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Chapter Text

Beau was about 40 minutes away from finishing her shift and about 45 minutes away from throwing her apron off, walking the five minutes to her apartment, and sleeping for four days straight. 

“Hey Duce, when is Jester coming in for her shift?” 

“I’m hereeeeee, Beau!!!”, her voice carried from the kitchen where Beau knew she was probably taste testing the cupcakes that just came out of the oven. 

The bell above the door jingled and Beau slid her eyes to the clock. 1 minute. Fuck. Maybe the newcomers would look at the menu long enough for Beau to slip her apron off and make a break for the back door. She glanced at the couple walking in and… holy shit. Holy. Shit. The purple tiefling was waving his hands chaotically, the jewelry on his horns swaying and glinting in the light. But the woman beside him made Beau wanna fall to her knees and get busy with her mouth right in the middle of The Blooming Grove Tea and Coffee Shop. Tall, dark, and handsome, the woman was taller than Beau and looked like she could bicep curl her without breaking a sweat. Okay, Beau was going to have to do other things before her nap. 

A blue, ringed hand waved in front of her face and Beau jerked back grabbing at the wrist.

“Jes, what the hell.” 

“Beauuuuuu, you were just staring for soooooo long.” Jester said way louder than necessary with a mischievous grin.

Beau immediately slapped Jester’s own hand over her mouth and jerked her head towards the couple still deep in conversation. 

“I’m just saying, Yasha, if no one saw me, it’s fine.” 

Yasha. 

“Molly, you can’t keep sneaking into University buildings and…”, she whispered the rest too low for Beau to hear.  

“Let’s agree to disagree on this one, love.”

Love. 

Oh fuck no. Beau can’t fall for this woman if she's in a relationship. She can lust after her, sure. What’s another bad habit anyway? She’d just add it to the list. Drinking, the occasional edible, imagining this woman in her bed all spread out and moaning her name while she orders her coffee standing next to her partner.  

While she's been lost in her thoughts, Jester has wrangled her head away and moved towards the display case, “Hiiiiiiii, welcome in! Happy Wednesday! Our specials today are Pumpkin Lattes and Blueberry Muffins.” 

This catches their attention and the purple tiefling, Molly, steps up to the counter, “Hello, darling, your dress is gorgeous.” 

Is this bitch flirting with Jester? While his girlfriend stands quietly by his side? She doesn't look angry, her eyes are darting around. Until they land on Beau. They make eye contact and the woman’s eyes widen slightly. Her eyes are mismatched, deep violet and bright blue. Jester and Molly are talking animatedly, but those eyes stay locked on her’s. 

“We’ll do one of your pumpkin lattes, iced and large, please. Yasha here will have a large iced lavender latte, and your phone number if you don't mind. 

“Molly!”

“What? She's obviously queer, no offense, that's the biggest compliment coming from me.” This part directed at Beau, “And from the way her eyes haven't left you since we walked in, she's definitely interested.” 

“Definitely interested.”, Jester adds. 

Yasha looked at her one more time and then turned fully around to take a seat in the corner. Beau thought she caught a light pink dusting the woman's cheeks but it could've been her exhausted brain playing tricks on her. Molly watched her go and turned back to Jester, stage whispering, “She’s a bit shy.” 

“Molly.”

“Yes, yes, I’m coming, dear, I’m coming.”, Molly paid, tipped well Beau noted, gave Jester a wink when she handed over the drinks, and strolled out the door right behind Yasha. 

Beau waited for the bell over the front door to stop ringing before she pulled her apron off, waved bye to Jester quickly before any questions could be lobbed her way, told Cad she was out for the day, and headed for the back door. The alleyway and streets were usually quiet on her way back to her shared apartment and she popped her earbuds in as soon as she ducked out the door. 

Beau stopped to pet the neighborhood stray cat that she had been secretly feeding behind Fjord’s back and trekked up the stairs to their third story apartment. The door had been shaken off its hinges weeks ago when Fjord had failed a calculus test that he had studied almost 24 hours straight for and took his anger out on the lock. She jimmied the key and shoved her shoulder into the frame. The inside of the apartment was fairly clean for them, only a few take out containers piled above the trashcan and the weights in the corner hadn’t fallen from the precarious tower she had stacked them in this morning. The sun was still pretty high in the sky, so she pulled the curtains across the window, grabbed the cobalt blue blanket from the back of the couch, and drifted off to sleep. 

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In hindsight, taking a nap in the common room right in front of the front door wasn't the smartest place to have a restful afternoon nap. Beau remembered this the second that Fjord slammed through the door with a shout of, “I know I said we should cook more, but the Chinese place on the way home was having a…” he trailed off as he saw her laying under the blanket. She turned forcefully and jerked the blanket over her head. “I’ll leave yours in the microwave.” 

She woke up some time later to a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake. She turned and bit the offending hand. 

“Ow, fuck. What the actual fuck, you asshole.” The green hand jerked away. 

“Leave me alone.” 

“If you dont wake up now you’re gonna wake up at midnight cranky and starving.” A body flopped down beside her and she had to crunch her legs up to keep them from being crushed. 

“Time is it?”, her voice came out scratchy. 

“Its like 9:00 p.m.”

“Mphhhhhhhhh.”, she rolled over to face the couch. 

“I got you some pot stickers at the Chinese restaurant down the street from the gym.” 

“Hmmmmmm…” 

“And some fried rice with veggies…”

“Okay, I’m up.” , she tossed the blanket over Fjord’s head and dug into the take out containers neatly placed on the coffee  table. 

After he wrangled the blanket away and tossed it on the back of the couch Fjord’s voice filled the living room, “So, you wanna tell me why Jester has sent me about a hundred texts about someone named Yasha who is and I quote ‘going to be Beau’s  wife one day, probably very very soon’?” The last part delivered in a pretty spot-on Jester impression. 

Beau bristled, “Yeah sure I’ll tell you all about it as soon as you tell me when you’re finally  gonna ask Jester on a proper date.” 

“What…” 

“Seriously, dude, if she wasn’t so into you, I’d probably give it a try.” 

“Look, you know that's complicated.” He turned fully towards her, no longer draping himself over the armrest. 

“I know that you don't trust her to know what she wants.” She met his gaze head on with raised eyebrows.  

“I don’t trust that its me she wants.” Fjord rubbed the back of his neck, “I don't wanna get my hopes up to be abandoned in a month when she finds someone better.” 

“Dude.” 

Fjord sighed, “I know. So, Yasha?” 

Beau flopped down hard on the couch, “She came in towards the end of my shift. Gorgeous. Stunning. Tall. Could probably hold me down. Probably tastes amazing.” 

Fjord was used to Beau talking openly about her sex life, but he still rolled his eyes. 

“Came in with a friend, who asked for my number for her and said I was “obviously queer” which fuck yeah.”

“So you did give her your number?”

She snorted, “No, because she bolted out the door as soon as they got their coffee and I didnt wanna come off as a creep.” 

“Fair. From what Jessie says it seems like Yasha was pretty into you though.” Fjord turned his phone towards her and, while it was too far away to read all the messages, it looked like Jester had sent well over 20 texts, “Let’s just say that if something does happen between you two, you already have a wedding planner with some very… interesting ideas.” 

“Jess has a very active imagination and sees what she wants to see.” 

She opened up her phone and saw the several unread  text messages Jester had sent her. Her thumb moved to click open the image. It looked like the shop had not been too busy when Beau left, seeing as Jester had time to draw her and Yasha in a variety of different poses. Beau texted back an eye rolling emoji.

They ate the rest of their food and talked about classes and upcoming weekend plans. Veth and Caleb had planned a small game night at Veth’s home. It was early enough in the evening that Luc would be able to play a few rounds of Candy Land, but late enough that he would conk out pretty early on and the adults could have some time to hang out without having to filter their conversations. Fjord and Beau were on drink duty, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Thye bickered over what to bring, but both had early morning alarms and decided it was a future Beau and Fjord problem. 

As Beau pulled the covers up and double checked her alarm, she let her mind drift a little. And if it drifted towards thoughts of her and Yasha, well, no one ever had to know about that. Especially not Jester. 

Chapter Text

Beau didn’t have a shift the next day because she had two classes and a four hour lab in which she almost set her shirt on fire because she was daydreaming about Yasha. 

But on Friday she was at The Blooming Grove nice and early to help Caduceus open up the place. Beau liked the opening shifts, it reminded her of getting up early for all manner of exercise  classes when she was younger. 

Boxing, karate, jiu-jitsu, anything that her dad could drop her off at and not have to see her for hours at a time. 

Cad was in the back baking a few vegan pastries and getting started on lunch prep. Beau was waking up the machines and unstacking the chairs. A gentle lofi playlist played over the speakers, not her usual style, but it suited the quiet morning. Plus, the one morning she had dared to hook her phone up to the speaker for the opening shift Cad had looked particularly displeased and had Jester call Beau so that she had to unhook her phone from the speaker. When she came back he had plugged his playlist in and placed his phone on a high shelf. She absolutely could have climbed up and grabbed it, but displeasing Cad left a weird feeling in her stomach that she didn't like. 

The clock chimed on the hour and Beau went to unlock the door and turn the open/closed sign Jester had painted. If you looked closely enough, the point in the exclamation point was a very tiny dick. It made Beau snort every time she saw it. 

Friday mornings were always a bit slower as students were sleeping in after late Thursday nights. She had her head down in a history textbook when the bamboo wind chimes above the door gave a soft sound. Beau was stuck on finishing her sentence and let out a quick, “Mornin’ welcome in.” 

She marked her page, tilted her head up… and almost fell backwards off her stool. 

“Yasha, hi.” Beau tried to make her voice seem light and casual as she quickly ran a hand through her hair to make sure it was still in a tight, neat bun. 

She took a second to take the woman in front of her in. Her hair fell in soft, natural waves past her shoulders, the white mixing with the black in an ombre effect. She was wearing  black skinny jeans, a dark grey t-shirt, an oversized jean jacket, and minimal makeup. The light coat of mascara made her mixed colored eyes more noticeable and the slightly tinted chapstick on her lips made it hard for Beau to stop staring. 

Yasha opened her mouth, closed it, took a deep breath and finally said, “I’m sorry about Molly. He means well but he's a bit direct at times. I hope he didn't make you uncomfortable. Especially since you are spoken for.” 

“Its fine, I’m used to all kinds of people coming in and demanding things from me.” Then Beau’s brain caught up, “What do you mean ‘spoken for’?” 

Yasha meets her eyes for the first time, “Well, you didn't write your phone number down, so I just assumed…” 

Beau laughed so hard she knocked her hand into the coffee maker, “Holy shit, you thought that's why I didn't give you my number?” 

Yasha seemed to shrink into herself, her shoulders slumping and her chin dropping, eyes returning to the floor. Beau stopped laughing, “Hey-” 

“It's okay, you don't have to explain why you aren't into me. I can take a hint.”

“Woah woah woah. The only reason I didn't give you my phone number is because Molly was the one who asked, not you. I don't wanna make you uncomfortable. I’m a flirt, not a dick.” She held her hands up in surrender. 

“Oh.” The taller woman scuffed her boot along the floor.  Her hand came up to her necklace and Beau saw a small silver lightning bolt connected to a simple chain. 

“Do you want my number?” The cockiness that slipped into her voice was practiced, easy. She leaned her elbows on the counter and pushed herself forward, tilting her chin up. People could say whatever the fuck they wanted to about her, but she was nothing if not persistent, especially when it involved a woman as beautiful and interesting as the one standing in front of her. 

Yasha opened her mouth, shut her mouth, then opened it again, “I mean, you do seem very lovely, but I’m afraid I am a bit, um, out of practice when it comes to dating.” 

Beau’s smile brightened, “Well, I just so happen to be great at not putting expectations on situations that do not require them.”  

