Homeomorphism - Step 1

Author's Note(s): While Hayley isn't transgender, she can certainly be interpreted as such. This story deals with themes of gender dysphoria and insecurity, as well as the fetishization and exploitation of these feelings. If this makes you uncomfortable, please turn back now! If you are transgender, please always know that you belong and you are loved.

Welcome to Chapter 3 of Homeomorphism!

This chapter focuses a lot on the exploration of Hayley and Charlotte's sexual dynamic (you know, the supposed crux of this entire story) meaning the page count here really got out of hand. But it also means that, as promised, the smut is finally beginning to intensify, with plenty more to come.

I had an absolute blast writing this, and I hope you have just as much fun reading it.

As always, constructive criticism is welcome.

Enjoy!

***

Hayley awoke with a start. Frantically, she reached for her phone on the bedside table, exhaling in relief that it was only 6:45. Charlotte shifted beside her, reaching out and snaking her arm around Hayley's waist, trying to pull her back under the covers.

"Mmm" Charlotte groaned groggily "come back."

Hayley gently peeled the arm from around her and twisted backwards to face the half-asleep girl behind her.

"I have an 8 a.m. on Mondays."

"Skip it," Charlotte whined, "stay here."

Hayley looked at Charlotte with a sympathy that answered for her. Charlotte pouted, crossing her arms and turning away from Hayley in an exaggerated display of disappointment.

"I can come back tonight!" Hayley offered desperately.

"No," Charlotte said, her voice low and dejected, "I get it. You're tired of me."

"No! Charlotte, I-"

Hayley was interrupted as Charlotte flipped herself back around, a mischievous grin spread across her face.

"I'm just kidding," she giggled, the panic on Hayley's face settling. "I mean obviously I'd rather you stay here forever, but then little miss perfect wouldn't be top of her class anymore, would she?"

Hayley rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Oh my god you didn't even deny it." Charlotte sounded like she was about to throw up. "Are you actually top of your class?"

"No..." Hayley mumbled, unwilling to look Charlotte in the eyes, then adding quietly "...sometimes."

Charlotte's mouth fell open, glaring at Hayley in an insincere display of annoyance. "Get the fuck out of my bed. I'm tired of looking at your beautiful face."

Hayley smiled with a blush, giving Charlotte a soft kiss before scooping her clothes from two days earlier off the floor and walking into the bathroom.

Charlotte sat on the bed in shock. She forgot all about the night before until the feeling of Hayley's lips against hers brought it back. For a moment, Charlotte had been completely and unabashedly content, waking up happily beside a new friend, her only concern when they would see each other next.

But all that happiness, all that warmth, was violently torn away as she remembered the kind of person Hayley was - how judgmental and cruel and manipulative - and the responsibility Charlotte had bestowed upon herself to punish her.

She shook herself out of her daze as Hayley emerged from the bathroom wearing her own clothes. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "I have more you can borrow."

"Coming home in the clothes I was wearing two days ago is bad enough. If Sophia saw me wearing another girl's clothes?" Hayley shook her head fearfully.

"So...you're ashamed of me?"

Hayley's eyes widened. "Wha- no!"

"I'm kidding!" Charlotte laughed. "Jesus, learn to take a joke, Strickland." Hayley's face relaxed into embarrassment. "Do you want a ride?" Charlotte asked after a short silence.

"That's okay. I'll uber."

"You sure?"

Hayley nodded appreciatively before a tiny, mischievous smile crept onto her face. "I couldn't bear the embarrassment of being seen with you."

Charlotte nodded with a proud smile. "That's better."

Hayley laid back down in bed, Charlotte wrapping her in a warm embrace, until the Uber arrived.

"I'll be back tonight, okay?"

Charlotte nodded with a smile. "Thank you for spending the weekend with me. I had a lot of fun."

Hayley smiled warmly, hesitating nervously for a moment before giving her another kiss.

After Hayley's departure, Charlotte could only lay in bed, her body motionless and her eyes vacant, feeling empty. She was exhausted, unable to remember the last time she woke up so early, yet she couldn't fall back asleep, her thoughts inundated with memories of Hayley. Memories of the torment she inflicted on others. Memories of the vulnerability she shared with Charlotte. The image of her face was seared into Charlotte's mind, sadistic and judgmental one moment, frightened and pleading the next, with moments of warmth and laughter interspersed.

