Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Yash, your fucking cat got out again”

“Shit-“ is followed up by a huge crash on the other side of the bathroom door – which leads to more unintelligible cursing on Yasha’s end.

Beau knocks on the wooden door, while keeping a sharp eye on the hallway outside their apartment. “You good?”

“Yes, just- fuck. Can you get him, please?” Yasha calls out to her on the other end, followed up by another crash - which makes Beau question whether she’s tearing down their entire godforsaken bathroom or not.

With a loud, annoyed groan, she presses her forehead against the locked door. “Just leave whatever fucking mess you made in there and get him yourself. He fucking hates me, he’s never gonna let me carry him back inside”

“I can’t-“

“What are you even doing in there?” Beau knocks again, more impatient this time. Because she really doesn’t want to go out into that hallway and try to catch that stupid cat. She still has beef with that motherfucker, because he pissed in her bed.

There’s a loud groan on the other side of the door before an answer follows. “If you must know, I’m currently covered body glitter” Yasha grumbles, and the unexpected answer causes Beau to burst into laughter.

“Why the fuck-“

“Because you stored it on the top shelf of the cabinet and you startled me, so I knocked the whole tub over when I tried to reach for my body lotion” Yasha sounds anything but amused, judging from her tone of voice, which makes it all the more hilarious. Besides, Beau’s pretty damn sure that she looks fucking great covered in nothing but body glitter.

In fact-

“Just get the cat, please” it’s the exasperated sigh on Yasha’s end that convinces Beau to face her arch nemesis in the hallway.

“Fine, I’ll get the fucker” she sighs while pushing herself back from the door. “But you owe me, Yash”

She doesn’t wait for an answer, because she just wants this over with as quickly as possible. Preferably without any scratches, but that’s just about impossible with this thing.

Beau finds the tuxedo motherfucker out in a corner of the hallway that stretches out over the entire ninth floor of their building, hissing at every guy that passes him.  He gets even worse when he spots Beau approaching, and pushes back into the wall even further.

Beau rolls her eyes in response, and crouches before him when she’s close enough to reach out and grab him - if she wants to. “Alright listen, you fuckface. We can do this the hard way, or the easy way, but you’re getting back in that apartment whether you like it or not-“

The cat hisses before he sprints off. Beau groans softly and rolls her shoulders back as she pushes herself to her full height again. “Hard way it is then” she mumbles, before sprinting after the animal.

Fifteen minutes, countless hisses, a lot of cursing, three scratches on both arms and with outstretched arms – Beau carries the black-and-white nightmare back into the apartment. She slams the front door behind her as soon as she’s crossed the threshold and tosses the furry mess to the floor.

Yasha’s nowhere to be found, but the cat immediately sprints to Yasha’s bedroom once he is released and disappears from sight – which is exactly how Beau likes it.

“Fuck” she mumbles to herself, when inspecting the superficial damage his claws have done to her. She tries to wipe the blood off on her navy cargo pants – but it doesn’t solve the problem. The fuckers start bleeding again, so she’s got to find a different solution.

Which is exactly why Yasha finds her in the kitchen – rummaging through their first-aid kit and cursing loudly.

“He got you pretty good, huh?” Yasha states from behind her, obviously having seen the scratches that won’t stop bleeding.

Beau shrugs it off out of habit and continues to throw out half the contents of the first-aid kit. “What, this? Don’t even feel it. Just inconvenient that the blood gets everywhere. Where the fuck are the band-aids?!”

“You should disinfect them first” Yasha reminds her while stepping in, before Beau can fling the whole-ass kit through their kitchen. The added frustration of not being able to find the band-aids is really working on her last nerves. “I’ll look, you sit” she tells Beau, while taking the first-aid kit from her frustrated hands.

For a moment, their fingers brush when Yasha pulls the plastic box towards her, and Beau hates how it affects her. She’s never this fucking mushy with any girl, and Yasha’s not even on her list of possible fuckbuddies – for a stupid myriad of reasons.

Still, she does as she’s told, and grumpily slouches back in one of their chairs at the small kitchen table.

It also really doesn’t help that Yasha’s wearing those wide gray sweatpants that make her ass look phenomenal, and a black sports bra. Her half-braided curls are still somewhat wet, from the shower she took about ten minutes before the fucking cat decided to break free. She’s tossed the curls up on her head in a messy bun of black and white streaks that should not look as good as she manages to make it look.

Even with her back turned to Beau, while she’s digging through the first-aid kit, she’s a fucking snack.

And Beau could punch herself for not getting a taste of her yet.

“D’you get rid of the body glitter?” she asks while soaking in the sight of Yasha’s muscular shoulders and arms.

“I think so” she hums before turning to face Beau – holding up a bottle of disinfectant in one hand and a strip of band-aids in the other. She takes a seat right across from Beau and quietly mentions for her to hold out her arms while she puts some disinfectant on a cotton ball. “Thanks for getting Laszlo from the hallway”

Beau shrugs while holding out her arms, playing it off like it wasn’t a huge fucking inconvenience. “We had a fun little sprinting contest. I won, obviously” she shoots Yasha a grin, but it’s met with a knowing glare and a shake of Yasha’s head.

“Paid the price for it, though” Yasha mumbles, while she takes Beau’s right arm in one hand. “This might sting a little”

“I’m not a pussy, Yash. I probably won’t even feel- motherfucker!” Beau hisses sharply when Yasha firmly dabs the cotton onto her bleeding wounds. “That’s not disinfectant, that’s fucking acid or some shit” Beau accusingly insults the cotton ball.

Yasha doesn’t answer verbally, but the grin that curls up on her lips tells Beau that she’s quietly enjoying the response she gets from her. Making Yasha smile really shouldn’t make her feel as proud as it does, but she can’t help it. Something about that grin makes her feel like she’s on fucking fire, and it aches as much as it pleases her.

“We should lock the front door from now on” Yasha mumbles as she bends over the clean wounds on Beau’s right arm, and covers them with a couple band-aids before moving on to the left one. “Didn’t think he’d be able to get the front door open, it’s quite heavy”

“He’s probably been working out while we’re not home” Beau jokes before sucking in another quiet hiss when Yasha dabs more disinfectant acid onto the scratches on her left arm. Yasha glances up at her while she does so, and Beau quickly plays it off like it’s nothing. “I’m good. I’m cool. Barely felt it” she insists while releasing a deep breath.

When Yasha’s this close, she can smell the light floral scent of her shampoo - and her intoxicating perfume, which Beau suspects to be a mixture of pure pheromones and fucking cocaine or some shit. Because she’s been addicted to it since she first got a good whiff of her.

From this small distance, Beau notices that there’s some body glitter on her cheek still – and she’s instantly plagued by the immediate itch to wipe it from Yasha’s pale skin. Just to get the opportunity to touch her. Make her blush, perhaps. That’d be a real fucking bonus.

“See you paid attention during that first-aid training last month” Beau tries with a sly grin, when Yasha sticks a bandage on the last two scratches caused by the evil claws of that little monster Yasha calls a pet.

“Someone in this household should know how to take care of wounds, blisters… sore muscles- you know-“ Yasha informs her with a small shrug. She quickly averts her gaze and shoots up from her chair so she can make her way back to the counter - where she rapidly starts repacking the first-aid kit and puts it back on the top shelf.

“Oh I know a great way to take care of sore muscles” Beau grins with a flirtatious purr to her tongue. She leans back in the chair as she watches Yasha’s back that’s turned to her still, probably because she’s blushing. “I could demonstrate. You just gotta strip naked, lie down on your stomach and I’ll get the massage oil-“

“I’m good, Beau. Thank you, I-“ Yasha finally turns back to face her, and her pale cheeks have that familiar crimson colour that Beau is more than addicted to by now.

She’s cute when she’s flustered.

While leaning back into the counter, Yasha’s fingers curl around the edge of the countertop. “I should- I should probably go check on Laszlo. See if he’s okay”

“Sure, you go do that. Tell him to go fuck himself while you’re at it” Beau nods, while her teasing grin never fades.

Yasha rolls her eyes at the commentary regarding her cat and pushes herself from the counter. “If you’d just switch out your cologne-“

“I’m not changing my signature scent for a fucking cat, Yash” Beau immediately goes on the defence. “It’s bullshit that he hates me because of my smell”

“Well, he comes to cuddle with you after you’ve showered and not put on any cologne, so-“ Yasha tries, but Beau shakes her head determinedly.

“It’s not the cologne”

“Alright, if you say so” Yasha hums as she makes her way out the kitchen. “Good luck at practice!”

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Beau rushes up from her chair when she’s reminded of the fact that she’s got practice. The whole cat incident almost made her forget that she’s supposed to be warming up in like - ten minutes.

She’s out the door, with a bag full of gear, about two minutes later. Rushing down the flights of stairs and out the main entrance - so she can run to the field on the other side of campus.

It’s a real fucking challenge to get there on time. It’s not like she can text her teammates and tell them that she spent fifteen minutes chasing a cat.

They’re not even allowed to own a damn fucking cat.

Beau blames Caleb for the whole fucking cat disaster that’s unfolded over the past several months.

The moment Yasha started to bond with his cat, Frumpkin - it was over. And it’s not like Beau’s a cat hater.

The opposite actually. Pets are fucking awesome, and Frumpkin’s a great little dude.

But Yasha’s cat, Laszlo, started a ‘Beauregard hate’ campaign the moment her roommate brought him home and introduced the two to each other.

It’d been about half December, and winter had set in early – meaning that snowstorms and ice were fucking them over on a daily basis. On the way home from the gym, Yasha had caught on to the sound of some faint meows coming from a dumpster that she passed in the dark.

And because Yasha has the softest fucking heart, she followed the fucking meows.

That’s how she met her tuxedo cat, which she named Laszlo – after her favourite character from her favourite tv show, What we do in the shadows. The cat had been tossed in the filthy dumpster, famished and alone – which tugged on Yasha’s heartstrings more than anything, considering she’d been through the same type of shit.

It’d been a real fucking surprise when Yasha came home that night. Snow-covered and with pained meows emerging from inside her thick winter coat. She’d shot Beau that sheepish grin she’s unable to resist. And it was over for Beau before the cat was even freed from inside Yasha’s coat.

Beau’d been excited about it at first, because cats are fun little fuckers – but Laszlo just never grew accustomed to her. Yasha keeps insisting it’s because of her cologne. Because the cat hates men – with the exception of Caleb, who’s some sort of fucking cat wizard, apparently – and Beau’s been wearing men’s cologne since she’s 16.

It’s fucking bullshit, of course, and Beau’s not planning on changing her signature scent so she can be liked by her roommate’s cat – but it still stings that the fucker loves on Yasha and hates being anywhere near Beau.

Besides, Yasha adores that damn cat. Their favourite thing is to have him sprawled out on her broad shoulders while she’s cooking. Which, admittedly, is a fucking adorable sight. Especially because the tuxedo cat matches Yasha’s hair colour – since she dyes the top half black and the bottom half white. Which looks real fucking badass.

And hot.

God, she’s so fucking hot.

Beau really hadn’t foreseen the fuckery that she’s currently balls deep in, when signing up for the new housing program at the end of her previous academic year.

She’d been accepted into the University with a double scholarship. One for academics, in the criminology department – and one in sports, for soccer.

After spending her childhood trying to find an extracurricular that fit her energy level, short temper and need for intense physical exercise – she ended up trying a bunch of combat sports. Some were boring and didn’t stick, like judo – but some proved to be a success.

Much to her mother’s relief.

After getting over the initial disappointment of their first child being born a girl, Beau’s mother had high hopes of her little girl becoming a shining beacon of femininity. She’d sighed Beau up for ballet classes, painting and the likes – but it never stuck. She hated it from the first second, and drove her mother to madness by refusing to participate in any of it.

The one thing she’d been successful in, when it came to more ‘feminine’ extracurriculars, was gymnastics. And it wasn’t like Beau actually enjoyed it that much, but she was good at it – which was why she stuck to it for quite some years, to please her mother. She was quite sure she’d be forced to try something worse, if she refused to take another gymnastics class.

As she got older, however, she begged her mother if she could try a more masculine sport – which her mother only agreed to if she would stick to gymnastics.

And she did, all while trying her hand at kickboxing, regular boxing, jiu jitsu, mixed martial arts, muay thai and so on. Both kickboxing and mixed martial arts stuck to her, and Beau was a natural at both. Training became her life, since it felt like the one and only way out of her boring fucking existence at home.

But the one thing that always seemed to get her into trouble, was her burning problem with authority figures. 

Yet, even though this posed for a very serious problem - Beau persisted in working to be the best at her craft.

Until one particular match, at the age of 16, where she tore her hamstring and was out of the game for quite a few months.

That particular setback really fucked with her head.

She refused to go back to any of those previous sports after making a full recovery. Everyone in those circles knew her for getting injured in a dumb fucking way, during a tournament, and she wasn’t about to face all of those fuckers again.

So she moved on to something new.

She tried soccer, and found that being part of a team wasn’t as bad as she initially thought it was. Within two years, she worked her way up to the position of best player in her team - and she became a rather well-known name within the semi-professional scene.

She got scouted a couple months before graduating high school and accepted the scholarship without hesitating, only to receive an academic scholarship a month later.