Beau grabbed a pen out of her apron pocket and scribbled her name and number on the paper sleeve that she then slid on the cup, “No pressure or anything. If you don’t text and come in to get a coffee, I won’t make it weird or anything.” 

“Good to know.” Yasha gave her a small, shy smile as she walked towards the door. 

A few minutes later Beau’s phone lit up. 

Unknown Number: Hi, Beau. This is Yasha. 

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Beau and Fjord weren’t late per se . But they were cutting it close as Fjord stepped on the gas and took a sharp turn into the driveway. Beau was holding onto the alcohol tightly, as that had been the reason for their rush. Both had decided to wait until the day of to do their shopping, but weren't anticipating fighting over what mixers to put in. 

“We’re here. We’re here. Nobody panic.” Beau shouldered the door open and tried to shut it on Fjord just to mess with him, but he got a hand and foot in before her plan could play out. 

Veth greeted them first and grabbed a few bottles from Beau’s arms, flipping Fjord off and waiting for him to do the same, their standard greeting. Beau felt something grab her legs from behind and heard a small voice yell, “Gotcha!”

Veth’s smile widened, “Good job, honey. Can you help show Beau and Fjord where everyone else is?” 

“Okay, mom.” 

Luc looked them both in the eye and dashed off into the living room. 

The cozy-sized room was packed to the brim, all seats taken and most of the floor occupied as well. Jester hopped up as soon as they walked through the doorway. 

“Fjord you can have my seat and I can sit on your lap.” 

“That’s alright, Jessie, I can sit down here. It’ll make it easier to…” he paused and reached a hand out to grab the tiny halfling currently running circles around the group. He gently pulled the boy into his side and sent skittering fingers along Luc’s sides, eliciting a squeal of laughter, “... enact my revenge from our last game night where someone snuck a whoopie cushion under the seat I was sitting on.” 

Luc tried to wiggle his way out of Fjord’s grip,”Mom! Mom, help!” he cried through his laughter. 

Veth ran into the living room and jumped onto Fjord, sticking a finger in his ear and administering a wet willy. Fjord immediately let go of Luc who in turn hopped onto his knee, trying to tickle the half-orc back, but only managing to jam his fingers into elbows and knees quite forcefully. 

Beau was caught up in the chaos of the moment and didn't notice the body already sitting in her usual seat in the chair by the fireplace. She flopped down and was met with hard muscles instead of soft cotton. 

“Oh shit, what the fuck.” Beau felt large, warm hands circle her waist to steady her. 

“Language!”, Luc yelled, pausing his attack on Fjord to wag one of his little fingers in her direction. 

The person behind her laughed softly and when she turned her head her eyes locked onto a pair of violet and blue eyes. She was suddenly very glad for the hands around her waist, because her body gave a sudden jerk in surprise. The movement caused the hands to tighten and Beau fell backward, straight into the lap of a very surprised Yasha. 

“Hi.” 

“Hi.” 

“Ummmmm… shi- shoot sorry, sorry.” Beau tried to scramble up, but her legs tangled with Yasha’s and she found herself right back where she started. 

“Here, let me.” Yasha moved one hand to her back and pressed upward, while angling her body with the hand still on her hip. Beau was able to plant her feet on the ground and stand back up, taking a couple steps backward so as to not have a repeat of the incident. 

“Ohhhhhhhhh Beau, did I forget to tell you? Molly came back into the coffee shop when you were gone and we got to talking. He and Caleb share a class, and I asked Veth if we could invite him and Yasha to game night.” Jester smirked mischievously at Beau while her tail folded in on itself in pure happiness. Molly sent her a wave from where he was seated on the floor in front of Caleb who was curled up on the couch. 

Beau took a second to reply as she sat next to Jester on the floor, “Well, I hope neither of you are sore losers, because I’m about to kick everyone’s butt at Candyland.”

Luc let out a shout of disagreement from the other end of the room and they began picking pieces for the first round. Yasha opted to sit out and just watch this one as her eyes landed on Beau’s with a look she couldn't quite place. 

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They all watched as Luc’s blinks got longer while he slouched lower and lower into his dad’s side. After a yawn that was so big it looked almost painful, Caleb drew a card and announced, “Oh my, this is an interesting card.” 

Luc perked up a bit as he always did when the ginger talked, his admiration for the human clear as day. As soon as Caleb had moved into the Brenatto’s basement to get away from a toxic relationship with his previous lovers, he and Luc became thick as thieves. Luc thought he was the coolest adult he had ever met because Caleb could answer any question Luc asked and let him check out as many books as he wanted at the library. Caleb had confided in Beau that it began as a way to thank Veth and Yeza for letting him take over their basement sans rent. Along  with helping make meals and household chores, Caleb would also babysit Luc anytime he was not at work and the parents needed a break. The more and more time they spent together, the more Caleb enjoyed seeing the world through a child’s perspective. Luc had even begun to learn little bits of Zemnian. 

Caleb flicked his eyes towards Luc and then looked at the card again, studying it. 

“What does it say, Cay?”, a soft, sleepy voice asked. 

“Well, I don’t know if I want to tell you, little bit.” 

“Come on… please?”, another yawn. 

Caleb gave it a moment more before reading, “It says that the youngest player gets to move one space ahead of the current winning player.”  

Fjord, whose game piece was in front, stretched and quietly slid his piece one square away from the finish. Luc, who was oblivious to the scheme going on, hopped up and fist pumped the air before sliding his piece to the finish, knocking everyone else’s pieces down in the process. Fjord let out an exaggerated groan as Beau grabbed Luc by the legs and lifted him up onto her shoulder, taking him around the room cheering and letting him give everyone a celebratory high five. 

Yeza was the last in line and made a show of grabbing him from Beau and spinning him around, “You’re prize is that you can pick TWO bedtime stories instead of just one tonight, baby.”

“Awwww Dad, no! I wanna play again.”

“If you do not give your father any trouble, we can make cinnamon rolls for breakfast tomorrow morning, liebling .” Caleb kissed the top of his head as he was carried past. 

“I’ll be there to tuck you in soon, sweetie.”, Veth began to pick up the board game as the rest of the room got up to stretch and refill their snack plates. Everyone said goodnight to Luc and he disappeared upstairs with Yeza and Veth in tow.  

Everyone waited a solid two minute before Beau clapped her hands together, “Okay, time to get fucked up, what does everyone want to drink?”

Chapter Text

Beau and Fjord began taking orders and mixing drinks in the small kitchen. A Zemnian beer for Caleb, a sweet and fruity mocktail for Jester, cherry flavored sparkling water for Veth, and a truly disgusting concoction that Molly requested which had no less than three different types of alcohol mixed together. 

“Yasha, what would you like?”, Fjord asked. 

“Oh, ummmmmm, whatever you make is fine.”

“Yasha isn't picky.” Molly winked at Beau. 

“Alcohol okay?” Beau asked.

“Yes, please.” The larger woman replied. 

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“I’ll make you a bet.” Fjord nudged her when they made it back to the kitchen. 

“Why do you do this to yourself?”

“Shut up!”

Beau held up five fingers on her left hand and one on her right. Fjord rolled his eyes at her. Six was the amount of bets she had won just in the last month. 

“Anyway. The bet. We both make Yasha a drink, if she likes mine better you have to ask her out.”

“And when she likes mine better you have to ask Jester out on a date and put both of you out of your misery.” 

Fjord thinks about it for a minute, takes stock of all the liquor and mixers, and puts his hand out. She shakes it and they get to work. Five minutes later, they both step back into the main room with their respective drinks in hand. Yahsa looks up at them warily. They both stop in front of her chair. 

“We couldn't decide on what to make you, Yasha, so we each made you a drink.” Fjord puts on his best charming smile. 

Beau elbowed in front of him, almost stepping on Yasha’s feet, “Yeah, try mine first so you don't have the nasty taste of his in your mouth when you taste it.”

Fjord gasped and gave her a shove that, if not for her quick reflexes, would have sent her drink straight into the woman in front of her’s lap. Yasha’s eyes widened and she cupped Beau’s hands in between her own, helping to steady the glass. Her hands were big and covered Beau’s quite nicely. They were warm and firm and her fingers were so long and… Beau stopped that thought in its tracks and handed over the glass fully, “You have in front of you a Blueberry Lavender Fizz.” 

She watched her take in the drink and then she met Beau’s eyes as she brought the glass to her lips. Beau found herself uncharacteristically nervous as she waited for the verdict. 

“Its delicious, Beau. Thank you.”, she took another sip before Fjord spoke up. 

“Okay, okay. Now try this.”, he handed her a glass with a darker liquid, “A Dark and Stormy, thought it fit with your vibes.”

Yasha nodded and gave him a smile that turned into a poorly hidden grimace when the drink hit her tongue, “Oh wow. This is… very good, Fjord. Thank you so much.” 

She put it on the table next to her and looked back up at them. Fjord’s face had fallen a bit. 

“So…” Beau raised her hands up, “if you had to pick, who would you say won?”

“Oh, that would be very difficult.” It did not, in fact, sound very difficult. “I might not be able to choose.”

“Beau!” Molly and Jester said in unison. 

“Well, I suppose if that is the group consensus.” Yahsa nodded and took another sip of the purple cocktail. 

“Shit.” Fjord sighed. 

“Haha, fuck you.” Beau high-fived Jester. Fjord went back into the kitchen to mix his own drink which meant he missed Caleb stretching his hand out to take the offending cocktail from the table. 

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About two hours and three rounds of drinks later, Beau won her fourth game of Uno. 

“Uno, bitches.”, she slapped the card down hard. 

Everyone groaned. 

“Let’s play something else.” Caleb spoke up from his spot wrapped in a red blanket on the couch. 

“Sore loser.” Beau accused under her breath. 

“Ohhhhhhh you guys! We should play Truth or Dare, orrrrrr Seven Minutes in Heaven, orrrrr Spin the Bottle, orrrrrr…”

“Truth or Dare it is!” Fjord exclaimed, a faint blush barely visible on his green cheeks. 

“Okay, but I have a sleeping  child and husband upstairs, so can we play the quieter version instead? Truth or Drink.” Veth suggested from her spot on the floor in front of Caleb. 

Everyone agreed and drinks were filled, bathroom breaks taken, and a small circle formed. Molly volunteered to go first. 

“Caleb, dear, did you really date Astrid Becke? No judgment, but she looks like she could , and would, eat you alive.”

“ Ja , but it is a bit more complicated than that. We grew up together. She, I, and Eadwulf. We were together for over a year, all of us.”, he paused, thinking through his next words carefully, “We, uh, drifted apart. Decided we were all better off friends.” 

Beau knew the full story, knew it was actually a lot more complicated than that. She’s glad Caleb doesn't get that haunted look in his eyes when he talks about them anymore. 

Molly nodded slowly, “Oh, polyamory rocks.” 

Caleb laughed, “That it does, my friend.”

He then set his blue-eyed gaze on the half-orc across the room, “Did you hook up with Avantika over Spring Break?”

Oh shit rang in Beau’s head. 

Jester squirmed in her seat. 

Fjord looked into his drink and was quiet for a long moment, “Look, I was drunk and she found my room and … it won't be happening again.”

“It shouldn't have happened at all.” Beau murmured, not quite under her breath. Fjord didn't look too pleased with this comment, but had nothing to say to defend himself. 

He turned to Veth quickly, “Veth, did you really pierce Yeza’s nipples when you started dating?” 

The story Veth told for that one made half the room swoon and half the room squirm. 

Veth trained her sights on Jester, “Did you steal Professor Vessar’s cactus and replace it with a dick statue? Did she catch you?”

The blue tiefling let out a loud cackle, “Maybeeeeeeeee and if she did catch me she was really, really nice about it and said I was very clever to distract her with the promise of students handing out cupcakes on the quad. She may have also told me that she quite liked how it blended in and would be keeping it until someone found out and asked her to remove it.” 

