Maddie, Hope and Sue: Surprises

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Hope gets surprised in many ways when she enters her room on a Thursday afternoon.

It had all started innocently enough with both Sue and Maddie, sitting on the latter's bed, concentrating on finishing their homework. And they were actually working. Well, for the most part anyways. Every so often one of them would pause, look up at the girl across from them, smile, then feign innocence as the other would notice the silent attention that was aimed at their person and look up from their own work. A moment or two later, both girls would be back to concentrating on school. It would continue on like this until both had completed their respective assignments, and books were relegated to the floor to be pointedly neglected for the rest of the evening in favor of sitting together, side-by-side, at the top of Maddie's bed, arms wrapped around each other, heads tilted inwards, deep in conversation.

Maddie wasn't sure how they had stumbled upon the topic, but each girl had shared their fondness of what was inarguably (seriously, Maddie would dare anyone to argue with her over this so she could shut them down) the best film about robots in love in the entire world. And the next thing she knew, they had set up Sue's laptop so that they could watch Wall-E while comfortably ensconced on Maddie's bed.

But Maddie was still very easily distracted by the presence of her girlfriend being so close to her in the darkened room, and would interrupt the movie watching to plant kisses on Sue's lips, neck, her left hand lightly brushing up and down the blonde's arm.

Sue torn her eyes away from the laptop screen, squirming around on the bed so she was lying on her side facing Maddie. Arching an eyebrow Sue slipped an arm around the redhead's waist as she turned, "You know you’re making it really hard to watch the movie," she pointed out with a laugh resting her head on the pillow as she grinned at Maddie.

"Shhhhh." The redhead brought a finger to her lips and shot her companion a very pointed look. "I am trying to watch the movie."

Sue couldn't help but laugh at that, "Oh you are are you?" she asked in a soft voice using her arm to pull Maddie closer, "So you won't mind if I do this then?" she asked brushing her lips against Maddie's neck before propping herself up on her elbow to kiss her on the lips.

Hope's gaze was focused on the notes of the new music piece she had found in the library and had spent the last few minutes puzzling out on the couch, humming the notes as she tried to picture the melody she'd be following. With one hand she pushed open the door to her room, intent on getting her violin so she could try to play it herself.

From the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of red hair. "Hi Madd..." Then she looked again, also catching a flash of blond hair and she froze in place at the sight in front of her. Maddie... Sue... kissing... "Uhm.... eeep..." A bright red flush slowly rose up to cover her face.

Sue had been so lost to the world that she hadn't heard Hope coming into the suite or opening the room door, in fact Hope's truncated greeting was the blonde's first indication that the other girl had entered the room. "Uh, hi Hope," Sue gave her friend a small smile as she broke the kiss and sat up on the bed, a faint blush colouring her own cheeks.

"Hope. Hey." Maddie greeted her roommate in mild surprise as she sat up and quickly combed her fingers through her disheveled hair. She glanced over at Sue, giving her a small smile, and gave the blonde's hand a small squeeze of reassurance. "Sue and I are dating," she explained, still focused on the girl beside her. "I was kinda trying to prevent you walking in on us like this. We were just watching a movie and got... caught up."

"I am sorry... I didn't mean..." Hope fell silent as she truly realized Maddie's words. "Wait... you're dating?!?!?!" She even didn't have the chance to be surprised at Maddie's frank declaration. The blush on her cheeks deepened.

The redhead turned her attention to her roommate, the look on her face very somber and serious. Her arm snaked around the waist of the girl beside her, pulling Sue in closer. A very deliberate act to send a very deliberate message: this was real. "Yes. Dating," she replied firmly, definitively. "I won't bring her into our suite if it makes you uncomfortable, for now." She took a deep, steadying breath and continued, her voice softer. "But I hope you do come to accept this, us." Maddie turned to flash Sue a broad smile.

"Together."