First year of University kinda sucked, and was kinda awesome at the same time. Beau made some friends, hooked up with a ton of girls and spent most of her time fucking around in the best way possible.

But the dorm situation sucked. She’d been assigned a random girl to room with, and it was the prissy type of girl who went to bed far too early and complained about anything that she could possibly complain about.

So when the opportunity arose for Beau to sign up for a new housing program – she didn’t hesitate a single fucking second.

The program was designed to integrate international students within the national student body of the University. With about 25% of students being international, the University was trying to focus on ways to get them to mingle with the American students. The housing deal meant you were assigned only one roommate, you’d be given a two-bedroom apartment for the same fee as a dorm, and you were even allowed to give a preference on a male or female roommate.

So naturally, Beau had jumped at the opportunity and requested a female roommate.

The only one sceptic about the awesome plan, was Caleb – whom Beau met when they were assigned a group project for their Criminal Justice class.

“You don’t know what these international students are like. You don’t even know where they’re from” Caleb had warned her during one of their mandatory study hours.

“Don’t need to. Just gotta know she’ll be hot” Beau told him with a grin, which earned her a knowing glare from Caleb.

“Please don’t sleep with your roommate” Caleb informed her plainly. “It’ll only lead to a messy situation between the two of you, and I don’t want you crashing on my couch-“

“Relax, I’m not gonna sleep with my roommate” Beau reassured him with a roll of her eyes. “She might not even be into girls. Or hot”

Enter: Yasha Nydoorin. Quite possibly the hottest and most lesbian woman Beau’s ever met.

5’11 tall, muscular, sporting a Scandinavian accent and recruited to play for the University’s women’s rugby team.

With her curls dyed half back, half white and in several braids that are decorated with a couple silver beads – she made quite the first impression on Beau when she first moved in to their apartment.

Yasha arrived about two hours before Beau did, and emerged from her bedroom when Beau barged through the front door – carrying a bunch of moving boxes with the help of Caleb, whom she’d bribed to help her move her shit. It took her just about every bit of restraint not to drop the boxes on sight, when Yasha appeared in the doorway leading to her bedroom.

Beau quickly learned that Yasha’s intimidating and impressive exterior makes up for the sweet layer of kindness she hides underneath it, because her new roommate immediately apologized for already claiming a room. She even offered to give up her freshly decorated room, if Beau would rather have it.

But all that mattered to Beau was the fact that she had a bedroom to call her own – so she accepted the other bedroom without any argument.

That first day, she learned that Yasha had moved all the way from Norway, where she was scouted.

“Norway, huh? Whereabouts?” Beau flirted freely while leaning against the doorway that led into Yasha’s room.

Her new roommate kept to clearing out the suitcases she’d brought along with her from across the sea. “You wouldn’t recognize the name” she claimed firmly, and her gaze finally found Beau’s.

It was the first time she got a good look at the unique shade of Yasha’s eyes – which was an odd combination of greenish blue in one eye and a lighter shade in the other, almost like a pink-ish colour when it hit the light just right.

“You don’t know that” Beau stated with an insulted huff. “I’m smart. I know geography shit”

Which was when Yasha had raised a singular eyebrow and looked her dead in the eye while plainly informing her of the village she originated from. “Forsøl”

Beau was quiet for a moment before letting out a sigh “right, you got me. I don’t know that one”

“Didn’t expect you to” Yasha informed her as a small hint of a grin started to play on her lips. “Only about 200 people live there, so-“

“Is it up north, or south?”

“North” Yasha informed her plainly while he resumed unpacking her two suitcases. “Way up north”

Beau managed to draw little more from Yasha since then, but she’d never been more intrigued by anyone than she was by her new roommate – especially because she did not have much to say.

Which is exactly why she texted Caleb that same night:

From: Badass brute

Nvm what I said. I’m fucking my new roommate.

That text was sent late August. It was early March now, and Beau had fucked her new roommate exactly zero times. Hadn’t even kissed her, which was the real kicker.

Part of it had to do with the fact that Yasha wasn’t the type to just fuck every attractive woman she came across – which meant that Beau’s shameless flirting went unanswered for months on end. It even got to the point where Beau started to question whether or not Yasha was actually gay.

Until the night Yasha opened up a bit more about her life, and told Beau the most heart-wrenching story she’d heard so far.

The two had stumbled home drunk after a night spent at their favourite pub on campus, and somehow ended up curled under a couple layers of soft and fuzzy blankets on Yasha’s bed. It was late January at the time, and Laszlo was curled up at the end of Yasha’s twin-sized bed while the two curled up under their blankets.

Beau had been suffering through another break up with her on-and-off fling with Tori, and gotten absolutely hammered on their night out with their relatively new friend group.

Yasha, who could drink far more than anyone Beau knew, was still relatively sober when they got back to the apartment – and had taken care of Beau by wrapping her in a layer of blankets and forcing her to down a couple glasses of water.

“You’re a real fucking gem, you know that?” Beau had mumbled rather drunkenly as they were leisurely settled back into the heap of throw pillows Yasha had situated against the headboard of her bed.

“You’re drunk” Yasha chuckled in a tone of adornment, which Beau still could not get used to.

“Maybe, maybe not” Beau hummed as she stretched her legs out on the bed and shot Yasha a flirtatious grin. “Are you attracted to me, Yasldasl?”

The nickname stemmed from a different drunken night months earlier, and Yasha hated it with a  passion – which was exactly why Beau kept using it.

“I-“ Yasha’s eyes widened for a moment, and she averted her gaze while she tried to find the words she wanted to say. “What- what I think of you doesn’t matter”

“Kinda does. We’re roommates” Beau shrugged.

“And friends” Yasha added, before shooting her a reluctant smile. “Right?”

“Of course” Beau confirmed the statement with a pat on Yasha’s knee, before eyeing her hot roommate for a moment. “You’re gay, right?” Beau blurted next - thanks to her drunken state.

Thankfully, it caught Yasha so off guard that it made her laugh – and she eventually gave a confirming nod. “Yes, I am” she softly admitted, all while averting her gaze again.

This only intrigued Beau more, especially since Yasha was about the most mysterious person she fucking knew. That girl never spilled anything about her life before University, and Beau was all too eager to know every little detail about her. Which was why she rolled onto her side and eyed Yasha with a smirk on her features, blanket still curled around her shoulders. “You got a girlfriend back home, Yasha?”

“No” Yasha firmly denied, before her tone of voice softened somewhat and she found Beau’s curious gaze. “Not anymore”

Even though their gazes only met for a second, before Yasha averted hers again, it still felt more loaded than Beau expected it to be. “Wanna tell me about that?” Beau tried cautiously. Even in her drunken state, she was aware of the pained look that flashed through Yasha’s multi-coloured eyes.

“I-“ Yasha stopped herself from talking, as she so often did when she was nervous, and her eyes shifted across the room before they finally built up the courage to find Beau’s. “Her name was Zuala… she was the first girl I ever loved. First girl I dated-“ Yasha needed a moment to swallow thickly before she could force herself to continue. “We were 16 when we took a road trip across the country, and during our last week we-“

A hint of pain and hurt flashes through Yasha’s astonishing eyes, but before Beau can tell her that it’s okay if she doesn’t want to reveal everything – Yasha continues to push through the obvious train.

“We were driving down a highway. Or, I was driving – she was in the passenger seat… and we got hit by another car” Yasha softly admitted, gaze focussed on her hands. “I got off without a scratch, but she was flung out the car and hit her head on a guard rail on the side of the road… she was dead in a split second”

And that story still haunts Yasha til that very day. Because she seems to blame herself for the accident, since she was the one driving.

Beau backed off a little more since that confession, because it seems that Yasha has a lot more to work through before she’s well again. And a situationship with her roommate probably would not attribute to it. Regardless of how badly Beau wants her.

The added problem in the equation, is the fact that the two of them are in the same tightknit friend group. Which means they can’t fuck about without the whole group reaping the unfortunate consequences of it.

And there’s the whole fucking issue of Tori and her fucked-up ways of finding herself back in Beau’s bed time and time again. They’re on and off more often than anyone Beau knows, but it mostly just serves as a way to forget about how badly she wants Yasha.

Yasha with her 5 foot 11 and her huge fucking muscles that she’s grown from years of ice hockey, before getting into rugby. Yasha with her love for all things mundane, domestic and fucking adorable.

At first glance, her dyed hair, impressive statue and introverted attitude comes off as though she’s a superficial gym babe – but Yasha’s the complete opposite of that.

Or so Beau’s figured out over the months that they’ve lived together.

Yasha got a job at a floral boutique as soon as she got to campus, because apparently she loves flowers and making floral arrangements. She’s gotten really into pottery as of late, and is taking classes twice a week now – which means Beau is gifted all types of mugs, vases and bowls on a monthly basis. She fucking loves cooking, and even signed up for a couple cooking classes over the past couple months.

Yeah, Yasha looks all tough and like she could break your nose with a single swing – which she probably could – but she surprises Beau with a new recipe about every couple days. And it’s the most adorable fucking thing Beau’s ever seen.

“You’re late” coach’s criticism pulls Beau from her Yasha daydreams, and she just shoots him a feigned smile before slipping into the dressing room.

She’d have flipped him off if that hadn’t meant that she could lose her athletic scholarship. Her personal issues with authority figures is exactly why she switched from combat sports to soccer. Less attention on her, and more ways for her to fuck around.

So far, she’s doing fucking great. Her team is first place in the state, and third nationally – so they’re coursing on to something more promising.

Practice is brutal, as usual, and Beau gets home around 7:30 – absolutely wrecked and tired, yet greeted by the smells of Yasha’s phenomenal cooking.

As expected, she steps into their tiny kitchen only to be met by the sight of Yasha stirring something in a pan, while Laszlo is sprawled out over her broad shoulders.

“Something smells fantastic” Beau pipes up while taking a swift glance into the kitchen.

Yasha’s all in her cooking zone, but forces herself out of it when Beau announces her presence – all drenched in sweat from practice still. Her rumbling stomach had kept her from showering after practice, and she rushed straight home afterwards.

It makes her grin to witness the flushed look on Yasha’s face and how her movements still – while she’s in the middle of stirring the vegetables in her pan.

“I-“ Yasha mumbles, her lips curling to that sheepish grin that Beau loves so much, but she catches herself after a second. “I’m making a vegetarian orzo with cheese, but I’ll keep the amount of cheese to a minimum for you”

Beau huffs and rolls her eyes. “Who gives a fuck? Load me up”

“Beau, you’re lactose intolerant-“

“I don’t give a shit” Beau argues fiercely, and she nods in the direction of the pan. “Throw in as much cheese as you want. I can fight that intolerance”

Yasha’s glare finds her knowingly, but Beau ignores it. “Last time you insisted on eating that mac ‘n cheese I made, you spent the entire evening locked in the bathroom-“

“It’s not gonna be like that, okay?” Beau insists firmly. “Just put in a bit of cheese and I’ll be fine… fucking love cheese”

“Don’t blame me if shit hits the fan” Yasha hums sarcastically, and she turns back to her pan.

Beau shoots her a teasing grin “look who’s learned her English expressions”

“Kyss meg i ræva” Yasha purrs sweetly, but Beau’s spent enough time around her to know that it’s the Norwegian way of telling her to fuck off.

One shower, twenty minutes and two glasses of white wine later – the two of them are leisurely munching on their second bowl of vegetarian orzo.

“So, how are things with Tori?” Yasha inquires out of the blue, which has Beau choking on the fucking orzo.

“I-“ she coughs a couple more times and even spits out some orzo before she manages to give a straight answer. “Fucked. I mean, we’re good. But we’re also fucked”

Yasha tilts her head slightly and shoots Beau that glare of endless intrigue that she really hates. Because Yasha’s so genuinely interested, and never seems to forget a single fucking detail. “How are you fucked and good at the same time?” Yasha asks in a reluctant tone of voice.

“Because-“ Beau sucks in a deep breath while settling against the back of her seat and cradling the bowl full of orzo like a fucking lifeline. It feels odd to talk to Yasha about her love life, especially because Yasha’s been on the sidelines of the entire fucking Tori disaster. And because Beau wishes that she could just get her fill of Yasha for once-

“It’s complicated again?” Yasha guesses while scooping up another spoonful of orzo.

“It’s always fucking complicated” Beau groans before shoving a spoonful in her mouth.

Yasha shoots her a sympathetic smile while she swallows her bite. “Then maybe you shouldn’t keep going back to her... from what I’ve seen, over the past few months – you just return to her because it’s comfortable”

“What the fuck is wrong with that?” Beau shoots back defensively, which Yasha answers with a knowing glare first.

“Nothing” she assures her before taking another bite from their dinner. “I’m just suggesting that a relationship should be easier than this”

“Right” Beau hums. And she knows Yasha is right. Which is the worst of it. A relationship probably should not be as difficult as whatever the fuck she is going through with Tori.

But she’s so fucking hot. And she’s so good at promising Beau the world, all while tearing it apart right before her eyes.

“Jester texted me about going out tonight” Yasha brings up after a minute of silent munching.

Beau chuckles while stabbing her fork into a trail of orzo in her bowl. “Of course she did. What’s she got planned this time?”

