🪡༝༚༝༚₊ ⊹ 𝚓𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚜 ||

Even in public, you couldn’t help yourself but make up something on the spot whenever you saw a piano. Each piece of inspiration for every note and lyric in that notepad was woven throughout your daily life. In the big things and in little. 

✶♫⋆ Music was something casual to you, never something to stress out about, because you knew exactly how harsh the music world could be, no matter what specific path you went down. You were a little scared to go down that path anyway. 

Eventually, you got the hang of a little music theory and how each instrument could contribute to a song as a whole. Your music composition only leveled up over time the more you chipped away at the skill. 

✶♫⋆ You’ve known Sevika for quite some time, but you only recently found out her super-secret interest in music as well. She was shy about it at first, but thawed once she saw your wholehearted support.  

And in turn, you showed her your own creations. 

She sat at her piano bench. You sat in a chair adjacent. You flipped to a specific page and handed the notepad to her.

She skimmed the lyrics for a moment, the little chord symbols written out above the words. Sevika pleasantly raised her eyebrows and nodded. 

“This is good.” 

“Really? It’s not going to see the light of day, so why bother focusing on it?” You awkwardly laughed, attempting to take the thing out of her hands. Your palms sweat a little from the fact this was the first time that someone was seeing your work. And better yet, she liked it.

Sevika snatched it back. “It doesn’t have to see the light of day to be good, you know.” She smiled and turned back around, taking the notepad and putting it on the sheet holder. What was she doing?

You weren’t overtly flashy in such an impressive feat, and your hesitance intrigued her even more. She saw the passion you had for music too. 

You trusted her, though, so you let her keep going. 

She played the first chord, the sound ringing out in the room. Sevika looked back at the paper, squinting her eyes to see clearer before continuing. 

The next chord rang out. And what was most surprising to you was that she began to sing out the lyrics you wrote. Yes, it was far from polished and rehearsed, but it was impressive how she could just do that on the spot. 

Sevika matched the melody to the vibe of the piece, where she took the natural inflictions in her speaking voice as she read the lyrics and turned them into song. 

✶♫⋆ From then on, she always asked to see what you were currently working on and always wanted to play the songs you showed her. It became a favorite pastime whenever the two of you got together. 

“We should add a fill here, don’t you think?” She played a simple one out on the keys. 

“I think it sounds nice.” You nodded your head, humming it out, the cogs in your mind working to connect lyric to note. Sevika gave you inspiration and a more intense love for your hobby. 

Sometimes, you’d share a good laugh when she’d put you on the spot to freestyle lyrics as she played. Or when you duetted on the piano once in a while. 

Really, when you put your brains together, you two were able to make something great. You motivated each other, in a sense. 

Even though it was an activity that was meant to be simple, it was hard not to get stressed to make something new or amplify the songs you already had before the next time you saw Sevika. Like a ticking time bomb that would explode if you didn’t have a new song by the following week. Without even realizing, her encouragement to see and play what you wrote made you burnt out a little. 

But Sevika always reminded you, music shouldn’t stress you out. You didn’t have to impress anyone, because what mattered was your love for it. 

She shared her struggles with her relationship with music too one day. But she loved doing it, so any little setback became a healthy challenge to her.

✶♫⋆ You took her advice to heart, and explored when you wanted on your own time. With the pressure off of your shoulders, you picked up a few more instruments, learning how to incorporate them into your songs at a leisurely pace. You’ve gotten pretty good! 

Like with guitar, percussion, or even electronic music, you became more adventurous because you knew someone would always be there to support you in all of your endeavors.

✶♫⋆ Now, your musical visits at Sevika’s were full and warm. 

Every time you heard her voice, a fire lit in you, giving you your spark, the reason to keep on even bothering with music at all. 

You didn’t have to aim for your songs to go platinum or hit number one on the charts, because what mattered was how fortunate you were to have someone to share them with. 

✶♫⋆

‧₊ ♪˚⊹ Pianist!Sevika, after losing her left arm protecting Silco in the old cannery, lost any and all passion for music in turn. Her piano became just another surface for work documents and dust. 

She couldn’t bring herself to enjoy music again, not after everything that happened.

She kept this passion of hers hidden when she started to date you. Her upright piano was covered with a cloth and put against the wall, inaccessible behind storage trunks and old chairs. 

You discovered this one time when you came over, and somehow convinced her to show the side of her that no one ever saw before. 

The white sheet that covered the piano came off, revealing a dark brown antique piano, yellowed keys, and an intricately-designed music rack. She hadn’t seen the instrument in years. She threatened to close up again as you found an old box full of her records neatly stored, bringing back an aching past she couldn’t ever fully revisit. 

Until you asked her if she could play it. 

Sevika couldn’t possibly, right? She could not recall the last time she touched the keys or even looked at sheet music. 

But you sat patiently and waited for her on her own time. 

Eventually, she pulled the bench out and traced the keys with her flesh hand. Oh, that’s right, something drastically changed about her that was an essential part of playing the piano. 

While her metal extremities were state-of-the-art thanks to her job, it didn’t feel the same. Playing didn’t feel the same. 

She struck a simple chord on her piano with her right hand. It trembled. Slowly, she raised her mechanical left arm and tried to play the same chord. 

Shaky. 

Unstable. 

Out of tune.

And again, she closed herself up, unconfident in whatever skills she retained over the years. 

Though with your silent encouragement, she played the base melody of a random song she had in her songbook with her right hand at her own tempo and volume. And then, she began to quietly hum the tune to herself as she played. 

You listened intently to her humming, the intense focus of her knit eyebrows as she remembered each note. She was a great singer, coating your ears in honey and serenading you softly over something as simple as a hum. 

‧₊ ♪˚⊹ Pianist!Sevika, who filled her space with lively music in any form every time you visited ever since then. 

She even busted out her old record player just to introduce you to any of her favorite musicians you haven’t heard of yet. 

Sometimes, you’d romantically slow dance in her living area as an intimate song came on, just the two of you in the dark, laughing your asses off because neither of you knew how to properly dance.  

Sevika gained back her confidence to relearn some tunes, even though it was very difficult with her left hand. Sometimes, she’d skip out on game nights at The Last Drop to learn a new song for you. Her whole routine was replaced ever since she uncovered that piano.

Still, she worked endlessly to feel the same amount of passion she felt back then. 

‧₊ ♪˚⊹ Pianist!Sevika invited you to play with her one day. She offered to teach you if you didn’t already know how to play, but even so, the two of you learned something together, only making your relationship blossom. 

Later down the road, she hummed anywhere and everywhere at home. Upon entering the front door. In the shower. Tying her hair up in the mirror. Doing chores. Cooking your favorite meals. Lulling you to sleep. 

She sang loud and clear at the piano, her low and rich voice drawing you in. If she were a siren, you’d be long gone by now. 

Of course, she couldn’t play as accurately or as fast as before because of her prosthetic arm, but she learned to ignore the mistakes and instead focus on how full it made her soul. 

‧₊˚♪࿐₊˚⊹

‧₊ ♪˚⊹ Pianist!Sevika after becoming councilor was engulfed in even more work and responsibilities than ever, and had no time to listen or play music for leisure. She was finally working for a future that Zaun deserved, which meant the endless hours spent talking to ignorant government officials who didn’t know a lick of what life was actually like in the Undercity.

Every time she came home to her fancy Piltovian apartment (much to her disdain), her piano was there. All professionally tuned up and cleaned.

Even though some nights, if not most, she couldn’t dedicate a proper time to play her piano, it reassured her that an escape was there if she needed it. 

She even had a better prosthetic arm model thanks to her position, where it became easier to bend her fingers and move her arm to reach the keys. When she had the arm Jinx made for her, she had to take a little break from using her left, so she was happy that she was able to resume using that hand again. 

Music was her escape, her passion, her life, and love. 

No matter what your relationship was like with Sevika after all that happened, whether you two were still dating or not, she wouldn’t ever forget how you gave her that little push to come back to music.

hope you enjoyed!!! it's my first time doing something like this.

The two of you sat on a thin blanket enjoying how cool the air got at night. Unfortunately, as the evening progressed, more and more people and families started setting up their own blankets near you. 

Sevika swore that she knew a spot, a hilly place with a nice breeze where the two of you could enjoy your date in complete solitude, eat the snacks you made together, and maybe make out a little if you two felt like it. It was planned to be a romantic outing that served as an escape from your daily lives. 

Instead, the two of you ended up having your date the day the local fireworks display was being held, unbeknownst to either of you. And it turned out that your spot was the perfect place to view fireworks, and the whole city thought so too apparently.

The two of you were so confused why practically half the town was gathering here, until you overheard something about the annual fireworks show, or something along the lines of that. 

She was munching on a cookie as she scowled at the crowds beginning to form, sitting criss-cross with one arm propped up to support her. And don’t even get her started on the guy who decided to set his lawn chair up right next to you two even though there was ample space for him to sprawl out further away. 

Children and the noise they brought were irresponsibly let loose around the whole area, which continued to irritate Sevika more than she already was. It was supposed to be a date night, damn it.

“Sev, did you wanna move? I think I see a good spot over there—nevermind.” It was immediately claimed by another family. So you sighed and flopped down on your back, your head hitting the blanket with a soft thud. Guess you were stuck in the densest part of the crowd.

“Out of all days…” Sevika muttered to herself, rubbing the top of her nosebridge. You swore you saw another white hair magically pop out from her scalp. She was still in slight disbelief, as both of you were greatly looking forward to this at the end of your week after being apart for so long. 

You put a hand on her thigh and rubbed it endearingly. “Don’t blame yourself, I didn’t know either. Might as well enjoy it.” Shrugging, you popped another sweet treat in your mouth. All you could do was wait for the display to start. 

Sevika nodded, still a little frustrated at herself for not checking what day it was beforehand. “You’re right. Make the most of it.” She surrendered and cleared the blanket so she could lay down right next to you. 

Soon, a big flash of light shot up into the sky, signaling the start of the fireworks show. A golden firework blew and shimmered down, the sound grabbing everyone’s attention. You sat back and relaxed, melting into the blanket beneath you. 

Like instinct, your hands went up to touch her cheek, using your thumb to caress it slowly. “There’ll always be another time.” 

She nodded. “I know, I know—”

BOOM! A larger blue firework exploded.

You didn’t catch what she said. 

“Come again?” 

“I said—” 

BANG! Three more fireworks were set off. Cheers erupted as everyone in the park watched intently. Sevika paused this time and waited before continuing so the fireworks that rudely interrupted her would pass. 

“—We should come back here next week. Have some actual alone time for a change.” 

The various colors bounced off of your faces, the reds, the blues, the purples—reflecting off of Sevika’s utterly handsome complexion as she propped herself up on her side. 

“At a park? I fear we’re never going to be alone in that case.” You chuckled. “And I thought you said you knew a spot? How secluded did you say this was?” 

Well, off the bat you knew that it wouldn’t be as desolate as Sevika described because how private could it be at a public park? To rile her up and get her a little embarrassed was something you couldn’t resist though. 

“Yeah.” She looked around awkwardly, avoiding your question.

Another few fireworks went off, this time in the shape of red and pink hearts. Then another, which looked like a green bouquet. Maybe you were seeing shapes in the fireworks that weren’t there because you were so enamored with Sevika. Maybe not. 

“...It was pretty empty last time I came here.” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, ‘Vika.” You joked. She half-laughed at your quip. 

Before you knew it, her right hand inched towards yours on the blanket, (in)discreetly crawling to meet your hand. It wasn’t as stealthy as she thought, considering how you shifted your body to comfortably face her, attaining a better view. Screw the fireworks, this was far better.

It started with a pinky going to yours, intertwining. Then the rest of her long digits, serving as a cushion for your hand to rest on. 

She softly smiled. 

You did too. 

Now, the crowd disappeared in your eyes. Tuned out the entire display while you were at it. Sounds muted and the rest of your vision blurred.

But your system couldn’t possibly tune out Sevika. If you had it your way, you’d smother her face with kisses, gaze into those gray eyes that went soft only for you, and hold her tight forever. 

You lovingly trailed your eyes down her features, down to her lips, where you scooted closer to have a better look. Lights flashed in her eyes, reflecting the colorful gunpowder explosion in her irises. Your breath hitched. You felt all jittery, and that feeling grew in your stomach, fluttering with such an intensity that your heart pounded. 

A whole fireworks display in front of you and you still couldn’t take your eyes off of her. 

It was almost like you were falling in love with your girlfriend again. 

“What?” She asked, raising a playful brow. 

“Nothing.” But you couldn’t contain the strong grin forming on your face.

“It’s gotta be something, doll. What is it?” 

“Can I kiss you?” 

“You don’t even need to ask.” Folded. Immediately. With no hesitation at all. 

And after the climax of the fireworks show hit, a bombardment of fireworks in various shapes and colors came into view, booming in your ears, drowning out the commotion of the park-goers. 

Sevika pulled you in, close enough where you felt each other’s breaths fan against your faces, where she connected her lips with yours. She cradled your face with such care. 

Neither of you bothered to give a second thought to everyone enjoying the fireworks display around you. They didn’t matter in the moment, all that mattered was your girlfriend. 

You could melt in the summer heat with how soft she was for you, pumping your veins with reason. 

The fireworks display officially ended, where a plethora of cheers, claps, and whistles went on in the background. But you were still so focused on her. 

The kiss lasted for quite some time where people began to pack up and leave the park. It was warm, filled up your heart with affection to the point where neither of you dared to pull away.

Even if your date night was ruined, it was still perfect because she was there with you. The park wouldn’t leave, but everyone else would eventually. 

So you stayed there, long after the smoke from the fireworks cleared up, in each other’s arms, finally back in the secluded spot where you first intended to have your date at. 

hope u guys liked my little sevikalings on the banner 😜!!!

oh em gee!!! this story has come to an end, and I hope that this chapter wraps it up in a super cheesy and cliche way!!!

either way i was kicking my feet and twirling my hair writing this chap, and I hope you enjoyyy! I wish I could've written more, but I had no time left (im traveling soon) 😭

thank you all for staying through the whole journey! 💕

A warm, soft pair of lips brushed against your skin. You shuffled in the sheets, and groaned out a ‘five more minutes’, too unbothered to open your eyes. 

Another quick peck on your cheek. Your eyelids fluttered for a moment, but they didn’t open. 

You only opened your eyes when a warm light from the blinds hit your skin, and that’s when you saw the glorious sight of Sevika in front of you, laying on her side, head resting on her propped up right arm. 

Her hair was all tousled and messy. More gray than before. You slowly noticed that she stopped trying to prick and prod at the lighter hairs or douse them in hair dye. And as your gaze drifted down her body, she was in nothing but her boxers. Of course she was. She probably ran hot last night but didn’t want to bother you with the fan. 

“Mornin’.” 

Her soft stomach and low waistband said it all. 

“Morning, ‘Vika.” You groaned out, stretching away all the sleepiness from your system. Your eyes darted down, then quickly back up as a stifled giggle left your lips in a poor attempt to hide what you were looking at. 

“Sleep well?” Sevika asked. 

“Yeah, slept really well last night.” You turned your body from beneath the sheets to get a better look at her. 

The night before, you both wore yourselves out by adding the finishing touches to your mini, impromptu home renovation, falling asleep at the prompt time of six thirty in the evening after working so hard. 

It started as you somehow accidentally dislodging a wooden panel in the hallway closet. There, you found some wallpaper that was covered right up over the years. Still in decent condition, the two of you decided to take all the wood out. Then it was the carpeting. It was due for a deep clean, and eventually, led to re-painting some things, and replacing old aspects of the home, but kept its old charm, of course. 

Sevika inched closer to you on the mattress and pulled you in for a deep kiss on the lips. 

Once she pulled away, a light smile formed on her face. 

 “Happy Birthday.”

Your eyes lit up. Was it today? You almost forgot even after endlessly preparing to celebrate it.

It had been quite some time since you settled back into Sevika’s home for the very last time. 

“That’s today?” You groaned. “Well, no matter how hard I try, I’ll never get away from it.” 

“From what?” Her voice was low and gravelly, and every morning now, you were graced by that sound. 

“Being fifty.” 

“Oh please. You’ll get used to it in no time.” Sevika rolled out of bed and rounded the bedframe, heading to your side. Planting a kiss on your cheek, she gently slid the covers off of you. 

While the kiss felt warm, it was just a distraction from the morning chill that penetrated your body. 

“Hey! I was gonna sleep in today.” You giggled and snatched the thick blanket right out of her hand. 

“Hah, I know you, no you’re not.” 

“Fine, fine. I’ll get up.” You sat up, stretching all your muscles that had been giving you problems these past few days. 

When you stood up, Sevika pulled you in for another deep kiss on your lips. You wrapped your arms around her neck, chest to chest, and gave her a smooch. 

She mumbled, “A happy birthday to you.” 

You looked down at her bare chest, staring you right in the face. All her scars, new and old, the ones that she told you about, and the ones that she acquired when you were apart. They were sprinkled across her skin, which made you warmer during this chilly fall morning. 

“What’s wrong, doll?” 

“Nothing.” You shook your head. It would be a bit too early to get it on, perhaps? Still, your eyes drifted down Sevika’s half-naked form, eager to ravage her in her entirety. 

Really, you thought that when you entered the stage of life where everything went upside down hormone-wise, you would get less horny and more unfunny. You hoped that neither of those were true. 

“It’s not nothing,” She held your cheek in her flesh hand, which made you melt into her touch. “Tell me.”

“You look really good today. I mean, when are you not?” 

“Oh, I see what you mean. Too shy to ask, pretty girl?” 

“...Yeah, and it’s too early for it, don’t you think?” You looked down at your feet all flustered but needy. You wanted her now, but you still had so much to do, and so much to prepare. 

“It’s never too early. Now, c’mere.” 

Sevika guided you back to the bed, prosthetic arm still off. On the sheets, you landed with a soft thud as the excitement in your system built up. 

Climbing on top of you, she slotted her strong thigh in between your legs as she kissed you. Practically feeling your clit pulse through your pyjama pants, she groaned in your mouth. 

“Fifty, huh? You look too damn good to be fifty.” She panted in desperation. 

“Oh, we both know that’s not true.” You playfully hit her shoulder. 

“I’m not lying.” She kissed your forehead as she ran her only flesh hand down your hip, tugging on your clothes to take them off. 

“Can’t even wait to get your arm on to fuck me, huh?” You helped her out by taking the fluffy pants off and tossing them over to the side, leaving you in your panties. 

Sevika rolled her eyes. “You caught me. Wait here.” She got off of you (sadly), to re-attach her arm for the day, she went to the other side of the room and dug into her bedside drawer for something else. 

What could it be?

She went to the bathroom to re-adust the socket for her arm in better light, and you didn’t even bat an eye when she brought more than she usually did out into the hall, hidden among her other things. You couldn’t make out what it was exactly she brought out from the corner of your eye, but you dismissed it as nothing. 

Sitting at the bedside, it was a bit nervewracking. Fifty, half a century, only a few more years until you reached life expectancy, more health issues piled up on top of the ones you already had because of age, the risk of osteoporosis, and just overall fragility that would be increased as you aged.

Thinking about it was so scary. 

But Sevika hit fifty before you. 

It wasn’t so bad for her, so why would it be so bad for you? 

The sound of the door creaking and Sevika verbally taking note to fix it later interrupted your thoughts. 

Her arm was back on, and she was smirking. 

Oh no, you were in for it this morning (more like an oh, yes). 

Trailing your eyes down her form, she was still bare in her upper half, same boxers and everything, save for the black harness that peeked from the waistline and sat comfortably at her hips. You bit your bottom lip as she shut the door and approached. 

Blinds half-open, the light spilled in some parts of the room, making the moment a whole lot more intimate for the both of you. 

“This is my birthday present?” You raised an eyebrow and smirked. 

“One of many.” She took your hand and kissed it. “No returns, though. I didn’t get a receipt for this.” She joined you on the bed and sat behind you, legs wrapping around your form, hugging you from behind. 

God, you wished you could just stay like this forever. Engulfed in Sevika’s scent, worked up, and more overjoyed than you’ve ever been. 

You felt the bulge beneath her boxers rubbing into your lower back. You adjusted your hips to be more comfortable, but couldn’t ignore what was there in front of you, well, behind. 

Still, Sevika teased you further, testing your patience. She buried her face in your back, breathing in deeply. “Ill pick up the cake later today,” 

“Mhm,” You reached behind you to play with her hair. 

“And I’ll handle the finishing touches for the decorations,” 

“Yup.” 

“And I’ll make sure everything is perfect for you, doll.” 

“Thanks.” 

“You don’t have to lift a finger today.” 

“What?” You turned to her, giving her your full attention. 

“Or ever, for matter of fact, if you don’t want to.” 

The bulge of her strap rubbed your back in a way that made you stumble on your words. You knew what she was doing to you, but she acted as clueless as ever. 

“After all, it’s your special day.” She kissed the side of your head, just a little past your ear. 

You turned around, now straddling her strong hips, about to kiss her back, wanting to soothe the aching between your legs. 

But she stopped you. 

“Not a finger today.” Giving you a light smile, she laid you down comfortably on the pillows, knowing that your back could be a bit unpredictable sometimes, you watched as she slowly pulled down her boxers. 

Her cock sprang free from the confines of her bottoms. Long and black, it practically screamed Sevika. 

She climbed on top of you, hand on either side of your face. Then, you reached up to run your fingers through her hair as she trailed her fingers down to the waistband of your underwear. 

Sevika traced the bottom of your stomach where your panties met it, making you shiver. Her lips went straight back to yours like a magnet. While her hand gently glided over your mound and further down, she made out with you like nothing else mattered. 

The tips of her fingers ran over your clothed clit for just a moment, but you twitched out of pleasure, eager to take her in. You could feel her strap brush the skin of your abdomen as she was on top of you. 