Charlotte felt like her head was going to split open. It wasn't fair. This should be easy. She knew who Hayley was. Who she really was, beneath the fearful, lonely exterior she was clearly fabricating. She was a hurtful, hateful person, deserving of retribution. Why couldn't that be Charlotte's only focus? Why did it hurt so much to hurt her?

***

Hayley pushed her apartment door open as slowly as she possibly could, just enough to peer through. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Melanie was still asleep, and once Hayley felt comfortable that Sophia was as well, she pushed it open the rest of the way, creeping slowly to her room where she quickly stripped off Charlotte's clothes and slid on a fresh pair of pajamas. Then, just as quietly, she crept to the bathroom where she began her morning routine.

She had woken up later than usual, and the uber ride had taken a chunk out of her morning as well, so Hayley was brief, emerging from the bathroom after 22 minutes, freshly showered and kempt, looking just as pristine as ever. As she opened the door, she was greeted by a groggy, disheveled Sophia, startling her.

Hayley opened her mouth to defend herself but all that came out was a stutter.

"Hi Hayley." Sophia's expression was full of subdued excitement, doing her best to maintain her composure, her voice mockingly innocent, clearly certain of what had happened before even asking. "Where have you been?"

"I just...it was a school thing."

Hayley cursed herself for not coming up with a better excuse beforehand, but truthfully, it probably wouldn't have mattered. Sophia would be suspicious no matter what, and all she needed was a single glance into Hayley's eyes to know the truth. That's all she ever needed.

"Oh?" Sophia taunted, "Hayley had to sleep over at another girl's house for two nights because of a school thing?"

Hayley's face was getting hot. "It wasn't another girl!"

Sophia looked at Hayley with disappointment. "Hayley, babe, you're still wearing her clothes."

Hayley's hands flew to cover herself as she retreated into the bathroom, mortified.

You fucking idiot. How could you be so stupid. How-

Hayley was looking down at herself. She was in her own clothes.

"Aww," Sophia cooed, "how is somebody so smart so gullible?" Hayley looked back up, startled to see that Sophia was inching towards her. "Or...maybe...this mystery girl just has you nervous." The two girls stood silently in the bathroom for as long as Sophia could contain herself, which, expectedly, wasn't very long.

Her inquisitive gaze broke into a huge smile as she leapt forwards with outstretched arms. Hayley braced herself for impact as Sophia wrapped around her tightly, squeezing her like a snake, almost lifting her up into the air.

"Eee! I'm so fucking proud of you!" Her voice was reaching octaves Hayley didn't even know was possible.

Sophia pulled herself away, her expression crazed, unable to keep herself away for more than a few seconds before reattaching herself to Hayley like a magnet. Hayley's discomfort was slowly fading beneath the overwhelming intensity of Sophia's support. She couldn't stop a bashful smile from creeping onto her face.

"Who was it? Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"It...no!" Hayley laughed, astonished that she even considered it.

Sophia gasped. "Was it white-haired girl?"

"No!" Hayley quickly said.

"You mean you have more than one bitch? Oh my god, you slut!"

"What? That's not-"

"I mean it makes sense. You could probably have every girl on campus wrapped around your finger if you wanted."

Hayley rolled her eyes lovingly, giving Sophia a squeeze before trying to peel herself away. "Sophia," she giggled, unable to escape, "I have to get to class."

"No. Nope. Uh-uh. You need to stay here and tell me all about it."

Hayley dug her hands beneath Sophia's arms and slowly pried them away, looking at her sympathetically, her eyes understanding. "I'll tell you about it when I get home, I promise."

Fuck.

Hayley remembered that she had promised Charlotte she'd go back to her house after practice. It was fine, she'd figure it out.

"You know I'm going to wait for you by the front door like a puppy, right?"

Hayley smiled, giving Sophia a kiss on the forehead before ducking out of the bathroom.

***

Hayley's classes passed in a blur, her mind elsewhere. Before she knew it, it was 4:30 and time for practice. She walked briskly to the field after changing in the locker room, narrowly avoiding a conversation with Bella. As she approached the track, a small voice called out to her from the bleachers. She turned her head to see Charlotte, waving kindly. Hayley glanced quickly back at the gaggle of girls gathered on the track before adjusting her trajectory towards the girl that sat all alone.

Hayley and Charlotte scarcely interacted during track meets. It wasn't something they had discussed, but both she and Charlotte knew that it was because of the reputation they each held among the rest of the girls. Charlotte wasn't the kind of girl that Hayley talked to. So, when they did have conversations, they were kept brief, never appearing as anything more than inadvertent, cordial encounters.