“Nothing special” Yasha shrugs. “Just a squad night at our usual spot”

Squad night meaning that she’s also invited Caleb, Fjord, Molly and Veth.

Which is exactly why Beau gives a firm nod “sure, yeah. That sounds fucking awesome. Been a while since we all hung out together”

And low and behold, the two of them march into the on-campus bar right before midnight. Everyone else is already three beers into the night, and greets them very enthusiastically.

“You made it!” Jester exclaims with a screech, and she shoots up from her seat so she can shoot over to the two of them and wrap her arms around their waists while pulling them into a gleeful hug. “I wasn’t sure you were gonna turn up, because I know you have a really tight schedule and stuff-“

“Jester, it’s fine- we both had the evening off” Yasha informs her with an encouraging smile, and Jester beams up at them both while settling back into her seat next to Fjord.

God fucking knows what’s happening between the two of them, but they’re definitely having sex. Whether it turns into something more is Jester’s decision, because she’s the one pulling the strings.

“Good to see you two” Molly purrs as he presses a sweet kiss to Yasha’s cheek, and he shoots a teasing grin at Beau. “How are things with Tori?”

Beau offers a grim smile and a middle finger in return, while both her and Yasha take a seat in the booth their friend group is occupying. “Fucked up, is the answer”

“That’s always the answer” Jester interjects with a knowing glare. “You’ve been on and off with her for as long as we’ve known you... so, maybe it’s time to call it off indefinitely now”

“Why would I do that?” Beau challenges her with a hum, while leaning back into the booth. “I’m getting railed a couple times a week”

Jester glances at her with more pity than Beau is willing to accept from her. “That’s because you think you’re not worthy of something more promising- ”

“Okay, you know, fuck you-“

“Alright, let’s all fucking settle down and enjoy our night” Fjord comes between the mild argument, and both settle in response.

Molly slams a hand on the table rather determinedly and shoots them all a gleeful grin. “How about a round of shots, to set the mood?”

“Oh yes, shots!” Jester agrees enthusiastically, and she waves the bartender over to their table a second later.

Beau catches the glance that Yasha shoots her, and gives a shrug before going along with the shot idea. Sure, it’s game season – but they’re also closing in on spring break, and that means that they can go all out for about a week or so.

And that is exactly what Jester is hinting at, when the shots arrive and her mischievous grin meets all their gazes. “Cheers, to a great night and a promising spring break” she purrs, while holding her shot glass up in the air.

“That’s still a thing?” Caleb asks while letting out a small sigh, but Beau beats the fuckery by pushing her shot glass into his own and meeting his reluctant smile with a  grin of her own.

“Fuck yeah we’re still doing spring break” she exclaims, before shooting a grin in Jester’s direction. “And it’ll be epic as fuck”

“Do we even know where we’re going?” Yasha asks after they’ve downed their limoncello, and a moment of questioning glares is exchanged between the seven of them.

“I’ve got-“

“We’re still-“

“I-“

About four of them speak up when asked this question, but Jester is the only one actually getting an answer through.

“Why don’t we rent some sort of lake house and like, go to a beachy place – and just spend a week there?” she suggests while glancing around at them.

Beau catches Yasha’s gaze before anyone else does, and shoots her a smooth wink before glancing back at Jester with a grin. “I’m in”

“I-“ Yasha looks around the group for a moment. She finds Beau’s confident gaze again, something shifts in her eyes and she looks at the others with her head held high as she nods. “Alright, let’s do it”

Little struggle is issued after that, and the six of them manage to settle on a date for their spring break trip.

Yet all Beau can think of, while arrangements are made, is how badly she has to break things off with Tori before they leave for that vacation of fun.

Because this is the perfect opportunity to sway her introverted roommate with her excellent charm.

Or at least get a week of fantastic sex out of it.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Yasha?”

Those two words are followed by sharp fingernails poking against Yasha’s nose, and a startled shrug from the young woman herself. Only a second later, Yasha shoots up in bed while releasing a startled scream. She loses her balance immediately, due to the impact of the surprise that pulls her from her slumber, and tumbles sideways – causing her to fall onto the the floor beside her bed, back first, with a loud thud and an even louder groan.

Sprawled out on the floor, Yasha just lays there for a second and sucks in a deep breath as she stares up at the ceiling – trying to make sense of what just happened in the span of 1,5 seconds.

A moment later, the all-too familiar face of Jester Lavorre peeks over the side of her bed, right down at the spot where Yasha is currently starfished out on her carpet. “Sorry if I startled you” Jester pipes up sweetly while Yasha pushes herself up on her elbows and shoots her a glare. “In my defence, I didn’t know you were gonna fall off the bed. That’s a pretty extreme reaction-“

“Well, I didn’t expect to find anyone in my bed this morning” Yasha argues mildly while getting up and back into bed – once Jester scootches back and settles against her headboard. She’s looking way too excited and awake for this early hour, but that’s not exactly a surprise when it comes to Jester. While letting out a deep sigh, Yasha crawls back under the heaps of blankets and shoots her friend a curious glance. “Why are you in my bed? You weren’t here when I fell asleep-“

“Well- do you remember that you and Beau gave me the key to your apartment for emergencies?” Jester pipes up with an innocent smile.

Yasha hums as she rolls onto her back and glances up at the ceiling again. “You know, I’m starting to regret that decision-“

“Anyways-“ Jester interrupts with a wave of her hand. “I woke up really early this morning, because I’m so stoked that we’re leaving for our trip today. And I thought, what better way to celebrate that excitement than to visit my best girl friends before they wake up?”

As usual, her delivery is impressive and almost convinces Yasha that this is a normal thing to do – which it most definitely is not. It does tug on her curiosity a bit further, though, and Yasha rolls onto her side so she’s facing Jester as she speaks up. “So why didn’t you go to Beau first? You’re better friends with her than-“

“I did! But when I tried to wake her up the same way I tried with you, she punched me in the stomach out of some kind of reflex and continued to sleep…” Jester shrugs, seemingly a little hurt by the subconscious rejection, but then charms another bright smile onto her face as she looks down at Yasha. “So, I thought I’d try you instead! And it worked!”

“Made me fall out of my own bed, though” Yasha mumbles as she tries to suppress a yawn.

Jester shrugs again “watching you fall out of bed was less painful for me than getting punched in the stomach” she answers.

“I suppose that’s true” Yasha sighs, and she curls her arms beneath her head while still keeping a curious eye on Jester. “We’re not leaving until, like, 5 this afternoon though… so why are you here this early?”

“Because there was no way I could go back to bed” Jester exclaims while snuggling back further into the heap of pillows against Yasha’s headboard, before shooting her a small grin. “And I was thinking we could do something fun today, you know – to get into the spring break mood” she suggests light-heartedly, while nudging Yasha’s shoulder with her elbow. “Just us girls”

“Like… go bikini shopping, or something?” Yasha inquires uncertainly. There’s very little that fazes her, but the thought of going shopping with Beau and Jester for any sort of clothing item just brings out a different type of fear in her.

Jester’s smile curls into a grin, and she tilts her head slightly when noticing Yasha’s reluctant tone of voice. “Maaaaybe… we could shop for bikinis, underwear, beachwear, dresses, shorts, crop tops-… any tops. Any underwear. Sex toys, if that’s something you want to bring along-“

“I am not bringing sex toys with me on spring break, Jester” Yasha corrects her immediately, though she’s afraid that the rapid burning of her cheeks might just give away how she actually feels about the idea.

Jester shakes her head in denial. “You really should, though. You never know who you’ll run into on spring break. And it’s spring break! Everyone gets laid during spring break!” she exclaims loudly, which immediately alarms Yasha about the fact that Beau might just be woken up by that very loud bit of commentary.

“Well, I’m going on spring break to spend time with my best friends and to get away from the stress of game season, for a week… that’s all” Yasha claims quietly, more so hoping to convince herself than Jester, at this point.

As usual, Jester is on to her and shoots her a knowing glance. “If you say so… But you should bring something anyways. Maybe you’ll get bored, or in the mood, and you just want to scratch that itch by yourself” Jester informs her as-a-matter-of-factly. “As Caleb always says, best to be prepared for any and all scenarios that might come to pass”

Yasha sighs deeply and answers to those last words while pinching the bridge between her nose. “I don’t think Caleb means that in a sexual type of- you know what, I’ll pack something” she just gives in to the idea to get Jester off her back, and to change the awkward subject to something light. Her gaze finds Jester’s again, and Yasha offers her a soft smile. “Anyways, I can’t go shopping with you today. I’ve got two classes to attend and one last rugby practice before we leave”

Jester groans audibly, and bangs her head back against Yasha’s headboard. “Fuck. I was  afraid that’d be your answer…” her bright eyes find Yasha’s once more then. “Do you think Beau’s up for some shopping?”

With a sad smile, Yasha gives a small shake of her head. “I don’t think so. She mentioned something the other day about meeting Tori for lunch and having to finish an essay before we leave, so-“

The mention of Tori seems to pull Jester from her moment of grief and she immediately perks up with newfound curiosity. “So Beau and Tori are still a thing?” she’s finally whispering, after catching on to the fact that Beau can hear anything through these thin walls – when they don’t speak quietly.

And Yasha knows that all too well.

The amount of times she’s fallen victim to the sounds of Beau’s sexual escapades with either Tori or any other pretty, willing victim of the female student body is… worrisome, to say the least.

And it definitely doesn’t help that part of her dies a little, every time she’s subjected to the sound of Beau’s deep moans on the other side of that wall. Or worse, when she has to listen to the high-pitched cries of some girl calling out Beau’s name, while Beau’s… doing whatever the fuck it is she does to these girls.

After a moment of silence between the two friends, Yasha finally dares turn her gaze back to Jester’s curious one and she releases yet another deep sigh. “Honestly, I’m not sure what’s going on between her and Tori. Last time I asked, they were trying again – but I heard them arguing over the phone last week, so…”

Jester shoots her an intrigued smile, that is practically pushing her to confess more. For a good twenty seconds, Yasha’s only capable of producing small sounds of sputtering and “tsh” or “tsk” – before finally pushing herself to sit up. She throws the blankets from her legs while trying to find words for what she wants to say.

In her struggle of rediscovering the capability to form decent sentences, Yasha pulls her knees up to her chest while staring vacantly at the unpacked suitcase that she’s got opened up beside her wardrobe. Eventually, she reluctantly eyes Jester again, and lets out a deep sigh. “It doesn’t matter what’s happening with Beau and Tori, alright? I mean, I can imagine Beau’s breaking up with her before this trip, so she can be a ‘free woman’ during spring break, but-…” she feels her own heart break just a tad further when quietly proclaiming those very words. “Look, it doesn’t matter alright?”

For a moment, Jester’s quiet. Which is an accomplishment in and on itself. Then, Yasha feels a small hand on her right shoulder and she feels her friend scootch a little closer to her as that very hand offers a more sympathetic squeeze. “Yasha…” she starts reluctantly.

To which Yasha runs a hand through her messy curls and groans softly.  “Please don’t give a speech-“

“But you need a speech” Jester insists more firmly. A moment later, the smaller young woman scootches up beside her and copies Yasha’s position by pulling her knees up to her chest as well. “I think Beau’s just a little lost. She keeps going back to Tori, which we all know is a terrible idea. I’ve tried to convince Fjord to talk to her about it, but he’s not sure she’ll listen. Anyways –…” Jester sucks in a deep breath before she looks up at Yasha beside her, and smiles with more hope than she probably should, as she speaks up again. “I think she’s just afraid of committing to something that makes her feel… kind of good”

While tugging firmly on one of her small braids, Yasha’s gaze still lingers on the empty suitcase. “Jester, you really don’t have to lie to me to make me feel better-“

“But I am not lying to you!” Jester insists loudly, before shushing herself and continuing in a more quiet tone of voice. “Beau has feelings for you as well, I can tell by how she looks at you when-”

“Who says I have feelings for Beau?” is Yasha’s immediate, disruptive response, followed by a haughty huff and a semi-careless shrug.

Jester, however, does not buy it for a second and responds with a plain glare and a knowing tone of voice. “You did. Like three months ago”

“Right” Yasha mumbles softly as she plagued with memories of the night she made her worst mistake since landing on American soil. It’d been during one of the University bonfire nights – which always manages to get Yasha in a more cosy and heartfelt mood. On top of that, the captain of the male rugby team had proclaimed he could outdrink her.

And Yasha usually tried to stay clear of those types of challenges – since they were clearly meant to bait her. But the guy had been a misogynistic asshole all night, and it presented her with the perfect opportunity to put him in his place.

Which she did. She outdrank him with about four shots of tequila and three beers, but she suffered some severe consequences in return. Because, even though she beat the bastard at his own challenge, he was still one hell of a drinker. And that left Yasha the drunkest she’d ever been, that very night.

Which eventually led to the confession Jester is referring to, up on the bleachers of the University stadium – all by themselves.

It started off giggly, since both were absolutely hammered. But then they got to talking about feelings.

After some prodding and poking on Jester’s end, Yasha finally fessed up about her romantic feelings regarding her roommate – which only spurred Jester on to offer her services as a wing woman between the two. A terrible idea in and on itself, and Yasha begged her not to intervene.

