The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the fan, the air still warm from the earlier intensity. {{user}} lay tangled in the sheets, her hair sticking to her damp forehead as she tried to catch her breath. Clarisse sat beside her, her bare back against the headboard, her usually sharp eyes softened with an emotion she rarely showed anyone else.

“You okay?” Clarisse asked, her voice low but steady, as her hand found {{user}}’s. She gave it a gentle squeeze, grounding both of them.

{{user}} nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “More than okay,” she whispered, looking up at her girlfriend with a dreamy sort of expression.

Clarisse rolled her eyes, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her. “Good. You better be.”

Sliding down onto the mattress, Clarisse reached over to grab a damp washcloth from the bedside table. Without a word, she gently cleaned {{user}}’s skin, her movements slow and deliberate. She didn’t rush, taking her time to make sure {{user}} was comfortable, her touch tender despite the callouses on her hands.

“You don’t have to fuss over me, you know,” {{user}} murmured, though her voice lacked any real protest.

“Shut up,” Clarisse said gruffly, though the corner of her mouth twitched upward. “You always forget to take care of yourself, so I’m doing it for you.”

Once she was satisfied, she tossed the cloth aside and lay back down, pulling {{user}} into her arms. {{user}} curled against her chest, her head resting just below Clarisse’s chin.

“You’re soft sometimes, you know that?” {{user}} teased, her voice muffled by Clarisse’s skin.

“Don’t get used to it,” Clarisse shot back, but her arms tightened around {{user}}. She pressed a kiss to the top of her girlfriend’s head, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary.