said Nat made her way towards the door, opening it up after the first couple of knocks. She was already in her own pajamas, sporting sweatpants and a loose sleeveless shirt. "Welcome!" She greeted cheerfully, making room for the dancer to come inside. Instantly, she was bending over to greet to two smaller dogs that Lena had. Little licks covered her hands and drew a laugh out of her. It was wonderful to see them, too. When she stood, her own dogs approached to say hello, tails wagging.
"Do you want a snack? Or something to eat?" She asked, closing the door behind her.
The puppies happily yipped at the newcomer while the kitten curiously poked his head out from her bag. "Thank you love!" She greeted just as cheerfully before walking in with the dogs right at her heel.
The puppies curiously went over to the bigger dogs and started sniffing each other. Jude went to the couch, putting its front paws up to sniff at Maura. "Be gentle, pup." Lena warned before putting Leo and her overnight bag down. The kitten slinked out and wrapped himself around Lena's ankle.
"I would love a bubbly, actually if you don't mind. I'm ready to talk shit about my babies." She gestured to the TV with a big grin.
She went over to the couch to pick Jude up as Johnny trotted over. "Hey old lady." Lena waved to the tortoise and made herself comfortable. Leo took that time to climb up Lena's leg, scratching it as she went up.
"Nat, love. Bring the whole bottle. We're in for a long night." She chuckled.
Natalie laughed lightly at the way her counterpart's animals investigated her home. She could listen in on them, and knowing well enough that they were more curious of the tortoise than anything else. She made her way towards the fridge, opening it up before the request hit the air, and her eyebrows immediately furrowed. "I'm sorry, I don't have any champagne." Natalie slowly confessed. Her nose crinkled lightly as she turned to look back at the dancer. "Is white wine okay? Or - I could go and get some. It's just a couple minute walk to the store."
She closed the door, walking over to the back of the couch and putting her hands on the back of it. "Either way, I'll bring the whole bottle." She reassured, reaching down to scratch Oz's head, who was now itching for attention.
"White wine's fine, love." She waved a dismissive hand before gesturing for the other woman to hurry. "Literally any alcohol will do just fine tonight." She chuckled. She just wanted to get drunk tonight and then sleep.
She took off her coat and slung it over the arm of the couch, reaching back to scratch Natalie's stomach. "Come on, Nats! Let's get this party started." She grinned widely up at the taller woman.
A set of nails against the thin material covering her stomach had the brunette smiling, an air of amused breath escaping her lips. "I'll be right there." Natalie reassured, patting the hand that had reached out to her before she went back to the fridge, only to return a few moments later with the whole bottle in one hand, and two wine glasses in the other. Setting them down on the coffee table in front of the couch, she poured generous servings for the both of them.
"Am I going to understand any of this?" She asked, settling down next to the dancer and handing her a glass. The moment her lap was avaiable, Beau jumped up into it, purring as he settled. It drew a content sigh out of Nat, "I'm so glad we're doing this."
Once Natalie was on the couch, Lena pulled her pets off her to curl up against the trainer. She accepted the flute and took a sip from it.
"Okay so this episode is when we'll meet the Vulture. He's a dick who swoops in - they'll explain who he is but really the only thing you need to know is that Peralta and Santiago are like...OTP and this is the beginning of the epic love story between them." She chuckled. "I'm a sucker for romance." She shrugged and hogged the remote.
Her pets started climbing on to her lap again with Leo perched on Lena's shoulder.
Very quickly, names were being thrown that Natalie was completely unfamiliar with, but she did her best to follow the brief description, and thanks to a brief translation from Zoe, she understood what the OTP reference meant. "Alright, let's do this." Nat nodded, watching the screen once the show was started. She found comfort in the close proximity to both her friend and the pets that surrounded them. Her arm eventually settled around the dancer's shoulders, the other hand freed only to hold her wine.
As it grew later into the night and one of many episodes had come to an end, the trainer raised her eyebrows. It had been a little hard to follow from where they took off, but she had managed to keep up more or less. But the quirky humor kept her amused, and she could easily say that she enjoyed the show. "I can see why you binge this." She spoke finally, taking the last sip of wine from her glass. As she looked towards the bottle, she already knew it was empty, if only from the way her cheeks burned from the alcohol running through her system.