When the next morning dawned on her, Yasha made Jester swear not to talk to anyone about this – not even Fjord. It was the best kept secret between them, and the mere thought of it coming to the surface frightened her deeply.

Before Jester can push her to possibly confessing her feelings again, Yasha sucks in a deep breath and gives her a wry smile.  “Well, I think it’s time for me to get up and get ready for… the day” she exclaims awkwardly, and Jester thankfully gets the hint – because she hops off the bed without any trouble.

“I’ll go and ask Molly if he wants to go shopping” Jester pipes up while skipping towards the doorway.

Yasha nods as that same awkward smile plays on her lips. “Great plan. Molly’s always up for that sort of thing.. probably will skip class for the chance to give you a spring break make-over” she tells Jester before slipping from the bed and stretching her tired limbs.

“Oh! That might just be a great idea!” Jester gasps from the doorway, and she turns back to Yasha with a bright smile on her face. “Right, I have to go and bug Molly now. But I will see you this afternoon. Don’t forget the sex toys!”

“I won’t” Yasha hums in an uncomfortable tone, while rummaging through her mess of a wardrobe as Jester skips out of the apartment.

Getting dressed takes about as much effort as it always does – which is practically none – and she ends up going for her trusted black sports bra, grey sweatpants and an oversized hoodie to top it off. Finding any oversized item of clothing for someone with her muscle mass and length is always quite the challenge – but over the years, Yasha’s managed to acquire quite a few hoodies and t-shirts in the men’s section of various department stores.

She’s halfway through making herself breakfast, when Beau saunters into the kitchen – still rubbing the sleep from her eyes and clearly not fully awake yet. Which never fails to make Yasha smile. Somehow, the combination of yawns, the mess of dark hair that is shorn on the sides, the way Beau curls up in a chair by their kitchen table as she fights the last remainders of the night’s rest… they make for a breathtaking picture.

In a way, it reminds Yasha of Laszlo when he wakes up. How he stretches to his full length before moving around and kneading into the surface beneath his feet for as long as he has to – until he finds the most comfortable spot to curl up again.

Beau looks exactly like that when she’s sleepy and trying to find a good position for herself in the chair at their kitchen table that she claimed when they first moved in.

Yasha tries not to be too obvious about the fact that she’s watching her roommate settle into that seat, but it’s too comforting and sweet a sight not to indulge herself for a moment. As usual, Beau yawns and stretches out entirely before she climbs into the chair. She shifts, turns, curls up and moves around as long as she has to before she finds a suitable position for herself – one that allows her to wake up fully as Yasha works on breakfast.

Today, Beau settles for one knee pulled up to her chest while the other leg dangles from the chair as she nuzzles her nose into the material of her cobalt blue, loose-fitted pants that she loves so much.

“Good morning” Yasha greets her softly, fully aware that Beau despises loud voices before she’s had her first coffee. Which is exactly why she leans over to the coffee machine on one of their kitchen counters, so she can start the brewing process of the elixir that will help Beau come alive.

Beau’s coffee preferences were one of the first things Yasha learned about her new roommate. When the dark liquid originates from their machine in the kitchen, Beau wants a double espresso in the morning – even though she hates the taste of them. Once noon has passed though, Beau would rather settle for a lungo from that very same machine.

When they go out for coffee, however, her roommate will go for a latte with almond milk and two extra shots of espresso.

And only Yasha knows that Beau gets really into the gingerbread lattes from Starbucks, when they’re in season. Her roommate insists she hates that shit, because seasonal lattes with sweeteners are for ‘basic bitches’ – but Yasha’s often witnessed how her roommate’s face lights up at the first taste of a gingerbread latte with an extra espresso.

When Beau’s regular morning coffee - in the shape of a double espresso - is done trickling into the tiny cup beneath the machine, Yasha quietly turns and places it before her roommate.

Beau glances up at her with a sleepy, gorgeous and all too smooth grin. “Hm-mornin to you. Thanks” Beau mumbles, before throwing back the double espresso like it’s a shot of limoncello. She shoots Yasha a curious look after swallowing the dark liquid with a sour face. “w- d’I hear Jester like, earlier?”

Yasha hums softly to confirm the inquiry and empties her concoction of scrambled eggs, some milk and herbs, into her hot frying pan. “Yeah. She invaded our privacy because she got too excited about our upcoming trip… which isn’t surprising” Yasha informs her plainly, while the eggs sizzle in her pan and she’s quick to stir them a bit.

“Right” Beau whispers as she rubs the last bits of sleep from her bright eyes. A moment later, Beau seems to find her nose waking to the smell of Yasha’s famous scrambled eggs. “You got some to spare there, roomie?”

“I could make extra, if you want” Yasha tells her, and immediately makes her way over to the fridge.

“What? No, you don’t need to- you shouldn’t put yourself through trouble for me” Beau argues weakly, but Yasha’s already got the milk on the counter and is in the process of cracking four eggs into the previously used bowl. “I mean- if it doesn’t set you back on your busy schedule” Beau mumbles then, clearly very much in the mood for breakfast made by Yasha’s capable hands.

“It won’t” Yasha tells her quietly while pouring a bit of milk into the bowl of eggs, before she adds some herbs for flavour. “I’ll take my breakfast to go, though”

“Right, of course. You got the class thing-… yeah” Beau stammers behind her, and Yasha’s really grateful she can’t see her roommate’s face or she would probably go beet red again. “So two classes and one last practice, that’s it for you right?”

Yasha nods with her back still turned to her roommate, all while scooping her own scrambled eggs into a lunchbox she can take with her. “Yep. Yeah, just those three” she exclaims while pouring Beau’s eggs into the now-empty pan. She stirs them for a moment before closing the lid on her lunchbox. “And you… you got that essay due before we leave, right?”

“I wish I didn’t” Beau groans from behind her, while Yasha takes care of her eggs.

“And you have that lunch with Tori-“

“Fuck. I almost forgot” Beau groans, and Yasha makes the mistake of looking back at her roommate while she stuffs the lunchbox into her backpack. It makes her blush to even glance at Beau while she looks so… pretty. So natural and so… so very Beau. Which is how Yasha likes her best.

If only Beau would realize she is worth so much more than this on-and-off fling with Tori – whom Yasha only met once but immediately disliked. Not because she is into Beau, but-

Well, maybe a little.

But what mostly rubbed Yasha the wrong way, was just how different Beau acted when Tori was around. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Tori’s older, or that she’s got like important parents or something… - but whatever it is, Yasha’s not happy about it.

Still, she’d never admit to that out loud – unless asked directly by Beau herself… and even then, it’s questionable.

But the look of dismay that flashes over Beau’s features, when Tori is mentioned, tugs on Yasha’s heartstrings. While tossing all sorts of shit into her backpack, Yasha tries her best to sound uninterested as she inquires further on the very topic. “Is it- are you going for a romantic lunch?”

Beau huffs from her spot at the table “if you call the University dining hall a romantic lunch, then sure” she sarcastically throws back, and Yasha suddenly finds herself extremely interested in stirring her roommates scrambled eggs – her back turned to Beauregard and all her fierceness.

Yasha gives a shrug as she answers. “I mean, I didn’t know you were meeting in the dining hall. You could’ve gone for a nice lunch in that diner just outside of campus, or-“

“Gives me less of a possibility to flee the scene” Beau informs her plainly, to which Yasha finds herself glancing back over her shoulder – allowing their gazes to meet at last.

In a soft voice, she asks “do you expect you’ll want to run?”

Beau sucks in a deep breath, thinks on it for a moment – then huffs and shrugs like she doesn’t care. Which is, clearly, far from the truth. “I don’t fucking know. Maybe I do-… I just like to keep my options open, you know?” Beau huffs while Yasha turns back to the eggs.

“Oh yes, I do” Yasha mumbles to herself while discarding the scrambled eggs onto a plate. Instead of immediately tossing them towards her roommate, she goes through the trouble of stacking the plate with two slices of toast, a side of ketchup – because Beau never eats her eggs without the stuff – and she makes Beau a cup of mint tea to go with it.

“Here you go” Yasha mumbles when putting the plate and steaming mug on the surface of the table before her roommate. “I- uhm- I’ve got to go now. But I will see you later today and we can pack together. I mean, if you want- you don’t have to-“

“No, yeah, I’d like that. I don’t have anything packed yet anyways and-… Yeah, packing sounds good” Beau responds awkwardly as she stabs her fork into her eggs while Yasha slings the strap of her backpack over her shoulder. Her roommate shoots her a lopsided grin when Yasha strides out of the kitchen. “Kick some ass at practice today, Yash”

“Thanks. I’ll try” Yasha nods, looking back over her shoulder for a second before she quickly averts her gaze. Because looking into those bright, bright eyes for too long causes her to blush. “Good luck with that essay” she calls back.

And she bolts out the door before Beau can respond – to spare her the embarrassment of not wishing her luck with the whole Tori-lunch situation.

For a good while, during the day, Yasha actually manages to force the thought of Beau to the back of her mind. She focusses on her classes and throws herself into that last practice – harder than she probably has to. But it helps. The ache of her muscles, the strain of her shoulders, sweat dripping down every possible surface of her body-… it helps keep her thoughts at bay.

It always has.

It’s why she got into sports in the first place. With a childhood as fucked up as hers, she needed an outlet for every ounce of anger, grief and disappointment she forced down on a day-to-day basis. When she was a child, ice hockey was what really got her going.

But that was traded out for rugby, when she developed a teenage crush on one of the women that played in her country’s national women’s Rugby League.

It was all innocent, of course, but it did get her involved in the most spectacular sport she’s played in her life. And she’ll always be thankful for that.

It’s about 3 in the afternoon when Yasha pushes through the front door of the apartment she shares with Beauregard Lionett. Since they have about an hour or two to pack everything they’ll need for spring break, she expects Beau to be rushing through the apartment trying to find all sorts of things she wants to take with her.

Instead, Yasha is met with a wave of quiet that she doesn’t expect. And it’s unsettling as fuck. It immediately tugs on her curiosity, and Yasha drops her gym bag on the threshold to the living room before going on a search for her stubborn roommate.

The search is short-lived, however, when Yasha catches on to the hushed sounds of Beau’s voice - once she ventures closer to her roommate’s bedroom.

And she doesn’t want to pry.

She really doesn’t.

Still, Yasha finds herself pushed back against the wall beside the open doorway that leads into Beau’s bedroom – listening in on the private and hushed conversation her roommate is wrapped up in, on the phone.

Mostly, because it starts so very sweet – and Yasha’s gotten addicted to the rare moments where Beau expresses a more soft and vulnerable side to her.

“Hey there, little bud” is the first thing Yasha overhears, and it’s the reason she stops herself from making her presence known.

Judging from the soft and gentle tone of Beau’s voice alone, Yasha can make out that she’s talking to her little brother. It’s a specific softness of voice that her brass, fearless roommate uses solely when talking to her younger brother.

There’s a moment of silence before Beau speaks up again. “Oh yeah? That sounds great. Did you see any cool animals at the zoo?” Beau exclaims in that same gentle tone.

Another silence, while her younger brother answers, and Yasha can practically hear Beau smile when she answers the young boy again. “Wow, that sounds… fantastic” Beau whispers into the phone, almost like her thoughts are drifting off – but it’s hard to tell with no clear view of Beau’s facial features. “I miss you, little bud. I miss you a whole fucking lot… yeah, I know that’s a bad word - but, fuck it”

Yasha chuckles to herself at the remark, and rests her head back against the wall while she listens to the rest of the conversation between Beau and her little brother.

“No, yeah- I’ll come visit soon. I will…” Beau mumbles into the phone, making promises she’s clearly not certain she’ll be able to keep. Another silence follows, a little longer than the previous one. Then, Beau’s voice returns – more distant and devoid of emotion than before. “Yes… hi- dad”

Yasha sucks in a deep breath while debating whether she’s being insanely creepy by listening in on a phonecall for this long – or whether it might present itself with the chance to console her roommate afterwards.

So, she stays. Pressed up against the wall, just outside of Beauregard’s bedroom.

Beau’s answers are short now.

“Yes”

“No”

“I don’t know. Next semester, perhaps”

“I-“

“Right, of course”

“Just-“

And then her voice fades.

Yasha waits another moment for it to pick up, only to conclude that one of the two has probably abruptly ended the call – which sends her into a flare of panic. Because what the fuck is she gonna tell Beau when her roommate finds her right outside her bedroom?

The panicked state causes Yasha to flee back to the front door, which she opens slightly and then slams shut before loudly exclaiming “hello!”

Spotting her gym bag on the threshold to the living room, she rushes towards the thing and reaches it just in time for Beau to appear in the doorway across from hers. Had Yasha not overheard the entire phonecall, Beau’s casual stance and smug grin would have fooled her into thinking that her roommate is in one of her usual moods.

“You’re back! Right on time to start packing” Beau remarks while sporting one of her signature, smug grins.

Instead of letting Beau know that she’s overheard the entire call, Yasha shoots her a hint of a smile and picks up the gym bag by her feet. “Hi” she sighs, more airily than she would like. “I- is now a good time?”

One of Beau’s eyebrows shoots up while she leans into the doorway and offers Yasha a more teasing grin. “I mean, you live here. So-“

“Right. You’re right” Yasha mumbles with a shake of her head. It’s fucking embarrassing how terrible she is at handling basic communication skills, really.

