Work Text:
Cosima hates plants. No. Scratch that. Cosima loves plants. She hates having to look after plants.
She has to remember to water them everyday when her parents are off on their business trips or science conventions. She has to remember that sunny days to move them so that they don't burn. She has to remember that the Venus Fly Trap needs insects and that the room with the Flaming Swords in needs to be kept at 75 degrees. How could she possibly supposed to remember all of this, do her school work and feed herself?
It turns out, she couldn't, and that was why she was making her way down the high street to the flower shop at 9am on a Saturday morning instead of playing WoW with Scott. It was the shop her parents had always used, although Cosima had never been there herself. The Cormier's were very close friends of her parents. Probably because they contributed about 70% of their income.
The door was heavy and she had to push it with her whole body (which wasn't a lot), and in turn this caused her to trip on the door mat. A strong hand reached out to steady her. She looked up and saw a tall man with short brown hair. His jaw was wide and firm. His eyes big and his nose slender. "Are you okay?" He asked her, with a slight French tilt in his voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine thank you." She assured him, standing up straight to add emphasis. "I'm Cosima, Maria and Benjamin's daughter?"
"Of course, we've heard so much about you come in!" He stepped aside and motioned for her to walk past him. He shouted towards the back of the shop in French and a petite blonde woman scurried out, wiping her hands on a towel. "Bonjour Cosima, it is nice to finally meet you." She extended a hand which Cosima took. The small woman shot her a welcoming smile, the smile that family members give you after a long trip.
"Yeah same. My parents love your store." She finally stopped to look around. It was breathtaking. The walls were lined with heated benches full of a collage of all different colours. The purple and white of the Bear's Breeches mixed in with the florescent pink and yellow of the Western Iceplant. In the corners grew giant Weeping Figs in off cream, pebble pots. There was a light buzz in the air from the sound of multiple heaters and the smell of soil and leaves filled the small space. "I can see why, it's gorgeous in here."
As she marvelled at the sensory overload, a girl's voice rang through the air. "Maman?" Cosima turned to face the voice. In the doorway to the back of the shop stood a tall girl, around Cosima's age. The early morning sun made her hair take on an angelical glow as it cascaded down the messy curls. Her skin was pale and her lips tight. She had her fathers slender nose and huge eyes, but her mother's warm smile and gaze. With 4 long strides the girl had made her way from the back to stand next to her mother, passing her the portable land line. The smaller woman excused herself from the group and returned through a small arch at the back of the store.
"Cosima, this is our daughter Delphine" Mr Cormier had thrown his arm over Delphine's shoulders, as if he was showing her off to the world. And why wouldn't he? Cosima thought to herself. This girl is a work of art.
"Hey," She waved, feeling slightly more nervous the longer Delphine's gaze was fixed on her.
The taller girl smiled. It was almost as if she found Cosima's nervousness endearing. "Enchantee." If she wasn't entirely sure that this girl was out of her league, Cosima could have sworn Delphine had winked at her.
A man's voice brought her back into the room. "So, what was it you needed Cosima?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah, sorry." She was mumbling, tripping over her words as if she was 13 again and had just kissed a girl for the first time. She felt small and very concious about the mess of an outfit she'd thrown on. If she'd known she was going to run into the French Goddess of Light she'd have worn her new t-shirt dress instead of her ripped jeans and converse. "I accidentally killed my Dad's Flaming Sword. Do you have one?"
Delphine let out a small laugh. She couldn't tell if the tall girl was laughing at her, or with her, but she knew she'd kill a thousand plants just to hear it again.
"Of course, of course. Did you let the room get too cold again?" The tall man asked, not once sounding patronizing. He sounded unsurprised, as if her parents had told him everything about her. Mr Cormier ushered her to the part of the store where the Flaming Swords were kept and let her browse. She was searching for one similar to that which she'd killed, hopelessly trying to keep her parents oblivious.
"Yeah, same old, really." She joked, running her fingers along the waxy leaves.