The room burst with laughter. Jester stood up and bowed before sitting back down and looking extra giddy. 

“Yasha,” Jester sing-songed, “What's your, like, relationship deal? Like do you only like girls, or girls and boys, or everyone? Have you ever been in a long-term relationship?” 

“Jester, that was more than one question.” Caleb said, helpfully. 

Molly put his arm around Yasha protectively, “Jester, dear, maybe ask another question on a different topic.”

“No Molly. It's fine.” The room watched as Yasha took a very long, very deep breath. 

“I’m a lesbian.” Beau raised her glass to this and made eye contact with her, she saw a small tilt to Yasha’s lips before they fell again, “I’ve been in a few relationships, one long-term. She, um, died while we were together.”

The room went quiet. Yasha took a sip of her drink, no one pointing out that she didn't have to since she answered the question. 

“Oh.” Jester said, looking guilty. She slouched back in her seat a bit. Her tail, which had been swishing behind her, stilled. 

“Ummmm… Molly, truth or drink, did you actually steal Professor Vysoren’s keys and sneak into her office to find out her wife’s name?”

The room gasped. 

Beau caught the glance Molly gave Yahsa before he launched into the story. They must have had a plan for this. Someone asks Yasha something a bit too personal, Molly takes over with his ability to have the entire room hanging onto his every word. Not Beau though, she was focused on Yasha. She watched the way her hair fell in front of her face, hiding her violet eye, how she hunched forward a bit. After a moment,  she quietly stood and headed for the kitchen. Beau followed. 

“Hey, sorry about Jester. She means well.”

Yasha turned around from the sink where she was filling her cup with water instead of more alcohol, “Oh, it's alright. It's a fair question. I made it weird, I’m sorry.”

“Your girlfriend died. You don't have to apologize for being weird about it.”

“Wife.”

“What?”

“Zuala and I were married. She was my wife.”

“Oh shit.” Beau slapped her hand over her mouth, “Sorry that came out wrong. Just, how old are you?”

“Twenty-two. We got married when we were eighteen. On her birthday.” A small chuckle, “We couldn't wait another second, camped out at the courthouse and waited for them to open. Her brother was our witness.”

“Yasha, that's beautiful. How long were you married?”

“Two years, we’d been together for four years total. She, um, was a volunteer at a local queer-centered shelter. We lived in a very conservative area. A gunshot to her chest and  the paramedics didn't get there in time. Two other volunteers were injured. It was a hate crime. The judge did not rule it that way. Fucking backward-ass bigot.” She was gripping the counter hard, her hands shaking and her knuckles white. 

Beau thought about her next move and decided to be a bit risky. She carefully moved towards Yasha and ran her palm along her arm until she got to her hand. She tapped it until the other woman got the hint and released the countertop. Beau was a little surprised to not see dents left behind by her fingers. She placed Yasha’s hands to lay flat by her sides and took a small step back. 

“Dude, that's awful. Genuinely one of the worst things I’ve ever heard and I grew up with a shitty dad. I want you to know that it does not change anything about you.” Yasha’s head jerked up, “Sorry, wrong thing to say again. It obviously changed you as a person. But I am still very attracted to you and would like to take you on a date. No pressure though.”

“I tell you I’m a widow and the first thing you do is ask me on a date?”

Beau took a quick step back, “Fuck, sorry. You're right. I’m not, uh, great at saying the right things. That's Fjord’s whole thing…” She was rambling, Gods, she hated rambling. She sent her gaze to the ceiling in hopes not looking at the woman in front of her would make her less of an idiot. She heard Yasha take a step. 

Great job, Beau. She's leaving. 

A hand found her forearm and slid down, a mirror of what she had done moments ago. Beau met Yasha’s gaze. 

“Beau, it's okay. I appreciate the message. Oh and,” a blush rose from her collarbone up her face, adorable , Beau thought, “...I would really like to join you on that date.”

Beau opened her mouth to reply, but then the sound of footsteps caught her attention. Their eyes widened. They both jumped away from the other right as Molly turned the corner. 

“Okayyyyy. Okay. I don't know what was just happening in here, but I'm sure Yash will fill me in on the way home.” He dodged the hand Yasha threw his way, “Anyway, I came in here to check on you. Veth asked Jester if she was ever going to tell Fjord about the sex dream she had about him and if his dick was accurate and both Fjord and Jester jumped on her at the same time. I think they're still rolling around on the floor.” He threw up his arms in a ‘what can you do gesture’ and Beau was struck by the realization that both he and Yasha seemed to fit in with this weird little group they had made. 

When the three entered the room, Jester had given up and was sitting next to Caleb on the couch. Both had their feet pulled up as the other pair rolled past them, arguing. 

Veth was deemed the winner after she got Fjord with a particularly hard jab. He yelped and Yeza came down to warn them that they were going to wake Luc up. They untangled themselves and Fjord apologized to Yeza while pointing his middle finger at Veth from behind his back. The group decidedto call it a night. 

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Jester ended up in Fjord’s truck. She still lived on campus and, though it wasn't a far walk, it was quite late and they were nothing if not a group of worriers. Beau wondered when they had all gotten so codependent. She kinda liked it. 

“I’ll walk you up to your door.” Ford parked the truck in the student lot and pointedly did not look back at Jester as he said this.

“Okay.” Jester’s voice was quieter than usual and Beau glanced back at her with raised eyebrows. The tiefling just gave a shrug and a small, fake-looking smile. Beau was going to say something, but the pair were already getting out of the truck so she let it go. She scrolled through her phone until Fjord got back into the truck. She looked at the digital clock on the dashboard. He’d been gone for over 15 minutes, but he started the truck without a word or a glance her way. 

On the drive home Beau got tired of the silence.

 “So, I got a date with Yasha.”

“I have a date with Jester.” 

He almost ran into the ditch trying to dodge the fist that connected with his bicep followed by a loud laugh. 

Chapter Text

hey u get home safe 

Yes. We only live a five minute walk from Veth, apparently. 

dope

u free friday night

I am. 

cool

can i take you out to dinner? 

I would like that very much :). When should I be ready? 

7?

See you at 7, Beau. 

Beau had never lived through a slower week in her life. Not even when she still lived with her parents and got told off every second of every day. Her shifts at the coffee shop were as busy as ever, with midterms right around the corner and fall bringing chillier mornings, both students and the general population of the city piled in for a cozy place to study or a warm, sweet drink. She knew she wouldn't see Yasha until Friday. According to Molly she was holed up working on a paper for one of her botany classes and then had to make a model for a landscape architecture class. He updated their new group chat daily on his own midterm project progress and to ask for opinions. Apparently he had to create an entire fashion showcase by the end of the semester and half his designs were due next week. As with many others in their group, he had procrastinated until the last minute and was dealing with the consequences and lack of sleep by sending homemade memes of his suffering and progress pictures of himself in the mirror. Beau was surprised to open her phone to see a mirror picture of Molly and Yasha on Wednesday. Molly was wearing a crop top with the phrase HORNS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND embroidered on the front and a patchwork skirt, he had one hand up in a peace sign and the other around Yasha’s back. He was beaming at the camera. Yasha was dressed in a lilac suit jacket and matching pants. The pants had light green vines embroidered up to the waistband and the suit jacket had an explosion of flowers beginning at the bottom hem and thinning out towards the top. The white collared shirt underneath only enhanced the playfulness that was the rest of the outfit. It was a stunning display. Yasha’s hair was braided back, a few strands framing her face. She was gripping Molly’s phone with one hand and holding onto him with the other, a small grin playing on her lips. 

Beau had saved the photo and cropped Molly out. Jester had bombarded her immediately after. 

“Beauuuuuu your girlfriend is SO HOT!” She came up from behind and Beau quickly locked her phone. Not wanting to look suspicious, she picked up her coffee and took a long sip. 

“Not my girlfriend, Jes.”

“Not yet.”, the tiefling gave her a wink before going to refill the cinnamon rolls. 

Two can play at this game. 

“So, I heard you and Fjord may be going out on a date this Friday.” Beau muttered conversationally. 

Jester let out a gasp and bumped her horn on the side of the pastry case. 

“Owwww.” She rubbed her at the base of her left horn, “How did you know, Beau? Did he tell you? Does he talk about me a lot?” 

Jester turned to grab another tray of pastries, but Beau saw a purple blush creeping into her cheeks. 

“Look, you know I hate being in the middle of this. You're both head over heels for the other and neither of you will admit it.” Beau grabbed a rag to wipe the counter down. “I’m hoping that this date will convince both of you. And then you’ll make out about it or some shit.” 

“Ohhhh do you think he wants to make out with me? Obviously I want to make out with him. I wonder what his tusks feel like. I wonder if he's a good kisser. I bet he is because…”

Beau tuned Jester out when her phone lit up. Caleb had sent her the ambulance emoji with a question mark in regards to the group chat pic. She sent back the middle finger emoji. She couldn't wait for him and Essek to finally figure their shit out so she could tease him about that like he was teasing her about Yasha. 

The bell over the door chimed. Beau looked up to greet whoever walked in, probably another bleary-eyed student, and almost fell on her ass. She swore under her breath. She rubbed her eyes and blinked hard a few times. But the two figures were still there. Still shaped like Yasha and Molly. Dressed just like the picture on her phone. 

Molly walked right up to the counter, “Well hello, Beauregard. Fancy seeing you at the place you work on the day you work. Not planned at all. Purely coincidence.” He shut up at a hard nudge from Yasha.

“One, if you call me Beauregard again I will actually hit you. The only person who gets to do that is Caleb and that's because I think if I punched him he would literally die. Plus he does it to everyone. Two, yes that does not sound planned at all, Mollymauk. Three, what can I get you guys to drink?” She typed her password into the register and got ready to ring up their order. She couldn't make eye contact with Yasha or she might do something dumb like jump the counter and kiss her, or propose before the first date, or tell her how much she wanted to peel that suit off and make her come over and over again. Yeah, she kept her eyes firmly on the register buttons. 

“I think we’ll both just have water please. And your least messy pastry. Can’t be worried about getting stains on my lovely creations before I’ve had the chance to photograph them for the portfolio. We’re headed to a local park to take some test shots.” Molly pays and tips. “Beau, what do you think about the suit? Should I put more flowers on it? Add any lettering?”

“Looks great.”

“You didn't look at it.”

“I saw the picture.”

“But here it is. In person. With a person in it. A person who might like it if you acknowledged her.”

“Mollymauk.” Yasha deadpanned. 

“Oh shit, full named. I’m gonna go talk to Jester.” He disappeared to the other end of the counter where Jester was bagging up their pastries. Beau could hear them talking about Molly’s top. 

She finally looked up at Yasha, “Hi.”

“Hello.”

“You look beautiful. Like so beautiful I can't look at you without getting distracted by thoughts.”

“Thoughts?”

“Thoughts that I can't share in public, Yash.”

“Oh.” There was that charming blush again. All the way up from her neck to the tips of her ears. 

“It's kinda weird to see you before our date. Is that like… bad luck or something.”

“I think that is only for weddings, but I guess I wouldn't know. I got married in jeans at 8 a.m. at a rural courthouse. It literally still had a place to tack up horses because that is how some people got around. ” 

Beau laughed at that. Yasha smiled at her and turned to grab her drink and pastry at the pick-up area. Before she took a step, she tilted her head back and whispered, “You know, if we are being honest here, I have thoughts about you as well. Those kinds of thoughts.”

And with that she quickly made her way down, said hello to Jester, grabbed Molly, and was out the door before Beau could pick her jaw up off the floor. Her phone, again, distracted her. 

