Who: Izzy and Tessa What: Tessa needs advice Where: The Institute When: Early Feb Rating: Talk of sexy things Status: Complete
Tessa was incredibly nervous. She wanted to plan something special for the boys for Valentine’s Day, but she didn’t really know where to start. Or rather, she did, but she wanted someone to tell her it was ok. Even though she had girl friends such as Capable and Myrcella, she didn’t really share personal information with them. Which meant she wasn’t used to sharing matters of a more...intimate nature. Knocking on the front door of the Institute, she looked back over her shoulder nervously. She knew she was prudish relative to others, perhaps that was way she’d approached Izzy for this matter. She wouldn’t be afraid to talk about what Tessa needed to talk about.
Once Tessa had told Izzy she wanted to talk about Valentine’s Day she had a feeling it was something intimate. Between Tessa and Celeana asking for boy help Izzy really felt like she should have a boyfriend of her own, she was obviously an expert for some. Still she didn’t mind, it was nice to help her friends and she knew it must be hard for Tessa. The bookstore owner was more reserved than some which was ironic considering she was dating two guys at the same time.
Opening the door she smiled brightly, “Come on in” she said happily, “It’s good to see you”
“Good evening, Isabelle,” Tessa replied quietly as she walked into the Institute hallway. “How are you?” she asked politely. Despite the fact that they had met many times before, Tessa was feeling quite anxious about this meeting. She wasn’t used to discussing aspects of her private life with others. She barely could with Jem and Will, so she wasn’t entirely sure how successful this conversation was going to be.
“I’m fine. Better than you at least, you don’t need to look so scared” Izzy told her taking Tessa’s arm, “You can relax you know, it’s only me. Come on let’s go to my room. I have snacks and things there and you can say whatever you need to”
Tessa smiled nervously, licking her lips. Izzy was lovely and so much more confident and free about matters of the heart and body. Tessa hoped some of that confidence might rub off onto her. She let Izzy lead her through the house, trying not to listen to her nerves, which said she shouldn’t be talking about anything like this with anyone and run out the door. She took a deep, calming breath and told herself not to listen to the self from her Dreams. The self that said this was prudish and embarrassing. Izzy wouldn’t judge, after all, if she had, then she would have judged her for her relationship with two men at once. “Thank you Isabelle.”
Izzy was definitely not about to judge Tessa for anything, she was confident and free with her body. If Tessa had found love with not one but two soul mates then who had the right to say that was wrong? Nobody as far as she was concerned.
“No worries” she said inviting Tessa to sit on the bed where there was already a tray laid out, “So Valentine’s day surprises right?”
“Um, yes, exactly,” Tessa let out a nervous laugh as she sat down on the bed. She sat stiffly, her hands folded in her lap and back straight as she tried to work up the nerve to discuss some of her ideas. “As you know, the boys and I...we’ve been together for sometime now and we all love each other dearly,” she came to a hesitant stop, dropping her eyes to her hands where they were playing with the material of her skirt. “But we still have not...devoted ourselves entirely to each other,” she hedged, hoping Izzy would get the implication. Tessa had been close to intimate with the boys, but since the incident with Will, she had been reticent to go too far for fear it might happen again.
“Really? How have you managed not to jump them? I mean those boys are hot and you are gorgeous. Honestly I expected that place to be a hotbed of debauchery” She was maybe teasing a little but she was surprised. She hadn’t expected them to be that reserved with each other. Obviously Izzy needed to help out here.
Tessa blushed at Izzy’s words and dipped her chin. “While both Will and Jem are...incredible specimens of the male kind, I uh...I have been hesitant to do much more than kiss them,” she admitted shyly. She hesitated in telling the other girl why, but then decided to bite the bullet. After all, it was why she had come in the first place. “The only time William and I have been...amorous, my...my power manifested itself and I...I changed...into him,” she told Izzy, flushing red again with embarrassment.