A voice called from the back and Mr Cormier excused himself, allowing Cosima to study the plants alone. She let her mind roam as she tried to remember just how tall the Sword was and what shade of Red it had been. Venetian Red?. No, too bright. Cardinal? No, too pink.
"I think your parents always preferred the Carnelian Swords, no?" Cosima had been so wrapped up in her own little world that she hadn't noticed Delphine get closer to her. So close in fact that she could smell the fading apple scent of Delphine's shampoo mixed with the man-made scent of deodorant and the earthy smell of soil. There was something else too, mixed in with the cacophony of smells, that Cosima couldn't her finger on. "This one, would be perfect". Delphine reaches out and, not so subtly, brushes Cosima's arm with her own. The electricity was unavoidable, and she rolled down the sleeves of her shirt so that Delphine couldn't see the prominent goosebumps that graced her forearm.
The blonde was holding out, seeking approval that she had made the right choice. Cosima nodded, she didn't trust her brain or mouth to handle this situation. Delphine could have picked out the completely wrong colour, hell, Delphine could have picked out the completely wrong species and Cosima would not have corrected her. She watched as the blonde girl started to bag up the plant, making sure it was straight and neat. As she wiped down the counter she looked back at Cosima, her lips parted, and when she'd finished she was still looking. Her lips were moving, forcing Cosima to look. Oh wait, was she talking?
"Cosima? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, fine. Um, keep the change it's cool" She handed over $20 and ran out of the shop as quick as she could,ignoring Delphine's protest that the plant was only $12.
She couldn't think about anything else other than Delphine on the long walk back to her house.She thought of er long, tight-less, legs slipping out from under her skirt and the feel of her arm as it brushed, purposefully Cosima recalled, down her own. She thought of the controlled, thoughtful way that Delphine spoke, as if she had to consciously think about how to speak. She thought of the light forcing its way into the store and soaking into the cascading curls, their glow making Cosima want to touch and caress them. She thought of her mysterious, intoxicating smell. This girl was a true natural beauty, and the most endearing part of it all, Cosima doubted she knew it at all.
When she finally got home she carefully placed the Flaming Sword exactly where the old one had been. Delphine was right. Carnelian. Cosima could add 'colour expert' to the French girl's growing list of perfections. She had to go back. She had to see Delphine again.
_
Over the next 4 months, Cosima woke up every Saturday and offered to do the plant shopping for her parents. Although they were sceptical at first, they were mostly happy that Cosima had taken an interest in the 'family hobby'. Little did they know, it had nothing to do with actual plants at all.
At first she'd gone in to do the shopping, maybe lingered slightly too long about what type of compost to use so she could listen to Delphine listing the pro's and con's of both. She pretended to take it all on board, but she was only listening to the rise and fall of Delphine's voice. Even when she stumbled over a word, the low "ummmm" that filled the spaces managed to hit Cosima hard in the base of her stomach.
However, because of her weekly visits Delphine began to greet her with a warm hug and the excited exclamation of 'Co-Si-Ma' every syllable pronounced and felt. All of the nerves in her body trembled and were replaced by the all-too-common feel of Delphine Cormier, but still she longed for more.
It was 8am on a Saturday morning. Cosima had left early because her parents were arguing and she needed to escape for a while. It wasn't a common occurrence, but she hated it nonetheless. The only place she knew would be open at this time was the flower shop, and although she hadn't managed to get her parents to stop their screaming match for ten seconds to get their order, she knew that was where she was going.
The room was dark, but through the glass she could see Delphine leaning across the counter, leaning on her elbows. In left hand was a book with which the blonde was deeply engrossed, not even noticing that Cosima had tapped lightly on the glass once she realised the door was closed. In her right hand, between her index and middle fingers, hung a lit cigarette. The blonde would slowly bring the cigarette to her lips, not once taking her eyes off of the page and take a drag. Inhaling deeply but naturally, as if this was pure air and oxygen was poison. Cosima had never seen someone so pure. In this very second, Delphine was not putting on a show, trying to charm a customer, or shyly flirting with Cosima, she was being unashamedly Delphine. Cosima had never been more attracted to her. To anyone.
