She watched, somewhat mesmerized with how their lips moved, especially around their tusks, while hearing an unfamiliar voice mirror the movements. Avicia completely missed Kahdreg glancing toward her. "What's with the grin?"

Her brain stuttered, momentarily confused, as she registered the rumble of their chest beneath her and their words lapped at her hearing.

Avicia turned her face away from Kahdreg, not trusting herself to refrain from blushing. She hadn't even realized she was smiling. Half-acting and half-genuine, she gave a yawn, before adding, "You're mouthing the lines. It was kind of cute."

"Oh," mumbled Kahdreg, shifting beneath Avicia awkwardly. To herself, Avicia grinned, watching the pictures go by on the screen but no longer following the script.

It wasn't much longer before the room dimmed, only lit by the rolling white credits that drifted up the screen. Kahdreg gave a groan, stretching beneath their guest, as the ending music wafted through the air. "So, what'd you think? Good, right?"

A muttered mash of words left Avicia's lips, breathy and nonsensical. She shifted slightly against them, burrowing deeper under the blanket and partially turning away from the screen, toward the back of the couch.

"Avicia?" Kahdreg craned their neck to get a glimpse of the woman's face. Even with the dimmer lighting, they saw her fine. A perk of orcish dark vision.

Before they looked, they guessed she was asleep. With their hands still resting on her back, her steady breathing shifted her body against their palms. But they still couldn't help staring at the sight of Avicia's face, relaxed and somehow softer in rest. Without thinking, their hand stroked down her back, quietly appreciating the curvatures of her body even through the barrier of fabrics. When their touch elicited a pleasant sigh from the woman's lips, Kahdreg stopped.

Closing their eyes and taking a deep breath, Kahdreg's head slumped back against the arm of the couch. Perhaps hoping Avicia was just fooling them, they peeked down at her and tentatively muttered, "Well, guess I'm stuck out here tonight, hm?"

When she didn't laugh or move, another heavy sigh left Kahdreg's lips. Their gaze turned to the ceiling, staring into the dark. Their thoughts turned the day's events over, examining them from every angle. Conversations and actions dissected to understand. A mix of uncertainty and heat seesawed in their gut, dipping further one way then the other.

Sleep clawed their eyes closed, making their thoughts sluggish. So they forced themselves to ease beneath Avicia, sinking into the couch as they tried to accept the fact this was a job to her. Nothing more.

---

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Hrk!" Kahdreg jerked awake, the sound of knuckles rapping on their front door startling them upright. A weight lifted from their chest and instinct brought their hands up to grab whatever fell. A blunt pain throbbed in their shoulder. When Avicia gave a semi-shriek of alarm and grabbed for something, which ended up being the orc's own arms, the memories slammed into them.

Both stared at each other, wide-eyed. Adrenaline and shock had both their breathing ragged, their faces gradually flushing as their hands clutched one another desperately. It was lost on either that they were in a comparable to a naughtier scenario.

Memories of last night lapped over them, worsening the embarrassment once they both realized they'd fallen asleep with one another. The heat only intensified in Kahdreg as some deep, asinine instinct preened at seeing Avicia in their shirt the "morning after." Somehow, the tee-shirt equated to a bedsheet in their imagination. Before that thought could root further in, they shook it away. Forcefully.

"Uh, I-" Kahdreg managed, words thick with grogginess, before the staccato impact of an insistent knocker interrupted them.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Kahdreg threw a dirty look at the door, annoyance creasing their features. With a deep breath, Avicia pushed off the orc, her own body lamenting over the loss of such delicious body heat and firmness. She shifted a little further down the couch, getting distance as she clutched the blanket around her.

In an attempt to alleviate the awkward heaviness in the air, Avicia laughed, "You better go get that before they knock your door in."

Her stomach jolted when Kahdreg wheeled their gaze back to her. It wasn't so much their focus, but how their eyes trailed over her, like someone hesitant to part from a lover.

Immediately, Avicia clamped down on the thought. No, nope. They and she were not lovers.

Yet, giggled a teasing voice in her head.

Luckily, Kahdreg had already turned away from her, after pushing themselves off the couch. Or else they would have seen the deep scowl cross her lips. Avicia mentally glared at the vexing inner thought, which sounded remarkably like her Bellamy persona.

"Good morning, Kahd, darling."

The chipper voice made Avicia's inner scolding screech to a halt. On automatic, she slipped off the couch and trod closer to the door, careful to keep hidden.

"Kalli?" The strain was painfully evident in Kahdreg's voice. Something flared inside Avicia, making her hands tighten into fists. After clearing their throat, Kahdreg managed to ask an awkward, "What uh- what are you doing here?" 

Heaviness settled on Kahdreg's shoulders, facing Kallinaera in their doorway. They never particularly liked it when the siren dropped by unannounced. This time, there was another itch in the air. The back of Kahdreg's neck prickled, remembering how she'd basically outed them to Avicia.

They were tempted to slam the door in her face, but professionalism stilled the temptation.

"You forgot your gift bags the other night," Kallinaera chuckled, holding out two shiny silver gift bags. She seemed unaware or uncaring of the stiffness in Kahdreg's form. As the orc stared at the bags, Kallinaera went on, "Besides, I felt a bit bad about how I made things so awkward with you and Annie."

"Avicia," Kahdreg corrected, an eyebrow twitching. Their gaze shifted from the bags to Kallinaera's face, but they made no move to grab the proffered gifts.

From her obscured position, Avicia quietly scoffed and shook her head. Miss Virlee wasn't even being subtle. So, she decided, she didn't have to be either. Backing away from the corner, Avicia mussed her hair - for that implied night full of sex look - and shifted the borrowed shirt so it fell a little higher up on her thigh. In a flash of brilliance, she also adjusted the shirt until her shoulder was bared through the neck hole.

