Six Feet Over/Under Ch. 22

Scarlett wanted nothing more than for this moment to last forever. After months of feeling completely separated from the world around her, she now had an anchor that made her feel more alive than ever. Laying atop and beside Vanessa, head nestled against the crook of her neck, nothing else mattered. She heard nothing but Vanessa's deep, quiet breaths, felt nothing but her delicate skin. On several occasions, deeply overcome with emotions of happiness she had frighteningly little experience with, she lovingly kissed Vanessa's cheek with all the reverence of a monk in prayer.

Time, of course, had other ideas. Long before the dawn, the connection holding them together faded. Vanessa's gentle presence vanished, leaving Scarlett once again adrift in a world designed only for the living.

Yet her smile lingered.

In the absence of their touch, Scarlett lost herself in other details. The countless shades of blue in Vanessa's hair, the way her wavy locks framed her adorable face. Her soft cheeks and pinkish-red lips that occasionally twitched with the quiet tremors of sleep. The dual, interwoven skin tones that danced across her skin without rhyme or reason. On one cheek, Vanessa's vitiligo was so mild it might have been mistaken for an unusual patch of freckles, while the other side held a much more dramatic contrast. Scarlett's gaze followed the discordant patterns up, down, and around, eventually losing them in the covers that cradled Vanessa in the ghost's absence.

She'd always thought poetry a pointless waste of time, but here beside Vanessa, she finally understood what might drive a person to wax endlessly about the infinite beauty of a muse.

When dawn came, and the creeping rays of the sun slowly illuminated the room, it brought with it the quiet chimes of Vanessa's morning alarm. She grumbled to herself as she stirred, turning to her phone to cancel the alarm. Now on borrowed time--her second alarm was only a few minutes away--she stretched her arms over her head and yawned heavily. Her first breath brought with it an adorably cute sigh, and when Scarlett thought she was suitably awake, she spoke up.

"Mornin', Blueberry," she whispered from beside Vanessa.

The blue-haired girl giggled as she turned to face Scarlett. "Morning, you. Decided against moving to the desk today? Or did the connection last longer this time?"

Scarlett shook her head. "About the same, I think. I just decided to keep pretending."

"That's pretty gay, Scar."

They both chuckled quietly, then Vanessa tried to kiss Scarlett's forehead. Predictably, they weren't able to touch, but neither of them seemed to care. After stealing a few more minutes of pretend cuddling, Vanessa's second alarm went off. She grumbled in annoyance, then rolled her eyes and slipped out of bed.

"Ugh, stupid school. I gotta go get dressed and stuff..."

"Hey, you're the one that fought so hard to be here. Now you're telling me you don't want to go to classes?"

"... No, you're right, I really like everything I'm studying right now," Vanessa admitted. She pulled open the door to her closet and walked inside to start getting ready. "That's the downside of you knowing me so well: It's so much easier for you to sass me."

"I'm also just being practical, Blueberry. What would you do if you didn't have classes?"

"Duh, I want to spend all day in bed making out with my girlfriend."

Scarlett felt herself blush and quickly turned away. "T-that's not even possible. You know we can't do that until three in the morning."

A devious giggle floated out of the closet. "That doesn't stop me from dreaming! Now, c'mon, I need you to help me pick an outfit."

"What are your options?" Scarlett asked from outside the closet. She'd long gotten used to angling herself as to not accidentally spy on Vanessa changing, and today was no different. She tried to picture Vanessa's usual outfits and began cycling through options as she waited for descriptions of their choices today.

"Well, I'm not gonna just describe them to you. Get in here, Scar!"

Surprised by the invitation, Scarlett swallowed nervously and floated through the door. As she entered, she found Vanessa holding up two pairs of shorts she'd never seen before. One pair was a lighter blue and heavily distressed, while the other was a faint gray with clean hems and slightly longer legs. "Shorts? Blueberry, we've been hanging out for months, and I've never once seen you wear shorts."

"The weather said it was supposed to be warm today, so I'm just playing it safe!" Vanessa protested. An unusual lilt in her voice hinted that she wasn't being entirely truthful, but Scarlett decided not to interrogate any further.

"The gray ones feel more you, don't you think? They'll also cover more, and I know you hate catching people looking at your vitiligo."