You moaned into her mouth, and that’s when she decided to slide your panties down to your knees. At the sight of your pulsing pussy, she licked her lips and went to trail the kisses down your abdomen, pulling your t-shirt up. 

Her hand went and teased you. Brushing through your hair down there, she went lower and ran her fingers down both lips in the shape of a ‘V’, spreading you open. 

You sighed airily and relaxed into her touch. There, she went lower and entered just the tip of her finger, where you clenched around practically nothing. She drove you crazy. You loved it. 

“Are you wet for me, baby?” She whispered as she began to rub your sensitive bud in slow, gentle circles. 

Fuck, you wanted to be. 

But you just weren’t. You couldn’t.

As age began to seep through your body, you found it increasingly difficult to get wet. It didn’t mean that you weren’t aroused. Hell, you were so horny right now, it was becoming impossible to think. 

Maybe you could rub yourself for a while, but who knew how long that would take, getting amply moist enough for her and her strap. You worried what Sevika might say. She would think that you weren’t good enough to match her pace in the bedroom anymore. Damned menopause. 

Looking to the side, away from Sevika, you sighed in disappointment in yourself. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked, slightly backing away from you, her touch on your pussy fading away as her hand came up to brush against your cheek. 

“I just can’t. I can’t get wet right now, but fuck, I need this, Sevika.” You covered up your chest lazily with your hand, put your legs back together. You were supposed to be carefree at fifty. But all you were now was just a heap of long-standing self-doubt. 

But Sevika didn’t care. 

“Not to worry. Hold on.” Crawling over to the nightstand, she reached into the same drawer and pulled something out. She held a bottle of lube up to you, popping the cap open with your thumb. “I want you to enjoy this as much as I do, doll.” 

Instantly, you knew better. You knew that she wouldn’t judge you for something you couldn’t control. She squirted a good amount of lube on her hand, then rubbed it down on your pussy. 

You felt better, enjoyed every moment of it. 

As she rubbed it in, you looked her in the eyes, loving and caring. Aside from her strong exterior, she handled you with the utmost care. 

You ran your hands down her back as she inserted a finger and began pumping your hole tantalizingly slowly. It was an easier fit because of the lube, and you couldn’t thank her enough for it. 

Sevika inserted another finger, making you feel full even though you two barely even started. You gripped the sheets, feeling extra sensitive and vulnerable. Wet sounds came from you, and she brushed the slick of the lube on your clit with your thumb, a jolt of pleasure hitting you unexpectedly. 

She curled her long fingers, deliciously hitting the spot that made your eyes shut and back arch off of the mattress. She put you closer and closer to the edge and sped up her thrusts, whispering in your ear, asking how good it felt now. 

“You feelin’ alright?” 

“Mn, yeah, more than alright.” You smiled with low eyes, as you could do nothing but simply drool at the fact that you were in this state because of her fingers alone. 

You craved her strap now. 

You reached down to run your hands over the veiny silicone, silently asking if she could help you out already. 

“That needy, huh?” She enticingly licked the side of your neck slowly, earning a whimper from you in response. 

“Yeah…” It came out like a whisper. 

“Let me make you come from my fingers first, how does that sound, doll?” She continued pumping in and out at a fast tempo, the constant thrusts drawing you dear orgasm. 

You frantically nodded. “Mn, yeah, good.” 

You shivered in delight, your orgasm washing over you.

“Happy birthday, baby.” She said as you came into her hand. 

She traveled down your body and spread your legs open again. She put her face near your heat, running your hands over your legs to calm you down from that high. Sevika looked up at you, asking if she could lap up your slick. 

When you nodded, she dove in, her tongue in your hole and nose hitting your clit just right. You rode her face, still ultra-sensitive after coming. You couldn’t deny her that taste of you, not ever. 

She suddenly separated from your cunt, where she crawled to angle herself just right with your aching hole.

“Gonna fuck you now, are you okay?” 

“Yes,” You panted. “please.” 

Before that, she added more lube and rubbed it in, causing you to jolt in surprise again, but melted into the sensation. 

Sevika inserted just the tip for now, testing the waters to see how you’d react. And of course, she made you want it even more. Then, she went in further, just thrusting in and out of you unbelievably slow with only half the length of her strap. 

“All stretched out?” Her hair covered her face from the sides as her body hovered over yours. This position looked like she was reserved just for you, and only you. And that was true. 

“Mhm.” 

Her pace increased, her beautiful hips bucking back and forth, while you just sat there with your mouth open and eyes rolled back. Her hands gently held you by the hips to get better leverage and to ensure that she stayed at a comfortable pace for you. 

She just listened to your body, and it came so naturally. 

You could come from the thought of her servicing you like this whether it be in bed or any other aspect in your life. Only except it wasn’t a thought, and it was your reality. Every single day with her now. 

The bed creaked as she thrust harder into you, bodies moving in tandem. She broke a sweat in the chilly morning, and you would definitely be feeling the effects of it later. 

You felt the damp and sticky sweat on her thighs as your skin met, dick hitting you in all the right places. Your pussy clenched tightly around her, and she could feel it. 

Your muscles tensed again, a wave of warmth spread throughout her body, signaling that you were on the verge of coming hard. She rubbed your clit in firm circles, and you could feel that she was trying to to hold back from roughly fucking you silly. 

“Ah, Sev—!” You gasped as a strong, muscle-spasming orgasm washed through your system, your eyes rolled to the back of your head, your legs twitched, and you threw your arms up around her neck for support. 

Your thighs clenched and you lifted your head. She fucked your through it all, slowing down at a steady rate to make sure she drained you of every last drop properly. 

And she, too, ended up chasing her orgasm when she saw the look on your face, the heat that the two of you created that filled the room, the plush of your skin, and the sweet scent of your arousal that drove her crazy. 

With one last thrust, she came hard, but she continued to fuck you through yours completely. Her hips stuttered a bit, and her hands gripped your soft skin tighter. 

She almost fell on top of you, though you wouldn’t have minded, not one bit. Sevika’s strap stayed inside of you for a while as the two of you just sat there, panting and recovering. 

She kissed you sloppily, tasting the remnants of you on her tongue. 

“Thanks for the gift, ‘Vika.” 

“I’ll give you another gift if you want, doll.” She managed to wink. 

You tried to sit up to go to the bathroom in order to clean yourself up, but she wouldn’t let you. Not a finger, she reminded. 

She took her harness off and left the room and came back with a warm damp towel to clean the sticky mess between your thighs, a mixture of sweat, slick, and lube. She spread your bare thighs once more, and cleaned you up as gently as ever. 

When she reached your sore pussy, she lightly ran over it with the cloth, still sensitive. You let out a light moan when she began to clean it up all the slick, running over your clit with the warm towel. 

She couldn’t help but to plant a kiss right on the nub, which elicited an electric feeling through you. After playfully running your hands through her hair, you sat up. 

“Thank you love, I need to brush my teeth now,” You groaned, sliding your panties back on. “And shower.” 

Without a word, her hands scooped you up from beneath your thighs, lifting you out of bed and carried you to the bathroom. It wasn’t the first time she did this either. 

She made sure you were stable enough to stand on your own, bare feet on the cold tile. 

She also made sure that you would never doubt her devotion to you ever again. 

You took your toothbrush and added a glob of toothpaste to it, only to see Sevika staring at you through the mirror, practically unreadable. 

“What?” You turned and quirked an eyebrow. “Not going to brush your teeth? Live with morning breath the whole day?” 

Or, with what she said earlier, you half-expected her to offer to brush your teeth for you. 

“Nothing.” She looked down and smiled, her gray and black hair veiling her face. “You’re beautiful, that’s all.” She admired you in the mirror, doing something as simple as brushing your teeth. 

Damn her for making you feel this way. 

You patted her cheek endearingly. “Don’t get all sappy on me, ‘Vika.” You began to brush your teeth. “I barely woke up, and I don’t wanna cry, m’kay?” You turned back to her with a mouthful of foamy toothpaste. 

She smiled and shook her head, heading to the kitchen, presumably to make you something to start off your day, nutrition-wise. She gave you a whole figurative meal in bed already. 

“Hey, are you not going to brush your teeth?” You shoulder from the bathroom. Gosh, it felt good to be able to yell freely again without getting a noise complaint. “Morning breath’s not a good look on you.” You joked, hopefully getting a response out of her.

She soon came back into the bathroom with an apron already over the t-shirt that she discarded on the floor last night. 

“Forgot,” was all that she said before picking up her toothbrush and turning the water on. 

“Aw, did I make someone flustered?” 

She shook her head. “No.” 

You definitely did. You didn’t want to take her compliment earlier for granted, so you returned it. 

“Well, you’re so, utterly, handsome. And here I thought you were hot when we started dating thirty years or so ago, but look at you now.” You finished up your brushing and pulled Sevika in by the waist. 

She let herself be dragged by you. 

“And it’s not just your hot bod that drew me in again,” You ran your hands up and down her back. “You’re so good to me, ‘Vika. More than ever. Sometimes more than I think I deserve.” 

Sevika went in for another kiss (seriously, you should get a nickel for every time you kissed that morning, and you’d be a millionaire), but you teasingly covered her mouth with your hand. 

“Brush your teeth first,” You joked. When you saw Sevika’s pouty face and insistence on kissing you, you ultimately gave in to her. Who would ever deny her a kiss? 

After that, you started the shower up and hopped in with her. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

She made you a hearty breakfast, even though you said you’d be fine with some toast or something. But her word was final. You just sat at the counter and watched her cook. She really took the ‘not a finger’ thing seriously today. 

You were about to help her with the pile of pots and pans that were about to topple over in the sink, but she blocked you off and said no. Told you to go do something you liked while she took care of everything. 

“‘Vika, at least a pot. I can help you. You know the saying, teamwork makes the… uh…” 

“No. Read a book or something.” She crossed her arms and turned back to the sink and grabbed the sponge. “I bet you’re dying to finish your TBR list.” 

At first, it came off as affectionate, which you knew was her intention. A special type of treatment (not really, you get this all the time ever since you moved back in) for your special day, on a special milestone. But it was getting increasingly annoying that she wouldn’t let you do anything at all. 

When you reached for the broom to sweep up some crumbs from breakfast, she simply plucked them out of your hands and did them herself. 

You decided to clean the windows on the house since people were coming over later, but Sevika stopped you before you could even spray the glass cleaner on and went to fetch the stepstool for those hard-to-reach places. 

So, you decided to pick up a boring novel you haven’t finished yet, hopefully to pass the time. 

Twenty minutes passed in your room on your bed alone, and you had been reading the same page over and over again because you couldn’t concentrate. 

You couldn’t take it. 

Not on your special day. 

So you had a plan—a masterplan to royally piss her off, have some fun while you were at it. 

When you peeked into the main area, she was humming something as she fluffed up the pillows on the new couch that you brought in from your apartment. 

You snuck into the garage, successfully avoiding her view to pick up the duster. When you rushed back to your room, you took the fluffy cleaner and began dusting the bookshelf, even if it didn’t need the attention. 

You were basically faking it at this point when Sevika soon walked into the bedroom, untying her apron. 

“I’m gonna pick up the cake, so sit tight—what are you doing?” She reached behind you to pluck the duster out of your hands. “Absolutely not. Your special day, remember, doll?” 

“Can you let me do one goddamn thing in this house today?!” You put a hand on your hip as her face went cold. 

She didn’t mean to, she just wanted to pamper you and make you feel special. And still, to apologize for all that she made you feel in the past. You could feel that behind every action of hers. 

Honestly, all the pampering kisses and mind-blowing sex in the world wouldn’t ever make you forget what you felt like before you divorced her. But what she had been doing ever since you reunited was to write a better life together. 

You knew that she was trying to compensate in any little way she could. 

You brushed your thumb over her scarred cheek, voice lowering. “Really, I’m okay. I love all that you’re doing for me today, and every day, but I would like it if you toned it down a little bit, hm?”

She sighed into your touch, eyes closing. “Sorry. I had a feeling that it’d be too much.” It was like her whole body deflated from all the tension. “I just wanted this day to be perfect for you.” 

You planted a peck on the tip of her nose. “Don’t you worry. Today’s been as perfect as ever. And besides, there will be plenty more birthdays to come.” 

“I guess so.” She then tossed her apron on the bed after you let her go and went to the closer to pick out her outfit to go to the bakery she ordered the cake from. 

As she sifted through her collection of cargos, you came up right behind her. “So, can I pick up the cake?” 

“Doll—” She sighed, but it was what you wanted, and she couldn't deny you that. “Fine. It’s under my name.” 

“Thank you, love.” You kissed her goodbye and went to grab your things to leave, taking the keys to her truck. And on the drive there, you mentally tallied how many kisses you gave each other to see if you’d strike it rich today. 

Quadrillionaire or not, life was rich enough with her. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Out of all the planning you made, the things you bought to ensure that all your guests would be comfortable at your house, the catering and the music, you never bothered to think about what you’d wear to your own birthday party. 

So you stared at your shared closet, thirty minutes before the party was set to start. Guests could be coming anytime soon, and you were mentally panicking. Your eyes darted to all the color options and all the types of outfits you could make on a whim. 

Sevika came in to ask you something, but forgot it the moment she walked in on you discussing your decisions to yourself, hair and makeup already done, but your outfit undecided. 

“I bought this one a while ago, but this color is pretty. Hm, only if this one had that color, it’d be cuter—” 

“Baby?” 

You whipped your head around. “Yeah?” 

“Need any help?”

You shook your head. “I don’t know. Just deciding on what to wear. Any suggestions?” You started showing off all your hangers of clothing in her face, but you ended up overwhelming her with all the options. 

She eventually closed her eyes and picked one from the back of the closet, hoping for the best. Hopefully it wasn’t a top, so she wouldn’t have to choose something else to pair it with using the same tactic. 

But what she chose made your face light up in excitement. 

A muted cerulean backless midi dress. You didn’t remember purchasing it at all, and nor did you remember packing it up during the move. Strange. 

Sevika sighed to herself in relief at the dress she picked out, but you didn’t catch it. You took it off the hanger. 

“This one’s gorgeous. Help me try it on?” She didn’t need to, you didn’t need the help, but you insisted anyway. And she happily obliged. 

You took your shirt and pants off and tossed them in the hamper, along with your underwear too, going to search for a matching set that’d pair well with the dress, even if no one was going to see it but Sevika. 

She carefully held the dress folded over her forearm as you disrobed in front of her. The sight of you in your bare form once again was a sight she could never grow tired of, not even with age. 

Sevika then carefully untied the cloth that would hold the dress halterneck up around your neck. As you received the dress from her hands, it fit like a damn glove. Strange. 

She couldn’t take her eyes off of you. She drank every inch of you, from your toes to the top of your head. The way the neckline plunged so deliciously down your chest. How your hips were so squishable in her hands. 

“I see that you’re not dressed up yet,” You smiled as you trailed a hand down her chest. “You should change, too.” But that look you gave her said everything. “Why don’t you strip for me, hm?” 

“Bold, aren’t you?” She chuckled, shirt already halfway off. 

“It’s my birthday, isn’t it?” 

“Consider this your third gift of the day, doll.” 

Being an empty-nester had its pros and cons, well mostly pros like this one. 

You smiled, smoothing the dress down your thighs as it flowed like water as you walked. And in a conveniently-placed armchair right by the bed, she fell back onto the hard cushion and sat with spread legs. 

You went down on your knees, but not before Sevika caught you at the last second and slid a pillow down onto the carpet. As you knelt between her thick thighs, you hooked your thumbs beneath her waistband of her shorts and boxers, pulling them down in one quick go. 

There, you could see the dark curls that filled her lower area. And in them, was her pretty pussy daring to peek out. She raised her hips and put them forward a bit to help you, and you couldn't help but start short licks on her sensitive bud. 

She jolted her hips up as you spread her open with your two fingers, saliva dripping onto her cunt. 

“Fuck the cake, this is way better.” You cracked a joke as you eagerly buried your nose deep into her, then going to lick her up in small stripes as she held your face in both her hands ever so gently. 

She rolled her hips into your mouth with every lick and suck. 

It would probably be less than thirty minutes before the doorbell would ring. 

You were sure that you could make her come at least twice by then. 

Sloppy sounds left your mouth as you sucked on her clit, her wetness dripping down your chin, probably staining the seat below her. 

She moaned your name out, hands flying to the armrests to hold onto, so she wouldn’t hurt you with her iron grip. You moved your head back and forth as you dipped a finger in her as you paid the utmost attention to her needy clit. 

Best birthday gift ever. 

Soon, she bucked her hips upwards into your mouth, coming without warning. You lapped up all that left her and continued to push her through her orgasm until completion. 

You licked her wet folds eagerly. You placed a hand atop hers on the armrest. Looking up at her willingly, you asked, “Another one?” She nodded without hesitation, barely catching her breath. 

There was still a lot of time left. She came fast, and she wanted to come again. So you decided to push two fingers in her, feeling her in all her wetness, lewd schlick sounds leaving her hole every time you thrusted. 

“Shit,” She said through a stifled groan. “Eating me up so well.” 

“Mmph, all for you, ‘Vika.” You had her cunt filling your mouth with the delicious taste of her slick. Still sensitive from the orgasm she had a minute ago, she threw her head back as you fucked and ate her out. 

Your fingers became sopping wet with her juices, but you didn’t care one bit. Your arm cramped up and the pain was ignored for the sake of Sevika’s pleasure, just the way you wanted it. 

Tongue swirling in loose circles, you bullied her clit with your wet muscle until she was writhing in pleasure. You could just imagine it within her, each lick sending up signals of pleasure to her brain, which could elicit the noises from her that were reserved for you and you only. 

Eventually, she reached orgasm once more, and you drank it all up. Tasting her far outnumbered every single thing you’ve had in your life. You basked in Sevika’s openness to you, and made sure her vulnerability was not in vain.

Her flesh hand softly disconnected your mouth from her soaking pussy. She took a moment to recollect herself on the chair, running a hand through the strands of hair that were sticky with sweat. 

She cursed beneath her breath as you rose up and sat on the armrest at her side. You sifted your digits through her hair, causing her to nearly slump over and call it a night at four in the afternoon. 

See, you did make her come twice in a span of mere minutes. 

The light peeking from behind the blinds meant that the sun was getting low, which meant your guests could be arriving anytime soon. Which meant that you couldn’t stay like this forever. 

Sevika stood up from her chair and slid her boxers back on. “...Guess I’ll shower… again.” She was still probably shy from all the whining and whimpering you made her do. Walking to the closet, she picked out the clothes she was going to wear for later and headed to the bathroom. 

You laughed and promised that you’d be fine with handling everything. Though, you couldn’t help but slip into the bathroom to wash your hands, conveniently at the same time Sevika turned the shower on. 

Back in the hallway mirror, you fixed up your hair and re-applied some lipstick. And looking at yourself giving one last twirl, you headed to the living room to eagerly wait for people to arrive. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

“So, what do you do for work?” Asked the fifth person that hour. Honestly, Sevika was perfectly comfortable with entering a room and having everyone know her name and face. It was a given, being a well-known figure in the underground and all. But for people to actually strike up a conversation with her like they’re all buddy-buddy with her was something foreign. 

You asked Sevika to invite anyone she knew. 

Except, all the people she did know were her rowdy co-workers and past ‘co-workers’, who she still had the contact information for. She pinched the top of her nosebridge when she saw some of the guys congregating in a tight circle in the corner of the backyard, smoking. People she’d have to kick out the moment their antics got even the slightest bit out of hand. Old habits died hard, she guessed, but that was no excuse for anyone to ruin your special day. 

She sighed and shook her head. She couldn’t deal with them right now, so maybe she could go to the other end of her small backyard, where you were at, talking to a group of acquaintances you hadn’t seen in a while. 

On second thought, Sevika didn’t want to interrupt, so she headed to the cooler for another drink. On her way there, Ran was leaning against the wall next to the box, observing. She was about to ignore them, until they spoke up, crossing their arms. 

“Nice place you have here.” 

Her face contorted for a split second, but she responded with a curt “Thanks,” as she dug through the ice to find her favorite drink. 

Sevika stood beside them and cracked the cold can open as they now both observed the party. The music droned into her ears, the low warmth coming from the string lights haphazardly woven between each wooden fence post. 

“Thanks for bringing your pastries.”

“No problem. I did it ‘cause I wanted to.” 

Sevika’s eyes followed you as you walked across the concrete stones on the grass with your heels to greet a late guest, dress flowing with you. 

Three of four birthday gifts. Well, if the other two counted as birthday gifts to you, even if you could receive them where and whenever. 

A wave of silence was between them. Sevika was recharging from all that monotonous social interaction, trying to keep on a calm and hopefully good demeanor towards those you knew. She was a bit restless, though. She couldn’t help it. 

“Are you going to ask her?” 

Sevika quirked a brow. She didn’t bother to look at them. 

“Yeah.” 

She coughed into her arm awkwardly after finishing her drink in record time. 

“Eventually.” 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

The guests surrounded the table that was pushed outside. There, sat all the food and desserts, pastries courtesy of Ran, and all the rest of your favorites. Right in the middle was your cake. The cake that Sevika specifically ordered to suit your tastes. 

It was covered in white frosting and single-tiered, hopefully enough to feed everyone at the party. The candles that made a number fifty were lit by Eve for you. Excitedly, you stood behind the table, posing for the endless amount of pictures everyone was taking. 

You took a deep breath before you blew out the flame, and a wave of applause and cheers followed after. You looked up, past the waxy candle smoke, and to the faces of everyone who showed up for you on your special night. 

Fifty. 

The milestone you never envisioned yourself hitting thirty years ago. 

All the years you tried to abuse them away with either alcohol or other substances when you were just plain stupid—you thought that your actions would rack up to this specific birthday. 

All the hardships you’ve faced with being disowned, the world condemning you, adopting your daughter, divorcing, moving out, all of it. It always seemed so big in the moment—and they were, but you wouldn’t have been so worried if you learned that it’d all work out okay. 