"Hey um..." Charlotte began, "something came up tonight, so I won't be able to hang out."

Hayley did her best to hide her disappointment, unsure how well she did. "No worries. I was with you for, what, 36 hours straight? I think I can survive a night without you."

"Tomorrow?" Charlotte asked.

"I'd like that."

The girls gave a nod to each other that signaled the end of the conversation, Hayley turning around and beginning to walk back towards the track.

"Oh my god, look at that ass," Charlotte called out behind her, loudly enough to make Hayley turn around with an embarrassed smile, her eyes begging Charlotte to shut up.

"Sorry," Charlotte mouthed, grinning widely.

As Hayley joined the group of girls on the track, she was met by looks of confusion from some of the other girls.

"Why have you been talking to her so much recently?" Rachel asked.

Hayley felt a momentary panic at the question but didn't let it show, shrugging instead, letting her disinterest speak for her.

"She's doesn't, like, think you guys are friends after sharing a hotel room, does she?"

The girls snickered. Hayley wasn't sure what to say, feeling relieved as Mia spoke for her. "Aw come on, y'all are too hard on her. She's sweet."

"Mmm, you're just nice to everyone, Mia," Bella said.

"Yeah, she's weird," Theresa agreed.

Mia shrugged, giving Hayley a supportive smile. "I like her."

Back on the bench, Charlotte had been joined by Avery.

"What are you doing with Hayley?"

Charlotte's response was a look that suggested she didn't know any more than Avery did.

"I mean, you hate her, right? Are you fucking with her or something?"

"I...I don't know, anymore."

"Anymore?"

Charlotte sighed, leaning back onto her hands and looking up at the bleak, grey sky. "I was. Or...I thought I was? I don't fucking know, dude."

Avery leaned back to join her. "Do you need help?"

Charlotte contemplated the offer, sighing tiredly, eventually shrugging with an eyeroll. The girls reclined in silence, independently admiring the notable blandness of the clouds above them.

"Do you think she's a bad person?"

Avery scoffed. "Yeah, she's a total bitch."

"No, not like that. Like...a bad person."

Avery exhaled in thought. "I don't know. Aren't we all?"

***

Hayley sauntered into her apartment, exhausted from the long day. Immediately, she heard the sound of a door fly open and rapid footsteps racing towards her. Sophia shot out from the hallway, her fuzzy socks almost causing her to slip on the hardwood floor.

Hayley looked at her with a tired smile. "Let me take a shower and then I'll tell you all about it."

Sophia squeaked in glee.

"But I'm not telling you who it was!" Hayley shouted, already disappearing into her room.

She came out of the bathroom after a long, hot shower, feeling refreshed. Sophia was lying across the couch on her belly, her feet twirling in the air and her head propped atop her palms.

"I want details," she said expectantly.

"You just want an excuse to hear about lesbian sex, you closet pervert." Hayley smirked, taking a seat by Sophia's head, letting her turn over and rest it on Hayley's lap.

"First of all, I'm not closeted. You know I'm only gay for you and Emma Mackey," Sophia corrected her. "But yes, I want the details so I can think about it the next time Liam fucks me."

Hayley twinged. She hadn't heard that name before. "Liam?"

"No, no. You're not allowed to be jealous after fucking another woman. Clearly, I'm not enough for you." Sophia turned her nose up in pretend jealousy.

"Fuck you," Hayley laughed, "who's Liam?"

"He's a basketball player. It doesn't matter."

"Woah, a college one?"

"Yes! Stop trying to change the subject. Tell me about your secret lover!" Sophia exclaimed, clearly tired of waiting.

"Okay, okay," Hayley smiled. Under any other circumstances she would feel disgusted talking about it, but for whatever reason, with Sophia, Hayley felt no reservation. Maybe it was because they flirted so much? It didn't matter.

"First of all, we didn't actually have sex. It was just hand stuff."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "That's basically sex for lesbians."

"Oh yeah? You would know?"

Sophia swatted at Hayley. "Keep talking. And start from the beginning, I want you to paint me a picture of this woman."

Hayley talked to Sophia for almost two hours. She confessed that all her recent late-night meetings had been with the mystery woman, eliciting an excited whoop from Sophia who "knew it all along." She told her about all the things they had in common. How smart she was and how cute. She recounted their many conversations. Their stargazing. Their first night together.