Caleb texted her a picture that she assumed Jester had taken from the back room when she ran to get some more boxed water out  of the fridge. It was Beau’s back, her black apron tied in the belt loops of her army green pants and her signature topknot falling down her scalp slightly. You could only see half of Yasha beyond Beau, but it was unmistakably her in that damn suit. He had added another question mark. She sent back the ambulance emoji with an exclamation point and began loading the dishwasher with used cups. She pushed what Yasha had said out of her head. The middle of a coffee shop during her shift was not where she wanted to process that statement. 

“Wait… Yasha was MARRIED???” Jester yelled from ten feet away.. Beau sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon. 

Chapter Text

Friday night was a flurry of movement around the apartment. Fjord was picking Jester up at 6:30 p.m, while Beau didn't have to be at Yasha’s until 7:00 p.m. They had been getting ready together, showing each other options and causing chaos in their respective closets. Fjord was doing up his fourth button up choice of the night while Beau was attempting to put on her mascara without getting any on the rest of her face. Her phone lit up and the gym turned getting ready playlist paused for a second. Jester’s name was the first thing she saw. 

What is he wearing???? 

I don't wanna be overdressed Beau 

flannel, khakis

Okay but like a dressy flannel???  Khaki pants or shorts?

obviously khaki pants

jess ur gonna look beautiful in whatever u put on 

hes lucky to take u out 

Beau!!! That’s so nice. But I’m still gonna send you a picture of my outfit. I need feedback. 

Not more than a minute later a picture lit up her screen. The mirror picture showed Jester smiling and tilting her head so the jewelry on her horns and in her ears was a blur of motion. She was wearing a cream-colored knitted wrap-top and a light pink skirt that almost touched the ground. Beau could barely make out her dark blue ballet flat-style shoes peeking out from under the skirt. Her short hair had a slight curl to it and her eyeliner and blush brought out her blue complexion perfectly. 

“Holy shit.” Beau said out loud.  

“What?” Fjord called from the other side of the room where he was checking his new top out in the mirror. 

“You don’t even know what's about to hit you, dude.”

Fjord glanced over at her in confusion and was about to say something else when he looked down at his watch and  gasped, “Fuck, I gotta go or I’m gonna be late.”

“Have fun tonight! Use protection!” Beau called as he hurried around the apartment grabbing his wallet and keys. 

“Have fun! Don’t get a nose bleed when you see Yasha!” They both shot each other a middle finger and a smile as the door slammed closed. Beau laughed and gave herself one last look in the mirror before texting Jester back. 

damn J

ur gonna kill him 

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When she knocked on the door, she didn't expect Molly to be the one to open it. But here she was face-to-face with the purple tiefling. 

He looked her up and down, “Well, you do clean up nice. Good to see that my little girl won’t be going out with a miscreant.”

Beau gave him the finger and tried to look up and around his shoulder into the apartment. He moved with her. 

“Yasha is just finishing up getting ready.” His voice got quiet. “Look, she would kill me for doing this, but I need to as her best friend. Don’t fuck with her heart.” Beau let out a noise. “I know. I know. I’ve talked to Jester about you. I don’t think you're a bad person, but I worry. Yasha is big and strong and the best person I know. But she has a rough past that creeps up on her when she least expects it. I’m not asking you to treat her differently because of it. I just wanted to remind you.”

A door opened and closed somewhere in the apartment. 

“And that's why if you want to court my best friend, you’ll need to bring me one cow, 100 gold, and the number of that cute Zemnian boy.” Molly was back to his usual showman self, but Beau didn't miss his pointed glance at her before he opened the door wider and motioned her inside. 

Beau stepped inside and immediately let out the most embarrassing sound she had ever made in her life. It was somewhere between a punched out breath and a groan. She thought about turning and running out the door right then, cutting her losses, and transfering to a different university so she would never have to see anyone who had heard her make that sound ever again, but decided against it when Yasha smiled at her. She looked absolutely beautiful. And fucking hot. Her eyeliner was a striking shade of blue that brightened her whole face. Her hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail with a few strands falling down and framing her face. The ripped black skinny jeans she wore hugged her thighs in the best way possible and the dark green cropped sweater framed her shoulders and biceps then opened up at her elbows with wide sleeves. Her black high-top converse completed the look. 

Beau took a quick glance down at herself. She had opted for a dark blue sweater vest with white accents, her nicest pair of straight-legged blue jeans, and black combat boots. Her makeup was her usual, one coat of mascara and a bit of chapstick, and her hair was pulled back into a bun with freshly shaved sides. She felt good about her outfit, even if she would be a little cold later on. 

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

They spent a few moments just staring at each other until Molly cleared his throat, popping up between the two women. 

“So, uhhh, we should get going so we don't miss our reservation.” Beau coughed into her elbow. “You, um, look really nice, by the way.” 

Yasha smiled as a light blush crept onto her cheeks. She walked towards the door, hugged Molly, and linked her arm with Beau’s, tugging her towards the still cracked door. “Bye, Molls, love you.”

“Love you too, Yash. Have fun tonight.” He called as he shut the door behind them. 

“You look very good tonight.” Yasha was still looking straight ahead as they made their way down the stairs and out the door towards Beau’s bike. Beau smirked up at the taller woman, which just made her blush deeper. 

Beau handed her one of the helmets on top of the bike’s seat, “Hope you don't mind.”

“Cool bike.” Yasha circled the black motorcycle, “How long have you been riding?”

“I’ve had it since I started college. I saved up during high school and bought it on my way out of town. It's great on gas and my dad hates it, so yanno, two birds one stone and all that.” She threw her helmet on and opened up the face shield as she popped one leg over the bike. “Hop on and hold on. I’ll take it slow for ya.” 

The wink she sent Yasha made her laugh and it was Beau’s turn to blush when she replied with, “Oh don't worry about me, this isn't my first rodeo. But, usually, I’m the steering.”

Yasha threw her leg over the back and grabbed onto Beau’s waist tightly. This wasn't the first time Beau had had an attractive woman on her bike but damn did she have to take a deep breath to center herself before revving the engine and starting towards the restaurant. 

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“Follow me, please.” The hostess gave them a smile and led them away from the front towards an alcove with a few two-person tables. The restaurant was incredibly crowded on a Friday night, which was why Beau had made their reservation as soon as Yasha had said yes to the date. Not a single table was open. She wasn't paying attention and bumped into Yasha’s back when she stopped. Yasha didn't move an inch. 

Hot . Beau’s mind supplied. 

She let Yasha sit down first and then sat down in the empty seat. The woman put their menus in front of them and promised their waitress would be there soon. Beau was looking through the appetizers when she heard a low fuck muttered from the table beside them. She looked up and into a pair of yellow eyes. “Fuck.”

“Oh, hiiiii you guys!” Jester’s voice broke Beau and Fjord’s disbelieving staring contest. 

“What the fuck.” Beau punched Fjord in the shoulder. “What the fuck, man.”

Fjord blinked, “Well, shit.”

“Dude, I told you I was taking Yasha here. Why did you decide to bring Jess here too?” She turned to Jester, “You look great, by the way, Jessie. Love the skirt and the horn jewelry.”

“Thanks, Beau. You look hot.” Jester smiled at her. “You look nice too, Yasha.”

Before Yasha could respond Fjord butted in, “Wait, wait, wait. You did not tell me this restaurant. You said y’all were going to one of our favorite places downtown that we’ve been to as a group a couple times. You also said we had been there together. We have never been to this restaurant together. I thought you meant that sushi place on the corner.”

“We’ve definitely been here together before. It was after Luc’s birthday party. Jester you were there!” 

“No, I was sick the day of Luc’s birthday party and didn't go. It was that thing I gave you the week after. We were both down for the count for like a week after.” Fjord looked exasperated. 

“Who the hell was I with, then?” Beau turned to Jester. 

The blue tiefling piped in, “It was you, me, and Caleb, Beau. We helped clean up the party and then decided to let the Brenatto’s have a family movie night. You and Caleb had an argument about whether having bigger muscles would make spells more powerful.” 

Beau thought about it for a second, “Oh yeah. How did I confuse you and Caleb?”

“Oh, I don't know, we look so much alike.” Fjord deadpanned. 

Jester’s voice sounded again, “It's because you bicker with both of them like brothers.”

“Not helping, Jess.”

“Never said I was trying to.” Then she turned to Yasha, “Yasha, have you ever been here before?”

Beau chanced a look over at Yasha. Her face was carefully blank. 

“I have not.”

Fjord jumped in,“It’s fine. We’ll just pretend like this isn't happening and have our separate dates.”

“Awwww, but Fjordddd, why don't we just have a double date with Beau and Yasha. It’ll be so fun!!!”

“I would not mind that. It seems like it may be weirder to pretend like it isn't happening.” Yasha looked at Beau with raised eyebrows. 

“Yeah, okay, sure. Plus you guys already have your food, so we probably won't be here together that long anyway.”

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Beau was very wrong. 

Turns out, Yasha and Fjord had a lot in common. And Jester was so happy to be with two of her bestfriends and her new friend that her usual talkative personality ratcheted up to level 20. They had been there for an hour and Beau had said maybe 10 words to her actual date. She was learning a lot though. Yasha was an only child. She listened to a lot of indie music artists, but also knew some of the more mainstream artists Jester was raving about. She loved to read, but was so busy with her studies and work that she didn't get to do it for pleasure much. She worked at the on-campus greenhouse a few days a week. The thing she missed the most about home was how much space she had for her garden. She was thinking about going for a master’s. 

Her friends were on their best behavior. Jester didn’t ask about past relationships and Fjord filled in any awkward silences with a charming remark or a diversion to another topic.

Unexpectedly, Beau found herself having fun. It wasn't the date she imagined or planned, but when she cracked a joke she got to see Yasha laugh and she got to lovingly pick-on the Fjord and  tell stories with Jester and have a delicious meal. Overall, it felt like a success. When they left the restaurant together, the group parted ways, trailing laughter behind them. Beau and Yasha walked back to her bike, making comments or telling little stories about shops, restaurants, and bars along the way. Apparently Molly liked to make some extra cash by giving tarot readings at bars every other weekend. He’d been kicked out of a fair few, but had made quite a name for himself and ended up being a staple at The Leaky Tap. Beau told her own stories of getting super drunk her first semester and how Caleb tried to carry her home and ended up having to call Veth after they both ended up tipped over in an alley. 

As they walked, Beau couldn't help but stare at the way the streetlights shone on Yasha’s hair and how her eyes sparkled when telling a story. Beau thought she caught the taller woman staring at her a few times too. 

When they made it back to her bike she handed Yasha her helmet and started the bike up. She might have sped off at a redlight or two if only to feel Yasha squeeze her waist just a bit tighter. 

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“Just so you know, Molly is definitely spying on us through the peephole.” Yahsa leaned down to whisper to the shorter woman. Her hair barely brushed Beau’s shoulder, sending goosebumps down her arms. Beau had parked her bike and walked Yasha back up the stairs to her apartment. They were currently standing close together right outside the yellow door. 

“What do you think he's gonna see?” She cocked an eyebrow up at the taller woman. 

Yasha’s eyes widened slightly and her next breath was a bit heavier. “I… I don't know.”

“Look, nothings gonna happen if you don't want it to, but I would really, really like to kiss you right now. I'm honestly more used to just doing it, but I want to ask you. Because I think it's important. I think you're important.” Beau said this to her shoes, not being able to be vulnerable and make eye contact. She wanted to be good at this. 

Yasha ran her fingers lightly down Beau’s forearm and linked their fingers together. Just like that night in the kitchen. It made Beau smile. She looked back up. Yasha was looking at her. A small grin on her face. “You’re doing great, Beau.” And then she leaned down, placed her other hand under Beau’s chin and kissed her. Beau’s eyes snapped shut as she fell into the kiss. She let her hands wander to Yasha’s waist. Her sweater stopped right at the waistband of her high waisted jeans and Beau snuck both thumbs under the hem and let them rest on warm, bare skin. 

