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It was barely 6 in the morning when Tara woke up, but Emily’s side of the bed was already empty. Usually Emily slept like a log until Tara dragged her out of bed in the mornings, but since her encounter with Mr. Scratch, Emily had been struggling to sleep. Tara saw a light coming from under the bathroom door and heard quiet sobbing sounds, and she got out of bed and walked over to the bathroom.
“Emily?” she said, knocking gently on the bathroom door, “Em, honey, it’s me, Tara. Can I come in?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Emily said meekly.
Tara opened the door to find Emily curled up in the corner, leaning against the bathtub with her knees tucked up to her chest. Her eyes were red from crying, and tears stained her cheeks. Tara knelt down on the cold tile floor beside her girlfriend and gently wiped away a tear from her cheek.
“Another nightmare?” Tara asked kindly. Emily sniffled and nodded. “What do you need, baby?” Tara asked.
Emily shook her head. “I’ll be okay. You can go back to sleep if you want to.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Tara said, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I just…Sometimes…sometimes I feel like I don’t know what’s real anymore,” Emily said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know, baby,” Tara nodded, “But I’m real. This…” She reached out and laced her fingers with Emily’s. “This is real. Us. We’re here together, and I’ve got you, and you’re safe.”
“Your hands feel good in mine,” Emily murmured.
Tara smiled softly. “They do, don’t they?”
“Touching you…feels real,” Emily said shyly.
“How about kissing?” Tara asked, leaning in closer to Emily, “Does kissing feel real?”
Tara’s lips met Emily’s in a gentle, tender kiss. Emily pulled Tara in closer and deepened the kiss, moaning softly against Tara’s lips. Her hands were on Tara’s waist, fiddling with the fabric of her pajama top and sending a tingle down Tara’s spine. Tara tangled her fingers in Emily’s hair as their tongues danced with each other in a sensuous tango. She grabbed a fistful of silky black hair and tugged just hard enough to expose Emily’s neck, lavishing kisses along her sharp jawline.
“Tara,” Emily whispered, “I-I need you. I need—I need…”
“Shh,” Tara soothed, gently stroking Emily’s hair, “I know, baby. Let me take care of you.”
She turned on the tap and let the tub fill with warm water as she helped Emily to her feet and gently undressed her. In between kisses, Emily’s pajamas fell to the floor around her feet, and Tara’s hands gently roamed her body. Tara’s eyes were soft and full of reverence, taking in every inch of Emily’s form. She took Emily by the hand and guided her into the tub, and Emily sighed happily as she sank down into the water. The water was perfectly warm—it always was when Tara drew Emily’s bath. Emily looked up at Tara with a coy smile.
“Join me?” she said.
“I’d love to,” Tara replied. She started unbuttoning her pajama top, slowing her movements when she saw the way Emily was watching her, admiring her. Emily’s eyes filled with lust as Tara put on a little show for her.
“Get in here,” Emily husked, taking Tara’s hand and pulling her closer. Tara leaned in and gave Emily a kiss before slipping into the tub behind her. She wrapped her arms around Emily and tenderly kissed her shoulder. Her hands began to wander, skimming over Emily’s stomach and her sides, sliding under the swell of her breasts, grazing over her nipples. Emily leaned back against Tara with a soft moan.
“Does that feel good, sweet girl?” Tara murmured into the crook of Emily’s neck.
“So good, Tara,” Emily gasped. Her breathing was ragged, and her eyelids fluttered as she squirmed in the tub, desperately chasing more of Tara’s touch.
“Aww, does my princess need more?” Tara purred, rolling her thumb over Emily’s nipple. Emily responded with a nod and a whine.
Tara chuckled softly and slid her hand down Emily’s stomach. “My pretty girl,” she cooed as her fingers slipped between Emily’s legs, “You feel so good, angel.”
Emily closed her eyes and let out a long, low moan as Tara’s fingers worked their magic. The tension started to leave her body, and doubts and fears vanished from her mind. Everything was just Tara, and this moment, here, in the bathtub, at 6:30 in the morning. Emily’s body felt weightless, and she was ready to let go. Tara had her, and she was safe, and she was loved, and it was all very, very real.