"Hmm." Vanessa pursed her lips and flicked her eyes between both pairs of shorts, eventually tossing the gray pair back into a nearby dresser. "You may be right, but I'm feeling adventurous today. Let's see what these look like!"

Without warning, Vanessa hooked her thumbs into her pajama pants and slid them down. Scarlett briefly froze in surprise, accidentally catching a glimpse of Vanessa's royal blue underwear before she spun around. Try as she might, it was difficult to scrub the image from her mind. Decorative little ribbons hung off the sides, the ends of the bows hanging down to brush against Vanessa's exposed skin. Her panties were smaller than Scarlett might have guessed; she'd always assumed Vanessa to favor wider, more practical undergarments.

Cut it out, Scarlett! You know how touchy she's always been about her privacy, and I need to respect that! It's weird that she didn't warn me, though, she's normally pretty good about that. Maybe she didn't sleep well, and it slipped her mind.

Behind the ghost, Vanessa muttered to herself as she finished getting dressed. "--and I need something to match, but that's not-- No, maybe something like-- Ooh, yes! Perfect!"

Scarlett intently buried her gaze in the closet's doorknob as she waited for Vanessa to finish up. After another minute of rustling fabric and clicking hangers, Vanessa spoke up again. "Alright, Scar. Thoughts?"

Turning around, Scarlett gasped. Not only had Vanessa chosen to wear the more revealing shorts, she'd paired them with a surprisingly low-cut top. It was a forest green tee shirt with tiny sleeves and an incredibly deep V that offered Scarlett a tantalizing glimpse of Vanessa's cleavage. After several seconds of awkward stammering, the ghost managed to pull herself together and compliment the outfit.

"It's... wow, Blueberry, I didn't even know you had clothes like this; I always assumed you bought nothing but long pants and thick sweaters. N-not that this is bad, mind you! You look fantastic, really, I'm just... y'know. It's a bit surprising to see--" Scarlett gestured vaguely in Vanessa's direction.

Vanessa's playful laugh chased away all of Scarlett's nervous energy. "Like I said, it's gonna be pretty hot today. I want to be ready and comfortable!"

"Blueberry, you once wore a thick black sweater over a tank top when it was eighty-five degrees out. What's changed?"

Skipping closer, Vanessa pushed her face next to Scarlett's. "Maybe I just feel better about myself because I've got a smoking hot girlfriend. Unless you're saying you want me to cover up? You never struck me as the jealous type, Scar."

"That's... I mean, no, if you want to--" Scarlett stammered.

"Oh, lighten up, will you? I'm just kidding!" With a sinister giggle, Vanessa stepped away from the ghost and out of the closet.

"Ha ha, very funny, Blueberry." Scarlett followed Vanessa into her bedroom and hovered nearby as she double checked all her homework assignments and school supplies. "Do we have a suspect for today? I was thinking about that chess nerd you found a while back, what about him?"

Vanessa paused, chewing the inside of her cheek. "I think I actually want a bit more time to piece things together. Maybe we take today off, too?"

"Two days in a row? I mean, if you think that's for the best."

"Great! In the meantime, we can just focus on enjoying the day together!" Vanessa slipped her backpack around her shoulder and headed for the common room.

Huh. She's acting kinda weird today. Not bad weird, just... I dunno. I hope I'm not missing anything.

Vanessa's energetic mood continued for the rest of the day. Not only was she more proactive and involved in her classes, but overall, she just seemed extraordinarily happy. She never once fretted about her skin being so exposed, and in between every class she lingered outside for as long as possible, which coincidentally allowed her to spend more time with Scarlett.

Her joy was infectious. Scarlett was used to finding small pockets of satisfaction from various activities, but in the past those feelings had always faded as the outside world reasserted itself; nothing killed a good buzz more than a laborious day at work, a nosy classmate, or an upset teacher. In sharp contrast, her day with Vanessa was filled with nothing but banality. They did nothing but attend classes, lounge in the cafeteria for lunch, and wander the campus. No sex, no drugs, no alcohol; none of Scarlett's usual vices were present, yet she found herself happier than ever.

Of course, it didn't hurt that Vanessa had worn such flattering clothing. During classes, Scarlett usually occupied herself with random snooping through bags and desks, but she found it difficult to focus on such things when Vanessa looked so good. Her shorts exposed more of her legs than her dress had the night of the party, and her tight tee shirt accentuated her curves beautifully.