You carefully put the candles to the side for later use (who else was turning fifty in the next few years?!), then sliced the cake, a plethora of plates coming at you to fill. 

When you gave Sevika a slice, she had that handsomely annoying all-knowing smirk of hers on. As you handed the plate back, your fingers brushed for a split second. 

It was like a spark of electricity. Even though you were inseparable the whole day until the guests began to arrive, touching her again just awakened something more—you craved her to be near you. 

She soon slinked back into the groups of people as another person came up with their plate, ready to be served. 

After all of that, an unpleasant layer of sugary frosting coated your hands. Then, Rose and Edward approached you, sipping drinks and plates full of food. 

“Thanks for inviting us, mom.” She side-hugged you. 

“Aw, you’re always invited here.” 

Just then, you felt a strong hand land on your lower waist, and you instantly knew who it was. Still, you jumped because she startled you. Turning beside you, Sevika was finally able to find the opportunity to hold a conversation with her family. 

You could see her in her white short-sleeved button-up, buttoned down enough so you could see her collarbone. 

Clearing your throat, you turned back to your daughter as Sevika held you close. It was nice to be able to freely be affectionate with each other now that you had nothing to hide. You suddenly felt warm on this chilly night, her arm around your back grounding you. 

“Rose, if you ever need a place to stay, your room’s open. Ed, too. The only difference is that it’s back at Sevika’s instead.” 

“You mean ours, now.” Sevika added. 

You laughed to yourself. How silly of you to forget. “Right. Still getting used to it.” Even if it had been quite some time since you folded the last cardboard box up. 

“Just—ahem—make sure to call us beforehand if you ever wanna stay, though.” She coughed under her breath, not trying to hide it at all. 

“Ew, what is with you guys and your dirty… jokes… innuendos? I don’t even know.” She feigned sickness, gagging at the sight of her two parents downright cackling their asses off at a rather poor attempt at humor to her. 

She had won the bet she placed with herself all those years ago, though. 

Seeing you two smile again. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

You later slumped in your seat, tired as ever. But satisfied. Nothing went wrong. No spills on your dress, no one who didn’t receive your attention, and everyone’s stomachs were full. Explaining your satisfaction to Sevika as you sat on a folding chair outside, she chuckled. 

“What about you, doll? Have fun?” She was taking some of the easy-to-reach decorations down and saving the rest for another painstaking day of cleaning. 

It was close to midnight. Everyone went home. All the food was wrapped up in foil on plates and brought back with the guests. Your head tilted up at the big moon overhead. Waxing gibbous, but it provided a romantic glow nonetheless. 

The low hum of crickets made you realize how tired you were. Your heels were kicked off somewhere in the backyard, never minding that you were barefoot outside. 

“Yeah. I had fun.” You smiled up at the sky, and you turned your gaze to Sevika, who was about to pause the low music playing on the speaker in the corner of the backyard. 

“Don’t,” you said. “I wanna dance.” And she obliged, heading over to your seat to extend her hand for you to take without a word. 

You stood up, hand in her mechanical one, the other hand finding its place on her right shoulder. Her flesh hand settled low on your back as she led you to the cool grass, away from the concrete. 

As you felt the soft blades of grass on your bare feet, you heard a soft “wait,” from Sevika as she kicked her own shoes off. 

It wasn’t anything fancy, nothing rehearsed, as the two of you swayed to the music. She spun you around whenever you wanted to, and you stepped around in a circle because it just felt right. 

Your dress flowed in time with your bodies as a cool breeze picked up. 

Music long forgotten, it felt like it was just you and Sevika, the only two bodies left in the world. You gazed into Sevika’s low eyes, and she was looking into yours. When you caught her shamelessly admiring your face, she looked down at her feet. 

“We’re acting like old people, Sev.” 

“Who said that we weren’t already?” The dim glow of the string lights illuminated her face in an angle that made your heart skip a beat. 

Ah, fifty. 

She pulled you closer and held you tighter. Nearing the shell of your ear, she whispered, “Come with me.” 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

You changed into some durable jeans and shirt and met her in the garage. There, in the dark of night, in the chilly place, she tossed you something you hadn’t seen in years. 

Soft and shiny, and not the slightest bit dusty. 

“You left this here.” 

You lit up upon feeling the comforting material again. 

“My riding jacket?” 

About ten years ago, you deliberately left this behind. 

Your sunhat wasn’t your prized possession, you’d replace it in a heartbeat if it got lost. Nor was the lamp. The lamp was bought sporadically when you were in the deepest trench of sadness, right after your divorce. 

But your riding jacket held decades of memories of you and her, before everything happened. Before the thought of Rose, before the thought of getting married, before the thought of living together, and before the thought of considering that you’d be in each other’s futures. 

Clenching the jacket in your hands, you thanked her immensely for keeping it in great condition over the years. 

You mounted the motorcycle from the left, the body of her mechanical baby being sleek black, much like her truck. The helmet was then secured snugly onto your head, along with your riding jacket, just like old times. 

You didn’t know if Sevika’s goal was to make you keel over from the nostalgia or what, but she was close. 

She asked you to come with her earlier, but didn’t specify where. Once you heard the garage open, you knew that her bike was going to be put to use tonight. Sevika was changed, too, wearing what she always did when she took a ride. 

Then, she inserted her key and turned on the engine, the low rumble of the bike making you smile. 

“Where are you taking me?” Your hands went to wrap around her waist, cheek to her back, taking in all of her warmth. 

She only smirked and turned to the road in front of her as she drove out of the driveway. You felt her breathing, every muscle movement during the drive to anywhere. 

A turn was made, and you found yourselves on the freeway. Now, the wind was hitting your skin, tunneling through your clothes, which only made you grasp her tighter. Hope she didn’t need her ability to breathe during the ride there. 

The congestion from all the cars began to clear up as Sevika headed south and exited promptly. 

Twenty minutes in, you began riding up a steep hill. The guardrails and traffic lights began to eventually disappear, and the wild grass began to grow in place of pavement. 

There were no other cars on the unlit road but her. She eventually slowed and pulled off to the side of the road, where there was a barely-touched cliff without any railing, just a few feet away. 

She helped you off and you put your helmet in your seat. 

The ocean. 

You knew exactly where you were. 

Even though the city lights spilled over to the coast and permanently left the sky a lighter color, the calm sea was too beautiful to ignore.

The waves smoothly crashed into the rocks below, you could hear it. And that’s when you felt a hand on your back. Sevika guided you to the lone bench that overlooked the ocean. The weathered wood sat the both of you comfortably. 

She rested her arm on the upper part of the bench, wrapping around your form simultaneously. Your head fell over to her shoulder, naturally. 

The two of you stared at the sea for who knew how long. Just her, caressing your shoulder, and you, reaching your hand over to trace every part of her, from her jaw, down to her neck and collarbone. 

She sighed deeply as you mapped out her features with your fingertips. Smiling contently, she stared directly at the brightest thing in the night sky and took a breath in. 

“You know,” she started. “I always had this vision.” 

You stayed silent, asking her to continue. 

“I envisioned that Rose would grow up in safer streets. And every other kid.” She pulled you in closer when a gust of wind hit your bodies. “I worked for him originally because I thought it was fun. But I kept on working because I lied to myself saying that I was doing something good.” 

She took another sharp, shaky breath in. “But I ended up hurting you both.” Her other hand went to rest in your lap. “And I know you won’t ever forgive me for that, but could I ask you one small favor?” 

You nodded, chest tightening out of anticipation. 

“Could you spend the rest of your life with me?” 

Was this… marriage?

Or was it a proposal of devotion to each other for life, no need for legal proof that you were together.

Either way, you knew the answer already. You’ve known the answer for a long time now. Hell, you’ve been doing it ever since you got back together. 

“Yes, of course, Sevika.” You nodded fervently. “No matter what.”

Fuck not rushing things. Well, you’ve fucked that thought away a long time ago. Rushing things was on-brand for you two. And look how it turned out. Just okay. 

She leaned over and took you in her arms tightly. You did too, gripping the leather of her jacket, like it was your last time seeing her. 

But she wasn’t going anywhere. Not this time. 

Sevika was right here with you, eagerly offering the rest of her life devoted to you. She already proved that she wanted you by doing all the things she couldn’t do the first time around. It was a feeling that you’ve never had before—the feeling of seeing your long-time life partner slowly coming back to you either in pieces or in waves. You appreciated every bit of her.

Even when the both of you were to grow more old and more gray, more shriveled up, and more forgetful, at least you had the experience of loving. 

You two kissed, like you had many times before, but it felt different, especially when Sevika dug into her jacket pocket and bashfully handed you a round metal object like it was any other item. 

A ring. 

She didn’t need a verbal answer from you when you slid it on without objection. It was just your size. 

When you initially got married, you both agreed that wedding rings were cheesy and a useless expense that could be used on literally anything else. 

Now, since you were older, the perspective about the rings shifted. They were just physical reminders of how much you meant to each other. There was no need for them to be overly expensive and flashy. 

The simple band glinted in the tiny light there was, all the way out in the deserted lookout area. 

Now, the two of you needn’t say anything else, but gaze into each other’s eyes like the sappy and tender couple you were. You were each other’s soft spots, not ashamed to admit that fact anymore. 

You brought your lips together again. 

Beautiful, beautiful Sevika. Breathtakingly handsome, incredibly attractive—caring. Always willing to try again, the one to make you fold, the one who makes you run hot on a winter’s day, the one who helps you down from her truck, the one who you enjoy cooking meals with, and the old people walks in the park, Sevika, the person who truly knows who you are, and continues to make the effort to learn everything about you, and most importantly…

The familiar scent of the sticky bar was a sensation you thought you wouldn’t ever experience again. Now, with Sevika at your side, the two of you could reminisce together. 

Quite the drive away from your place, back into the territory of the little college town where the bars don’t fully close and the student life never slept. It was still hard to find the location, tucked in between two suffocating city buildings. 

You still remembered the outside, the chipping paint they never bothered to fix, the slight burnout on one of the letters on the overhead sign, and a ton of bikes parked on the street. 

The old red lettering blinked in a random pattern, drawing young customers in who were looking for a rather messy time. 

Oh, how you missed the cheap liquor and lingering scent of smoke in your hair and jacket. You could tell that Sevika missed the place, too, the way that her eyes wandered around every aspect of the building and the people who held the same attitudes towards the world to those who frequented the bar thirty years ago. 

Both of you never did anything that reminded you of each other when you were apart, and one of those things was going to the bars you loved to visit as a couple. 

Ah, you felt home. With the trashy atmosphere that looked straight out of a basement party that had a lot more leather and heavy music, your heart truly longed to be back. 

Although, you looked a tad bit out of place. Usually, you’d stick to the attire that consisted of your dark leather jacket, boots, dark makeup, and with piercing holes that have long closed up because of your job. You just got so busy over the years, and you couldn’t even bring yourself to even wear some smudged eyeliner out anymore most days. 

Maybe you could try again. Now with a lot less things on your mind, you could try being more like yourself again.

You know, that part of you never left your mind. Never forgotten, just buried it deep so as to keep yourself safe. 

Upon entering the bar, you breathed in the warm air and went to a back booth that was magically unoccupied at this hour. Sliding into the tattered red seats, Sevika let out a sigh as she sunk into the worn red cushion. 

The two of you were oddly placed, both sporting gray sweats and loose tees (you unintentionally matched, but then again, Sevika was the one who gave you your clothes earlier, so she must have had something to do with it), in a place where everyone wore fishnet mesh tops or heavy boots that could kick a skull in. 

Upon further notice, many eyes were on you and her. But mostly her, and mostly looks from the older regulars who most likely knew about who she was in her past, and what she did to make a buck.

Still, she offered to get you a drink at the bar, sliding out of the booth as soon as she slid in, leaving you alone. So, you took that as an opportunity to soak it all in. As a dramatic young adult back in your day, you wondered if the initials of you and her were still carved somewhere in the wall somewhere.

You remember making out with her in one of the bathroom stalls, and looking back, was so unsanitary and made you shudder. 

And yeah, moving back in with her was a fast decision that you’ve made, but being real, you built your life off of making bad decisions. Ones that made your life a whole lot better, and a whole lot worse. It wasn’t like you took a shot in the dark and hoped for the best—you actually looked forward to the life you were going to spend with her now. 

A thud on the cushions interrupted your train of thought. 

“You here alone, or are you waiting on anybody?” 

You looked up. 

It wasn’t Sevika, it was a person who was inches shorter and had a lighter voice. 

Dark gray asymmetrical hair was intentionally messy brushed to one side, choppy bangs covering one eye. Dark lipstick and a hell of a lot of piercings on the cartilage of their ears. They looked to be about your age. 

“Ran.” They extended their shiny prosthetic right hand forward. “I remember seeing you, but I believe we never met.” 

Confused, you took a moment to register that you needed to shake back. Feeling the cold metal in your hand, your eyes wandered around the bar to try to spot Sevika, hopefully coming back any minute now. 

“I’m here with somebody, actually.” You nervously shuffled in your seat. This person was quite forward, you had to give them that. 

“Oh yeah, Sevika.” Ran grumbled. “Suprised that she showed her face here again.” 

They knew her? Was this one of the lingering remnants that reminded Sevika of the dark past she had put behind her years ago?

You heard the unmistakable footsteps of Sevika coming back to your booth. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she spotted the uninvited person, nearly dropping the glasses in her hands. Without thinking, she stormed up back to your booth and stood in front of the table. 

“Ran,” she sighed, sounding a lot more tired than anything else. “What are you doing here?”

“Sevika,” they nodded. “What brings you here again?”

“And here I thought I was gonna have a relaxing night.” She slid in next to you, putting the drinks down with a cold clink. “We wanted to have a drink, that’s all.”

“So, you’re not coming to inspect the goods out back after a decade?” Ran let out a light chuckle. 

“Told you, I wanted out. I got out, and I never looked back.” She took a big gulp from her glass. She was in it for a night, for sure. 

“Wow, lucky you,” they whistled. “I served five years.” Probably not the worst sentence one of Silco’s assistants would have gotten, but it was definitely something. 

Instantly, you knew what the two were talking about. You’ve been to this bar countless times, sat alone cradling your chin at the bartop, waiting for Sevika to come back from the damp back alley because she had a job to do, ruining many dates with her. 

So they were co-workers. Funny, it sounded like they were casually catching up on a regular-ass day with drinks in a location that didn’t mean much to either of them. 

Your eyes darted to Sevika, watching her body language. She was tense, but seemed relaxed upon first glance. But by the way she gripped her drink, how she snaked her prosthetic arm around your waist, she was growing antsy over the alleged small talk and reminiscing. 

Even better to fuel the increasing worry in your mind, Ran reached next to them into their small black backpack and pulled something out. 

A box. Huh. A baby pink one, to be exact. Small and rectangular, and could easily fit into their hand. 

Ran put it on the musty table and slid it towards the both of you. 

Sevika furrowed her eyebrows. “What’s this?” 

“Go ahead, open it.” 

“Look, Ran, I put that life behind me years ago, so you can leave us alone—”

“It’s not what you think it is.” They shook their head and pushed it towards the two of you, the box leaving the reach of their fingertips. “Open it.” They repeated. 

Maybe Sevika should. You were curious too. 

She huffed, setting her glass down. Opening the small box, she looked more confused as ever. 

“The fuck are these?” 

“What is it?” You leaned forward to see the contents. 

Two cubed green slices of cake.

“Try it, you two, it’s pandan.” 

“I still don’t know what point you’re trying to make.” Or what they were doing here too, coincidentally running into their former co-worker of all places.

“Simple. After I got out of prison, I found my purpose. You’ve heard of The Crumb Path, haven’t you?” 

“That bakery that opened up a few years ago?” You added. And it was the bakery where the line went around the corner and spanned blocks on end and sold out within the hour most days. You’ve heard the reviews from Eve, and they were good.

What was better, was that you heard about the owner, who was sitting in front of you now.The inspiring story of an Ex-con, who turned their life around and baked with a passion, going on to become famous for their pastries. 

“So what?” Sevika shrugged at them. 

“I run it.” They gave you both a smile. 

It seemed like Sevika wasn’t the only one to loosen up in life. 

“I’m thinking of launching a new item soon. Try it.” 

Reluctantly, a grumpy Sevika reached into the box and took a bite of the soft cake. You could eat too, so you got the other one and tried it. 

“How’s it?” They lifted a shaved-off eyebrow.

It was astonishingly delicious. Spongy, soft, and perfectly buttery. You never tried their bakery’s items before, but their business upheld its reputation pretty well. 

“This is really good, Ran.” You nudged Sevika to ask her what she thought of it too. She silently chewed for a moment, and took another big bite without a word. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” They took the empty box back. “I was looking for someone to test them out. Glad I found you two.” 

Sevika wiped her mouth with her arm, having finished the cake so quickly. “Are you gonna tell us what you want from us, or what?” 

“I came to say hi again.” Ran zipped their bag shut. “I come here for drinks after I close up shop sometimes, and I saw you two come in.” 

“You noticed?” You asked. Then you looked down to see the attire you came in. Oh. Guess you did stick out like a sore thumb at the moment. 

They cleared their throat. “We lead similar lives, Sevika,” Ran rested their back against the cushion, throwing an arm up to rest atop of the faux leather. “I bake, you fix cars as opposed to taking Silco’s trash out.” 

“Hah, you got that right.” 

You quietly sipped from your glass as you watched the two catch up, feeling free to talk about their job all they wanted without their boss or anyone else overhearing. With that, time went by in a flash. 

Ran soon turned to you. “Heard that you had a little daughter of yours Sevika told me about a long time ago. How is she?”

“Well, she isn’t so little anymore. She’s twenty-five.” You loved talking about your daughter, and Sevika did too anytime anyone asked. 

After going on your long storytelling spiel, sifting through lots of photos from your camera roll, you talked more than you probably ever did in your life about your guys’ ups and downs of raising Rose. As your face grew warmer from the alcohol, and became a bit more sluggish, Ran spoke up. 

“You said you two got married when Rose was a kid. What happened after?” 

Sevika looked away to avoid answering, like they’d drop the subject if she didn’t talk at all. 

“A lot. A lot happened the years following. But it’s all good now. We’re happy, and that’s all that matters.” You didn’t elaborate further, and you calmed Sevika down, stroking your thumb over her hand under the table on the seat.

They chuckled, taking your answer. “Good for you two. I should’ve adopted when I could, but at least I got a head-start in my baking career.” They raised their glass up high, sipping up the last few drops of their own drink and sighed. 

When you turned to Sevika, she was lightly smiling. Less tense than before. You didn’t know if it was the alcohol or not, but it was a pleasant surprise that she re-established her relationship with a former friend. Or co-worker. Upon first impression, you thought she hated their guts or something. 

“Before I forget,” Ran dug into their jacket pocket. “Here’s my card. For the bakery. Oh, and a punch card, too.” They added a second cardstock voucher. “Feel free to stop by anytime. I’ll put some pastries aside for you both, just let me know.” They winked.

You took the cards in your hands. Upon further inspection, it looked ultra-cute. Pink and frilly, with a printed lace border encasing Ran’s bakery name, along with the address and contact information. 

“Thank you, Ran. I greatly appreciate it.” Maybe you’d find an excuse later down the road to order something from them in full. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

The last call in the bar passed, and before Sevika could get up to pay your tab, Ran stopped her.

“Don’t worry you two, drinks are on me. I was the one who interrupted your little date.” Hearing it again made warmth bloom in your chest, affirming the feeling that you were serious with Sevika again. 

Sevika sat back down. “Well, if you insist.” All sobered up and looking fine, she opted to limit her drinking and stopped early so she could drive you home and make it in one piece. 

Ran was a little tipsy, too. As the night went on, it became more of a ranting session rather than a reminiscing one. But it was fun to hear the stories that made them want to talk on and on. 

Earlier, you learned that they weren’t all that talkative when they were under Silco. Maybe with time and a hell of a lot of alcohol, they found the reason to make that change, whatever it may be. 

After leaving the bar, Sevika walked you back to her truck down the street. She opened the door for you, hand on your lower back as she helped you in, naturally. Back to hers it is. 

Ten Years Ago

“Rose, where are you going?” You sighed and turned away from the last few boxes scattered across your new apartment. You noticed she had her shoes and an outfit she just bought from the mall on. On Thursday evening. Great. 

Rose clenched the strap of her bag, gripping the doorknob. “Out.” Here it goes again. 

“Where?” I need to know, please.” 

“With a friend, okay? I’m gonna be at his house.” 

“What time will you be back?” You cocked an eyebrow. You knew her curfew was an argument that was brought up every time the topic came up. 

“I’ll be late. You shouldn’t wait up for me.” God, she was sounding like Sevika day by day. Rose unlocked the door, but you stopped her just as she was about to open it. 

“What time will you be back? I need to know for your safety and my sanity.” You sighed again, putting a sore hand on your hip. 

“I don’t know, he never said,” She shrugged. “I’ll call you if I need to get picked up.” She went for the door handle again. 

You stopped her, again. “I need a time and location, Rose, or else I’m not letting you go out tonight.” 

She scoffed. “Ugh, really?” 

“Don’t start with me. If you’re not going to be safe, I’m not letting you go out tonight, period.” 

“It’s just a little hangout.” She persisted. 

You were too frustrated at the moment. With the move, unpacking, and all else, you took it a step further. “With who? How many people?”

Albeit, interrogating her wasn’t the way to go, you knew that. Everything’s just been so stressful lately. After the divorce was finalized and the move happened, you just couldn’t think rationally. 

And with an angsty teen who you’re always worried about added to the weight of responsibilities on your back, you didn’t always parent the way you thought would be best. 

Still, Rose wanted to go out. She sounded like she’d make sure that she would tonight. “...I dunno. Like ten, twenty people…? They’re friends of my friends. Can I go? Please?”

“Where?” 

She crossed her arms, but finally admitted: “He lives a few miles away.”

“How old is he?”

“...Fif…teen?” 