Yasha offers an awkward smile while sauntering across the living room as casually as she can possibly manage. “Have you packed already?” she asks then, hoping to draw attention to anything but herself.

Beau glances behind her, into the hallway, before shrugging as she looks back up at Yasha.  “Not yet. Was waiting for you. You wanted to pack together, right?” Beau asks her simply, while the two walk down their small hallway that leads towards their own bedrooms.

“I did, yes” Yasha admits with a nod. She throws her gym bag into the bedroom that is hers before turning to Beau with a more confident smile. “I just need to take a shower and then I’m good to start packing”

“Cool” Beau nods before dashing into her own bedroom. “Let me know when you’re ready!”

Without answering, Yasha rushes to their bathroom and makes sure the shower doesn’t last all too long. They don’t have that much time left, after all – and Caleb’s the type to spend the entire drive complaining about them being late, if they don’t take off on his schedule.

Which is exactly why Yasha is an absolute mess while packing for their trip, as the minutes are ticking away.

Beau somehow manages to pack all her belongings at a surprising pace, and spends about two whole minutes quietly watching Yasha from the doorway of her bedroom - while Yasha hastily rushes about. It isn’t until Beau speaks up that Yasha even notices she’s there.

“You know, this would go a lot faster if you’d just tackle one task at a time” Beau remarks from her position against the doorpost, which causes Yasha to halt midway through rushing towards her vanity – with a plan to toss some underwear into her suitcase.

The sudden stop has Beau howling like a hyena as she steps into her roommate’s bedroom and she gives Yasha a gentle shove towards her wardrobe. “I now see why you need my help.” Beau teases playfully, before gesturing to the mess that is Yasha Nydoorin. “You’re half-dressed, nothing in this suitcase makes sense and you look like you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing” Beau concludes.

“I know what I am doing” Yasha huffs in defence, while crossing her arms and eyeing her roommate rather sharply. “I just don’t have enough time to get it done”

Beau hums in amusement and steps closer to Yasha while eyeing her curiously. “Alright. You go get dressed into something that isn’t panties and a sportsbra, and I’ll look at what you’ve got going in that suitcase of yours. How does that sound?”

“Fine” Yasha exclaims with a deep sigh, before doing as she’s told.

Half-an-hour later, they’re ready to leave - thanks to Beau’s help and patience. Yasha even managed to sneak in those damned sex toys Jester kept pestering her about, while Beau was busying herself with her own luggage.

After packing, they trap Laszlo in the cat carrier that he hates and drop him off at a friend of Yasha’s two floors down – who’s more than happy to take care of him for a week. It’s a bittersweet goodbye, and Laszlo’s very dramatic about it… as is Yasha, but she refuses to admit that.

Beau does have to drag her away from the cat, though.

But they manage to make it to the parking lot on time.

They’re the last ones to make it down to the lot and Jester is the first to spot them – which is followed by an enthusiastic wave and a big hug once they get to the van. Even though they could’ve easily taken two cars, Jester insisted on them renting a van - so they can all drive together. Because, according to Jester, spring break starts on the way there.

“Spring break BITCHES!” Beau calls out while dropping her bags and pulling Jester into a tight embrace.

Molly shoots Yasha a knowing grin at her roommate’s remark, and Yasha simply shrugs while receiving a kiss on the cheek from him. They’ve got a special thing going, her and Molly. He’s the first person she really connected with when she first came to campus, and they stuck together ever since.

“Got everything packed?” Molly asks with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

Yasha’s smile drops as soon as she realizes what he’s hinting at, and she leans in quickly – so she can speak to him without anyone else listening in. “Jester told you about the sex toys, didn’t she?”

Molly’s grin only broadens when he gives another suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. “You think I’d spend the entire morning shopping with Jester and not talk about sex toys?” he asks her, followed by an almost offended huff – to which Yasha merely rolls her eyes.

They’re still in the middle of greeting each other and getting the luggage loaded into the back of the van, when Yasha spots something that causes her to stop in her tracks.

“Why is he here?” her gaze finds the purring ball of fur draped over Caleb’s shoulders, and she shoots Beau an accusing glare. “You said that we couldn’t bring any pets with us”

All eyes find Beau, who steps back and holds up her hands in defence while she gives an awkward laugh “I said no annoying pets-“

“You are the only one who thinks he’s annoying-“ Yasha starts, but the round of mumbles that follows indicates otherwise.

“Well-“

“He’s not exactly friendly to men-“

“- definitely doesn’t like me”

Jester is the only one brave enough to step forward and take Yasha’s hand in hers. She squeezes it softly while speaking up on the topic. “Laszlo’s a very sweet cat, Yasha. But he’s very picky about who he likes… He likes you a whole lot, and he likes me-“ she starts off, before glancing around the group of sheepishly looking friends. “But he doesn’t like men… and Beau”

Fjord slaps a comforting hand on her shoulder from behind and shoots her an encouraging smile. “We just didn’t want you to feel responsible for that cat all week. You deserve to let loose and just have fun” he tells her, which pulls a hint of a smile from Yasha’s reluctant expression.

“Yeah, and you know… Frumpkin’s like Caleb’s emotional support cat” Beau adds with a careless shrug, while she steps forward. “Denying him the chance of bringing that cat along is like taking a cane from a blind guy”

“Hey” Caleb pipes up in offense.

“You are very dependent on that cat, Caleb” Jester remarks with a nod.

Yasha shakes her head as she pushes a smile to the surface – deciding she’s spent way too much time being the centre of attention already. “It’s fine, guys. Really. I was just surprised, that’s all” she shrugs it off before tossing her bag into the back of the van. “Now how about we take off and get the fuck away from this campus?!”

That seems to set the mood, and they’re all cramped up in the van about ten minutes later – ready to leave.

To soothe herself with the absence of her own cat, Yasha’s cleverly claims her spot next to Caleb – who immediately goes for a window seat. On the other side of Yasha, there’s Jester – who takes about six minutes arguing with Molly over who gets to be the DJ. Jester wins, but only because she allows Molly the passenger seat while she is scootched into the middle of everyone.

On the other side of Jester is Beau, who only agrees on not taking a window seat because Veth complains about being carsick if she isn’t allowed to sit by the window. And no one’s in the mood to start spring break with vomit all over them, before they even get to their destination.

Up front, Fjord takes the first driver’s duty with Molly next to him in the passenger’s seat.

“We should’ve taken two fucking cars” Beau groans as soon as they take off and she’s pushed into Veth once they take a first turn.

“No! It’s so much more fun this way” Jester insists while she searches for the most suitable Spotify playlist, before settling for some Summer Vibes list that’s got some weird songs in between the oldies.

“Fun for who?” Caleb mumbles besides Yasha, who shoots him a sympathetic smile and nudges him slightly.

“Thanks for allowing me to claim this spot” she softly informs him while her fingers find the centre of Frumpkin’s head. The cat’s purring in his lap, and curls up to his chest as soon as Yasha’s short fingernails find that good spot.

As chaos ensues around them, Caleb quiets down for a moment and simply watches as Yasha scratches Frumpkin just as he likes to be scratched. “Sorry you didn’t get to bring your cat because he’s a dick” Caleb offers a moment later.

A small grin tugs on Yasha’s lips as her gaze finds his, and she shrugs. “Sorry my cat’s a dick” she simply states, before turning her attention back to the purring creature in his lap.

The drive takes about five hours, and is the cause of plenty of arguments and ‘friendly’ insults in the backseat – especially when they rotate the seating arrangements and switch one driver out for the other.

Yasha’s the last to take the wheel, and directs them towards their beach house by the shore. Beau’s claims the passenger’s seat for that last bit of distance, but keeps yelling to the backseat whenever she feels she should be involved in an argument.

Yasha’s quiet for most of the drive, until they make their way into the coastal town where they booked their lake house. Because what she sees, alarms her greatly.

When they discussed specifics, both Yasha and Caleb made it clear that they were in the mood for a vacation with just the seven of them – and not the rowdy type of spring break that everyone at the University kept screeching about. They’d been promised that by every single member of their group.

But the first red flag probably should have been the fact that Jester was the one to hook them up with the accommodation.

Because two minutes from reaching said destination, Yasha is busy directing their van through streets filled with drunk college students – who seem to be heading towards the beach.

“I thought we were going somewhere quiet-“ Caleb states on a worried voice, while taking in the amount of spring breakers that have gathered in that very town.

Jester pipes up from the backseat. “We are going somewhere quiet. The place I got us is like by a lake and stuff… it just also happens to be a 10 minute walk from one of the most popular beaches for spring break students” she innocently informs them.

Before anyone can respond, Yasha turns the van into a more quiet road – which leads down a forestry path. While they make their way down to the promised lake house, Jester pipes up again. “I just thought it would be good to have a bit of both, you know? Real spring break experience for whoever wants it, and quiet lake-side time for everyone else”

“Very considerate” Fjord tries, but even Molly stays quiet on the whole topic. It’s very clear that each of them is either eyeing Yasha or Caleb – since they expressed their preferences rather vocally.

Which is exactly why Yasha shoots back a smile as careless as she can muster at that very moment. “I’m cool, guys. It’s cool” she adds with a ‘careless’ shrug, which merely causes Beau to eye her more sharply than before.

As promised, the lake house isn’t far from the city centre and the beach, but does make for a very private accommodation. There’s even a small private beach by the house, and a tiny boardwalk that they could use to cannonball into the lake – like Beau suggests immediately.

Yasha’s quiet for most of the unpacking and exploring the main living room area, until Fjord brings up dividing the bedrooms – before any of them take off to explore further.

“Okay, so there’s four bedrooms – which means we’ll have to couple up except for one of us” Fjord calls out loudly. It immediately quiets the first wave of excitement within the group and draws the attention in his direction. They all glance at Fjord for a moment before he holds up his hands in defence. “I’m not fucking pairing you. Figure it out amongst yourselves”

“Well, Beau and Yasha are roommates anyways – so they should probably share a room” Jester suggests, while shooting Yasha a knowing glare that is far too obvious.

All eyes find the two of them, and Yasha stumbles through a string of unintelligible words before a second passes – just to get out of the spotlight before it really hits her. “I mean, yeah- you’re right. That- that probably would be easiest” she exclaims in a tone that hopefully comes across as careless, and she shoots Beau a glance. “Right?”

“Right” Beau nods before sucking in a deep breath, “No biggie. I’ll room with Yasha, of course”

Dividing the rest of the bedrooms goes quite swimmingly. Fjord and Jester room up, to no one’s surprise – and Caleb actually volunteers to room with Molly, so Veth can have a room to herself.

Once bedrooms are divided, they all take off to explore the lake house further – mainly to claim the best bedroom, which goes to Fjord and Jester in the end.

Beau and Yasha settle for the only bedroom with a balcony, even though it’s slightly less spacious than the other bedrooms the house has to offer. And it has two single beds, which kind of comes as a relief to Yasha – because it might just keep Beau from bringing any girls back to their bedroom after an intoxicated afternoon at the beach.

While they’re unpacking their belongings, Yasha’s met with a string of curses from Beau’s side of the room.

Glancing back over her shoulder, she can see Beau tossing her luggage onto the floor and her bed at random - like she doesn’t care where it goes.

“Everything okay over there?” Yasha asks semi-casually – hoping that she’s not too obvious about her burning interest in everything Beau.

“Yeah, just-“ Beau groans as she tosses a towel on the floor beside her.  “Something exploded in my bag and now everything’s fucked”

Yasha wanders to the towel that’s been tossed away moments before, and picks it up before smelling it. “Probably your shampoo” she concludes from the scent that emanates from the cotton fabric.

There’s more cursing from Beau while she digs to the bottom of her bag, and eventually tosses an empty shampoo bottle on the floor. “Fuck. Well, this is just a perfect start” Beau groans, and she shoots the empty bottle a deadly glare.

“You can use my shampoo whenever you want to wash your hair” Yasha offers with a shrug, and she steps up next to Beau so she can assess the damage done to her belongings. “Tell you what, we’ll run a bath and toss everything that’s soaked in shampoo in the tub. We can hang it out to dry after getting rid of the worst of it”

Beau glances up at her with uncertainty to her bright eyes, but seems to trust her judgement about the situation. “Don’t think we’ve got any other choice” she then shrugs before she starts collecting the clothing, towels and underwear that’s fallen victim to the shampoo explosion.

With an ensuite bathroom, they don’t have to tell anyone about the little incident – which Beau is very insistent on. While soaking everything in the warm water of the tub, Yasha allows herself to enjoy the scent of Beau that now lingers around their quarters.

It’s almost as overwhelming as when Beau is close enough to touch. Especially when they’re knelt by the bathtub as they’re rinsing out clothes.

“You don’t mind me using your shit this week?” Beau asks quietly while they’re squeezing the shampoo from her, now soaked, clothes.

Yasha shakes her head and offers a soft smile “of course not. Use my shit whenever you want” she tells her roommate, all while trying very hard not to blush as the thought of Beauregard smelling like her signature floral shampoo for days on end.

“Cool. You’re the best, roomie” Beau remarks with a playful grin, while giving Yasha’s shoulder a small shove with her elbow.

