--
It was almost midnight, and Blair was pacing around downstairs while everyone slept. Tomorrow would be the big day: Jo was going to leave them - leave her - to get married. In spite of their promise to keep in touch, Blair knew it wouldn't be the same. There would be no more sharing meals, going to parties, watching movies...no more arguing. Jo wouldn't even be living in Peekskill anymore, since her soon-to-be-husband Rick wanted a place in New York City.
Blair knew it was preposterous of her to feel hurt, but couldn't help feeling the way she did - hurt, betrayed, abandoned...angry. She was going to be Jo's bridesmaid, and she had yet to find the strength to be happy for her best friend. When Jo had announced the engagement, she had been supportive enough, going with her friend everywhere, taking care of the arrangements, offering her opinion even when not requested; however, as the wedding date approached, she became more and more introspective, and she knew Jo had felt the shift in their relationship.
Suddenly, she stopped her pacing; her eyes hardened as she came to a decision, and whether that decision had been made by her grief over losing Jo or from the liquid courage she had borrowed from Beverly Ann's secret stash, she couldn't tell. The only thing that was crystal clear was that she was not in her right mind, and that she was going to get what she wanted.
She made her way to the room she shared with Jo, closed the door behind her and quietly stood over Jo's bed, realizing with surprise that Jo was actually asleep. With a shake of the head, she thought with amusement that only Jo would be able to fall asleep on the eve of her own wedding. Blair allowed her robe to slide carelessly to the floor before she climbed into bed with her oblivious roommate.
Jo scooted over to make room for her without even waking up, and Blair wondered how many times she had slipped under the covers with the Bronx native over the years; if Jo's reaction was any indication, they had done this a lot. But this was going to be where familiarity ended and new territory was charted. This was going to be Jo's first time and her own. There was no way Rick was going to have it, not when marriages fell apart so easily. Jo was too special, meant too much to her, and she knew that if anyone would surely stick with Jo for the rest of their lives, that someone would be Blair Warner, best friend...or arch-nemesis, depending on the day.
Resting on an elbow, she stared down at the brunette and smirked. Jo scowled even in her sleep. Summoning the courage to close the distance between them, Blair leaned closer and placed a tentative kiss on soft lips, marveling at the foreign feel of kissing another girl and at the sudden heat that tiny kiss had generated in her body. With her free hand, she stroked Jo's cheek and kissed her again, this time boldly, and when Jo stirred underneath she took the shocked gasp as an opportunity to slide her tongue into Jo's mouth. Jo was too stunned to do much of anything, and Blair only broke the kiss when she felt her roommate start to relax.
"Blair, what the hell are you doing?" Jo whispered, flustered and confused. Deciding she definitely tasted alcohol in her mouth, she shook her head and answered her own question in a tone that sounded akin to disappointment, "You're drunk."
"I'm not drunk," the heiress murmured, pressing her lips to Jo's once more.
"Stop it!" Jo hissed, hands on the blonde's shoulders to keep her away. "What's the matter with you?"
"Please, Jo," Blair spoke softly, "Let us have something special of each other before you leave me..."
In the pale light of the moon filtering through the window, Jo's gaze softened as she looked into brown eyes. "Princess, I'm not leaving you," she said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone, skirting carefully around the request.
"Yes, you are," the blonde replied sadly, a pained expression marring her beautiful features, making it plain for Jo to see just how hurt she was. "It's not going to be the same, Jo, and you know it. I want something of you that no one else will have...and I want you to take something of me, too. That way, I'll know..." her voice faltered then, and she was silent for fear of bursting into tears.
Her green eyes unable to look away, Jo attempted to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. She thought of a million reasons why this whole situation was insane only to ignore all of them. Sliding her hands from Blair's shoulders to the sides of the heiress's face, Jo gave a small nod, incapable of denying the blonde anything, just as she had always been. She was rewarded with the most loving smile she had ever received and knew that - no matter what consequences the morning would bring - she had made the right decision.