“You’re lying.” 

“No mom, I swear I’m not! He’s coming to pick me up soon.” Yeah, his age was a total lie. You were worried about that part. Even if they went to school together or met somewhere else, being out at a party with no definitive ending time was just trouble waiting to happen. At least that’s what you thought. And seriously, who schedules anything on a Thursday night?

“Where’d you two meet?” 

“School.” She said a little too quickly. 

You squinted your eyes at your daughter nervously shifting about.

“No. Stay inside tonight.” You dismissed her after delivering your final verdict and went back to cutting boxes open with the box cutter. 

“What?! No way, mom. Please! I got invited to this party like a week ago! I already said I was going.” 

“Well, you should’ve asked me sooner. Besides, it’s seven o’clock already. You have school tomorrow.” You turned to look at her again, looking at the clock too. “Go to bed early. I have a morning interview tomorrow, so I’m going to take you to school at six.” 

“You’re the fucking worst!” 

“Language!” You yelled back as she stormed off to her room and slammed the door shut. 

You exhaled loudly. Maybe you needed to cool off and get your mind off of packing for the time being. Your body hurt, and you spent the whole day trying to fix up the apartment. As you passed Rose’s room in the hallway, you heard her signature loud music blasting from her room. 

Ultimately, you decided to let her be and cool off as well. Maybe when things were calmer you’d apologize in the morning. 

After you went to bed, you sat and thought for a moment. You looked at the digital clock to your side. It read about nine P.M. Maybe you’d let her go to that party after all. It was all natural, curiosity and defiance was part of her adolescence. She was well aware of all the safety precautions to take and awareness she needed to have at a party. 

Shuffling down the hall with your robe and slippers on, you knocked on her door. Once. Twice. “Rose, you awake?” You asked. No answer. So, you opened the door. 

“Rose?” You called again. 

“I want to apologize for earlier. I hope it’s not too late but—” An empty bed greeted you. Pristine sheets. She never slept at all. Oh, she was so going to be in trouble in the morning. You seethed, but took some deep breaths and checked the main area that consisted of the blend of the living room kitchen, and dining area in the kitchen. 

No sign of her. She really did have the gall to sneak out. You went to the front door and looked at the little side table near it. Her spare key was left  there. 

“She left her damn key, too.” The door itself was left unlocked. 

At first, your initial instinct was to panic call everyone you knew to see if they could track her down, but you realized that wouldn’t help at all. So you locked the door and left the window next to the door a little open and unlocked so she could slink right back in in one piece. Hopefully. 

You put off all your panic and frustration for now and went to bed. Hopefully she would come back before morning. 

You knew that you were the same way when you were young, except a lot worse. Hooking up with every lesbian you knew and frequented bars when you didn’t have an ID yet. Got your back tattoo at sixteen, and went out for days on end without a care. 

At least she didn’t try to hide the fact that she was going out somewhere in the first place. At first, you thought up some fair and reasonable punishments in proportion to how much she worried you that night. But there was no use in stressing yourself out, so you closed your eyes and tried not to think about it any more. 

 𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

“Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Rose muttered to herself as she was out of breath on her way to the bus stop.

But the driver didn’t notice her and drove off right as she reached the stop in the dead of night. The last bus on her route home drove off without her. The streetlight flickered as she pondered on what to do. 

Her so-called friend didn’t want to take her home yet, as the party seemed like it was never-ending. 

Her phone was dead, and the crescent moon was high, so she guessed that it was around three in the morning. She wasn’t entirely sure. She partied ‘till she was all sweaty and tired in some basement far from her home. Her best bet was to walk towards her home for a few hours, shower immediately when she got home, and hopefully get ready for school before you even wake up. 

Fuck, she forgot that you were taking her early. 

With a little more speed in her step, as much as her tired body could from partying, she speed walked the direction back home. It was a terrifying trip, especially in the parts she cut through to shorten her route, avoiding the line of sight from any passing car, and crossing the street whenever she ran into another person. 

Rose soon found herself in a desolate residential, where all the windows of the lines upon lines of homes were dark and no one dared to be outside this time of night.

About thirty minutes into her miles-long walk back home, a car pulled up beside her, engine rumbling in the dead of night. She didn’t bother to look at it when the headlights hit her face, and sped up her pace when she heard the window roll down. 

She was about to ignore whatever the person was about to say and book it until she was safer, but she heard a familiar voice that made her freeze. 

“Kid,” Sevika sighed and rolled her eyes. 

Rose finally lifted her head to look at her. “Mama?” 

“What’re you doing out this late?” Her voice was calm, but heavy. Like she had other things on her mind. 

“Walking.” She grinned. 

“Lying isn’t going to help.” 

“Fine. I was at a party.” She walked up to the truck stopped at the curb, seeing her mother’s face again in the dim streetlight. She looked the same, save for heavier and darker eyebags beneath her eyes. “What are you doing out here this late?” 

“Working. Now, does your mom know about this? She allow you to be out this late?” Of course you didn’t but Sevika asked anyway, trying to see if she could catch her in another lie. 

Rose shamefully shook her head and looked down at her scuffed-up shoes. “No.” 

“Why’d you sneak out?” 

“Like you’re any better!” She blurted out. 

Sevika ran her hands down her face, a long and stress-filled sigh leaving her. Where did she get all this fire from?

“I think you’re fully aware of how dangerous it is out here,” She looked around at the dim streetlights and the lack of any security systems or personnel in the area. She would know. A little too well. All part of the job. 

“Where are you headed?” 

“Back home.” 

“I’ll drop you off at home.” 

Rose rolled her eyes. “Mom says you’re not supposed to be talking to meeeee!” She groaned, continuing her walk after pushing away from the truck with both hands, less scared and more annoyed than anything. 

“No, she said that I shouldn’t talk to her.” And she respected that request greatly. 

But Rose turned her head away from Sevika and kept on walking. That’s when she accelerated, following her pace down the street in the safety of her truck. When your daughter noticed Sevika following her with her vehicle, she groaned and stopped in defeat. 

Her voice grew quieter. “Can I have a ride home? Please? Pretty Please?” 

“I thought you didn’t wanna talk to me.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Get in.” She flicked her head towards the passenger’s seat. When Rose rounded the truck and entered the seat next to her, she found a few things sprawled out on the seat. 

Empty bottles, a pack of cigarettes, and a duffel bag? “Mama, what’re these?”

“Just toss ‘em in the backseat.” Rose did as she said. Her car smelled a lot more like smoke and metal than ever. 

After she was situated inside, Sevika rolled her window up and began driving. Sevika knew what neighborhood your apartment complex generally was in. 

A few minutes into the drive, she asked, “How’s school?” Ugh, Rose wouldn’t ever hear the end of the prying question from either parent even if she barely could see one of them now.

“Fine.” 

“Okay, then how’s life?”

“Okay.” 

She took that answer. “Then, how’s your mom?” 

“Oh, better than ever.” She answered sarcastically. 

“Why? You guys still unpacking?” 

“Yeah.” 

“You’re not giving me much to work with here, Rose. I’m gonna need more than one-word answers from you if you want this to be a productive conversation.” 

“Ugh, fine. She’s been really stressed out lately. She’s looking for a new job.” She crossed her arms and slumped in her seat. 

“You guys okay by yourself?” Seriously, the questions seemed to never end. 

“Um, I know she doesn’t want me to share this, but she’s not okay. Not really. I sometimes hear her crying at night.” She rested on her hand that was propped up by the window. 

With that, Sevika turned to her daughter. “What? Why?” A flash of remorse spread across her face. She gripped the wheel tighter. 

“I think you know why.” 

“Okay, enough, Rose. I got it.” She huffed and drove on. 

A few minutes in and a few turns later, she asked out of the blue, “Did you get my birthday card?” 

“Yeah. Thanks.” 

“Don’t mention it. Your mom read it?” 

“No, she let me keep it to myself.” 

She raised her eyebrows. “Glad to hear.” Like she was pleasantly surprised. 

Alas, Sevika managed to find your apartment and parked by the sidewalk. Before Rose exited the vehicle, she unbuckled her seatbelt and hugged her mom tightly. 

“Thanks for the ride, mama.” 

A pause. 

“I’ll miss you.” 

“Yeah, me too, kid.” She caressed the top of her daughter’s head and let her get out. “I’ll miss you too.” As she was about to ascend the steps, Sevika rolled down the window again. 

“Don’t pull this shit ever again, you hear? My boss gave me a different route to go down today, and it so happened I ran into you. That won’t be the case next time.” She started. 

“And don’t let there be a next time. Okay?” She lifted an eyebrow, tapping the wheel with her prosthetic finger. 

“Understood.” Rose scaled the stairs sluggishly. 

Sevika began to pull away from the curb, slowly drifting with her window still open. “Don’t stress your mom out.” 

“Got it.” 

“G’night, kid.” 

“Night, mama.” She groaned at her mother’s lingering presence and finally reached the door. Twisting the doorknob, it wouldn’t budge. It was locked. Shit, she would be in for a good talking-to in the morning. She then turned to the window, hoping that she could pry it open or something. 

She lifted it up with considerable force and found that it was unlocked this whole time. “Sweet.” She said to herself as she climbed in and heard her mom drive off. 

 𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Present Day

“To the left, Sevika. No, hold it steady. Right… there—Hey, careful—! You’re gonna pull something.” You said as you tried to move the couch down your apartment stairs at all different angles, looking across Sevika, who was nearly halfway down the first step. 

“I got it, I got it.” She nonchalantly grunted, looking backwards so she wouldn’t slip. You were surprised that she didn’t already. 

And of course, she insisted she try to drag the whole thing down the stairs by herself, but you threatened her with moving the rest of your apartment out by your lonesome. 

The weather was cooling down outside, leaves began to shrivel up and fall, and the chill in the air was staring you right in the face. 

So much had changed between two autumns. 

Just a little over a month ago, you were stressed out of your mind in supporting yourself. Since you paid month-by-month, trying to scrape together whatever you had to adjust to the rent hike was absolute hell. Now, since you dipped into your savings, you were able to find enough to move out of your shabby place. 

And back into Sevika’s. 

“Go slow, ‘Vika. I wouldn’t want you falling.” 

“Hah. You underestimate me, doll.” 

“I will not hesitate to drop this couch.” 

“That’ll just put me back on track with my original plan.” 

“You’re insufferable.” 

“You love me.” 

“Yeah I do.” 

After a sweat-inducing trip down the stairs, you huffed and put your hands on your hips after dropping the couch on the sidewalk. You helped yourself in admiring how that loose shirt of Sevika’s lifted, exposing more and more of her abdomen as she stretched. You considered the eye candy as a reward for working hard. 

Ah, you big, strong butch glistening in the sunlight, drops of water dripping down her chin as she took a drink, the trail of hair on her soft stomach that led you to absolute heaven, her strong arm, muscles flexing visibly every time she picked a heavy piece of furniture up. 

Oh yeah, this was the life. 

“Where does this one go?” She snapped you out of your suggestive thoughts. 

“Uh, we have to donate this one. I’ll ask around to see if anyone wants it before we drop it off at the center, though.” You caressed the soft material. “I’ll miss you.” You talked to the couch. 

“Y’know,” she started, looking around like she just did something mischievous. “The couch at home is almost twenty years old…” 

You swore you could feel yourself tear up. “You would really? Sevika, thank you.” Going to wrap your arms around her, you thanked her immensely. With lots of kisses on the cheek. 

“Into the moving van it goes. “Ready?” 

You bent down to get a good grip on the couch before lifting it up and bringing it to the truck parked right behind Sevika’s own vehicle. You climbed up the metal ramp and put it inside. Whew. Only, like, thirty more heavy objects to go. 

Back up in your apartment, it looked astonishingly empty without the couch, and you hadn’t seen it in this state in years. It looked a lot more spacious now since you took a few things out and packed a lot of it up. 

Sevika unplugged the lamp that sat on the side table. A pink stained glass one with a bronze body. It was your favorite one, where it painted your place with a deep coral color at night, giving you at least some cozy ambience in the cramped place. 

She grabbed it with her flesh hand with the wire all bunched up, a small box full of picture frames tucked under her mechanical arm. She was about to leave the unit until you caught her last second. 

“Careful with that one,” You snatched it right out of her hand. “It's vintage.” 

“It’s light as a feather, doll. I could balance this on my nose going down the stairs if I wanted.” She laughed, but you weren’t laughing. Not even the slightest hint of a grin. You really liked that lamp. “Listen, if anything happens, I’ll repair it. Promise.” She held her hand out to take the lamp back. 

“Promise?” 

“I do.” 

You gave it back to her. “Put it in the front seat, please. I’ll hold it on the way.” You purchased it at an antique mall that closed down last year for dirt cheap compared to the original. You guessed it was your form of a physical prized possession, similar to Sevika’s bike or Rose’s little creepy animal toy that woke you up saying gibberish, eyes glowing, in the middle of the night despite having no batteries. 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

You smiled at her, watching her go, working and maneuvering through all the clutter with such ease. You almost forgot that you needed to move out. So you grabbed a stack of easy-to-carry boxes in your arms and went down to put them in the van. 

“Shit, where’d I put the boxes with my clothes in it?” Back outside, you chugged the hell out of your water bottle, trying to eliminate all the dust accumulating in your throat. Seriously, what was up with all the dust in your life lately? “Don’t tell me I put it in the donation van.” 

“It’s in Rose’s. We need space to move out your bedframe later.” 

“Thanks.” 

Going to her room, you never bothered to take a good look at it in all its detail. Of course, it was more cluttered and lived-in back when Rose actually was living with you, but a wave of heavy nostalgia hit you when you least expected it. 

The curtains—a light blue hue—a color she always loved were billowing from the cracked window behind them. Her bed, now a lump of wood and a bare mattress on top, and the… writing on the wall where it nearly met the floor?

You crouched down to get a better look. It was tucked a little bit behind her bed frame, but without all the extra bedding and blankets, now the attention paid to that semi-hidden spot, you saw it clearly. Tracing over the message with your fingers, it read: 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Dear mom,  When you find this message, I hope I’m all the way moved out of this place. Hope I have a nice place, too.  Anyways, I know you’re going through a lot. After we left, finding a better job and all that other stuff I pretend to not care about that stress you out, but I do. It’s really cringe for me to admit, but I care about you. And mama.  I know mama must be in the same place as you now. I don’t understand it all, but I know you love each other a lot. But you guys went your own ways for your own reasons.  I did notice too. I noticed the nights where mama’d get home later and later and I noticed how you refused to talk for a couple days after an argument. I never knew that one would push it over the edge, though.  I saw your face when I got that birthday card from her in the mail. But you let me keep the message she wrote to me to myself. Thanks.  When you’re reading this, you better be in a better position than you are now. Maybe with someone who loves you just as much as mama.  Better yet, with mama.  I can’t get too wishful though. It’s your life, and I wanna see you happy.  - R

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

The year written down was when she was about fifteen. You were just about finished unpacking and furnishing your new place, scoring a better job at the office you worked at now, and most importantly, finding how to live a life without Sevika. 

It took you back a decade. 

Just then, Sevika shuffled into the room. “Need any help—? Hey, what’s wrong?” 

The stream of tears flowed effortlessly down your face. You could pass it off as an effect from the damned dust, but the sobs couldn’t be contained. 

Sevika crouched at your side. “Tell me, what’s wrong?” You looked at the message on the wall, smeared graphite and shaky handwriting. She read it to herself, taking a moment whilst she knelt at your side. 

Your vision became distorted, the letters becoming wobbly and blurry. 

You always knew Rose cared about you no matter what she acted like or said (which were a lot of nasty things, all part of being a teen, you assumed). But reading it physically let you know how much she actually did. 

“And here I thought I wasn’t good enough to her.” 

“You shouldn’t doubt yourself,” She caressed your back, planting a kiss on the top of your head. “You’re a great mom.”

It was all too confusing, trying to discern whether or not your tears were happy or sad ones. Now, the two of you were comfortably sitting on the floor, being blinded by the feelings of nostalgia. She leaned closer towards your ear. “Wanna know what I wrote to Rose?” 

“No, it’s alright.” 

Some secrets were better kept.

“Shit, sorry,” You sniffled and wiped the tears on your sleeve. “I just remembered some things. I bet you did, too.” 

Sevika helped you up. “Need a break?” 

“I’m alright.” You steadied yourself and prepared to take on the next batch of boxes sitting in front of the closet in your daughter’s bedroom. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

You said goodbye to the beautiful blue curtains as you took them off the curtain rod, which didn’t belong to either you nor the landlord. Strange. It was a free rod though, so you didn’t pass up the opportunity to buy curtains for it. 

There were lots of things you wanted to donate now that you had a stable home again at Sevika’s. Really, it was all a mess since you decided that you’d pack as you went about moving out, which only furthered the confusion. 

But Sevika was there with you to help, so you weren’t as stressed out as you would’ve been. 

The day flew by you in an instant. She took off from work early today to help out with everything, ever the gentlewoman she was. 

Now, without a couch, the two of you were sitting criss-cross on the floor, gobbling down things from some fast food joint you’d frequent back then. The table was still in the kitchen behind you, but you two felt more accomplished sitting down in an empty space. 

Sitting beside her, a dab of sauce was left on her cheek. You brushed it off with your thumb, just shy of brushing her bottom lip, but she didn’t hesitate to angle her head and take your thumb in her lips, sucking it softly, wet sounds leaving her mouth. 

You laughed a little bit at the sight, elated that she could be this vulnerable with you. She looked too adorable. “Is there something on my thumb, or what?” While joking, you secretly wanted more. 

“Mn, yeah,” Your thumb left her mouth as she pulled it away. “There’s also something good on your index, too,” She took your arm in her strong but gentle hand, licking up the (nonexistent) sauce on your fingers. 

Then, she continued on, sucking on your middle finger now. You couldn’t help it, you began bobbing your middle in and out, wrist moving back and forth in a fluid motion. Her saliva coated your fingers nicely. 

Sevika’s teeth grazed the pad of your digit with her teeth, moving her head back and forth languidly while you worked her mouth. Even if the windows didn’t have blinds anymore, even if the front door was unlocked, you didn’t care. 

You were now on your knees, putting a supporting hand around the back of Sevika’s head, feeling the soft growth of her undercut. Drool ran down her chin, and she shamelessly kept sucking. You cursed under your breath at the sight. 

She hummed, mouth stuffed full of your middle and index fingers, her tongue lapping at your skin. By now, the heat in your system was becoming impossible to ignore, so you inched closer and closer to Sevika, fingers still rhythmically pushing in and out of her mouth. 

Her breaths were sporadic as she tried to devour all of you. You put another finger in. Now, with your index and middle fucking her face, you shivered with need, almost getting off at the sight alone. You were so riled up. 

“Fuck, ‘Vika. I wanna ride you, can I ride you?” 

She pulled your hand away for a moment, a web of saliva connecting her lips with your hand. “Go ahead, baby.” 

Through your jeans, you perched on Sevika’s strong thigh, feeling the texture of her rough cargos, nearly driving you mad. You straddled her leg, feeling the slippery warmth of her mouth all over your fingers. 

You began grinding. Slow, rhythmic motions on her thigh, restraining yourself from going fast in the moment. A groan escaped your lips, and you weren’t bothered to restrain it. 

The fingers in Sevika’s mouth fell down to her shoulders, where you held onto them for support. 

Your thigh rubbed Sevika where she needed it the most, too. Throwing your head back, the friction made you shiver. 

“I can’t believe you’re moving back in—fuck!” She twitched when you adjusted your thigh deeper into her crotch. “Feels like a dream.” 

“I can’t believe it either,” You replied breathlessly. “Honestly, I appreciate all of this, I appreciate you.” 

She shifted her thigh up, eliciting noises from you that she was proud of. The friction through your jeans and through your panties brought you closer and closer to the edge. 

You gazed into those warm gray eyes, low eyelids and slightly agape mouth. Sevika ran her hands up your hips and landed right on the plush skin of your breasts, feeling them through whatever pesky clothes that kept her from them, kneading them with fervor. 

All of a sudden, you bucked your hips forward, the last grind on her pants being the one to push you off the edge so fast. You let out a string of curses as your orgasm washed over you in intense waves of pleasure, moaning into Sevika’s mouth. Every muscle in your body worked to keep you from falling over. 

Sevika was trying to chase hers, too. Even if you were out of breath, you moved your thigh in rhythm with her hips, where she found her own release not long after. 

She threw her head back, sharply breathing in and out as she attempted to contain the twitches that overtook her body. 

You held her tight, cradling her jaw in your hand. “C’mon, love, don’t be shy with me.” 

She peered up at your form, following your words. A little sound came out of her mouth as she rode out her orgasm on your leg. You guessed that she was so spent from moving things down the stairs when she threw herself down on the floor, taking you with her. 

You were now on top of her, both panting. A pet peck landed on your lips. 

“Love you,” she said. 

“I love you too.” You brushed the hair away from her face and kissed her back. 

Really, the two of you could stay as you were for a while on the cold wooden floors. But Sevika took initiative again, sitting herself back up, a little sweat breaking at the top of her forehead. She sat you up comfortably, and made sure you were alright before letting you off her lap. 

Criss-cross again, but a little more fatigued, you sat beside Sevika, now with your head resting on her shoulder. 

“Good thing I have spare changes of clothes for the both of us in the backseat.” She sighed contentedly. 

Your smirk grew on your face, and you elbowed her in her side. “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” 

“Can’t say I wasn’t prepared,” she said, leaving you all flustered. “We’ll pick up where we left off at home.” She then winked and stood up, heading to the door.  

After she retrieved the bag full of clothes (you didn’t know when she managed to rummage through your dresser, but she did), you changed out of your bottoms that were slick with arousal and freshened up. 