At times, Scarlett wondered if perhaps Vanessa wasn't as comfortable in these clothes as she'd first hinted. Every so often, she caught the blue-haired girl adjusting her shorts or fiddling with the edges of her shirt. These actions never paired with a look of annoyance, which Scarlett found confusing, but she also didn't want to bug Vanessa by asking if everything was okay. Besides, speaking up might reveal that Scarlett was perhaps paying a little too much attention to Vanessa's exposed legs, to the slight curves of her cleavage that occasionally slipped out, to the delicate way Vanessa seemed to accidentally angle her neck as if inviting a sensual kiss from her ghostly girlfriend.

They could kiss and hold each other, couldn't they? Why not more? No matter how many times Scarlett tried to bury such thoughts, to chastise herself for thinking of Vanessa in such crude terms, they always found a way to resurface.

When Vanessa's classes ended, she retreated to her dorm and spent more time than usual studying. She claimed to have many different assignments that she'd been partially ignoring to focus on the investigation, but her eyes also darted away from Scarlett's as she spoke. After dinner, she doubled down on future assignments for a while before pivoting to research regarding the investigation. Together with Scarlett, they cross-referenced more photos from the night of the murder, put together more theories for their remaining suspects, and narrowed down their list of choices for their next potential target.

When they finally wrapped up for the night, Scarlett was shocked to find it was just past two in the morning. Vanessa was normally so good at keeping track of time that the ghost had never bothered to do so herself, and she felt terrible for keeping Vanessa up so late. Thankfully, she didn't seem to mind, and decided she would simply take a quick shower and then turn in for the night.

After grabbing a fresh towel and a clean pair of pajamas, Vanessa looked up at Scarlett. "Want to hang with me while I get ready for bed? Alice isn't here tonight, so it won't be weird if we talk while I'm showering or whatever."

"You sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything." Scarlett swallowed nervously.

Don't think about Vanessa naked in the shower, don't think about Vanessa naked in the shower...

"Would I have asked if I wasn't sure? Goodness, you're turning into me with all this second guessing and overthinking." Vanessa giggled as she strolled into the bathroom, where she turned the shower on to begin heating the water.

"That's not true! I'm just... I don't know, getting used to our new dynamic. It feels like it was only yesterday that you were laser focused on the investigation because you wanted to get rid of me."

After hanging up her towel, Vanessa opened the shower door and stepped inside. "Does it? Man, that practically feels like a separate lifetime for me." The shower head was angled down so she had plenty of room to stand without getting wet, and she closed the door while still fully clothed.

There's easily room for two people in there. If it were just a bit later, we could absolutely--

Scarlett shook her head. "It's been, what, a month and half since we met? Two months?"

"Something like that, I think." A quiet zipping noise joined the hissing water, then a pair of jean shorts appeared atop the shower door. Seconds later, Vanessa's shirt joined it, and Scarlett tried to pretend that she couldn't see the outline of Vanessa's figure through the clouded glass.

"I don't think I've ever waited so long to start dating someone." Scarlett briefly reminisced on her past relationships, thoughts of her ill-fated tryst with Ruby floating through her head. "What about you? What was your last relationship like?"

"Oof, that's a good question." As Vanessa thought about her answer, her fuzzy outline hooked its thumbs into her panties and pushed them down. As she leaned forward, she shimmied her hips from side to side. "I dated a guy my senior year of high school, and that started after a few weeks of getting to know each other? He was nice enough, and I guess he was alright in bed."

Scarlett shuffled her legs around, trying to ignore the heat building in her core. "Just alright? Girl, you shouldn't settle for alright."

Does she have to move like that to get undressed? She knows I can see her, right?

"Not all of us can date hot muscle girls that are amazing at sex, thank you very much," Vanessa teased. Her panties joined her clothes in hanging over the shower, and her bra appeared only seconds later. The entirety of her nude form was now on full display, with only the clouded glass of the shower door standing between the two of them. Gathering steam from the shower obscured her silhouette somewhat, but this only divided Scarlett's attention further.

"It's not like her being jacked as shit made her better at sex," Scarlett protested. "Well, I guess it didn't hurt. It's not required, is what I'm saying! I mean, I'm not ripped and I'm--" She stopped herself before saying anything that might disrespect Vanessa.