Yasha merely gives a small shrug and an awkward smile in return. As she rinses out one of Beau’s favourite t-shirts, she glances at her roommate again. “I mean, I’d offer you my own clothes but I don’t think they’ll fit”

Beau chuckles softly at the suggestion and shakes her head while tossing a rinsed out bikini top on the pile of rinsed out clothes behind them. “I’d look hot as fuck in your clothes though” she argues teasingly.

Yasha’s lips curl to a small grin and she nods in agreement. “Oh yeah. Definitely… very hot”

Once the clothes are all rinsed out and hung out to dry on their balcony, there’s a knock on the door before Jester swings it open a second later with the announcement that Fjord has called in a family meeting in the living room.

Once everyone’s gathered, Fjord suggests that they split up in smaller groups – to explore the town and shop for groceries. Dividing themselves into two groups doesn’t turn out to be that hard, because most of them have a clear preference.

In the end, Molly, Beau and Jester are assigned to explore the town and check out what sort of bars and pubs they could visit during the week – while Caleb, Yasha and Fjord go out for groceries and Veth remains at the house so she can check out the woodland surrounding the cabin and have some alone time.

Supermarket’s only a 10 minute drive, and the three of them get there without any trouble – accompanied by an enormous grocery list that they all put together beforehand.

Eyeing the list of groceries that seems to have no end to it, Yasha glances up at Fjord. “This is gonna cost us a fortune, if we want to get all of this-“

“Well, we could skip a couple items – if they’re too ridiculous” Fjord suggests. “Can I see that?”

“Sure” Yasha hands him the list as she pushes the cart into the beer and wine aisle.

Part of the reason why Yasha, Fjord and Caleb are the ones sent on the mission to retrieve the groceries, is because they’re all 21 and can legally buy alcohol. Okay, maybe not all of them- but Fjord has a really convincing fake id. And he looks over 21 anyways, so that helps.

But both Yasha and Caleb are foreign exchange students, which means their educational journey is a bit different than that of the American students – and they’re older than their peers, while in the same year as them.

“What does the list have on booze?” Yasha asks as she eyes the enormous aisle of alcoholic beverages. First time she walked into an American supermarket of this size, she remembers the utter shock she was in for a solid 15 minutes. Everything was just so… much.

Granted, she’s gotten used to it now – but it’s still so very different than what she’s used to.

Fjord snorts next to her and shakes his head as he answers. “Well, there’s a long list of things everyone put on here…”

“Where does it start?” Caleb sighs as he eyes the shelves just the same way Yasha does.

“Beer. Then sweet white wine, which is definitely Jester’s suggestion” Fjord chuckles before reading further along the list. “Red wine is next. I think this is Beau’s, because it’s a name I can’t pronounce and she’s even written down a specific region-“

“Let me see that” Caleb says before taking the list from Fjord. He takes a moment to scan through the list and then nods. “This is definitely Beau’s, yes. Malbec from Bourdeaux and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Specifically Marlborough”

Yasha nods “guess we’ll have to go on a scavenger hunt then” she announces with a sigh, since her eye catches the endless rows of bottles before them.

“Right” Fjord sighs, equally as exasperated about the myriad of bottles they’re about to face – trying to find the ones Beau specifically requested. “Shame we can’t just get a random bottle and be done with it”

“Well, she does have really good taste in wine” Yasha offers more optimistically as she pushes their cart into the wine aisle. “She’s taught me a lot about the different types and how they’re made-“

“That’s what you get when you grow up with parents that dominate the wine business in your state” Caleb sighs while glancing around, in search for the bottles Beau has specifically requested.

After a short search, they find what they’re looking for and load a couple boxes with 6 bottles of each into the cart – two boxes of red and two boxes of white.

“Alright, let me just check with Beau real quick” Yasha softly states while pulling out her phone and finding her chat with her roommate. When receiving a strange glance from Fjord, she shrugs. “She’s really picky about her wine. I don’t want to risk accidentally buying the wrong kind and having to drive back so we can exchange them”

The others shrug and nod in agreement, while Yasha takes a picture of the two wines they’ve selected upon Beauregard’s advice – and sends it to her roommate for confirmation.

From: Yasldasl
[IMG.637]
Are these the right wines?

It takes a moment to receive a response, and they’re at the cheese aisle when Yasha feels her phone vibrate. Seeing Beau’s nickname pop up in her notifications always causes Yasha to roll her eyes. Because it’s ridiculous, but it’s the result of the mistake Yasha made by allowing Beau to put her number in Yasha’s phone herself. Thus, she’s stuck with a ridiculous nickname that makes her blush every time she reads it.

From: Beautylicious
Fuck yes, that’s perfect! Get a couple bottles of each

“Beau says they’re perfect” Yasha hums to the others, before putting her phone away and pushing the cart further down the aisle.

It takes a while for them to get everything that’s on the list, but they manage eventually – and find their way to the register with about 300 dollars’ worth of groceries.

While they’re checking out, Caleb nudges Yasha’s elbow and nods in the direction of a glass door just next to the exit. When taking a better look, Yasha takes note of the fact that they seem to store the stronger booze in that smaller section of the store. Probably to steer clear of teenagers with a tendency for stealing, and so they have a better grip on who purchases those stronger liquors.

“You’ve got strong liquors where you’re from, ja?” Caleb asks ominously, while Fjord pays for their groceries.

Yasha’s gaze finds the separate liquor section again and she nods before glancing back at Caleb. “We do, yes. I grew up on that stuff” she admits with a curt nod.

Caleb’s lips curl into a hint of a grin as he nods towards the glass door. “Why don’t we see if they have a bottle of something strong that originates from our home countries, and surprise the others with it upon our return?” he suggests.

It’s a brilliant plan, and Yasha is on board immediately. They tell Fjord to go ahead and load the groceries into their van, while the two of them go after some special booze.

They’re allowed entry after getting their IDs checked, and browse for a moment while trying to find what they’re looking for.

Fortunately, the selection is quite luxurious and Yasha finds what she’s looking for without too much trouble. As does Caleb, apparently.

After paying for their memories from home, Yasha shoots a curious glance at the plastic bag Caleb is clutching in his right hand. “So, what did you get?” she asks while they make their way out of the store.

“I got a box of Underberg” Caleb answers with a small grin, his gaze meeting her own.

Yasha nods when recognizing the name “are those the ones that come in small bottles with brown paper around them-“

“Yes, yes. Those exactly” Caleb confirms with a nod.

“I think I’ve had them before, back home. I have some sort of vague memory of them being passed around at a party or something” Yasha admits with a soft chuckle, before holding up her own bag. “I got Akvavit”

Caleb peeks inside her bag for a moment before shaking his head “never heard of it”

“It’s really popular where I’m from, but I’m betting on the Americans thinking it’s too strong” Yasha chuckles, already thrilled when picturing Beau’s face as she throws back the shot. Caleb shares a knowing glare with her. “Americans are weak with liquor anyways” she shrugs.

Caleb nods in agreement and shakes his head. “They really are… about time we teach them how it’s done in Europe”

They share another amused grin before reaching the van – where Fjord’s just finished throwing all the groceries into the back. He eyes their white, plastic bags with curiosity while the two of them toss their goods into the back before Fjord closes the double doors.

“What’d you guys get?” Fjord inquires curiously as they settle into their seats – Fjord in the driver’s seat, Yasha in the passenger’s seat and Caleb claiming his spot in the back seat.

“Something fun” Yasha teasingly admits while sharing a knowing grin with Caleb in the back – which Fjord immediately catches on to.

Their friend groans softly as he backs out of their parking spot. “You can’t keep that shit a secret when you left me to load all of the groceries into this van. You owe me the information on what you got, at least-“

Caleb gives in first, and leans in a little – so his head appears in the empty space between the driver and passenger seat. “We got liquor from the homeland” he admits in a secretive tone of voice.

It takes Fjord a moment to put two-and-two together while he’s driving them out of the parking lot, but his face bursts into an amused grin as soon as he gets it. “No way. That store had booze from your countries?” he chuckles. While keeping an eye on the road, he glances at Caleb and Yasha every so often. “Well, what did you get?! Don’t say Jägermeister, because I know for a fact-“

“Of course not. Germany has a lot more to offer than just Jägermeister” Caleb interrupts with an offended huff, and he leans forward again. “I got us a box of Underberg”

Fjord frowns “I’ve never heard of that-“

“You’ll hate it. It’ll be great” Caleb exclaims while patting Fjord on the shoulder before leaning back in his seat. “I think Molly will appreciate it”

“Molly appreciates anything that’s strong. Unless it’s tequila” Yasha informs the two with a roll of her eyes, hoping to be met with looks of recognition. But she merely finds her two friends giving her a vacantly curious glance, and her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Have I never told this story? You know, the one where Molly and I got so drunk on tequila–“

“No…” Fjord mumbles while keeping an eye on the road. “But something tells me that we’re about to hear one hell of a story”

Yasha hums ominously while glancing out the window to her right. “Can’t believe you’ve never heard this story… Actually, I think this was before we met you guys-“ she shifts in her seat so she’s facing both of her friends. “There was this one night, about two weeks after I met Molly, where we got so drunk on tequila that we ended up crashing in his dorm. On his tiny single bed, and slept through half our lectures the following day”

Caleb hums while glancing out the window “I think I have some vague memory of this story being told… Wasn’t that the night you two vandalized the statue of the guy who founded our University-”

“Yes. Yes it was” Yasha admits with a mild blush to her cheeks, while Fjord’s head whips in her direction immediately.

“You did what now?” he inquires in amusement, which only causes Yasha to blush further and slouch back in the passenger seat.

“I- we were drunk on tequila and-“ Yasha groans before meeting Fjord’s curious gaze. “A couple hours earlier, I found out that the guy who founded the University was a slave trader back in the day” she sighs. “So, Molly and I got into our drunken mood- and we tore down the slave trader statue. Actually, I tore it down after Molly threw paint at it – which he’d gotten from the art studio… it was a whole thing”

Fjord bursts into laughter at the confession and needs a moment to recover before he manages to respond, still thoroughly amused at the story. “Wait, I think I remember hearing about that in the dining hall one afternoon. Didn’t the University put a whole investigative team on it?”

“They did, but they never figured out it was us” Yasha finally manages to chuckle at the ridiculousness of the chaos that ensued after her and Molly had vandalized the statue, before she shoots them both a warning glare. “So you keep your mouth shut, both of you. I don’t want my scholarship revoked or something”

Fjord nods and pats her knee as he keeps his eyes on the road before them. “I won’t tell a soul, you got my word on that one” he promises her.

Caleb shrugs in the back. “I mean, I already knew about this… but I won’t give you two away, of course”

A moment of silence passes while they make their way back into the town, before Fjord turns to Yasha again. “Wait, so what did you get? The liquor, I mean” he asks when reminding himself of the foreign booze purchased by the two European students.

“Akvavit” Yasha answers while she keeps her gaze out of the window to her right. “It’s strong. Lots of herbs- I’m not sure any of you will like it, except for Caleb. And Molly, he’s had it before”

“Only one way to find out, right?” Fjord answers with a grin, while steering their van onto the path that leads to their accommodation.

Once parked, they take the groceries inside and unpack while Veth wanders into the kitchen – informing them of a hiking trail that leads up into the mountains. Apparently it’s not that dangerous, and it immediately gets Yasha excited about the prospect of exploring the mountains that are a short distance from their cabin.

The others have yet to return when the three of them get back, so the four that are at the house just enjoy their afternoon of peace and quiet.

Yasha’s halfway through preparing dinner, when the final three make it back to the cabin. It’s just past 6 in the evening, and they’re met with the sight of a very drunk Jester, who’s got one arm slung over both Beau’s and Molly’s shoulders for support.

Yasha, who’s in the kitchen when they make their way back home, doesn’t catch on to the commotion in the living room until Beau saunters into her own little space of tranquillity.

It’s a welcome disruption, though, because Beau is breathtaking as she casually makes her way over to one of the countertops closest to Yasha. The chef is stood behind the stove, stirring through the sauce she’s preparing for the pasta she’s planning on serving them.

Since the grocery group took off before the others did, Yasha didn’t see the outfit Beau picked for their afternoon in town. And she’s glad she didn’t, or she’d have spent the entire grocery trip thinking about it.

When Beau casually hops up on the kitchen counter closest to the stove, Yasha’s eyes can’t help but linger on her roommate. Beau’s picked that one bikini top that lives rent free in Yasha’s memories – ever since seeing her roommate in it for the first time.

It’s quite revealing, but it most definitely pushes Beau’s breasts to a whole new level. Literally. The gold matches perfectly with her roommates tanned skin, and the mild push-up never fails to make Yasha’s mouth water.

On top of that, Beau’s picked for the pair of ripped shorts that she’s fashion herself – from an old pair of jeans that she no longer wore. It’s messy and way too short, but it really fits Beau’s ‘fuck it’ attitude – which is why it’s perfect for her.

Yasha’s painfully aware of the fact that she’s staring, and quickly averts her gaze. Back to her sauce. “Good to see you made it back in one piece” Yasha remarks with a small grin as she busies herself by steering a wooden spoon through the sauce. “Did you have fun?”