Joining her back in the empty living area, she wrapped an arm around your shoulders, bringing you to the door. “C’mon, let’s get something to drink. My treat for messin’ you up.” 

for this chap, the technology mentioned here was being phased out when i was a dumb lil kid so I never got the chance to become super familiar with how it worked,, so pls excuse any inaccuracies you may see!!!

thank you, and enjoy! 💕

The boxes and storage containers never ended. The flurry of dust that clouded the garage could probably kill you if you inhaled too much of it. You erupted into a coughing fit after you blew some dust off a box you pulled from a shelf. 

That morning, Sevika invited you and Rose over to have an early lunch (you both had to fight the urge to not intertwine your fingers in front of her), but your daughter ended up trying to find something she left behind years ago. A prized possession of hers, probably stored somewhere in the deep depths of Sevika’s garage.

Rose said it was a sentimental item she couldn’t ever forget. Naturally, you wanted to help her fulfill her wish in reuniting with the decades-old item, but over the years, Sevika’s garage just kept on getting piled up with more and more stuff. 

You offered to help her look for it, but one thing led to another, and the three of you were using the mission to find this object to reminisce and de-clutter while you were at it. 

It’s been a while since you’ve had a little family time like this. 

“What’s this thing you’re looking for anyway, kid?” Sevika asked, aimlessly shuffling through an old box of wires. Funny. Neither of you ever bothered to ask before you went scavenging. 

“It’s a toy I had. It’s round and fluffy, and it’s shaped like an animal. But not a real one. Like a bird or something, I dunno.” She motioned with her hands the stubby height and roundish shape of the object. “If it helps, it’s blue.” Then, she continued to scour the array of cardboard boxes, sliding one off the second shelf. 

“Mama, do you mind if I cut this one open?” 

“Go crazy, kid.” She huffed as she set a heavy box down. 

Cutting the taped-up top with scissors, she struck gold. It was a full box of old electronics—phones, cameras, wires, technology that hadn’t been used since she was born.

“Moms, look at this!” 

You two came over to see what she was so excited about.

“Forgot about those.” Sevika dabbed the sweat off her forehead with a rag. 

“We should totally see if they work.” Rose picked up the box and brought it over to the living room. She plopped it down, and Sevika came behind her with another box with similar contents. 

You, on the other hand, were still in the garage, finding something to inspect in the living room piece by piece, until you found something covered in a tarp. Of course, you were too curious to not see what it was, so you brushed a little of the blue waterproof material out of the way, only to see something you hadn’t seen since you were a lot younger. 

An old TV, equipped with a built-in VCR made you all giddy. Sevika found some old tapes which were oddly well-preserved that belonged to her and her father from years back that she brought into the house as well. 

Lifting the hunk of technology in your hands to the living room, the two of you began to bicker a little with no fire behind the bite. 

“You’re going to throw your back out, Sev.” You warned. “Careful.” Naturally, Sevika gravitated to take the majority of the heavy box in her hands even after you insisted relentlessly that you were able to help.

You two set it down on the floor. Rose wasn’t all too familiar with the tech in front of her, so you plugged it into the wall to show it to her. 

As much as you looked, the remote was nowhere to be found, so you pressed the power button on the front. 

A high-pitched sound emitted from the TV, and there was nothing yet but a screen of static. Hell yeah, it worked. 

“Huh. Whaddya know.” Sevika stared in awe and crossed her arms. She barely gave this device a second thought as it collected dust in the garage, so she was a bit surprised to see it still working. She went back to the garage to look for more of the same stuff. 

“Change it to video for me, Rose.” 

“What?” 

“I got it.” You crouched down to change the channel. Now, looking in the box of preserved VHS tapes, you noticed the label on one. Picking it up, you inspected it for any signs of damage, which you deemed to be none. 

Well, it was a risk you were willing to take, so you popped it in and the VCR took it out of your hands. 

There was static. 

A flash of footage sped past you at first, but you were soon able to make out the sound of heavy rock music and the low rumble of engines in the distance. A lot of the voices were muffled, but you could hear a distinct name come from the person with the camera. 

“Sevika! Turn around. Wave to the camera.” A male voice asked from behind the device. 

A figure taller than the rest of the group of people she was talking to snapped her head around, her signature half-up half-down hairstyle moving with her. She flipped the camera off before leading the cameraman to where all the bikes were lined up at the meet. 

She looked so different back then. It was a few years before you two met. When you looked at the date of the footage in the bottom right of the screen, she couldn’t have been more than in her early twenties, with her head of dark hair, angular face, and grin that came with callowness.

The day was getting late in the footage, but the crowd was as lively as ever. Young Sevika began explaining all she knew about each bike, but once she reached a certain one, a very familiar one, she presented it with pride. 

“This… this one right here? She’s my baby, my prize.” She soon went into heavy detail regarding her motorcycle, all the little features she found amazing, the capacity, how she could cockily pick up the ladies on it, all the works. 

“How’d you get it?” 

She shook her head. “No questions, please.” She chuckled loudly.

Your grin faltered for only a second. It was around the time she joined the organization that indirectly left your marriage in shambles. 

Rose’s face was glued to the screen. Neither of you had seen this footage before, so all you could do was stare in awe at the contrast between her with a difference of thirty years. 

You distinctly remembered her looking like this for a brief moment in your time knowing Sevika, leather jacket, boots, and an old t-shirt with practical pants for riding. But Rose was too young to remember it all. 

So she watched until the tape was over and the screen was all static. Then with a press of the STOP button, it went all black. She paid close attention to the sound of the inner workings of the VCR, when it rewinded, all she could do was listen, and eventually ejected it when she pressed the button. 

You were a little startled at the reflection of the TV, where Sevika was standing right behind you both with another box in hand. From the floor, you showed her the tape, its title and date written in smudged marker. 

“Remember this?”

She scoffed. “Barely.” And sat down on the couch beside you. 

“We have a whole box of them, you’re bound to remember something.” You put the blank tapes to the side and ignored the movies and non-home videos for now that may or may not have been pirated. 

Rose found one that was only marked with a range of years and decided to play that. 

A video faded in slowly. You noticed the same wall color as the one right in front of you, but a bit different, more carpet material lined the floors, and the layout of things and furniture were different. 

Immediately, you noticed the familiar face on the screen, looking a lot more youthful, more than in those tapes at the motorcycle meet. 

Dark hair and gray eyes, you knew it was Sevika again. She just looked younger and shorter. She was opening a present on the carpet. 

Suddenly, the video cut abruptly to the outdoors. All three of you recognized the porch the camera was filming from, where it focused on a little Sevika sitting and playing with something in the grass in the house’s front yard. It was silent, save for the cicadas buzzing in the distance and the cars occasionally passing by. 

She couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen here. The camera zoomed in on Sevika wearing a bright yellow sweater, making a brief mechanical noise, to where she turned and gave the lens a wide, toothy grin, showing off that cute little teeth gap you’ve always admired. 

It cut again. She was older. She wore black now. Her hair was longer. This time, it was her birthday. She sat at an old table in the dining room, blowing out her candles. But after she did, she hid her face from the camera with her long, shoulder-length hair. 

“Hurry up, Sevika. We can’t waste this tape.”

It cut again. 

The crowd in what seemed to be a school sports field cheered loudly as each person walked the stage, donning their school colors with their caps and gowns. She was graduating high school. 

Sevika’s name was called, echoing from the speakers all around, and she walked the stage. Taller, jaw more sharp, her hair was even shorter compared to the last clip. 

Parents and family cheered for the graduates, but the person behind the camera didn’t. 

The moment she walked down the steps of the stage, the camera cut to static. 

Unfortunately, there was nothing else recorded on it after that, so you stopped it and waited for it to eject. 

When you turned to Sevika, you could see her focusing intensely on the blank screen, trying to remember what exactly was happening in each of them. She was silent, but stood up and went to get a drink in the fridge. 

Rose scooted towards you. “Was that her dad filming?” She whispered. 

“I think so.” But it was undeniable. You patted her shoulder and went to follow Sevika. 

In the kitchen, you leaned against the counter as she shut the fridge. 

“Are you alright?” 

She nodded. “It’s just been so long.” She looked through the archway to see Rose sitting down on the floor, digging through the boxes of old electronics. “We never really told her about my dad. About your parents.” 

The two of you danced around the subject for years, but Rose soon came to understand that it would take a while for her moms to open up about everything entirely. 

But you and Sevika promised each other that you’d be more honest with one another, and that included Rose. 

You reached for her hand, taking it in yours, intertwining your fingers together, hidden from the sight of Rose in the other room because of the wall in your way. 

“You don’t have to tell her if you don’t want to. But we should tell her something.” Your knuckles were brought up to her lips. Feeling the warm skin on your hand again in her home made you melt. She knew what you meant, about you. About her. About you together. 

“Agreed.” 

“And remember,” You planted a soft kiss on her lips. “You’re not like him. You’re here. With us.”

Soon, you went up to Rose. “Want something to drink?” You asked, and you were back into the kitchen fetching her some water. You were stiff the whole time. You tried to find a leeway to easily talk about it with her, but you just couldn’t. 

As you filled up the glass, Sevika stood behind you, an open can of beer already in her grasp. You turned around and put it down on the counter with your free hand. 

“This early?” 

She sighed, but gave in to you. Taking the can, she shoved it back in the fridge, mumbling something about how it wouldn’t taste as good later. 

While that was taking place, Rose in the living room found an old camcorder. It was newer than what was used to film the tapes she watched earlier. It utilized smaller tapes, and couldn’t be inserted into the VCR. Surprisingly, it still had a tape inside. 

So, she improvised. She tried a million different wires, but ended up finding ones that could plug into the camera to charge it, and one that could connect the camera to the TV. 

As your daughter heard the two of you shuffling back into the living room with some drinks and a plate of cut fruit, she beamed over her discovery. Rose sat criss-cross in front of the screen, holding the charging handicam right as she was about to plug it into the TV. 

Your heart dropped to your ass. 

You scrambled to find a surface to put the glassware you were holding onto a safe place before you could accidentally drop it. 

In a panic, you rushed up to the TV to use your body to block the screen. Simultaneously, Sevika took the camera out of her hands, unplugged all the wires and bunched them up in her arms. 

“Nothing to see here, kid.” 

“Wha—?” Your daughter was more confused than ever. 

Once everything was unplugged, you sighed in relief. “I don’t think you need to be watching that.” 

A moment of realization struck her. “Oh, ew!” 

You went to retrieve her water and fruit in a daze, pretending like everything was normal, like you didn’t have almost the worst thing happen to you. On the way, Sevika passed you with the camcorder in her hands and took a moment to whisper in your ear. 

She chuckled low, a deep rumble in her chest. “We’ll review this later.” And she was about to walk off to her bedroom to put it safely in a drawer. For safekeeping.

Playfully striking her shoulder, you didn’t know how to process anything anymore. “As if! …But I’m glad you took it out of her hands before she saw anything.” You leaned in for a quick peck on the lips before she went on her way. 

And to your demise, Rose was standing right there, watching the most mundanest of actions between the two of you happen right in front of her eyes. Instead of screaming or saying anything that revealed what she felt, she turned on her heel back to the living room. 

“Rose,” You went after her. So much for finding the right time and place to tell her. But it was right that she knew. 

Rose sat on the couch, and you sat beside her. 

“Rose, can we talk?” Just then, Sevika emerged from her bedroom, finding the two of you sitting together on the stiff cushions. Oh no. She had no choice but to face it and take accountability.

Sevika sat beside you as you began. 

“Rose, we’re so selfish. So incredibly selfish, kid,” You took a breath in, and looked to your side to see Sevika looking right at you, silently supporting you with that look you’ve always admired. “We’ve caused you a lot of pain in the past, and we’d like to apologize for all the things you shouldn’t have seen when you were younger.” The fights, the yelling, and all the things between you that unintentionally roped your daughter in too.

She raised an eyebrow, giving you the opportunity to keep going. 

“We, your mama and I, have some news.” You took Sevika’s hand in yours, grasping her hand tightly as you rested it on your lap. 

Ever since she was young, your child saw all your ups and downs, all the fights and loving moments, all the late nights when Sevika was away, and all the hard obstacles life has given to her because of something her parents couldn’t resolve. 

It was absurd to automatically think that she’d forgive all the mental scars that resided in her deep down from seeing her two role models break apart. 

“We’re dating again. Seriously now.” 

“We didn’t ask how you’d feel about that. We’re sorry.” Sevika quietly added. 

“You know how I feel? I feel like it’s about damn time.” Rose didn’t say anything else, just leaned in and engulfed you in a big hug. Eventually, Sevika and you eased into your daughter’s arms. 

“Things are good, Rose. I won’t let this opportunity pass me by again.” There were some happy tears that escaped your waterline, a wave of relief washing down all the guilt because of your secrecy. “You should see her boat.” You whispered.

“Boat?!” 

“I’ll tell you all about it later.” 

She cleared her throat and pulled away from the hug. “Anyways, how long have you been together?” She asked, munching on an apple slice. 

“Kid,” Sevika started, looking all serious. “Let’s just say that we grew comfortable with each other again at the hotel.” She quipped.

“Ew, I don’t wanna hear that.” 

“Rose, she didn’t mean it like that, Sevika, tell her you didn’t mean it like that.” You quickly intervened, feeling a little embarrassed, you were instantly brought back that moment you could erase from your mind earlier.

“But I’m so glad you guys made up. Freakin’ finally.” She gave you the biggest smile ever, and you were reassured that you wouldn’t have a rocky relationship with your daughter too. 

 𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

The sun finally set and night crept in with the lullaby of the crickets chirping outside. After a painstakingly long afternoon of untangling wires and dusting off old boxes, you were utterly exhausted. You didn’t know when you exactly dropped dead on the couch, but all you knew was that your bedtime was nearing. 

“Moms, I found it—!”  Your daughter emerged from the garage, victoriously holding up her mechanical blue toy from her childhood that looked like an owl.

She paused in her tracks at the sight of you two. Sevika was sleeping with her head slightly tilted back against the wall behind the couch, arms sprawled atop the headrest in either direction. Beside her laying on her chest was you, breathing in and out softly. You were curled up as you placed a closed hand on her chest, as if you were trying to feel her heartbeat. 

yayyy confession chapter 😛 -- sorry y'all i have ZERO knowledge about boats n stuff, and my only forms of research were boating channels on yt 😋 forgive me & ignore any inaccuracies !

enjoy this chapter!!!!! 💕

In an old boatyard, somewhere between hundreds of pieces of unused and unclaimed junk metal, was a boat.

A small boat in the vast blue sea, a worthless hunk of rotting fiberglass that hadn’t been touched in decades. 

Until she found it. In the marina of a nearby beach, Sevika’s father had paid the slip fee to keep it in the marina all those years of disappearing and being an alive ghost in Sevika’s life, something of his that turned up years after his passing.

He had no will, and no other relatives she knew about stepped up to claim any of his property, so everything automatically went to her. He didn’t have much that was of value to Sevika, but she was surprised to find a boat that he held onto. 

When she drove to the marina, about forty-five minutes from her home, the dockmaster led her to the exact boat that had been stagnant for thirty years. 

“Follow me.” Then he motioned for her to come down the slippery docks. She trailed along right behind him, and she took note of the ivory-white boats with more than one level, kept in working order and never abandoned. 

She reached the very end, where the dockmaster showed the eyesore of the fishing boat the marina’s been trying to get rid of all this time. 

It was a short one, and could easily fit two people. The dark brown color looked a little weathered sitting in the salty air over the years. She didn’t know he had a license for one, much less had driven one. Ironic that her father probably spent more time with that boat than her. 

Upon closer inspection, the metal railing and screws leaked a coppery-red rust that cascaded down the exterior. The seats were old and ripped. It looked far from salvageable. The parts weren’t in order anymore, and nearly everything needed a replacement. 

Things were already stressful for her. She received an invitation for the wedding in the mail, an event that Rose raved about for months on end over text, and the small catch-up she had with her without your knowledge. 

At first, she wanted to sell the damn boat—get some extra cash to cling onto. After all, she didn’t want another damn thing to remind her of him anymore. She didn’t want another water-damaged box of his belongings to sift through. The house she resided in since childhood was already enough of a reminder. 

She never knew that those shallow plans would turn into something else entirely. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Sevika’s thumb hovered over the call button on your contact. 

It was something so trivial, yet so daunting. She was breaking a sweat at the thought of hearing your voice again. It had only been a few days, so why was she hesitating?

So she put it off. She slammed her phone down on the counter and decided to go for a run to clear her head. 

It was a beautiful mid-August day as noon took its place in the form of the sun high up in the sky. She exited her house in a low-cut tank top and shorts and began to transition into a light jog down the sidewalk. 

The full bushes of trees shaded her enough from the unforgiving sun as she aimlessly ran down the pavement. Heaving in and out, unminding her form. She sped down corners and never bothered to stop and look at her surroundings. Sevika avoided crosswalks so she wouldn’t have to slow down. 

The hot air made her hair stick to her forehead. With the lack of music playing in her missing headphones and the cars speeding beside her, her mind fogged up with an overflow of emotions. The wind practically coursed through her veins as she ran down the sidewalk. 

A light jog to take her mind off of things turned into a full-on sprinting session where she chased the pavement. 

In, out, in out. 

Her breaths became more ragged as time went on. 

Each step brought her closer to a goal she never set for herself, something she never wanted to chase in the first place. She unconsciously set the goal to run to the next tree, but once she passed it, she re-adusted the pin and aimed to stop at the next parked white car she saw. Then, after that failed, she aimed to run to the next neighborhood.

But her feet kept on bringing her further and further away from home. 

She thought that she’d get rid of those thoughts, but her mind kept on drifting back to you. 

It was always you. 

No matter what decisions she made in her life, the silent motivator behind every action was for you. 

The distance, the aloofness, the vacation. 

It was all for you. 

You had given her so much, left a lingering impact on her life no matter where you were in the world. 

She didn’t mind that her lungs were about to give out.

Her muscles were so overused by now, so her body forced her to finally halt her running. 

Finally tuning back into the world around her, she didn’t know where she was exactly. A residential area that looked a little wealthier, all the houses looked the same and the shiny cars parked outside screamed loaded. 

Her hands rested on her sticky thighs and she slightly hunched over, catching her breath. She was spent. No phone, no clear way back home. 

With sweat dripping down the tips of her hair and feeling a little disoriented, Sevika had no choice but to find her way back home. She had done that a million times before without any directions, so she didn’t spare any more droplets of sweat doing that. 

Listening to the faint sound of the traffic in the distance, she made her way back home. She walked this time around at a leisurely pace, more confident that she would be able to make a simple phone call. 

 𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

The hum of the cold store left you bored out of your mind. The obnoxious beeps of the checkout area that never ceased made it seem like your ears were ringing. As you lazily leaned on your forearms against your cart handle, you browsed the aisles of endless things you didn’t need. 

Amidst your very, very important errand, you felt the buzzing in your purse. Pulling yourself and your cart to the side of the aisle, you dug into the bag to retrieve your phone. 

It was the person you were anticipating the most. 

You excitedly picked up, casually tossing your paper list into the cart. Admittedly, you were a bit too excited when you picked up, and you could feel the rush of calling her course through your system. 

“Hey, ‘Vika.” You were a bit breathless. 

She was too. 

“Hi, doll.” 

“What’s up?” 

“Um,” You could hear her on the other line sucking in a deep breath. “Do you think I can come over? Today?” Sevika’s voice slightly trembled with every syllable. It sounded like she was trying to contain her pants, like she just got back from a workout.

“Yeah, yeah, of course. I’m running some errands right now, but I’m wrapping it up.” You perked up, the small flame in your burning brighter, barely able to keep it together.

“I’m assuming six works for you?” 

“It does. What ever for?” 

“It’s a surprise.” 

You playfully rolled your eyes, as if she could see it. 

“Sure thing, ‘Vika. I’ll see you at home.” 

You were standing in the bread aisle, stupidly smiling over a phone call that made your heart race all over again. Forget groceries, you could feed off of the elation alone. 

Carting quickly to the checkout line, you cut off this elderly woman who was getting ready to enter the lane you were going into. You turned back and gave her an apologetic look before you hurriedly put your items on the conveyor belt. 

After all, Sevika was more important. The thought of you asking her that looming question sat in the confines of your mind upon all else.

 𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

She knocked on the door, and you opened it to see her in khaki cargo shorts secured with a belt, a dark blue polo, and comfy shoes. Hook her up with an apron and a grill and she’d be all set for a backyard party. 

“Hey, come on in.” You couldn’t help but let some laughter seep through your lips as you opened the door wider, so your hand quickly came to cover your mouth. 

And you couldn’t help but to wrap your arms around her neck and lean in for a close kiss once the door clicked shut. When you separated, you noticed a different scent clinging onto her today. It smelled like the ocean breeze with a hint of tobacco. 

“A new cologne, I see.” You traced your fingers up her arm and inhaled her scent even more. 

“Thought you’d like it.” 

When you finally managed to restrain yourself from absolutely smothering Sevika, you asked, “Are you hungry? I could whip up something really quick for you… and what’re you wearing?” 

“You’d really do that for me, doll?” She nuzzled into your neck, inhaling your scent. “Not today, though. We’re going on a boat.” 

“Huh? Boat?” 

“I just spoiled the surprise, didn’t I? But yeah, a boat.” She chuckled. 

“We should make some sandwiches then.” 

Now, you two were in your little kitchen, looking through all your cabinets and fridge had to offer. You settled to make a few sandwich halves and bring some non-alcoholic drinks you had on you. You couldn’t be making any stupid decisions today.

As you used your knife to spread something on one of the slices of bread, Sevika came up behind you, her hands beginning to slide between your arms, wrapping around your waist. 

“Careful ‘Vika, knife.” You smiled. 

She pretended she didn’t hear what you said and mumbled into the crook of your neck. 

“Do you even like boats?” It was a comment that was supposed to be passive and a stupid. 

“So you’re taking me out on a boat without asking if I’d even enjoy it?” You set the knife into the sink. “And here I thought you knew me well.” 

