Cigarettes and Magazines

[Jude Walsh]

Looking at the crudely made calendar on the wall opposite her father's old desk, Jude was suddenly struck by the fact that it had been three years to the day that she had put her family members down. Her throat clogged up at the memory. She could still feel the tension in her muscles after digging up the dirt. She could still feel the fear she felt having to go out in the dark alone.

Everything rushed to her so fast that she didn't even have time to grab the waste basket before upchucking her dinner on her father's old desk. She was cleaning up when she heard the door being banged up front. Her heart beat fast, remembering the day she came home. Though the knocking didn't actually have the same force as her little sister's infected hand, it was still loud enough to cause the farm owner a bit of panic.

Once everything was disposed of and doused with alcohol to get rid of any germs - ridiculous as that may be for her to think - Jude went to answer the door. The usually stoic and reserved blonde's face softened when she realised who it was.

"Lu." She breathed out before stepping aside to let the brunette in.

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy was rarely one to use doors. After all, she rarely wanted people to actually know she was visiting them. Taking time out by any means to venture back into the place she grew up had been a rarity for the last few years, but this was an exception. Though she had been scarce at the time itself, she knew the importance of the day to someone so crucial. She had seen the way a harsher reality warped the person she used to know.

When she knocked, there was a significant amount of time between the contact and the sign of anyone in the house. She almost thought to find an achievable window to check on the woman who lived there, but the thought left her the second she saw life on the other side of the door.

When the door opened, Lucy immediately caught the light of recognition. It forced a quick smile to her own features, and she was just as quick to regret staying away for as many months as she had. "Hey, you." She offered lightly, pressing the palm of her hand against the side of her face before she took steps past her to walk inside. Her eyes scanned the room; familiar as it was, there wasn't much to catch her interest, so she turned her attention back to where it belonged.

"Miss me?"

[Jude Walsh]

The sight of the familiar face had Jude almost wanting to cry. She hadn't seen her friend for such a long time, and especially on the anniversary of the death of her family? It couldn't have made more of a mess of the usually composed young woman.

She turned her cheek into Lucy's hand for a brief moment before closing the door behind her. "Excuse me for a moment." She said before walking off to her father's office to close the door. She then went straight to the toilet to wash out her mouth and splash cold water against her face. This was the first time after so long that she was meeting her best friend. She couldn't let the woman see her like this.

Once she was sure she looked presentable, she walked out of the bathroom and went back to Lucy before rolling her eyes and pulling the brunette into her arms. "Like you don't know." She rasped out with a small chuckle. Releasing the shorter woman, she went over to the cooler and brought out two bottles of local brew and threw one in Lucy's direction. "Heads up." She twisted the cap off hers and took a small swig.

"Did you just get in?"

[Lucy Serrano]

Lucy found difficulty in having to wait. Months passing made tensions naturally high, and at the request she saw no need to follow. After all, it wasn't as is Jude would create such distance if she didn't have a reason to. So she waited where she was put, but nothing made the time pass any quicker.

When she came back, Lucy barely got a chance to see her face. She was drawn into an embrace that she was hardly going to ignore. Arms quickly filtered around the familiar form she had left behind. A defined squeeze came from her hold, but as soon as she was prompted to let go, she complied with the desire. As she walked away, Lucy couldn't help the way she naturally gravitated towards her with even steps. But little could deter the thief's attention when something was thrown directly at her; she caught the bottle with ease and twisted the cap off.

"Absolutely." She reasoned quickly, the corner of her mouth dragging to a knowing grin; "As if I'd waste my time going anywhere else."

[Jude Walsh]

The smirk had Jude responding with her own before she chuckled and took another small swig from her bottle. "It's good to see you." She said in a soft voice. It had never occurred to her to keep anything from her best friend and occasional bed partner. She was one of the people, if not the only one in this God forsaken universe, who really mattered to Jude and she was not about to let that stop her from letting Lucy know. There wasn't much room for mushy between the two women but Lucy never complained, and Jude didn't think she would.

But it did beg the question.

"What took you so long to come back?"

[Lucy Serrano]

Genuine sentiments were hard to come by. For Lucy, she wasn't used to anyone being honest about her company. Despite the devastation of the world and the effect it had on the populations conscience, she knew Jude meant every word she said. It forced the natural humour in her expression to falter to something equally genuine. The kind of smile that seemed only reserved for her.

She took a generous enough drink from the bottle the second that question hit her ears. "Been busy." She lied, and boldly at that. Lying to the person who arguably knew her best was a danger.

"Besides, you're busy too." She pointed out, raising her eyebrows once, "Running things around here can't be any easier." She shrugged her shoulders lightly, considering how best to continue on with the subject; "And I just figured today you could use company."

[Jude Walsh]

Jude was largely a very observant person. It had been a trait she developed in her years being alone. Had she not known Lucy for as long as she did though, the woman would have been able to fool Jude with that lie. As it were, Lucy had to admit, though she didn't know the motivation behind the lie, there had to be a reason why the brunette would. Jude would forgive Lucy anything, provided the other woman gave her the same respect should it ever come up.

She didn't deny it when the other woman reminded her exactly how busy she was, and she gave her a smirk and a shrug. "No it's not. But we both know I have a more difficult time wrangling you than a whole farm." She teased lightly before the humour left the Ceres inhabitant.

The farm owner had momentarily forgotten that the brunette knew the nature of her family's death better than anyone else. Yes, everyone figured they had all died of the Rot but they didn't know it had also been at Jude's hand as well. Lucy knew.

Pushing back her blonde hair over one shoulder, she let the bottom of the bottle rest against her neck and sighed. "Yeah well..." she ran her eyes over the brunette's smaller, bonier form and shook her head. "Have they not been feeding you?" She asked with a smirk. Better to not dwell on the reason why Lucy was here.

[Lucy Serrano]

The most Lucy could offer to the decent quip about her was a clever laugh. It might have been true; she carried no place called home. There was little way to pin her down, let alone contact her if she didn't find a person first. People waited, yet she herself seemed oblivious to the fact.

Treading lightly on delicate territory was something Lucy was used to, too. But she never quite knew how to approach the day itself when it came to Jude. Her own family had filtered to the wayside by the assumed means; she never knew what happened, and it seemed better if she didn't dwell on it. She went face to face.

"Oh yeah, the murdering bandits give a real shit about who gets fed." She replied, allowing the change in a subject to kick the mood higher, "Besides, better to be smaller when I'm creeping into your bedroom window late at night." She added with a shrug of her shoulders and an exhaled laugh.

[Jude Walsh]

Her short response made Jude laugh, shrugging in a manner that suggested Jude believed Lucy was right in her assessment.

"Hey, you never know. You could be quite charming if you wanted to be." Jude chuckled. "You got me to sleep with you, didn't you?"

That wasn't so much Lucy's charm than it was Jude being emotionally attached and ridiculously attracted to the thin brunette early on in life. It had really just been a matter of convenience at first. They were best friends, they trusted each other and yes, of course, there was love but Jude always figured that Lucy was not the type to say I love you to just about anybody. And Jude was fine with that.

The arrangement they had suited Jude well.

"I'm surprised you used the door this time." Jude pulled from her bottle once more before walking over to Lucy, her intent quite clear in her eyes. She wasn't entirely certain how Lucy would react to it but should the other woman pull away, it wouldn't be much of a loss for Jude. There was, after all, another way for Jude to get what she wanted.

[Lucy Serrano]

By now, Lucy had learned that little of their physical relationship had to do with her charm. It might have worked on most - warped as it was, given her unique take on a forward nature - but there was always something slightly reserved about Jude.

She thought to spare a glance to the door she'd used, but there was something far better to look at. She shrugged her shoulders instead, perplexed by her own choice, too. "I grew up." She replied, "But if you like it better when I sneak up on you, I'll keep it in mind." Courtesy was a front door to a person's home, and it seemed only reserved for her. Despite the fact, it absolutely felt odd.

Distance was breached with a few easy steps, and Lucy stood her ground. She left the bottle from her hand on the nearest surface; the moment she was close enough, Lucy was reaching for her, fingers curling around the back of her neck to bring her closer still.