"You what?"

"No, it's nothing."

"Come on, out with it!"

"You know what I was gonna say!"

"Scarlett. Hun." Vanessa pushed herself against the glass door, her arms above her head, to look at Scarlett. Water dripped down her body and partially wiped the steam off the glass, making it all the more obvious which parts of Vanessa were pushed against the door. "I want to hear you say it."

"I..." Scarlett stuttered as she lost herself in the silhouette nearly on full display. "I was just gonna say that I'm not ripped but I'm still great at sex..."

Vanessa giggled as she returned to her shower. "What makes someone great at sex, anyway? I've slept with more guys than girls, and they're always convinced the secret is size, speed, stamina, some combination of stuff like that."

"The key is listening to your partner. Some people love a fast, rough fuck, but other people hate it. Sometimes the most important part is everything that happens before the sex."

"Ohh is that so? What's the best kind of foreplay?"

"Again, it's different for everyone. If they like talking, then you lean on that and whisper all sorts of naughty secrets into their ear. If they like touch, you massage and tease them for minutes on end. Maybe they're more visual, and you make a little show out of undressing. Not even like, a strip show or whatever, but just make sure that everything is sensual and on display once the clothes come off."

Through the steam of the shower, Scarlett saw Vanessa squeeze a loofah over her head. The soapy liquid trickled down her body, clearing away the fluffy suds clinging to her slick, shining body. "And what do you like?"

"I've always enjoyed a little bit of everything, to be honest. I guess I'm not a huge fan of penetration, mind you, but as a lesbian, that's easy to avoid."

Vanessa pushed the loofah against her skin, more water and soap dripping down her body. For a brief moment, Scarlett swore she saw Vanessa's hand slip between her legs. "Scar, can I ask you something? And you have to promise to be completely honest."

Scarlett averted her gaze, embarrassed to be so caught up in her own perverse fantasy. "Yeah, of course.

"Have you ever spied on me in the shower?"

"What? No! Never!"

"Wow, way to make a girl feel unwanted," Vanessa said, a playful bite in her words.

"No, that's not--" Scarlett's face flushed as she wrangled some sense into her thoughts. "It has nothing to do with your appearance. When we first met, I was a huge bitch and I thought you were kinda annoying, so I didn't have any interest in shit like that. Plus, like, if you caught me, you might have given up on the investigation, and that would have sucked. By the time we worked out our differences, I knew you too well, and I would have felt bad trying to sneak a peek."

Another splash of water drew Scarlett's attention back to the shower. Vanessa turned to the back of the shower, facing away from the ghost, and leaned forward to scrub her legs. The further down she reached, the closer her ass came to the shower door. Her silhouette, glistening with soap and somewhat shrouded in steam, grew continually sharper until her entire backside pressed against the glass. Water slid down the door around her legs, highlighting her subtle curves as she adjusted her stance to wash the other leg. Nearly every inch of her naked body was on faintly clouded display, save for a tiny gap between her legs. For a second time, Scarlett swore she saw a hint of Vanessa's fingers, but again she forced the train of thought from her mind. It was much easier this time, as she found it increasingly difficult to ignore the burning, passionate heat between her own legs.

"What if I asked you to?"

It took considerable strain for Scarlett to register Vanessa's question. "I... Uh, what? Asked me to what?"

"To join me in the shower. Would you?"

"W-well that's... I mean, if you wanted me to, I-I wouldn't... um... Is that an invitation?"

The faucet squeaked as Vanessa turned the shower off. "Nope! It would be silly to join me now, I'm all done!" She grabbed the towel hanging over the door and quickly dried herself off. In practically no time at all, she'd wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out of the shower.

"R-right, yes, that's... Obviously. That would be silly."

Vanessa grabbed her clothes and tucked them under her arm. "You can join me in the bedroom if you like, however." Walking past Scarlett, Vanessa opened the door and left the bathroom with a quick, final glance.

Hold up, did she just wink at me?

Falling backwards, Scarlett passed through the walls connecting the two rooms and reunited with Vanessa. The blue-haired girl tossed her clothes in her hamper, then tapped something into her phone before smiling to herself. After plugging it in, she turned to look at the ghost hovering nearby. "Maybe next time, right?"