Yasha leaned down a bit further and pressed her lips harder against Beau’s. They stayed like that for a few more seconds before Yasha pulled back and took a long breath. Beau took the time to catch her breath as well, her thumbs beginning to run back and forth subconsciously. Yasha hummed with the new movement. 

“That was nice.” Yasha moved her hand away from Beau’s cheek, down her neck, and landed on her shoulder. “This whole evening has been wonderful, thank you Beau.”

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone thank me for a date before. Well, not with words at least.” She smirked up at Yasha. “But, seriously, I’m glad you had a good time even with my 

stupid, annoying, can’t-mind-their-own-business-to-save-their-lives best friends.”

Yasha chuckled, “It honestly made me feel a bit less nervous. To have the attention split like that.”

“I make you nervous?” Beau asked with only a hint of smugness. 

Instead of answering, Yasha tilted her head and caught Beau’s lips in another soft kiss. They stayed like that for several moments before pulling back. 

As soon as Yasha jingled her keys to put them in the lock, the door swung open to reveal Mollymauk in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else, “Yash, hello! Welcome back! I definitely just heard your keys and have not been standing here for the past five minutes.”

“Molls, we’ve talked about this. About how you should ask before eavesdropping on other people.”

“No, dear. You’ve talked about this. I’ve promised Jester that I would keep her informed on you two in exchange for Caleb’s phone number.”

He then straightened up and turned towards her. “Beauregard, nice to see you. Thank you for bringing Yasha home on time. I hope there was no funny business.”

“ Molly .”

“None at all. I take making out very seriously.” She put a serious face on and saluted the tiefling. 

“ Beau .” Yasha sighed and looked back and forth between them. “Oh gods, I have two of you now.” 

This was followed by an “Aren’t you lucky” from Molly and an  “I have no idea what you mean” from Beau.

Yasha rolled her eyes as she stepped backwards into the apartment. “Goodnight, Beau. Please let me know when you get home safe.”

Beau gave her a nod  and shot Molly the middle finger before making her way downstairs and back to her bike. 

When she got back to the apartment Fjord’s truck was in his usual parking spot, but there was no sign of him in the apartment. She figured he was going for a late night swim in the complex pool and was proven right when she saw the sticky note on the counter in the exact spot she usually threw her keys and wallet. 

Beau, 

Sorry for crashing your date. Jester wanted me to tell you that she had a great time going on her first double date with you and Yasha. Text her sometime tomorrow, please. I’ll be at the pool for a while, have a good night. Wanna grab food after our workout tomorrow? 

-Fjord

She scribbled a quick ‘Only if you’re paying’ on the bottom of the note, kicked off her shoes, and headed towards her room. She sent a quick text to Yasha as she brushed her teeth and grinned when the reply came back after just a few seconds. 

Before she went to sleep that night Beau sent a text to Caleb 

  whats going on with u and molly

Chapter Text

“So.” 

“So.”

Beau and Fjord were about halfway through their workout, which was when they were usually both awake enough to start a conversation. Before that it was just nods and grunts to communicate. 

Fjord had just gotten off the rowing machine after his fourth two-minute sprint and grabbed the water bottle she offered him. He thanked her as she skipped a random song on their shared playlist and grabbed the rowing bar. She set a timer on the machine and began her rep. They did this often, beginning a conversation and then letting the other person get through their exercise before continuing. It gave them both time to think because for some reason they tended to have some pretty deep conversations during these early morning workout sessions. Her timer went off and she attached the bar back to the machine. 

“How was your date with Yasha? After?”

“Honestly? It was nice. I like hanging out with her. She’s kind and funny and hot and so fucking interesting. Everytime we hang out I just keep thinking about the next time I can see her.” She took a quick drink of water and set her water bottle back down next to her seat,  “How was the rest of your date with Jester?” 

Fjord grabbed a small towel and wiped the sweat off his neck, “I mean, I feel like I was a nervous wreck the whole time. To be honest, I’m kinda glad you and Yasha came into the picture. It felt like a little less, uh, pressure on the situation. The date was great and all, but I kept second guessing myself. I just wanted to make it a great date.” He moved over to the weightlifting area and grabbed two dumbbells, “And Jester is so smart. When I walked her up to her room she told me that she saw how in my head I was throughout the whole date. How she knew that we were both nervous. She reassured me that she had a great time and asked if we could maybe have a picnic next time. I could cook dinner and she could bake something. So, um, I guess I didn't completely ruin it if she's already planning our second date, right?” 

“Nah, that sounds dope. You both are so gone for each other, I’m just glad you’re finally doing something about it.” She told him while grabbing her own set of dumbbells. 

“Yeah. Hey, did you just skip another one of my songs? Dude, that's like the fifth one this morning. My music taste isn't that bad…”

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They finished up soon enough and went back home to shower and get ready for the day. She checked her phone and saw that Caleb had read her message, but hadn’t replied. She sent him a side eye emoji. Nothing from Yasha. Beau was hoping that she would reach out about hanging out again. She wasn’t quite used to this whole dating thing, but she thought it was only fair if they switched off planning dates. Apparently Jester had done that before the first date was even over.

But that's just Jester, Beau thought, Oh shit, I was supposed to text Jester. 

She flopped down on her bed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. 

so whens the wedding 

And as she was waiting for a response, Yasha’s name popped up on her screen. 

Hello, Beau. I hope you are having a nice morning. I was wondering if you might like to come over and watch a movie at my apartment tomorrow afternoon? 

Beau immediately opened the text thread. 

hey

yeah id like to come over 

want me to bring anything

The typing bubbles popped up right away. 

I have popcorn and some fruit for snacks, so I think we should be good. I’ll make some hot chocolate too. Come over around 7? 

c u then 

She fist pumped the air in excitement and got up to go start on some lunch for her and Fjord.  

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“Hey, are you cold?” Beau was hoping that Yasha missed her little shiver as the heat in the apartment kicked off. She was wearing a muscle tee that gave glimpses of her abs which was designed to look hot, not keep her warm. Her leggings weren’t made with the cold in mind, either. Yasha, on the other hand, had slipped a knit cardigan on over her t-shirt and sweatpants before beginning the movie. 

“Nah, I’m good.” Beau lied. She tucked her feet under her and looked around the couch for any sort of blanket. 

“Oh, sorry.” Yasha chuckled softly, “We usually have a couple blankets laying around, but last week Molly decided they would be perfect for some of his design projects and we haven't replaced them yet. Hold on.” Yasha stood from the couch and ducked into the hallway. Beau heard a door open, then close, and suddenly Yasha was standing in front of her. She held out a black hoodie with the school’s logo stamped across the front.

“I’m really okay, Yash.” Beau looked at the hoodie with wide eyes. 

“Humor me then. If you get too hot you can just take it off. I promise it's clean.” Yasha shoved it at her.

Beau huffed and took it from her hands. She had to admit that when she slid it over her head and down her back it was very cozy. It was clearly a few sizes too big and she had to bunch up the sleeves to be able to stick her hands out the other side. The inside was soft and fluffy. When Yasha sat down this time it was a bit closer to Beau. Enough that their thighs brushed. Beau decided to test her luck by sliding a little closer too and was rewarded by Yasha’s arm sliding around her shoulders. They finished the movie like that. 

When the credits began to roll Beau took the chance to look up and was met with two contrasting  eyes already looking  down at her. 

“So…” Gods she used to be smooth, what happened to all her game around this woman? 

Yasha was watching her intently. Her gaze dropped down to Beau’s lips and then quickly back up to her eyes. 

Oh fuck yeah, Beau thought a second before she straightened her spine a few inches and caught the other women’s lips in a hard kiss. One hand wrapped around Yasha’s neck with a bit of pressure on it so she could deepen the kiss. A hand came to rest on her left hip and fingers spanned across her lower back between the hoodie and her tank top. They both went to open the kiss at the same moment which just ended with their tongues meeting in the middle. Both pulled away with a little laugh. Yasha ran her other hand along Beau’s cheek and cupped her face while diving back in. This attempt went a bit smoother as Beau let Yasha’s tongue past her lips to slide against her own. After a moment of this, Yasha pulled back and Beau looked up at her, confused. 

The hand on her hip suddenly tightened and she found herself spun around as Yasha used the leverage of her elbow against the couch to lift and deposit the smaller woman onto her lap. Beau couldn't help it, she let out a little moan at the show of strength. Yasha took this opportunity to put her mouth on the long expanse of Beau’s throat. She began with soft kisses, but as her lips moved lower and lower there was less kissing and more sucking. She would find a spot and alternate between sucking and licking for several seconds before moving on to an unmarked space. Beau let her hands roam through Yasha’s hair to steady herself. 

Gods, she was good with her mouth. She let her thoughts wander to other places that tongue could explore and her grip tightened. Yasha let out a harsh breath against her collarbone and her hands slid from Beau’s hips to her ass. She squeezed hard, which again caused Beau to give a tug to her roots. Yasha lifted her head and resumed their messy, open-mouthed kiss. Her large hands tried to bring her closer with a yank and Beau groaned as her core made contact with Yasha’s stomach. A bright burst of pleasure shot like lightning through her. She tried to recreate the motion, but her range of motion was limited. 

“Yash.” her voice had gone breathy and rough. 

“Beau, you feel so good on top of me.” Yasha barely got the last word out before Beau caught her lips for another kiss. She let her hand burrow under Yasha’s t-shirt. She was met with warm, smooth skin. She wanted to throw the shirt across the room. She wanted to show Yasha what her mouth could do. She wanted to watch this beautiful woman lose herself to pleasure again and again. She wanted to feel what Yasha’s big fingers felt like inside her. She just wanted , “This okay?” 

“Your hands are so fucking cold.” Yasha replied and went back in for another kiss, but Beau pulled back. 

“Yasha, is this okay? Yes or no?” She looked into the taller woman’s eyes sternly. 

“Yes. Please .” Yasah replied quickly, her eyes moving between Beau’s serious stare and her dark pink lips. 

Beau smiled and moved her hand farther up to where she was just brushing the bottom edge of Yasha’s bra. She skimmed her fingertips along the seam and had just begun to push under the fabric when a loud noise sounded from behind her. She jumped and pulled her hand away. The noise repeated a few times before going quite again. It took Beau’s very distracted brain a moment to catch-up enough to figure out what was going on. 

“Hold on, sorry, that's Jess’s ringtone and she doesn't have a car. Let me make sure she didn't get herself stranded somewhere.”

Yasha rested her head on the back of the couch and let her wandering hands still on Beau’s waist as she turned and reached behind  her to grab her phone from the coffee table.  

Beauuuu! What topic did you choose for the English paper due tonight? I chose #2 but I need like 100 more words to meet the word count. DId you finish yours already???

“Shit.” she said. 

“What’s wrong?” The circles Yasha had begun to rub into her hips stopped when she tensed. 

“I’m an idiot.” She let her head fall onto Yasha’s shoulder, “ I have some English homework due tonight and I totally forgot about it until Jessie just saved my ass.” She showed Yasha the text. 

“Oh, that’s alright.” Yasha sounded a bit disappointed, though she was trying her best to hide it. 

She helped Beau stand and then stood herself to begin cleaning up the snacks. A darker mood had fallen over the room and Beau knew it was her fault. 

“Yash, hey.” Beau got in front of her, the borrowed hoodie slid down to her mid-thigh.  “I’m really sorry. I was having a great time. I would've loved to stay and see where the night went. I know I’m a fuck up. I’ve always been a fuck up. I was hoping I could hide that part of me a bit longer.”

She watched as the taller woman set the popcorn bowl down and brought both hands up to cup Beau’s cheeks. “Sweetheart, you are not a fuck up. You are busy. You let your mind slip on one thing. One of a hundred things you have to remember as a student and an employee and a friend and a human. That's okay. That happens to everyone. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Whoever told you those horrible things was wrong. And a dick. And I would love to give them a piece of my mind. But you are wonderful.” Yasha held eye contact for another moment and then pulled Beau into her chest and held her tightly. Beau buried her face into Yasha’s clavicle and let herself take a few deep breaths. She let Yasha hold her for what felt like an hour, but was probably only a few minutes. Then, she turned her face up. 