A switch flipped in Sevika, as she pulled away from you. “I didn’t even bother to ask.” She ran a stressed hand through her hair. “Sorry,” She managed to stammer out.

“I was joking, love.” You planted a peck on her cheek as you passed her to retrieve something in a cabinet. 

Her eyes lightened up. “You still wanna go?” 

“I’ll go wherever you go, ‘Vika.” 

 𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

After an hour's drive, you arrived at the marina, an insulated bag full of sandwich halves and sunscreen galore. You couldn’t forget your obnoxious sunhat and shades you brought on your trip as well. Once Sevika said you were going out to the ocean that evening, you instinctively prepared for a hurricane. 

She parked her truck near the entrance gate, where she rounded the car and helped you down. 

You were walking along the docks, an arm interlocked with Sevika’s. “So, whose boat is this?” 

“Mine, if you can believe it.” 

You shook your head. “No way.” 

“Yeah it is.” 

“Now I wanna see this boat for myself.” 

Would it have a dash of her personality, perhaps be painted with a shimmering silver color like her eyes, or be a small and simple one, something that wasn’t flashy, but practical? 

Once you were led to the end of the docks, you saw a little fishing boat, big enough for the two of you. Guess one of those ideas were correct. It looked fairly vintage, but pristine. 

“How much did you drop for a thing like this?” You moved closer to the floating vehicle and inspected its intricate details, crossing your arms as Sevika came up behind you. 

“I inherited it.” 

You were left mouth agape. 

“Trust me, it came as a shock to me too. Here, come on.” She extended her hand for you to climb up. 

From where you were standing the boat had an open deck, with a t-top canopy on top of it, giving you a place to sit in the shade. The color itself was a nice light beige, its accents an off-white, much like the shade of the other, bigger, boats in the marina.

On the side, you saw a bright red decal of a crimson-red rose with green leaves and thorns around it. You gasped as you took her hand the moment you saw it. “You did this?” 

“How could I not?” 

Seriously, your heart felt like it was swelling from all the exhilaration. 

It took a moment for you to regain your footing on the boat. It swayed lightly as you sat down beneath the shade. The cool ocean breeze flowed past your skin, giving you a light chill down your back. 

You sat down as she prepared to exit the marina. 

“Did you even know he owned something like this?” 

She shook her head. “He hated the ocean. I don’t know why he held onto it.” 

The boat engine now hummed low, causing a small vibration in all of your surroundings. 

She checked some things and let the boat run. She also made sure everything was in order before she even began to think about driving, like untying the lines that held the boat to the dock. She must’ve had a lot of time on her hands to practice. 

Something itched you mentally upon piecing that together. Huh. 

She shifted in reverse, backed away from the marina, and then shifted back, and you were off. She didn’t have to navigate through the sea of other boats, seeing as you were docked at the end. 

It didn’t take long before you went past the buoys and other markers and out of the marina. Now at sea, her speed picked up as she steered the boat like she’d been driving them for years.  

Behind you, the ocean water the vehicle zoomed past turned white as it ruffled back into the sea. 

Crisp droplets of water hit your skin, and you had to keep your hat from flying away as the simple coastal breeze turned into something similar to a gale, you looked at Sevika womaning the boat. 

Her face wasn’t hidden by her short curtain of hair anymore, being tousled by the wind. Like when her hair was tied, you could see the hook of her nose and how she squinted her eyes to focus on the route in front of her. 

Her flesh hand tapped the steering wheel to the tempo of a song stuck in her head. 

Ask her. 

You wanted to, but you also didn’t want to ruin a special moment between the two of you. So you held your words for now and enjoyed the view. 

The city skyline was visible from way out where you were, and you airily sighed at the tall buildings seemingly interlocking with the clouds. It was the time of day where the lights in the windows were a mix of on and off, checkered squares littering the concrete.

It was about sunset, so everything was painted a warm orange hue as rays radiated from the sun behind you. Most importantly, it painted Sevika’s figure, who now was beginning to slow down the boat. 

She shifted the boat into neutral in the middle of the sea, the shoreline just barely visible from where you were at. 

Of course, this was a popular place to boat, so you two weren’t the only two people in the area, but other than the hum of the engines and caw of seagulls, it was peaceful. 

Sevika turned the engine off, because in calm waters like these, a little drifting didn’t bother either of you. 

Sevika joined where you were, sitting in the other comfortable seat right beside you. 

“How’d you learn to do all of this?” 

“I have my ways.” Like with cars years ago, she started off as a complete amateur. Now, she also apparently undertook boat maintenance and operation as well. What a woman. 

A beat passed between the two of you. 

Ask her.

“Um, Sevika?”

She simply nodded, allowing you to continue. 

“It may not be any of my business, but,” You swallowed as your heart threatened to leap out of your throat.

“Are you seeing anyone on your off days?” 

By now, you couldn’t bear to look at her face, wondering if it was molded with distraught or some other nasty expression you caused. 

She shifted in her seat, taking a breath in. Before she could start, you cut back in with your nervous rambling. 

“—It’s just, we never spend time together when we’re both free and well-rested. I may be overthinking it all, but I’m just curious where you go.” 

“Doll—” 

“I don’t mean that in an accusatory way, it’s just that everything in my life has been… a lot lately. What we agreed upon, I’m not supposed to mind, and I don’t mind, why would I ever, but—”

Sevika grasped your hand that rested on the seat, grounding you. 

“Baby.” Her voice was firm, but you could see the faintest of an upturn of her lips.

“Yeah?”

“I was busy fixing up this boat for you. That’s where I was during my off days. I wanted to finish it as soon as possible.” 

Something just snapped. “What?” You looked up at her.

“For us, I mean. I know, I should’ve made that clear with you.” 

Sevika’s silent motivator was right where she was all along. 

She kept on paying the fees to dock the disintegrated boat for months, her initial intention to take it off of her hands as soon as possible, but when she came home from Rose’s wedding, something about that boat intrigued her more than appalled. 

It was a risky investment in her time and funds to find a designated space to work on it, but she managed to find a designated boat yard to begin working on the disintegrating interior and exterior. And all the trial and error—god, the trial and error—she took up the project with absolutely zero experience and left like an expert.

And ever since you appeared in her life again, she used every waking moment where she wasn’t utterly exhausted from work to spend with either you or that boat. Sure, it was costly, but Sevika took it as a challenge. 

Her father’s neglect wouldn’t be able to seep into anything else anymore upon completion of her project. She was determined to make it that way.

“It might’ve been a bit forward, but what I said that morning, how we shouldn’t have a solid commitment,” She looked down at her shoes. “I didn’t ask how you felt about it.” 

You gave Sevika all the time she needed to get all her words out. After all, it had been obvious that she had no intention of doing the same thing she did last time you were together through all the things—small and big—that she’s done for you.

“Um,” She swallowed hard, her eyes shifted everywhere. “I think I’ve gone soft.” Running a hand through her hair, her breaths deepened. She ceased her association with Silco’s group ever since it fell and she got away with her fabricated clean-slate of a record. She was fortunate enough to.

“I may forget things faster, but you never left my mind. Not once.” 

Now, she didn’t have to worry about being on a rival group’s turf during family outings, didn’t have to worry about the safety of you or Rose anymore, nor worry about missing out on anything. 

“I guess that’s what you do to me, doll.” She half-laughed. 

You knew it now. You knew that at the wedding and on the trip she was so closed-off and cold because she didn’t want to wind up hurting you again. When she was convinced that it was safe to let her actual self manifest in front of you, her exterior softened up again in the summer heat. 

“When we were married,” You started. “I felt like we drifted apart because of your work. But now, I feel like you’re actually here with me.” You took her flesh hand and kissed the top of it. “I just have to say,” 

“Thank you.” 

Looking back, she stepped up for you, actually found time for you and Rose, didn’t miss any important dates or cancel already-made plans last minute, and wanted to try again. 

“About this casual thing, is this what you really want, doll?” 

“Oh, ‘Vika,” You pulled her in for an embrace. “I wanna be with you. Long-term.” Whispering, you asked Sevika the same thing. 

“Is long-term what you’re looking for too?” 

“Yes.” She tightened her embrace. “Please,” Sevika added. “I’m serious about this.” 

She wasn’t tough-as-nails all the time, and you were relieved to finally see this side of her again. 

The dreadful pangs in your heart loosened, and you needn’t ask anything else. You already knew the answer to every looming question in your mind based on her actions. 

You pulled her in for a deep kiss, where it started out on each other’s lips. But due to the lack of others in your immediate proximity and the crisp waves lulling on in the background, she gripped your hips harder, pulling you in. Like the tide, you drowned in her. 

Parting your lips and a light whimper escaping your mouth, Sevika slipped her tongue into your mouth as you moved along with the light sway of the boat. The hat that rested on your head tipped backwards. You didn’t care one bit. Hell, you wouldn’t care if the prized thing blew away. 

“Sev…”

“Thank you,” She sucked a breath in, inhaling the scent of your intoxicating perfume right below your jaw. “Thank you for letting me back into your life again.” She suckled there for a moment before diving into your mouth again. 

The angle of her head tilted and her jaw relaxed, making your arms wrap around her neck. Neither of you cared if any one saw you. If so, even better. It only further solidified your relationship. She would have to ravish you further at home, though. 

The kiss was wet, sloppy, and very heated. She pulled you onto her lap like she had done many times before. 

“I was scared,” She mumbled between kisses. “Scared that I would hurt you again.” Her hand trailed up your thigh and brushed the tips of her fingers right underneath your shorts, where your skin met the cloth, her prosthetic hand supporting you all the way on your lower back. 

You dreadfully pulled away from her warm lips to speak. “You didn’t. But promise me this,” You cleared stray hairs from her face that were messed up from the wind, no matter if the breeze put the strands right back. “be more open with me.” 

“I promise.” 

“I have to promise myself that to you, too.” You laughed. Suddenly, a flash of heat rushed through you, an impulse taking over your mind and body.

“Is it too early to say ‘I love you’ again?” Three words about Sevika that you could never permanently erase from your system even if you tried. 

“Baby, I never stopped loving you. Of course not.” 

All this time. 

All the feelings. 

All the late nights waiting for her. 

All the birthday cards and letters to Rose. 

All the moments spent with her, calling yourselves casual even though you were having dinners and dates with someone who once mattered the most to you. And still did.

Seriously, was casual really all that?

It took a stupidly absurd amount of time to realize, but your feelings for her never ceased either. Having her back in your life again only reinforced the sensation. You couldn’t deny it—you separated out of fear for Sevika, not for anything sinister or falling out of love. 

Thankfully, as the fast-paced dangerous nature of Sevika’s younger days caught up to her in the form of a stiff back and the need for reading glasses and orthopedic sneakers, more and more of her soft self began to naturally unfurl in front of you. 

She wasn’t worried and on high-alert all the time, and she had more room to focus on what mattered the most to her. 

Today marked your official menopause date. A full year without your period was something to celebrate as you entered a new phase in your life. Aside from all the hot flashes at night and just moodiness overall from the symptoms you experienced, you were happy. 

You even had the important week marked on your physical calendar you kept in the corner of your desk. You didn’t have to worry about your period coming back anymore.

Instead, other worries flooded your mind. 

Call me.

Yeah, right. It had been two weeks of exchanging banter ever since you had dinner at hers. In-person and over text, which kept things fun and exciting, sometimes sending images back and forth of how the marks you made on each other were healing up. 

Of course, you had sex at her place. Gosh, the sex was amazing, to the point where she could draw you in with a single familiar look she’d give you years ago. Oh yeah, and made meals together too. You loved it. You were positive that she loved spending time with you too. 

She said to call her often, but the only time you heard her voice was when she invited you over, only available to spend time right after work, and never on an off day, which made you think. 

Why?

Eve clocked your stormy aura from a mile away, and tried to help. You must’ve been grumbling to yourself or something, because there was no way her intuition was that good. 

Sadly, you were at work. Work work work work work. That’s what you had to think about right now, though.

She rolled her chair a little bit out of her cubicle, leaning backwards. “Wanna hit up a cafe later?” With that, Eve made you fare a little better for the rest of the day.

“Sure thing.” 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

“Don’t you like each other a lot? You told me a few days ago the feeling was mutual.” Eve sipped on her boiling-hot foamy latte, crossing her legs. 

“Of course we do, a lot.” 

“So what are you guys then?” 

“Casual…? We agreed upon it.” Honestly, you didn’t act like you were a casual couple at all. Sevika didn’t hit you up for a good time and leave like it was nothing the morning after. You guys actually talked. Took old people walks in the park like a legit couple again. 

“You said that two weeks ago.” 

“Right.”

Saying ‘casual’ like you were twenty again. 

“You think she’s seeing someone else too?” Eve hated putting the idea out there, but it had to be said. 

“I— I don’t know.” She admitted to you back at the beach that she never focused on seeing other people during the ten years apart. You didn’t want to give in to those damned doubts that you had. After all, Sevika said it herself. She planned for it—planned for the fact that it’d be a relationship that had room to dissolve back into nothing again with decades of unwanted emotional baggage in tow.

Was it what you really wanted? 

“How serious do you think she is about your relationship?” 

“She let me keep some of her clothes, we cook together, hell, she even gave me a spare key the other day.” Saying it out loud made you realize it was a bit more serious than a fling. Just a bit. Totally.

“Woah. Maybe try sitting down with her the next time you see her?”

You were trying. Talking things out without closing up wasn’t Sevika’s forte, nor was continuously pushing a subject on her yours. 

“I guess.” 

All the turmoil, all the distrust, all the misconceptions between you two have led up to this one point. 

All you had to do was say the word to make it all go away. To move on again.

“I still think it’s strange that she hasn’t called me when we’re both free the whole day. She told me that she didn’t have work, and neither did I. But she insists that we only meet up after work.” Memories of before crossed your mind. Her work, that cursed job, Sevika, right-hand-woman to Silco, never having a moment to spare, either having to sleep or work. You recalled that her skin was stained with bruises and blood rather than grease from the shop like she did now. 

She softened up over time unknowingly. She now spent her pastime tending to her orange tree in the back and cleaning her truck. It was a life way more mundane yet stable as opposed to the grimy, violence-riddled lifestyle she led before. 

Maturing made you realize that. 

You liked dangerous, but you also cared about Sevika. 

Her coming home with a split lip and bruised up body in the dead of night, trying to navigate the house quietly to not wake up Rose because she had school tomorrow, only to see you passed out at the counter, slumped on the stool, where two cups of cold tea had been sitting out for hours. 

Sevika promised she would be back at ten P.M. sharp. When she looked at the clock, it was damn near sunrise. 

She said nothing and draped a blanket over you, heading to the bathroom to wash up. She was too sore to lift you back to bed, as she thought she overused a muscle during her time out. 

That morning, you knew that life together was strained so long as she kept it up. That the life of secrecy and constant absences was not the life you wanted to have. 

Eve snapped you out of your thoughts. “You got this. Tell me all about it once you do it.” 

You gave her a light smile. “Thanks, Eve. And I thought I was the wiser one here.” You pinched the bridge of your nose, feeling a stress headache coming on. “Sorry, I have so much on my plate already.” 

The landlord raised rent, again. Having a spare bedroom that did nothing but collect dust until Rose decided to stay over once in a blue moon did not help your situation at all. Apartments in the area were growing impossibly expensive, and your salary could only do so much to keep you living comfortably. You wanted to move, but that’d be even more expensive.

Well, you’d cross that bridge when you came to it. In this case, putting things off up until the last minute in hopes of it giving you a semblance of peace in your life. 

Now, with the added stressor of keeping your casual relationship afloat with Sevika, you almost felt stuck. 

But Sevika changed a lot, and she proved that she could change for you, too. Eve was right, you should talk to her. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

When you arrived home, you tossed your bag on the couch and slumped into your bed with a thud, burying your face in the pillow without bothering to change or take your makeup off. 

When was the last time Sevika stressed you out this much? 

On top of the flurry of worries, Rose called and asked if she could come over for dinner. She was bringing takeout. You didn’t say no, so you freshened up and changed just in time for her to arrive. 

The kitchen glowed in a warm light in comparison to the other more desolate and lightless areas of the apartment. Rose played a very upbeat pop playlist from her phone, but it was all tuned out. You tuned out of everything. You sat across from your daughter, unknowingly picking at the noodles on your plate. 

“Mom, what’s wrong?” 

You jolted up. “Oh, nothing, nothing. Just tired from work.” 

“You’ve been sighing an awful lot today.” 

She was old enough for you to talk to her freely about your troubles. As much as you didn’t want to overload her with life stuff, having another listening ear could ease the tightening in your chest. After all, she once lived in the same apartment too. 

“I don’t know if I can keep up with rent in the future. Tim’s saying that it’ll be a fortune to get the pipes replaced in this dump, so he’s probably not going to. I only asked to get the leak in the wall looked at, but I was told this whole place was outdated.” You took a sip out of your glass. “Now he’s adding more every month and I—”

“Mom…” Rose placed her hand atop yours. “We can help you. Ed and I. If you need somewhere to stay, or need any sort of financial help—” 

“Thanks, dear, but I think I can handle this on my own.” You were so stubborn in accepting, you almost sounded like Sevika in a way. 

Damn it. 

Your mind drifted back to Sevika. 

It was always Sevika.

“I’m sure there’s cheaper and newer places to live. I’ll just have to wait and save.” 

You were still a little hopeful (even if it was just a shred) about your situation, so you firmly refused her offer.

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

That night, your finger hovered over the call button on Sevika’s contact. Her ‘S’ that once was her profile picture was now an updated picture of her handsome face. Maybe it was a photo you took of her side profile when she accidentally dozed off while reading, her glasses slipping down her face. Maybe not. 

No, it’d be better to settle it in person. There would be less barriers and more time to talk, you thought to yourself. 

You didn’t want this relationship to go up in flames over something as minor as some miscommunication. You recognized that you didn’t talk it out with her and came up with something to fix it last time, so you were determined to do it now.

On Monday the following day, the workday was beginning to wrap up. You stared at your spreadsheet, mouse clicking in between windows of your department’s designated communication platform. It was completely barren. 

Eve clacked on her keyboard aimlessly with one hand, picking on her cuticles with the other. She wasn’t talking, so that definitely meant something. Ever since you got back from the weekend, the floor seemed to be a complete wasteland of 9-to-6 corporate workers, the clock hands dragging on and on every time you looked. It was no use worrying about it anymore, so you did something to keep busy. After all, your very decent paycheck kept you there. 

The lowering sun beginning to disappear behind the mid-rises from the clear glass panes coerced you into attempting to leave early, though you fought back tooth and nail to keep yourself seated in your lumpy office chair. 

Just then, your phone buzzed on your desk. You couldn’t see it, as it was vibrating beneath a stack of papers you haphazardly threw on top hours ago. You lifted the stack and plopped them right on top of another stack to your left. Even if they were meant to be separated, you couldn’t care less.  

It was Sevika. You looked around to see if anyone was looking at you before reading the messages. It was supposed to be work hours, but come on, who was going to enforce it this late into the day anyway?

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

July 30th 4:45 P.M. Vika: Have you eaten yet? You: No, still at work.  Vika: Would you like to come over?  Vika: I’ll pick you up.  You: You’d really do that? Vika: I’m already here, doll.  Vika: [Attachment: 1 Image] Vika: I’ll be waiting.

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

You caught yourself smiling at the messages, and especially of the picture taken from inside of her truck, parked right by your office building. So you practically slammed your phone back down onto the table. Now you really needed to get off of work. 

You wondered if she came straight from the shop, or drove from her house just to see you, in casual sweats and a tee. Either way she looked, your heart leapt in your chest, giving you a sense of newfound energy. God, she riled you up without even trying. She wasn’t even with you and she consumed every part of your mind. 

So you worked like there was no tomorrow. Once you finally clocked out, tapping your badge at the turnstiles, Eve followed right behind you, occupied on the phone with someone. 

As you exited the building, you immediately saw Sevika’s truck parked near the entrance, the older style of vehicle standing out among the shiny new cars parked alongside hers. You smiled, picking up the pace as you headed towards it. You went to enter in the passenger’s seat, but you didn’t expect Sevika to exit the truck, round it, and open the door up for you. 

She sported her mechanic’s uniform, dark blue button-up with a patch of her name and company. Her short hair was tied up as much as it could be in a stubby little high ponytail in the back, revealing more of her undercut and that glorious jaw. 

Oh yeah, she just came back from work. 

“Work was slow today, so I thought I’d pick you up.” Internally, you were kicking your feet and twirling your hair around your finger to the sound of her voice. 

“Thank you.” You felt her hand guide you into the truck. “I nearly died at the office today too.” 

Once situated inside, you remembered what you did last time you were in there. You looked outside the window, and caught a glimpse of Eve with her cell pressed between her cheek and shoulder, giving you a thumbs up with both of her hands. You winked back at her as Sevika clicked her seatbelt on.

With your bag on your lap, you looked ahead as Sevika pulled out of her parking spot. 

Along the drive, you admired the buildings that transitioned into shorter homes and residential areas. You never were too focused on the scenery that surrounded you every day to and from work. Your busy feet dragged you straight towards your company building. It was quite the breather to finally realize that there was, in fact, a coffee shop that was less than a mile walk from your workplace. “I’m surprised we never ran into each other in the city.” 

“I made sure we never did.” Honestly, her bluntness took you aback for a moment, but Sevika eventually entered the too-familiar neighborhood you were just days ago.

“Before I forget,” Sevika started, her mechanical hand on the wheel, the other reaching into her center console, only to pull out a dangling object. 

A spare key. 

Her house key. 

Which was once your house key too. 

“You can stop by anytime.”

Your heart was about to burst. “Aw, you didn’t have to.” 

“I wanted to.” 

She parked in the driveway, opening the door for you on your way out as well. Such treatment you forgot the sensation of. She practically hurled her backpack in the garage, and then prompted you to sit as she reached for a pan in the cabinet. 

“No.” You didn’t sit down, nor left the kitchen area. 

“What?” 

