The key scraped in the lock, sticking halfway like it always did. You jiggled it twice before the door finally gave way with a groan, letting the scent of old wood and cheap whiskey wash over you. Then the weight hit your chest—warm, sudden, and smelling faintly of cigarette smoke and vanilla.

"Took you long enough," Edith murmured against your collarbone, her teeth grazing skin just hard enough to make you inhale sharply. Her fingers hooked into your belt loops, tugging you deeper into the apartment as the door clicked shut behind you. "Was starting to think you'd gotten lost. Or worse—bored of me." The corner of her mouth curled as she said it, the silver ring through her lip catching the dim light from the kitchen. “I missed you, you know.” Her voice was a lazy drawl, but her hands were already working the buttons of your shirt before you could answer.