“So, sweetheart huh?”

To her surprise Yasha didn’t blush but instead smiled down at her, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead,  “Yeah, sweetheart.” 

She helped clean up  the leftover snacks and gathered up her belongings. She kissed Yasha goodnight and headed back home. It wasn't until she walked through the door and started emptying her pockets that she realized she was still wearing Yasha’s hoodie. 

She checked her phone to let Yasha know she made it home okay and saw that Molly had somehow snuck a picture of her in the very much too big hoodie and sent it to the group chat with the caption: Have you seen this child? Jester had loved the picture and replied with about thirty explanation marks, Veth sent a barfing emoji, Caleb had replied with ‘ It's sad that college kids can’t even afford clothes that fit ’, and Fjord was so far the last to reply with the rolling eyes emoji. She ignored it all together and went to finish her English homework. 

A few hours and thousands of words later, Beau shut her laptop and rolled over in bed. She had an early morning shift and needed at least a few hours of sleep. As she let herself drift off, still wrapped in the black hoodie, her dreams were filled with two-toned hair and mismatched eyes. 

Chapter Text

Beau had five missed calls from Mollymauk Tealeaf. 

She’d turned her phone off right before her history exam two hours ago. She’d texted Yasha right before. A response to a picture of two new plants Yasha had rescued from the local hardware store. She had explained to Beau how you could tell by the wilting leaves that the roots were too cramped and needed bigger pots to grow. Beau nodded along and helped her carry them the short walk from the hardware store to Yasha and Molly’s apartment, which was already crammed with plants in every windowsill and corner not including their ceiling which was an obstacle course in and of itself if you didn't want to crack your head on a hanging pot. Hell, their tiny, cramped bathroom had more plants than Beau and Fjord’s whole apartment. Not hard, considering the only plant Beau knew about was a succulent Caduceus had given Fjord as a housewarming present which now lived on their kitchen counter and was watered occasionally with an unfinished glass of water. 

Yasha promised to send her a picture once she “got the plants settled in” as she phrased it. They looked cute in their new terracotta pots, jammed along one of the walls of her bedroom. Beau had replied with a little green heart. She flipped out of their conversation and clicked on Molly’s name. The only reason they even had each other’s numbers was because Jester had added both Yasha and Molly to their already existing group chat after the game night. 

Is yasha with you?

Missed call

Beau 

Missed call

Please let me know yasha’s with you 

Missed call 

Missed call 

Missed call

She double checked. No text from Yasha. She hadn’t even read Beau’s reply. 

She called Molly. 

“Is. Yasha. With. You.” Molly’s voice was serious and that scared Beau more than all the missed calls and texts. 

“No. Molly, what the fuck is going on?”

“Fuck. Fuck .” 

“Molly, what's wrong? Is she okay?”

“I don't know.” He took a deep breath, “She was gone when I woke up this morning. She shouldn't be by herself.”

“Why?”

“Did she seem off to you yesterday? Say anything about any plans?” He was talking even faster than usual. 

Beau thought back to yesterday as she dodged hurried students on their way to class. She was due at The Blooming Grove in half an hour. 

Had Yasha acted any different yesterday? They really hadn't known each other that long. Maybe a month. But, when Beau got off work Yasha was often there to walk her home. They were working their way through their favorite pop culture every Sunday night. Movies, tv shows, podcasts, books, music. She knew that Yasha merely smiled when Jester told a joke, but absolutely cackled at Molly’s antics. She liked to read, but preferred audiobooks so she could listen to them while working in the greenhouse. She almost never initiated makeout sessions, but was the first to let her hands wander under clothes and Beau always left with several hickeys she had to cover the next morning. She never talked about her family, or her hometown, or Zuala. 

“Molly, where do you think she is? Why do you think she isn't okay?”

“It's the anniversary of Zuala’s death. She, um, she shouldn't be alone today.” Molly’s voice sounded calmer, but there was still an edge of worry under his words. 

“Shit.” Beau let out a long exhale. 

“Yeah.”

“Okay, so she doesn't have a car, which means she walked. Or took a bus.” Beau’s mind went immediately into ‘figure shit out mode’ making a mental map of the area surrounding Yasha and Molly’s apartment. 

“There’s no way she would’ve gotten on a bus. She can barely be around that many people on a good day.”

“Okay, so she walked. She's been gone for at least 3 hours. She walks fast, she could have gone up to let's say… 10 miles away.” Beau checked the time. “Hold on, Molly. I’m gonna have to call you back. I have to call Cad and let him know I can’t come in today. After that we can get the group together, make teams, and split up throughout the city. We’ll find her.”

“Yeah. We’ll find her.” Molly echoed her before she ended the call. She immediately found Caduceus’s contact. 

“Cad, I can’t come in today. It’s a friend emergency.” She didn't have to lie to Caduceus. He would understand. He knew that, most times, friends were family. She wished she could’ve said girlfriend, but they hadn't put a label on it yet. Beau, for once in her life, actually wanted to put a label on it, but now didn’t seem to be the best time to bring that up. 

There was a moment of silence before Caduceus replied in his deep, slow voice, “I understand. But, if this friend emergency happens to be about the woman with two different colored eyes who always orders a lavender latte, then you may want to come in anyway.”

“Cad, what? Is Yasha there?” Beau immediately changed her path, making a beeline for the alley she used as a shortcut to downtown. 

“She is. She's been here for over an hour. Asked after you.” 

“Okay, I’ll be there in five.” She hung up and picked up the pace. 

ysha blommingg rove

She figured Molly was smart enough to decipher her quickly typed message. She didn't have time to fix it.  

Instead of skating around the side to the employee entrance, she threw herself into the door and let it swing open with her weight. A few customers jumped, but she looked past them and found Yasha sitting in the corner with a bright yellow mug sitting in front of her. Her head was tilted slightly down, eyes fixed on the table. Beau crept towards her, hoping Yasha would notice her and look up. Hoped she’d give her a smile. Hoped that Molly was somehow wrong. 

“Yash, hey.” Beau wasn't sure the last time her voice had been that soft. 

Yasha didn't move. 

Beau put a hand on her shoulder. Yasha flinched slightly. It took a few more seconds for her gaze to meet Beau’s. Beau thought she’d feel better when she saw Yasha, could put her hands on her and know that she was safe. That she was okay. But as soon their gazes met it was clear that the woman in front of her was not okay. Yasha’s eyes were glazed over, it seemed as though grey storm clouds had fogged over her gaze. 

Did she even know Beau was here? But as soon as she had the thought, something cleared in Yasha’s eyes. The clouds parted a bit. “Hey.” 

Beau noted that she sounded confused, “Hey, babe, what's up?” 

Gods, she sounded so stupid. What's up? Though she probably shouldn't start with ‘hey, I know you're sad about your dead wife, that sucks.’

“Hi.” Yasha breathed, barely a whisper. Her voice sounded rough. She took a sip of her tea and tried again, “Hi, Beau. How was your test?”

What. The. Fuck. Here Yasha was, clearly upset, clearly not all with it, and she had the presence of mind to ask Beau how her stupid exam had been. 

“It was okay. I’m not worried about that right now though.” The ‘I’m worried about you’ went unsaid, “How’d you end up here? Molly’s worried.” 

Oooof, nice one Beauregard, make her think it's her fault for grieving. 

Yasha’s eyes went a bit wider and she fished her phone out of her jacket pocket. Beau got a glance at the screen, so full of notifications you couldn't read one before the next one popped up. It was mostly Molly’s name but she noticed her name, a couple from Jester, and even one from Fjord. She suspected the rest of their little group would have checked-in as well if they knew what was going on. 

“I… I dont really know. I just started walking. Didn't think to tell Molly I was leaving.” She looked lost. Her hand hovered over her phone like it was a foreign object she’d never touched. 

Beau kneeled down beside her chair. “Okay, that's okay, baby. I’m gonna text Molly and let him know you're safe. Then, we’ll do whatever you want. We’ll sit here or we’ll go get food or we’ll go take a nap or whatever.”

Yasha nodded like she wanted to accept, but then shook her head, “But don’t you have work?”

Cad chose that moment to head over. He gave Yasha a small smile, “How’s the tea?”

“Very good, thank you.” Her returning smile was dim, but sincere. 

He nodded, satisfied at a job well done, then focused his attention on Beau, “Jester is coming in to cover your shift.” For the next part, he leaned in and pretended to fix Beau’s hair while whispering, “Go take care of someone important to you, Beauregard. That's the reason we’re here, to lean on each other.” 

He gave Yasha one more big smile and then took his place back behind the counter. 

Beau had never heard Caduceus use her full name before. It sounded a lot better coming from him than the asshole who gave it to her. She took a moment to feel grateful for the people in her life now, before returning her attention to Yasha, “What do you wanna do?”

“Can we go on a drive?” 

Chapter Text

They drove for almost an hour, out of the city and into rolling fields dotted with the occasional barn and farmhouse. Yasha shouted directions above the roar of the engine, her grip on Beau loose and absent. Beau had hit the brakes more than once because she thought Yasha was just going to fly away. Eventually, they drove past a sign for a local park and Yasha guided her to a gravel parking lot. Beau pulled into a spot with a large evergreen tree shading the afternoon sun. She grabbed Yasha’s helmet and hung it with hers on the handlebars. As she looped the straps, she took a minute to look at the other woman. Her shoulders were slumped and her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed. It was the beginning of spring, warm enough that one could get away with just one layer, but Beau could see a light tremble even under her black sweater. She was looking up at the clouds. 

Beau wasn't the best with people in crisis. She was used to being the one in crisis. She’d try to hide it, get it out of her system with a long run or a particularly spirited date with a punching bag. Then, Fjord or Jester or both would make her eat a decent dinner, take a shower, and talk about it. She usually didn't want to talk about it, but Fjord would wind her up enough to blurt it out or Jester would tell Beau about her day with questions getting closer and closer to what was bothering her until Beau didn't even realize she was talking about the thing she was supposed to be hiding. Sometimes it was Caleb with his long silences and annoyingly knowing looks. It didn't happen as often anymore, only when one of her parents tried to reach out. It was worse when it was her dad. Everything was worse when it came to her dad. 

Okay, she definitely didn't need to be thinking about her dad right now. She needed to be figuring out how to talk to Yasha. How to let her know she could talk to Beau, her probably girlfriend, about her definitely dead wife. 

Yasha walked over and took her hand. Beau startled, “Hey, let me show you why we came out here.”

Beau nodded and followed her to one of the trailheads. They walked in silence for a bit. Yasha had dropped her hand halfway through when the trail narrowed, but she still stayed close. It was a bit muddy from the last snow melting and then a few days of early spring showers, but Yasha weaved them around the puddles and past downed trees. Beau had gotten so lost in her surroundings that when Yasha stopped she stepped face-first into her back. Large hands came to rest on her hips, a bit awkwardly because Yasha hadn't turned around, and helped her steady. 

They had come to a small field, with a stream winding from one set of trees to the next. The rest of the forest had still been brown and grey. Spring foliage had not yet reached this far north. But, to Beau’s surprise, this little patch was dotted with vibrant color. Patches of bright purple interspersed in a blanket of soft blues and yellows. The trail stopped at the edge of the clearing, but there were several animal trails that led to the water. Yasha followed one and sat down on a flat rock hidden by the tall grass. She waited for Beau to join her before she spoke.

“I don’t know how to reconcile the grief of losing her and the happiness of meeting you.” 

“Shit.” That caught her off guard a bit. It made sense, but she thought it would take Yasha longer to get to the root of the issue. 