Blair claimed her lips and kissed her like they had all the time in the world. Those long, deep, slow kisses left them both light-headed and burning inside, and then their hands began an exploration that drew sighs, low moans and even a loud gasp, which in turn caused them to grin at each other and remember that they needed to be quiet, since Natalie and Tootie were sleeping in the adjacent room.
At some point in the heavy make-out session, Blair had straddled Jo, and when delicate fingers fiddled casually with the top of Jo's flannel pajamas, their eyes met in a deep gaze, and the blonde found in green eyes the permission she was looking for before nimbly working out the buttons, one by one, each time revealing a greater expanse of smooth skin. After a shy exchange of smiles, Blair ran well-manicured fingernails down the exposed skin ever so lightly, pleased when she felt a shudder underneath her. Then, she flattened her hands against Jo's stomach, causing the top to fall to the sides and exposing Jo's breasts.
"Beautiful," she whispered as stared openly at Jo's body. She felt something stir inside at the sight of Jo's eyes, now nearly as black as a cat's when it's ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey. She knew Jo had allowed her to have her way so far, but she also knew it was not in Jo's nature to take anything passively. She wondered how much more the Bronx native would be able to stand.
She kissed Jo again and moaned when she was met halfway with overwhelming passion. She covered Jo's breasts with her hands, fondling them slowly but firmly, teasing the hard nipples between fingers and enjoying the way Jo's back arched in response to her touch. She broke the kiss only to use her mouth to explore Jo's throat. She felt Jo's hand clutching her hair to keep her there, and nibbled at the sensitive spot that had warranted the demanding touch before drawing her tongue over it. She loved how erratic Jo's breathing had become and took her time exploring her way down to Jo's chest.
Jo hissed when Blair finally stopped teasing, the blonde's mouth closing around a nipple and eliciting a whimper from her. "Sorry," she whispered when Blair interrupted her ministrations to shush her.
It felt like an eternity later when Jo's chest had been lavished with attention, every inch of skin thoroughly explored, and Blair's mouth was now causing Jo's stomach muscles to tighten while her fingers played with the waistband of Jo's pajama pants, until she slid to the side and sat up on her heels to finally pull them off. Apparently, Jo didn't wear underwear to bed.
"You're overdressed, Princess," Jo growled, sitting up to remove Blair's nightgown before pushing the surprised blonde down onto the bed in order to add the lacy panties to the pile of discarded clothes.
"You barbarian," Blair gasped, her expression suddenly changing into one of delight when Jo's weight settled on top of her. "Come here..." she purred, pulling Jo's face down for a deep kiss.
The feeling of their bare skins touching along the whole length of their bodies as they moved against each other was almost overpowering. The intimacy never shared before with anyone, the pleasure, the intensity, everything else - a completely new world was discovered, and explored with wonder and reverence through kisses and strokes, until their eyes met once more and they were finally ready.
Keeping eye contact as a means to anticipate the slightest sign of discomfort, they slid their fingers inside each other almost at the same time, the wet heat a small surprise as they shared a bashful smile. Lips collided as fingers began to move, and a slow rhythm took place as the need for more became undeniable. Hips grew demanding, strokes grew faster and deeper, and the tension built considerably.
Breathless, Jo merely rested her forehead against the blonde's, her eyes closed as she whispered, "I love you, Blair..."
It was enough to thrust both over the edge, and the heiress replied like a chant, "I love you, Jo... I love you... I love you..."
Intensity gave way to exhaustion, and after a few languid kisses, they fell asleep in a loving embrace, blissfully unaware of the world outside Jo's bed.
--
Sunrise found them exactly like they had succumbed to sleep. Jo stirred, being the earlier bird, and smiled at the warmth practically covering her. Opening her eyes, she pressed a kiss to the mass of golden hair and stretched lazily.
"You were right," she said sleepily.
"I'm always right," came the murmur. Blair stifled a yawn and then asked before her friend could contest her statement, "What am I right about this time?"
"The morning sun does flatter you," Jo replied, deciding to let the previous remark go unchallenged since she was just waking up.
Blair lifted her head to face her best friend, her first lover, and smiled tenderly at the admission. "It seems to have quite an effect on you, too," she said sincerely, never having seen the brunette look more gorgeous.