She glances back at Beau, semi-afraid of the answer she’ll receive – but Beau melts all worries with that sweet grin of hers. “It was fucking fantastic, you really missed out” her roommate admits, before a chuckle escapes her throat. “Jester got way too excited about some drinking game though, and she kept losing… so she’s absolutely shitfaced right now”

“I definitely saw that one coming” Yasha admits with a soft chuckle to her voice, and she finds Beau’s blues once more. “I’m glad you had fun”

“I did” Beau admits – sporting a soft smile to confirm her own words before she reaches out and gives Yasha’s shoulder a friendly nudge with her close fist. “How about you? Did you have fun on your grocery trip? Great job on the wine, by the way”

“Thank you” Yasha’s face bursts into a proud grin as she finds Beau’s bright gaze. “You gave a lot of specifics on which wine you wanted, so it wasn’t that hard-“

“No, it’s- yeah, you did great” Beau admits rather awkwardly, before giving a small shrug. “Some people just seem to get it wrong regardless of the details I give, so- yeah, I was glad that you actually listened”

“I always listen to you, Beau” Yasha admits far too sincerely. It seems to catch them both off-guard, especially since the sentiment is accompanied by a soft smile from Yasha, who catches onto it a second before Beau does.

Panicked, Yasha immediately switches their topic of conversation by shooting her roommate a small grin. “Caleb and I bought some liquor from our native countries-“

“No fucking way” Beau gasps with excitement before Yasha can continue what she was trying to say. “What did Caleb get? Is it Jägermeister? I fucking love that shit- wait, what did you get?”

Yasha can’t help but chuckle at the thrill emanating from Beau’s voice, and she offers her roommate a mysterious grin while stirring the sauce of the stove before her. “Akvavit” she admits before turning back to her stove.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that. I’ve never had that, right?” Beau asks curiously while leaning a bit closer to her. “What’s in that shit? Do you think I’ll like it?”

“I’m not sure you will. It’s got a bit of a… how do I say this? It’s very herbalish, I guess” Yasha hums while a smug grin creeps up on her face. To have Beau so eager to hear more from her lips is just- addicting. Yasha takes a moment of simply looking after their dinner before she glances back at a very curious Beauregard Lionett on the kitchen counter. “You’ve never had it and it’s quite strong-“

“I can handle strong liquor” Beau huffs immediately, which earns her a knowing glance from Yasha.

“You threw up after four shots of-“

“I’m pretty sure I had food poisoning that day” Beau interrupts in a tone of mild offense, before hopping off the counter. “Where’s the stuff? I wanna taste it before anyone else does”

“Second cabinet to your right” Yasha informs her while keeping a sharp eye on their dinner.

About two minutes pass before Beau appears by her side again – grinning ear-to-ear while triumphantly holding up the bottle of Akvavit and two shot glasses. Yasha merely glances at her and then turns back to her stove, which Beau interprets as a sign to pour them both a shot.

“Here, have a taste of the homeland” Beau states when pushing the full shot glass into her hand.

The strong smell is all too familiar to Yasha, and she glares at Beau while they hold up the shot glasses – ready to throw them back. “I really don’t think you’ll like it” Yasha tells her again, but Beau shrugs it off with a huff and a shake of her head.

“It’s Norwegian. What’s not to like?” Beau exclaims before eyeing her with a cocky grin. “I mean - you’re Norwegian, and I like you. With any luck, this will be just as tasty as I imagine you to be”

It’s only then that Yasha catches on to the fact hat her roommate is quite tipsy, but the statement still causes her cheeks to turn a very dark shade of crimson. She averts her gaze from the bright blues belonging to Beau, and gives a firm nod.

“Right” Yasha sighs, and she lifts the shot glass a bit higher. “Skål” she exclaims awkwardly.

Beau grins and shoots Yasha a wink before repeating the Norwegian phrase in a terrible accent. “Skål!”

The two of them toss back their shots, and it’s strangely pleasing to hear Beau cough on the strong liquor when it glides down her throat. “Jesus”

“I warned you” Yasha teases with a grin, showing no visible response to the burning liquor that she just poured down her throat.

Beau coughs once more and shakes her head in denial “no, I- I got something stuck in my throat” she gasps before tossing the shot glass into the sink. “How the fuck do you throw that back without actually dying?”

“By not being a pussy like you” Yasha casually answers while shooting Beau another grin.

The door to the kitchen bursts open a second later, and reveals a mildly intoxicated Molly. He strolls in with a smug grin plastered on his face and eyes the two of them with glee. “I was just coming to see if you need any help with dinner, but-“

“No, I-“

“I probably should-“

Both Beau and Yasha mumble something unintelligible, before Yasha manages to shoot a small smile back at Molly. “Some help would definitely be appreciated-“

“Yeah it’d be great if you could help out, Molly” Beau exclaims while scratching the nape of her neck – as she always does when she’s nervous. “I should freshen up before dinner anyways”

“Sure”  Molly hums knowingly, his amused grin never fading while he watches as Beau makes her way out of the kitchen.

Yasha turns back to the stove when her best friend makes his way over to her side of the kitchen, and she dreads the knowing grin she just knows he’s sporting when she looks at him.

And low and behold, that smug grin is exactly what she is confronted with when she dares glance his way. A deep sigh escapes her lips, because she knows Molly well enough to read every single expression he’s capable of producing – and this is one she despises most. “Don’t say a word, please” Yasha informs him plainly.

Molly pulls a more innocent face while clutching a dramatic hand to his heart. “Why, I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about, miss Nydoorin-“

“Just- don’t give me that look, please” Yasha sighs.

“What look?” Molly innocently continues, before pretending to remember something important – which causes the feigned innocence to melt into a smug grin. “Oh, you mean the look I always give you when I want to know whether or not you’ve already told Beau you’re in love with her?”

“I- please don’t say it so fucking loud” Yasha hisses immediately, which blows any sort of nonchalance that she planned to maintain in the first place. “You know I haven’t”

“Why not?” Molly hops up on the counter, right at the spot Beau was occupying just a couple minutes before.

Yasha glares at him for a moment before turning her attention back to the stove while adding some herbs to the sauce. “I’m not in the mood to talk about it. And I’m not in love with Beau” she insists stubbornly.

From his spot at the counter, Molly gives a soft hum and a nod while nonchalantly playing with the bottles of herbs Yasha has stalled out beside him. “I see, I see... So then you don’t mind me telling you that Beau made out with three girls this afternoon-”

As if struck by lightening, Yasha’s head sharply snaps back in his direction. “She- You were only at the beach for, what? Three hours?” she frowns deeply before shaking her head and letting out a feigned laugh. “Well, good for her. She can do whatever she wants. She’s a free woman and if she- yeah, good for her. I’m glad she’s uhm... enjoying herself. Or, whatever”

Molly quietly observes her for a moment before he starts to laugh. “Oh, you’re down bad for that girl” he states with a chuckle. “She wants you too, you know? Anyone with a working pair of eyes can spot that from a mile away”

Yasha’s gaze shifts to her best friend again, a little more vulnerable this time. “You think?” she asks softly, but she pulls herself from the spark of hope she’s about to be lost in, by shrugging it off immediately. “There’s- she’s not interested in more than sex. Which is fine, but I just- I don’t want that. Not from her. Well- I definitely want sex from-... what I’m trying to say is that I don’t want to be with Beau for just one night”

She sucks in a deep breath while turning to face Molly, who is looking extremely pleased with the confession he’s successfully gotten out of her. “I want Beau for the long run or not at all” she firmly states.

For the first time, that smug grin disappears from Molly’s features and it’s replaced with a more gentle smile. “I think that’s the most truthful thing you’ve said all day... and I’m here if you want advice or if you want me to serve as your wingman-“

“That won’t be necessary, but I will keep it in mind” Yasha informs him with a soft chuckle before she nods in the direction of the cabinet on his left.  “Dinner’s almost ready, so why don’t you set the table”

“Sure” Molly nods, and he hops off the counter. Before getting to his task, he leans over to Yasha and presses a kiss to her temple – bringing a smile to her face in an instant. “Don’t forget that you are a real catch, love. Beau’s an idiot if she allows you to slip through her fingers”

Yasha merely responds with a hum and a shake of her head, while Molly makes his way to the dining room. She can’t afford to fantasize about something that will never be. She’s observed Beau far too often and far too much. She knows how terrified her roommate is when it comes to commitment. And though Yasha’s fear of committing herself to someone again runs extremely deep – it wouldn’t withhold her from trying to move on.

Not when it’s with the right person.

Not when it’s with Beau...

Dinner progresses into drinking on the porch for dessert. And that develops into drinking games, while everyone is already thoroughly intoxicated. Yasha, Fjord and Molly least, perhaps, but the others are definitely beyond the tipsy stage of the game.

They’ve settled on the wooden floorboards of the porch outside after dinner, their features illuminated by the light of several candles and lanterns – which is when Jester suggests a game of truth or dare. The suggested game comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, since Jester’s always down for that particular one – especially when drunk.

There’s some mild protest from some, Yasha, Veth and Caleb mostly, but they end up playing anyways.

When the first round kicks off, Yasha’s got herself situated with her back against the wooden house they’ll call home for the next week and is peacefully nurturing a light beer – to even out the countless shots she’s already downed.

They’ve gone through the Underberg and Akvavit quite swiftly – some enjoying the taste of it more than others – and they’re settled on beers and wine for the moment.

As Jester tries to decide on who will be her first victim, Yasha’s gaze catches the illuminated features of her roommate. Beau is seated across from her, back pressed into one of the wooden fences that closes off their porch.

In the orange light of the flames that flicker ever so slightly, the blue of her eyes is more striking than it usually is. She’s got one knee pulled up to her chest, her elbow resting on said knee and the half-empty glass of white wine loosely swinging back and forth in her hand as she’s leaned into Fjord just a little. Her lips are curled up mischievously and her hushed tone of voice betrays that she’s sharing a semi-secret with the leader of their group.

As usual, Yasha tries not to be too obvious about her quiet moments of admiration for her roommate – but it’s very difficult when Beau’s in this state.

Relaxed, laughing, open and just... glorious.

“Okay, Yasha!” she suddenly hears from her right.

Jester’s voice causes her to rip her gaze from Beau and focus it on her other friend instead. “Yes?” she answers reluctantly – especially when noticing the menacing grin on Jester’s lips.

Being the victim of her truths and her dares is always a nightmare. Jester has a talent for picking the worst options available.

“Truth or dare” Jester sweetly exclaims as she innocently rests her cheek on her pulled up knees, and shoots Yasha a smile.

Anyone who’s never played that particular game with Jester would probably be fooled by the innocence she tries to portray – but Yasha’s been Jester’s victim on multiple occasions.

And Jester’s dares are always worse than the truths.

Which is why Yasha takes the easy way out during the first round.

“Truth” she sighs while shooting a glare in Jester’s direction.

Without blinking, Jester perks up and says “tell us your wildest sex story”

Immediately, Yasha’s cheeks burn up while everyone’s eyes find her – which she absolutely hates. Yasha glances around the group for a moment, and she’s met with a mixture of glares. Some intrigued, some horrified-

“I-“ Yasha shoots Jester a desperate glance – quietly begging her to change the question, but her friend shakes her head.

“No, no. You picked truth” Jester exclaims firmly with a shake of her head. “Tell us about your wildest sex story”

Yasha huffs “why would you-“

“Because you never tell us about your sex life” Jester interrupts with a simple shrug. “Now tell us”

It takes a moment for Yasha to gather her bearings and push away the initial discomfort that threatens to overtake her.

She sucks in a deep breath while glancing around her group of friends, then lets out a nervous breath.

And then she confesses.

“Alright, so- this happened back in Norway” Yasha starts her story. She refuses to look anyone in the eye, and just stares into the darkness beyond the porch instead. “I was- my girlfriend had a younger sister, and I was invited to attend that sister’s birthday dinner at some children’s restaurant”

Beside her, Molly sucks in a deep breath – because he’s the only one who knows exactly what’s coming.

Yasha glares around the group for a moment before directing her line of sight to her hands – which are nervously playing with the hem of her sweater. “Her parents didn’t want too many people at the table, so it was just them, my girlfriend, her sister, her sister’s best friend and me”

One more deep breath, and she glances up at the others at last – deciding that she should at least own it, if she’s going to bare this story before them.

So she does.

Yasha straightens her back and adopts a more confident tone of voice as she makes eye contact with her friends while telling the rest of the story. “Zuala and I, we- we hadn’t been together for that long and things got... things got hot and heavy quite easily. You know what that’s like- touches, stolen kisses... anyways-” she ignores the burn of her cheeks as she pushes her shoulders back confidently. “At some point, she asked me to follow her to the restrooms, which I did”

She makes the mistake of glancing at Beau, who is utterly intrigued by the story and makes her stomach turn in the most delightful way possible.

Instead of allowing her to enjoy it, Yasha focusses on Jester’s utterly entertained grin while she continues. “Long story short, Zuala’s mom and little sister came into the restrooms while I was going down on her in one of the stalls – and Zuala was too slow to catch on and stay quiet, so her mom and sister overheard her moaning and... Needless to say, we weren’t allowed to see each other for a while”

Yasha is quite sure she’s beet red by the end of her story, but the grin she receives from Jester, the proud pat of her knee from Molly and the smirk from Beau all make it worth her while.