“Yeah. I mean, I think I was supposed to find you? That might be crazy to say and maybe Molly really is rubbing off on me when he talks about the ‘strings of fate’ that tie people and places together. But that would mean that she was supposed to die and I can’t think about that without wanting to put my fist through a wall. Preferably a brick one.” 

“Yash, I’m going to be honest, I have no idea what to say to that.” she paused, “I think all of the things you’re feeling are super fair.” 

They sat in silence for a moment, the sound of the water a calming presence. 

“You know, Caleb sees an income-based therapist. I’m sure he wouldn't mind giving you a recommendation. Or just talking to you about his experience.” Beau said it as she flicked a loose rock into the stream. A few small fish came up to see what the disturbance was, but quickly dispersed when she leaned over to look at them. 

Yasha let out a soft laugh “Yeah, Molly has been trying to get me to try therapy ever since we met. He goes once a month and it helps him a lot. I think it's brave of him to open himself up like that. I usually shrug him off, thought I was handling everything pretty well.  But that was before I just disappeared and scared all my friends and my girlfriend half to death.”

Girlfriend. 

Beau felt her heart leap in her chest. 

“No one blames you for not handling your trauma in a perfect way that takes everyone’s feelings into account. The perfect victim complex is a lie.” She slid her hand along the rock and gently touched her fingertips to Yasha’s. An offering. 

Yasha turned her gaze towards their hands and slowly linked their fingers. 

“How’d you find out about this place?” Beau asked, sliding her thumb along the back of Yasha’s pale hand. 

“We took a trip here for one of my plant biology classes last spring. I haven't had the chance to come back, but I think about it all the time.” her head tilted back and she turned her face up towards the sun. Eyes closed, a ghost of a smile on her lips. She let out a long sigh. “We should probably head that way, get back before Molly starts to worry again.” 

Beau stood up, giving Yasha a boost, bringing their joined hands to her lips, placing a kiss on the back of the taller woman’s hand. They walked back to the trailhead in silence and on the ride back Beau found herself pleasantly surprised to feel Yasha’s grip around her waist was both stronger and steadier. 

They made it back to Yasha’s apartment just as the last rays of sunset were fading into the dark night sky. Molly is twirling around the kitchen in the process of making dinner when Yasha opens the door. The music playing from his phone is loud enough that he startles when the door closes behind them, but immediately shakes it off and pulls Yasha’s much larger form into a tight hug. She nuzzles her face into his shoulder and he places a hand under her chin when they pull apart.

“How are you feeling, love?” his dark eyes locked onto Yasha’s. 

She let out a small smile, still a bit strained around the edges, “Better now.”

“Good.” he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and then turned to Beau,  “Are you staying for dinner? I’m making tofu stir fry.” 

“Uhhhh…” she looked over at Yasha, whose eyes lit up at the thought, “...yeah I’d like that.”

Chapter Text

“If you put your feet on my chair one more time, I’m going to kill you and then punch your ghost so hard it revives you.” Beau knocked Caleb’s socked feet from the arm of the chair. He looked over the top of his book and flipped her off, but moved his legs so that his feet laid in Jester’s lap. She used this opportunity to give him a little tickle, but overall left him be and continued her conversation with Molly. 

“I’m just saying, I’d love to get in between Professor Vessar and Professor de Rolo. I’ve seen them interact, I feel like I know how it would go.” Molly’s tail flick was full of mischief. 

“Oh yeah, I bet she puts him in his place. Mhmmmm.” Jester nodded from her spot beside him. 

They had been on this topic since Jester mentioned how hot Professor Trickfoot looked in her Experimental Baking class today. 

When the three had arrived Caleb told them that Luc had been a little menace all day and Veth was behind on dinner. Yasha had stepped in to help, but everyone else had been banned from the kitchen. Beau couldn't help her eyes drifting towards the doorway every so often, hoping to catch a glimpse of white hair. She was snapped out of it when Fjord appeared from upstairs and plopped down in front of her chair, resting his back just out of the way of her legs. He’d been sent up to fix something, Beau wasn't really paying attention when Yeza had explained as he and Luc shuffled out the door for a play date. 

Jester’s focus immediately shifted away from Molly, “All done?” 

“Yep.” Fjord said, popping the p, “Just a few screws loose and some whittling to one of the boards had everything just right again.” 

“Fjord used to work on ships.” Jester told Molly, “That’s where he got all those big, bulging muscles.” 

She said this and both tieflings took a moment to look Fjord up and down very slowly. 

“I can see that.” Molly purred. 

“Hush, you two.” Fjord chided, though there was a slightly darker tint to his cheeks than a moment before. 

“I thought you had your eyes on someone else?” Beau questioned Molly, her eyes subtly drifting towards the red head too engrossed in his book to join the conversation. 

“I think it's very possible for people to find multiple people attractive.” He said this with a playful wink sent her way. 

“Here, here.” Caleb seconded, apparently not as tuned out as Beau thought. Okay so she’d definitely be interrogating Caleb about Molly later. 

Yasha poked her head out the kitchen door, a dirty apron tied loosely behind her neck, “Supper is ready, everyone.”

Her eyes met Beau’s and she gave her a big smile, eyes crinkling a bit at the sides. Gods , Beau wanted to put her mouth against the skin there. And then to her soft lips. And then maybe even lower if Yasha would let her. Before her imagination could go any further, she was literally knocked out of her thoughts by Fjord’s hand pushing at her knee. 

“C’mon. If we wait too long Jester will take all the good stuff.”

The kitchen smelled amazing and was set up with dishes on the counter in a line. This was something that happened once every few months. One of them would mention that they ate nothing but ramen for a week straight, they looked at a vegetable in a grocery store can’t you get the health benefits from like osmosis or something? And Veth’s mom brain would explode in on itself and she would call a mandatory hang out where she fed everyone a mostly nutritious meal. It was easy to forget, sometimes, how much more mature Veth was than the rest of them. She wasn’t that much older and she had always been a core part of the chaos crew within their group, but she had a child that she had to keep alive, all the time . It was just easy to forget when she was shotgunning an energy drink before studying for 12 hours straight. 

Yasha bumped her shoulder and handed her a plate. 

“Wait!” Veth called, coming out of the pantry with a handful of napkins, “Yasha goes first. She helped.”

“Oh no, that’s okay. It’s not necessary.” Yasha tried to step back, but bumped into the wall before she could get far. 

“Yes, yes, yes.” Veth pushed a plate into her hand and tried to shove her towards the food, but the taller woman didn’t move an inch. “You go before all these ungrateful, unhelpful children. Not you, Caleb, you're perfect.”

Caleb shot her a double thumbs up before grabbing glasses for everyone from the cabinet. 

“Okay, alright.” Yasha stepped up and went down the line where Veth was waiting at the end. 

“Hey! No! Get more than that. There’s plenty of food and you’re big! You need food. Go again.”

Beau could see the moment that Yasha froze in embarrassment and while she knew Veth meant well, she still stepped between her and her girlfriend, “Hey, go find a place to sit in the living room. I’ll finish your plate.”

She gave her a kiss on the cheek and a slight push at her waist. Yasha nodded and stepped out of the room. 

Beau went through and grabbed maybe a spoonful more of each thing on the plate, turned around, and was met with everyone’s eyes on her. 

“What?”

Jester was, as usual, the first to speak, “Beauuuuuuuu, you guys are so cute!”

Beau turned towards the door before the group could see her heated cheeks and hurried out into the living room. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

After everyone had eaten, Fjord volunteered to do the dishes with Jester offering to help, which Beau knew really meant sit on the counter, kick her feet, and be a distraction. 

Beau, Molly, and Caleb were huddled in the corner, digging through board games and arguing over which was best for the night. Out of the corner of her eye, Beau saw Veth walk over to Yasha. 

“Yasha, I’m sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, especially after you helped me make dinner.”

“It's okay, Veth. I’m, um, just not super used to people thinking of me, I guess.” 

“We think of you all the time, Yasha!” Jester said in a voice that was bright and only a notch below a shout as she and Fjord re-entered the room,  “Like when you ran away last week. We were all really worried about you. But we know it wasn’t your fault that your wife died!” 

Molly elbowed her thigh gently at the same time Fjord put his hand over her mouth. 

“Ah, yes. I should apologize for worrying you all. I was, um, not myself that day. I didn’t mean to be a burden.” She was looking at the floor as she said it. 

“Yasha, that isn't what Jester meant.” Fjord drawled, “Yes, we were worried, but we aren't angry at you for that. We all are lucky to call you a friend and it can be difficult to see you hurting and not know how to best help.” 

“Well, I feel like I am the lucky one to have stumbled upon all of you. The texts helped. Not the day of, but after. It was nice to know that you all did not hate me.” Her eyes scanned the room and touched on everyone. 

Beau watched as Caleb moved to sit on the arm of the chair and placed his hand on Yasha’s shoulder, “You will come to find with this group we are all a pile of mistakes and insecurities held together through sheer will and the power of friendship. You are in good company.” He clapped his hands together suddenly, “Now, I fear I must destroy you all in Candy Land.” 

Caleb did in fact destroy all of them in Candy Land to the point that Beau and Molly teamed up to lift him from his spot to see where he was hiding all the cards he was clearly cheating with. When they came up empty, Beau decided that he still deserved some sort of consequence for being so smug, so she jabbed her fingers into his sides and wiggled them. 

“No!” he jumped away and tried to shield himself but that just opened up new spots to her quick fingers. She backed away after another moment to let him catch his breath, before locking eyes with Molly. His smile said it all. Beau feigned disinterest, moving as if to retake her seat, but at the last second she snuck behind Caleb and grabbed his wrists, “Gotcha, you little shit.” 

“ Ja , but you cannot do much from there.”

“Oh, I don’t have to do anything from here. Molly’s got that covered.”

Caleb barely had time to turn around before the tiefling was on him. This went on for a few moments before the front door opened and a little rocket bounced its way over to Beau. Luc grabbed onto her shoulders and tried to pull her off Caleb, but considering he weighed as much as a puppy, he ended up just becoming a squirmy backpack, “Let go of Cay! Don’t be mean to him!” 

Beau moved both of Caleb’s wrist to one of her hands and used the other to pull Luc around so she could look him in the eye, “But wouldn’t you like to know how to make Caleb do what you want all the time?” Beau asked the little halfling. His eyes lit up for a moment before Caleb wriggled free and grabbed him, sitting him on his lap. 

“Oh, but I already know all of this one’s weak spots. You can’t turn him against me, Beauregard.” He let Luc go with a quick tickle and a ruffle of his hair. 

“Alright, bedtime, little bit.” Veth called from her seat on the couch. 

“But, I didn’t get a chance to hang out with everyone.” Luc pouted. 

Fjord made a point of looking at his watch and producing a big, jaw-cracking yawn, “Well, I have to get home, it's actually my bedtime right now too.”

Jester joined in, “Oh man, it's actually past my bedtime. We better go.” 

Luc looked at them skeptically and turned to Beau, “Is it your bedtime?”

“Nope. I’m too cool for a bedtime.” 

Luc looked delighted as he turned towards his parents, “You know, I’m pretty cool.”

Beau avoided Veth’s pointed gaze. She yelped as an arm wrapped around her waist and threw her over a familiar muscled shoulder. “She’s just saying that because she’s so tired she can’t think straight, Luc. It is way past Beau’s bedtime. But she’s not good at following rules. Are you good at being a good boy and following rules? 

“I sure am!” He answered Yasha proudly. 

“Good. We will come over earlier next time so we can all hang out together and no one has to worry about bedtime.” She bent down and gave him a high five with the hand not holding onto Beau firmly. 

“Okay!” Luc said as he rushed up the stairs, Yeza following closely behind. 

“You are so lucky Yasha saved your ass.” Veth flicked Beau in the ear. 

“Thanks again for dinner, Veth.” Jester gave her and Caleb a hug on the way out. Everyone chorused their thanks as they left the Brenatto household, Beau still slung over Yasha’s shoulder. 