She almost didn't want to knock again. She didn't want to ruin the peacefulness that Delphine exuded, but she also wanted to share it with her. Reluctantly, Cosima rapped her knuckles against the glass, quickly looking up into the air. The blonde girl looked up startled, as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't, but when her eyes landed on the small, brown haired girl, her worry was replaced with uncensored joy. She bounded over like an excited puppy, unlocking the door and pulling Cosima into a tight hug, the cigarette now hanging limp from her lips.
"Wow, I wasn't expecting this" Cosima chuckled as Delphine pulled away and turned back to sit at the counter.
"I am happy to see you." It was the truth.
"Oh yeah?" Over the past few weeks, Cosima had upped the anti. She recognized that the blonde girl had been dropping hints, lingering fingers and glancing at lips. It was time for Cosima to turn on her infamous charm. "Highlight of your week right?"
The blonde simply hummed in agreement as she finished her cigarette and stubbed it out in a home-made ashtray. As quickly as she had finished the first, she started to light a second.
"Chaining it?"
"I'm sorry Cosima, you don't mind do you?"
"No, no, of course not. I smoke all the time at home."
"Would you like one?"
"Just pot for me actually," Unconsciously, Cosima had snaked her way across the room and was mirroring Delphine's position on the counter, leaning on her elbows. "Hey, where are your parents?"
"Ah, that is why I am 'chaining it'. They are gone for the day. Getting in all the nicotine I can."
"The whole day huh?" Cosima didn't want to consider the possibilities of Delphine's parents being away. She didn't want the pit of her stomach to throb with want as Delphine brought her teeth down to grasp her own lip. She almost certainly didn't want to be so close to the blonde that she could hear the paper of the cigarette burn. But she couldn't help herself. Delphine was like a drug to her.
Delphine hummed again, but this time her voice was low and sultry. It was almost a moan. Her eyes bore deep into Cosima's and her bottom lip was dragged into her teeth's embrace once more. Cosima opened her mouth to speak but before she could Delphine had closed the gap between them, her free hand caressing Cosima's cheek as their lips found each other. Her lips were at soft as Cosima had always imagined them, but her kiss was firm and strong. As she pulled back, Delphine kept her eyes closed, savouring the taste on her lips.
"Wow. I didn't..." Cosima started to speak, her brain trying to both formulate coherent sentences and quell her rising desire. Delphine stubbed out her half-finished cigarette and moved towards the front door. The smaller girl hadn't noticed as her eyes were still shut, trying desperately to commit this moment to memory and take in everything. She was certain this was a dream, but if she took in all of the sensory information around her, she could at least re-live it whenever she wanted to.
She heard the lock of the door click and Delphine turning the 'Open' sign around so that 'Closed' was facing the public. She felt the blonde wrap her arms around her waist and balance her head on her shoulder. She smelled the apple with the earth and the cigarette smoke. She tasted the smoke on her lips with a minty after taste that lingered from brushing.
"Come." Delphine had removed herself from Cosima's waist and was now leading her into the back of the shop, her delicate fingers wrapped around Cosima's wrist. Once they were out of sight, Delphine placed her hands on the brunette's face and pulled her in for another kiss, this time teasing Cosima's bottom lip with her tongue. She opened willingly. Delphine lowered her hands to Cosima's waist and turned her around so her ass hit a workbench. Those hands sank lower, gripping at the back of Cosima's thighs and lifting her up so she sat firmly on the bench. The blonde positioned herself in between Cosima's legs and continued their searing kiss, stopping only when shirts were being pulled off.
Cosima was sure it was a dream. It had to be. Small, nerdy girls who play World of Warcraft with their equally nerdy friends didn't sleep with tall, elegant French goddesses. Those were the rules of life. She was sure it was a dream.
But as teeth sank into her flesh and her hips bucked, she knew it was real.