Jo returned the smile, and a bittersweet feeling washed over her. "Blair, I..." she started to say, but felt suddenly scared. At the expectant look she received, she forced herself to say instead, "We should probably get dressed before everyone wakes up."
The blonde nodded her agreement and got up to pick their nightwear from the floor. "I'm calling dibs on the shower," she said, handing Jo her pajamas before heading quickly into the bathroom.
Jo sighed as Blair's warmth was replaced by the chilly morning air. She put her clothes back on and stared at the ceiling, her thoughts going in every direction as she tried to wrap her brain around the fact that she had just made love with her best friend and not once considered Rick. In any way she looked at it, she had cheated on him. Did she really have romantic feelings for Blair or was she just confused because of the previous night? Did that mean she was a lesbian? Was Blair a lesbian or was that just her way of saying goodbye? Would it have happened if she weren't about to get married? She wondered whether she would still marry Rick if Blair were willing to be in a relationship with her, and the answer was painfully clear.
With a frown, she stood and paced around the room. The wedding was happening in about seven hours, and many guests were coming from out of town. Across the room, the telephone seemed to mock her and she walked towards it. Slowly, she picked up the receiver and dialed Rick's number by heart, feeling her heart heavy and hating herself for the pain she was going to cause.
"Rick, we need to talk..."
Explaining everything while leaving Blair out of it was pretty tricky, but for once Jo faced it head on, fighting her flight instinct. He was hurt, and surprised, and it was hard for him to understand. As he realized she had made up her mind about leaving him, however, he was gracious about it, which in turn made her feel even worse about the whole situation.
Blair had got out of the shower a little after she had hung up the phone, and had seemed slightly confused when Jo locked herself in the bathroom without a word or even a glance. Jo looked at herself in the mirror, took a deep breath and began to undress for the shower. After all, she had to get ready for a wedding. It wasn't even eight in the morning and she felt like it had been a long day already.
Unlike Blair, she didn't need an hour, but she remained in the bathroom all the same. She hoped there would be some hot water left for everyone else, but then it would hardly be the most inconsiderate thing she had done that day. When she got out, Blair was not in the room, so she remained there, hoping Natalie and Tootie wouldn't be up too soon so she could have some privacy. She desperately needed to think.
The morning progressed slowly, and Jo was glad she had at least been able to keep mostly to herself. It seemed like a lifetime later that they were finally headed to church. Blair had arranged for a limo to pick them up at the house, and Jo kept her eyes fixed on the streets outside during the whole ride. Her younger friends had been chattering away excitedly, attributing the silence to last-minute jitters.
"You look beautiful," Blair spoke softly when they got ready to walk in.
Giving her friend a meaningful look, she replied, "So do you."
Her father offered her his arm and smiled at her. She forced a smile in return and they heard the music begin. All the guests stood, and she started her walk towards the altar, where Rick was waiting for her with knowing eyes.
"Dearly beloved," the priest began, and that's when both bride and groom cut in.
"Excuse us, Father," Rick said respectfully, "We would like to address the guests."
Clearing his throat, the old man nodded.
"First, I wanted to thank all of you for coming," Jo said, and a few whispers of confusion could already be heard from the guests. She didn't dare look at her bridesmaid. "My family and friends, and Rick's as well." She glanced at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "But, um...we have talked, and..."
Sensing her distress, he continued, "Jo and I have decided not to do this. We talked this morning, and it was too late to call everyone. Besides, we're cancelling the wedding, not the party, so let's go and have a good time. It's on us!"
The guests stared at the two in stunned silence for a moment, and then eventually started to walk out. Jo gave her ex-fiancé a hug, whispered a heartfelt thank you and nodded at the priest before making her way outside through one of the side doors, unwilling to see or talk to anyone. They would demand explanations she couldn't give.
Blair watched her leave and discreetly followed once she was sure no one else would. She found Jo in the inner cloister, sitting alone and staring at nothing. Wordlessly, she made her way over and sat down next to the brunette, glancing at the colorful flowers that beautified the surroundings.