Tilting her head, she rested it on Lena's, letting out a sigh. "I never thought to label you as a romantic." She added, pointing out what the dancer had said before they had started watching, only now more heavily influenced by watching the on screen romance develop.
Her pets had dozed off in her lap halfway through the bingeing but Lena was still wide awake. Her glass had found its way to the table and she was pleasantly buzzed.
With Natalie's head on hers, Lena wrapped her arms around the other woman's mid-section and chuckled at her comment. "I am if it's as well-developed as theirs. I don't actually like the grand gestures and flowery bullshit. I'm more of a spanning years kind with subtle overtures over time until they're caught up in a moment where they can't deny their feelings kinda gal." She chuckled.
Her fingers slipped under Natalie's top to skim the skin underneath. She cuddled closer to Natalie, careful not to jostle the animals. "How about you?"
With all of the animals sound asleep, it seemed so quiet in her apartment. Natalie was so often used to hearing those familiar voices next to her own thoughts; now only the dancer's explanation resonated. She hummed lightly at the idea of taking years to find and confess love. Fingertips grazed against her bare skin and she felt the shift in her own pulse due to the contact. It took her a moment to even catch the question, but a reminder that alcohol was probably a factor in all that.
She let out a slow burning exhale. It was a subject that was never easy for the trainer. "I'm not sure," she confessed, fingertips drawing up the length of Lena's arm, and then down again idly. Nat was barely aware of her own movements. "It's not as if I don't want to find someone, but I don't seem to have it figured out. When I try it just - something isn't right."
Lena could hear a shift in Natalie's tone and she couldn't help but straighten up to look at the other woman. She gently plucked her pets off her and put them on the floor before pulling her legs up to curl under her.
She took Natalie's hand and slipped her fingers through hers, dragging her thumb up and down against the other woman's skin.
"You don't know what you're looking for?" Lena asked.
With Lena's shift, it seemed the whole crew was woken. Even Natalie looked a little startled by the shift, if only because more than half a dozen voices grumbled about their sudden wakening. Fortunately, they were quick to shift themselves and find comfort somewhere else. Her attention immediately shifted back to the dancer, letting her hand be taken easily. She watched her expression carefully, eyebrows furrowing with a simple sounding question that still had the trainer thinking.
"I just want something... genuine." Natalie tried to explain, eyebrows furrowing as she decided t settle her gaze on their hands instead. "People are so complicated. It's like there's some sort of game. It's exhausting trying to keep up."
When the animals dispersed, Lena grimaced when she realised she had caused the upset. Her attention then focused back on the trainer and how vulnerable she looked. Her free hand moved to push the hair that had fallen into Natalie's face.
"If it makes you feel better, you're not the only one who thinks that. I swear, it's a lot easier if sleeping around wasn't so looked down upon. Sex is easy. Understanding a person takes too much time." Lena said. "I know I said I'm a sucker for romance, and I am but like...real life romance is hard to come by, you know?"
Natalie genuinely wondered if she truly wasn't the only person that had felt this way. Given her age, she'd had a very limited number of relationships, none of which had gone into much that was serious. There was always something that stopped her. She'd left more first dates feeling drained than actually happy by the company she often shared. Her lips pressed together, forming a thin line, only to be broken when a few strands of hair was removed from her face.
She didn't want to be negative. Really, Natalie was so rarely negative. Again, she felt as if it was the aid of alcohol that made her find a way to voice some of those insecurities that she often only allowed her animal companions to hear. They couldn't judge her. "I just wish that people would voice their thoughts more often. Or act on what they feel."
Lena had never really held back on her emotions. Not even when the situation called for it. She didn't like being blocked up by her emotions. Mostly because she didn't like the possible outcomes of repression. She would either rage, or cry. She often said what she felt and let her emotions call the shots. She was lucky she had a profession that allowed her that freedom.
Some others aren't so lucky. Some get too jaded by life and hid behind walls. Often times, Lena would serve as a wrecking ball if she wanted to. She often wanted to.
She leaned in and let her hand slide down Natalie's neck. "I feel the same way," she sighed before moving in to press her lips against Natalie's, just a gentle brush as she gauged the other woman's reactions.