“Oh no” Izzy put her hand over her mouth to stop her smile, “That must have been a little awkward, though it’s Will so I imagine he took it pretty well” The guy was ridiculously cocky and loved Tessa to bits after all. “Have you touched yourself while thinking of them?” she asked, “That could be one way to see if you’re still likely to change”
If it were possible for Tessa to blush any brighter shade of red, she would have. Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, she subconsciously brought her hand up to move her hair, which served to part hide her face from Izzy. Ready to die of mortification, Tessa gaped for a few minutes before responding, still unable to look Izzy in the eye. “I...no, I have never...I wouldn’t…” she protested, almost affronted by the idea.
“Oh Tessa, I’m sorry” Izzy said moving to give her friend a one armed hug, “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. But I think talking a little more might help you not change when things get...amorous. There is nothing to be embarrassed about, it’s perfectly natural I promise. And whatever you say here will be just between me and you”
Tessa wasn't used to having friends who would discuss these kind of matters so openly. The girls she had been friends with in school were more concerned with work and books and she told Izzy as much. “I'm sorry,” she apologised, feeling bad for not being able to have a straight discussion about it. “My books have told what is to be expected but...They offer no help on...controlling my power. I want to make Valentine's Day special for them but I don't want to disappoint them,” she explained, resting her head on Izzy's shoulder.
“You don't need to apologise, you've nothing to apologise for” Izzy told her, she didn't want Tessa to feel bad that she couldn't talk about this stuff. She'd get there in the end with Izzy’s help. “Those boys adore you, you could never disappoint them. They have you, that's all they really need”
Tessa sighed against Izzy’s shoulder and shook her head. ”They've been so thoughtful and patient already. I can't expect them to wait forever and I love them both so much,” she sat up straight and ran her hand through her hair. “I wish I could be as confident and completely normal with all this as you are,” she gestured to Izzy, her eyes looking glassy with unseen tears.
“They understand and they’d wait for you forever” Izzy told her taking her hand, “I know it’s not an easy thing to talk about, I’ve just always been this way I suppose. But there’s nothing to say that it’s the right way, I could probably do with being a little less open” she said with a reassuring smile.
“No, no, it’s fine, I’m just...not used to it,” Tessa gave Izzy a smile and squeezed her hand. “I guess I just need some reassurance that I can do something a bit...brash for them on Valentine’s Day,” she told her with a shy smile and her cheeks heating again. “I think...I just need someone to tell me it’s ok.”
“Tessa” she said, taking her hands and looking at her openly, “Whatever you wish to do is perfectly okay. Showing those boys how much you love them with the whole of your body is entirely your choice and something you should be proud of”
“I...want to...I do,” Tessa said with more confidence, clearing her throat. “I’ve been looking at buying an old Victorian style dress to...surprise them with. Like from our Dreams. I was...thinking of giving them a bit of a striptease,” she told Izzy, but she said it so fast and quietly that it all ran into one word. She flushed beetroot red again and bit her lips at the admission.
“I think that would be pretty perfect” Izzy said, giving her a hug, “So, do you want to practice? I don’t have a victorian dress but I do have a few corsets and I am sure we could put together something just to help you get some practice in”
Letting out a little, relieved sigh that her idea had been well received, Tessa hugged Izzy back. Sitting back up, she tucked some of her fringe behind her ear, embarrassed again at the idea of ‘practicing’. “I uh...would that be...ok?” she asked quietly. Would it be weird doing that sort of thing with a girl in the room?
“Of course it would. Between you and me, over Christmas I wrapped my best friend in nothing but a ribbon to surprise her boyfriend” Izzy grinned, “So striptease practice will be easy. I’ll do it with you and help you see what looks good and what doesn’t okay?” She didn’t want to push Tessa too much but maybe doing it with Izzy would ease some of her embarrassment when she did it with her boys.
Tessa smiled at that, having a hard time picturing doing that for the boys. Maybe after some practice.