She followed the group to Fjord’s truck where she placed her girlfriend on the sidewalk and planted a kiss to the top of her head, “Let me know when you all get home.”

“Will do.” Fjord answered. “Thanks for keeping this one in check.” He pointed his thumb at Beau as he opened the passenger door for Jester. 

Beau leaned up to kiss Yasha squarely on her lips, “I’ll get you back for that you know.”

“I don't know Beau, you seem to like being thrown around a little bit.” Yasha winked at her before walking back down the sidewalk towards Molly. 

“Beau, stop staring and get in the truck or we're going to leave you.” Jester called. 

Beau got in the backseat and was teased relentlessly all the way home.

Chapter Text

The next weekend Beau let herself into Yasha and Molly’s apartment on Saturday evening. She’d taken Jester’s Saturday shift so she could take Fjord to some event at the aquarium in the next city over. She hadn't had any other plans, anyway, and she’d never been someone who could say no to Jester, so she worked the busy shift, ran home, took a quick shower, and grabbed pizza on her way over. 

“Yash, you guys have got to start locking your door. We’ve talked about this.” Beau walked in to find Yasha folding laundry on the kitchen table.

She looked up as the door opened and smiled, “Molly must have left it open on his way out. Oh well, that was only like an hour ago.”

“How you both are still alive is a fucking mystery to me.” Beau placed the pizza on the kitchen counter, giving Yasha a peck on the cheek as she passed. She opened the fridge and pulled out a sparkling water, “What do you want to drink?”

“Same thing, please.”

Beau grabbed another, set them on the counter, and reached into the cabinet above her for plates. She turned to find Yasha staring at her, one of Molly’s shirts halfway folded in her hand. 

“What?”

“You making yourself at home in my apartment is hot.”

“Oh, is it?” Beau smirked at her girlfriend, “Should I come over there and help you fold laundry? Start vacuuming?” She pitched her voice lower and turned back around to grab a paper towel for each of them, “Take out the trash?”  

Suddenly, there was a presence at her back and hands gripping her hips, pushing her gently into the counter, fingers cushioning the hard edge. 

“I know you’re joking, but thinking of you being so domestic and us sharing chores, gods Beau.” Teeth scraped along the side of her neck and she caught herself with her hands on the countertop before she collapsed into the cabinet door. Yasha chuckled behind her and she felt her knees almost give out. A kiss was placed to the top of her spine and then she was being spun around and lifted up, the backs of her thighs settling on the counter. Yasha put a hand on either of her knees, pushing them apart and stepping between them, keeping her hands there as she pulled Beau into a kiss. 

Beau let herself just be kissed for a moment, then her brain caught up and she pressed her tongue to Yasha’s bottom lip. 

Get your shit together, Beauregard, this isn't the first time a pretty girl has kissed you. 

But it was the first time Yasha had pinned her up against the counter and kissed her like she had plans. 

“Yash, do you want this to go further?” Mismatched eyes widened at her question, “Look, we can do this all night if that's what you want. Or we could go to your room and I could lay you down on your bed and show you what else I can do with my mouth?” 

“Um, yeah, yeah we can do that.” 

Beau caught her face in her hands and held it steady, “Hey, if you don’t wanna, that's okay, You don't owe me an explanation. We can make out some more or we can grab a blanket, cuddle on the couch, and eat pizza while watching a movie or two. Any of these options sounds great to me, because I’ll be with you.” 

“No, I, um, think I’d like to explore option number one.” Yasha’s eyes stayed locked on hers, “It’s just… I, um, only have… experience with Zuala. And that was a long time ago. So, I-I- don’t know how, um, good I’ll be.” 

Beau let her finish before tugging her into a soft, slow, lingering kiss. She rested their foreheads against each other when they broke apart for air, “C’mon.” Beau untangled herself from her girlfriend and pushed herself down from the counter, grabbing Yasha’s hand. 

Beau reached the door first, opening it with Yasha’s hand still in hers. The door shut with a loud slam and for the second time that night Beau found herself pushed up against a hard surface, caged in by a pair of pale, strong arms. Any hesitance seemed to be gone as the taller woman tilted Beau’s face up and kissed her hard, nipping at her lower lip. Her other hand found its way to Beau’s hip, fingertips playing with the hem of her loose tank top and dipping under to touch warm, muscled skin. 

Lips moved to her neck and she took this opportunity to lightly push her girlfriend back, being met with a confused look that turned into something darker as Beau grabbed the hem of her top and tugged it over her head, pulling the sports bra with it for expediency. A pulse ran down her body and made a home between her legs as her hot-as-fuck girlfriend literally gasped . Beau wasn't exactly known for dressing modestly, but this was the first time she’d been fully topless with a girl in months. Yasha moved back in, but this time her hands confidently slid up Beau’s ribs, fingertips brushing the side of her bare chest. She pushed harder into the kiss and used all her strength to push on Yasha’s thighs sending her wobbling backwards. The taller woman’s pupils blown wide, mouth parted and dark. Beau used her distraction to her advantage and pushed once more from her shoulders, Yasha’s knees hitting the mattress and folding under her. 

Yasha grabbed her waist and pulled Beau onto her lap, shuffling up the bed so they were in the middle. Beau spread her thighs, placing a knee on either side of Yasha. 

“Fuck, Yash.” Beau breathed out as Yasha’s mouth found her throat again and slowly made her way down, leaving light kisses on her collarbone, before pressing her tongue to the top of Beau’s breast, finding an already peaked nipple and sucking it into her mouth. 

Beau dropped her head back and moaned loudly into the room. 

Yasha gave the same attention to her other nipple and then lifted her head, “How are you feeling, baby? Still comfortable?”

“Mhmmmm, feels good.” She punctuated her statement with a hard suck to Yasha’s ear lobe, pulling it into her mouth and letting her teeth scrape before she let go. 

“Oh.” Yasha sounded surprised and Beau pulled back, eyebrows raised, “No one’s ever done that and it felt, um, better than I would've guessed.”

It made Beau lose her fucking mind, seeing the blush on her girlfirend’s face. She smirked. 

“I’m a great teacher.”

“Oh, you think you can teach me some things?” Yasha arched a brow, voice thick. 

“Why don't you lay back and find out.” Beau leaned her weight onto her hands, putting her firmly in Yasha’s space. Then, she kept leaning and the taller woman relented, dropping her back onto the bed with a small thump. She bounced a little and Beau grabbed her biceps to stay steady. 

Her mouth met Yasha’s in a slow, deep kiss. She pushed more of her weight down and Yasha moaned under her. Her hands went to Beau’s hips and she squeezed once. Beau took that as a challenge and gently bit down on the barbarian’s bottom lip. She moved down to her neck and Yasha tightened her grip again when she sucked on a spot above her collarbone. Beau scraped her teeth on the same spot and Yasha bucked her hips, sending Beau up with them. 

“Oh fuck, Beau, fuck .”

“Good girl, let me know what you like. Wanna make you feel good.” With that, Beau made her way down the other woman’s body. Taking her time to kiss and touch along exposed skin, but impatient for the first taste of her girlfriend. 

As she got closer to her pussy, Yasha’s face closed off minutely. Beau knew she was good at reading people. It had always been something she trusted herself on. It was a hindrance when her dad would say she did well and she knew he was lying. It was better when she was about to go down on a gorgeous woman. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Sometimes, uh…sometimes it takes me a bit to get off. It can be a problem.”

“So, what you’re telling me is I get to taste you for longer? Give my tongue a work out? Sweetheart, that's a dream, not a drawback.”

Yasha stared at her silently for a few moments, her face still guarded. Beau licked her lips, she was nothing if not eager to please. 

“So, can I? Taste you?” 

Yasha slowly nodded down at her, “Yes, please.” 

“So polite. I think that deserves a reward.” And then she dipped her head down, flattening her tongue to give a wide, broad lick. 

Yasha, who had been staring at her, leaned her head back against the pillow and let her fingers flex against the sheets. Beau gave another exploratory lick before pushing the tip of her tongue against Yasha’s clit. 

Hands came down and tilted her chin up. She met Yasha’s mismatched gaze. 

“Can we take it a little slower? That’s kinda the problem? I get oversensitive fast and then I can’t calm down and everything starts feeling like too much.” Her thumb was rubbing circles along Beau’s jaw as she spoke. 

“Yeah, I can do slow. You taste so fucking good. Could stay down here for hours if you let me.” 

That's the one thing Beau disliked about oral sex, she couldn't talk when her mouth was busy and she fucking loved to talk. 

She went back to it, slower this time, focusing more on deeper licks, kissing her hips and thighs between touches of her tongue. 

Soon, a hand found her hair and rested there. Hips began to make almost imperceptible twitches towards her face. Beau took a chance and lightly licked over Yasha’s clit again. She was rewarded with a loud moan and hips bucking into her nose. She instinctively pulled her face back. 

“Shit. Sorry, sorry.”

It’s okay, baby.” She hadn't realized just how wet she had gotten until this moment. She rocked herself down onto the mattress and groaned. 

“Here, let me help you with that. You’ve been down there long enough.” 

She ignored this and spread her attention out over Yasha’s whole pussy, but peppered in more direct licks every so often. She rubbed a thumb over the other woman’s thigh. 

“Want fingers?”

“Just one, please.” 

Beau didn't put it in right away. She rubbed her circles higher and higher, then circled Yasha’s entrance a few times, gathering wetness onto her finger. She slowly pushed in at the same time she sucked Yasha’s clit into her mouth. Yasha let out a shudder and for a moment Beau thought she might have come, but then she said, “So good, Beau. I think I’m getting close.” 

So, Beau redoubled her efforts, thrusting her finger in and out steadily, crooking it to find that little bit of texture along Yasha’s walls, and licking and sucking that bundle of nerves. It was a gorgeous show when Yasha came. The lighter parts of her hair spread out to form what looked like a halo around her head. One hand gripped the pillow next to her head, while the other was firmly planted on the back of Beau’s head, shaking. Her thighs pressed tight to Beau’s face for just a second, before probably realizing that she didn't actually want to crush her girlfriend’s skull, and falling back to the bed. A long gasp left her lips and then a sigh as she settled back down. Beau released her hips and felt her chest almost vibrating with how fast her breaths were coming. She reached down and pressed one more kiss right above Yasha’s clit and then jolted up the bed to kiss her, fingers finding her own clit as she went. 

Yasha kissed her back, a bit sluggishly, before pulling back. “Here, let me. How do you want me to make you come?” 

Hot. Beau’s brain supplied, “Your fingers, please. Anywhere, everywhere.” Beau knew she sounded desperate, but that's because she was . Body arching in on itself, trying to find any friction. 

“Come here.” Yasha laid them on their sides, face to face. She reached her hand down, fingers big and strong and rubbing just tight enough circles at the apex of Beau’s thighs to drive her crazy. 

“Yes, yes, please. In me, please.” Beau gasped out against Yasha’s collarbone. 

Yasha listened. She put one finger in Beau and her thumb took over making mind-numbing movements. After a few moments, Yasha added another finger and Beau keened at the stretch, thrusting down to take more. 

“Shhhh, I’ve got you, baby. You’re so beautiful like this. So handsome.” She whispered into Beau’s hair. 

And fuck it if that, along with a particularly precise circle and hard thrust inward, didn’t send Beau into the stratosphere. She rode Yasha’s hand and welcomed the pleasure of an orgasm not from her own hand. 

“Do you want another?” Yasha asked when Beau had settled down a bit. 

Beau laughed while tucking herself into her girlfriend’s side, “Maybe later. After I make you breakfast and make you come at least two more times.” 

She closed her eyes and wriggled down into the mattress. Yasha kissed her temple while pulling the blankets up over them both, “Okay, goodnight, Beau.” 

The woman in her arms was already asleep, cute little snores filling the room.