“Please tell me that you did make her cum” Beau exclaims in response.

Yasha’s lips automatically curl up to a grin while she tilts her head slightly. “Of course I did” she purrs, feeling more smooth than she’s felt in years. “I don’t let my prey slip through my fingers before she’s satisfied”

Where that sudden burst of confidence comes from, Yasha has no idea. Perhaps it’s the amount of alcohol she’s consumed over the past several hours. Even though she’s not drunk, it has loosened her tongue quite a bit.

And her flirtatious remarks have an effect on Beau, apparently, because her roommate’s grin only grows while she shifts a little against the fence.

“That was a great story, really!” Jester informs her with a satisfied nod, before gesturing towards Yasha. “Your turn now!”

It’d be so easy to toss the question towards Beau, but Yasha withholds it for now.

Instead, she corners her best friend – Molly, who picks a dare.

He ends up having to skinny dip into the lake, which he does not hesitate to do – and they all cheer loudly when he strips down and makes his way into the muddy lake by their house.

The rest of the first round passes without difficulty for Yasha, especially because most of them pick Truth. Except Beau, who accepts a dare from Caleb.

Since Caleb’s absolutely terrible at improvising, Beau just ends up having to throw back three shots of limoncello – which is the most lame dare one could think of.

Eventually, Yasha falls victim to the game again.

And this time, it’s Molly asking her to pick truth or dare.

Knowing Molly, neither option is a safe one.

So why not pick the one that’s bound to lead to mayhem?

“Dare” Yasha sighs while meeting her best friend’s gaze – and she regrets it the moment she notices the gleeful sparkle in his eyes.

She tries to shoot him a warning glare, but it’s already too late – because Molly knows exactly what he’s got in store for her.

“Dare, you say?” Molly purrs sweetly. Yasha meets his gaze while narrowing her eyes, but it’s of no use – because Molly’s smug grin never wavers as he gives her his dare. “I dare you, Yasha Nydoorin, to make out with Beau”

Even though she should’ve expected something along these lines, the actual dare still surprises her.

Before anyone can respond, Molly shoots her a stern glare and holds up a hand. “And I don’t mean a peck on the lips” he informs her. “I want tongue involved and everything. An actual, real, kiss”

There’s some howling around them, but all Yasha can focus on is the mild panic in Beau’s eyes – when they make eye contact. It seems that neither was prepared for this type of dare, even though they very well should have been.

Still, Yasha is no coward.

She slowly crawls over to where Beau is still leaning back against the porch fence – slightly wide-eyed and utterly curious about how this will go down. And if it even will go down.

Yasha sits up on her knees before Beau, once reaching her, and their gazes connect once more. She tries to read what those blues reflect, but it’s difficult. Especially when Beau is so hellbent on pushing back any and all feelings that could come across as vulnerable or insecure.

“You alright with this?” Yasha asks softly. She doesn’t want to cross a boundary that she’s not allowed to cross. Especially not with Beau.

“Yeah” Beau answers almost breathlessly, and she nods. “Got yourself an easy dare, Nydoorin”

Yasha ignores how that particular comment stings, and simply gets down to business. There’s no room for hesitating, not with everyone watching, so Yasha simply goes for it.

Seated between Beau’s pulled up knees, she reaches out and cups Beau’s face in her hands as she gradually leans in. Their eyes meet for a split second, while Yasha leans in further and further.

Beau’s blues reflect nerves and excitement all at once, but the flicker lasts only a second – and quite frankly, Yasha wants to get it over with as quickly as she possibly can. She’s never been a fan of PDA, and to kiss your crush on a dare is the worst kind of PDA there is.

Still, she sucks in a deep breath while taking a moment to ghost her lips over Beau’s. The warmth of her roommate’s breath against her own causes a shiver to run down her spine.

And a moment later, Yasha closes the gap between them.

Beauregard is everything Yasha hoped she would be.

Her lips are as soft as she imagined, and Yasha loses herself in the kiss immediately.

It’s never been like this before.

Not even with Zuala-

Granted, they were teenagers then, but still-

It’s-

Beau tastes of all that’s right in the world.

Her lips remain soft, while her tongue is dominant. There’s a remainder of a scar on Beau’s bottom lip, which Yasha gladly caresses with her tongue.

Immediately, as though charmed, Yasha is lost in Beauregard’s intoxicating lips. A lot of that has to do with the fact that Beau deepens the kiss as soon as their lips meet.

And Yasha does not protest in the slightest.

With both hands cradling her roommates face, Yasha gives in further. Beau tastes of mint, limoncello and something she can’t quite pinpoint – but Yasha is addicted to it as soon as she’s had a taste.

Beau’s tongue battles her own, but neither of them wants to give it – which merely causes them to go in deeper, more passionately-

Until the howls and whistles pull Yasha from her trance, and she pulls away abruptly – which earns her a frown from Beauregard herself.

And that causes her to feel shitty for the rest of the night.

Because even after pulling back from the kiss and shooting an apologetic smile in Beau’s direction, Yasha is not met with the warmth that she hoped to find.

And maybe that is the most painful detail of that very night.

“Yash?”

“Hmm?”

Yasha is half asleep when Beau whispers her name from the other side of their bedroom. She dragged Beau’s drunk ass up the stairs after a couple more round of Truth or dare, and  forced several glasses of water down her roommates throat before allowing her to go to bed.

Which was about half an hour ago.

“You awake?” Beau whispers softly, and Yasha hears her shifts beneath her blankets.

“I’m talking to you, Beau. Yes I’m awake” Yasha mumbles in response before nuzzling a little further into her soft pillow. “Go to sleep or you’ll be hungover tomorrow”

It’s quiet on Beau’s end for a moment, until she moves the blankets again – followed by a creak of her mattress. Yasha’s got her back turned to Beau’s side of the room, so she can’t see what’s happening. Which is why it comes as a surprise when she feels her blankets being lifted before a sleepy, very warm, Beauregard Lionett slips into bed with her.

There’s a bit of a hassle on both ends when they try to find a comfortable position in Yasha’s single bed.

Eventually, they end up facing each other while sharing Yasha’s pillow. Their windows have no blinds or curtains for some reason, so the bright light of the moon illuminates the bedroom just enough to make out the details on Beau’s face.

She’s beautiful. So, so beautiful. No make-up, hair all over the place and eyes half closed in her drowsy state – but so very Beau.

Yasha can’t help but smile as she quietly studies her roommates features, all while concluding that she is definitely more tipsy than she initially thought she was. Her walls have lowered significantly because of her mildly drunken state, and Yasha desperately tries to hold them up.

She tries to make sure she doesn’t touch Beau since that would only make things more awkward after everything that happened that very night – but it’s difficult when sharing a single bed with two people.

“Hey” Yasha mumbles when their gazes meet.

Beau’s lips curl into a soft smile while she nuzzles further into the pillow beneath her head. “Hey” she responds in a soft tone. “You’re not gonna kick me out of your bed?”

“Why would I do that?” Yasha responds softly, while trying very hard to resist the urge to reach up and push a strand of hair behind Beau’s ear.

“Because this bed is way too fucking small for the two of us” Beau mumbles before letting out a chuckle. “And because I was kind of an asshole to you tonight”

“Don’t say that” Yasha sighs softly while settling a hand beneath her head.

“No, I was” Beau insists. “I just ignored you after that kiss, and that was a shitty thing to do. Sorry”

Yasha’s lips curl up into a small smile “thank you, for apologizing... but we’re good. Don’t worry. I don’t- I wouldn’t hold that against you”

A sigh escapes Beau’s lips as she nods “good. I’m glad we’re good. I don’t- I wouldn’t want things to be awkward between us”

“Right” Yasha whispers softly, feeling more awkward than before – now that it’s been pointed out.

A moment of silence follows, during which they just study each other – silently admiring what they like most about the other’s features.

Then, Beau speaks up again – grinning ear to ear while doing so. “It was one hell of a kiss though” she states smoothly, but there’s a hint of vulnerability behind that grin. A fear of being rejected and tossed aside, which Yasha’s so often seen in those eyes.

“It was” Yasha admits softly before finally allowing herself to reach up and push a strand of hair behind Beau’s ear. “I kind of hated that everyone was there to see it, though”

“Yeah, me too... even though it was like, super hot” Beau hums, still holding on to that confident attitude. It’s both alluring and incredibly frustrating at the same time – and Yasha is itching to pull her out of that state.

Beau’s lips are still curled up in that little teasing grin while Yasha’s fingertips slowly run down her jaw and eventually disappear from her tanned skin.

And that grin is what pushes Yasha over the edge.

She moves quickly and catches Beau off guard when grabbing both her wrists and pinning them above her head while rolling on top of her roommate – her knees pushing into the soft mattress on each side of a very flustered and surprised Beauregard Lionett.

“Stop that” Yasha whispers, her lips dangerously close to Beau’s.

“Stop what?” her roommate asks, sounding more breathless than before and utterly thrown off her game – which was the exact goal Yasha hoped to achieve.

She doesn’t answer the question immediately, but leans in instead. Her lips brush over Beau’s sharp jawline and down her neck, until she’s found the perfect spot – and she proceeds to press a light kiss on the warm skin of Beau’s neck.

“Stop being so fucking smug” Yasha whispers against her throat, which drawls a soft mewl from Beau’s lips.

There’s a moment of silence that passes while Beau swallows thickly – sending shivers down Yasha’s spine in return – and then she speaks up again. “Okay” Beau simply states.

Immediately, Yasha releases her wrists and sits up before crawling off her roommate and settling back down beside her – lips curled to a sweet smile now. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” she whispers, which leaves Beau in a state of utter shock.

It takes her roommate a moment to gather her bearings while rolling onto her side again, to find Yasha’s gaze once more. “That kiss really unleashed something, huh?” Beau whispers – sounding almost like she’s out of breath.

“It certainly did” Yasha hums softly, her fingers itching to feel Beau’s skin beneath her again – her lips aching to be reconnected with those of the girl she fell so desperately in love with over the past few months.

It only gets worse when Beau looks at her like she’s the most precious thing she’s ever laid eyes on. It feels unreal, like a dream that could be interrupted at any moment – because it’s too good to be true.

But Beau’s fingertips find her cheek, and her bright gaze shifts to Yasha’s lips for a second before they find her eyes again. A soft smile from Beau follows, and she sucks in a deep breath.

Beau’s fingers press against her cheek more urgently then, and it’s like the two of them are pulled to each other automatically. The way they move towards each other, how their noses brush for a moment while Yasha feels the warmth of Beau’s breath against her lips- it’s almost like a natural thing for them.

Beau is the one closing the gap between them this time, and her lips capture Yasha’s with determination and need. Like Yasha is something she longs for. Something she craves.

And Yasha can only answer with a similar need for Beau’s lips on her own. Especially after getting a taste of her that very night. Especially because there’s no one around.

It’s just them. Just Beau’s intoxicating scent that slowly drips into her system. Beau’s addicting and practiced lips. Her tongue, which is more than promising – judging from how she kisses her.

“Beau” Yasha mumbles softly as she pulls away slightly. Enough to make sure that their gazes meet once more. “Tonight was-“

“Brilliant? Addicting?” Beau fills in the gap before capturing Yasha’s lips in another searing kiss.

It’s so very difficult to stay away – especially now that every boundary has been crossed, and Yasha finds herself so very eager to get a better taste of her roommate.

“Yes” Yasha merely breathes against Beau’s lips before she gives into another kiss. Beau is more determined this time around, and deepens the kiss immediately – which sets Yasha on fire within a split second. “You have no idea how much I want you”

“So have me” her roommate responds immediately, while Yasha pulls back slightly – so they can look each other in the eye. Beau’s bright eyes are shining with mischief as she meets Yasha’s. “I’m all yours” she exclaims with a purr.

Still, it causes a wave of sadness and regret to surface within Yasha’s chest – and she offers Beau a soft smile while leaning in to brush her nose against her roommates.

“No, you’re not” Yasha whispers with a lump in her throat. “I- I want you to be mine, but not for one night. You mean too much to me for it to only be one night”

Beau’s eyes reflect a mixture of fear and thrill at the same time, and she tries to play it off smoothly again. “I mean, who says it’s gonna happen only once?” her voice trembles, and not in a good way.

Yasha sighs softly while pulling back and settling back down, nuzzling back into her pillow. “I want you to be mine completely, Beau. Not just sex, not just... whatever it is you and Tori are doing” she firmly tells her. “I want it to be us indefinitely. And I’ll wait as long as I have to for that to happen”

Something so sad flashes over Beau’s features that Yasha pulls her closer and kisses her once more. This time it’s slow and heartfelt. They linger on the taste of each other while Beau’s fingers tangle in her dark roots – trying desperately to hold on to her.

When Yasha pulls back, she presses her forehead against Beau’s. “We should get some sleep” she whispers softly, while Beau’s nose brushes against the tip of her own and then gives a soft nod.

With her arms still wrapped around Beau’s small frame, her roommate snuggles further into her embrace and nuzzles her nose into the crook of Yasha’s neck while they settle in a comfortable position.

As she drifts off to sleep, Beau’s warm breath against her skin and her overwhelming scent comforting her night’s rest.