She didn't tell Sophia everything, of course. She decided to keep her description of the sex brief, feeling a familiar tingling in her crotch at the memory. She never told Sophia that it was Charlotte, the "weird goth girl from track." She embellished the motivation behind their first meeting, attributing it to happenstance more than obligation. And, of course, she never told Sophia about the most significant similarity between herself and the mystery girl.

By the end of Hayley's story, Sophia was on the edge of her seat, or rather, the edge of Hayley's lap, clinging to every one of Hayley's words like it was prophecy.

"You have to tell me who it was," she said desperately.

"Absolutely not"

Sophia rolled off Hayley's lap with a pout. "Pleeease? Please, please, please, please, please?"

Hayley stood up and held Sophia's hands with a sympathetic shake of her head. "Not until it's more official, Soph. I don't really know what we are right now."

Sophia exhaled in defeat. "Fine. But I swear to god if you tell a single other person who she is before you tell me, I'll kill them."

Hayley chucked. "Deal."

The click of a deadbolt startled both girls as Melanie walked through the door. She looked up in confusion at the two girls standing awkwardly in the living room, pulling her headphones down.

"The fuck are you two doing?"

Sophia glanced at Hayley with excitement. She would never tell Melanie without Hayley's permission, but it was clear she wanted to. Hayley gave Sophia a nod.

"Hayley has a girlfriend!" she shouted.

"Well, no," Hayley corrected her, "she's not my girlfriend."

The only sign Melanie had heard them was a slight raise of her eyebrows. "Bout time," she said as she turned to walk down the hallway, pulling her headphones back over her head.

***

Hayley knocked excitedly on Charlotte's door. Because there was no practice on Tuesdays, Hayley hadn't seen her all day. She was dressed in jean shorts and a white crop top with frilly shoulders. It was slightly more revealing than what she usually wore but she wanted to show off her toned legs and stomach. Charlotte opened the door with a smile. She was wearing a black hoodie that was several sizes too large, the arms falling well past her hands and the body draping just past her shorts, making it look like she was wearing nothing underneath.

"What's up Strickland. Miss me?"

Hayley shrugged suggestively as she stepped into the house, Charlotte closing the door behind her. Despite her relaxed demeanor, Charlotte was incredibly excited. She was in the process of step 1 of her master plan, addicting Hayley to orgasms, and she was anxious to progress. Nothing had actually "come up" the day before, she just wanted to make Hayley wait an extra day, hoping it would make her more susceptible to any advances. It wasn't until after Charlotte committed that she realized Hayley could just masturbate at home, but she was still hopeful. If Hayley's actions at their hotel had been any indication, she was practically already addicted to masturbation, and all it would take is a little nudge to push her over the edge.

Hayley's reservation on Sunday night had surprised Charlotte, but she figured that was to be expected since it was their first time together. Tonight would be different. Charlotte should be able to do exactly what she wanted. And what she wanted was to corrupt Hayley.

Their distance on Monday had served another purpose, too. It had given Charlotte a chance to recalibrate. Alone, it was easier for Charlotte to disconnect the Hayley she knew to be true - the Hayley deserving of punishment - from the Hayley standing before her now - the Hayley that laughed with her and shared her secrets through teary eyes. It was easier for Charlotte to remember why she was doing all this. Why she needed to do this. But she was already beginning to forget as Hayley twirled idly from side to side, smiling bashfully, stealing nervous glances.

Charlotte steeled her nerves, fortifying her determination and resolve.

"I was thinking we could make some pasta?" she suggested.

"I'd love some," Hayley smiled, her stomach rumbling. She hadn't eaten all day, assuming their dinner would likely be something high in carbs.

The girls took to the kitchen with enthusiasm, Charlotte digging deep within her pantry until she emerged with a bag of rigatoni held firmly in her grasp.

"Where's your sauce? I can start on that," Hayley offered, searching for something to do.

"My sauce? I make my own sauce."

"You make your own sauce?" Hayley said with amazement.

"Mom's recipe. Only good thing she ever did."

Hayley opened her mouth to say something, but Charlotte didn't give her enough time.

"You can do these tomatoes. Chop 'em up real mushy."

Hayley took four large tomatoes from Charlotte's hands with a nod, turning around in search of a place to put them.

"Cutting boards are in the second lowest drawer by the oven. Knives are by the stove."