"He is a good man," Jo murmured with a shake of the head.
"He is," Blair conceded.
"I couldn't marry him after we...it wouldn't be right," Jo continued, sniffling. "He deserves someone who loves him more than anyone else in this world. I don't. I made a choice, and he wasn't it."
Blair handed her a handkerchief. Awkwardly, she voiced her thoughts, "I feel this is my fault, but I won't apologize for last night. Do you hate me?"
"No," the brunette replied softly, wiping her tears with the embroidered tissue. "And it's not your fault. Like I said, it was my choice."
They sat there in silence for a while. Then, Blair gently nudged her companion with her shoulder. "How about we skip the party?"
Jo glanced at her. "Well, I suppose the sooner I start sending back presents, the better. Feel like helping me out with that?"
Scoffing, the heiress replied, "Beverly Ann, Natalie and Tootie will take care of that for you. But I tell you what we can do: since I was the one who gave you the honeymoon tickets, why don't we leave everyone a note and just take the trip ourselves? I'm not going to take them back any other way. Come on, we can sneak out while everyone is at the party."
Jo thought about it, and the more she did, the more appealing the idea became. She could explain everything after she returned, once she wasn't so stressed out and raw. Besides, going away with Blair would give them enough privacy to hopefully talk things out. "All right. Bali, here we come."
--
Jo had already packed a suitcase for the honeymoon; when asked why she had one packed as well, Blair replied that she had made plans to travel after the wedding. Jo didn't ask why, and the blonde didn't elaborate. Blair had written their friends a note and they were on their way in no time.
Now they were in the honeymoon suite of the best hotel in the island. Jo looked around in awe; there was even a private pool and a private garden. The bathtub was nothing short of divine, and the king-size looked really inviting after the hours spent on a plane.
"I never want to leave this place," she sighed wistfully as she plopped down on the bed.
Blair had finished unpacking and stood by the bed, grinning at her. "That could probably be arranged."
Sternly, Jo replied, "It's a figure of speech."
Sniffing, the blonde sat down on her side of the bed and crossed her legs at the ankles. "Suit yourself." With an arched eyebrow, she picked up the fancy menu by the side of the bed and glanced at the many choices. "Are you in the mood for anything? I'm kind of hungry."
Jo sat up and leaned closer to glance at the options over her friend's shoulder. "Eh...I'm not really hungry. Should we call home? I don't want them to be worried."
"I'll do it," Blair replied, putting the menu down.
"Thanks," the Bronx native smiled and lay back down on the soft mattress, closing her eyes.
She listened as the heiress explained where they were and directed their friends to return all the presents. Blair loved to delegate tasks, and even Jo had to admit that she did it really well. After some small talk, Blair said goodbye and hung up. Jo hummed contentedly when she felt fingertips tracing her features.
"Blair, I need to ask you something, and I want you to be brutally honest with me," she said, opening her eyes to look up at the blonde.
"All right."
"Would you have slept with me if I hadn't been about to get married?"
"I don't know," Blair replied, her promptness a sign that she had been wondering about that herself.
Jo frowned at the answer. "That doesn't tell me much of anything."
"You asked me a question and I answered truthfully. Perhaps you need to ask better questions," the blonde rolled her eyes.
"I mean," Jo said with a scowl, "Now that I'm single, would you...I mean, why did you do it? Was it a goodbye kind of thing? Was it...what was it?"
"Are you asking me whether I would do it again?" Blair asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Blushing, the Bronx native looked away. "I'm asking whether you would pursue a relationship with me," she mumbled, feeling exposed and uncharacteristically insecure.
Blair slid down until she was outstretched beside Jo. Resting her hand on Jo's cheek to force eye contact, she spoke lovingly, "I have given you my first time. If that doesn't tell you how special you are to me, Jo Polniaczek..." she paused for a moment, then smirked, "...you really are a Neanderthal."
Rolling over, Jo flashed her an impossibly wide grin and said just before leaning in for a promising kiss, "I'll show you Neanderthal."
finis