“Do you trust me, Viv?”

“You’re my best friend, Laura, of course I do! I just don’t understand why I have to be—mpppggghh!”

The ball gag slipped in between Vivienne’s pouty red lips, halting the flow of questions, and with that, the blonde stepped back to examine her handiwork. “I’m repaying the favour I owe you,” Laura declared, grey eyes drinking in the sight of the cute redheaded university student writhing helplessly on the bed. Stout ropes pinioned her arms behind her back at her wrists and elbows, with more securing her ankles and thighs together before a final coil kept her locked in a strict hogtie. The sea of freckles decorating Vivienne’s pale, pixie-like features had all but vanished as her face went as red as her bob-cut crimson hair from confusion and embarrassment, while behind red-rimmed glasses, dark blue eyes were wide as saucers. “Honestly, I never would have passed that test if you hadn’t tutored me the week before, so this is my way of repaying you.”

“Mmmggghh?” Vivienne murmured.

“Remember that talk we had about Derek?” At this, the redhead’s struggles intensified, a stream of muffled pleas escaping past the gag, and Laura held up her hands for calm. “Easy there, Viv. Like I promised, I haven’t told anyone about your feelings for him. Trust me.”

Cheeks still flushed, Vivienne settled back down only grudgingly. Trust did not come easily to the redhead, for as painfully shy and introverted as she was, it was difficult for her to make friends, express herself, or otherwise handle the everyday social situations that other people took for granted. It had taken her immense courage to confess to Laura that she was hopelessly in love with Derek, that cute theatre student, and that she’d deemed Laura worthy of such trust made their friendship all the stronger. Vivienne certainly had good taste, for Derek was a man worth falling for: kind, generous, patient, not to mention those dreamy blue eyes, tousled dark hair and prefect smile… Vivienne was pretty cute herself, her simple outfit of a red woolen sweater and grey cargo pants rather fetching on her, but expecting either of them to make the first move was an exercise in futility.

Hence why Laura had barged into Vivienne’s dorm room that night with a plan and a gym bag full of bondage gear. “I figured this would be a good way for the two of you to break the ice,” the blonde continued. “There’s nothing a guy likes more than rescuing a damsel in distress, after all, especially if he thinks he’ll get rewarded for his good deed.”

Vivienne’s blushed deepened to an impossible degree, and she turned away, mumbling into the gag. “Oh, come on, Viv! Between Soyeon bedding her swim coach and Rebecca and Mercedes humping like rabbits and keeping everyone in the dorms up at night, no one is going to judge you for getting together with a guy. There’s nothing wrong in taking someone you trust and care for as a lover. Especially since I have it on good authority he feels the same about you…”

“Mmmpgggh?”

“Seriously, you haven’t noticed the way he gets all bashful any time you’re in the library together? Trust me, he’s totally into you.” Giving Vivienne one last look over, a delightfully wicked notion popped into Laura’s brain, and she acted without thinking, reaching over and yanking up the redhead’s sweater and t-shirt in one swift motion so that her stomach and bra were left exposed. “Huh. I never took you for a lace kind of girl, Viv.”

“Mmmpppgghhh! MMMPPPPGGGHHH!”

Smirking to herself, Laura seized Vivienne’s smartphone and sent off a quick text, the device chiming in answer within seconds. “Derek says he’ll be here in just a few minutes. Apparently, he’s really looking forward to seeing you again. I’ll make myself scarce,” she declared, before planting a kiss on the redhead’s cheek. “Just do me one favour, Viv. Tell me how he… measures up.”

Leaving her best friend before she could die of embarrassment, Laura made sure the door to Vivienne’s room was left unlocked, before ducking out into the hallway and peeking around the corner, waiting for Derek to arrive. She had no intention of peeking in on them, of course, but making sure no rando took advantage of the situation. She can trust me to do that, at least…