Scott has questions

I jerked awake to pale morning light and the warm weight of Emily pressed against my side. Her head was tucked into the crook of my shoulder, her arm draped across my chest, her breathing slow and peaceful. Still here. Not at the gym. Not already gone.

I blinked at the ceiling, my brain slowly coming online. 7:13 AM, according to the clock on my nightstand. Huh. Guess it's a rest day or something.

I lay there for a minute, just enjoying the feeling of her curled up against me. Her hair smelled like my shampoo. Her lips were slightly parted, soft in sleep, her back gently rising and falling with her breathing.

Carefully, I eased out from under her, replacing my body with a pillow she could hug instead. She stirred, murmured something unintelligible, and pulled the pillow closer. I watched her for a second, then padded out to the kitchen in my boxers.

The apartment was quiet. Cold. I filled the kettle, clicked it on, and leaned against the counter while it heated. My mind drifted to last night. To her mouth. Her hands. The way she'd looked up at me, lips glistening, and said that word.

*Creamy.*

I shook my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. Where had that come from? Two years together, and she'd never shown any interest in anything beyond the basics. The one time I'd brought it up, early in our relationship, she'd shut it down fast. "That's gross, Scott. I don't want to do that. Please don't ask again." I'd respected it. Never brought it up again. And now, out of nowhere, she'd not only done it - she'd enjoyed it. She'd swallowed it and giggled.

People change, I told myself. She'd been coming out of her shell in so many ways lately. The gym. The social media. Maybe this was just another part of that.

The kettle clicked off. I was reaching for a mug when my phone buzzed on the counter.

A notification. TikTok.

*EmilyGrace has invited you to follow their profile.*

I raised an eyebrow. She'd made a TikTok already? It had only been a day since her Instagram got nuked. She didn't waste any time.

I made an account, followed her, and scrolled for a moment. I pocketed my phone, made a second cup of coffee, then I carried both mugs back to the bedroom.

Emily was on her phone, playing with her new TikTik I supposed, blinking sleepily as I set her mug on the nightstand. "Thank you," she smiled at me, her voice rough with sleep, before turning back to her phone.

"Morning, sleepyhead." I sat down on the edge of the bed, sipping my own coffee. "You're not at the gym."

She dropped her phone on the bed and stretched, a long, catlike arch of her back. "Rest day. My trainer said I earned it." She reached for her coffee, wrapping both hands around the warm mug.

"Of course."

I hesitated. The question was sitting on my tongue, heavy and awkward. But I had to ask.

"Hey, Em? About last night..."

She looked at me over the rim of her mug, her eyes sharpening with sudden attention. "What about it?"

"I... I mean, you were always so against it oral before. I just wondered what changed."

She was quiet for a moment. Then she set her mug down and looked at me, her expression thoughtful, almost tender.

"I used to think it was weird and degrading," she said softly. "I dunno. The way people talked about it in high school, the jokes, the porn... it always felt like something that was done *to* a woman, not *with* her. Like it was about power, not pleasure." She reached out and took my hand, lacing her fingers through mine. "But over time... I started to realize that was just in my head. That it could be something else. Something intimate. A way I could bring you pleasure, instead of just receiving it." She squeezed my hand. "And I wanted that. I wanted to give you that."

I felt something warm and tight loosen in my chest. "Em..."

She grinned, suddenly mischievous, and poked my chest with her free hand. "But don't think you're off the hook. You're returning the favour next time, buster."

I laughed, a genuine, surprised laugh. "Deal."

She leaned over and kissed me, coffee-flavoured and warm. "Good. Now let me finish my coffee before I have to get ready."

---

She emerged looking fresh and pretty, her hair in a loose ponytail, a light sweater and jeans.

"Want to stop at The Daily Grind?" I asked, grabbing my keys.

"God, yes. I need a proper one after that instant stuff you make."

"Rude. My coffee is perfectly adequate."

"Your coffee is water that has been briefly introduced to a bean. There's a difference."

We walked to the cafe together, the morning air crisp and cool. The line was shorter this time, just a few people ahead of us. Emily ordered her vanilla latte with oat milk, I got my usual black drip. No dropped phones. No angry strangers. No whispered curses.

Just a normal Tuesday morning.

We walked to the corner where our routes diverged. She rose on her toes and kissed me, quick and dry. "Have a good day. Text me."

"You too. Love you."

"Love you too."

And then she was off, disappearing into the flow of foot traffic, her ponytail swinging. I watched her go for a moment, then turned and headed to work.

---

That evening, we ordered Thai takeout and ate on the couch. She was scrolling through her new TikTok, showing me videos she thought were funny. I was half-watching, half-enjoying the simple comfort of her leg pressed against mine.

"Oh, hey," I said, mid-bite of pad thai. "I forgot to ask. Which friend did you stay with on Saturday night? You said it was someone I hadn't met?"

Emily looked up from her phone, her expression flickering briefly - surprise, maybe, or hesitation. Then it smoothed into an easy smile. "Oh, yeah. One of Chloe's friends. I actually only met her that night. Her name's Mia. She lives in that big apartment complex near the bar, so it was super convenient to just crash there."

"Ah, nice. She seem cool?"

"She was great! We really hit it off." She set her phone down, turning to face me more fully. "Actually, we're planning to get drinks this Friday after work. You want to come? I'm sure she'd love to meet you."

I considered it for a moment, then shook my head. "Nah, I'd just be in the way. You two have your girl time. I'll keep some dinner warm for you."

She smiled, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "I won't be too late."

The next few days passed quickly. Emily went to the gym in the mornings, came home on time in the evenings, and spent the gaps between posting to her new TikTok. I'd get notifications throughout the day - she'd posted a new video, she'd gone live for a few minutes, she'd replied to a comment.

I noticed something, though. Her content was different from her old Instagram posts. On Instagram, she'd posted coffee selfies and gym shots and goofy captions. On TikTok, her selfies were... sexier. More provocative. One video had her in the gym, in her sports bra and leggings, doing hip thrusts on a machine, the camera angled low. Another was her twirling slowly in the bedroom mirror in just an oversized shirt, the caption: *something comfy*.

I felt a small, quiet twinge of something I didn't want to name. But I pushed it down. She was exploring. She was coming out of her shell. That was good. That was what I'd wanted for her.

And in every other way, she was still my Emily. She came home tired and happy. She ate dinner with me. She snuggled on the couch. She kissed me goodnight.

Everything was fine.

---

Friday night came. I was in the kitchen, prepping a stir-fry. The onions were diced, the chicken was sliced, and I was reaching for the soy sauce when my phone buzzed on the counter.

A text from Jess.

No words. Just a video attached. A preview thumbnail that was just black.

I wiped my hands on a towel and picked up the phone, frowning. Jess never sent me stuff. We weren't close - she was Emily's friend, not mine. We exchanged pleasantries at parties and that was it.

I tapped the video.

It loaded for a moment, the circle spinning. Then the screen flickered to life.