Scarlett swallowed nervously as Vanessa walked closer, her hands dangerously close to undoing the towel covering her up. "I mean, if you--"

"Scar." Vanessa flicked the towel hanging from her chest and knocked it onto the floor. Now completely nude, she took another step towards Scarlett. Her voice deepened, and she whispered, "I'm. Trying. To. Seduce. You."

The twisted knot of nerves inside Scarlett immediately untangled, and she pushed her body against Vanessa's. Their lips met just as eagerly, both girls sighing with relief as they melted into each other's arms. Scarlett's hands fell to Vanessa's waist, the residual warmth of the shower paling in comparison to the heat of their excitement.

Vanessa, in turn, grabbed the hem of Scarlett's beat-up tank top and slid her hands beneath it. "You said these come off, right?" They kissed again, tongue brushing together as they struggled to kiss and communicate at the same time.

Hands sliding up to Vanessa's shoulders, Scarlett briefly cradled her face as she quickly hummed, "Mmhm." Vanessa pushed the ghost's arms over her head and pulled the shirt off entirely, tossing it aside without a second thought. Scarlett had skipped wearing a bra the night she'd died, which meant she wasn't wearing one now. When Vanessa hugged Scarlett close, their naked torsos pushed together, briefly causing Scarlett to gasp in excitement. She hadn't felt intimacy like this in months, and the heat of their passion felt incredible.

"How does that even work?"

"No idea," Scarlett muttered. The two slowly approached the bed, but Vanessa tripped over her towel and fell backwards. Scarlett, who's been in the middle of gently massaging Vanessa's back, redoubled her grip and flew slightly higher. She stopped the fall entirely, effectively suspending Vanessa in midair for a fraction of a second.

Vanessa gasped with excitement as she stared into Scarlett's eyes. "That's a handy trick." They kissed again, then Scarlett gently moved Vanessa to the bed. "Now about those pants..."

"Right, so, the clothes just kinda reappear on my body when I stop paying attention," Scarlett clarified.

"Just on their own? Magically?" Vanessa unbuttoned Scarlett's pants with impressive speed.

"Pretty much." Scarlett's skinny jeans required more effort to remove than her tank top, and both girls couldn't help but laugh as they struggled with the stiff denim. "Every time I've taken them off, eventually I hit a point where I kinda stop thinking about it, and then suddenly they're back."

Vanessa hummed with satisfaction as she slid her hands across Scarlett's exposed legs, eventually tracing the curves of her ass. "That's fascinating. Do you think it's tied to some kind of metaphysical representation of the moment you died? Like, with effort you can alter what you're wearing, but it never sticks?"

"Do you often seduce people by talking about metaphysics?"

Hooking her fingers into the ghost's panties, Vanessa's face blushed with embarrassment. "Ugh, stupid Vanessa, I was being all suave and sexy and now I've messed it up..."

Now completely naked, Scarlett let the entire weight of her body rest on Vanessa. She straddled her girlfriend's thigh and moaned as their bodies intertwined. Heat radiated through her body, both from her own excitement and Vanessa's, as they both started grinding against each other. Vanessa moaned in anticipation, as did Scarlett as both of them silently acknowledged that the mood hadn't been ruined in the slightest.

Hungry for more, Scarlett inched her lips towards Vanessa's neck. Soft, tender kisses paired with experimental nibbles that Vanessa seemed extremely excited about. In only a few seconds, hints of moisture appeared on Scarlett's thigh, and it wasn't leftover water from the shower.

Their hands, just as eager, explored every curve they could reach. Scarlett tenderly traced Vanessa's waist while Vanessa teased and groped Scarlett's ass. Her hungry grasp traveled higher, eventually finding Scarlett's bare chest. There, she continued her exploration, even playfully pinching Scarlett, eliciting the first audible "Fuck!" of the evening.

Scarlett responded by reaching between Vanessa's legs. She mirrored Vanessa's actions, massaging and teasing the inside of her thighs, before delicately slipping inside her. Vanessa shuddered and gasped, her eyes rolling back in her head as she pulled Scarlett closer.

"How does this feel?" Scarlett muttered, her lips caressing Vanessa's ear.

"Fuck, it's amazing..." Vanessa's hips bucked into Scarlett's hand. "Mmmmmffyes, right there!"