“I’ll help you cook.” 

“No, doll. You’re my guest.” 

“Listen, we’re both tired, right?” 

“What’re you getting at?” 

“We can divvy up the work and we’ll have ourselves a dinner.” 

She huffed, but allowed you to have free reign over her fridge, handing her whatever ingredients she had available. She had a lot. More than you ever expected. But then again, you knew she liked a little variety sometimes. 

You peered deep into the shelves to find any trace of the vegetables she loved. And yep, there it was, bell peppers, potatoes, and onions. Still, it was a selection that could only amply feed her, so you were grateful to find some other greens and frozen chicken, ready to be defrosted. Her arms were full as she awaited the other things you were going to pile onto her. 

“Take that out and put it in a bowl of cold water for me.” You pointed at the meat. On the other hand, you walked over to the sink to wash the vegetables. 

Placing them at the counter, it was ready to be cut. Just then, Sevika came up right behind you, reaching for a bell pepper to cut, becoming awfully close to your body. 

“Let me do something too.” It made your knees week. She really pissed you off. In a good way. Like a troublemaking cat’s owner.

“Here’s what you can do,” You turned around from the chopping board. You put a hand on her chest, pushing your hand against it until her lower back hit the counter. “you can sit your handsome ass down while I repay you.” 

“I thought we were working toget—” 

“I changed my mind.” 

She sighed. “Alright, I won’t fight you.” She rolled her eyes and sat down at the table, observing you prepare the food. 

You chopped the peppers with your back towards her the whole time, felt her gaze burning a hole into your clothes as you peeled the outer layers of the onion, and began to lose your composure as you seasoned the chicken. 

On a baking sheet, you laid the meat on top of a bed of the seasoned and colorful assortment of vegetables and slid it into the pre-heated oven, setting a timer. 

You washed your hands and turned to Sevika. She just watched you inch towards her body as you placed a peck upon her cheekbone. You couldn’t help it, she was just too charming as she sat there. 

“Give it half an hour.” 

Sevika couldn’t take it anymore, she pulled you in by the waist, made you straddle her lap. Your fitted skirt rode up from your knees to your thighs, allowing her to grab ahold of them, her hands cupping your warm skin. She ran her hands up and down, leaving you shivering and needy. 

“Good. Gives us enough time to unwind.” She pressed her lips onto yours and pulled you in so your chests were touching. 

“Sev, we’re gonna tip over.” You warned. She smiled into the kiss following as she paid no heed to your words. You did too, and you couldn’t help a little giggle escape your lips as you kissed. 

You closed your eyes, wrapping your arms around Sevika, as if you were holding on to dear life. 

You could smell her—the shop—grease and oil and everything that made her all the more alluring to you. 

Sevika shifted so her back hit the chair, bringing you closer. You could taste the coffee on her tongue from a long day as you took the initiative to slip your tongue into her mouth. Your brain malfunctioned as she untucked your button up and ran her hands underneath the fabric, fingertips now just shy of your bra. 

Your frantic kissing drew Sevika’s head backwards, and you leaned into her presence, feeling up that thick bicep of hers. 

Your arm moved up to grasp her hair on the back of her head, first sliding the hair tie off so her dark hair framed her face, then gently running your digits through it. A low grown in your name left her, and you could feel it rumble in her chest. 

She muttered out curses as you separated from her and began working on her neck, the sensitive area just shy of her jaw. Her head tilted back as you began licking short stripes along her skin, mouth slightly agape. 

It was your turn to mark her up, just as she did to you days ago. 

You began sucking. Hard. She exhaled a shaky breath, lewd sounds leaving your mouth, and you could feel her hands beneath your shirt trembling with pleasure. She dove into the waistband of your skirt, where she slid along the curve of your back and palmed your ass. 

Everything became dizzy, where the only thing you could focus on in your environment was Sevika. 

You two were getting so into it, to the point where your world almost tumbled and it felt like adrenaline was being injected into your bloodstream. Sevika was too into it in fact, she almost tipped the chair all the way backwards, nearly bringing you down with her. 

She steadied herself, never letting the pace of things fade. You made out for who knew how long, straddling her thighs as the aroma of the food filled the room. 

What made you two jolt up was the sound of the bell of the timer dinging, signaling that dinner was ready. Sevika peered behind you, glaring at the oven, secretly making it her mortal enemy.

“Shall we eat?” You breathlessly turned back to her, planting another kiss on her forehead, and she reluctantly complied, helping you back to your feet safely. You cleared your throat and adjusted your collar, trying to cool down. 

Sevika needed to hold back for just a moment while you enjoyed dinner, too. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Just how you remembered. 

You avoided cooking something the two of you liked to make together all this time and now, tasting it all over again lit your heart aflame. You sat next to each other at the table, sitting in the exact same chair you made out in mere minutes ago. 

“I still remembered the recipe thankfully,” You said after swallowing a bite of food. “With my own little twists, of course. You didn’t have any celeriac I could’ve used.” 

“Now why the hell would I be readily equipped with that?” A small smile tugged at her lips as she savored her meal. “And you’re not that old to forget stuff yet. What more for me?” 

“Enough of all this age talk, it makes me feel older than I actually am.” You noticed the streaks of hair that glinted in the light. They appeared in individual strands sporadically placed around her scalp. There was also a harsh divide between the grays and dark hues beginning at her hairline. “I’m graying too.” You ran your fingers over the places you knew had the same silver growing. 

Immediately, she dropped her fork and went to touch the hairs she always pricked and prodded at in the mirror. “Haven’t dyed it in a while.” 

“Keep them,” You reached out to brush your fingers through them, starting at the very top of her forehead. “They’re gorgeous.” 

She smirked. “And?” 

“And real sexy.” 

She only laughed and continued eating. Like she didn’t believe what you were saying was true. 

“I always wondered if you’d start graying in patches, strands, or one big streak at the front of your hair.” You lowered your voice as you rubbed your fingers into her scalp in circular motions, lightly pulling her hair at the root, and then releasing it. She always loved it when you played with her hair, which was an act reserved for either you or Rose to do. “I knew it the moment you started to search every single one of your hairs in the mirror when you got your first one,” 

At the table, Sevika relaxed, slumping her shoulders forward as you continued your motions that nearly lulled Sevika to sleep. 

“That we would grow old together.” 

She opened her eyes. You never stopped massaging her scalp. 

“Even if I was wrong,” You leaned in closer. “I’m so grateful that I can see them again.” 

While the dinner was amazing it was long forgotten, as nothing could beat the presence of her and you, undivided attention without the pressures of anything inhibiting you from enjoying yourselves completely. 

Though you didn’t want to be too forward, especially with the label you had right now—casual. It would come off a bit weird off the bat to confess that you loved every part of her that began to visibly age. 

When you walked through the spotless glass doors, you were immediately hit with the strong, chic, sterile scent of the establishment. 

Green Gardens Rejuvenation.

The differences were immediate to you. They redid the floors from an irritating orange wood to a darker mahogany color, and the logo was reworked into something more modern. It sort of came as a surprise to you as you thought the business would go underground sooner or later. 

But here it was, still standing strong in the shopping plaza not too far away from where you lived. There were a few people in the lobby on their phones or reading a magazine, the same sparse piano music playing in the corner. 

Eve dragged you by the hand to the front desk attendant, who was obviously new and inexperienced, taking a few minutes to navigate and sort everything out. They seemed young and naive, almost reminding you of yourself. Maybe you were projecting. 

“We’ll take this package, please.” She pointed to a laminated sign on the desk and slid a voucher onto the surface. “I was promised a discount on our facials if I brought a friend with me.” 

The keyboard slowly clacked, mouse clicking aimlessly. Amateur. 

Another employee then began taking you to one of their private treatment rooms. A familiar path that you had memorized about a thousand times before. The furniture changed, but the odd feeling that settled in your stomach never went away. 

The console tables lined up against the wall matched the floors, lined with pots of red catasetum orchids, just how you remembered.

You agreed to this little outing with Eve knowing that you’d run into someone you knew. But you saw no one you knew all those years ago, so that was a relief. It didn’t seem likely, but it was possible. 

You reached the room down the hall towards the left. Situated on top of your respective spa tables, facing the white patterned ceiling. During your time here, you never considered receiving any type of treatment, so you simply admired the way the lights weren’t too blinding on your eyes, and how comfy the table was for your aching back. 

The attendant left to retrieve the supplies, leaving you and Eve alone. You knew that she’d poke and prod at every single detail you reveal to her. 

“So,” She started. “Did it work out okay?” She was holding back her slightly invasive questions for now. 

“I stayed the night if that’s what you’re asking.” A smile crept onto your face. It really was that important. 

She exhaled a long huff of air. “I’d be jumping with joy right now if it weren’t for how comfortable this cushion is.” It was undeniable—the excitement peeked out of her voice. 

Despite her being one of your department’s youngest employees, she always supported you and your ‘old lady’ endeavors, you sort of felt guilty for not sparking up a chat with her earlier when she was new to the office. 

“She cooked for me and took me back home.” 

“That’s hot.” Eve stretched her arms way above her head, a content sigh leaving her mouth. “So, what are you guys now?” She turned her head to face you, eyes basically pleading you to divulge all the juicy details and leave nothing unsaid. 

“Casual.” 

“Ooh, look at you, miss ‘getting-back-together-with-my-ex’”. 

An airy chuckle left you. “We’re not together yet. We’re sort of starting from scratch, I guess. Or not. I don’t know, we never made it clear.” 

“I don’t think you can do that, girl.” 

You turned to your side to look at her. “Huh? What do you mean?” 

“You have a long—and I mean looooonggg history with Sevika, right?” It’s impossible to ignore what you guys shared in the past. How close were you guys anyway?”  

“We co-habitated, adopted a child, and got married. I’d say we were pretty close.” You shrugged.

“And her old job? What did you do when she told you?” 

“I was different back then, Eve. Really different. Before Rose came into our lives I liked dangerous. I liked living on a whim, so her career didn’t really faze me at all.” You paused, reminiscing all the times Sevika and you would take late night rides on her bike going anywhere. From the cusp of a shoreline or a cliff, she’d never fail to give you the rush of living.

“So I’m guessing it became strained after some time.” 

“Oh, definitely.” 

“She’s just a mechanic now, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

A moment of silence passed between the two of you. 

“She gave me flowers, Eve.” 

Before she could say anything, the attendant knocked and soon came in, and they assessed each of your faces, asking a plethora of questions about your skin you didn’t even know the answer to. 

It was odd at first, but you eventually warmed up to the treatment and calming music spilling from an overhead speaker. 

For Eve, it was just another Sunday afternoon. She talked on and on about everything in her life, not that you minded. Except that you really didn’t need to know about her dog’s chronic gastrointestinal issues, or how her most recent failed talking stage went. 

“So that’s why dating is like a spectator sport to me now.” She tried to mumble from underneath the weight of the heavy, rubber-like modeling mask treatment. “I like hearing about other people’s dating endeavors more than experiencing it myself.” She expressed with her hands. “That’s why the last one didn’t work out. I am perfectly content with just observing.” 

“Ma’am, can you stay still?” The attendant asked as they brushed on the rest of the thick cream onto her face. 

“Whoops. Sorry.” She apologized. “Anyways, I figured out that my dog’s stomach was really sensitive to the chicken food I fed him, and I learned that the hard way.” 

You tried your best to sound interested in that particular subject. “Is he alright now?” 

“I had to put him on an expensive and strict diet afterwards. Seriously, he eats better than me.” 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Really, your face seemed like it hadn’t felt this soft in years. You saw the glowiness radiating from your skin in the mirror. While it wasn’t a full-body massage or a trip to the moist steam rooms, you almost didn’t regret coming back to your old workplace because your skin felt amazing. 

You airily walked to the front desk to pay your discounted share with Eve, until a strangely familiar voice hit your ears. 

“I didn’t know you were friends with my old colleague, Eve.” 

It was her. The woman who made your life miserable at work.

“Margaret,” You greeted shakily. 

She looked about the same, save for a sharper face, condescending eyes, and the wrinkle between her eyebrows from scowling too much. 

Eve turned. “Oh, you know her? Margaret?” 

She was the owner now? 

“Yes. Yes I do.” You didn’t know how to stand, nor know what to say. 

“Quite the bold move to show yourself here again.” She smiled, though it wasn’t the nice kind. Her eyes looked lifeless once they locked onto you. 

Eve naturally looked confused. She knew you were a former receptionist here, though you never told anything beyond that detail only. 

Margaret was one of the many driving forces that made you resign from your position. 

She found out your little secret.

It was a pointless temporary little desk job that had average pay and took in your poor self. Before there was a shift in how people automatically perceived you in this society because of who you were and who you liked, you kept your whole life strictly under wraps from the people at work. It went relatively well, and you got along with most people. 

But for some odd reason, Margaret was dead-set on trying to reveal every secret you harbored, even had the nerve of following you home from afar just to see Sevika greet you at the door with the child you recently adopted. 

And from there, it was a blur. Nearly every day, people pestered you with questions, made uncalled for remarks behind your back, and suddenly, people had no time to chat with you at all, basically ruining every friendship you had at this place. 

You tried to brush it off, telling yourself that most people thought about you that way anyway, but deep down, it really stung. Who you thought were your nice and dependable co-workers, shattered your reality after learning a little more about you. 

It deteriorated you mentally to the point where you resigned and vowed that you would never step foot inside Green Gardens again. 

Feelings about the place simmered down over the years as you buried it deep in your memory, but now, it came back to you full force upon seeing Margaret’s face again. 

“What’s going on?” Eve questioned, turning fully to face the both of you. 

“We were friends, right?” 

You stayed silent. Eve noticed how you tried to draw yourself in from the conversation.

“Oh, I see how it is now.” Eve stilled her face. “Do you really think I can support an establishment that drove my friend out simply because of the fact that she’s gay?” 

“Well, she wasn’t driven out. She was the one who quit, dear.” She was a bit older than you, no more than fifty-five or something, but it didn’t mean she could have the authority to be treating you two like this. “And I thought we were friends, but I suppose not.” She scoffed, giving Eve a once-over. 

Instantly, you were driven back to the exact moment where you tried to stand up for your late-twenties self long ago, but to no avail, no words left your mouth. 

“Don’t drag her into this.” It’s been so long. Time and time again, you envisioned your last day working here in your mind and replayed it, trying to see if there was anything you could do to change anything. 

“Well, your image wasn’t, how do I put this, classy enough and didn’t quite fit our company’s aesthetics. So I did you a favor.”

“All you did was make my life a living hell, Margaret.” You spat back. “What’s unclassy was a shitty action done by you for what? What did I do to you?” 

By now, the people in the lobby were staring at you, and Margaret shifted nervously, sweating in that scratchy blouse of hers. But she didn’t budge or think about walking off one bit. She stood with her arms crossed and was about to say something, but your friend cut in abruptly. 

“Ah-ah. I need you to be quiet. You just lost a customer today.” Eve practically dragged you by the arm out of the building. “Screw this, let’s go.” She pushed on the glass doors and made her way outside with you. 

Margaret didn’t say anything. You didn’t bother to look back.

You finally released the breath you were holding. The outside air reminded you of how stuffy the whole place was. 

Eve put a hand on her hip. “Seriously, some people…” She realized something and turned to you, looking a little regretful. “Uh, I owe you. Sorry.” 

“It wasn’t your fault, Eve.” You loosened your jaw, as your teeth were tightly grit the whole encounter. “I never did tell you the whole story.” 

“I know, I know, it’s just that I never knew she would be such a— uh—” She debated on whether or not she should keep her office filter on.

“Bitch?” 

“Yeah, that.” 

“Glad I left when I did though. Should’ve done it earlier to be honest.” You huffed. “I never knew I’d be standing in the same position back then. Y’know, I’ve come to realize that people like her aren’t worth my time. Comes with age, I presume.” 

Your past didn’t define you now. You’ve moved on from a lot of things, but haven’t forgiven nor forgotten. That feeling of betrayal never left your mind at all. 

You woke up smelling the too-familiar scent of Sevika’s bedsheets. 

Shit. Work. 

You glanced at the clock on the bedside table and it read 8:12. You then glanced over at the breathing form next to you, white shirt unbuttoned all the way down, your lipstick staining her collar. Her sleeping state rhythmically rose and fell, signaling that she was fast asleep. 

‘Take me back to yours, ‘Vika.’ 

Oh, so that’s how you got here. After overcoming the temporary lag sleeping gave you, you immediately rose out of bed, instinctively moving to the bathroom, body automatically pathfinding it, like in a video game Rose showed you years ago. 

You were back in Sevika’s house. 

Which used to also be your house. 

It really had been a damn long time. 

You looked back at Sevika, and she was still fast asleep like a log, and you didn’t worry about being too loud. You knew her. She would deeply sleep through an earthquake if she was tired enough.

Honestly, after all you did together, you were tired out of your mind too.

The bathroom hall looked almost the same, save for the lack of your products strewn about the counters or Rose’s. There was one toothbrush sitting by the sink, alone in the cup. You turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on your face, giving yourself a clearer view of yourself in the mirror. 

But you finally realized that you were only in your undergarments, prancing around the halls like that. 

Until you saw it. A blossoming bruise—a hickey—on the left side of your neck. Slightly darker than your skin tone, and raised from the rest of your skin as you glided your fingers along the discoloration. If you weren’t panicking by then, you definitely were now. 

Maybe you’d cover it up with just a shirt collar or something? A scarf? Too hot for that. You would figure it out later. After all, it wasn’t that noticeable if the light hit your face just right. 

Oh yeah, work. You needed to be there by nine, so you opted to haphazardly shimmy back into your dress, take your bag and leave. 

In the midst of the one-woman chaos caused by you, Sevika only roused at all the commotion at your voice as you were muttering to yourself, turning onto her other side to see you trying to check all of your belongings for anything missing, dress in hand. Guess she proved your theory of her sleeping habits wrong. 

“What’s got you in a rush?” She spoke in her early-morning voice that had a little rasp to it, driving you internally crazy. You wanted to strip and jump back into bed with her and sleep in until the afternoon. 

Unfortunately, the money didn’t wait for you. 

“I gotta be at work by nine.” You said with a little tremor in your voice. “I’ll be off at around six.” 

“I don’t know what type of office job you work, but it’s pretty cruel how they make you work weekdays and weekends.” She raised an eyebrow. You couldn’t see it, but you could just feel it, along with her eyes boring into your figure. 

You stayed frozen in place and turned around to face her. And what did you know? She was smirking, laughing lightly as the sun hit her face from the window behind you. 

With a defeated huff, you dropped your things and sat beside Sevika. “It’s Saturday… right. I must’ve been out of my mind.” You put a hand over your chest, exhaling deeply, trying to calm yourself. 

“You aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, not with that on your neck.” Instinctively, you rubbed the mark, feeling the soreness of the bruise. 

“Don’t remind me.” 

“You’re welcome.” How did Sevika manage to rile you up (whether it be from lust or pure annoyance) this early in the morning? 

She patted the empty spot on her bed. “Stay with me. Find a shirt you like.” She looked over to the dresser in front of the bed. 

Rummaging through the dresser, you found a shirt you fondly remembered—it was gray and worn, slightly tattered over time, the tiny little holes made by her belts, but the nights you spent in them weren’t something you’d ever forget. Putting it on, it was a comfy fit on you, enough to keep your exposed abdomen a little more covered up. 

Sitting back down again, you traced patterns into the chocolate-colored fitted sheet. “Um, can we talk?”

She raised an eyebrow, allowing you to continue.

“It’s about us.” Your attention shifted to outside, the morning sun seeping through the dusty blinds. You wanted to zone out in the moment, get everything over with and put that hard talk behind you. 

“And?”

You sighed. “I know, I know. We didn’t put a label on it, but we had a date, and we kissed, and—” amidst you rambling your inner worries, Sevika cut in. 

Sighing, she sat up. Her brows furrowed, which caused a wave of sweat to overtake you the moment you heard the sheets rustle.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” 

Your stomach dropped. “What?” 

“I didn’t mean to pressure you, doll.” 

To be fair, you recalled your relationship to have started off in the exact same way—a few nights over at hers here and there, and it evolved pretty naturally from then on. 

“No, that’s the thing.” You finally turned back to see Sevika in all her vulnerability, all her scars on display in the sunlight, her eyes squinting as the rays poured from the edges of your figure in the golden light. She had low eyes, shifty and uncertain, but it was progress. Progress on actually making an effort to communicate with one another without having it burst out into a spat or be the reason to take distance from each other. 

You sighed, taking a deep breath in. “I want to. I wanna do this.” You traced down your arm, feeling all the skin, activating all your nerves to remind you that all of this is in fact, real. “I wanna try again. I was so stupid for not hearing you out, for not listening.” 

By now, Sevika was fully awake. In hindsight, having an important talk immediately after getting up wasn’t the best idea. But nevertheless, you were having one. 

“Listen, I know you were scared.” She shuffled in the sheets, her eyes often flickering to yours. “I was too. Every damn day I stepped out that door to go to work.” 

She acted cold and callous for the sake of you and your baby. Tried to hide all her pain for the sake of you..

“Ever since you left and Sil—he died… I didn’t know what to do.” 

“Sev… that’s what we were there for. You didn’t have to bear all of it alone. Now that I’m with you, you don’t have to be afraid.” 

You couldn’t help it. You leaned in closer to Sevika to engulf her in an embrace. Feeling her warm skin on yours. Feeling her tense up at your touch just wanted to make you hug her even tighter. 

Her hand hovered over your back, unsure of what to do with it, though she eventually eased her hand down, hugging you back. She was beginning to grow a bit apprehensive by your lack of words, but you kept on hugging her nonetheless. 

When you felt it on your shoulder, you swore you wouldn’t let go of her anytime soon. 

Sevika’s breath grew unsteady, hitching and hiccuping into her shirt you’re wearing, the cotton dampening as she buried her face into the crook of your neck. You felt the warmth of her spread to you as she melted in your arms. 