Sue gave Maddie's arm a squeeze, returning the smile before she slipped out of the redheads embrace and clambered off the bed, While she'd have loved to stay where she had been Sue didn't want to make Hope any more uncomfortable than she obviously already was.  "Yeah, just after the show ended actually," she told Hope as she turned to face her friend. "We really didn't plan to spring it on you like this Hope, at least not without talking to you first."

Hope shook her head for a second, then tilted it as she stared at the two of them. Her mind was still processing this new development. Sue and Maddie? Dating? That was something she totally had not expected. In the back of her mind, underneath the surprise and the shock she felt a familiar, but faint disapproval pop up...

And then Maddie's words registered and she levered a quick stare at the redhead. "Wait a moment here, Maddie. I am surprised and a little shocked. This is not something I had expected... at all... You and Sue do need to give me the chance to adjust my picture of the world a little." With those words she shuttered the disapproval away, tucking it somewhere so she could examine it later.

That settled it then. "I completely understand," Maddie said to Hope as she jumped off the bed and crossed the room. "Know that this wasn't the way we wanted you to find out. I was going to tell you myself tonight but...." The redhead gave a shrug as her voice trailed out. It was too late for that plan now, all she could do was try to repair what damage (or rather surprise) had been done. She grasped Hope's hands in hers and met the other girl's eyes with her own. "If you want some space to be alone, I would be more than happy to crash in Clint and Billy's room tonight. I know this is overwhelming. And if you feel uncomfortable sharing a room with me now, I won't be offended. We'd just go to Korvus and Sharon and see if something can be done."

"I'm sorry, Hope."

"She's not the only one," Sue acknowledged from her position by the bed, "Walking in isn't really the best way to find anything out. I really am sorry it happened this way." She crossed over to stand next to Hope and Maddie, "Take all the time you need Hope," Sue knew that Hope would probably take some time to get fully comfortable with the idea but she didn't think that it'd come to a room change. "If you want space or time to just think things through by yourself that's understandable."

Hope bit her lip and frowned as she looked in Maddie's eyes. It was strange to see her normally so confident roommate so... well... insecure worked just as well here. It made the shock fade to the background a little as she shook her head. "There is no need to talk to Ms. Smith or Mr. Rook'Shir, Maddie. Nor do you have to stay over with Clint or Billy if you do not want to."

She met Sue's eyes over Maddie's shoulder. "Like I said, it will take me some time to get used to the idea. But you are still my friends... And I am not the same girl anymore that arrived here for the first time. Just..."

Sue relaxed letting out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding; she had thought that it'd be ok, but you never knew for sure with Hope. "It's a lot to take in at once?" she hazarded as a potential end for Hope's sentence. "If you ever get uncomfortable in the suite because of something we're doing let us know."

"And I swear we won't be doing anything beyond sitting close and some kissing. Which is the same thing I would be doing, or not doing, if I had a guy in here. I mean, this is your home too and I would never do anything to disrespect you or your space." Maddie was rambling now, obviously flustered. With Hope's upbringing, disclosing the status of her and Sue's relationship and the subsequent reaction worried Maddie. And now that it had happened in one of the least desirable ways possible, the redhead found herself compelled to go above and beyond in trying to make her roommate not feel like she was living in a modern day Sodom where it would rain hellfire and damnation on the\am both.

But she knew that no amount of apologizing and promising would mend this situation. Hope needed time. Maddie sighed and released the other girl's hands. "I think," she began calmly, casting a glance at Sue. "That we should call it a night. I think Hope and I need to have a roommate bonding night tonight." Her focus returned to Hope. "Or a quiet night as an oasis from this crazy mansion."

"Thank you, Sue. I will be sure to that. And I am not worried, Maddie." Hope looked back and forth between the... couple in front of her. A small smile appeared on her face when she ventured forward with a small joke in an attempt to break the tension: "You might do awkward once in a while, but I am quite sure that supremely awkward is not your style. I think Sue would agree with me."

Sue shook her head with a smile as she turned to head out of the room's door. "Don't you two have too much fun without me?" she told the other girls with a grin as started towards the door. Maddie was right, perhaps what the roommates needed was some time to hang out together and relax after all the surprises they'd been through today.