Reaching down with her other hand, Scarlett doubled down on her partner's pleasure. Her fingers worked in tandem, working tiny circles in and around Vanessa's sex, as she shifted all her attention to satisfying Vanessa. Every subtle gasp, every slight adjustment Vanessa made told Scarlet what she needed to know, and it wasn't long before she'd brought Vanessa to her first climax.

For nearly a minute, the blue-haired girl moaned and writhed on Scarlett's fingers, her face flush with ecstasy. She muttered Scarlett's name as she clenched her legs, she dug her fingers into the bedding as if scared she might float away. In time, her pleasure receded like a gentle tide, and she reached for Scarlett to replace it. Her hands cradled Scarlett's face and their lips met, a dozen tiny kisses scattered between quiet exclamations of amazement.

"Wow, Scar... That was incredible," she muttered in between heavy breaths.

"You're incredible, Blueberry." Scarlett kissed Vanessa's neck and gently nuzzled her cheek. "And breathtakingly beautiful. You looked amazing."

Vanessa's face again blushed bright red. "N-nuh-uh!"

They kissed again. "I mean it, Blueberry. I'm kicking myself that I didn't notice earlier, because damn. I should have been sneaking looks at you for months now!"

"Oh, shut up!" Vanessa playfully slapped Scarlett's backside. "Now come on, I want to return the favor."

"Uh, how exactly should we do that? If I try to lay on the bed, I'll just pass through it."

"Hmm." They peppered in many more kisses as Vanessa thought this over. Her train of thought slipped off the rails somewhat as Scarlett gently massaged her inner thigh, but eventually she pulled herself together. "Then you stay on top, but... but I want to taste you."

Already giddy at the idea, Scarlett snuck one last nibble on Vanessa's neck before floating off the blue-haired girl. "Just tap me if you want a break, okay?"

Floating into position, a shock of pleasure shot through Scarlett's body. Vanessa wasted no time, her soft tongue gently returning the pleasure Scarlett had offered earlier. One hand grabbed Scarlett's thigh and eagerly massaged it, even gently digging her nails in for added sensation, while her other slid towards her tongue to enhance the experience. She mirrored the ghost's actions from earlier, drawing tiny circles around Scarlett's sex before eventually moving her tongue there instead.

For someone who claimed to have slept with more men than women, Vanessa was shockingly good at this. Perhaps it was the connection they'd built over the last few months, perhaps she was simply following Scarlett's example from earlier, but Scarlett found her first climax in barely a few minutes. She laced her fingers into Vanessa's hair, taking great care not to pull too hard as she gingerly treasured every moment of this experience. Hips bucking, body shaking with joy, Scarlett wasted no time shouting Vanessa's name aloud. She'd always been a noisy partner, and with the knowledge that no one but her girlfriend could hear her, she made sure Vanessa knew just how amazing this was.

In the wake of their first climaxes, they happily redoubled their attention on each other to continue the fun. Scarlett took a turn between Vanessa's thighs, taught her a few handy tricks she'd picked up in the past, and before long they were both completely drained. Panting from exertion, yawning because of the late hour, Scarlett found herself nestled in the crook of Vanessa's neck once again as the blue-haired girl prepared to go to sleep.

Across the room, a soft alarm pinged on Vanessa's phone. "What was that?" Scarlett asked.

"I set an alarm for three fifty-five," Vanessa mumbled, hugging Scarlett close.

"Seriously? Why?"

"Because I'm pretty sure we stop being able to touch once it's four in the morning, and I wanted to make sure we weren't forced to stop before reaching a satisfying conclusion."

Giggling to herself, Scarlett showered Vanessa with another batch of kisses. "You're such a nerd."

Several seconds passed as Vanessa fought to keep her eyes open. "That's... why you love me, right, Scar?"

Love.

Scarlett froze, shocked to hear such a powerful word. She'd never told a partner she loved them before, and for years she'd assumed she never would. Here, nestled in the arms of the best thing that ever happened to her, she found herself reevaluating that assumption.

Do I love her? Is that what this feels like?

She failed to find the strength for a response. Vanessa fell asleep only moments later, possibly without any idea of what she'd even said, and Scarlett pushed all thoughts of love from her mind. Whatever this was, she was happy, and that was enough for now.