You ran your hands up and down her back, shushing and comforting her. “Sh, ‘Vika. I’m right here.” 

Come to think of it, when you recalled the moments after that fight and before the divorce, she never cried, never acted unusually, she bottled herself up for the sake of the people that she treasured the most. 

Now she was here, ten years worth of feelings and tears that were pushed aside. It only recently occurred to you that she had been holding it in for so long. 

After a while, her sobbing subsided and she pulled away from you. You took a good look at her face, tear-stained and eyes puffy. “You need a tissue. I’ll get you one.” As you left your spot to get the whole box, Sevika quickly composed herself, stopping the tears and in turn, her emotions. 

“Right.” She grew quieter, closing herself in. 

You came back, handed her the box, and let her do her thing as you got ready for the morning. 

She patted her legs and rose from her bed. “That settles it. We can stick to being casual, if that’s what you want. No harm done if it doesn’t work out.” 

Hearing it out loud made something twist deep in your chest. Of course, that was what you were. Thinking about the future, how you’ve lived your life, and how she lived hers when you were apart, you weren’t all that different. You’ve both been through it before, so what harm would it do to be at risk for it to happen again?

“I guess so.” 

You knew it took a while for her to open up, so you dismissed her passive comment and flashed her a smile, changing the subject. You knew she wanted to as well. When she looked at you, she gave you that ‘pretend-this-never-happened’ look.

“So, you actually became that A-Level mechanic you aspired to be?” You gave her a knowing smirk.

“Yeah. I did.” She sniffled and stretched her arm high above her, groaning as the night stiffness left her body. “Want some breakfast?” 

“Sure.”

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

If only you knew that sitting at the edge of the counter again watching Sevika with her back turned to you, cooking eggs as if it was an everyday occurrence. The sun peeked through the blinds of the back door that led into the kitchen and gracefully highlighted every feature of hers. 

Snapping you out of your thoughts, Sevika asked, “Tell me more about Rose.” 

“Oh, you don’t wanna know.” You half-joked.

“What?” She briefly turned around and furrowed. 

“I wasn’t… you know…. The most emotionally available mother to her after we moved out.” 

In high school, she was a chronic troublemaker. You’d sometimes receive calls from the school asking where she was when you swore you brought her to school that morning. She cut class regularly and always stayed out past curfew. 

But you would always leave her bedroom window unlocked every night she went out. You pretended you turned in early. Once you heard the door click shut and a missing Rose, you turned the latch of the window so she could open it from the outside. 

Of course, she’d receive a good lecture and most likely a grounding the morning after. You constantly worried about her safety, but it felt hopeless to fight back against a teenager who already thought the whole world was coming to get her.

Other than that, she was a good kid. 

“I tried to compensate for everything she went through because of me, and that left us a little strained for a while.” 

You didn’t want to turn into your mother, as your lives were hard enough. You tried to support her in everything she did, even if it meant putting off other responsibilities for the time being.

After her first heartbreak, she cried in your lap, showing you that she was still capable of being vulnerable with you even when she seemed like she wanted nothing to do with you. It was all part of being a teen.

‘Is this how it feels?’ You remember she managed to say in between choked sobs. 

And somehow, you grew closer.

“Reminds me of a certain someone.” She only half-laughed in response. 

You crossed your arms. “Except that Rose actually still talks to her mom.” Ouch. While it may be true, comparison was your worst enemy. 

Sevika slid a plate towards you. “Here. Your eggs.” Just how you loved it, you didn’t even need to ask. 

As you began to eat, you asked, “Do you still talk to your old man?” 

She leaned against the counter and looked out the window of the back door. “He… left us a few years back.” 

The guilt struck immediately. “Oh, I’m so so sorry, Sev—” 

“Don’t be. He never was half the parent you are right now.” She smirked and went to toss you a napkin. So, you decided to change the subject. 

“What’re you eating?” 

“Not hungry.” 

“Really? After all we did last night?” 

She shook her head no, facing you as you ate your food. She just stared at your face, you swore you didn’t know if she was trying to read you or glower. 

“It feels weird, doesn’t it?” You said. 

“I guess I’m just not used to it.” She straightened her posture and promptly began to walk down the hall. “Shower’s open if you need it.” 

It did feel weird. Really weird. You regained a sense of normalcy when Sevika showed up in your life again, and now you were sharing a menial conversation in the kitchen with each other like it was every other morning. 

Every word and every mannerism you overthunk. Sevika must’ve thought you were being bitter about some things still. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

You decided to take her up on her offer of using her shower. 

Stepping inside, you saw the same off-white tiles, and Sevika’s favorite body care items resting on the top shelf of the back rack. You remembered the shampoo she had been using for years, loyal to the brand that changed over time. 

You had a good whiff of it just this morning. 

She never ceased her loyalty to just one brand that did something as simple as to clean her hair. 

‘All I could think about was you during those damn long ten years apart’

As soon as your mind stuck to those thoughts, you turned the knob of the shower to the cold side. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

“You mind if I use this towel?” You peeked out of the bathroom door to shout down the hall. 

“Go ahead.” She didn’t even bother to look from her place in the living room. It was funny, you could be using her towel and she wouldn’t even know it. 

Of course, you got one from the cabinet down below and began drying up. 

Once you had a towel wrapped over your form, she threw a fresh shirt and pants at you the moment you exited the moist bathroom. You caught it with a thud to your chest.

After putting it on, she offered to take you home. 

When you walked out of her house that morning, the sun hit your eyes just right. Traveling down the concrete to where her truck was parked gave you a sense of normalcy again. 

Once you saw your apartment complex, you dreaded each second that passed. “I guess I’ll see you?” You tilted your head to the side and wondered if Sevika felt the same. 

“I’m sure of it.” 

You sat there for a second, one hand on the door latch. You turned to Sevika to get one last look at her face, and what did you know, she was looking at you first. 

You kissed like there was no tomorrow. Naturally. Bringing her face closer with your hands, it was a tender moment shared between the two of you—and it was something you were beginning to treasure again. 

You absolutely could not confide in Rose about your little dinner plans with her mom, nor Edward. You saw how well he kept secrets right before the trip. You quickly had to re-adjust from your vacation mentality back to work, and the person you needed to talk to the most right now was…

“Eve, what a pleasant surprise.” You took the paper bag she gifted to you. 

“I was at a spa this weekend, right?” She started. “And I got this freebie because I promised that I’d bring a friend next time I came. So, as an offering, will you come with me? Please?” She clasped her hands together and tried to persuade you horribly. 

You took the time to look at the label on the bag, trying to see what exact spa this was. 

“Green Gardens Rejuvination…oh wow…” You turned back to Eve, tracing the indents of the fancy gold lettering.

“What’s wrong?” 

“That old place is still standing? I was a receptionist there a million years ago.” Hearing the place again was something you thought you would put behind you for good, ever since you walked out of that place, barely in one piece mentally.

“No. Way.” Her eyes widened. 

You were confused as to why you had her full attention now, completely rolling out of her cubicle to face you, but look at the cute bath set she gave you, complete with a mini loofah and everything. “Thanks Eve.” 

“Even if you did work there, will you come get a full treatment with me next Sunday?” It was all so sudden, as you never really brought any friendships outside of your workplace, so this was new. It couldn’t hurt though. You were older. You needed to build some more rapport with co-workers. 

“Sure thing. But you’ll promise to help me pick out something to wear from my closet Friday night.” 

Her eyebrows raised. “Oooh, someone’s putting herself out there again.” She nudged you with your elbow, leaving you stammering. 

“No, it’s not that,” you swallow nervously. “Sevika asked me out on a date at seven that night, so—” 

She absolutely lost it, cheered with you, cried with you, congratulated you, and asked a plethora of questions. She violently rocked your office chair, causing multiple side eyes from your co-workers and a couple of shushes. 

“Keep it down, Eve. I’ll text you my address.” 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

“Too plain. No, that one’s too short—where are you even going?” She soon sighed, spent by watching you try on different dresses you’ve had back in your day. 

“I don’t know, she only asked me to wear something pretty.” You hung a dress that barely saw the light of day back onto the rack in your closet. “Her favorite’s purple. Will I look like I’m trying too hard if I wear purple?” You held a casual dusty pink long-sleeve in front of Eve. “I didn’t even know I owned this.” 

“Keep looking, that one’s too plain.” She dismissed it easily. 

You dug and felt some cloth in the back of your closet and you pulled it out, not expecting anything good. 

But as cliche as it sounded, you found a stunning red dress with a sweetheart neckline, no straps, and a silhouette that hugged your figure.

“Oh damn. Try it on.” Her eyes lightened and a glint of hope was reignited. 

“No.” You swallowed. “Last time I wore this was when Sevika cancelled our date plans last minute.”  And to both of your demise, the dress zipper was broken, already served its time before it was put to good use. “Should’ve worn this when I had the chance.” But wearing something that would only perpetuate the bad thoughts wouldn’t make you feel confident in the slightest too.

You remembered that it was also the era where you had quit working at Green Gardens Rejuvenation because of something you also wanted to bury. You brushed the thought off and grabbed a hold of another dress. 

It was a dark purple, made you look flattering, accentuating instead of adding or subtracting anything from your body.

The threadwork was intricate, spanning the whole length of the dress. Cutting off right at your chest, it flowed right down to your ankles, with a delicate slit that stopped just below the knee. As you walked, you could get a small sliver of skin peeking out from the fabric.

It was much more your size, even if it was most likely more than a decade old. Better, breathable. When you came out of the bathroom and looked at yourself in the floor-length mirror, you couldn’t remember looking better than ever. 

Eve clapped excitedly and brought you to where you kept your shoes to start looking there. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

It was around 6:15, makeup just about done, with the wholehearted support of Eve, your chest beated in anticipation. Not out of fear, but out of excitement this time. 

You batted your eyelashes in the mirror. Being all dolled up instilled a new form of confidence in you, something you hadn’t felt in a while. Were you trying too hard? No. It wasn’t your job to impress her every time you met. Tonight felt much more special—you were meeting her on better terms at a fancy place downtown. 

“I should’ve made you wear that ugly one,” Eve said out of the blue. 

“Huh? Why?” 

“You’re not gonna need it later, so why bother?” She gave you a wink and grabbed her bag to leave. Immediately, the thoughts from that night you and Sevika made up (and made out) came rushing back to you, causing a wave of heat to overtake your body.

“Okay, maybe I won’t go to Green Gardens with you.” You playfully clapped back, putting a hand on your hip, the dress airily moving with you.

“Wait, I was just kidding—!” 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Eve left to go somewhere shortly after. Knowing her, she’d probably be waiting in line at a new bakery that opened, or going to some niche event to meet new people.

Finally, as you waited eagerly by the peephole of your apartment to see Sevika’s truck below pulling up, right on time, you received a text and heard the engine of her vehicle hum in the distance down on the first level of the building. You were just about to open the door until you read the message that popped up on your phone. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Sevika: I’m here. Don’t go outside just yet.  You: I’m not a princess. I can walk down some stairs by myself.  Sevika: I bet you look like one now, though.  You: Shut up.  Sevika: Too late, I’m heading up now.

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

Her and her words. It made something heat up inside of you. You smiled and slid your phone back into your bag as you heard her steps. Once the door knocked, you had to muster some self-restraint to make it look like you weren’t waiting at the door like some poor puppy waiting for its owner.

After a few seconds and some deep breaths, you unlocked the door to see Sevika in a crisp suit greeting you with a sheepish smile and a bouquet of lilies in hand. And what was better, the flowers closely resembled the shade of your dress. What a coincidence. 

“Hi.” She looked you up and down and gulped. 

“Hey.” You couldn’t contain a smile peeking from your lips. 

“Oh— I got you flowers,” Sevika held out the bouquet, the wrapping paper crinkling. She remembered how you liked them so much. You almost had one tattooed somewhere on yourself. “You’re beautiful by the way.” 

Admittedly, your compliment left you frozen for a moment until you focused back onto the bouquet. “You as well…” You took it out of her hands. “I love it, thank you.” You extended the door, smelling the strong-sweet scent of the flowers. “Let me put this in a vase. Come on in.” You offered, extending the door so Sevika could come in. 

She brushed past you, leaving a lingering trail of her favorite cologne, something you haven’t smelled in years. 

As you placed the bouquet at the counter, you were on your toes to reach into a high cabinet in the kitchen to find the perfect vase. When was the last time you had flowers in your apartment, much less received some? The vase was stacked up very high, and you struggled a bit to reach it. But you felt a looming presence behind you. Sevika retrieved the vase you wanted and began filling it with water without a word. 

“Thanks…” You trailed off, but quickly prepared the bouquet and put it in the vase. Teamwork. When was the last time that happened?

Coming to think of it, Sevika hadn’t ever been in your apartment before, so she took it all in. You’ve been living here for the past decade. Old, but reliable. You even converted Rose’s old room into a space for extra storage, but left the bed there just in case she needed a place to stay. 

After she moved out, you didn’t really consider moving or getting a one-bedroom instead. You clung onto the memories made with your daughter, where you built yourself up from absolute despair. 

You didn’t experience the symptoms of empty nest syndrome too harshly, as you were confident that she’d do well in the world. After all, it did give you a chunk of free time to spend on yourself. That is if she didn’t barge in unexpectedly at any hour of the day.

“Nice place you have here,” Sevika said, walking towards the front door again. She slipped her shoes back on and opened it for you. “Shall we go?” She extended her hand out, and that just made your heart skip a beat. 

“Yes.” You took her hand. It brought back some unwanted flashes of memories, but you suppressed them for now. What truly mattered was the woman standing in front of you at that moment, wanting to try this time around. 

She opened the passenger’s door for you. Ever the gentlewoman she was. During the drive, she played some random radio station on low as her eyes watched the road ahead. The ride there was steady, as she kept one hand on the wheel. 

“What restaurant are we going to?” 

“I remembered you telling me that your co-workers were raving about the place. I could see it in your eyes back then—you were curious.” 

“You remembered all that?” You fake gasped, taking a jab at the gray strands peeking from her hairline. “I’m glad.” You said quietly.

“I’m not that old, thank you.” She tried so hard to sound annoyed, but you saw—in a flash of light from zooming by the streetlights—she cracked a smile. 

Things were beginning to grow more natural, easier to talk, easier to crack jokes, and easier to look at her face without wanting to violently sob. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

At the restaurant, she pulled up into a parking space nearly all the way in the back, lacking any lighting whatsoever. 

Sevika casually mentioned, “I made a reservation the moment you said yes.” 

You were beaming, smiling your ass off the duration of the night so far, might as well put on a propeller hat with a comically large rainbow lollipop in hand with how happy you were. 

Like a gentlewoman, she opened the door for you to exit her car. She held out her hand for you to take a stable step down without straining in your dress. “It’s no chariot, but it gets me places,” She mentioned. She really wouldn’t let go of the whole princess thing huh.

“Well I’m no princess, so my accommodations are just fine, thank you.” You checked your look in your compact mirror one last time. 

“You look plenty beautiful, princess.”

Inside the building, it was dim, full of conversations, mostly couples filled the room. You wanted to hide back in your shell again, but Sevika’s hand made it to your lower back as the host led the two of you to a small booth in the corner. 

It was an immaculate place—ornate light fixtures everywhere, but the atmosphere was dim. A live band serenaded the restaurant's patrons. Everything was top-notch, from fancy bottles of champagne that cost a considerable amount, to the whole vibe of one of the city’s long-standing hotspots. 

After you were handed the fancy menus, you each took a good look at the options. “...Sevika, this is so expensive. We can split the bill, really.”

As you looked up at her, she had pulled out a pair of simple glasses to read the menu better, squinting and holding it up to the candle in the middle of the table for better light. You didn’t want to tease her further, so you giggled to yourself and kept quiet. 

She held a hand up, stubborn as ever. “I said it was my treat. Anyways, I’m having the steak. What about you, doll?” Oh god, hearing her call you that made your heart swell every time. 

“Um, this.” You pointed at the menu. After realizing that she couldn’t see it, you turned it and showed her the words. “Looks good, I mean— sounds good.” You nervously chuckled. With sweaty palms, you closed the menu and took your glass of water, sipping it to hide your embarrassed face. 

You sipped your drink, and Sevika sipped hers in a comfortable silence. The wait service seemed like it slowed down as the music was at its peak. Up until now, you two just caught up, like you were supposed to months ago when circumstances made you see each other again. Like a ‘how’s life? Your job okay? Nice weather we’re having’. Small talk like that, things you’d say in the office instead of on a date, for goodness sake. 

Well, you two never established it as a date, really. More like the first step after reconciling.

Just as you were having a whirlwind of thoughts when you were transfixed on the music, her foot inched closer to yours, now touching beneath the white tablecloth. She shot you a grin, but for the most part she acted like nothing was going on. 

“Sev,” You warned, raising an eyebrow, but you couldn’t contain the rush it gave you.

“What? Not enjoying the music?” Oh, you see how it is. She slid her foot up further, through the tiny slit in your dress and traced along your bare shin, lifting your dress up to your knee. 

No one could see what was going on beneath the fancy tablecloth, the shine of Sevika’s leather shoe, the trembling of your thigh, down to the little goosebumps forming on your skin. 

“What if someone sees?” You whisper-yelled. 

“Let them.” 

God, she was acting like the two of you were young again. But you couldn’t say that you were opposed to it. 

Heat travelled up your body when she practically lodged her strong leg in between yours. You tried your utmost to keep a poker face when a waiter came by to ask how things were. Even though she wasn’t directly touching your core, she gave a strong hint that you’d be in for it tonight. 

Her leg retracted to her side of the booth for now. 

After the amazing food was cleared off your plates (and into your stomachs), the check came, waiter holding the payment machine in hand. Damn tapless transactions. 

Before Sevika could take her card out, you proposed: “We’ll split it this evening, thank you.” Sevika was going to object, mouth already open to say something, but your heel somehow accidentally stomped on her pinky toe through her polished shoes to keep her distracted. She winced and rescinded her card back. 

“Very well.” The waiter set the payment machine and held it out for you to tap your card first. 

𓆩:*¨༺✧ ⚜ ✧༻¨*:𓆪

“I said it was my treat.” Sevika acted like a kicked puppy when you pulled that trick earlier inside the restaurant. 

The two of you now were walking back to her car, contently full and satisfied for the night.

“Too slow.” You gave a playful smile, walking ahead of her, facing backwards as you reached her truck. Once the two of you were nestled inside the vehicle, it was nothing but the crickets and you. The rush of dinner passed by, and everyone already left the parking lot. 

Her hand rested on the center console, and you placed yours atop hers. 

You sighed, feeling a little more loose. “I don’t want this night to end. Really, ‘Vika—Sevika.” 

“You can call me that. I already told you at the beach.” She looked down at her lap, her breath hitched.

“The same beach where we kissed?” Honestly, you wanted to relish in that moment forever, so you rubbed it in whenever you could. 

“Yeah.” Sevika wanted to bury her head in her hands and never looked up again. Damn it, why was she like this? Did she not like it? If she didn’t want you to bring it up, why’d she initiate another kiss as you parted last week? You were definitely overthinking it. 

“What’s wrong?” Your thumb caressed the top of her hand, awaiting an answer. “You can tell me.” God, you were scared that you might’ve said something wrong, ruined the good thing you two had going on in that moment. 

“Can I kiss you again?” She asked.

There she is. 

Alone, Sevika wasn’t as rough as everyone thought, not as cocky as the front she put up for everyone, and you knew that. Not many people knew she was a big softie on the inside, and you were trying to break down that wall of defense she put up years ago. 

And seeing her flustered and stumbling over every word made something flutter beautifully in your chest. 

“Of course.” You said as you took her chin in your other hand and lifted it up and pressed your lips onto hers, lipstick mixing. 

The kiss then grew deeper and deeper, your hands now cradling her face. You parted your mouth for her tongue to enter. Nothing new, of course, but nevertheless a sensation you’ve been craving for years. 

“All I could think about was you during those damn long ten years apart.” She humiliatingly confessed between kisses. “I don’t wanna rush this, but fuck, I can’t help myself.” 

Your eyes were half-lidded and everything was hazy, all you knew was that you nodded and reassured her as you brought your faces together again. 

Her warm tongue licked your bottom lip, and you granted her entrance again. Her saliva was a tangy mix of her favorite drink, and you cursed the damn center console for being the only barrier keeping you from pouncing on each other. You accidentally bit her bottom lip. You giggled. She did too. 

Once you separated, your hands were still on either side of her face. As you stared into her animated eyes, you knew something of that past relationship still lingered in your hearts. You thought it’d be better to start anew, start from square one, like a redo from both your wrongs. But what you didn’t expect was the terrible, unsuppressable, feeling that the past would slowly come back to haunt you. 

So fuck it, rushing into whatever you have or not didn’t matter when it was obvious that you two were dancing around the subject of being serious. 

“Well too bad, ‘Vika,” A lump formed in your throat, a hot sensation propagated throughout your whole body, tears began pricking the corners of your eyes. “You don’t have to worry about taking your time with me.” You promised yourself that you wouldn’t cry, that the tears were over, but never in your wildest dreams did you anticipate Sevika, here, as your broken heart mended itself with every kiss. 

You needed time. It was obvious that she needed time too. In order to fix what you had, not bury and forget. 

“I’ll give you all the time we need, doll. Promise” Her face was loose and free, giving you a warm smile. Beneath the faint light of the parking lot, Sevika looked surreal, like the version of her who was willing to try again.

You leaned in for another, softer, kiss on her lips. It was all so surreal. You never thought it’d happen again. You felt hot tears run down your cheeks and drip down to Sevika’s suit lapels, but you never ceased the outpour of the fervent messages your lips were sending each other. 

“Take me back to yours, ‘Vika.” You ran your hands up her arms, creating temporary creases in her suit like waves, which caused her to shiver at the mercy of your hands. She knew what you suggested, and immediately sat back and put her seatbelt on.