"Besides, you could'a had company."

[Jude Walsh]

A short snort came from the blond at her friend's response. Lucy was a great many things, conventional was not one of them. It had been what drew the old Jude to her in the first place. "Yes. I like surprises." She joked. Lucy knew exactly how little she liked being surprised. Call her a control freak, she just liked to be one step ahead of everything that happened in her life.

With her bottle disposed of on the kitchen table, the moment the fingers curled around her neck, Jude's own fingers buried themselves deep in Lucy's hair. She had missed this. She had truly missed Lucy.

"Never stopped you before." The blond said in a raspy whisper. Her bright blue eyes clouded over as they crossed Lucy's brown ones. She would always be grateful for Lucy on this very day. The distraction the brunette offered made Jude momentarily forget. And Jude wanted to forget.

Without warning, Jude closed the space between them and pressed her lips against her best friend's. To forget.

[Lucy Serrano]

Being a distraction was just about the only comfort Lucy knew she could provide. She had never been adept at talking about feelings; both hers or anyone else's if the issue at hand fell on another's shoulders. When things were painful, there was nothing better than finding the means to forget about it for however long the mind would allow it. As familiar fingers curled into her hair, she felt herself drawn forward into the cause.

The most she could offer was a short laugh at the remark before her lips were subsequently stolen, and with it went whatever clever quip she could have given.

Now that that distance was breached, her own hands were quick to drop to her waist at either side. It might have been months since she'd visited, but she still knew how to direct the blonde back towards her bedroom.

[Jude Walsh]

Jude and Lucy took their time with each other. The sun was still at it's peak when the brunette arrived at the house and only when the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the chill set into the house that they were both lying next to each other, exhausted and spent.

For those few hours, Jude had managed to forget everything in her life except for the woman next to her and that was a blessing Jude wished for every day. A part of her wanted to tell Lucy to stay the night. She didn't understand the neediness she felt with only this woman and that frankly annoyed her.

There was no doubt that Lucy meant a great deal to her but Jude wasn't aware of how the other woman felt about her and she did not want Lucy to feel obligated to return whatever messed up emotions Jude felt for her. It still boggled her mind that she could be reduced to such a hot mess whenever Lucy rolled into town.

Mind, it wasn't romantic in nature, what Jude felt for Lucy. She knew she loved and adored Lucy with everything she had left but it was also clear that should Lucy put a stop to whatever they had right then, Jude wouldn't feel a loss at all. Because she knew Lucy was her friend, first and foremost. Lucy was as close to family as she could get. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't get rid of Lucy, that much she knew.

Arching her back, Jude let out a soft sigh before sliding out of bed to find her discarded clothes to put back on. She was mighty hungry and so thirsty. "You staying for dinner?" Jude asked Lucy as she bent over to pick up her panties off the back of a chair.

[Lucy Serrano]

With what little was left to hold onto, Lucy knew important relationships were key. She knew not to waste what she had, even when it seemed so potentially fragile. There was a pattern in place here; one that formed a kind of unique relationship in its own way. Because it wasn't wrong to feel the need to be close to someone, and it wasn't wrong to call that someone such a close friend. But to embellish on that feeling with actual words? Lucy had never been adept at that.

But time she could give. Company too. Something that she could deem worthy of ample distraction. It wasn't until hours later when she tried to shift away that Lucy had a problem. It was completely trivial.

"You got plans to kick me out?" Lucy asked lightly, dark eyes traversing the form she'd rather have her hands on. "Cause I don't have anywhere else to be. Do you?" A weak shift of her body barely covered by covers and she was extending a hand out. Not to be pulled out but to draw her back in.

[Jude Walsh]

Smirking at Lucy's reponse to her question, Jude slipped her underwear on before crawling back into bed, straddling the brunette. "I just got you back. I'd hoped you wanted to stay the night." She said, leaning over Lucy with one hand propped on the side of her head. Her hair fell to curtain one side of Jude's face, the ends tickling Lucy's shoulder and chest.

"I'm just very hungry." She chuckled, lowering herself to kiss Lucy's lips. "You've left me starving."