After a quick survey of herself, she grinned. Perfect. A sloppy morning look that made it clear she was at home within Kahdreg's domain. Much too comfortable for a first sleepover.

"Oh, sorry. I met so many new faces last night." Kallinaera sighed, unaware of Avicia's plot transpiring around the corner, as she put a hand to her cheek. The mood around her seemed like one of simply misremembering the name of a new pet. Her tone took on a higher, more pointed tone, as she added, "She's not one of those overly jealous sorts that hates when their lovers have close relations with friends, is she?"

Kahdreg frowned and opened their mouth to reply, though they hadn't settled entirely on what to say. Probably just a short, curt 'no.' A part of them wanted to breach the siren's inexcusable actions last night. They didn't get a chance as Avicia made her entrance.

"Kallinaera! What a pleasant surprise!" Avicia's crooning tone was toothachingly sweet as she slipped around the corner. Kahdreg half-turned, catching a look in Avicia's eye. Oh gods, what was she going to do? Mingling of relief and dread churned in their stomach. What did she have planned for the siren? And had her hair been quite so messy earlier? They didn't think so...

Giving a little gasp as she approached, Avicia eyed the siren's proffered gifts still hanging unreceived. Hooking her fingers around the handles, she flashed the other woman a bright smile. "Thanks so much for bringing these! I totally forgot to grab them."

Of course, she forgot to grab them, since there hadn't been any gift bags to grab. But she didn't have to say that. Avicia did her best to hide the awareness in her gaze. No, no. For now, she was just the pleasant unshakeable barrier between a siren and her perceived prize.

The siren managed to maintain a pleasant smile, despite the stoniness her gaze developed. Though Avicia couldn't help but notice a hint of grudgingness on Kalli's part as she released the gift bags.

"Ah, Ava, you stayed the night." It wasn't a question. Just the realization of a sour outcome.

"Yes, Kahdreg and I had a lot to discuss last night," sighed Avicia, ignoring how - yet again - Kallinaera had gotten her name wrong. It didn't bother her, so why address it? She trod to Kahdreg's side, shooting them a look of light frustration coupled with an accepting smile. "I wish they'd told me from the start, but it can't be helped and I know why they were hesitant to say anything."

Heat licked over Kahdreg's face and they looked away from Avicia. The whole ordeal was feeling too real. As if she was genuinely saying she wanted to know from the start. And that made something in Kahdreg squirm. "You know my reasons."

"Yes, I know." Avicia sighed softly, leaning her head against their arm as a slight amusement curled at the corners of her lips. The bashful way Kahdreg reacted conflicted with the confident director she knew. But, all the same, it was cute to see. Turning her gaze to Kalli, Avicia stood straighter and turned her smile up a few watts. "I should really be thanking you for getting it all out in the open. So thank you!"

Almost at once, an awkward buzz settled over the three. A glint emanated from Kallinaera's eye, as if she couldn't believe what the other woman said. Kahdreg barely managed to hide their amused snort, raising their hand to their lips as if to cover a cough. Avicia pretended to not notice, continuing to smile placidly toward the siren.

"And I should apologize for dropping by unannounced," Kallinaera smiled like a lioness baring her teeth. Her gaze shot to Kahdreg, giving them her full attention. Or, more likely, pretending Avicia had disappeared into the ether. "You were obviously in the middle of something."

Heat flared again through Kahdreg. Memories of last night, from explaining the situation to Avicia's mark to curling up on the couch together, swarmed his thoughts. A little too quickly, they replied, "We just woke up."

"Even if you did interrupt, we could always start back up," Avicia laughed, winking at Kahdreg and nudging playfully into their side.

"Avicia," they warned, giving her a look while ignoring the squirming in their stomach. The persistent heat inside their core felt like a smoldering coal, slowly becoming hotter. Her suggestive teasing was not helping.

She just smiled in return, retreating to the couch with the haul of presents in hand. She did, perhaps, swing her hips just a little too obviously. Anything to make it apparent she was in Kahdreg's shirt. Avicia could almost imagine the roiling frustration churning inside the siren and that only broadened her own smile.

"Well, I'll be off." Kallinaera's voice made Kahdreg jerk, turning to face her. They hadn't even realized they'd been staring after Avicia, watching her swaying hips as she departed. The stoniness in Kalli's face had hardened to steel, her eyes glinting as she stared up at the orc. The look made uncertainty prickle through the orc's stomach. But, still with that smile and light tone, Kallinaera simply said, "Stuff to do, important people to meet. You and I should do lunch some time, Kahd!"

They'd been about to answer when the siren's hand came up, caressing Kahdreg's arm. The touch made their stomach lurch. And just like that, Kallinaera was gone, purposefully striding down the hall to the staccato beat of her heels. For a breath, the orc watched her go. Their heart pounded, as if they'd just narrowly avoided being consumed by a much larger creature.

Once they closed the door and the lock fell into place, Kahdreg pressed their forehead against the door and breathed. Tension twitched along their jaw and down their back. They rubbed at the spot Kalli's fingers had grazed while they goaded the adrenaline in their body to ease away. When they felt ready, they turned back to the living room, observing Avicia as she pawed through the bags.

"Did you really have to do all that?" Kahdreg gave her a look, closing the distance and settling onto the couch beside her. Though they weren't entirely displeased, they couldn't help but worry about what ripples her actions would have. After all, they did have a movie to think about.

"I don't know. Want to see what gifts she brought?" Avicia snorted and held up a flimsy dark blue little number, made of little more than lace and strings. Kallinaera's unmistakeable perfume wafted from the very fabric, as if she had sprayed it down. "Looks like she was anticipating having to console you."